Constance Vera Browne, Baroness Oranmore and Browne (''née'' Stevens; 14 February 1915 – 24 September 2006), commonly known as Sally Gray, was an English film actress of the 1930s and 1940s. Her obituary in ''

The Irish Times ''The Irish Times'' is an Irish daily broadsheet newspaper and online digital publication. It launched on 29 March 1859. The editor is Ruadhán Mac Cormaic. It is published every day except Sundays. ''The Irish Times'' is considered a newspaper ...

'' described her as "once seen as a British rival to

Ginger Rogers Ginger Rogers (born Virginia Katherine McMath; July 16, 1911 – April 25, 1995) was an American actress, dancer and singer during the Classical Hollywood cinema, Golden Age of Hollywood. She won an Academy Award for Best Actress for her starri ...

." According to her obituary in ''

The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publish ...

'': "In the Thirties she was a charming soubrette of light movies and musical comedy. After a break from performing, she emerged in the mid-Forties as a sultry beauty who starred in a series of moody dramas and potent thrillers."

Biography

Early life

Born Constance Vera Stevens in

Holloway, London Holloway is an inner-city district of the London Borough of Islington, north of Charing Cross, which follows the line of the Holloway Road ( A1). At the centre of Holloway is the Nag's Head commercial area which sits between the more residenti ...

, Gray was the daughter of Charles Stevens, who drove a motor cab, and his wife, Gertrude Grace. Her mother was a ballet dancer and her grandmother a "principal boy" in the 1870s. Her father died when Gray was young.

Theatre career

She trained as a child at Fay Compton's School of Dramatic Art, and began acting on stage at the age of 10. Gray made her professional stage debut at the age of twelve in ''All God's Chillun'' at the

Globe Theatre The Globe Theatre was a theatre in London associated with William Shakespeare. It was built in 1599 by Shakespeare's playing company, the Lord Chamberlain's Men, on land owned by Thomas Brend and inherited by his son, Nicholas Brend, and ...

in London, playing an African boy. When she was 14, Gray appeared in a minstrel show at the Gate Theatre in London. She made her film debut with a bit part in ''

The School for Scandal ''The School for Scandal'' is a comedy of manners written by Richard Brinsley Sheridan. It was first performed in London at Drury Lane Theatre on 8 May 1777. Plot Act I Scene I: Lady Sneerwell, a wealthy young widow, and her hireling S ...

'' (1930). She then returned to school for two years, training at

Fay Compton Virginia Lilian Emmeline Compton-Mackenzie, (; 18 September 1894 – 12 December 1978), known professionally as Fay Compton, was an English actress. She appeared in several films, and made many broadcasts, but was best known for her stage per ...

's School of Dramatic Art, during which time she performed in cabarets. She appeared in '' The Gay Divorce'' (1933) on stage with

Fred Astaire Fred Astaire (born Frederick Austerlitz; May 10, 1899 – June 22, 1987) was an American dancer, choreographer, actor, and singer. He is often called the greatest dancer in Hollywood film history. Astaire's career in stage, film, and tele ...

. The agent John Gliddon saw her in the musical ''Jill Darling'' (1934) and signed her.

Film career

Gray returned to films in 1935, with '' The Dictator'' (1935). She could also be seen in '' Cross Currents'' (1935), ''

Radio Pirates ''Radio Pirates'', also known as ''Big Ben Calling'', is a 1935 British musical film directed by Ivar Campbell and starring Leslie French, Mary Lawson and Enid Stamp-Taylor. It was made at Shepperton Studios.Wood p.83 Cast * Leslie French a ...

'' (1935), '' Lucky Days'' (1935), and ''

Checkmate Checkmate (often shortened to mate) is any game position in chess and other chess-like games in which a player's king is in check (threatened with ) and there is no possible escape. Checkmating the opponent wins the game. In chess, the king is ...

'' (1935). She returned on stage and was spotted by

Stanley Lupino Stanley Richard Lupino Hook (15 June 1893 – 10 June 1942), known professionally as Stanley Lupino, was an English actor, dancer, singer, librettist, director and short story writer. During the 1930s, Lupino appeared in a successful series of m ...

, who fell in love with her. Gray had the female lead in '' Cheer Up'' (1936) with

. She had leads in ''

Calling the Tune ''Calling the Tune'' was a 1936 British musical drama film directed by Reginald Denham and Thorold Dickinson and starring Adele Dixon, Sally Gray and Sam Livesey. It was based on a play written by the Irish MP and novelist, Justin Huntly McCart ...

