Georgette Lizette Withers
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Georgette Lizette Withers,
CBE The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...
, AO (12 March 191715 July 2011), known professionally as Googie Withers, was an English entertainer who was a dancer and actress with a lengthy career spanning some nine decades in theatre, film, and television. She was a well-known actress and star of British films during the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
and postwar years. She often starred in British productions, primarily in films with actor and producer
John McCallum John McCallum (born 9 April 1950) is a Canadian politician, economist, diplomat and former university professor. A former Liberal Member of Parliament ( MP), McCallum was the Canadian Ambassador to China from 2017 to 2019. He was asked for ...
, whom she married, and together they emigrated in the late 1950s to her husband's native Australia, where they became best known in theatre, although she would play prison governor Faye Boswell in the TV series ''
Within These Walls ''Within These Walls'' is a British television drama programme made by London Weekend Television for ITV and shown between 1974 and 1978. It portrayed life in HMP Stone Park, a fictional women's prison. Unlike later women-in-prison TV series, ...
'' during the 1970s and continued to feature in films.


Biography

Withers was born in
Karachi Karachi (; ur, ; ; ) is the most populous city in Pakistan and 12th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 20 million. It is situated at the southern tip of the country along the Arabian Sea coast. It is the former cap ...
,
British India The provinces of India, earlier presidencies of British India and still earlier, presidency towns, were the administrative divisions of British governance on the Indian subcontinent. Collectively, they have been called British India. In one ...
(now
Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...
), to Edgar Withers, a captain in the
Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...
, and a mother of Dutch French German descent, Lizette Wilhelmina Katarina.Brian McFarlane, ''Assured lady of the screen took no nonsense'', obituary, The Age, 19 July 2011. She was named after her aunt Georgette Ottolina, but was fondly given the name "Googie" ("chota ghugi'" is Punjabi for "little dove") at a young age by her Punjabi '' ayah'' (nanny), which became Anglicised to "Googie". She became used to this nickname and decided to keep it professionally for her stage name. As a child, she showed interest in learning the
Urdu Urdu (;"Urdu"
''
Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1.145 million in the city proper, 2.92 million in the West ...
, England; Googie was sent to a boarding school near
Dover Dover () is a town and major ferry port in Kent, South East England. It faces France across the Strait of Dover, the narrowest part of the English Channel at from Cap Gris Nez in France. It lies south-east of Canterbury and east of Maidstone ...
, and a secondary day school in London.


Acting career

She began acting at the age of twelve. A student at the
Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts The Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts is a performing arts conservatoire based in Woking, England. It was founded in 1911 by Italia Conti, an actress. The first production at Italia Conti Academy was the play '' Where the Rainbow Ends''. F ...
, and at the dance school of
Buddy Bradley Harold "Buddy" William Bradley Jr.,Peter Bagge ''Hate'' #6, 1991 Fantagraphics; page 6, panel 3. generally referred to as Buddy Bradley, is a comic book character created by Peter Bagge and the main protagonist in several of his comic books, mos ...
, where she learnt ballet and tap, she was a dancer in a West End production when she was offered work initially as a film extra in
Michael Powell Michael Latham Powell (30 September 1905 – 19 February 1990) was an English filmmaker, celebrated for his partnership with Emeric Pressburger. Through their production company The Archers, they together wrote, produced and directed a seri ...
's '' The Girl in the Crowd'' (1935). She arrived on the set to find one of the major players in the production had been dismissed, and she was immediately asked to step into the leading role in her place, beginning a seven year contract with
Warner Brothers Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American Film studio, film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios, Burbank, Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, Califo ...
, after which she worked for studios Fox British, Eling Studios and
The Rank Organisation The Rank Organisation was a British entertainment conglomerate founded by industrialist J. Arthur Rank in April 1937. It quickly became the largest and most vertically integrated film company in the United Kingdom, owning production, distribut ...
. During the 1930s, Withers was constantly in demand in lead roles in minor films and supporting roles in more prestigious productions. She was in '' Windfall'' (1935) and ''
The Love Test ''The Love Test'' is a 1935 British romantic comedy film directed by Michael Powell and starring Judy Gunn, Louis Hayward, David Hutcheson, Googie Withers and Thorley Walters. It was made as a Quota quickie. Plot When a woman is made the head ...
