Jane Carr (born Dorothy Henrietta Brunstrom; 1 August 1909 – 29 September 1957) was the

stage name A stage name or professional name is a pseudonym used by performers, authors, and entertainers—such as actors, comedians, singers, and musicians. The equivalent concept among writers is called a ''nom de plume'' (pen name). Some performers ...

of English

stage Stage, stages, or staging may refer to: Arts and media Acting * Stage (theatre), a space for the performance of theatrical productions * Theatre, a branch of the performing arts, often referred to as "the stage" * ''The Stage'', a weekly Brit ...

and

film actress An actor (masculine/gender-neutral), or actress (feminine), is a person who portrays a character in a production. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. ...

Rita Brunstrom.

Biography

Born in the

Northumberland Northumberland ( ) is a ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in North East England, on the Anglo-Scottish border, border with Scotland. It is bordered by the North Sea to the east, Tyne and Wear and County Durham to the south, Cumb ...

seaside town of

Whitley Bay Whitley Bay is a seaside town in the North Tyneside borough in Tyne and Wear, England. It was formerly governed as part of Northumberland and has been part of Tyne and Wear since 1974. It is part of the wider Tyneside built-up area, being around ...

, Carr attended

Harrogate Ladies College Harrogate Ladies' College is a private boarding and day school located in the town of Harrogate, North Yorkshire, England. Founded as a girls' senior school in 1893, the college includes Highfield Prep School and educates girls from ages 2 to 1 ...

. Her first husband was James Bickley, a civil engineer, the eldest son of a farmer and wheelwright, born on 4 October 1896 at

Wythall Wythall is a large village and civil parish in the Bromsgrove District, in the northeastern corner of the county of Worcestershire, England. Wythall parish borders Solihull and Birmingham, and had a population of 12,269 in the UK census of 20 ...

Warwickshire Warwickshire (; abbreviated Warks) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the West Midlands (region), West Midlands of England. It is bordered by Staffordshire and Leicestershire to the north, Northamptonshire to the east, Ox ...

, to whom she was married on 14 September 1931 at the Register Office,

Marylebone Marylebone (usually , also ) is an area in London, England, and is located in the City of Westminster. It is in Central London and part of the West End. Oxford Street forms its southern boundary. An ancient parish and latterly a metropo ...

, London. According to ''

The Times ''The Times'' is a British Newspaper#Daily, daily Newspaper#National, national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its modern name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its si ...

'' dated 2 December 1936, Jane was engaged to Major A. J. S. Fetherstonhaugh, D.S.O., M.C., the only son of Colonel and Mrs. Fetherstonhaugh of The Hermitage,

Powick Powick is a village and civil parish in the Malvern Hills District, Malvern Hills district of Worcestershire, England, located two miles south of the city of Worcester, England, Worcester and four miles north of Great Malvern. The parish includ ...

Worcester Worcester may refer to: Places United Kingdom * Worcester, England, a city and the county town of Worcestershire in England ** Worcester (UK Parliament constituency), an area represented by a Member of Parliament * Worcester Park, London, Engl ...

. However she subsequently married John Donaldson-Hudson, the grandson of Charles Donaldson-Hudson, from

Cheswardine Cheswardine ( ) is a rural village and civil parish in north east Shropshire, England. The village lies close to the border with Staffordshire and is about 8 miles north of Newport and 5 miles south east of Market Drayton. At the 2001 census, ...

Hall,

Shropshire Shropshire (; abbreviated SalopAlso used officially as the name of the county from 1974–1980. The demonym for inhabitants of the county "Salopian" derives from this name.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the West M ...

on 7 January 1943 at the Registry Office,

Westminster Westminster is the main settlement of the City of Westminster in Central London, Central London, England. It extends from the River Thames to Oxford Street and has many famous landmarks, including the Palace of Westminster, Buckingham Palace, ...

. John Donaldson-Hudson was one of the partners in

John Logie Baird Ltd John Logie Baird (; 13 August 188814 June 1946) was a Scottish inventor, electrical engineer, and innovator who demonstrated the world's first mechanical television system on 26 January 1926. He went on to invent the first publicly demonstrat ...

, and Jane Carr's face appeared as one of the first images to be shown as a

BBC television BBC Television is a service of the BBC. The corporation has operated a Public service broadcasting in the United Kingdom, public broadcast television service in the United Kingdom, under the terms of a royal charter, since 1 January 1927. It p ...

image on 15 November 1932, using apparatus designed by

John Logie Baird John Logie Baird (; 13 August 188814 June 1946) was a Scottish inventor, electrical engineer, and innovator who demonstrated the world's first mechanical Mechanical television, television system on 26 January 1926. He went on to invent the fi ...

