Phyllis Hannah Murray-Hill (née Bickle; 18 February 1915 – 8 October 2002), known professionally as Phyllis Calvert, was an English film, stage and television actress. She was one of the leading stars of the Gainsborough melodramas of the 1940s such as ''

The Man in Grey ''The Man in Grey'' is a 1943 British film melodrama made by Gainsborough Pictures; it is considered to be the first of a series of period costume dramas now known as the "Gainsborough melodramas". It was directed by Leslie Arliss and produc ...

'' (1943) and was one of the most popular movie stars in Britain in the 1940s. She continued her acting career for another 50 years. In the words of an article by Michael Brooke for the BFI's

Screenonline Screenonline is a website about the history of British film, television and social history as documented by film and television. The project has been developed by the British Film Institute and funded by a £1.2 million grant from the National Lo ...

website: "Most of the time she drew what looked like the short straw, playing the 'good girl' in films that revelled in the exploits of her wicked opposite number, and it says much for her talent and charisma that she was able to hold attention in what must have seemed thankless parts – she herself acknowledged that 'I do think it is much more difficult to establish a really charming, nice person than a wicked one – and make it real'."

Biography

Born in

Chelsea, London Chelsea is an affluent area in west London, England, due south-west of Charing Cross by approximately 2.5 miles. It lies on the north bank of the River Thames and for postal purposes is part of the south-western postal area. Chelsea histori ...

, she trained at the Margaret Morris School of Dancing, and performed from the age of ten, performing with

Ellen Terry Dame Alice Ellen Terry, (27 February 184721 July 1928), was a leading English actress of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Born into a family of actors, Terry began performing as a child, acting in Shakespeare plays in London, and tour ...

in ''Crossings''. She gained her first film role at the age of 12, in '' The Arcadians'' (1927), also known as ''The Land of Heart's Desire''. Calvert performed in repertory theatre in Malvern and Coventry. She made her London stage debut in ''A Woman's Privilege'' in 1939. Her early films include '' Two Days to Live'' (1939).

Gainsborough Pictures

Calvert was spotted in a play ''Punch without Judy'', and was signed to a contract by Gainsborough Pictures which gave her the lead in '' They Came by Night'' (1940), opposite Will Fyffe. She was

George Formby George Formby, (born George Hoy Booth; 26 May 1904 – 6 March 1961) was an English actor, singer-songwriter and comedian who became known to a worldwide audience through his films of the 1930s and 1940s. On stage, screen and record he s ...

's love interest in '' Let George Do It!'' (1940) and had a support part in ''

Charley's (Big-Hearted) Aunt ''Charley's (Big-Hearted) Aunt'' is a 1940 British comedy film directed by Walter Forde, starring Arthur Askey and Richard Murdoch as Oxford 'scholars'. The film is one of many to be based on the 1892 Victorian farce ''Charley's Aunt'' by Brand ...

'' (1940), starring Arthur Askey. Calvert was in a war movie, '' Neutral Port'' (1940), then had a good role as Michael Redgrave's love interest in '' Kipps'' (1941), directed by

Carol Reed Sir Carol Reed (30 December 1906 – 25 April 1976) was an English film director and producer, best known for '' Odd Man Out'' (1947), '' The Fallen Idol'' (1948), ''The Third Man'' (1949), and ''Oliver!'' (1968), for which he was awarded the ...

. After a detective film ''

Inspector Hornleigh Goes To It ''Inspector Hornleigh Goes To It'' is a 1941 British detective film directed by Walter Forde and starring Gordon Harker, Alastair Sim, Phyllis Calvert and Edward Chapman. It was the third and final film adaptation of the Inspector Hornle ...

'' (1941) she had the co-lead in '' Uncensored'' (1942), a war movie with Eric Portman. Reed used her again in '' The Young Mr. Pitt'' (1942), playing

Eleanor Eden Eleanor Agnes Hobart, Countess of Buckinghamshire (''née'' Eden; 1777 – October 1851) was the eldest child of Lord Auckland. As a young woman, she was rumoured to have been engaged to William Pitt the Younger, the Prime Minister, but he disa ...

