Leonora Mary Johnson (24 July 1902 – 1 May 2000), known professionally as Nora Swinburne, was an English actress who appeared in many British films.

Early years

Swinburne was born in

Bath Bath may refer to: * Bathing, immersion in a fluid ** Bathtub, a large open container for water, in which a person may wash their body ** Public bathing, a public place where people bathe * Thermae, ancient Roman public bathing facilities Plac ...

Somerset Somerset ( , ), Archaism, archaically Somersetshire ( , , ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by the Bristol Channel, Gloucestershire, and Bristol to the north, Wiltshire to the east ...

, the daughter of Henry Swinburne Johnson and his wife Leonora Tamar (née Brain). She was educated at Rosholme College,

Weston-super-Mare Weston-super-Mare ( ) is a seaside town and civil parish in the North Somerset unitary district, in the county of Somerset, England. It lies by the Bristol Channel south-west of Bristol between Worlebury Hill and Bleadon Hill. Its population ...

, and studied for the stage at the

Royal Academy of Dramatic Art The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, also known by its abbreviation RADA (), is a drama school in London, England, which provides vocational conservatoire training for theatre, film, television, and radio. It is based in Bloomsbury, Central London ...

. As a member of Clive Currie's Young Players in 1914, she appeared at the Grand, Croydon, Court and Little Theatres, during that year. In 1914, she attended an audition with the ballerina Phyllis Bedells and later

Anna Pavlova Anna Pavlovna Pavlova. (born Anna Matveyevna Pavlova; – 23 January 1931) was a Russian prima ballerina. She was a principal artist of the Imperial Russian Ballet and the Ballets Russes of Sergei Diaghilev, but is most recognized for creating ...

who considered her too young, even if very talented, for the corps de ballet. Nora instead joined the Italia Conti school where she obtained her first real part as a child actress in '' Where the Rainbow Ends''. She performed in the show in London and in all the big cities of Britain for eighteen

shillings The shilling is a historical coin, and the name of a unit of modern currencies formerly used in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, other British Commonwealth countries and Ireland, where they were generally equivalent to 12 pence ...

(90p) a week. At the end of 1915 she gained a place at the

. While still a student at the academy she appeared at the New Theatre on 11 April 1916 as the Wild Flowers in ''Paddly Pools''; appeared at the

Comedy Theatre The Harold Pinter Theatre, known as the Comedy Theatre until 2011,

, September 1916, as a dancer in the revue, ''This and That''; and in October 1916 appeared in ''Samples'' at the

Globe Theatre The Globe Theatre was a Theater (structure), theatre in London associated with William Shakespeare. It was built in 1599 at Southwark, close to the south bank of the Thames, by Shakespeare's playing company, the Lord Chamberlain's Men. It was ...

(now the Gielgud Theatre). She also appeared at the Globe in March 1917 as Gabrielle in ''Suzette''. Other early roles included Lulu in ''Yes, Uncle!'' at the

Prince of Wales Theatre The Prince of Wales Theatre is a West End theatre in Coventry Street, near Leicester Square in London. It was established in 1884 and rebuilt in 1937, and extensively refurbished in 2004 by Sir Cameron Mackintosh, its current owner. The theatre ...

in December 1917, and Regina Waterhouse at the Strand Theatre in December 1918. At the

Apollo Theatre The Apollo Theatre is a listed building, Grade II listed West End theatre in Shaftesbury Avenue in the City of Westminster, in central London.

in 1919 she played the title role in ''Tilly of Bloomsbury'' "for about six weeks", according to her personal notes in ''Who's Who in the Theatre'', followed by the role of Roselle in ''The Betrothal'' at the Gaiety in January 1921, concluding the year with what she charmingly called "several cinema plays".

Stage career

Subsequent theatre roles included: * Miss Dale Ogden in '' The Bat'',

St James's Theatre The St James's Theatre was in King Street, St James's, King Street, St James's, London. It opened in 1835 and was demolished in 1957. The theatre was conceived by and built for a popular singer, John Braham (tenor), John Braham; it lost mone ...