, as was that of

Prince Monolulu Ras Prince Monolulu (26 October 1881 – 14 February 1965), whose real name was Peter Carl Mackay (or McKay), was a horse-racing tipster, and something of an institution on the British racing scene from the 1920s until the time of his death. He ...

. Jane was divorced from John Donaldson-Hudson before September 1947. Jane and John had a daughter, Charlotte Donaldson-Hudson, who relates the details of

Noël Coward Sir Noël Peirce Coward (16 December 189926 March 1973) was an English playwright, composer, director, actor, and singer, known for his wit, flamboyance, and what ''Time (magazine), Time'' called "a sense of personal style, a combination of c ...

visiting her mother's flat in London at about the time of the Festival of Britain preparations in 1950. She said: Jane Carr's daughter, Charlotte Donaldson-Hudson (born 17 December 1944), the great granddaughter of Charles Donaldson-Hudson talked about Noël Coward writing the song and playing it on the pianos at her mother's flat in a BBC radio broadcast from 4 May 2011, about the festival of Britain. The programme is available a
BBC iPlayer: Random Edition
In Spring 1955 Jane Carr married Henry J. Robert Stent, the managing director of Trust House hotels. Less than two months after her 48th birthday, she died of cancer at London's

Middlesex Hospital Middlesex Hospital was a teaching hospital located in the Fitzrovia area of London, England. First opened as the Middlesex Infirmary in 1745 on Windmill Street, it was moved in 1757 to Mortimer Street where it remained until it was finally clos ...

and is buried in an unmarked grave at

Mendham, Suffolk Mendham is a village and civil parish in the Mid Suffolk district of Suffolk in eastern England. Located on the east bank of the River Waveney around a mile east of Harleston, the parish includes the hamlets of Withersdale Street. The Mendham ...

. Her 1st cousin once removed is Richard Brunstrom, the former Chief Constable of

North Wales North Wales ( ) is a Regions of Wales, region of Wales, encompassing its northernmost areas. It borders mid Wales to the south, England to the east, and the Irish Sea to the north and west. The area is highly mountainous and rural, with Snowdon ...

Constabulary.

Career

Carr began to work in the theatre in 1928, and in September 1932 she joined Harry S. Pepper,

Stanley Holloway Stanley Augustus Holloway (1 October 1890 – 30 January 1982) was an English actor, comedian, singer and monologist. He was famous for his comic and character roles Stanley Holloway on stage and screen, on stage and screen, especially t ...

Doris Arnold Doris Grace Arnold (4 November 1904 – 5 October 1969) was a BBC Radio presenter and producer, and a pianist. Born in Wimbledon, Surrey, in 1904, Arnold joined the BBC in 1929, as a typist. She first appeared on air as a stand-in for a pianist ...

Joe Morley Joe Morley (December 3, 1867 in Kinver, South Staffordshire, England – September 16, 1937 in London) was a British classic banjoist who achieved great fame and renown in his homeland and abroad. During his lifetime, he composed hundreds of ...

, and C. Denier Warren to revive the White Coons Concert Party show of the

Edwardian era In the United Kingdom, the Edwardian era was a period in the early 20th century that spanned the reign of King Edward VII from 1901 to 1910. It is commonly extended to the start of the First World War in 1914, during the early reign of King Ge ...

for

BBC Radio BBC Radio is an operational business division and service of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a royal charter since 1927. The service provides national radio stations cove ...

. She went on to appear in one of the earliest

broadcasts on 15 November 1932 and was cast in a number of films through the 1930s, 1940s and early 1950s. One of her early films, ''

The Triumph of Sherlock Holmes ''The Triumph of Sherlock Holmes'' is a 1935 British mystery film directed by Leslie S. Hiscott and starring Arthur Wontner. It was based on the 1915 Sherlock Holmes novel '' The Valley of Fear'' by Arthur Conan Doyle. It is a Flamingo Films ...

'' (1935) is available on the Internet.available a
Archive.org: The Triumph of Sherlock Holmes (1935)
/ref>

Filmography

* ''

Let Me Explain, Dear ''Let Me Explain, Dear'' is a 1932 British comedy film directed by Gene Gerrard and Frank Miller and starring Gerrard, Viola Lyel and Claude Hulbert. It was adapted from the play '' A Little Bit of Fluff'' by Walter Ellis. It was made by Britis ...

