Kay Walsh

Kay Walsh

1911-11-15 – 2005-04-16 (age 93) Chelsea, London, England, UK
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Biography

​From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Kay Walsh  (born Kathleen Walsh, 15 November 1911,Chelsea, London, England; died 16 April 2005, Chelsea, London) was an English actress and dancer. She grew up in Pimlico, brought up by her grandmother. She began her career as a dancer in West End music halls. Walsh made her film debut in How's Chances? (1934) in a small part, and had a larger role in another 1934 film, Get Your Man. She continued to act in "quota quickies" films for several years. Walsh first met David Lean, then a film editor, in 1936, during the filming of Secret Of Stamboul. They began a relationship and Walsh broke off her engagement to Pownell Pellew. Walsh and Lean married on 23 November 1940. She moved on to higher-prestige films with appearances in two Noel Coward-scripted films, In Which We Serve (1942) and This Happy Breed (1944), both directed by Lean. Walsh had campaigned for Lean to receive co-director credit on In Which We Serve. Walsh contributed dialogue to the 1938 film of Pygmalion, and also devised the scenario for the closing sequence of Lean's film adaptation of Great Expectations (1946), for which she received a writing credit on the latter film. She also devised the opening sequence of Lean's adaptation of Oliver Twist (1948), as well as performing the role of Nancy. Walsh and Lean divorced in 1949, on grounds of infidelity based on Lean's relationship with Ann Todd. Walsh continued to work as a character actress in films through the 1950s, including films with Alfred Hitchcock and Ronald Neame. Her own favourite film role was that of the barmaid Miss D. Coker in Neame's 1958 film of The Horse's Mouth, with Alec Guinness. Between films, she appeared regularly in plays and farces at the Strand and Aldwych Theatres, directed by Basil Dean. She was a semi-regular on the 1979 Anglo-Polish TV series Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson. She remained active in films until her retirement in 1981, after the film Night Crossing. Walsh later lived in retirement in London. She died at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital from multiple burns, following an accident, aged 93. Her second marriage was to the Canadian psychologist Elliott Jaques, and they adopted a daughter, Gemma, in 1956. This marriage also ended in divorce.

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Known For

Oliver Twist
Oliver Twist

1948

as Nancy

Stage Fright
Stage Fright

1950

as Nellie Goode

Scrooge
Scrooge

1970

as Mrs. Fezziwig

Night Crossing
Last Holiday
Last Holiday

1950

as Mrs. Poole

Young Bess
Young Bess

1953

as Mrs. Ashley

The Witches
The Witches

1966

as Stephanie Bax

In Which We Serve
In Which We Serve

1942

as Freda Lewis / Freda

The Ruling Class
The Ruling Class

1972

as Mrs. Piggott-Jones

Vice Versa
Vice Versa

1948

as Florence 'Fanny' Verlane

Greyfriars Bobby
Greyfriars Bobby

1961

as Mrs. Brown

Dr. Syn, Alias the Scarecrow
Dr. Syn, Alias the Scarecrow

1963

as Mrs. Waggett

Tunes of Glory
Tunes of Glory

1960

as Mary Titterington

The Magic Box
The Magic Box

1952

as Hotel Receptionist

A Study in Terror
A Study in Terror

1965

as Cathy Eddowes

This Happy Breed
This Happy Breed

1944

as Queenie Gibbons

Lease of Life
Lease of Life

1954

as Mrs. Vera Thorne

Walt Disney Treasures - Dr. Syn: The Scarecrow of Romney Marsh
The L-Shaped Room
The L-Shaped Room

1962

as Prostitute (uncredited)

Encore
Encore

1951

as Miss Molly Reid