Pamela Mary Brown (8 July 1917 – 19 September 1975) was a British actress.

Early life

She was born in

Hampstead Hampstead () is an area in London, which lies northwest of Charing Cross, and extends from the A5 road (Roman Watling Street) to Hampstead Heath, a large, hilly expanse of parkland. The area forms the northwest part of the London Borough o ...

, London, to George Edward Brown, a journalist, and his wife, Helen Blanche (née Ellerton). Brought up in the Roman Catholic faith, she attended

St Mary's School, Ascot St Mary's School Ascot is a Roman Catholic independent day and boarding school for girls in Ascot, Berkshire, England.2011 ISI InspectioReport/ref> It is a member of the Girls' Schools Association. It was named 2015 " Public School of the Year ...

Career

After attending the

Royal Academy of Dramatic Art The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA; ) is a drama school in London, England, that provides vocational conservatoire training for theatre, film, television, and radio. It is based in the Bloomsbury area of Central London, close to the Senat ...

she made her stage debut in 1936 as Juliet in a

Stratford-upon-Avon Stratford-upon-Avon (), commonly known as just Stratford, is a market town and civil parish in the Stratford-on-Avon district, in the county of Warwickshire, in the West Midlands region of England. It is situated on the River Avon, north-we ...

production of ''

Romeo and Juliet ''Romeo and Juliet'' is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare early in his career about the romance between two Italian youths from feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's most popular plays during his lifetime and, along with ''Ham ...

''. Three of her early film roles were in

Powell and Pressburger The British film-making partnership of Michael Powell (1905–1990) and Emeric Pressburger (1902–1988)—together often known as The Archers, the name of their production company—made a series of influential films in the 1940s and 1950s. T ...

films: her first screen part in '' One of Our Aircraft Is Missing'' (1942), a memorable supporting role in '' I Know Where I'm Going!'' (1945), and in the fantasy film-opera ''

The Tales of Hoffmann ''The Tales of Hoffmann'' (French: ) is an by Jacques Offenbach. The French libretto was written by Jules Barbier, based on three short stories by E. T. A. Hoffmann, who is the protagonist of the story. It was Offenbach's final work; he died i ...

'' (1951). She played a bitter spinster in '' Personal Affair'', starring Gene Tierney (1953). From the early 1950s, her arthritic condition (first appearing when she was sixteen) began to make playing on the stage difficult; her mobility was restricted and she was in great pain, which was kept at bay by drugs. Nevertheless, she was a notable success as Jennet in the London production of

Christopher Fry Christopher Fry (18 December 1907 – 30 June 2005) was an English poet and playwright. He is best known for his verse dramas, especially '' The Lady's Not for Burning'', which made him a major force in theatre in the 1940s and 1950s. Biograp ...

's ''

The Lady's Not For Burning ''The Lady's Not for Burning'' is a 1948 play by Christopher Fry. A romantic comedy in three acts, in verse, it is set in the Middle Ages ("1400, either more or less or exactly"). It reflects the world's "exhaustion and despair" following Wor ...

'', opposite

Richard Burton Richard Burton (; born Richard Walter Jenkins Jr.; 10 November 1925 – 5 August 1984) was a Welsh actor. Noted for his baritone voice, Burton established himself as a formidable Shakespearean actor in the 1950s, and he gave a memorable pe ...

Claire Bloom Patricia Claire Bloom (born 15 February 1931) is an English actress. She is known for leading roles in plays such as ''A Streetcar Named Desire,'' ''A Doll's House'', and '' Long Day's Journey into Night'', and has starred in nearly sixty film ...

and

John Gielgud Sir Arthur John Gielgud, (; 14 April 1904 – 21 May 2000) was an English actor and theatre director whose career spanned eight decades. With Ralph Richardson and Laurence Olivier, he was one of the trinity of actors who dominated the Brit ...

(1949), which transferred to Broadway for an extended run (1950–51). ''

Time Time is the continued sequence of existence and event (philosophy), events that occurs in an apparently irreversible process, irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various me ...

