Dorothy Ann Todd (24 January 1907 – 6 May 1993) was an English film, television and stage actress who achieved international fame when she starred in 1945's '' The Seventh Veil''. From 1949 to 1957 she was married to

David Lean Sir David Lean (25 March 190816 April 1991) was an English film director, producer, screenwriter and editor. Widely considered one of the most important figures in British cinema, Lean directed the large-scale epics '' The Bridge on the River ...

who directed her in 1949's ''The Passionate Friends'', 1950's ''Madeleine'' and 1952's ''

The Sound Barrier ''The Sound Barrier'' is a 1952 British aviation drama film directed by David Lean. It is a fictional story about attempts by aircraft designers and test pilots to break the sound barrier. It was David Lean's third and final film with his wife ...

''. She was a member of

The Old Vic The Old Vic is a 1,000-seat, not-for-profit producing theatre in Waterloo, London, England. Established in 1818 as the Royal Coburg Theatre, and renamed in 1833 the Royal Victoria Theatre. In 1871 it was rebuilt and reopened as the Royal ...

theatre company and in 1957 starred in a Broadway play. In her later years she wrote, produced and directed travel documentaries.

Early years

Todd was born in

Hartford, Cheshire Hartford is a village and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. It lies at the intersection of the A559 road and the West Coast Main Line (between Liverpool and Cre ...

. Although latterly claiming to be born in 1909, 1911 census records show her born in 1907 and christened in March 1907. Her Scottish-born father Thomas was a salesman, and her London-born mother Constance a housewife. She had a younger brother Harold Brooke (who took their mother's maiden name), who became a screenwriter of light comedies. After the family moved to London, Todd was educated at St. Winifrid's School,

Eastbourne Eastbourne () is a town and seaside resort in East Sussex, on the south coast of England, east of Brighton and south of London. Eastbourne is immediately east of Beachy Head, the highest chalk sea cliff in Great Britain and part of the lar ...

Sussex Sussex (), from the Old English (), is a historic county in South East England that was formerly an independent medieval Anglo-Saxon kingdom. It is bounded to the west by Hampshire, north by Surrey, northeast by Kent, south by the English C ...

. She studied speech training and drama under

Elsie Fogerty Anne Elizabeth "Elsie" Fogerty (16 December 1865 – 4 July 1945) was a British teacher who departed from the customary practice of “voice and diction” also called elocution. At that time “Voice and Diction” focused entirely on the mou ...

at the

Central School of Speech and Drama The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama was founded by Elsie Fogerty in 1906, as The Central School of Speech Training and Dramatic Art, to offer a new form of training in speech and drama for young actors and other students. It became a ...

, then based at the

Royal Albert Hall The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall on the northern edge of South Kensington, London. One of the UK's most treasured and distinctive buildings, it is held in trust for the nation and managed by a registered charity which receives no governm ...

, London, with the intention of becoming a drama teacher. But during her studies she made her stage debut as a fairy in "The Land of Heart's Desire" at the Arts Theatre Club in

Soho Soho is an area of the City of Westminster, part of the West End of London. Originally a fashionable district for the aristocracy, it has been one of the main entertainment districts in the capital since the 19th century. The area was develop ...

, and decided instead to pursue a career in acting.

Film

Initially a London-based theatre actress, she quickly began to accumulate walk-on parts in film, making her film debut in ''

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 w ...

'' (1931). She had roles in ''

These Charming People ''These Charming People'' is a 1932 British drama film directed by Louis Mercanton and starring Cyril Maude, Godfrey Tearle and Nora Swinburne. It was produced at Elstree Studios outside London by the British subsidiary of Paramount Pictures. ...

'' (1931), '' The Ghost Train'' (1931), '' The Water Gipsies'' (1932) and '' The Return of Bulldog Drummond'' (1934). For Alex Korda, Todd was in '' Things to Come'' (1936), ''

Action for Slander ''Action for Slander'' is a 1937 British drama film directed by Tim Whelan and starring Clive Brook, Ann Todd and Googie Withers. The plot is about an army officer who is falsely accused at cheating at cards by a man whose wife he had an affair ...

