Rachel Gurney (5 March 1920 – 24 November 2001) was an English actress. She began her career in the theatre towards the end of World War II and then expanded into television and film in the 1950s. She remained active, mostly in television and theatre work, into the early 1990s. She is best remembered for playing the elegant

Lady Marjorie Bellamy The Lady Marjorie Helen Sybil Bellamy (née Talbot-Carey; 6 May 1860 or 12 July 1864 – 15 April 1912) is a fictional character in the ITV Network, ITV drama ''Upstairs, Downstairs (1971 TV series), Upstairs, Downstairs''. The character w ...

in the ITV period drama '' Upstairs, Downstairs''.

Biography

Early life and education

Rachel Gurney was born in

Buckinghamshire Buckinghamshire (, abbreviated ''Bucks'') is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England and one of the home counties. It is bordered by Northamptonshire to the north, Bedfordshire to the north-east, Hertfordshir ...

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

on 5 March 1920. Her father, Samuel Gurney Lubbock, was a

housemaster {{Unreferenced, date=October 2024 In education, a housemaster is a schoolmaster in charge of a boarding house, normally at a boarding school and especially at a public school. The housemaster is responsible for the supervision and care of board ...

Eton Eton most commonly refers to Eton College, a public school in Eton, Berkshire, England. Eton may also refer to: Places *Eton, Berkshire, a town in Berkshire, England *Eton, Georgia, a town in the United States *Éton, a commune in the Meuse depa ...

and her mother,

Irene Scharrer Irene Scharrer (2 February 188811 January 1971) was an English classical pianist. Early life and education Irene Scharrer was born in London, the daughter of Herbert Tobias Scharrer and Ida Henrietta Samuel Scharrer. She studied at the Royal ...

, was a concert pianist. Due to her parents' occupations, Gurney grew up in a large house with 42 boys that was often host to visiting artists and musicians. As a teenager, she attended the Dr Challoner's High School in Little Chalfont, Buckinghamshire. In 1938, Gurney entered the

Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art The Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art, formerly the Webber Douglas School of Singing and Dramatic Art, was a drama school, and originally a singing school, in London. It was one of the leading drama schools in Britain, and offered comprehen ...

to study acting.

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

postponed her acting career, and she did not make her stage debut until 1945 with the

Birmingham Repertory Theatre Birmingham Repertory Theatre, commonly called Birmingham Rep or just The Rep, is a producing theatre based on Centenary Square in Birmingham, England. Founded by Barry Jackson, it is the longest-established of Britain's building-based theatre ...

, working under director Barry Jackson. At the close of the war, she quickly became a regular presence on the West End, making her debut in 1946 as Lynne Hartley in Warren Chetham-Strode's '' The Guinea Pig'' at the

Criterion Theatre The Criterion Theatre is a West End theatre at Piccadilly Circus in the City of Westminster, and is a Grade II* listed building. It has a seating capacity of 588. Building the theatre In 1870, the caterers Spiers and Pond began developmen ...

. In the same year, she married novelist

Denys Rhodes Denys Gravenor Rhodes (9 July 1919 – 30 October 1981) was an English writer. He was best known for his novel ''The Syndicate'', which was adapted into a 1968 film. Early life and background Rhodes was born in Ireland, the son of (Arthur) Ta ...

, but their marriage ended in 1950 in divorce. They had one daughter together, actress Sharon Gurney (a daughter-in-law of

Michael Gough Francis Michael Gough ( ; 23 November 1916 – 17 March 2011) was a British actor who made more than 150 film and television appearances. He is known for his roles in the Hammer horror films from 1958, with his first role as Sir Arthur Holmwoo ...

). Her other stage credits during this time include Lady Katherine in '' A Sleeping Clergyman'' at the Criterion Theatre in 1947, the fiancée in Peter Watling's '' Rain on the Just'' at 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 ...

in 1948, and Thea in '' Black Chiffon'' at the

Westminster Theatre The Westminster Theatre was a theatre in London, on Palace Street in Westminster. History The structure on the site was originally built as the Charlotte Chapel in 1766, by William Dodd with money from his wife Mary Perkins. Through Peter Ri ...

in 1949.

Early career

Gurney continued to appear regularly on the London stage during the 1950s. Several of her stage appearances were broadcast live on television on the ''BBC Sunday Night Theatre'' including ''

The Tragedy of Pompey the Great ''The Tragedy of Pompey the Great'' is a play by John Masefield, based on the later career of the Roman general and politician Pompey the Great and covering the period between 50-48 BCE, from his decision to fight Julius Caesar to his assassinati ...

'' (1950), ''The Doctor's Dilemma'' (1951), and ''

Eden End ''Eden End'' is a play by J. B. Priestley, first produced by Irene Hentschel at the Duchess Theatre, London, on 13 September 1934. Plot introduction In the last week of October 1912 the family of Dr Kirby, a widower in the North of England, i ...