. In 1942, she had the lead role as Patricia Graham in the West End production of Terence Rattigan's play '' Flare Path''.

Stardom

Calvert was by now well established in British films. She did not become a star, however, until given one of the four leading roles in the

Gainsborough melodrama The Gainsborough melodramas were a sequence of films produced by the British film studio Gainsborough Pictures between 1943 and 1947 which conformed to a melodramatic style.Brooke, Michael. (2014)Gainsborough Melodrama Screenonline British Film Ins ...

'' (1943). The movie was a huge success, making her and her three co-stars –

Stewart Granger Stewart Granger (born James Lablache Stewart; 6 May 1913 – 16 August 1993) was a British film actor, mainly associated with heroic and romantic leading roles. He was a popular leading man from the 1940s to the early 1960s, rising to fame thr ...

James Mason James Neville Mason (; 15 May 190927 July 1984) was an English actor. He achieved considerable success in British cinema before becoming a star in Hollywood. He was the top box-office attraction in the UK in 1944 and 1945; his British films inc ...

and

Margaret Lockwood Margaret Mary Day Lockwood, CBE (15 September 1916 – 15 July 1990), was an English actress. One of Britain's most popular film stars of the 1930s and 1940s, her film appearances included ''The Lady Vanishes'' (1938), ''Night Train to Munich' ...

– genuine box office stars in Britain. Calvert followed it with '' Fanny by Gaslight'' (1944), co-starring Granger and Mason, which was another big hit. Also popular was ''

Two Thousand Women ''Two Thousand Women'' is a 1944 British comedy-drama war film about a German internment camp in Occupied France which holds British women who have been resident in the country. Three RAF aircrewmen, whose bomber has been shot down, enter the ca ...

'' (1944), made by Launder and Gilliat, about British women interned in occupied France. It co-starred Patricia Roc, who appeared with Calvert and Granger in ''

Madonna of the Seven Moons ''Madonna of the Seven Moons'' is a 1945 British drama film directed by Arthur Crabtree for Gainsborough Pictures and starring Phyllis Calvert, Stewart Granger and Patricia Roc. The film was produced by Rubeigh James Minney, with cinematography ...

'' (1945), another Gainsborough melodrama, and another hit. Calvert's successful run at the box office continued when she and Mason were reunited in ''

They Were Sisters ''They Were Sisters'' is a 1945 British melodrama film directed by Arthur Crabtree for Gainsborough Pictures and starring James Mason and Phyllis Calvert. The film was produced by Harold Huth, with cinematography from Jack Cox and screenplay ...

'' (1945), a more contemporary-set Gainsborough melodrama. Exhibitors voted her the fifth-most popular star of 1945 in Britain. She was one of Stewart Granger's loves in '' The Magic Bow'' (1946) and had the female lead in a drama about colonialism in Africa '' Men of Two Worlds'' (1946), made a few years before being released. It was a success, though not profitable because of its high cost. '' The Root of All Evil'' (1947) was one of the last of the Gainsborough melodramas. She was voted the sixth most popular British star at the box office in 1946.

Hollywood

Calvert's success had been noticed in the US, although her films had not been as popular there. Universal-International signed her to star in '' Time Out of Mind'' (1947), which was a box office disappointment. She received several offers from studios and eventually decided to sign a six-picture deal with Paramount. She returned to Britain to make '' Broken Journey'' (1948) playing a role written especially for her, but the film failed at the box-office.Andrew Spicer, ''Sydney Box'' Manchester Uni Press 2006 p 210
/ref> Calvert went to Hollywood to make two films, both for Paramount: ''

My Own True Love ''My Own True Love'' is a 1949 American drama film directed by Compton Bennett and written by Arthur Kober, Josef Mischel and Theodore Strauss. The film stars Phyllis Calvert, Melvyn Douglas, Wanda Hendrix, Philip Friend, Binnie Barnes and Ala ...

