Dame Virginia Anne McKenna, (born 7 June 1931) is a British stage and screen actress, author and wildlife campaigner. She is best known for the films ''

A Town Like Alice ''A Town Like Alice'' (United States title: ''The Legacy'') is a romance novel by Nevil Shute, published in 1950 when Shute had newly settled in Australia. Jean Paget, a young Englishwoman, becomes romantically interested in a fellow prisoner ...

'' (1956), '' Carve Her Name with Pride'' (1958), ''

Born Free ''Born Free'' is a 1966 British drama film starring the real-life couple Virginia McKenna and Bill Travers as Joy and George Adamson, another real-life couple who raised Elsa the Lioness, an orphaned lion cub, to adulthood, and released her in ...

'' (1966), and ''

Ring of Bright Water ''Ring of Bright Water'' is a book by Gavin Maxwell about his life in a remote house in coastal Scotland where he kept several wild otters as pets. First published in 1960, it became a best seller and is considered a literary masterpiece, event ...

'' (1969), as well as her work with The

Born Free Foundation The Born Free Foundation is an international wildlife charity that campaigns to "Keep Wildlife in the Wild". It protects wild animals in their natural habitat, campaigns against the keeping of wild animals in captivity and rescues wild animals in ...

Early life

McKenna was born in

Marylebone Marylebone (usually , also , ) is a district in the West End of London, in the City of Westminster. Oxford Street, Europe's busiest shopping street, forms its southern boundary. An Civil parish#Ancient parishes, ancient parish and latterly a ...

to a theatrical family and was educated at Heron's Ghyll School, a former independent boarding school near the

market town A market town is a settlement most common in Europe that obtained by custom or royal charter, in the Middle Ages, a market right, which allowed it to host a regular market; this distinguished it from a village or city. In Britain, small rural ...

of Horsham in Sussex. She spent six years in

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...

before returning to the school at the age of fourteen, after which she attended the

Central School of Speech and Drama The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama was founded by Elsie Fogerty in 1906, as The Central School of Speech Training and Dramatic Art, to offer a new form of training in speech and drama for young actors and other students. It became a ...

, at that time based at the

Royal Albert Hall The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall on the northern edge of South Kensington, London. One of the UK's most treasured and distinctive buildings, it is held in trust for the nation and managed by a registered charity which receives no govern ...

, London.

Career

Aged 19, McKenna spent six months at

Dundee Repertory Theatre Dundee Repertory Theatre, better known simply as the Dundee Rep, is a theatre and arts company in the city of Dundee, Scotland. It operates as both a producing house - staging at least six of its own productions each year, and a receiving house ...

. She worked on stage in London's West End theatre, making her debut in ''Penny for a Song''. She attracted attention on TV appearing in ''Winter's Tale'' with

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 Briti ...

and ''Shout Aloud Salvation''. McKenna's first film was ''

The Second Mrs Tanqueray ''The Second Mrs. Tanqueray'' is a problem play by Arthur Wing Pinero. It utilises the "Woman with a past" plot, popular in nineteenth century melodrama. The play was first produced in 1893 by the actor-manager George Alexander and despite ca ...

'' (1952), followed by a comedy, ''

Father's Doing Fine ''Father's Doing Fine'' is a 1952 British comedy film directed by Henry Cass and starring Richard Attenborough, Heather Thatcher, and Noel Purcell, and featuring Sid James. It was based on the 1948 play ''Little Lambs Eat Ivy'' by Noel Langley ...

'' (1952). She had a small role in the popular war film '' The Cruel Sea'' (1953) and a better part in the low budget comedy '' The Oracle'' (1953). She received excellent reviews for her stage performance in ''The River Line''. From 1954 to 1955 she was a member of the

Old Vic Old or OLD may refer to: Places *Old, Baranya, Hungary * Old, Northamptonshire, England *Old Street station, a railway and tube station in London (station code OLD) *OLD, IATA code for Old Town Municipal Airport and Seaplane Base, Old Town, Ma ...

theatre company, appearing in ''Henry IV'' and ''Richard II'', and was married for a few months in 1954 to actor

Denholm Elliott Denholm Mitchell Elliott, (31 May 1922 – 6 October 1992) was an English actor, with more than 125 film and television credits. His well-known roles include the abortionist in '' Alfie'' (1966), Marcus Brody in ''Raiders of the Lost Ark'' (19 ...

, whom she met on the set of '' The Cruel Sea''. Their marriage ended owing to his affairs with men. In 1957, she married actor

Bill Travers William Inglis Lindon Travers (3 January 1922 – 29 March 1994) was a British actor, screenwriter, director and animal rights activist. Prior to his show business career, he served in the British army with Gurkha and special forces units. E ...

