Phyllis Edith Mary Blythe (13 February 1912 – 31 October 2001), known professionally as Jenny Laird, was a British

stage Stage or stages may refer to: Acting * Stage (theatre), a space for the performance of theatrical productions * Theatre, a branch of the performing arts, often referred to as "the stage" * ''The Stage'', a weekly British theatre newspaper * Sta ...

, film and

television actress An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek term is (), ...

Early life and education

Born in Manchester, Laird and her parents moved to the south, and she was educated at Maidstone grammar school and London University. She worked briefly as an advertising copywriter while studying acting with teachers such as the Central School's legendary Elsie Fogerty and in 1937 she made her repertory debut at the Brixton Theatre in '' A Bill of Divorcement''.

Theatre

Laird worked with director Alec Clunes at the Arts Theatre Club during its heyday in the 1940s and 1950s. What the actor-manager sought for the little underground playhouse in London's Great Newport Street was an audience "eager for intelligent and entertaining plays". Laird's acting went from strength to strength in Farquhar, Ibsen, Chekhov, Shaw and other modern plays. While at the Arts Theatre, she periodically returned to "commercial" theatre, playing Rose in ''

The Recruiting Officer ''The Recruiting Officer'' is a 1706 play by the Irish writer George Farquhar, which follows the social and sexual exploits of two officers, the womanising Plume and the cowardly Brazen, in the town of Shrewsbury (the town where Farquhar himse ...

'' (1943) and Nora in ''

A Doll's House ''A Doll's House'' ( Danish and nb, Et dukkehjem; also translated as ''A Doll House'') is a three-act play written by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen. It premiered at the Royal Theatre in Copenhagen, Denmark, on 21 December 1879, having be ...

'' (1945). As Ellie, in the revival by Californian John Fernald (whom Laird married in 1947) of Shaw's '' Heartbreak House'' (1950), she revealed, one critic wrote, "an enchanting combination of youth and firmness. Her broken heart never ceased to glint through her mask of ice". Her shapely legs and green eyes figured prominently in West End plays by Ivor Novello, N. C. Hunter and

Robert Morley Robert Adolph Wilton Morley, CBE (26 May 1908 – 3 June 1992) was an English actor who enjoyed a lengthy career in both Britain and the United States. He was frequently cast as a pompous English gentleman representing the Establishment, of ...

Writing

With her husband, she co-wrote the West End comedy ''And No Birds Sing'', adapted several plays from the French, and in 1977 wrote ''Mixed Economy'', which played at the King's Head Theatre in Islington, starring Margaret Rawlings and Laird's daughter Karen Fernald.

Personal life

In 1947, Laird married her collaborator John Fernald; they had one daughter, Karen.

Selected filmography

* '' The Morals of Marcus'' (1935) - Maid (uncredited) * '' Auld Lang Syne'' (1937) - Alison Begbie * '' The Last Chance'' (1937) - Betty * '' Passenger to London'' (1937) - Barbara Lane * '' What a Man!'' (1938) - Daisy Pennyfeather * ''

Lily of Laguna "Lily of Laguna" is a British coon song written in eye dialect. It was written in 1898 by English composer Leslie Stuart. It was a music hall favourite, performed notably by blackface performers such as Eugene Stratton and G. H. Elliott. In th ...

'' (1938) - Jane Marshall * '' Black Eyes'' (1939) - Lucy * '' Just William'' (1940) - Ethel Brown * ''

The Lamp Still Burns ''The Lamp Still Burns'' is a 1943 British drama film directed by Maurice Elvey and starring Rosamund John, Stewart Granger and Godfrey Tearle. Its plot concerns a woman architect who changes careers to become a nurse. It was based on the 1942 n ...

'' (1943) - Ginger Watkins * '' Painted Boats'' (1945) - Mary Smith * '' Beware of Pity'' (1946) - Trudi * ''

Wanted for Murder ''Wanted for Murder'' is the title of a collection of six mystery novellas by Leslie Charteris which was first published in the United States in August 1931. This book was part of an ongoing series of novels and novellas by Charteris featuring ...

'' (1946) - Jeannie McLaren * '' Black Narcissus'' (1947) - Sister Honey * '' Your Witness'' (1950) - Mary Baxter, Sam's Wife * '' The Long Dark Hall'' (1951) - Mrs. Sims * ''

Life in Her Hands ''Life in Her Hands'' is a 1951 drama film sponsored by the British Ministry of Labour with the aim of recruiting women to the nursing profession. It was produced in response to addressing the short supply of qualified nurses in Britain after the ...

'' (1951) - Matron * ''

Gilbert Harding Speaking of Murder ''Adventure Theater'' is a dramatic anthology series that aired on NBC from June 16, 1956, through September 1, 1956. The series was produced in England in 1953, but was never broadcast there as a series. It was also known as ''Calling Scotland ...

'' (1953) - Linda Maxwell * ''

Face in the Night ''Face in the Night'' is a 1957 British crime film directed by Lance Comfort and starring Griffith Jones, Lisa Gastoni and Vincent Ball. It was based on the novel ''Suspense'' by prolific crime writer Bruce Graeme. The film was released in th ...

'' (1957) - Postman's Widow * '' Conspiracy of Hearts'' (1960) - Sister Honoria * '' Village of the Damned'' (1960) - Mrs. Harrington * '' The Masks of Death'' (1984) - Mrs. Hudson (U.S TV movie)

Television

* ''

The Onedin Line ''The Onedin Line'' is a BBC television drama series that ran from 1971 to 1980. The series was created by Cyril Abraham. The series is set in Liverpool from 1860 to 1886 and covers the rise of a fictional shipping company, the Onedin Line, na ...

'' (1972) (3 episodes) * '' Doctor Who'' (1974) (''

Planet of the Spiders ''Planet of the Spiders'' is the fifth and final serial of the 11th season of the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'', which was first broadcast in six weekly parts on BBC1 from 4 May to 8 June 1974. It was Jon Pertwee's fina ...

'') * '' Shoulder to Shoulder'' (1974) - Matron of Holloway Prison (''Lady Constance Lytton'') * ''

Secret_Army_(TV_series) ''Secret Army'' is a British television drama made by the BBC and the Belgian national broadcaster BRT (now VRT) created by Gerard Glaister. It tells the story of a fictional Belgian resistance movement in German-occupied Belgium during the ...

'' (1974) - Little Old Lady (''Else Lambrichts'') * '' Lillie'' (1978) (''The Jersey Lily'') * '' All Creatures Great and Small'' (1988) ('' Barks and Bites'') * ''

Inspector Morse Detective Chief Inspector Endeavour Morse, GM, is the eponymous fictional character in the series of detective novels by British author Colin Dexter. On television, he appears in the 33-episode drama series '' Inspector Morse'' (1987–2000), ...

'' (1991) ('' Second Time Around'') (final screen role)

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Laird, Jenny 1912 births 2001 deaths English stage actresses English film actresses English television actresses Actresses from Manchester