'' (1937), '' The Squeaker'' (1937), and '' South Riding'' (1938). During World War II, Todd was in '' Poison Pen'' (1939), ''

Danny Boy "Danny Boy" is a ballad, written by English songwriter Frederic Weatherly in 1913, and set to the traditional Irish melody of "Londonderry Air". History In 1910, in Bath, Somerset, the English lawyer and lyricist Frederic Weatherly initia ...

'' (1941), and ''

Ships with Wings ''Ships with Wings'' is a 1941 British war film directed by Sergei Nolbandov and starring John Clements, Leslie Banks and Jane Baxter. The film is set during the Battle of Greece (1940-1941). It depicts military aviation. Plot During the Seco ...

'' (1941). But she concentrated latterly again on theatre roles, putting in a memorable performance in

Enid Bagnold Enid Algerine Bagnold, Lady Jones, (27 October 1889 – 31 March 1981) was a British writer and playwright known for the 1935 story ''National Velvet''. Early life Enid Algerine Bagnold was born on 27 October 1889 in Rochester, Kent, daughte ...

's psychological thriller "Lottie Dundass" at the

Vaudeville Theatre The Vaudeville Theatre is a West End theatre on the Strand in the City of Westminster. As the name suggests, the theatre held mostly vaudeville shows and musical revues in its early days. It opened in 1870 and was rebuilt twice, although each ...

in 1943.

Stardom

Todd returned to film post-WWII with a good support role in a big hit, '' Perfect Strangers'' (1945, as a nurse), then had a huge success when she played a suicidal concert pianist in '' The Seventh Veil'' (1945), opposite

James Mason James Neville Mason (; 15 May 190927 July 1984) was an English actor. He achieved considerable success in British cinema before becoming a star in Hollywood. He was the top box-office attraction in the UK in 1944 and 1945; his British films inc ...

. She followed this with a musical, '' Gaiety George'' (1946) and a noir, '' Daybreak'' (shot in 1946, released in 1948). ''The Seventh Veil'' was a hit in the US as well as UK. In 1946, having been signed by producer

David O. Selznick David O. Selznick (May 10, 1902June 22, 1965) was an American film producer, screenwriter and film studio executive who produced '' Gone with the Wind'' (1939) and ''Rebecca'' (1940), both of which earned him an Academy Award for Best Picture. ...

, Todd was said to be the "holder of the most lucrative contract ever signed by an English cinema actress, with over a million dollars involved in its clauses." She commented in subsequent interviews that she continued to do her own grocery shopping, and latterly in her autobiography noted that she paid $880,000 in taxes on the contract. She received a Hollywood offer from

Alfred Hitchcock Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock (13 August 1899 – 29 April 1980) was an English filmmaker. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of cinema. In a career spanning six decades, he directed over 50 featur ...

to play

Gregory Peck Eldred Gregory Peck (April 5, 1916 – June 12, 2003) was an American actor and one of the most popular film stars from the 1940s to the 1970s. In 1999, the American Film Institute named Peck the 12th-greatest male star of Classic Hollywood C ...

's wife in ''

The Paradine Case ''The Paradine Case'' is a 1947 American film noir courtroom drama film, set in England, directed by Alfred Hitchcock and produced by David O. Selznick. The screenplay was written by Selznick and an uncredited Ben Hecht, from an adaptation by ...

'' (1947), which was a flop. '' So Evil My Love'' (1948), a US-British co production, was a box office disappointment, as was '' The Passionate Friends'' (1949), directed by her then husband

. Lean also directed Todd in '' Madeleine'' (1950) and ''

'' (1952); the latter was successful commercially. Todd appeared in some thrillers, '' The Green Scarf'' (1954) and ''

Time Without Pity ''Time Without Pity'' is a 1957 British film noir thriller film about a father trying to save his son from execution for murder. The film was directed by expatriate American Joseph Losey after he was blacklisted in the U.S. during the ( McCarth ...

'' (1957). She had a good part in Hammer Films' '' Taste of Fear'' (1961).

Television

Todd appeared in '' Ann and Harold'' (1938), the first British TV serial. Todd starred in two episodes of ''

Playhouse 90 ''Playhouse 90'' was an American television anthology drama series that aired on CBS from 1956 to 1960 for a total of 133 episodes. The show was produced at CBS Television City in Los Angeles, California. Since live anthology drama series of th ...

