Irene Lilian Brodrick, Countess of Midleton (née Creese, known as Rene Ray, 22 September 1911 – 28 August 1993) was a British stage and screen actress of the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s and also a novelist.

Acting career

Ray made her screen début in the 1929 silent film ''

High Treason Treason is the crime of attacking a state authority to which one owes allegiance. This typically includes acts such as participating in a war against one's native country, attempting to overthrow its government, spying on its military, its d ...

'' and first appeared on the West End stage on 5 December 1930 in the

André Charlot Eugène André Maurice Charlot (26 July 1882 – 20 May 1956) was a French-born impresario known primarily for the musical revues he staged in London between 1912 and 1937. He later worked as a character actor in numerous American films. Born in ...

production of ''Wonder Bar'' at the

Savoy Theatre The Savoy Theatre is a West End theatre in the Strand in the City of Westminster, London, England. The theatre was designed by C. J. Phipps for Richard D'Oyly Carte and opened on 10 October 1881 on a site previously occupied by the Savoy ...

. In 1935 she starred with

Conrad Veidt Hans Walter Conrad Veidt ( , ; 22 January 1893 – 3 April 1943) was a German and British actor. He attracted early attention for his roles in the films ''Different from the Others'' (1919), ''The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari'' (1920), and ''The Man ...

in the

Gaumont British The Gaumont-British Picture Corporation was a British company that produced and distributed films and operated a cinema chain in the United Kingdom. It was established as an offshoot of France's Gaumont. Film production Gaumont-British was fou ...

film ''

The Passing of the Third Floor Back ''The Passing of the Third Floor Back'' is a 1935 British drama film directed by Berthold Viertel and starring Conrad Veidt, Anna Lee, Rene Ray and Frank Cellier. The film is based on a 1908 play by Jerome K. Jerome and depicts the various ...

''. Other film co-stars included

George Arliss George Arliss (born Augustus George Andrews; 10 April 1868 – 5 February 1946) was an English actor, author, playwright, and filmmaker who found success in the United States. He was the first British actor to win an Academy Award – which he ...

('' His Lordship'', 1936),

John Mills Sir John Mills (born Lewis Ernest Watts Mills; 22 February 190823 April 2005) was an English actor who appeared in more than 120 films in a career spanning seven decades. He excelled on camera as an appealing British everyman who often portray ...

(''

The Green Cockatoo ''The Green Cockatoo'' (also known as ''Four Dark Hours'' and ''Race Gang'') is a 1937 British drama film directed by William Cameron Menzies and starring John Mills, Rène Ray, and Robert Newton. It was adapted by Ted Barkman from a story ...

'', 1937),

Gordon Harker William Gordon Harker (7 August 1885 – 2 March 1967) was an English stage and film actor. Harker was one of the sons of Sarah Elizabeth Harker, née Hall, (1856–1927), and Joseph Harker (1855–1927), a much admired set painter for the ...

('' The Return of the Frog'', 1938) and

Trevor Howard Trevor Wallace Howard-Smith (29 September 1913 – 7 January 1988) was an English stage and screen actor. After varied work in the theatre, he achieved leading man star status in the film '' Brief Encounter'' (1945), followed by '' The Third M ...

(''

They Made Me a Fugitive ''They Made Me a Fugitive'' (also known as ''They Made Me a Criminal''; U.S. title: ''I Became a Criminal'') is a 1947 British black-and-white film noir directed by Alberto Cavalcanti and starring Sally Gray and Trevor Howard. It was written b ...

'', 1947). At London's Lyric Theatre in 1936 she appeared with

Laurence Olivier Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier ( ; 22 May 1907 – 11 July 1989) was an English actor and director. He and his contemporaries Ralph Richardson and John Gielgud made up a trio of male actors who dominated the British stage of the m ...

and

Ralph Richardson Sir Ralph David Richardson (19 December 1902 – 10 October 1983) was an English actor who, with John Gielgud and Laurence Olivier, was one of the trinity of male actors who dominated the British stage for much of the 20th century. He wo ...