'' (1951) among others. In 1952, she portrayed the roles of Mabel in '' First Person Singular'' and Mrs. Pless in ''The Trap'' at the

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 ...

. She also appeared as Alice in ''

The Voysey Inheritance ''The Voysey Inheritance'' is a play in five acts by the English dramatist Harley Granville-Barker. Written in 1903–1905, it was originally staged at the Royal Court Theatre in 1905 featuring Mabel Hackney, and revived at the same venue in 1965 ...

'' at the

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 ...

and as Mrs. George Lamb in '' Caro William'' at the Embassy Theatre. The following year she played Valerie Carrington in the groundbreaking play '' Carrington VC'' at the

. She remained busy over the next several years appearing as Avice Brunton in ''The Bombshell'' (1954), Portia in ''

The Merchant of Venice ''The Merchant of Venice'' is a play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1596 and 1598. A merchant in Venice named Antonio defaults on a large loan taken out on behalf of his dear friend, Bassanio, and provided by a ...

'' (1955) and Olivia in ''

The Chalk Garden ''The Chalk Garden'' is a play by Enid Bagnold that premiered in the USA in 1955 and was produced in Britain the following year. It tells the story of the imperious Mrs St Maugham and her granddaughter Laurel, a disturbed child under the care o ...

'' (1956). In 1959, she replaced

Celia Johnson Dame Celia Elizabeth Johnson (18 December 1908 – 26 April 1982) was an English actress, whose career included stage, television and film. She is especially known for her roles in the films ''In Which We Serve'' (1942), ''This Happy Breed ...

as Hilary in ''

The Grass is Greener ''The Grass Is Greener'' is a 1960 British romantic comedy film starring Cary Grant, Deborah Kerr, Robert Mitchum, and Jean Simmons. It was directed by Stanley Donen, with a screenplay adapted by Hugh Williams and Margaret Vyner from t ...

'' at the St. Martin's Theatre. Gurney also began to appear in both films and television in the 1950s. Her first film role was in ''

Tom Brown's Schooldays ''Tom Brown's School Days'' (sometimes written ''Tom Brown's Schooldays'', also published under the titles ''Tom Brown at Rugby'', ''School Days at Rugby'', and ''Tom Brown's School Days at Rugby'') is a novel by Thomas Hughes, published in 18 ...

'' (1951). This was followed by the films ''

The Blakes Slept Here ''The Blakes Slept Here'' is a 1953 British second feature ('B') short Technicolor film directed by Jacques Brunius and starring Harcourt Williams, David King-Wood and Dorothy Gordon. The screenplay was by Brunius and Roy Plomley. Plot T ...

'' (1953), ''

Room in the House ''Room in the House'' is a 1955 British second feature ('B') comedy-drama film directed by Maurice Elvey and starring Patrick Barr, Hubert Gregg and Marjorie Rhodes. The film's screenplay, by Alfred Shaughnessy, is based on Eynon Evans's 1954 pl ...

'' (1955), ''

Port Afrique ''Port Afrique'' is a 1956 British drama film directed by Rudolph Maté and starring Pier Angeli, Philip Carey and Dennis Price as Robert Blackton. It was written by John Cresswell based on the 1948 novel of the same name by Bernard Victor Dryer ...

'' (1956) and ''

A Touch of Larceny ''A Touch of Larceny'' is a 1959 black-and-white comedy film produced by Ivan Foxwell, directed by Guy Hamilton, and starring James Mason, George Sanders and Vera Miles. The film co-stars Harry Andrews, Rachel Gurney and John Le Mesurier, and i ...

'' (1959). Her television credits at this time included ''Night River'' (1955), ''

The Scarlet Pimpernel ''The Scarlet Pimpernel'' is the first novel in a series of historical fiction by Baroness Orczy, published in 1905. It was written after her stage play of the same title (co-authored with her husband Montague Barstow) enjoyed a long run in Lo ...

'' (1956), ''

Colonel March of Scotland Yard ''Colonel March of Scotland Yard'' is a British television series consisting of a single series of 26 episodes first broadcast in the United States from December 1954 to Spring of 1955. The series premiered on British television on 24 September ...

'' (1956), ''

Our Mutual Friend ''Our Mutual Friend'', published in 1864–1865, is the last novel completed by English author Charles Dickens and is one of his most sophisticated works, combining savage satire with social analysis. It centres on, in the words of critic J. ...

'' (1958) and ''

The Moonstone ''The Moonstone: A Romance'' by Wilkie Collins is an 1868 British epistolary novel. It is an early example of the modern detective novel, and established many of the ground rules of the modern genre. Its publication was started on 4 January 18 ...