'': "Not the Glory" and "The Grey Nurse Said Nothing". She also appeared in the title role of "Sylvia" on Alfred Hitchcock Presents (Season 3, episode 16) in 1958.

Stage

In 1941 she appeared at

St Martin's Theatre St Martin's Theatre is a West End theatre which has staged the production of ''The Mousetrap'' since March 1974, making it the longest continuous run of any show in the world. The theatre is located in West Street, near Shaftesbury Avenue, in t ...

Kenneth Horne Charles Kenneth Horne, generally known as Kenneth Horne, (27 February 1907 – 14 February 1969) was an English comedian and businessman. He is perhaps best remembered for his work on three BBC Radio series: ''Much-Binding-in-the-Marsh ...

's comedy '' Love in a Mist''. In 1951 she reprised her film role in a stage version of ''The Seventh Veil'' in the West End. In 1957, post her divorce from David Lean, Todd made her

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

-debut in the production of ''Four Winds''.

Later career

After co-starring in '' Ninety Degrees in the Shade'' in 1965, Todd effectively retired from acting, only returning throughout her life to roles to finance her new career producing a series of travel films. Her autobiography is titled ''The Eighth Veil'', an allusion to the film which made her a star in Britain. Todd was known as the "pocket Garbo" for her diminutive, blonde beauty.

Personal life

Todd said of herself, "I'm really very shy, and I get over that playing an actress." Todd married three times. Her first husband, Victor N. Malcolm, was a grandson of

Lillie Langtry Emilie Charlotte, Lady de Bathe (née Le Breton, formerly Langtry; 13 October 1853 – 12 February 1929), known as Lillie (or Lily) Langtry and nicknamed "The Jersey Lily", was a British socialite, stage actress and producer. Born on the isla ...

; she had a son with him named David Malcolm. Her second and third husbands (

Nigel Tangye Nigel Trevithick Tangye (24 April 1909 – 2 June 1988) was a British airman, novelist, journalist and the writer of various books about Cornwall. He worked for MI5, and later claimed to have been an MI5 agent during the Spanish Civil War. ...

and

) were first cousins. She had a daughter with Nigel Tangye named Ann Francesca Tangye. She was divorced from Tangye 12 March 1949. Todd married

film director A film director controls a film's artistic and dramatic aspects and visualizes the screenplay (or script) while guiding the film crew and actors in the fulfilment of that vision. The director has a key role in choosing the cast members, pr ...

Lean on 21 May 1949 and starred successively in three of his films: '' The Passionate Friends'' (1949), '' Madeleine'' (1950) and ''

'' (1952). Lean and Todd divorced 15 July 1957.

Death

Todd died from a stroke at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital on 6 May 1993, aged 86.

Partial filmography

* ''

'' (1931) as Pamela Crawford * '' The Ghost Train'' (1931) as Peggy Murdock * ''

'' (1931) as Millicent * '' The Water Gipsies'' (1932) as Jane Bell * '' The Return of Bulldog Drummond'' (1934) as Phyllis Drummond * '' Things to Come'' (1936) as Mary Gordon * ''

'' (1937) as Ann Daviot * '' The Squeaker'' (1937) as Carol Stedman * '' South Riding'' (1938) as Midge Carne * '' Ann and Harold'' (1938, TV Series) as Ann Teviot * '' Poison Pen'' (1939) as Ann Rider * ''

'' (1941) as Jane Kaye * ''

'' (1942) as Kay Gordon * '' Perfect Strangers'' (1945) as Elena * '' The Seventh Veil'' (1945) as Francesca * '' Gaiety George'' (1946) as Kathryn Davis * ''

'' (1947) as Gay Keane * '' So Evil My Love'' (1948) as Olivia Harwood * '' Daybreak'' (1948) as Frankie * '' The Passionate Friends'' (1949) as Mary Justin * '' Madeleine'' (1950) as Madeleine Smith * ''

'' (1952) as Susan Garthwaite * ''

BBC Sunday-Night Theatre ''Sunday Night Theatre'' was a long-running series of televised live television plays screened by BBC Television from early 1950 until 1959. The productions for the first five years or so of the run were re-staged live the following Thursday, pa ...