JB Priestley John Boynton Priestley (; 13 September 1894 – 14 August 1984) was an English novelist, playwright, screenwriter, broadcaster and social commentator. His Yorkshire background is reflected in much of his fiction, notably in ''The Good Compa ...

's short-lived play '' Bees on the Boat Deck''. Other West End credits included ''Yes and No'' (1937), ''

They Walk Alone ''They Walk Alone'' is a 1938 thriller play by the British writer Max Catto. After premiering at the Q Theatre in Kew Bridge, it transferred to London's West End where it ran for 156 performances between 19 January and 3 June 1939 initially at th ...

'' (1939) and ''Other People's Houses'' (1941). Her single Broadway appearance was in

Cedric Hardwicke Sir Cedric Webster Hardwicke (19 February 1893 – 6 August 1964) was an English stage and film actor whose career spanned over 50 years. His theatre work included notable performances in productions of the plays of Shakespeare and Shaw, and hi ...

's production of Priestley's ''

An Inspector Calls ''An Inspector Calls'' is a modern morality play and drawing room play written by English dramatist J. B. Priestley, first performed in the Soviet Union in 1945 and at the New Theatre in London the following year. It is one of Priestley's ...

'', which ran at the

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 ...

from October 1947 to January 1948. In 1951–52 she starred in the London production of Sylvia Rayman's ''

Women of Twilight ''Women of Twilight'' is a 1951 play by Sylvia Rayman that became a 1952 film directed by Gordon Parry. Plot "The scene throughout is a semi-basement living room in a house near London, a grim and sordid place inhabited for sleeping and eatin ...

'', playing the central role nearly 450 times and reprising her performance in the subsequent film version. She made her last screen appearance as an interviewee in the BBC documentary ''Britain's Missing Movie Heritage'', broadcast on 30 September 1992, 11 months before her death.

Books

She turned to writing for much of her later career. Her first novel, ''Wraxton Marne'', appeared in 1946. According to a 1953 magazine profile, "Her second book, ''Emma Conquest'', was an immediate best-seller." (First published in 1950, this was reissued in 2010.) Other books included ''A Man Named Seraphin'' (1952) and ''The Tree Surgeon'' (1958). In 1956 she scripted the seven-part

ATV ATV may refer to: Broadcasting * Amateur television *Analog television Television broadcaster * Andorra Televisió * Anguilla Television * Ayna TV, Afghanistan * ATV (Armenia) * ATV (Aruba), NBC affiliate * ATV (Australian TV station), Melbourn ...

science fiction serial ''

The Strange World of Planet X ''The Strange World of Planet X'' (1957) is a British science fiction horror novel, written by actress Rene Ray, a novelization of her 1956 TV serial of the same name. It is a cautionary tale about science. Plot The book's plot, like that of ...

''; the following year her novelisation was published by

Herbert Jenkins Ltd Herbert may refer to: People * Herbert (musician), a pseudonym of Matthew Herbert * Herbert (given name) * Herbert (surname) Places Antarctica * Herbert Mountains, Coats Land * Herbert Sound, Graham Land Australia * Herbert, Northern Terr ...

and a feature film based on it was made by Artistes Alliance. In the United States the film was renamed ''

Cosmic Monsters ''The Strange World of Planet X'' (U.S. title: ''Cosmic Monsters'') is an independently made 1958 British second feature ('B') science fiction horror film directed by Gilbert Gunn and starring Forrest Tucker and Gaby André. It was adapted by ...

''.

Personal life

Her father was Alfred Edward Creese, a famous British automotive and aviation inventor.Michael Rhodes, 'The Countess of Midleton' bituary ''The Times'' 3 September 1993 Born as Irene, she signed her name with a grave accent on the first 'e', not an acute accent on the second (Rène not René); her method was followed on all theatre programmes, book jackets and other publicity material. Her first husband was the composer

George Posford George Posford, born Benjamin George Ashwell (23 March 1906 – 24 April 1976), was an English composer and conductor. Early life Benjamin George Ashwell was born in 1906 in Folkestone, Kent. He was educated at Downside School in Somerset an ...