, January 1922 * Evadne in ''The Mountebank'', Lyceum Theatre, New York, May 1923 * Sheila in ''Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary'', Belasco Theatre, New York, September 1923 * Lorna Webster in ''In the Next Room'', St Martin's Theatre, London, June 1924 * Veronica Duane in ''You and I'', The Little Theatre, John Adam Street, London WC1, December 1924 * Joan Lee Tevis in ''Tarnish'',

Vaudeville Theatre The Vaudeville Theatre is a West End theatre on the Strand in the City of Westminster. Opening in 1870, the theatre staged mostly vaudeville shows and musical revues in its early days. The theatre was rebuilt twice, although each new buildin ...

, March 1925 * Nora in '' Number 17'', New Theatre, August 1925 * Marion Lennox in ''The Best People'', Lyric Theatre, March 1926 * Lady Blair in ''Regatta'', and Ann in ''

Outward Bound Outward Bound (OB) is an international network of outdoor education organisations that was founded in the United Kingdom by Lawrence Holt in 1941 based on the educational principles of Kurt Hahn. Today there are organisations, called schools, i ...

'' by Sutton Vane,

, January 1928 * Susan Cunningham in ''The Fourth Wall'', Haymarket, February 1928 * Hyacinth in ''Out She Goes'' Criterion Theatre, December 1928 * Sonia in ''Fame'',

, February 1929 (108 performances''Who's Who in the Theatre'' 9th edition (1939).) * Sylvia Arnitage in ''Murder on the Second Floor'', Lyric Theatre, June 1929 * Yolande Probyn in ''Lady Clara'',

Booth Theatre The Booth Theatre is a Broadway theater at 222 West 45th Street ( George Abbott Way) in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City, New York, U.S. Opened in 1913, the theater was designed by Henry Beaumont Herts in the It ...

, New York, April 1930 * Betty Mainwaring in ''Lucky Dip'',

Comedy Theatre The Harold Pinter Theatre, known as the Comedy Theatre until 2011,

, October 1930 * Laurel Prescottin in ''The Ninth Man'', Prince of Wales Theatre, February 1931 * Helen in ''Disturbance'', Grafton Theatre, July 1931 * Fay d’Allary in '' The Gay Adventure'', Whitehall Theatre, December 1931 * Lady Moynton in ''Never Come Back'', Phoenix Theatre, October 1932 * Anne Vernon in ''It’s You I Want'',

Daly's Theatre Daly's Theatre was a theatre in the City of Westminster. It was located at 2 Cranbourn Street, just off Leicester Square. It opened on 27 June 1893, and was demolished in 1937. The theatre was built for and named after the American impresa ...

, February 1933 * Sybil Kingdom in ''The Old Folks at Home'', Queens Theatre, December 1933 * Helen Storer in ''Lovers' Leap'', Vaudeville Theatre, October 1934 * Phyllis Manton in '' All Rights Reserved'', Criterion Theatre, April 1935 * Helen Westdrake in ''Disturbance'' (for Charta Theatre), Westminster Theatre, May 1935 * Marie in ''Sauce for the Gander'', St Martin's Theatre, January 1936 * Judith Godfrey in ''The King’s Leisure'', Daly's Theatre, May 1936 * Louise Dexter in ''The Astonished Ostrich'',

Duke of York's Theatre The Duke of York's Theatre is a West End theatre in St Martin's Lane, in the City of Westminster, London. It was built for Frank Wyatt and his wife, Violet Melnotte, who retained ownership of the theatre until her death in 1935. Designed by ...

, December 1936 * Tony Campion in ''Wise To- Morrow'' (Stephen Powys), Lyric Theatre, February 1937 (first co-starring with future husband Esmond Knight as Peter Marsh) * Lady Hazel in African Dawn, Daly's Theatre, May 1937 * Maryka in ''The Laughing Cavalier'',

Adelphi Theatre The Adelphi Theatre is a West End theatre, located on the Strand in the City of Westminster, central London. The present building is the fourth on the site. The theatre has specialised in comedy and musical theatre, and today it is a receiv ...

, October 1937 * Edith Cartrwright in '' Dodsworth'', Palace Theatre, February 1938 * Dinah Lot in ''Lot’s Wife'' (for London International), Duke of York's Theatre, April 1938; then under her own management at the Whitehall Theatre, June 1938; subsequently transferring to the Aldwych and Savoy Theatres. * Fanny Grey in ''Autumn Crocus'', King's Theatre,

Hammersmith Hammersmith is a district of West London, England, southwest of Charing Cross. It is the administrative centre of the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, and identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London. It ...