, with whom she had four children and to whom she remained married until his death in 1994. McKenna returned to films with ''

Simba Simba is a fictional character and the protagonist of Disney's ''The Lion King'' franchise. Introduced in the 1994 film ''The Lion King'', Walt Disney Animation's 32nd animated feature, the character subsequently appears in '' The Lion King II: ...

'' (1955), a drama about the Mau Mau, playing

Dirk Bogarde Sir Dirk Bogarde (born Derek Jules Gaspard Ulric Niven van den Bogaerde; 28 March 1921 – 8 May 1999) was an English actor, novelist and screenwriter. Initially a matinée idol in films such as ''Doctor in the House'' (1954) for the Rank Organ ...

's love interest. Rank signed her to a long term contract and director

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 ...

said "She has a terrific future, properly handled. She has all the qualities of a young Bergman and a young

Katharine Hepburn Katharine Houghton Hepburn (May 12, 1907 – June 29, 2003) was an American actress in film, stage, and television. Her career as a Hollywood leading lady spanned over 60 years. She was known for her headstrong independence, spirited perso ...

. McKenna was also in ''

The Ship That Died of Shame ''The Ship That Died of Shame'', released in the United States as ''PT Raiders'', is a black-and-white 1955 Ealing Studios crime film directed by Basil Dearden and starring George Baker, Richard Attenborough, Roland Culver and Bill Owen. T ...

'' (1955).

Stardom

McKenna was given the lead role in the war time drama ''

'' (1956), opposite Peter Finch. The movie was a big hit at the box office and McKenna won the BAFTA Award for Best Actress for her performance. Exhibitors voted her the fourth most popular British star. Travers and McKenna received an offer to go to Hollywood to appear in ''

The Barretts of Wimpole Street ''The Barretts of Wimpole Street'' is a 1930 play by the Dutch/English dramatist Rudolf Besier, based on the romance between Robert Browning and Elizabeth Barrett, and her father's unwillingness to allow them to marry. The play gave actress Ka ...

'' (1957). Travers played

Robert Browning Robert Browning (7 May 1812 – 12 December 1889) was an English poet and playwright whose dramatic monologues put him high among the Victorian poets. He was noted for irony, characterization, dark humour, social commentary, historical settings ...

and McKenna had the support part of Elizabeth Barrett Browning's sister. The movie flopped at the box office. The same year, Travers and McKenna, along with

Margaret Rutherford Dame Margaret Taylor Rutherford, (11 May 1892 – 22 May 1972) was an English actress of stage, television and film. She came to national attention following World War II in the film adaptations of Noël Coward's '' Blithe Spirit'', and Osca ...

and

Peter Sellers Peter Sellers (born Richard Henry Sellers; 8 September 1925 – 24 July 1980) was an English actor and comedian. He first came to prominence performing in the BBC Radio comedy series ''The Goon Show'', featured on a number of hit comic songs ...

, co-starred in the comedy ''

The Smallest Show on Earth ''The Smallest Show on Earth'' (US: ''Big Time Operators'') is a 1957 British comedy film, directed by Basil Dearden, and starring Bill Travers, Virginia McKenna, Peter Sellers and Margaret Rutherford. The supporting cast includes Bernard M ...

'', made back in Britain. McKenna had another hit with '' Carve Her Name with Pride'' (1958), playing

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

SOE agent

Violette Szabo Violette Reine Elizabeth Szabo, GC ( née Bushell; 26 June 1921 – February 1945) was a British-French Special Operations Executive (SOE) agent during the Second World War and a posthumous recipient of the George Cross. On her second mission ...

. She was nominated for another BAFTA Award and was voted the fifth most popular British star of 1958 (and the ninth most popular regardless of nationality). She and Travers were reunited in ''

Passionate Summer ''Passionate Summer'' is a 1958 British drama film directed by Rudolph Cartier and starring Virginia McKenna, Bill Travers and Yvonne Mitchell. It is also known by the alternative title ''Storm Over Jamaica''. It was based on a best-selling 19 ...

'' (1959), then she had a support part in MGM's ''

The Wreck of the Mary Deare ''The Wreck of the Mary Deare'' (in the UK published as ''The Mary Deare'') is a 1956 novel written by British author Hammond Innes, which was later adapted as a film starring Gary Cooper released in 1959 by MGM. According to Jack Adrian, the ...

'' (1959). McKenna and Travers were also in ''

Two Living, One Dead ''Two Living, One Dead'' is a 1961 British-Swedish existentialist thriller film directed by Anthony Asquith and starring Patrick McGoohan, Virginia McKenna and Bill Travers. The film is a remake of the 1937 Norwegian film '' To levende og en ...