'' (1936), ''

Cafe Colette ''Cafe Colette'' is a 1937 British thriller film directed by Paul L. Stein and starring Paul Cavanagh, Greta Nissen in her final film role and Sally Gray. It was also released under the alternative title ''Danger in Paris''. The film was made at ...

'' (1936), and ''

Saturday Night Revue ''Saturday Night Revue'' is a 1937 British musical film directed by Norman Lee and starring Billy Milton, Sally Gray Constance Vera Browne, Baroness Oranmore and Browne (''née'' Stevens; 14 February 1915 – 24 September 2006), commonly ...

'' (1937) with

Billy Milton Billy Milton (8 December 190522 November 1989) was a British stage, film and television actor. Born in Paddington, Middlesex, (now in London), as William Thomas Milton, he was the son of Harry Harman Milton (1880-1942), a commission agent, and ...

. In 1936, she was earning £150 a week. Gray had support roles in ''

Lightning Conductor A lightning rod or lightning conductor (British English) is a metal rod mounted on a structure and intended to protect the structure from a lightning strike. If lightning hits the structure, it will preferentially strike the rod and be conducte ...

'' (1937), a thriller; ''

Over She Goes ''Over She Goes'' is a 1937 British musical comedy film directed by Graham Cutts and starring Stanley Lupino, Claire Luce, Laddie Cliff, Gina Malo and Max Baer. It was based on a successful London stage play by Lupino, with music by Billy Maye ...

'' (1937) with Lupino; ''

Mr. Reeder in Room 13 ''Mr. Reeder in Room 13'' is a 1938 British crime film directed by Norman Lee and starring Peter Murray-Hill, Sally Gray and Gibb McLaughlin. It is based on the first J. G. Reeder book, '' Room 13'' by Edgar Wallace. The film was released in th ...

'' (1937), a non musical; and '' Hold My Hand'' (1938) with Lupino. Gray was the female lead in ''

Sword of Honour The ''Sword of Honour'' is a trilogy of novels by Evelyn Waugh which loosely parallel Waugh's experiences during the Second World War. Published by Chapman & Hall from 1952 to 1961, the novels are: ''Men at Arms'' (1952); ''Officers and Gent ...

'' (1938), ''

The Saint in London ''The Saint in London'' is a 1939 British crime film, the third of eight films in RKO's film series featuring the adventures of Simon Templar, alias "The Saint". It stars George Sanders as Templar and was produced by William Sistrom. John Pad ...

'' (1939) with

George Sanders George Henry Sanders (3 July 1906 – 25 April 1972) was a British actor and singer whose career spanned over 40 years. His heavy, upper-class English accent and smooth, bass voice often led him to be cast as sophisticated but villainous chara ...

, '' The Lambeth Walk'' (1939) with

Lupino Lane Henry William George Lupino (16 June 1892 – 10 November 1959) professionally Lupino Lane, was an English actor and theatre manager, and a member of the famous Lupino family, which eventually included his cousin, the screenwriter/director/actr ...

, and ''

A Window in London ''A Window in London'' is a 1940 British thriller film directed by Herbert Mason and starring Michael Redgrave, Patricia Roc, Sally Gray, Paul Lukas and Hartley Power. It is a remake of the French film ''Metropolitan'' (1939). The plot focuses ...

'' (1940), a non musical film with

Michael Redgrave Sir Michael Scudamore Redgrave CBE (20 March 1908 – 21 March 1985) was an English stage and film actor, director, manager and author. He received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in ''Mourning Becomes Elec ...

. Gray was in '' Olympic Honeymoon'' (1940) then had the female lead in ''

The Saint's Vacation ''The Saint's Vacation'' is a 1941 adventure film produced by the British arm of RKO Pictures. The film stars Hugh Sinclair as Simon Templar, also known as "The Saint", a world-roving crimefighter who walks the fine edge of the law. This was the ...

'' (1941). She had a sensitive role in

Brian Desmond Hurst Brian Desmond Hurst (12 February 1895 – 26 September 1986) was a Belfast-born film director. With over thirty films in his filmography, Hurst has been hailed as Northern Ireland's best film director.Screening will honour 'NI's best film ...

's romantic melodrama ''

Dangerous Moonlight ''Dangerous Moonlight'' (US: ''Suicide Squadron'') is a 1941 British film, directed by Brian Desmond Hurst and starring Anton Walbrook. Among the costumes, the gowns were designed by Cecil Beaton. The film is best known for its score written b ...