, April 1939 * Ann Mordaunt in ''Third Party Risk'', St Martin's Theatre, May 1939 * Mrs Oswald Pink in '' Married For Money'', Aldwych Theatre, November 1939 * Frances Courtenay in ''The Peaceful Inn'', Duke of York's Theatre, May 1940 * Mrs. Purdie in ''

Dear Brutus ''Dear Brutus'' is a 1917 fantasy play by J. M. Barrie, depicting alternative realities for its characters and their eventual return to real life. The title is a reference to a line from William Shakespeare, Shakespeare's ''Julius Caesar (play), J ...

'' (

Barrie Barrie is a city in Central Ontario, Canada, about north of Toronto. The city is within Simcoe County and located along the shores of Kempenfelt Bay. Although it is physically in the county, Barrie is politically independent. The city is part ...

), Globe Theatre, January 1941 * Sorel Tree in '' Ducks and Drakes'', Apollo Theatre, November 1941 * Carole Markoff in ''Full Swing'', Palace Theatre, April 1942 * Succeeded Valerie Taylor as Natalia Petrovna in '' A Month in the Country'', St James's Theatre, August 1943 * Succeeded

Diana Wynyard Diana Wynyard (born Dorothy Isobel Cox; 16 January 1906 – 13 May 1964) was an English stage and film actress. Life and career Born in Lewisham, South London, Wynyard began her career on the stage. After performing in Liverpool and London wi ...

as Sara Muller in ''

Watch on the Rhine ''Watch on the Rhine'' is a 1943 American drama film directed by Herman Shumlin and starring Bette Davis and Paul Lukas. The screenplay by Dashiell Hammett is based on the 1941 play '' Watch on the Rhine'' by Lillian Hellman. ''Watch on the Rh ...

'', Aldwych Theatre, October 1943 * Diana Wentworth in '' The Years Between'',

Wyndham's Theatre Wyndham's Theatre is a West End theatre, one of two opened by actor/manager Charles Wyndham (the other is the Criterion Theatre). Located on Charing Cross Road in the City of Westminster, it was designed c. 1898 by W. G. R. Sprague, the arch ...

, January 1945 ("which ran for over a year.") * Lady Clare Marten in ''Miranda'', Embassy Theatre, June 1947 * Elsa Meredith in ''Honour and Obey'', Saville Theatre, November 1947 * Caroline Ashley in ''Caroline'',

Arts Theatre The Arts Theatre is a theatre in Great Newport Street, in Westminster, Central London. It opened on April 20, 1927. History It opened on 20 April 1927 as a members-only club for the performance of unlicensed plays, thus avoiding theatre cen ...

, March 1949 * Jane Cooper in ''Red Letter Day'',

Garrick Theatre The Garrick Theatre is a West End theatre, located in Charing Cross Road, in the City of Westminster, named after the stage actor David Garrick. It opened in 1889 with ''The Profligate'', a play by Arthur Wing Pinero, and another Pinero play, ...

. February 1952 * Mrs. Arbuthnot in ''

A Woman of No Importance ''A Woman of No Importance'' by Oscar Wilde is "a new and original play of modern life", in four acts, first given on 19 April 1893 at the Haymarket Theatre, London. Like Wilde's other society plays, it satirises English upper-class society. It ...

'', Savoy Theatre, February 1953 * Naomi Martyn in ''The Secret Tent'', Grand Theatre, Blackpool, October 1954 * Mrs. Astley in ''The Lost Generation'', Garrick Theatre, June 1955 * Adelaide Lovell in ''The Call of the Dodo'',

Theatre Royal, Nottingham The Theatre Royal in Nottingham, England, is a theatre venue in the heart of Nottingham City Centre and is owned by Nottingham City Council as part of a complex that also includes the city's Royal Concert Hall. The Theatre Royal attracts maj ...

, October 1955 * Catherine Hayling in ''Fool’s Paradise'', Apollo Theatre, April 1959 * Diana in ''I Seem To Know Your Face'', Everyman Theatr,

Cheltenham Cheltenham () is a historic spa town and borough adjacent to the Cotswolds in Gloucestershire, England. Cheltenham became known as a health and holiday spa town resort following the discovery of mineral springs in 1716, and claims to be the mo ...

