Kathleen O'Regan (11 November 1903 – 10 December 1970), born Elizabeth Kathleen Melville, was an Irish actress, born in
Sligo
Sligo ( ; , meaning 'abounding in shells') is a coastal seaport and the county town of County Sligo, Ireland, within the western province of Connacht. With a population of 20,608 in 2022, it is the county's largest urban centre (constituting 2 ...
,
best remembered for her roles in the first London performances of ''
Juno and the Paycock'' and ''
The Plough and the Stars''.
Career
O'Regan made her
West End debut in a production of ''Perservering Pat''.
She was in the first London productions of the
Sean O'Casey plays ''Juno and the Paycock'' and ''The Plough and the Stars''.
She starred in
Gregorio Martinez Sierra's ''The Kingdom of God'' in 1927, in ''A Night in June'',
in comedies including the
farce
Farce is a comedy that seeks to entertain an audience through situations that are highly exaggerated, extravagant, ridiculous, absurd, and improbable. Farce is also characterized by heavy use of physical comedy, physical humor; the use of delibe ...
''Two Deep'' in 1930. A 1928 reviewer noted that O'Regan "has already a personality that can express and convey emotion, fine eyes, repose, and beautiful movement," while suggesting that she "learn our silly way of speaking English if she is to play English parts."
O'Regan also appeared in films, including
Alfred Hitchcock
Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock (13 August 1899 – 29 April 1980) was an English film director. 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 featu ...
's screen rendering of ''
Juno and the Paycock'' (1930), and the all-Irish film ''Ireland Through the Ages'' (1930),
''The Shadow Between'' (1931), ''
Fires of Fate'' (1932), and ''
Rose of Tralee'' (1938). On radio, she was heard in adaptations including ''
The Four Feathers''.
O'Regan was considered a stylish stage beauty. She endorsed Lux soap in print advertisements that highlighted her "satin-smooth" complexion. She continued on the stage through the 1930s and into the 1940s, appearing in ''Eight Bells'' (1933), ''And a Woman Passed By...'' (1935)
Ben Travers's farce ''
Banana Ridge'' (1938),
["Miss Kathleen O'Regan", ''The Times'', 14 December 1970, p. 11] and ''The Crime of Margaret Foley'' (1947).
Personal life
In April 1926, O'Regan married
World War I
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
veteran, sportsman, and actor Kelburne Archibald Plimpton,
DSO,
who was secretary of the
Garrick Club
The Garrick Club is a private members' club in London, founded in 1831 as a club for "actors and men of refinement to meet on equal terms". It is one of the oldest members' clubs in the world. Its 1,500 members include many actors, writers, ...
. She died in 1970, aged 67, in
Milford-on-Sea
Milford on Sea, often hyphenated, is a large coastal village and civil parish in the New Forest district, on the Hampshire coast, England. The parish had a population of 4,660 at the 2011 census and is centred about south of Lymington. Touri ...
in Hampshire.
[England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1858-1995 for Elizabeth Kathleen Plimpton (died 10 December 1970), via Ancestry.]
Filmography
Notes
External links
Kathleen O'Regan profile
Allmovie.com; accessed 26 October 2015.
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Oregan, Kathleen
1903 births
1970 deaths
20th-century Irish actresses
Irish stage actresses
Irish film actresses
Place of birth missing
Place of death missing