Katharine Blake (11 September 1921 – 1 March 1991) was a British actress, born in South Africa with an extensive career in television and films. She was married to director

Charles Jarrott Charles Jarrott (16 June 1927 – 4 March 2011) was a British film and television director. He was best known for costume dramas he directed for producer Hal B. Wallis, among them '' Anne of the Thousand Days'', which earned him a Golden Glob ...

. She had two daughters, each by different fathers, Jenny Kastner (Nee Jacobs), with her first husband, actor Anthony Jacobs (father of Martin Jameson,

Matthew Jacobs Matthew Jacobs (born 1 July 1956) is a British writer, director, producer and actor. He is known best for his extensive career writing for television shows like ''Doctor Who'' and ''The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles''. He also directed two pri ...

and Amanda Jacobs), and Lindy Greene, with her second husband, actor/director David Greene. She was estranged from both daughters at the time of her death. Blake won the

BAFTA for Best Actress Best Actress in a Leading Role is a British Academy Film Award presented annually by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) to recognize an actress who has delivered an outstanding leading performance in a film. * From 1952 to ...

for her work in television in 1964. In 1969/1970 she played the character Chris Nourse in first an episode of '' Public Eye'' and then in ''

Armchair Theatre ''Armchair Theatre'' is a British television drama anthology series of single plays that ran on the ITV network from 1956 to 1974. It was originally produced by ABC Weekend TV. Its successor Thames Television took over from mid-1968. The Canad ...

s ''Wednesday's Child''; one of the first lesbian love affairs to be seen on UK television. Blake replaced

Googie Withers Georgette Lizette Withers, CBE, AO (12 March 191715 July 2011), known professionally as Googie Withers, was an English entertainer who was a dancer and actress with a lengthy career spanning some nine decades in theatre, film, and television. ...

as the Prison Governor in the ITV series

Within These Walls ''Within These Walls'' is a British television drama programme made by London Weekend Television for ITV and shown between 1974 and 1978. It portrayed life in HMP Stone Park, a fictional women's prison. Unlike later women-in-prison TV series, ...

in 1977, but only appeared in one season, leaving the role due to ill health.

Selected filmography

* '' Trottie True'' (1949) – Ruby Rubarto (uncredited) * ''

Assassin for Hire ''Assassin for Hire'' is a 1951 British crime film directed by Michael McCarthy and starring Sydney Tafler, Ronald Howard and Katharine Blake. Its plot follows a contract killer who becomes stricken with remorse when he is led to believe he ...

'' (1951) – Maria Riccardi * '' The Dark Light'' (1951) – Linda * '' Hunted'' (1952) – Waitress * ''

Saturday Island ''Saturday Island'' is a 1952 British south seas adventure romance film directed by Stuart Heisler and starring Linda Darnell, Tab Hunter and Donald Gray. The film was produced by independent company Coronado Productions with the financial back ...

'' (1952) – Nurse * ''

Hammer the Toff ''Hammer the Toff'' is a 1952 British crime film directed by Maclean Rogers and starring John Bentley and Patricia Dainton. The film was based on the 1947 novel of the same name by John Creasey, the 17th in the series featuring upper-class sl ...

'' (1952) – Janet Lord * '' Now That April's Here'' (1958) – Hilda Adams (segment "The Rejected One") *

Edgar Wallace Mysteries The ''Edgar Wallace Mysteries'' is a British second-feature film series mainly produced at Merton Park Studios for Anglo-Amalgamated. There were 48 films in the series, which were released between 1960 and 1965. The series was screened as ''The E ...

(episode: ''To Have and to Hold'') - Claudia (1963) – (Working Title:

BFI The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and television charitable organisation which promotes and preserves film-making and television in the United Kingdom. The BFI uses funds provided by the National Lottery to encourage film production, ...

: 'Sleep Long, My Love') * ''

Anne of the Thousand Days ''Anne of the Thousand Days'' is a 1969 British period historical drama film based on the life of Anne Boleyn, directed by Charles Jarrott and produced by Hal B. Wallis. The screenplay by Bridget Boland and John Hale is an adaptation of the 19 ...

'' (1969) – Elizabeth Boleyn

Selected television

* 1948: ''

Wuthering Heights ''Wuthering Heights'' is an 1847 novel by Emily Brontë, initially published under her pen name Ellis Bell. It concerns two families of the landed gentry living on the West Yorkshire moors, the Earnshaws and the Lintons, and their turbulent re ...

'' - Cathy * 1961: '' The Avengers'' – Dr. Ampara Alvarez Sandoval * 1962: ''

Sir Francis Drake Sir Francis Drake ( – 28 January 1596) was an English explorer, sea captain, privateer, slave trader, naval officer, and politician. Drake is best known for his circumnavigation of the world in a single expedition, from 1577 to 158 ...

'' – The Dark Lady * 1962: '' Maigret'' – Mado * 1963: '' The Saint'' – Rosemary Chase * 1967: '' The Baron'' – Madame Nicharos * 1969: '' Public Eye'' – ('My Life's my Own', episode) - Mrs. Chris Nourse (broadcast 20th. Aug., UK) * 1971: ''

Paul Temple Paul Temple is a fictional character created by English writer Francis Durbridge. Temple is a professional author of crime fiction and an amateur private detective. With his wife Louise, affectionately known as 'Steve' in reference to her ...

'' – Drucilla Ardrey * 1972: '' The Shadow of the Tower'' – Signora Cabot * 1972: ''No Exit'' – Claire Dufort * 1959–1973: ''

'' – Sylvia Forsyth / Chris Nourse / Hilary / Marie / Carla Melini / Doris Binstead * 1974: ''

Crown Court The Crown Court is the court of first instance of England and Wales responsible for hearing all indictable offences, some either way offences and appeals lied to it by the magistrates' courts. It is one of three Senior Courts of England and W ...

'' – Irene Rutland * 1976: ''

'' – Prison Governess — Helen Forrester

References

External links

* * 1921 births 1991 deaths 20th-century South African actresses Actresses from Johannesburg Best Actress BAFTA Award (television) winners South African emigrants to the United Kingdom South African film actresses South African stage actresses South African television actresses {{SouthAfrica-actor-stub