'' (1941). The same year she appeared in the West End musical '' Lady Behave'' which had been written by her co-star

. The show had to close early because of Lupino's illness. Gray returned to the stage to star in ''

My Sister Eileen ''My Sister Eileen'' is a series of autobiographical short stories by Ruth McKenney, originally published in ''The New Yorker'', which eventually inspired many other works: her 1938 book ''My Sister Eileen'', a play, a musical, a radio play (an ...

'' (1942) with

Coral Browne Coral Edith Browne (23 July 1913 – 29 May 1991) was an Australian-American stage and screen actress. Her extensive theatre credits included Broadway productions of ''Macbeth'' (1956), '' The Rehearsal'' (1963) and '' The Right Honourable Gent ...

. Lupino died, leaving Gray £10,000. Gray had a nervous breakdown, resulting in her retirement for several years.

Comeback

Gray returned to the screen in 1946 and made her strongest bid for stardom in a series of melodramas. They include the hospital thriller '' Green for Danger'' (1946), ''

Carnival Carnival is a Catholic Christian festive season that occurs before the liturgical season of Lent. The main events typically occur during February or early March, during the period historically known as Shrovetide (or Pre-Lent). Carnival t ...

'' (1946), '' They Made Me a Fugitive'' (1947) and '' The Mark of Cain'' (1948). Gray then made '' Silent Dust'' (1948) and

Edward Dmytryk Edward Dmytryk (September 4, 1908 – July 1, 1999) was an American film director. He was known for his 1940s noir films and received an Oscar nomination for Best Director for '' Crossfire'' (1947). In 1947, he was named as one of the Hollywoo ...

's ''film noir'' piece '' Obsession'' (1949), in which she plays

Robert Newton Robert Guy Newton (1 June 1905 – 25 March 1956) was an English actor. Along with Errol Flynn, Newton was one of the more popular actors among the male juvenile audience of the 1940s and early 1950s, especially with British boys. Known for hi ...

's faithless wife. Her final film was the spy yarn '' Escape Route'' (1952). RKO executives, impressed with Gray, authorised producer

William Sistrom William "Billy" Sistrom (19 March 1884 – March 1972) was an English film producer who worked in the United States. Biography Sistrom was born in Lincolnshire, England. He began work with Universal Pictures. Later he joined RKO Pictures in ...

to offer her a long-term contract if she would move to the United States. John Paddy Carstairs, director of ''

'', also thought she could be a star. However, she declined the offer and instead retired in 1952 after her marriage.

Personal life

Gray married t he 4th Baron Oranmore and Browne, an

Anglo-Irish Anglo-Irish people () denotes an ethnic, social and religious grouping who are mostly the descendants and successors of the English Protestant Ascendancy in Ireland. They mostly belong to the Anglican Church of Ireland, which was the establis ...

peer Peer may refer to: Sociology * Peer, an equal in age, education or social class; see Peer group * Peer, a member of the peerage; related to the term "peer of the realm" Computing * Peer, one of several functional units in the same layer of a ne ...

, on 1 December 1951, and lived in

County Mayo County Mayo (; ga, Contae Mhaigh Eo, meaning "Plain of the yew trees") is a county in Ireland. In the West of Ireland, in the province of Connacht, it is named after the village of Mayo, now generally known as Mayo Abbey. Mayo County Counci ...

, Ireland. The couple kept the marriage secret until the 1953

coronation of Elizabeth II The coronation of Elizabeth II took place on 2 June 1953 at Westminster Abbey in London. She acceded to the throne at the age of 25 upon the death of her father, George VI, on 6 February 1952, being proclaimed queen by her privy and executive ...

, at which she appeared with her husband. In the early 1960s, they returned to England and settled in a flat in Eaton Place,

Belgravia Belgravia () is a district in Central London, covering parts of the areas of both the City of Westminster and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. Belgravia was known as the 'Five Fields' during the Tudor Period, and became a danger ...

, London. The couple had no children.

Death

Gray died on 24 September 2006, at 91 years of age, in London, England.

Filmography

Film

References

Sources

* *

External links

*
Sally Gray: Film beauty who rejected Hollywood for England and the aristocracy
Obituary in ''The Guardian'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Gray, Sally 1915 births 2006 deaths Actresses from London

Mereworth Mereworth is a village and civil parish near the town of Maidstone in Kent, England. The Wateringbury Stream flows through the village and powered a watermill, the site of which now lies within the grounds of Mereworth Castle. Mereworth is pronou ...

Oranmore and Browne English film actresses People from Holloway, London 20th-century English actresses