'' (1949), with

Melvyn Douglas Melvyn Douglas (born Melvyn Edouard Hesselberg, April 5, 1901 – August 4, 1981) was an American actor. Douglas came to prominence in the 1930s as a suave leading man, perhaps best typified by his performance in the romantic comedy ''Ninotchk ...

, and '' Appointment with Danger'' (1951 but made two years earlier) with

Alan Ladd Alan Walbridge Ladd (September 3, 1913 – January 29, 1964) was an American actor and film producer. Ladd found success in film in the 1940s and early 1950s, particularly in films noir and Westerns. He was often paired with Veronica Lake ...

, in which she played a nun. She did ''Peter Pan'' on stage in Britain.

Producer

Back in Britain she made two films with director Ladislao Vajda, neither particularly successful: '' Golden Madonna'' (1950), shot in Italy, and ''

The Woman with No Name ''The Woman with No Name'' is a 1950 British drama film directed by Ladislao Vajda and starring Phyllis Calvert, Edward Underdown, Helen Cherry, Richard Burton and James Hayter. In the United States it was released as ''Her Panelled Door''. Pl ...

'' (1950). She invested her own money in the latter. She wanted to produce other films: ''Eastward Ho'', about an Englishwoman who romances a cowboy, and ''Equilibrium'', about a trapeze artist, as well as star in a third film for Paramount but none of these were made. Calvert was in a thriller ''

Mr. Denning Drives North ''Mr. Denning Drives North'' is a 1951 British mystery film directed by Anthony Kimmins and starring John Mills, Phyllis Calvert and Sam Wanamaker. The plot concerns an aircraft manufacturer (Mills) who accidentally kills the boyfriend (Herbert ...

'' (1951) with

John Mills Sir John Mills (born Lewis Ernest Watts Mills; 22 February 190823 April 2005) was an English actor who appeared in more than 120 films in a career spanning seven decades. He excelled on camera as an appealing British everyman who often portray ...

and a BBC TV production '' The Holly and the Ivy'' (1951). She had her first big hit in a while, '' Mandy'' (1952). Calvert was a wife in '' The Net'' (1953), then was off screen for a while. She acted on stage in '' It's Never Too Late'' (1956), then appeared in the film version. She followed it with '' Child in the House'' (1956). On TV she was in Strindberg's '' The Father'' for ITV's ''

Television Playhouse ''Television Playhouse'' is a half-hour American anthology series that was broadcast live on NBC. The series aired from December 4, 1947 to April 11, 1948, generally appearing every third Sunday during its run. The program was in cooperation with ...

'', and played the lead in ''Tatiana, the Czar's Daughter''. She also played Mrs March in a six-part BBC adaptation of ''

Little Women ''Little Women'' is a coming-of-age novel written by American novelist Louisa May Alcott (1832–1888). Alcott wrote the book, originally published in two volumes in 1868 and 1869, at the request of her publisher. The story follows the live ...

''. Calvert had a support part in the Hollywood-financed '' Indiscreet'' (1958), then played a concerned mother in '' The Young and the Guilty'' (1958) and a wacky spinster in ''

A Lady Mislaid ''A Lady Mislaid'' is a 1958 British comedy film directed by David MacDonald and starring Phyllis Calvert, Alan White and Thorley Walters. It is based on a 1948 play of the same name by Kenneth Horne. Plot Esther, (Phyllis Calvert), and her ...

'' (1959). On TV she was in "The Break" for '' Armchair Theatre'' (1959) and played

Katherine O'Shea Katharine Parnell (née Wood; 30 January 1846 – 5 February 1921), known before her second marriage as Katharine O'Shea, and usually called Katie O'Shea by friends and Kitty O'Shea by enemies, was an English woman of aristocratic background ...

in ''Parnell'' for '' Play of the Week'' (1959), then reprised her role as Mrs March for the BBC in ''Good Wives'' (1959). She was

Constance Wilde Constance Mary Wilde (née Lloyd; 2 January 1858 – 7 April 1898) was an Irish author. She was the wife of Irish playwright Oscar Wilde and the mother of their two sons, Cyril and Vyvyan. Early life and marriage The daughter of Horace Lloyd ...

in ''

Oscar Wilde Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde (16 October 185430 November 1900) was an Irish poet and playwright. After writing in different forms throughout the 1880s, he became one of the most popular playwrights in London in the early 1890s. He is ...