'' (1959).

Mid career

Gurney remain active in theatre, television and film during the 1960s and also on radio. In 1961 she played Marian in the

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 ...

radio adaptation of

L.P. Hartley Leslie Poles Hartley (30 December 1895 – 13 December 1972) was an English novelist and short story writer. Although his first fiction was published in 1924, his best-known works are the '' Eustace and Hilda'' trilogy (1944–1947) and '' Th ...

’s novel ''

The Go-Between ''The Go-Between'' is a novel by L. P. Hartley published in 1953. His best-known work, it has been adapted several times for stage and screen. The book gives a critical view of society at the end of the Victorian era through the eyes of a naïv ...

''. On the stage she starred opposite

John Gielgud Sir Arthur John Gielgud ( ; 14 April 1904 – 21 May 2000) was an English actor and theatre director whose career spanned eight decades. With Ralph Richardson and Laurence Olivier, he was one of the trinity of actors who dominated the Britis ...

as Hermione in the 1965 production of ''

A Winter's Tale ''The Winter's Tale'' is a play by William Shakespeare originally published in the First Folio of 1623. Although it was grouped among the comedies, many modern editors have relabelled the play as one of Shakespeare's late romances. Some criti ...

'' and as Lady Chiltern in ''

An Ideal Husband ''An Ideal Husband'' is a four-act play by Oscar Wilde that revolves around blackmail and political corruption, and touches on the themes of public and private honour. It was first produced at the Haymarket Theatre, London in 1895 and ran for ...

'' at the

Piccadilly Theatre The Piccadilly Theatre is a West End theatre located at the junction of Denman Street and Sherwood Street, near Piccadilly Circus, in the City of Westminster, London. It opened in 1928. In its early years the theatre presented a wide range of ...

in 1966. She also starred in the 1969 touring production of George Bernard Shaw's ''

On the Rocks Various unique terms are used in bartending. Definitions and usage Straight, up, and straight up In bartending, the terms "straight up" and "up" ordinarily refer to an alcoholic drink that is shaken or stirred with ice and then strained and ...

'' opposite

David Tomlinson David Cecil MacAlister Tomlinson (7 May 1917 – 24 June 2000) was an English stage, film and television actor, singer and comedian. Having been described as both a leading man and a character actor, he is primarily remembered for his roles wit ...

Robert Flemyng Benjamin Arthur Flemyng (3 January 1912 – 22 May 1995), known professionally as Robert Flemyng, was a British actor. The son of a doctor, and originally intended for a medical career, Flemyng learned his stagecraft in provincial repertory the ...

and

Jack Hulbert John Norman Hulbert (24 April 189225 March 1978) was a British actor, director, screenwriter and singer, specializing primarily in comedy productions, and often working alongside his wife (Dame) Cicely Courtneidge. Biography Born in Ely, C ...

. Her later film roles included ''

Funeral in Berlin ''Funeral in Berlin'' is a 1964 spy novel by Len Deighton set between Saturday 5 October and Sunday 10 November 1963. It was the third of Deighton's novels about an unnamed British agent. It was preceded by '' The IPCRESS File'' (1962) and '' ...

'' (1966) and '' I Want What I Want'' (1972). Her television credits include ''

Dixon of Dock Green ''Dixon of Dock Green'' is a BBC police procedural television series about daily life at a fictional London police station, with the emphasis on petty crime, successfully controlled through common sense and human understanding. It ran from 1955 ...

'' (1961), ''Katy'' (1962), '' The Saint'' (1963), ''

Compact Compact as used in politics may refer broadly to a pact or treaty; in more specific cases it may refer to: * Interstate compact, a type of agreement used by U.S. states * Blood compact, an ancient ritual of the Philippines * Compact government, a t ...

'' (1963), ''ITV Play of the Week'' (1964), ''

Game for Three Losers ''Game for Three Losers'' is a 1965 British drama film directed by Gerry O'Hara and starring Michael Gough, Mark Eden and Toby Robins. It was written by Roger Marshall and made at Merton Park Studios as part of the long-running series of ...

'' (1965), ''The Wednesday Thriller'' (1965), ''

Mystery and Imagination ''Mystery and Imagination'' is a British television anthology series of classic horror and supernatural dramas. Five series were broadcast from 1966 to 1970 by the ITV network and produced by ABC and (later) Thames Television. Outline The se ...

'' (1966), '' The Rat Catchers'' (1966), ''

Armchair Thriller ''Armchair Thriller'' is a British television drama series broadcast on ITV in 1978 and 1980 in two seasons. Taking the form of a sequence of unconnected serials, scripts for ''Armchair Thriller'' were adaptations of published novels and storie ...

