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1-50 of 73
- Actress
- Soundtrack
Strikingly attractive, but troubled Irish leading lady of the 1950's, born to a struggling family in Limerick. Constance's is, perhaps, one of the more lurid and tragic tales of a promising career ending up on the skids. It began with her winning a 1946 look-alike competition in a Dublin movie magazine, touting her as a dead ringer for Hedy Lamarr. A successful screen test with the Rank Organisation followed. In the process of being groomed by the Rank 'charm school', Constance first demonstrated her fiery temperament and unwillingness to tow the line. This quickly got her fired. Moving to London, she made ends meet by appearing in supporting roles in several British films. A small part as a maid in The Mudlark (1950) got her noticed in Hollywood and she was signed, with much fanfare and publicity, under contract to 20th Century Fox. Again, Constance clashed with producers and executives, starting with her refusal to change her surname from 'Smith' to something, presumably more memorable to movie-going audiences. She later claimed to have been the victim of casting couch politics -- an assertion, which, given her looks, and the fact that Darryl F. Zanuck was Fox's head of production at the time, is not entirely implausible.
Briefly in the limelight as a presenter at the 1952 Academy Awards, she was featured in a string of B-movies, including Red Skies of Montana (1952), Treasure of the Golden Condor (1953) and the thriller Man in the Attic (1953). Whether too emotionally frail to mount the pressures of stardom, or simply not talented enough to be thought of as star material, Constance never made it beyond leading lady status. By the time her contract expired in 1953, she had undergone an abortion forced upon her by the studio, and the first of her three marriages was on the ropes. As the years went on and she failed to get the parts she felt were commensurate to her abilities, she began an embittered descent into a life of drugs and alcohol. Constance last acted in a brace of minor films made in Italy between 1955 and 1959, including a role as Lucretia Borgia in Conspiracy of the Borgias (1959). None of these did anything to resuscitate her failing career. During her time in Rome, she first attempted suicide by overdosing on barbiturates.
Worse was to come: in 1962 and 1968, she was twice sentenced to brief prison terms for attempting to stab her partner, documentary filmmaker and film historian Paul Rotha. She also tried several more times to kill herself. Her last decades were spent, dissipated, in and out of hospitals. When able to get herself together for brief periods, she worked as a cleaner. Constance died, in obscurity, as an alcoholic on a street in Islington, London. As Irish author and blogger Sharon Slater wrote of Smith, 'a sadder end is hard to imagine.'- Graham Ashley was born on 26 April 1927 in Northampton, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977), The Avengers (1961) and Dixon of Dock Green (1955). He died on 30 October 1979 in Islington, London, England, UK.
- Prolific and ubiquitous British bit player Jim Brady was born on May 13, 1907 in England. Jim first began popping up in films in uncredited minor roles in the mid-1940's. A large and imposing fellow with a rough face and a husky build, Brady was frequently cast as pirates, villagers, brutish thugs, pub patrons, or scruffy working class blokes. He died at age 83 on January 1, 1991 in Islington, London, England.
- Actor
- Additional Crew
Gabor Vernon was born on 23 March 1925. He was an actor, known for Octopussy (1983), The Tomorrow People (1973) and Quest of Eagles (1979). He died on 23 April 1985 in Islington, London, England, UK.- Born Hilda Gentle on June 9, 1884, in Edmonton, London, England, Hilda Barry was a very active British character actress who had a very long and extensive career as well in comedies as in dramas. She appeared in over 150 roles on stage, on the big screen and on television. She died on Tuesday, May 29th, 1979 at the age of 94.
- Actor
- Director
- Writer
Barry Clayton was born in 1931 in Islington, London, England, UK. He was an actor and director, known for Count Duckula (1988), Weekend World (1972) and They Came to Wales (1970). He died on 29 December 2011 in Islington, London, England, UK.- Joe Orton was a noted British author, screenwriter, and playwright who is best known for the plays 'Entertaining Mr. Sloane' (1964), 'What the Butler Saw' (1969), and 'Loot' (1967). He was murdered by his lover, Kenneth Halliwell, in their home at 25 Noel Road, Islington, London.
- Writer
- Actor
Stephen Tredre was born on 17 July 1963 in London, England, UK. He was a writer and actor, known for EastEnders (1985), Maisie Raine (1998) and Fish (2000). He died on 8 December 1997 in Islington, London, England, UK.- English dramatist and story writer, usually of tales involving the sea and village life and often dealing with supernatural or horror elements. He was a clerk until finding success as a full-time author with his first collected stories, published as "Many Cargoes" in 1896. He is best known for "The Monkey's Paw", a 1902 tale about a talisman which grants its owner three wishes, though inevitably those come with a heavy price.