'' (1935) and she had the lead in '' All at Sea'' (1935). Withers supported in '' Dark World'' (1935), ''
King of Hearts The king of hearts is a playing card in the standard 52-card deck. King of Hearts may also refer to: Games * The King of Hearts Has Five Sons, card game that may have been a precursor to Cluedo Books * King of Hearts (''Alice's Adventures ...
'' (1936), and ''
Accused Accused or The Accused may refer to: * A person suspected with committing a crime or offence; see Criminal charge ** Suspect, a known person suspected of committing a crime * The Accüsed, a 1980s Seattle crossover thrash band *''The Accused'', a ...
'' (1936). '' Her Last Affaire'' (1935) was her third film with Powell. Withers followed it with ''
She Knew What She Wanted ''She Knew What She Wanted'' is a 1936 British musical comedy film directed by Thomas Bentley and starring Albert Burdon, Claude Dampier and Googie Withers. It was based on the stage musical '' Funny Face''. Premise An amoral young dancer falls ...
'' (1936), ''
Crown v. Stevens ''Crown v. Stevens'' is a 1936 British crime thriller film directed by Michael Powell. It was made as a quota quickie. Plot Ex-dancer Doris Stevens kills a moneylender who is pressing her for settlement of her debt and threatening to tell her re ...
'' (1936) (directed by Powell), ''
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), '' Pearls Bring Tears'' (1937), ''
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), and '' Paradise for Two'' (1937). She had the lead in '' You're the Doctor'' (1938) and was back to support for '' Kate Plus Ten'' (1938). Her best known work of the period was as one of
Margaret Lockwood Margaret Mary Day Lockwood, Order of the British Empire, CBE (15 September 1916 – 15 July 1990), was an English actress. One of Britain's most popular film stars of the 1930s and 1940s, her film appearances included ''The Lady Vanishes (1938 ...
's friends in
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 ...
's ''
The Lady Vanishes ''The Lady Vanishes'' is a 1938 British mystery thriller film directed by Alfred Hitchcock, starring Margaret Lockwood and Michael Redgrave. Written by Sidney Gilliat and Frank Launder, based on the 1936 novel ''The Wheel Spins'' by Ethel L ...
'' (1938). Withers kept in support roles in ''
Paid in Error ''Paid in Error'' is a 1938 British comedy film directed by Maclean Rogers and featuring George Carney, Lillian Christine and Tom Helmore. The screenplay concerns a man who is mistakenly given a large sum of money at the bank. Cast * George Car ...
'' (1938) and ''
Strange Boarders ''Strange Boarders'' is a 1938 British comedy thriller film, directed by Herbert Mason, produced by Edward Black for Gainsborough Pictures, and starring Tom Walls, Renée Saint-Cyr, Googie Withers and Ronald Adam. The film is an adaptation o ...
'' (1938). She was in a
Will Hay William Thomson Hay (6 December 1888 – 18 April 1949) was an English comedian who wrote and acted in a schoolmaster sketch that later transferred to the screen, where he also played other authority figures with comic failings. His film ''Oh ...
film ''
Convict 99 ''Convict 99'' is a 1938 British comedy film directed by Marcel Varnel and starring Will Hay, Moore Marriott, Graham Moffatt and Googie Withers. Plot Incompetent Dr Benjamin Twist (Will Hay) is dismissed from his job as headmaster at St. Mich ...
'' (1938) and supported
Jack Buchanan Walter John Buchanan (2 April 1891 – 20 October 1957) was a Scottish theatre and film actor, singer, dancer, producer and director. He was known for three decades as the embodiment of the debonair man-about-town in the tradition of George G ...
in '' The Gang's All Here'' (1939). Then she appeared in crime films ''
Murder in Soho ''Murder in Soho'' is a 1939 British crime film directed by Norman Lee and starring Jack La Rue, Sandra Storme, Googie Withers and Bernard Lee. It concerns a murder in the Central London district of Soho. It was released in the U.S. as ''Murder ...
'' (1939) and ''
Dead Men are Dangerous ''Dead Men are Dangerous'' is a 1939 British noir crime film directed by Harold French and starring Robert Newton, Betty Lynne, John Warwick, and Peter Gawthorne. It was released in the U.S. as ''Dangerous Masquerade''. Its plot concerns an u ...