'' magazine wrote (20 November 1950): "As the lady, Pamela Brown proves that Fry did not write the part for her in vain. No one has a more gloriously uppity charm; no voice can simultaneously so rasp and thrill; no one ever made standoffishness more come-hitherable." Her success in film continued as

Jane Shore Elizabeth "Jane" Shore (née Lambert) (c. 1445 – c. 1527) was one of the many mistresses of King Edward IV of England. She became the best-known to history through being later accused of conspiracy by the future King Richard III, and compelle ...

Laurence Olivier Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier (; 22 May 1907 – 11 July 1989) was an English actor and director who, along with his contemporaries Ralph Richardson and John Gielgud, was one of a trio of male actors who dominated the British stage ...

's ''

Richard III Richard III (2 October 145222 August 1485) was King of England and Lord of Ireland from 26 June 1483 until his death in 1485. He was the last king of the House of York and the last of the Plantagenet dynasty. His defeat and death at the Bat ...

'' (1955) and opposite

Kirk Douglas Kirk Douglas (born Issur Danielovitch; December 9, 1916 – February 5, 2020) was an American actor and filmmaker. After an impoverished childhood, he made his film debut in '' The Strange Love of Martha Ivers'' (1946) with Barbara Stanwyck. D ...

in the

Van Gogh Vincent Willem van Gogh (; 30 March 185329 July 1890) was a Dutch Post-Impressionist painter who posthumously became one of the most famous and influential figures in Western art history. In a decade, he created about 2,100 artworks, inc ...

biopic '' Lust for Life'' (1956). Highlights of her 1960s work include the epic ''

Cleopatra Cleopatra VII Philopator ( grc-gre, Κλεοπάτρα Φιλοπάτωρ}, "Cleopatra the father-beloved"; 69 BC10 August 30 BC) was Queen of the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt from 51 to 30 BC, and its last active ruler.She was also a ...

'' (High Priestess; 1963), ''

Becket ''Becket or The Honour of God'' (french: Becket ou l'honneur de Dieu) is a 1959 play written in French by Jean Anouilh. It is a depiction of the conflict between Thomas Becket and King Henry II of England leading to Becket's assassination in 117 ...

'' (

Eleanor of Aquitaine Eleanor ( – 1 April 1204; french: Aliénor d'Aquitaine, ) was Queen of France from 1137 to 1152 as the wife of King Louis VII, List of English royal consorts, Queen of England from 1154 to 1189 as the wife of Henry II of England, King Henry I ...

; 1964) and ''

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum ''A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum'' is a Musical theatre, musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by Burt Shevelove and Larry Gelbart. Inspired by the farces of the Ancient Rome, ancient Roman playwright Plautu ...

'' (High Priestess; 1966). She played Lady Bessborough in ''

Lady Caroline Lamb Lady Caroline Lamb (née Ponsonby; 13 November 1785 – 25 January 1828) was an Anglo-Irish aristocrat and novelist, best known for ''Glenarvon'', a Gothic novel. In 1812 she had an affair with Lord Byron, whom she described as "mad, bad, and ...

'' (1972) and Archduchess Sophia of

Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...

in ''

Fall of Eagles ''Fall of Eagles'' is a 13-part British television drama aired by the BBC in 1974. The series was created by John Elliot and produced by Stuart Burge. The series portrays historical events from 1848 to 1918, dealing with the ruling dynasties of ...

'' (1974).

Personal life

In February 1953, she divorced her husband, Peter Copley, for infidelity. They had no children. A devout Roman Catholic, she could not remarry while Copley was still alive but chose to live with her partner

Michael Powell Michael Latham Powell (30 September 1905 – 19 February 1990) was an English filmmaker, celebrated for his partnership with Emeric Pressburger. Through their production company The Archers, they together wrote, produced and directed a seri ...

, the director who had given her her early film roles. They remained together until her death from

pancreatic cancer Pancreatic cancer arises when cells in the pancreas, a glandular organ behind the stomach, begin to multiply out of control and form a mass. These cancerous cells have the ability to invade other parts of the body. A number of types of pancr ...

in 1975, aged 58, in Avening, Gloucestershire. She was buried in Holy Cross churchyard, Avening.