. In the 1950s she met George St John Brodrick, 2nd Earl of Midleton (1888–1979); she moved with him to Jersey in 1963 and became his third wife in 1975, thus allowing her to style herself the Countess of Midleton. In retirement she became an accomplished amateur painter and a member of the Jersey Film Society, which in 1986 opened its 40th season with a screening of ''The Passing of the Third Floor Back''. She died on 28 August 1993 in Jersey, the Channel Islands.https://www.nytimes.com/1993/09/06/obituaries/rene-ray-dies-at-81-actress-and-a-writer.html

Partial filmography

* ''

'' (1929) - (uncredited) * ''Varsity'' (1930) - Iris * '' Young Woodley'' (1930) - Kitty * ''

Dance Pretty Lady ''Dance Pretty Lady'' is a 1931 British drama film directed by Anthony Asquith Anthony Asquith (; 9 November 1902 – 20 February 1968) was an English film director. He collaborated successfully with playwright Terence Rattigan on ''Th ...

'' (1931) - Elsie * '' Tonight's the Night'' (1931) - Rose Smithers * ''

Keepers of Youth ''Keepers of Youth'' is a 1932 British drama film directed by Thomas Bentley and starring Garry Marsh, Ann Todd and Robin Irvine. It was based on the 1929 play ''Keepers of Youth'' by Arnold Ridley, and marked the film debut of Ann Todd. It was ...

'' (1931) - Kitty Williams * ''

Two White Arms ''Two White Arms'', also known as ''Wives Beware'', is a 1932 British comedy film directed by Fred Niblo and starring Adolphe Menjou, Margaret Bannerman and Claud Allister. It is adapted from a play by Harold Dearden. Produced by Eric Hakim Pr ...

'' (1932) - Trixie * ''

When London Sleeps ''When London Sleeps'' is a 1932 British crime film directed by Leslie S. Hiscott and starring Harold French, Francis L. Sullivan, Diana Beaumont and René Ray. It was filmed at Twickenham Studios in west London. It was based on a play by Ch ...

'' (1932) - Mary * ''

Here's George ''Here's George'' is a 1932 British comedy film directed by Redd Davis and featuring Pat Paterson, Syd Crossley and Merle Tottenham. It was adapted by Marriott Edgar from his own play ''The Service Flat''. It was shot at Cricklewood Studios as a q ...

'' (1932) - Telephonist * ''

The King's Cup ''The King's Cup'' is a 1933 British drama film directed by Alan Cobham, Donald Macardle, Herbert Wilcox and Robert Cullen and starring Chili Bouchier, Harry Milton and William Kendall. The film is named after the King's Cup air race, est ...

'' (1933) - Peggy * '' Excess Baggage'' (1933) - Angela Murgatroyd * ''

Born Lucky ''Born Lucky'' is a 1933 British rags to riches musical-comedy drama, directed by Michael Powell and starring Rene Ray and John Longden. The screenplay was adapted from the 1928 novel ''Mops'' by Marguerite Florence Barclay. ''Born Lucky'' ...

'' (1933) - Mops * ''

Tiger Bay Tiger Bay () was the local name for an area of Cardiff which covered Butetown and Cardiff Docks. Following the building of the Cardiff Barrage, which dams the tidal rivers, Ely and Taff, to create a body of water, it is referred to as Car ...

'' (1934) - Letty * ''

Rolling in Money ''Rolling in Money'' is a 1934 British comedy film directed by Albert Parker and starring Isabel Jeans, Leslie Sarony and John Loder. It was made at Ealing Studios by the British subsidiary of Fox Film.Wood p.83 It was not a quota quickie li ...

'' (1934) - Eliza Dibbs * ''

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 quickie, ...

'' (1934) - Mary Doane * ''

Easy Money A get-rich-quick scheme is a plan to obtain high rates of return for a small investment. Most schemes create an impression that participants can obtain this high rate of return with little risk, skill, effort, or time. The term "get rich qui ...

'' (1934) - Typist * ''

Once in a New Moon ''Once in a New Moon'' is a 1935 British science fiction film directed by Anthony Kimmins and starring Eliot Makeham, René Ray and Morton Selten. It is a quota quickie, made at Shepperton Studios. It was written by Kimmins based on the 1929 nove ...