'' (1939). She supported
George Formby George Formby, (born George Hoy Booth; 26 May 1904 – 6 March 1961) was an English actor, singer-songwriter and comedian who became known to a worldwide audience through his films of the 1930s and 1940s. On stage, screen and record he s ...
in '' Trouble Brewing'' (1939) and Tommy Trinder in '' She Couldn't Say No'' (1939). She was in a Robert Montgomery film ''
Busman's Honeymoon ''Busman's Honeymoon'' is a 1937 novel by Dorothy L. Sayers, her eleventh and last featuring Lord Peter Wimsey, and her fourth and last to feature Harriet Vane. Plot introduction Lord Peter Wimsey and Harriet Vane marry and go to spend thei ...
'' (1939) and was reunited with Buchanan in ''
Bulldog Sees It Through ''Bulldog Sees it Through'' is a 1940 British, black-and-white, mystery war film directed by Harold Huth and starring Jack Buchanan, Greta Gynt, Googie Withers, Ronald Shiner as Pug and Sebastian Shaw. Plot This is not a Bulldog Drummond ...
'' (1940). She was still supporting comics in ''
Back-Room Boy ''Back-Room Boy'' is a 1942 British comedy film directed by Herbert Mason, produced by Edward Black for Gainsborough Pictures and distributed by General Film Distributors. The cast includes Arthur Askey, Googie Withers, Graham Moffatt and Moor ...
'' (1942) with
Arthur Askey Arthur Bowden Askey, (6 June 1900 – 16 November 1982) was an English comedian and actor. Askey was known for his short stature (5' 2", 1.58 m) and distinctive horn-rimmed glasses, and his playful humour incorporating improvisation ...
.


Rising fame

Among her successes of the 1940s, and a departure from her previous roles, was the
Powell and Pressburger The British film-making partnership of Michael Powell (1905–1990) and Emeric Pressburger (1902–1988)—together often known as The Archers, the name of their production company—made a series of influential films in the 1940s and 1950s. ...
film ''
One of Our Aircraft Is Missing ''One of Our Aircraft Is Missing'' (stylized onscreen as ''......one of our aircraft is missing'') is a 1942 British black-and-white war film, mainly set in the German-occupied Netherlands. It was the fourth collaboration between the British writ ...
'' (1942), a topical World War II drama in which she played a Dutch resistance fighter who helps British airmen return to safety from behind enemy lines. Powell and Pressburger then used her in a film they produced but did not direct, ''
The Silver Fleet ''The Silver Fleet'' is a 1943 British war film written and directed by Vernon Sewell and Gordon Wellesley and produced by Powell and Pressburger under the banner of "The Archers". Plot Early during the World War II, Second World War, the Nazi ...
'' (1943). She played Helen, a significant second lead in the Clive Book directed 1944 comedy '' On Approval''. Withers was in ''
They Came to a City ''They Came to a City'' is a 1944 British film directed by Basil Dearden adapted from the 1943 play of the same title by J. B. Priestley. It stars John Clements, Googie Withers, Raymond Huntley, Renee Gadd, A. E. Matthews and others, and is ...
'' (1945) directed by Basil Dearden and was one of several stars in ''
Dead of Night ''Dead of Night'' is a 1945 black and white British anthology horror film, made by Ealing Studios. The individual segments were directed by Alberto Cavalcanti, Charles Crichton, Basil Dearden and Robert Hamer. It stars Mervyn Johns, Googie W ...
'' (1945). Withers was given a star part in ''
Pink String and Sealing Wax ''Pink String and Sealing Wax'' is a 1945 British drama film directed by Robert Hamer and starring Mervyn Johns. It is based on a play with the same name by Roland Pertwee. It was the first feature film Robert Hamer directed on his own. The ti ...
'' (1945). It was well received and Withers was given the title role in ''
The Loves of Joanna Godden ''The Loves of Joanna Godden'' is a 1947 British historical drama film directed by Charles Frend and produced by Michael Balcon. The screenplay was written by H. E. Bates and Angus MacPhail from the novel '' Joanna Godden'' (1921) by Sheila Ka ...