- Dido Plumb was born on 23 June 1905 in Hackney, London, England, UK. He was an actor, known for BBC Sunday-Night Theatre (1950), Wednesday Theatre (1952) and The Mating Machine (1970). He died on 4 March 1991 in Islington, London, England, UK.
- Actress
Ruth Ellis was born on 9 October 1926 in Rhyl, Flintshire, Wales, UK. She was an actress. She was married to George Johnston Ellis. She died on 13 July 1955 in Islington, London, England, UK.- Director
- Producer
- Additional Crew
David Richards was born in 1948 in Hollinwood, Oldham, Greater Manchester, England, UK. He was a director and producer, known for Conviction (2004), This Is Personal: The Hunt for the Yorkshire Ripper (2000) and Emmerdale Farm (1972). He was married to Judith Hackett. He died on 9 January 2017 in Islington, London, England, UK.- Actress
- Soundtrack
Amelia Bayntun was born on 31 March 1919. She was an actress, known for Carry on Camping (1969), Carry on Abroad (1972) and Carry on Loving (1970). She was married to Ronald G. Mccrindell . She died in 1988 in Islington, London, England, UK.- Additional Crew
- Actress
- Music Department
Isla Cameron was born on 5 March 1927 in Blairgowrie, Perthshire, Scotland, UK. She was an actress, known for The Innocents (1961), The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (1969) and Far from the Madding Crowd (1967). She died on 3 April 1980 in Islington, London, England, UK.- June Lewis was born in 1934 in Pontypridd, Wales, UK. She was an actress, known for Budgie (1971), For Maddie with Love (1980) and The House Under the Water (1961). She died on 7 November 2008 in Islington, London, England, UK.
- Norris Smith was born on 18 February 1883 in Columbia, Missouri, USA. He was an actor, known for Diamond City (1949), BBC Sunday-Night Theatre (1950) and You Can't Take It with You (1947). He died on 31 October 1959 in Islington, London, England, UK.
- Gillian Freeman was born on 5 December 1929 in Maida Vale, London, England, UK. She was a writer, known for The Leather Boys (1964), That Cold Day in the Park (1969) and I Want What I Want (1972). She was married to Edward Ronald Thorpe. She died on 23 February 2019 in Islington. London, England, UK.
- Doria Noar was born on 1 February 1930 in Hertford, Hertfordshire, England, UK. She was an actress, known for Thorndyke (1964), Hour of Mystery (1957) and ITV Television Playhouse (1955). She was married to Kenneth Griffith and Peter Hooper. She died on 2 January 2018 in Islington, London, England, UK.
- Producer
- Director
Mervyn Pinfield was born on 28 February 1912 in Evesham, Worcestershire, England, UK. He was a producer and director, known for Doctor Who (1963), The Monsters (1962) and The Herries Chronicle (1960). He died on 30 May 1966 in Islington, London, England, UK.- Rowena Roberts was born on 23 January 1951 in Windsor, Berkshire, England, UK. She was an actress, known for I Thought You'd Gone (1984), Players (1979) and Within These Walls (1974). She died on 21 March 1989 in Islington, London, England, UK.
- Peter Waterman was born on 8 December 1934 in Stepney, London, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Murder Bag (1957) and The Vise (1954). He died on 15 January 1986 in Islington, London, England, UK.
- Ben Kinsella was born on 27 October 1991 in London, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Seven Wonders of the Industrial World (2003) and The Bill (1984). He died on 29 June 2008 in Islington, London, England, UK.
- Vi Delmar was born on 26 September 1902 in Stockton-on-Tees, County Durham, England, UK. She was an actress, known for Special Branch (1969), Within These Walls (1974) and Dr. Finlay's Casebook (1962). She died on 26 November 1994 in Islington, London, England, UK.
- Kenneth Gardnier was born on 15 December 1936 in Dominica. He was an actor, known for The Champions (1968), The Saint (1962) and Murder at the Wedding (1979). He died in 2006 in Islington, London, England, UK.
- Music Department
- Composer
- Soundtrack
Sam Fonteyn was born on 20 May 1925 in Birmingham, England, UK. Sam was a composer, known for Clear and Present Danger (1994), Dear White People (2014) and Alan Partridge (2013). Sam died on 29 August 1991 in Islington, London, England, UK.