Shirley Anne Field (born Shirley Broomfield; 27 June 1938) is an English actress who has performed on stage, film and television since 1955, prominent during the British New Wave.

Early life

Broomfield was born in

Forest Gate Forest Gate is a district in the London Borough of Newham, East London, England. It is located northeast of Charing Cross. The area's name relates to its position adjacent to Wanstead Flats, the southernmost part of Epping Forest. The town ...

Essex Essex () is a county in the East of England. One of the home counties, it borders Suffolk and Cambridgeshire to the north, the North Sea to the east, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent across the estuary of the River Thames to the south, and G ...

(now in the

London Borough of Newham The London Borough of Newham is a London boroughs, London borough created in 1965 by the London Government Act 1963. It covers an area previously administered by the Essex county boroughs of County Borough of West Ham, West Ham and County Bor ...

). She was the third of four children, with two elder sisters and a younger brother, Earnest "Guy" Broomfield (c. 1939–1999). Her brother was murdered, in 1999, by Harry Dalsey, the son of Adrian Dalsey. At the age of six, Shirley was placed in the National Children's Home at Edgworth, near

Bolton Bolton (, locally ) is a large town in Greater Manchester in North West England, formerly a part of Lancashire. A former mill town, Bolton has been a production centre for textiles since Flemish weavers settled in the area in the 14th ce ...

, Lancashire and four years later was moved to another children's home in

Blackburn Blackburn () is an industrial town and the administrative centre of the Blackburn with Darwen borough in Lancashire, England. The town is north of the West Pennine Moors on the southern edge of the Ribble Valley, east of Preston and nort ...

, where she attended Blakey Moor School for Girls. She subsequently returned to Edgworth until she was 15, when she moved to a children's home hostel in London, training as a typist while still attending school.

Acting career

Early roles

After a course at the Lucie Clayton School and Model Agency, she became a photographic model for pin-up magazines like ''

Reveille "Reveille" ( , ), called in French "Le Réveil" is a bugle call, trumpet call, drum, fife-and-drum or pipes call most often associated with the military; it is chiefly used to wake military personnel at sunrise. The name comes from (or ), th ...

'' and '' Titbits''. She was subsequently spotted by Bill Watts, who ran a theatrical agency and obtained for her roles in late 1950s British films, usually uncredited. Her first appearance in a film was as an extra in '' Simon and Laura'' (1955). She had small parts in ''

All for Mary ''All for Mary'' is a 1955 British comedy film brought to the screen by Paul Soskin Productions for the Rank Organisation. It was based on a successful West End play by the English husband and wife team of Kay Bannerman and Harold Brooke. It wa ...

'' (1955), '' Lost'' (1956), ''

Yield to the Night ''Yield to the Night'' (also titled ''Blonde Sinner'' in the US) is a 1956 British crime drama film directed by J. Lee Thompson and starring Diana Dors. The film is based on the 1954 novel of the same name by Joan Henry. The storyline bears a ...

'' (1956) (directed by J. Lee Thompson), '' It's Never Too Late'' (1956), '' It's a Wonderful World'' (1956), '' The Weapon'' (1956), '' Loser Takes All'' (1956), '' The Silken Affair'' (1956), ''

Dry Rot Dry rot is wood decay caused by one of several species of fungi that digest parts of the wood which give the wood strength and stiffness. It was previously used to describe any decay of cured wood in ships and buildings by a fungus which resu ...

'' (1956), ''

The Good Companions ''The Good Companions'' is a novel by the English author J. B. Priestley. Written in 1929, it follows the fortunes of a concert party on a tour of England. It is Priestley's most famous novel and established him as a national figure. It wo ...

'' (1957) (again for Thompson), '' Seven Thunders'' (1957), and '' The Flesh Is Weak'' (1957). She was in episodes of '' The New Adventures of Martin Kane'' (1957) and ''International Detective''. Field's first sizeable film role was in '' Horrors of the Black Museum'' (1959). She had minor parts in '' Once More, with Feeling!'' (1960) and '' And the Same to You'' (1960). Field had a larger role in the controversial ''

Peeping Tom Lady Godiva (; died between 1066 and 1086), in Old English , was a late Anglo-Saxon noblewoman who is relatively well documented as the wife of Leofric, Earl of Mercia, and a patron of various churches and monasteries. Today, she is mainly re ...

'' (1960). She appeared on stage in ''The Lily White Boys'' with Albert Finney.