'' (1947), which was a hit. In the cast was actor John McCallum whom Withers later married. They remained married until McCallum died in 2010. Withers then starred in ''
It Always Rains on Sunday ''It Always Rains on Sunday'' is a 1947 British film adaptation of Arthur La Bern's novel by the same name, directed by Robert Hamer. The film has been compared with the poetic realism movement in the French cinema of a few years earlier by the ...
'' (1948) which was one of the biggest hits of the year. In 1948 British exhibitors voted her the 8th most popular British star in the country. Three comedies followed: the hugely popular '' Miranda'' (1948) with McCallum, and '' Once Upon a Dream'' (1949) and ''
Traveller's Joy ''Traveller's Joy'' is a 1949 British comedy film directed by Ralph Thomas and starring Googie Withers, John McCallum and Maurice Denham. Based on a West End play of the same name by Arthur Macrae, it was the last film released by the origina ...
'' (1949), both directed by
Ralph Thomas Ralph Philip Thomas Military Cross, MC (10 August 1915 – 17 March 2001) was an English film director. He is perhaps best remembered for directing the ''Doctor Series, Doctor'' series of films. His brother, Gerald Thomas, was also a film dire ...
. Next she was third billed after Hollywood stars
Gene Tierney Gene Eliza Tierney (November 19, 1920 – November 6, 1991) was an American film and stage actress. Acclaimed for her great beauty, she became established as a leading lady. Tierney was best known for her portrayal of the title character in the ...
and
Richard Widmark Richard Weedt Widmark (December 26, 1914March 24, 2008) was an American film, stage, and television actor and producer. He was nominated for an Academy Award for his role as the villainous Tommy Udo in his debut film, '' Kiss of Death'' (1947) ...
in the tense thriller ''
Night and the City ''Night and the City'' is a 1950 film noir directed by Jules Dassin and starring Richard Widmark, Gene Tierney and Googie Withers. It is based on the novel of the same name by Gerald Kersh. Shot on location in London and at Shepperton Studio ...
'' (1950). Withers took 13 months off for the birth of her first child, then returned to star as a doctor in ''
White Corridors ''White Corridors'' is a 1951 British drama film directed by Pat Jackson and starring Googie Withers, Godfrey Tearle, James Donald and Petula Clark. It is based on a novel by Helen Ashton. The film is set in a hospital shortly after the establish ...
'' (1951), one of the most popular films of the year in Britain. She was one of many cameos in ''
The Magic Box ''The Magic Box'' is a 1951 British Technicolor biographical drama film directed by John Boulting. The film stars Robert Donat as William Friese-Greene, with numerous cameo appearances by performers such as Peter Ustinov and Laurence Olivie ...
'' (1951) and was in a play ''Winter Journey''. Withers made three films with her husband, '' Derby Day'' (1952), ''
Devil on Horseback ''Devil on Horseback'' is a 1954 British sports drama film directed by Cyril Frankel and starring Googie Withers, John McCallum and Jeremy Spenser. Its plot involves a boy who pursues his ambition to be a jockey. The screenplay was by Scottis ...
'' (1954), and ''
Port of Escape ''Port of Escape'' is a 1956 British thriller film directed by Tony Young and starring Googie Withers, John McCallum, Bill Kerr and Joan Hickson. Plot Two sailors, one Australian and one American, are kicked off their ship when it docks in Lo ...
'' (1956). In 1954 she starred with McCallum in the West End play '' Waiting for Gillian'' by
Ronald Millar Sir Ronald Graeme Millar (12 November 1919 – 16 April 1998) was an English actor, scriptwriter, and dramatist. Life and career After attending Charterhouse School, Millar studied at King's College, Cambridge for a year before joining th ...
.


Australia

Withers first toured Australia in the stage play ''Simon and Laura''. When McCallum was offered the position running J.C. Williamson theatres, they moved to Australia in 1959. Withers starred in a number of stage plays, including Rattigan's '' The Deep Blue Sea'', ''Desire of the Moth'', ''The First 400 Years'' (with
Keith Michell Keith Joseph Michell (1 December 1926 – 20 November 2015) was an Australian actor who worked primarily in the United Kingdom, and was best known for his television and film portrayals of King Henry VIII. He appeared extensively in Shakespeare ...
