Freda Maud Jackson (29 December 1907 – 20 October 1990) was an English stage actress who also worked in film and television.

Early life and career

Jackson was born in

Nottingham Nottingham ( , East Midlands English, locally ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area in Nottinghamshire, East Midlands, England. It is located south-east of Sheffield and nor ...

in 1907. She made her stage debut on 1 January 1934 at the Northampton Repertory Theatre in '' Sweet Lavender''. During this period, she reputedly had a relationship with

Errol Flynn Errol Leslie Thomson Flynn (20 June 1909 – 14 October 1959) was an Australian and American actor who achieved worldwide fame during the Golden Age of Hollywood. He was known for his romantic swashbuckler roles, frequent partnerships with Oliv ...

, a fellow company member. After two years with the Northampton Rep, she first appeared in London on 13 July 1936 in '' The Sacred Flame'' at the Q Theatre, afterwards touring with Emlyn Williams in Williams' play '' Night Must Fall''. In 1938 she joined 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, Mai ...

company, touring with them the following year in Europe and Egypt, and in 1940 she became part of the Stratford Memorial Theatre company.Parker, op cit Her film debut was in '' Mountains O'Mourne'' (1938); other early films included Powell and Pressburger's '' A Canterbury Tale'', Laurence Olivier's '' Henry V'' (both 1944) and

David Lean Sir David Lean (25 March 190816 April 1991) was an English film director, producer, screenwriter, and editor, widely considered one of the most important figures of Cinema of the United Kingdom, British cinema. He directed the large-scale epi ...

's '' Great Expectations'' (1946). In July 1945 she scored a personal success at the Embassy Theatre in London's

Swiss Cottage Swiss Cottage is an area in the London Borough of Camden, England. It is centred on the junction of Avenue Road and Finchley Road and includes Swiss Cottage tube station. Swiss Cottage lies north-northwest of Charing Cross. The area was ...

, playing the sadistic landlady Mrs Voray in Joan Temple's '' No Room at the Inn''. She also featured in the play's West End transfer and in the film adaptation released in 1948. A few years later she played a similar role, Mrs Allistair, in the stage and screen versions of Sylvia Rayman's '' Women of Twilight'' (1952). "I wonder," she wrote in 1954, "if y fellow actorsever dreamed when we were treading the Shakespearean boards together at Stratford 14 years ago that their light-hearted Nerissa, Maria and Mrs Quickly would, in less years than it takes to say Sweeney Todd, be treading so heavily the darkest paths of crime—her name a horrid by-word, a source of cosy shudders ... Seriously though, dear public, you must please believe that I was not always so depraved a character."

Later career

In July 1955, back at Northampton, she played the role she later listed as her favourite in '' Who's Who in the Theatre'' – Marguerite Gautier in '' The Lady of the Camellias''. Later stage appearances included the Gypsy in '' Camino Real'' (Phoenix Theatre 1957), '' Duel of Angels'' (Apollo Theatre 1958), Mrs Hitchcock in '' Sergeant Musgrave's Dance'' (Royal Court Theatre 1959), Gunhild in '' John Gabriel Borkman'' (Mermaid Theatre 1961), the title role in '' Mother Courage'' (Bristol Old Vic 1961), ''Naked'' (Royal Court Theatre 1963), a 1967 tour of '' Arsenic and Old Lace'', and Maria Helliwell in '' When We Are Married'' (Strand Theatre 1970). Her later films included Lewis Gilbert's '' The Good Die Young'' (1954) as Joan Collins' mother,

George Cukor George Dewey Cukor ( ; July 7, 1899 – January 24, 1983) was an American film director and film producer, producer. He mainly concentrated on comedies and literary adaptations. His career flourished at RKO Pictures, RKO when David O. Selzn ...

's '' Bhowani Junction'' (1956), Ralph Thomas' ''

A Tale of Two Cities ''A Tale of Two Cities'' is a historical novel published in 1859 by English author Charles Dickens, set in London and Paris before and during the French Revolution. The novel tells the story of the French Doctor Manette, his 18-year-long impr ...

'' (1958),

Terence Fisher Terence Fisher (23 February 1904 – 18 June 1980) was a British film director best known for his work for Hammer Film Productions, Hammer Films. He was the first to bring gothic horror alive in full colour, and the sexual overtones and explic ...

's '' The Brides of Dracula'' (1960),

Tony Richardson Cecil Antonio Richardson (5 June 1928 – 14 November 1991) was an English theatre and film director, producer and screenwriter, whose career spanned five decades. He was identified with the "angry young men" group of British directors and play ...

's '' Tom Jones'' (1963), two directed by Michael Winner ('' West 11'', 1963, and '' The Jokers'', 1967), Daniel Haller's '' Die, Monster, Die!'' (1965) as

Boris Karloff William Henry Pratt (23 November 1887 – 2 February 1969), known professionally as Boris Karloff () and occasionally billed as Karloff the Uncanny, was a British actor. His portrayal of Frankenstein's monster in the horror film ''Frankenstei ...

's wife, and two featuring Ray Harryhausen creature effects: '' The Valley of Gwangi'' (1969) and '' Clash of the Titans'' (1981). Summarising her film career, David Quinlan wrote that she "created some memorably grim portraits ... fewer than one would have liked, but she was really too ferocious for supporting roles."

Personal life

Jackson married artist Henry Bird in 1937; they lived at Hardingstone House, Northampton. Their son, Julian, initially a psychiatrist, became an actor in his 60s. Jackson died in 1990 at the age of 82. She was cremated at the Counties Crematorium, Northampton.

Partial filmography

* '' A Canterbury Tale'' (1944) – Prudence Honeywood * '' Henry V'' (1944) – Mistress Quickly * '' Beware of Pity'' (1946) – Gypsy * '' Great Expectations'' (1946) – Mrs.Joe * '' No Room at the Inn'' (1948) – Mrs. Voray * '' Flesh and Blood'' (1951) – Mrs. Hannah * '' Mr. Denning Drives North'' (1951) – Ma Smith * '' Women of Twilight'' (1952) – Mrs. Helen 'Nelly' Alistair * '' The Good Die Young'' (1954) – Mrs. Freeman * '' The Crowded Day'' (1954) – Mrs. Morgan * '' Bhowani Junction'' (1956) – The Sandani * '' The Last Man to Hang'' (1956) – Mrs. Tucker * '' The Flesh Is Weak'' (1957) – Trixie * ''

'' (1958) – The Vengeance * '' The Brides of Dracula'' (1960) – Greta * '' Shadow of the Cat'' (1961) – Clara, the Maid * '' Greyfriars Bobby'' (1961) – Old woman caretaker * ''Boy with a Flute'' (1964, short) – Ann Winters * '' Tom Jones'' (1963) – Mrs. Seagrim * '' West 11'' (1963) – Mrs. Hartley * '' The Third Secret'' (1964) – Mrs. Bales * '' Die, Monster, Die!'' (1965) – Letitia Witley * '' The Jokers'' (1967) – Mrs. Pervis * '' The Valley of Gwangi'' (1969) – Tia Zorina * '' Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased)'' (1970) – Mrs. Evans (Episode 26 – The Smile Behind the Veil) * '' Clash of the Titans'' (1981) – Stygian Witch #3 (final film role)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Jackson, Freda 1907 births 1990 deaths People educated at Nottingham High Pavement Grammar School Actresses from Nottingham English stage actresses English film actresses 20th-century English actresses