Stardom

In 1960, Field's breakthrough came when she was chosen by

Tony Richardson Cecil Antonio "Tony" Richardson (5 June 1928 – 14 November 1991) was an English theatre and film director and producer whose career spanned five decades. In 1964, he won the Academy Award for Best Director for the film '' Tom Jones''. Earl ...

to play the role of model Tina Lapford in '' The Entertainer'' (1960), starring Laurence Olivier, distributed by Bryanston Films. Half a century later, she clarified that she did not owe her break to Olivier: "It was Tony Richardson I owe it all to." Field had a supporting role in '' Beat Girl'' (1960), then appeared in probably her best known role as Doreen, the would-be girlfriend of rebellious Arthur Seaton (played by

Albert Finney Albert Finney (9 May 1936 – 7 February 2019) was an English actor. He attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and worked in the theatre before attaining prominence on screen in the early 1960s, debuting with ''The Entertainer'' (1960), ...

), in the New Wave film for Bryanston, ''

Saturday Night and Sunday Morning ''Saturday Night and Sunday Morning'' is the first novel by British author Alan Sillitoe and won the Author's Club First Novel Award. It was adapted by Sillitoe into a 1960 film starring Albert Finney, directed by Karel Reisz, and in 1964 wa ...

'' (1960). Director,

Karel Reisz Karel Reisz (21 July 1926 – 25 November 2002) was a Czech-born British filmmaker, one of the pioneers of the new realist strain in British cinema during the 1950s and 1960s. Two of the best-known films he directed are '' Saturday Night and S ...

, described her as "difficult to play with". Co-star Finney had previously had a small role in ''The Entertainer''. The film was a huge hit. Field starred alongside

Kenneth More Kenneth Gilbert More, CBE (20 September 1914 – 12 July 1982) was an English film and stage actor. Initially achieving fame in the comedy ''Genevieve'' (1953), he appeared in many roles as a carefree, happy-go-lucky gent. Films from this peri ...

in ''

Man in the Moon In many cultures, several pareidolic images of a human face, head or body are recognized in the disc of the full moon; they are generally known as the Man in the Moon. The images are based on the appearance of the dark areas (known as lunar m ...

'' (1960). With those three big film starring roles in 1960, she became one of the very few actors ever to have their name above the titles in all the major cinemas around Leicester Square simultaneously. Although offered a role in '' A Kind of Loving'' (1962), Field turned it down to play the female lead in a Hollywood financed film, ''

The War Lover ''The War Lover'' is a 1962 British war film directed by Philip Leacock and written by Howard Koch loosely based on the 1959 novel by John Hersey, altering the names of characters and events but retaining its basic framework. It stars Steve Mc ...

'' (1962), with Steve McQueen. Four decades later, she admitted that the shoot was not ideal: In the UK, Field had the lead in '' Lunch Hour'' (1962), which was one of her favorite films. For Hammer films, Field starred in '' The Damned'' (1963), directed by Joseph Losey. She went to Hollywood to play the female lead in an epic directed by J. Lee Thompson, ''

Kings of the Sun ''Kings of the Sun'' is a 1963 DeLuxe Color film directed by J. Lee Thompson for Mirisch Productions set in Mesoamerica at the time of the conquest of Chichen Itza by Hunac Ceel. Location scenes filmed in Mazatlán and Chichen Itza. The film mark ...

'' (1963). Thompson had her under personal contract at this stage. She says she turned down roles in a James Bond movie and an Elvis Presley movie. Field went to Italy to appear in '' The Wedding March'' (1966), then back in England made '' Doctor in Clover'' (1966) and '' Alfie'' (1966). She had a supporting role in '' Hell Is Empty'' (1967).

Later career

Field starred in ''

With Love in Mind With or WITH may refer to: * With, a preposition in English * Carl Johannes With (1877–1923), Danish doctor and arachnologist * With (character), a character in ''D. N. Angel'' * ''With'' (novel), a novel by Donald Harrington * ''With'' (album ...

'' (1970) and '' A Touch of the Other'' (1970), then made ''

House of the Living Dead ''House of the Living Dead'' (''Skaduwees Oor Brugplaas'', or ''Shadows over Bridge Farm''), also known as ''Doctor Maniac'', is a 1974 science-fiction horror film directed by Ray Austin. The film, an international co-production between Great ...

'' (1974). By the late 1970s Field was more commonly seen on TV, in shows such as ''Centre Play'', ''Shoestring'', ''Buccaneer'', ''Never the Twain'' and a long run on ''Santa Barbara'' as well as TV movies like ''

Two by Forsyth 2 (two) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 1 and preceding 3. It is the smallest and only even prime number. Because it forms the basis of a duality, it has religious and spiritual significance in many culture ...