'' (1952–1954, TV Series) as Grand Duchess Tatiana Petrovna / Princess Louise * '' The Green Scarf'' (1954) as Solange Vauthier * ''

The Alcoa Hour ''The Alcoa Hour'' is an American anthology television series that was aired live on NBC from 1955 to 1957. The series was sponsored by Alcoa. Overview Like the '' Philco Television Playhouse'' and '' Goodyear Television Playhouse'' that had pre ...

'' (1955, TV Series) as Jane Cornish * ''

The United States Steel Hour ''The United States Steel Hour'' is an anthology series which brought hour long dramas to television from 1953 to 1963. The television series and the radio program that preceded it were both sponsored by the United States Steel Corporation (U. S. ...

'' (1955, TV Series) as Evelyn Holt * ''

'' (1957) as Honor Stanford * ''

Climax! ''Climax!'' (later known as ''Climax Mystery Theater'') is an American television anthology series that aired on CBS from 1954 to 1958. The series was hosted by William Lundigan and later co-hosted by Mary Costa. It was one of the few CBS programs ...

'' (1957, TV Series) as Jane Palmer * ''

General Electric Theater ''General Electric Theater'' was an American anthology series hosted by Ronald Reagan that was broadcast on CBS radio and television. The series was sponsored by General Electric's Department of Public Relations. Radio After an audition show ...

'' (1958, TV Series) as Cynthia Spence * ''

Alfred Hitchcock Presents ''Alfred Hitchcock Presents'' is an American television anthology series created, hosted and produced by Alfred Hitchcock, aired on CBS and NBC between 1955 and 1965. It features dramas, thrillers and mysteries. Between 1962 and 1965 it was rena ...

'' (1958, TV Series) as Sylvia Leeds Kent * ''

'' (1958–1959, TV Series) as Laura Mills / Lady Diane Goodfellow * ''

Armchair Theatre ''Armchair Theatre'' is a British television drama anthology series of single plays that ran on the ITV network from 1956 to 1974. It was originally produced by ABC Weekend TV. Its successor Thames Television took over from mid-1968. The Canad ...

'' (1958–1966, TV Series) as Lady Baynton / Marguerite Gautier * ''The Offshore Island'' (1959, TV Movie) as Rachel Verney * '' Taste of Fear'' (1961) as Jane Appleby * ''

Thriller (American TV series) ''Thriller'' (also known as ''Boris Karloff's Thriller'' and ''Boris Karloff Presents'') is an American anthology television series that aired during the 1960–61 and 1961–62 seasons on NBC. The show featured host Boris Karloff introducing ...

'' (1961), as Sylvia Lawrence * ''

The Son of Captain Blood ''The Son of Captain Blood'' is a 1962 Italian/Spanish/American international co-production film. It is the first starring role in a film for Sean Flynn, the son of Errol Flynn, who played the title character in the 1935 film '' Captain Blood''. T ...

'' (1962) as Arabella Blood * '' Ninety Degrees in the Shade'' (1965) as Mrs Kurka * ''

Thirty-Minute Theatre ''Thirty-Minute Theatre'' was a British anthology drama series of short plays shown on BBC Television between 1965 and 1973, which was used in part at least as a training ground for new writers, on account of its short running length, and which t ...

'' (1967, TV Series) as The Woman * ''

The Fiend ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...

'' (1972) as Birdy Wemys * '' The Human Factor'' (1979) as Castle's mother * '' Maelstrom'' (1985, TV Mini-Series) as Astrid Linderman * ''

Screen Two ''Screen Two'' was a British television anthology drama series, produced by the BBC and transmitted on BBC2 from 1985 to 1998 (not to be confused with a run of films shown on BBC2 under the billing ''Screen 2'' between April 1977 and March 19 ...

'' (1986, TV Series) as Mrs. Forbes-Duthie * ''

Maigret Jules Maigret (), or simply Maigret, is a fictional French police detective, a '' commissaire'' ("commissioner") of the Paris ''Brigade Criminelle'' ('' Direction Régionale de la Police Judiciaire de Paris:36, Quai des Orfèvres''), created b ...

'' (1992, TV Series) as Mlle. Josette (final appearance)

Radio appearances

References

External links

*
performances listed in Theatre Archive University of Bristol
* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Todd, Ann 1907 births 1993 deaths 20th-century English actresses Actresses from Cheshire Alumni of the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama English film actresses English television actresses People from Hartford, Cheshire 20th-century British businesspeople