'' (1932) * ''Love Me, Love My Dog'' (1932) * ''

Up for the Derby ''Up for the Derby'' is a 1933 British sports comedy film directed by Maclean Rogers and starring Sydney Howard, Dorothy Bartlam and Tom Helmore. The screenplay concerns a tramp who unexpectedly gains money. It was made at British and Domin ...

'' (1933) * ''

Orders Is Orders ''Orders Is Orders'' is a 1933 British comedy film starring Charlotte Greenwood, James Gleason and Cyril Maude about an American film crew who move into a British army barracks to start making a film, much to the commander's horror. Much of t ...

'' (1933) * ''

Dick Turpin Richard Turpin (bapt. 21 September 1705 – 7 April 1739) was an English highwayman whose exploits were romanticised following his execution in York for horse theft. Turpin may have followed his father's trade as a butcher ear ...

'' (1933) * ''

Taxi to Paradise ''Taxi to Paradise'' is a 1933 British comedy film directed by Adrian Brunel and starring Binnie Barnes, Garry Marsh and Henry Wilcoxon. It was made as a quota quickie at Wembley Studios.Wood p.76 Cast * Binnie Barnes as Joan Melhuish * Garry ...

'' (1933) * ''

Those Were the Days Those Were the Days may refer to: Music Albums * ''Those Were the Days'' (Johnny Mathis album) (1968) * ''Those Were the Days'' (Cream album) (1997) * ''Those Were the Days'' (Dolly Parton album) (2005) * '' Those Were the Days – The Best of L ...

'' (1934) * ''

On the Air On the Air may refer to: * ''On the Air'' (album), 1984, by Billy Preston * ''On the Air'' (TV series), an American sitcom * ''On the Air'' (film), a 1934 British musical comedy * On the Air (band), an English rock band * On the Air (radio play),a ...

'' (1934) * ''

The Outcast Outcast or Outcasts may refer to: *Outcast (person), a person with social stigma or untouchability Literature *''The Outcast'', an 1875 novel by William Winwood Reade * ''The Outcast: A Rhyme for the Time'', an 1891 poem by Robert Williams Buch ...

'' (1934) * ''Intermezzo'' (1934) * ''

Murder at the Inn ''Murder at the Inn'' is a 1934 British crime film directed by George King and starring Wendy Barrie, Harold French and Jane Carr. It was a quota quickie, made at Teddington Studios by the British subsidiary of Warner Brothers.Wood p.78 Cast * ...

'' (1934) * ''

Oh No Doctor! ''Oh No Doctor!'' is a 1934 British comedy film directed by George King and starring Jack Hobbs, Dorothy Boyd and James Finlayson.Wood p.84 It was made as a quota quickie for distribution by the American company MGM. Cast * Jack Hobbs as Montag ...

'' (1934) * ''

The Night Club Queen ''The Night Club Queen'' is a 1934 British musical mystery film directed by Bernard Vorhaus and starring Mary Clare, Jane Carr and Lewis Shaw.Wood p.83 Cast * Mary Clare as Mary Brown * Jane Carr as Bobbie Lamont * Lewis Shaw as Peter Brow ...

'' (1934) * ''

The Church Mouse ''The Church Mouse'' is a 1934 British comedy film directed by Monty Banks and starring Laura La Plante, Ian Hunter and Edward Chapman. It was made by the British subsidiary of Warner Brothers at the company's Teddington Studios. It was made a ...

'' (1934) * ''

Lord Edgware Dies ''Lord Edgware Dies'' is a work of detective fiction by British writer Agatha Christie, published in the UK by the Collins Crime Club in September 1933 and in the US by Dodd, Mead and Company later in the same year under the title of ''Thirt ...

'' (1934) * ''

Youthful Folly ''Youthful Folly'' is a 1934 British drama film directed by Miles Mander and starring Irene Vanbrugh, Jane Carr and Mary Lawson. It was a quota quickie made at Shepperton Studios for release by Columbia Pictures.Chibnall p.281 It portrays ...

'' (1934) * ''

Keep It Quiet ''Keep it Quiet'' is a 1934 British crime film directed by Leslie S. Hiscott and starring Bertha Belmore, Frank Pettingell, Cyril Raymond and Davy Burnaby. It was made at Beaconsfield Studios as a quota quickie. Plot summary Joe Puddlefoot ...

'' (1934) * ''

The Lad ''The Lad'' is a 1935 British comedy film directed by Henry Edwards and starring Gordon Harker, Betty Stockfeld and Jane Carr. It was made at Twickenham Studios. The film is based on a novel by Edgar Wallace. Plot Bill Shane is The Lad, an opp ...