Complete filmography

* '' One of Our Aircraft Is Missing'' (1942) as Els Meertens * '' I Know Where I'm Going!'' (1945) as Catriona * ''Death of a Rat'' (1946 TV movie) as Yolan * ''

Alice in Wonderland ''Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'' (commonly ''Alice in Wonderland'') is an 1865 English novel by Lewis Carroll. It details the story of a young girl named Alice who falls through a rabbit hole into a fantasy world of anthropomorphic creatur ...

'' (1949) as The Queen of Hearts (voice) * ''

'' (1951) as Nicklaus * '' The Second Mrs. Tanqueray'' (1952) as Paula Tanqueray * '' Personal Affair'' (1953) as Evelyn * ''Baker's Dozen'' (1955 TV movie) as Mrs. Carewe * ''

'' (1955) as Jane Shore * '' Now and Forever'' (1956) as Mrs. Grant * '' Lust for Life'' (1956) as Christine * ''Dark Possession'' (1959 TV movie) as Charlotte Bell Wheeler * '' The Scapegoat'' (1959) as Blanche * ''The House in Paris'' (1959 TV movie) as Naomi * ''Victoria Regina'' (1961 TV movie) as Duchess of Kent * ''

'' (1963) as High Priestess * ''

Espionage (TV series) ''Espionage'' is a British-produced TV spy anthology series broadcast in the United States on NBC from October 2, 1963, until September 2, 1964. Synopsis Made from actual case histories, episodes used newsreel and documented narratives to sho ...

'' (1963) - 'Never Turn Your Back on a Friend' - as Miss. Jensen * ''

'' (1964) as

* ''The Importance of Being Earnest'' (1964 Armchair Theatre TV movie) as Lady Bracknell * ''The Witness'' (1966 TV movie) as Madame Pontreau * ''

'' (1966) as High Priestess * '' Half a Sixpence'' (1967) as Mrs. Washington * ''The Admirable Crichton'' (1968 TV movie) as Lady Brocklehurst * '' Secret Ceremony'' (1968) as Hilda * ''

On a Clear Day You Can See Forever ''On a Clear Day You Can See Forever'' is a musical with music by Burton Lane and a book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner based loosely on ''Berkeley Square'', written in 1926 by John L. Balderston. It concerns a woman who has ESP and has been re ...

'' (1970) as Mrs. Fitzherbert * ''

Figures in a Landscape ''Figures in a Landscape'' was Barry England's first novel. Published by Jonathan Cape in the summer of 1968, it was hailed by critics as an exemplary addition to the literature of escape. Two professional soldiers, Ansell and MacConnachie, hav ...

'' (1970) as Widow * ''

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 ...

'' (1970) as Mrs. Linton * ''

The Night Digger ''The Night Digger'' is a 1971 British thriller film based on the novel ''Nest in a Fallen Tree'' by Joy Cowley about two women who are visited by a suspicious handy man. It was adapted by Roald Dahl and starred his then wife Patricia Neal. ''Th ...

'' (1971) as Mrs. Edith Prince * ''

'' or ''Peccato d'amore'' (1972) as Lady Bessborough * ''

Dracula ''Dracula'' is a novel by Bram Stoker, published in 1897. As an epistolary novel, the narrative is related through letters, diary entries, and newspaper articles. It has no single protagonist, but opens with solicitor Jonathan Harker taki ...

'' (1974 TV movie) as Mrs. Westenra * ''

In This House of Brede ''In This House of Brede'' is a novel by Rumer Godden published in 1969 by Viking in the US and by Macmillan in the UK. Synopsis The novel is a portrait of religious life in England that centers on Philippa Talbot, a highly successful profession ...

'' (1975 TV movie) as Dame Agnes

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Brown, Pamela 1917 births 1975 deaths 20th-century English actresses Alumni of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art Deaths from cancer in England Deaths from pancreatic cancer English Roman Catholics English film actresses English stage actresses English television actresses English voice actresses Outstanding Performance by a Supporting Actress in a Drama Series Primetime Emmy Award winners People educated at St Mary's School, Ascot People from Avening People from Hampstead