'' (1960) with

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 ...

and ''A Righteous Woman'' on ''Play of the Week'' (1962). The only time people recall Calvert risking loss of sympathy for an apparent lapse of taste, grace or charm was during her stage career at the Lyric in 1963, and at the Duke of York's in 1964. In the first, as the wife in Ronald Duncan's Ménage à Trois, she condoned his misconduct - as long as it took place off the premises, herself departing as a lesbian with his mistress as the curtain fell. Then, as the cold, insensitive stepmother in James Saunders's A Scent Of Flowers, she left no trace of "the rose that sings"

Later career

She acted in over 40 films, her later films including '' The Battle of the Villa Fiorita'' (1965), '' Twisted Nerve'' (1968), ''

Oh! What a Lovely War ''Oh! What a Lovely War'' is a 1969 British comedy musical war film directed by Richard Attenborough (in his directorial debut), with an ensemble cast, including Maggie Smith, Dirk Bogarde, John Gielgud, John Mills, Kenneth More, Laurence Olivie ...

'' (1969) and ''

The Walking Stick ''The Walking Stick'' is a 1970 British crime drama film directed by Eric Till and starring David Hemmings and Samantha Eggar. It was based on the 1967 novel of the same title by Winston Graham. " Cavatina" was used as the film's theme, ei ...

'' (1970). From 1970 to 1972, she starred in her own TV series, ''

Kate Kate name may refer to: People and fictional characters * Kate (given name), a list of people and fictional characters with the given name or nickname * Gyula Káté (born 1982), Hungarian amateur boxer * Lauren Kate (born 1981), American autho ...

'', playing the part of an

agony aunt An advice column is a column in a question and answer format. Typically, a (usually anonymous) reader writes to the media outlet with a problem in the form of a question, and the media outlet provides an answer or response. The responses are wr ...

with problems of her own. She made TV appearances in programmes such as ''

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 ...

'', ''Ladykillers'', '' Tales of the Unexpected'', ''

Boon Boon may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Boon (game), a trick-taking card game * ''Boon'' (novel), a 1915 satirical work by H. G. Wells * ''Boon'' (TV series), a British television series starring Michael Elphick * The Ultimate Boo ...

'', '' After Henry'', ''

Victoria Wood Victoria Wood (19 May 1953 – 20 April 2016) was an English comedian, actress, lyricist, singer, composer, pianist, screenwriter, producer and director. Wood wrote and starred in dozens of sketches, plays, musicals, films and sitcoms over se ...

'' and ''Limelight: The Film Years – The Lime Grove Story''. She also played D.I. Barnaby's Aunt Alice (Alice Bly) in a ''

Midsomer Murders ''Midsomer Murders'' is a British crime drama television series, adapted by Anthony Horowitz and Douglas Watkinson from the novels in the '' Chief Inspector Barnaby'' book series (created by Caroline Graham), and broadcast on two channels of ...

'' episode "Blue Herrings" in 2000. She was the subject of ''

This Is Your Life This Is Your Life may refer to: Television * ''This Is Your Life'' (American franchise), an American radio and television documentary biography series hosted by Ralph Edwards * ''This Is Your Life'' (Australian TV series), the Australian versio ...

'' in 1972 when she was surprised by

Eamonn Andrews Eamonn Andrews, (19 December 1922 – 5 November 1987) was an Irish radio and television presenter, employed primarily in the United Kingdom from the 1950s to the 1980s. From 1960 to 1964 he chaired the Radio Éireann Authority (now the RTÉ A ...