, June 1960 * Chief Minister's Wife in ''Music at Midnight'' ( Peter Howard), Westminster Theatre, May 1962; subsequently touring the US, January 1963 * Liz in ''All Good Children'',

Hampstead Theatre Hampstead Theatre is a theatre in South Hampstead, in the London Borough of Camden. It specialises in commissioning and producing new writing, supporting and developing the work of new writers. History The original ''Hampstead Theatre Clu ...

Club, April 1964 * Violet in '' The Family Reunion'', 69 Theatre Company, Manchester, October 1973 * Julia Shuttlethwaite in ''

The Cocktail Party ''The Cocktail Party'' is a verse drama in three acts by T. S. Eliot written in 1948 and performed in 1949 at the Edinburgh Festival. It was published in 1950. It was the most popular of Eliot's seven plays in his lifetime, although his 1935 pl ...

'', 69 Theatre Company, Manchester, September 1975

Filmography

* '' Branded'' (1920) as Doris Jerningham * '' Saved from the Sea'' (1920) as Nancy Brooks * '' The Fortune of Christina McNab'' (1921) as Christina McNab * '' The Autumn of Pride'' (1921) as Peggy Naylor * '' Alone in the Jungle'' (1922) as Lydia Gyldendal * '' Wee MacGregor's Sweetheart'' (1922) as Jessie Mary * '' The White Desert'' (1922) as Karin * '' Hornet's Nest'' (1923) as Lady Rona * '' The Unwanted'' (1924) as Joyce Mannering * '' His Grace Gives Notice'' (1924) as Cynthia Bannock * '' A Girl of London'' (1925) as Vee-Vee * '' One Colombo Night'' (1926) as Jean Caldicott * '' Alf's Button'' (1930) as Lady Isobel Fitzpeter * ''

Caste A caste is a Essentialism, fixed social group into which an individual is born within a particular system of social stratification: a caste system. Within such a system, individuals are expected to marry exclusively within the same caste (en ...

'' (1930) as Esther Eccles * '' These Charming People'' (1931) as Julia Berridge * '' A Man of Mayfair'' (1931) as Elaine Barclay * '' Potiphar's Wife'' (1931) as Lady Diana Bromford * '' A Voice Said Goodnight'' (1932) as Joan Creighton * '' Mr. Bill the Conqueror'' (1932) as Diana Trenchard * '' White Face'' (1932) as Inez Landor * '' Perfect Understanding'' (1933) as Lady Stephanie Fitzmaurice * '' Too Many Wives'' (1933) as Hilary Wildely * '' The Office Wife'' (1934) as Anne * ''

Boomerang A boomerang () is a thrown tool typically constructed with airfoil sections and designed to spin about an axis perpendicular to the direction of its flight, designed to return to the thrower. The origin of the word is from Australian Aborigin ...

'' (1934) as Elizabeth Stafford * '' Lend Me Your Husband'' (1935) as Virgie Green * ''

Jury's Evidence ''Jury's Evidence'' is a 1936 British crime film directed by Ralph Ince and starring Hartley Power, Margaret Lockwood and Nora Swinburne. It was made at Beaconsfield Studios.Wood p.86 It was an early role for Margaret Lockwood. Cast * Hartley Pow ...

'' (1936) as Mary Trent * '' The Gay Adventure'' (1936) as Fay d'Allary * '' Lonely Road'' (1936) as Lady Anne * '' Dinner at the Ritz'' (1937) as Lady Railton * ''

The Citadel The Citadel Military College of South Carolina (simply known as The Citadel) is a public senior military college in Charleston, South Carolina, United States. Established in 1842, it is the third oldest of the six senior military colleges ...

'' (1938) as Mrs. Thornton * '' Lily of Laguna'' (1938) as Gloria Grey * '' It Happened to One Man'' (1940) as Alice Quair * '' The Farmer's Wife'' (1941) as Araminta Grey * '' They Flew Alone'' (1942) as ATA Commandant * ''

The Man in Grey ''The Man in Grey'' is a 1943 British melodrama film made by Gainsborough Pictures; it is considered to be the first of a series of period costume dramas now known as the " Gainsborough melodramas". It was directed by Leslie Arliss and produ ...