'' (1935) * ''

The Ace of Spades ''The Ace of Spades'' is a 1935 British drama film directed by George Pearson and starring Michael Hogan, Dorothy Boyd and Richard Cooper. It was written by Gerard Fairlie based on the 1919 novel of the same title by John Crawford Fraser. ...

'' (1935) * ''

Get Off My Foot ''Get Off My Foot'' is a 1935 British comedy film, directed by William Beaudine and starring Max Miller and Chili Bouchier. It was written by Frank Launder and Robert Edmunds based on the play ''Money by Wire'' by Edward A. Paulton. The film ...

'' (1935) * '' Annie, Leave the Room!'' (1935) * ''

'' (1935) * ''

Night Mail ''Night Mail'' is a 1936 British documentary film directed and produced by Harry Watt and Basil Wright, and produced by the General Post Office (GPO) Film Unit. The 24-minute film documents the nightly postal train operated by the London, ...

'' (1935) * ''

Hello, Sweetheart ''Hello, Sweetheart'' is a 1935 British comedy film directed by Monty Banks and starring Claude Hulbert, Gregory Ratoff and Jane Carr. The film was made by the British subsidiary of Warner Brothers at the company's Teddington Studios.Wood p. ...

'' (1935) * ''

The Interrupted Honeymoon ''The Interrupted Honeymoon'' is a 1936 British comedy film directed by Leslie S. Hiscott and starring Jane Carr, Helen Haye and Jack Hobbs. It was made at Beaconsfield Studios. In the film, a couple returning home from a honeymoon in Paris find ...

'' (1936) * ''

It's You I Want ''It's You I Want'' is a 1936 British comedy film directed by Ralph Ince and starring Seymour Hicks, Marie Lohr and Hugh Wakefield. It was made at Beaconsfield Studios.Wood p.90 The film's sets were designed by Norman Arnold. Cast * Seymour Hick ...

'' (1936) * '' Millions'' (1936) * ''Little Miss Somebody'' (1937) * ''

The Lilac Domino ''Der lila Domino'' (''The Lilac Domino'') is an operetta in three acts composed by Charles Cuvillier. The original German libretto is by Emmerich von Gatti and Bela Jenbach, about a gambling count who falls in love at a masquerade ball with a n ...

'' (1937) * ''

Captain's Orders ''Captain's Orders'' is a 1937 British drama film directed by Ivar Campbell and starring Henry Edwards, Jane Carr, Marie La Varre, Wally Patch and Basil Radford. The film's sets were designed by Clifford Pember, in his final production. Cast ...

'' (1937) * '' Melody and Romance'' (1937) * '' The Seventh Survivor'' (1941) * ''

Alibi An alibi (, from the Latin, '' alibī'', meaning "somewhere else") is a statement by a person under suspicion in a crime that they were in a different place when the offence was committed. During a police investigation, all suspects are usually a ...

'' (1942) * ''

Sabotage at Sea ''Sabotage at Sea'' is a 1942 British black-and-white war film directed by Leslie S. Hiscott and starring Jane Carr, Margaretta Scott, David Hutcheson and Ronald Shiner. It was written by Michael Barringer and produced by British National Films ...

'' (1942) * ''

Lady from Lisbon ''Lady'' is a term for a woman who behaves in a polite way. Once used to describe only women of a high social class or status, the female counterpart of lord, now it may refer to any adult woman, as gentleman can be used for men. "Lady" is al ...

'' (1942) * '' It's Not Cricket'' (1949) * ''A Night with the Stars'' (1950) * ''Stop the Merry-Go-Round'' (1952) * ''

Sunday Night Theatre ''Sunday Night Theatre'' was a long-running series of televised live television plays screened by BBC Television from early 1950 until 1959. The productions for the first five years or so of the run were re-staged live the following Thursday, ...

'' (1 episode, 1952) (TV) * ''

The Saint's Return ''The Saint's Return'' (released in the US as ''The Saint's Girl Friday'') is a 1953 British crime thriller film directed by Seymour Friedman and starring Louis Hayward, Naomi Chance, Diana Dors and Sydney Tafler. Ian Fleming appeared in a v ...

'' (1953) * '' 36 Hours'' (1953) (US: Terror Street)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Carr, Jane 1909 births 1957 deaths People educated at Harrogate Ladies' College People from Whitley Bay Actresses from Tyne and Wear English film actresses English television actresses 20th-century English actresses Burials in Suffolk Actors from the Metropolitan Borough of North Tyneside