), ''The Circle'', A. R. Gurney's ''
The Cocktail Hour ''The Cocktail Hour'' is a comedy of manners by A. R. Gurney. It premiered in June 1988 in San Diego, California at the Old Globe Theatre and, on October 20, 1988, in New York City at the Off Broadway Promenade Theatre. Like many of Gurney’ ...
'', ''
Time and the Conways ''Time and the Conways'' is a British play written by J. B. Priestley in 1937 illustrating J. W. Dunne's Theory of Time through the experience of a moneyed Yorkshire family, the Conways, over a period of nineteen years from 1919 to 1937. Wide ...
'', ''
The Importance of Being Earnest ''The Importance of Being Earnest, A Trivial Comedy for Serious People'' is a play by Oscar Wilde. First performed on 14 February 1895 at the St James's Theatre in London, it is a farcical comedy in which the protagonists maintain fictitious ...
'', ''Beekman Place'' (for which she also designed the set) (1965), ''The Kingfisher'', ''Stardust'',
Chekhov Anton Pavlovich Chekhov (; 29 January 1860 Old Style date 17 January. – 15 July 1904 Old Style date 2 July.) was a Russian playwright and short-story writer who is considered to be one of the greatest writers of all time. His career ...
's ''
The Cherry Orchard ''The Cherry Orchard'' (russian: Вишнёвый сад, translit=Vishnyovyi sad) is the last play by Russian playwright Anton Chekhov. Written in 1903, it was first published by '' Znaniye'' (Book Two, 1904), and came out as a separate editio ...
'' and
Wilde Wilde is a surname. Notable people with the name include: In arts and entertainment In film, television, and theatre * '' Wilde'' a 1997 biographical film about Oscar Wilde * Andrew Wilde (actor), English actor * Barbie Wilde (born 1960), Canad ...
's '' An Ideal Husband'' for the
Melbourne Theatre Company The Melbourne Theatre Company is a theatre company based in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Founded in 1953 as the Union Theatre Repertory Company at the Union Theatre at the University of Melbourne, it is the oldest professional theatre com ...
; both productions toured Australia. They appeared together in the UK in ''
The School for Scandal ''The School for Scandal'' is a comedy of manners written by Richard Brinsley Sheridan. It was first performed in London at Drury Lane Theatre on 8 May 1777. Plot Act I Scene I: Lady Sneerwell, a wealthy young widow, and her hireling Sn ...
'' 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 th ...
in London's West End and on the subsequent
British Council The British Council is a British organisation specialising in international cultural and educational opportunities. It works in over 100 countries: promoting a wider knowledge of the United Kingdom and the English language (and the Welsh lan ...
tour of Europe in 1983–84 and in
W. Somerset Maugham William Somerset Maugham ( ; 25 January 1874 – 16 December 1965) was an English writer, known for his plays, novels and short stories. Born in Paris, where he spent his first ten years, Maugham was schooled in England and went to a German un ...
's ''The Circle'' at the
Chichester Festival Theatre Chichester Festival Theatre is a theatre and Grade II* listed building situated in Oaklands Park in the city of Chichester, West Sussex, England. Designed by Philip Powell and Hidalgo Moya, it was opened by its founder Leslie Evershed-Mart ...
. Withers starred on Broadway with
Michael Redgrave Sir Michael Scudamore Redgrave CBE (20 March 1908 – 21 March 1985) was an English stage and film actor, director, manager and author. He received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in ''Mourning Becomes Elec ...
in ''
The Complaisant Lover ''The Complaisant Lover'' is a 1959 comedy play by Graham Greene. Consisting of two acts, each of two scenes, the play revolves around an affair between Mary Rhodes and Clive Root, the book seller friend of her husband, Victor. The play takes pla ...
'' and in London with Alec Guinness in ''
Exit the King ''Exit the King'' (french: Le Roi se meurt) is an absurdist drama by Eugène Ionesco that premiered in 1962. It is the third in Ionesco's "Berenger Cycle", preceded by '' The Killer'' (1958) and ''Rhinocéros'' (1959), and followed by ''A Str ...
''.


Later career

Withers returned to films with the lead in ''
Nickel Queen ''Nickel Queen'' is a 1971 Australian comedy film starring Googie Withers and directed by her husband John McCallum. The story was loosely based on the Poseidon bubble, a nickel boom in Western Australia in the late 1960s, and tells of an outback ...