'' (1943) as Mrs. Fitzherbert * '' Dear Octopus'' (1943) as Edna * '' Fanny by Gaslight'' (1944) as Mrs. Hopwood * '' They Knew Mr. Knight'' (1946) as Celia Blake * '' Jassy'' (1947) as Mrs. Hatton * '' Good-Time Girl'' (1948) as Miss Mills * '' The Blind Goddess'' (1948) as Lady Dearing * ''

Quartet In music, a quartet (, , , , ) is an ensemble of four singers or instrumental performers. Classical String quartet In classical music, one of the most common combinations of four instruments in chamber music is the string quartet. String quar ...

'' (1948) as Mrs. Peregrine (segment "The Colonel's Lady") * ''

The Bad Lord Byron ''The Bad Lord Byron'' is a 1949 British historical drama film about the life of Lord Byron. It was directed by David MacDonald (director), David MacDonald and starred Dennis Price as Byron with Mai Zetterling, Linden Travers and Joan Greenwood. ...

'' (1949) as Lady Jersey * '' Fools Rush In'' (1949) as Angela Dickson * '' Marry Me!'' (1949) as Enid Lawson * ''

Christopher Columbus Christopher Columbus (; between 25 August and 31 October 1451 – 20 May 1506) was an Italians, Italian explorer and navigator from the Republic of Genoa who completed Voyages of Christopher Columbus, four Spanish-based voyages across the At ...

'' (1949) as Joanna de Torres * ''

Landfall Landfall is the event of a storm moving over land after being over water. More broadly, and in relation to human travel, it refers to 'the first land that is reached or seen at the end of a journey across the sea or through the air, or the fact ...

'' (1949) as Admiral's Wife * '' My Daughter Joy'' (1950) as Ava Constantin * '' The River'' (1951) as The Mother * '' Quo Vadis'' (1951) as Pomponia * '' Betrayed'' (1954) as "The Scarf's" Mother * '' The End of the Affair'' (1955) as Mrs. Bertram * ''

Helen of Troy Helen (), also known as Helen of Troy, or Helen of Sparta, and in Latin as Helena, was a figure in Greek mythology said to have been the most beautiful woman in the world. She was believed to have been the daughter of Zeus and Leda (mythology), ...

'' (1956) as Hecuba * '' The Strange Awakening'' (1958) as Mrs. Friend * '' Third Man on the Mountain'' (1959) as Frau Matt * '' Conspiracy of Hearts'' (1960) as Sister Tia * '' Decision at Midnight'' (1963) as Margaret * ''

A Man Could Get Killed ''A Man Could Get Killed'' is a 1966 American Adventure film, adventure comedy film directed by Ronald Neame and Cliff Owen, shot on various locations in Portugal and starring James Garner, Melina Mercouri, Sandra Dee, Anthony Franciosa, and Rob ...

'' (1966) as Lady Frazier (uncredited) * '' Interlude'' (1968) as Mary * ''

Anne of the Thousand Days ''Anne of the Thousand Days'' is a 1969 British historical drama film based on the life of Anne Boleyn, directed by Charles Jarrott and produced by Hal B. Wallis. The screenplay by Bridget Boland and John Hale is an adaptation of the 1948 pl ...

'' (1969) as Lady Kingston * '' Up the Chastity Belt'' (1971) as Lady-in-Waiting

Television appearances

* ''

The Forsyte Saga ''The Forsyte Saga'', first published under that title in 1922, is a series of three novels and two interludes published between 1906 and 1921 by the English author John Galsworthy, who won the 1932 Nobel Prize in Literature. They chronicle th ...

'' (

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

, 1967) as Aunt Hester Forsyte * ''

Fall of Eagles Autumn, also known as fall (especially in US & Canada), is one of the four temperate seasons on Earth. Outside the tropics, autumn marks the transition from summer to winter, in September (Northern Hemisphere) or March (Southern Hemisphere ...

'' (BBC, 1974) as Katharina Schratt

References

Sources

* ''Who's Who in the Theatre'', various editions, from the 8th (1936) to the 16th (1977) * ''London Stage in the 20th Century'', Robert Tanitch, Haus Books (2007); * Ephraim Katz, ''The Macmillan International Film Encyclopedia'', Pan Macmillan (1994); * ''HaIliwell's Who's Who in the Movies'', 4th edition, HarperCollins (2006);

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Swinburne, Nora 1902 births 2000 deaths 20th-century English actresses Alumni of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art Alumni of the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts English film actresses English silent film actresses English stage actresses Actresses from Bath, Somerset