Janice Adair (25 May 1905 – 11 November 1996) was a British

film actress An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek term is (), lit ...

of the early

sound era A sound film is a motion picture with synchronization, synchronized sound, or sound technologically coupled to image, as opposed to a silent film. The first known public exhibition of projected sound films took place in Paris in 1900, but decad ...

. She was married to the film editor

Alfred Roome Alfred Wallace Roome (22 December 1908 – 19 November 1997) was an English film editor and occasional director. Biography Born in London, in 1908, he first worked in the film industry as a film editor on the 1932 British comedy film '' Thark' ...

Biography

Janice Adair was born Beatrice Mary Duffy in Morpeth, Northumberland in 1905 to Thomas and Bridget Duffy. She was one of six children: three sons and three daughters. After the family moved to

West Hartlepool West Hartlepool was a predecessor of Hartlepool, County Durham, England. It developed in the Victorian era and took the name from its western position in the parish of what is now known as the Headland. The former town was originally formed ...

, Beatrice began her acting career when she joined the local Operatic and Musical Society. In 1925 she played the role of Mina in

Miss Hook of Holland ''Miss Hook of Holland'' is an English musical comedy (styled a "Dutch Musical Incident") in two acts, with music and lyrics by Paul Rubens with a book by Austen Hurgon and Rubens. The show was produced by Frank Curzon and opened at the Prince ...

and the following year she played Franzi in

A Waltz Dream ' (''A Waltz Dream'') is an operetta by Oscar Straus (composer), Oscar Straus with a German libretto by and , based on the novella ' (''Nux, the Prince consort, Prince Consort'') by Hans Müller-Einigen from his 1905 book ' (''Book of Adventures' ...

where she was praised for her "magnificent acting". She then went to London with another girl and began hanging around the Islington Film Studios. Eventually the casting director W J O'Bryen found Beatrice a small role. In 1928, Beatrice was cast as Lucy in the film The Streets of London as she was of the " Colleen Moore type". Shortly after,

Alfred Hitchcock Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock (13 August 1899 – 29 April 1980) was an English filmmaker. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of cinema. In a career spanning six decades, he directed over 50 featur ...

, who was then at

Elstree Elstree is a large village in the Hertsmere borough of Hertfordshire, England. It is about northwest of central London on the former A5 road, that follows the course of Watling Street. In 2011, its population was 5,110. It forms part of the ...

, chose the stage name Janice Adair for Beatrice which she used for her subsequent roles. She gave up acting following her marriage to the English film editor

. They were married on 20 February 1936. The ceremony was officiated by two of Beatrice Duffy's brothers the rev Vincent Duffy and the rev Cuthbert Duffy, her third brother Thomas gave her away. The Roomes had two children, a daughter Deirdre, and a son Christopher who died in the

Kings Cross Fire The King's Cross fire was a 1987 fire in a London Underground station with 31 fatalities, after a fire under a wooden escalator suddenly spread into the underground ticket hall in a flashover. The fire began at approximately 19:30 on 18 Nove ...

in 1987. Beatrice Mary Roome (nee Duffy), also known as Janice Adair, died peacefully at her home in

Gerrards Cross Gerrards Cross is a town and civil parish in south Buckinghamshire, England, separated from the London Borough of Hillingdon at Harefield by Denham, south of Chalfont St Peter and north bordering villages of Fulmer, Hedgerley, Iver Heath a ...

on 11 November 1996, she was 91.

Selected filmography

* '' The Informer'' (1929) * '' The Streets of London'' (1929) * ''

To What Red Hell ''To What Red Hell'' is a 1929 British crime film directed by Edwin Greenwood and starring Sybil Thorndike, Bramwell Fletcher and Janice Adair. Made at Twickenham Studios, it was one of the earliest all-talking sound films to be produced in Brita ...

'' (1929) * ''

Alf's Carpet ''Alf's Carpet'' is a 1929 British comedy film directed by W. P. Kellino and starring Gerald Rawlinson, Gladys Hamer, Harald Madsen and Carl Schenstrøm. It was loosely based on the 1920 novel '' Alf's Button'' by W.A. Darlington. It is also ...

'' (1929) * ''

Red Aces ''Red Aces'' is a 1930 British silent crime film directed by Edgar Wallace and starring Janice Adair, Muriel Angelus and Nigel Bruce. It was adapted by Wallace from one of his own novels, ''Red Aces'' (1929), featuring the character of J.G. Ree ...

'' (1930) * ''

Such Is the Law ''Such Is the Law'' is a 1930 British drama film directed by Sinclair Hill and starring Frances Day, C. Aubrey Smith and Kate Cutler. It was made at Cricklewood Studios.Wood p.70 Premise A mother attempts to save her daughter's marriage. C ...

'' (1930) * ''

Contraband Love ''Contraband Love'' is a 1931 British crime film directed by Sidney Morgan and starring C. Aubrey Smith, Janice Adair and Haddon Mason. It was made at British and Dominions Elstree Studios and on location in Cornwall. The film was distributed ...

'' (1931) * ''

Lloyd of the C.I.D. ''Detective Lloyd'' (1931) is a 12-chapter Universal movie serial. A co-production between the American company Universal and the British company General Films, it was filmed entirely in Britain with British and Commonwealth actors. It was the ...

'' (1932) * '' The Silver Greyhound'' (1932) * ''

Flood Tide Tides are the rise and fall of sea levels caused by the combined effects of the gravitational forces exerted by the Moon (and to a much lesser extent, the Sun) and are also caused by the Earth and Moon orbiting one another. Tide tables can ...

'' (1934) * ''

Nine Forty-Five ''Nine Forty-Five'' is a 1934 British crime film directed by George King and starring Binnie Barnes, Donald Calthrop and Violet Farebrother. It was made at Teddington Studios by the British subsidiary of Warner Brothers.Wood p.79 A quota quick ...

'' (1934)

References

Bibliography

* Goble, Alan. ''The Complete Index to Literary Sources in Film''. Walter de Gruyter, 1999.

External links

* 1905 births 1996 deaths British film actresses People from Morpeth, Northumberland Actors from Northumberland People from West Hartlepool People from Gerrards Cross {{UK-actor-stub