Personal life

She was married to the actor and antiquarian bookseller

Peter Murray-Hill Peter Auriol Murray Hill (20 April 1908 – 25 November 1957) was an English actor, and publisher He was married to the actress Phyllis Calvert from 1941 until his death. Career Murray Hill's first prominent acting role was in 1938's ''Jane Ste ...

until his sudden death in 1957. The couple had two children, Ann Murray-Hill (born 1943) and Piers Murray-Hill (born 1954). Calvert never remarried. She died in her sleep in London in 2002 from

natural causes In many legal jurisdictions, the manner of death is a determination, typically made by the coroner, medical examiner, police, or similar officials, and recorded as a vital statistic. Within the United States and the United Kingdom, a distin ...

, aged 87.

Partial filmography

* '' The Arcadians'' (1927) – Young Girl (uncredited) * '' Discord'' (1933) – (uncredited) * ''

Anne One Hundred ''Anne One Hundred'' is a 1933 British drama film directed by Henry Edwards and starring Betty Stockfeld, Gyles Isham and Dennis Wyndham. It was based on the play ''Anne One Hundred Percent'' by Sewell Collins. It was made at British and Domi ...

'' (1933) – (uncredited) * ''

School for Stars ''School for Stars'' is a 1935 British romance film directed by Donovan Pedelty and starring Fred Conyngham, Jean Gillie and Torin Thatcher. It was made at British and Dominions Elstree Studios as a quota quickie.Chibnall p.285 Cast * Fred Con ...

'' (1935) – (uncredited) * '' They Came by Night'' (1940) – Sally * '' Let George Do It!'' (1940) – Mary Wilson * ''

'' (1940) – Betty Forsythe * '' Neutral Port'' (1940) – Helen Carter * '' Kipps'' (1941) – Ann Pornick – as a woman * ''

'' (1941) – Mrs. Wilkinson * '' Uncensored'' (1942) – Julie Lanvin * '' The Young Mr. Pitt'' (1942) – Eleanor Eden * ''

'' (1943) – Clarissa Marr * '' Fanny by Gaslight'' (1944) – Fanny * ''

'' (1944) – Freda Thompson * ''

'' (1945) – Maddalena * ''

'' (1945) – Lucy Moore * '' The Magic Bow'' (1946) – Jeanne de Vermond * '' Men of Two Worlds'' (1946) – Dr. Caroline Munro * '' The Root of All Evil'' (1947) – Jeckie Farnish * '' Time Out of Mind'' (1947) – Kate Fernald * '' Broken Journey'' (1948) – Mary Johnstone * ''

'' (1949) – Joan Clews * '' Golden Madonna'' (1949) – Patricia Chandler * ''

'' (1950) – Yvonne Winter * '' Appointment with Danger'' (1951) – Sister Augustine * ''

'' (1951) – Kay Denning * '' Mandy'' (1952) – Christine * '' The Net'' (1953) – Lydia Heathley * '' It's Never Too Late'' (1956) – Laura Hammond * '' Child in the House'' (1956) – Evelyn Acheson * '' Indiscreet'' (1958) – Mrs. Margaret Munson * '' The Young and the Guilty'' (1958) – Gladys Connor * ''

'' (1958) – Esther Williams * ''

'' (1960) – Constance Wilde * '' The Battle of the Villa Fiorita'' (1965) – Margot * '' Twisted Nerve'' (1968) – Enid Durnley * ''

'' (1969) – Lady Dorothy Haig * ''

'' (1970) – Erica Dainton * '' Mr. Bean'' (1991) – Old Woman * '' Mrs Dalloway'' (1997) – Aunt Helena * ''

'' (2000) – Alice Bly

Box office ranking

For a number of years, British film exhibitors voted her among the top ten British stars at the box office via an annual poll in the ''Motion Picture Herald''. *1945 – 5th *1946 – 6th

References

* * * * *

External links

* * *
Photographs and literature
{{DEFAULTSORT:Calvert, Phyllis 1915 births 2002 deaths 20th-century English actresses Actresses from London Alumni of the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama English film actresses English stage actresses English television actresses People from Chelsea, London