'' (1961), shot in Sweden. She was in an adaptation of ''

A Passage to India ''A Passage to India'' is a 1924 novel by English author E. M. Forster set against the backdrop of the British Raj and the Indian independence movement in the 1920s. It was selected as one of the 100 great works of 20th century English liter ...

'' for the BBC in 1965.

''Born Free''

McKenna is best remembered for her 1966 role as

Joy Adamson Friederike Victoria "Joy" Adamson ( Gessner; 20 January 1910 – 3 January 1980) was a naturalist, artist and author. Her book, ''Born Free'', describes her experiences raising a lion cub named Elsa. ''Born Free'' was printed in several langua ...

in the true-life film ''

'' for which she received a nomination for a Golden Globe. It was not only a huge success at the box office but a life changing experience for her and her husband Bill Travers who co-starred with her, portraying game warden and conservationist

George Adamson George Alexander Graham Adamson MBE (3 February 1906 – 20 August 1989), also known as the ''Baba ya Simba'' ("Father of Lions" in Swahili), was a Kenyan wildlife conservationist and author. He and his wife, Joy, were depicted in the film '' ...

. The experience led them to become active supporters for wild

animal rights Animal rights is the philosophy according to which many or all sentient animals have moral worth that is independent of their utility for humans, and that their most basic interests—such as avoiding suffering—should be afforded the sa ...

as well as the protection of their natural

habitat In ecology, the term habitat summarises the array of resources, physical and biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species habitat can be seen as the physical ...

. McKenna and Travers starred in another animal-themed story, ''

'' (1969), but it failed to match ''Born Free'''s success. McKenna appeared in ''An Elephant Called Slowly''. The film features her close friend conservationist George Adamson and also elephants Eleanor (brought up by conservationist Daphne Sheldrick) and young Pole Pole. The subsequent premature death of Pole Pole in London Zoo led to McKenna and her husband to establish Zoo Check in 1984 with their eldest son Will Travers. Zoo Check was renamed Born Free Foundation in 1991. In 1984 McKenna was involved with a protest against the poor conditions at Southampton Zoo which was closed a year later.

Later career

McKenna occasionally acted in films, notably '' Waterloo'' (1970), ''

Swallows and Amazons ''Swallows and Amazons'' is a children's adventure novel by English author Arthur Ransome and first published on 21 July 1930 by Jonathan Cape. Set in the summer of 1929 in the Lake District, the book introduces the main characters of John, S ...

'' (1974), '' The Gathering Storm'' (1974), and ''

Beauty and the Beast ''Beauty and the Beast'' (french: La Belle et la Bête) is a fairy tale written by French novelist Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve and published in 1740 in ''La Jeune Américaine et les contes marins'' (''The Young American and Marine ...

'' (1976). On the stage, in 1979 she won the

Olivier Award The Laurence Olivier Awards, or simply the Olivier Awards, are presented annually by the Society of London Theatre to recognise excellence in professional theatre in London at an annual ceremony in the capital. The awards were originally known a ...

for Best Actress in a British musical for her performance opposite

Yul Brynner Yuliy Borisovich Briner (russian: link=no, Юлий Борисович Бринер; July 11, 1920 – October 10, 1985), known professionally as Yul Brynner, was a Russian-born actor. He was best known for his portrayal of King Mongkut in th ...

in ''

The King and I ''The King and I'' is the fifth musical by the team of Rodgers and Hammerstein. It is based on Margaret Landon's novel '' Anna and the King of Siam'' (1944), which is in turn derived from the memoirs of Anna Leonowens, governess to the chil ...

''. Over the years she appeared in more films but was also very active with television roles and on stage where she continues to make occasional appearances. McKenna has also been responsible for helping create and furnish the

Gavin Maxwell Gavin Maxwell FRSL FZS FRGS (15 July 19147 September 1969) was a British naturalist and author, best known for his non-fiction writing and his work with otters. He wrote the book ''Ring of Bright Water'' (1960) about how he brought an otter ...

Museum on Eilean Bàn, the last island home of Maxwell, an author and naturalist, most famous for his book ''

''. McKenna and husband Bill Travers starred in the 1969 film adaptation of the book. McKenna is still actively involved at Born Free Foundation as a Trustee.