''. She had a notable role in films like ''

My Beautiful Laundrette ''My Beautiful Laundrette'' is a 1985 British romantic comedy-drama film directed by Stephen Frears from a screenplay by Hanif Kureishi. The film was also one of the first films released by Working Title Films. The story is set in London durin ...

'' (1985), '' Shag'' (1989), '' Getting It Right'' (1989), ''

The Rachel Papers ''The Rachel Papers'' is a 1989 British film written and directed by Damian Harris, and based on the 1973 novel of the same name by Martin Amis. It stars Dexter Fletcher and Ione Skye with Jonathan Pryce, James Spader, Bill Paterson, Jared Har ...

'' (1989), ''

Hear My Song ''Hear My Song'' is a 1991 British comedy-drama film directed by Peter Chelsom, who co-wrote the screenplay with Adrian Dunbar, based on the story of Irish tenor Josef Locke. It was nominated for Best Original Screenplay at the 46th British Acad ...

'' (1991), '' UFO'' (1993), ''

Taking Liberty Taking or takings may refer to: * Theft, illicit taking * The acquisition of land under eminent domain * Take (hunting) or taking, an action that adversely affects a species * Kidnapping of persons See also * * * * Take (disambiguation) * Ta ...

'' (1993), ''

Loving Deadly Loving may refer to: * Love, a range of human emotions * Loving (surname) * ''Loving v. Virginia'', a 1967 landmark United States Supreme Court civil rights case Film and television * ''Loving'' (1970 film), an American film * ''Loving'' ( ...

'' (1994), and ''At Risk'' (1994). Later TV included '' Anna Lee: Headcase'' (1993), ''Murder She Wrote'', ''Lady Chatterly'', ''Rumble'', ''Bramwell'', ''Barbara'', ''Madson'', ''Dalziel and Pascoe'', ''The Bill'', ''Where the Heart Is'', ''Waking the Dead'', ''Monarch of the Glen'', ''Last of the Summer Wine'', ''Doctors''. Her most recent films are ''The Kid'', ''The Power of Three'' and ''Beautiful Relics''.

Personal life

On 7 July 1967, Field married the aristocratic RAF pilot and racing driver Charles Crichton-Stuart (1939–2001). They had a daughter, Nicola Crichton-Stuart, who was born in 1969. The marriage ended in divorce during the late 1970s. Her autobiography, ''A Time for Love'', was published in 1991. On 14 November 1993, Field appeared on

BBC Radio 4 BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC that replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. It broadcasts a wide variety of Talk radio, spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history fro ...

's ''

Desert Island Discs ''Desert Island Discs'' is a radio programme broadcast on BBC Radio 4. It was first broadcast on the BBC Forces Programme on 29 January 1942. Each week a guest, called a " castaway" during the programme, is asked to choose eight recordings (us ...

'', talking to Sue Lawley about her upbringing in different children's homes in

Northern England Northern England, also known as the North of England, the North Country, or simply the North, is the northern area of England. It broadly corresponds to the former borders of Angle Northumbria, the Anglo-Scandinavian Kingdom of Jorvik, and the ...

and her success as an actress in the 1960s. She also reminisced about her friendship with

John F. Kennedy John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), often referred to by his initials JFK and the nickname Jack, was an American politician who served as the 35th president of the United States from 1961 until his assassination ...

and an ill-fated date with Frank Sinatra. Her record choices included

Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. Beethoven remains one of the most admired composers in the history of Western music; his works rank amongst the most performed of the classic ...

's Piano Concerto No. 1 in C major and pieces by Rachmaninov,

Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one ...

and

the Carpenters The Carpenters (officially known as Carpenters) were an American vocal and instrumental duo consisting of siblings Karen (1950–1983) and Richard Carpenter (born 1946). They produced a distinct, soft, musical style, combining Karen's contr ...

. In the September 2009 issue of ''

Cinema Retro ''Cinema Retro'' is an English magazine devoted to "celebrating films of the 1960s & 1970s". Founded in 2005 by Lee Pfeiffer and Dave Worrall, it is subtitled "the Essential Guide to Cult and Classic Movies". The 64-page full-colour magazine is ...

'', there was a long interview with Field, where she candidly talked about her childhood and the making of ''

'', '' The Entertainer'', '' Beat Girl'' and ''

''.