'' (1967), ''

The Portrait of a Lady ''The Portrait of a Lady'' is a novel by Henry James, first published as a serial in ''The Atlantic Monthly'' and '' Macmillan's Magazine'' in 1880–81 and then as a book in 1881. It is one of James's most popular novels and is regarded by cr ...

'' (1968), ''ITV Saturday Night Theatre'' (1969), ''

The Way We Live Now ''The Way We Live Now'' is a satirical and political novel by Anthony Trollope, published in London in 1875 after first appearing in serialised form. It is one of the last significant Victorian novels to have been published in monthly parts. ...

'' (1969), '' Upstairs, Downstairs'' (1971–1973), ''

Dangerous Corner ''Dangerous Corner'' is a 1932 British play by the English writer J. B. Priestley, the first of his " Time Plays". It was premiered in May 1932 by Tyrone Guthrie at the Lyric Theatre, London, and filmed in 1934 by Phil Rosen. Priestley had rec ...

'' (1974) and ''

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 ...

'' (1974). Gurney appeared as Mrs Darling in ''

Peter Pan Peter Pan is a fictional character created by Scottish novelist and playwright J. M. Barrie. A free-spirited and mischievous young boy who can fly and never grows up, Peter Pan spends his never-ending childhood having adventures on the mythical ...

'' at the

Palladium Palladium is a chemical element; it has symbol Pd and atomic number 46. It is a rare and lustrous silvery-white metal discovered in 1802 by the English chemist William Hyde Wollaston. He named it after the asteroid Pallas (formally 2 Pallas), ...

in 1975. In 1977, Gurney made her American stage debut

off-Broadway An off-Broadway theatre is any professional theatre venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, inclusive. These theatres are smaller than Broadway theatres, but larger than off-off-Broadway theatres, which seat fewer tha ...

as Mrs. Clandon in

George Bernard Shaw George Bernard Shaw (26 July 1856 – 2 November 1950), known at his insistence as Bernard Shaw, was an Irish playwright, critic, polemicist and political activist. His influence on Western theatre, culture and politics extended from the 188 ...

's '' You Never Can Tell'' at the

Roundabout Theatre The Roundabout Theatre Company is a non-profit theatre company based in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, affiliated with the League of Resident Theatres. History The company was founded in 1965 by Gene Feist, Michael Fried and Elizabeth Owen ...

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

Later career

In 1980, Gurney made her Broadway debut in ''

Major Barbara ''Major Barbara'' is a three-act English play by George Bernard Shaw, written and premiered in 1905 and first published in 1907. The story concerns an idealistic young woman, Barbara Undershaft, who is engaged in helping the poor as a Major in ...

''. She returned to Broadway twice more in ''

The Dresser ''The Dresser'' is a 1980 West End and Broadway play by Ronald Harwood, which tells the story of an aging actor's personal assistant, who struggles to keep his charge's life together. Plot Harwood based the play on his experiences as dress ...

'' (1981–1982) and ''

Breaking the Code ''Breaking the Code'' is a 1986 British play by Hugh Whitemore about British mathematician Alan Turing, who was a key player in the breaking of the German Enigma code at Bletchley Park during World War II and a pioneer of computer science. Th ...

'' (1988). She also appeared in a major role in the

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 ...

play ''Mr. and Mrs Edgehill'' in 1985. She also appeared in the television productions '' A.D.'' (1985), ''

Lost Empires ''Lost Empires'' is a 1986 television miniseries adaptation of J. B. Priestley's 1965 novel of the same name and starred Colin Firth, John Castle and Laurence Olivier. Produced by Granada Television, it was shown as a serial, and premiered on t ...

'' (1986), '' Anastasia: The Mystery of Anna'' (1986), ''

Richard III Richard III (2 October 1452 – 22 August 1485) was King of England from 26 June 1483 until his death in 1485. He was the last king of the Plantagenet dynasty and its cadet branch the House of York. His defeat and death at the Battle of Boswor ...

'' (1989), and '' Little Sir Nicholas'' (1990). She died in

Norfolk Norfolk ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in England, located in East Anglia and officially part of the East of England region. It borders Lincolnshire and The Wash to the north-west, the North Sea to the north and eas ...

, England on 24 November 2001 from pneumonia due to

Alzheimer's disease Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease and the cause of 60–70% of cases of dementia. The most common early symptom is difficulty in remembering recent events. As the disease advances, symptoms can include problems wit ...

References

Sources

''Playbill'', 30 November 2001
* ttps://web.archive.org/web/20091015052411/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/rachel-gurney-729565.html ''The Independent'', 24 November 2001

External links

* *
Rachel Gurney
Aveleyman) {{DEFAULTSORT:Gurney, Rachel 1920 births 2001 deaths English film actresses English stage actresses English television actresses Alumni of the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art Moorhouse–Rhodes family