Other interests

McKenna was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2004 New Year Honours for services to wildlife and to the arts. Her autobiography, ''The Life in My Years'', was published by

Oberon Books Oberon Books is a London-based independent publisher of drama texts and books on theatre. The company publishes around 100 titles per year, many of them plays by new writers. In addition, the list contains a range of titles on theatre studies, act ...

in March 2009. In 1975 she released an album of twelve songs called ''Two Faces of Love'', which included two of her own compositions and a sung version of the poem "

The Life That I Have ''The Life That I Have'' (sometimes referred to as ''Yours'') is a short poem written by Leo Marks and used as a poem code in the Second World War. In the war, famous poems were used to encrypt messages. This was, however, found to be insecure b ...

" from the film '' Carve Her Name with Pride''. The record was released on the Gold Star label with two line drawings of McKenna by her sister-in-law

Linden Travers Florence Lindon-Travers, known professionally as Linden Travers (27 May 1913 – 23 October 2001Ronald Bergan ), was a British actress. Life and career Travers was born in Houghton-le-Spring, County Durham, the daughter of Florence (née ...

, but these were replaced by a photograph when the album was reissued on the Rim label in 1979. Her audiobook work includes ''

The Secret Garden ''The Secret Garden'' is a novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett first published in book form in 1911, after serialisation in '' The American Magazine'' (November 1910 – August 1911). Set in England, it is one of Burnett's most popular novels an ...

'' by

Frances Hodgson Burnett Frances Eliza Hodgson Burnett (24 November 1849 – 29 October 1924) was a British-American novelist and playwright. She is best known for the three children's novels ''Little Lord Fauntleroy'' (published in 1885–1886), '' A Little ...

, and narration of ''

The Lonely Doll ''The Lonely Doll'' is the first children's book in a series by photographer and author Dare Wright. The story is told through text and photographs. It was first published by Doubleday (publisher), Doubleday in 1957, went out of print for years, ...

'' by

Dare Wright Dare Wright (December 3, 1914 – January 25, 2001) was a Canadian–American children's author, model, and photographer. She is best known for her 1957 children's book, '' The Lonely Doll''. Early life Wright was born in the Thornhill sectio ...

. She is a patron of Cinnamon Trust, a national charity that helps elderly people to keep their pets.

Family

McKenna and Travers had four children together, one of whom is Will Travers. She is the grandmother of actress

Lily Travers Lily Annabelle L. Travers (born 1990) is an English actress. Her films include '' Late Shift'' (2016) and ''Viceroy's House'' (2017). She joined the main cast of the ITV historical drama ''Victoria'' (2019) for its third series. In 2017, Traver ...

Filmography

Non-fiction films

*''The Lions are Free'' is the real life continuation of ''

''. This film tells about what happened to the lions that were in the film ''Born Free''.

, who had starred with McKenna, wrote, produced and directed the film, along with James Hill, the director of ''Born Free''. Travers and Hill went to a remote area in

Kenya ) , national_anthem = "Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Nairobi , coordinates = , largest_city = Nairobi , ...

to visit with the noted conservationist

. The film has scenes of George and Bill interacting with lions who are living free. *''Christian: The Lion at World's End'' is a documentary (with a re-enaction sequence at the beginning) about the now-famous lion's journey from a London store to George Adamson's reserve in Kenya. Virginia McKenna and her husband,

, had a chance meeting with Christian and his owners Ace Bourke and John Rendall. Through McKenna and Travers' connection with George Adamson, the lion was successfully brought to Africa and taught how to fend for himself.

Bibliography

*''On Playing With Lions'', (with Bill Travers) Collins, (1966) *''Some of My Friends Have Tails'', Collins (1971) *''Into the Blue'', Aquarian Press, (1992) *''Journey to Freedom'', (with help from Will Travers; illustrated by Nick Mountain) Templar (1997) .

Discography

*''Two Faces of Love'' LP, Gold Star 15-030, 1975. Reissued as Rim RIM 5001, 1979. *''The Love That I Have (Violette)/Homage to Renoir'' 45 rpm single, Sovereign SOV 125, 1974. *''The Love That I Have/Send in the Clowns'' 45 rpm single, RIM 002, 1979.

References

External links

*
Born Free Foundation
*[http://www.eileanban.org/ Eilean Bàn - home to the

museum, author of ''Ring of Bright Water''], eileanban.org. Accessed 30 December 2022.
2004 Virginia McKenna Brief profileThe Cinnamon Trust
cinnamon.org.uk. Accessed 30 December 2022.
British Entertainment History Project interview
historyproject.org.uk. Accessed 30 December 2022. {{DEFAULTSORT:McKenna, Virginia 1931 births Living people Best British Actress BAFTA Award winners Best Actress BAFTA Award (television) winners English film actresses English stage actresses English television actresses Dames Commander of the Order of the British Empire Laurence Olivier Award winners Alumni of the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama Actresses from London People from Marylebone 20th-century English actresses 21st-century English actresses English autobiographers