'' (1935) - Stella Drake * '' Street Song'' (1935) - Lucy * '' Regal Cavalcade'' (1935) - Girl * '' Full Circle'' (1935) - Margery Boyd * ''

'' (1935) - Stasia * ''

Beloved Imposter ''Beloved Imposter'' is a 1936 British musical film directed by Victor Hanbury and starring Rene Ray, Fred Conyngham and Germaine Aussey. It was made at Welwyn Studios and released as a quota film by RKO Pictures. It was written by Connery C ...

'' (1936) - Mary * ''

Secret Agent Espionage, spying, or intelligence gathering, as a subfield of the intelligence field, is the act of obtaining secret or confidential information (intelligence). A person who commits espionage on a mission-specific contract is called an ''e ...

'' (1936) - Maid (uncredited) * ''

Crime Over London ''Crime Over London'' is a 1936 British crime film directed by Alfred Zeisler and starring Margot Grahame, Paul Cavanagh and David Burns. It was made at Isleworth Studios,Wood p.89 based on the novel ''House of a Thousand Windows'' by Ludwi ...

'' (1936) - Joan * '' His Lordship'' (1936) - Vera * '' Please Teacher'' (1937) - Ann Trent * ''

Farewell Again ''Farewell Again'' is a 1937 British drama film directed by Tim Whelan and starring Leslie Banks, Flora Robson, Sebastian Shaw and Robert Newton. The film is a portmanteau illustrating the calls of duty on various soldiers and their families. I ...

'' (1937) - Elsie Wainwright * ''

Jennifer Hale Jennifer Hale is a Canadian voice actress. She is best known for her work in video game franchises such as ''Baldur's Gate'', ''Mass Effect'', '' Metal Gear Solid'', '' BioShock Infinite'', '' Metroid Prime'', '' Halo'', '' Overwatch'', and '' ...

'' (1937) - Jennifer Hale * '' The Rat'' (1937) - Odile Verdier * ''

'' (1937) - Eileen * '' Bank Holiday'' (1938) - Doreen * ''

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 ...

'' (1938) - Chris Faringdon * '' Weddings Are Wonderful'' (1938) - Betty Leadbetter * '' The Return of the Frog'' (1938) - Lela Oaks * ''

Mountains O'Mourne ''Mountains O'Mourne'' is a 1938 British musical film directed by Harry Hughes and starring Rene Ray, Niall MacGinnis and Jerry Verno. It was shot at Walton Studios near London.Wood p.99 The film's sets were designed by the art director R. H ...

'' (1938) - Mary Macree * '' Home from Home'' (1939) - Gladys Burton * '' The Call for Arms'' (1940, Short) - Joan * ''

Old Bill and Son ''Old Bill and Son'' is a 1941 British black-and-white comedy war film directed by Ian Dalrymple. Centred on the First World War cartoon figure Old Bill and his escapades in the early Phoney War of World War II and with that character's creator ...

'' (1941) - Sally * ''

'' (1947) - Cora * ''

If Winter Comes ''If Winter Comes'' is a 1947 American drama film directed by Victor Saville and starring Walter Pidgeon, Deborah Kerr and Angela Lansbury. Produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, it is based on the 1921 novel by A.S.M. Hutchinson. The film tells the st ...

'' (1947) - Sarah 'Low Jinks' * '' The Galloping Major'' (1951) - Pam Riley * ''

'' (1952) - Vivianne * ''

The Good Die Young ''The Good Die Young'' is a 1954 British crime film directed by Lewis Gilbert and starring Laurence Harvey, Gloria Grahame, Joan Collins, Stanley Baker, Richard Basehart and John Ireland. It was made by Remus Films from a screenplay by ...

'' (1954) - Angela *'' The Vicious Circle'' (1957) - Mrs. Ambler

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Midleton, Rene Ray, Countess of 1911 births 1993 deaths British countesses English film actresses English stage actresses Actresses from London 20th-century English actresses 20th-century English novelists English women novelists English women screenwriters 20th-century English screenwriters