Filmography

* ''Lost'' (1955) as Taxi driver's daughter (uncredited) * ''

'' (1956) as Waitress in Cafe (uncredited) * '' Loser Takes All'' (1956) as Girl at Roulette Table * '' It's a Wonderful World'' (1956) as Pretty Girl * '' The Flesh Is Weak'' (1957) as Susan * ''

'' (1957) as Redhead * '' Horrors of the Black Museum'' (1959) as Angela Banks * ''

Upstairs and Downstairs ''Upstairs and Downstairs'' is a 1959 British comedy film directed by Ralph Thomas and starring Michael Craig, Anne Heywood, Mylène Demongeot, Claudia Cardinale, James Robertson Justice, Joan Sims, Joan Hickson and Sid James. It features the ...

'' (1959) * ''

Jungle Street ''Jungle Street'' is a 1961 black and white British crime drama directed by Charles Saunders and starring David McCallum, Kenneth Cope, and Jill Ireland, about a young man who attempts to escape his working-class background and win the girl h ...

'' (later renamed ''Jungle Street Girls'') (1960) as Jaqui * ''

'' (1960) as Polly * '' Beat Girl'' (1960) as Dodo * '' Once More, with Feeling!'' (1960) as Angela Hopper * '' And the Same to You'' (1960) as Iris Collins * ''

'' (1960) as Diane Ashley * '' The Entertainer'' (1960) as Tina Lapford * ''

'' (1960) as Doreen * '' Lunch Hour'' (1962) as Girl "Flipside 017: Lunch Hour (Dual Format Edition)" by James Hill, at filmstore.bfi.org.uk
/ref> * ''

'' (1962) as Daphne * '' The Damned'' (1963) as Joan * ''

'' (1963) as Ixchel * '' Doctor in Clover'' (1966) as Nurse Bancroft * '' Alfie'' (1966) as Carla * '' A Touch of the Other'' (1970) as Elaine * ''

'' (1974) as Mary Anne Carew * ''

'' (1985) as Rachel * '' Getting It Right'' (1989) as Anne * '' Shag'' (1989) as Mrs. Clatterback * ''

'' (1989) as Mrs. Smith * ''

'' (1991) as Cathleen Doyle * ''Loving Deadly'' (1994) as Madame * '' Christie Malry's Own Double-Entry'' (2000) as Mary, the Mother of Christie * '' The Kid'' (2010) as Margaret * ''The Power of Three'' (2011) as Jenni

Selected television appearances

* '' Santa Barbara'' * '' Monarch of the Glen'' * '' Where the Heart Is'' * ''

The Bill ''The Bill'' is a British police procedural television series, first broadcast on ITV from 16 August 1983 until 31 August 2010. The programme originated from a one-off drama, '' Woodentop'', broadcast in August 1983. The programme focused on ...

'' * '' Dalziel and Pascoe'' * ''

Murder, She Wrote ''Murder, She Wrote'' is an American crime drama television series, created by Peter S. Fischer, Richard Levinson and William Link, starring Angela Lansbury, and produced and distributed by Universal Television for the CBS network. The ser ...

'' * ''

Never the Twain ''Never the Twain'' is a British sitcom that ran for eleven series from 7 September 1981 to 9 October 1991. It was created by Johnnie Mortimer, and was the only sitcom he ever created without his usual writing partner, Brian Cooke. Mortimer ...

'' * ''

Upstairs, Downstairs Upstairs Downstairs may refer to: Television *Upstairs, Downstairs (1971 TV series), ''Upstairs, Downstairs'' (1971 TV series), a British TV series broadcast on ITV from 1971 to 1975 *Upstairs Downstairs (2010 TV series), ''Upstairs Downstairs'' ...

'' * ''

Last of the Summer Wine ''Last of the Summer Wine'' is a British sitcom created and written by Roy Clarke and originally broadcast by the BBC from 1973 to 2010. It premiered as an episode of ''Comedy Playhouse'' on 4 January 1973, and the first series of episodes fo ...

'' * ''

Shoestring Shoelaces, also called shoestrings (US English) or bootlaces (UK English), are a system commonly used to secure shoes, boots, and other footwear. They typically consist of a pair of strings or cords, one for each shoe, finished off at both e ...

'' * '' Doctors'' * '' Bramwell'', season 1, episode 2 ("The Threat of Reprise") as Peggy Heart

References

Bibliography

* * *

External links

* - Retrieved 2012-12-07
Shirley Anne Field
at

BFI Screenonline Screenonline is a website about the history of British film, television and social history as documented by film and television. The project has been developed by the British Film Institute and funded by a £1.2 million grant from the National Lo ...

- Retrieved 2012-12-07 *
''Field of Dreams''
four-page interview with Shirley Anne Field in the September 2009 issue of

- Retrieved 2012-12-07 {{DEFAULTSORT:Field, Shirley Anne 1936 births English film actresses English television actresses Living people People from Bolton