'' (1971), directed by McCallum. She was in ''
The Cherry Orchard ''The Cherry Orchard'' (russian: Вишнёвый сад, translit=Vishnyovyi sad) is the last play by Russian playwright Anton Chekhov. Written in 1903, it was first published by '' Znaniye'' (Book Two, 1904), and came out as a separate editio ...
'' (1974) on Australian TV. In 1974, she appeared as Faye Boswell, the original governor of a women's prison, in the television series ''
Within These Walls ''Within These Walls'' is a British television drama programme made by London Weekend Television for ITV and shown between 1974 and 1978. It portrayed life in HMP Stone Park, a fictional women's prison. Unlike later women-in-prison TV series, ...
''. Because ''Within These Walls'' had been a moderate success in Australia, she was approached by producers to play the role of the Governor in the Australian version titled ''
Prisoner A prisoner (also known as an inmate or detainee) is a person who is deprived of liberty against their will. This can be by confinement, captivity, or forcible restraint. The term applies particularly to serving a prison sentence in a prison. ...
'', although she declined, and the role was given to
Patsy King Patsy King (born 16 September 1930) is an Australian retired actress known for work in both theatre and television. She has been a children's television presenter, theatre director, playwright and worked in commercials, and in radio and voice ...
. Withers starred in the BBC adaptation of ''
Hotel du Lac ''Hotel du Lac'' is a 1984 Booker Prize-winning novel by English writer Anita Brookner. It centres on Edith Hope, a romance novelist who is staying in a hotel on the shores of Lake Geneva. There she meets other English visitors, including Mr ...
'' (1986), which was followed a year later by another BBC production of ''
Northanger Abbey ''Northanger Abbey'' () is a coming-of-age Coming of age is a young person's transition from being a child to being an adult. The specific age at which this transition takes place varies between societies, as does the nature of the ...
''. In 1989, she appeared at Brighton in England in ''The Cocktail Hour'' alongside her husband John and her daughter,
Joanna Joanna is a feminine given name deriving from from he, יוֹחָנָה, translit=Yôḥānāh, lit=God is gracious. Variants in English include Joan (given name), Joan, Joann, Joanne (given name), Joanne, and Johanna. Other forms of the name in ...
- the play a success from New York starring
Nancy Marchand Nancy Lou Marchand (June 19, 1928 – June 18, 2000) was an American actress. She began her career in theatre in 1951. She was most famous for her television portrayals of Margaret Pynchon on ''Lou Grant'' and Livia Soprano on ''The Sopranos''. ...
, the previous year. In 1990, she appeared in ITV's adaptation of ''Ending Up''. Her last screen performance was as the Australian novelist
Katharine Susannah Prichard Katharine Susannah Prichard (4 December 18832 October 1969) was an Australian author and co-founding member of the Communist Party of Australia. Early life Prichard was born in Levuka, Fiji in 1883 to Australian parents. She spent her childhood ...
in the film '' Shine'' (1996), for which she and the other cast members were nominated for a
Screen Actors Guild The Screen Actors Guild (SAG) was an American labor union which represented over 100,000 film and television principal and background performers worldwide. On March 30, 2012, the union leadership announced that the SAG membership voted to m ...
award for "Outstanding performance by a cast". In 2002, aged 85, Withers appeared with
Vanessa Redgrave Dame Vanessa Redgrave (born 30 January 1937) is an English actress and activist. Throughout her career spanning over seven decades, Redgrave has garnered numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Television Award, tw ...
in
Oscar Wilde Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde (16 October 185430 November 1900) was an Irish poet and playwright. After writing in different forms throughout the 1880s, he became one of the most popular playwrights in London in the early 1890s. He is ...
's ''
Lady Windermere's Fan ''Lady Windermere's Fan, A Play About a Good Woman'' is a four-act comedy by Oscar Wilde, first performed on Saturday, 20 February 1892, at the St James's Theatre in London. The story concerns Lady Windermere, who suspects that her husband is ...
'' in London's West End. In October 2007, aged 90 and 89 respectively, Withers and McCallum appeared in an extended interview with Peter Thompson on
ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...
TV's ''
Talking Heads Talking Heads were an American rock band formed in 1975 in New York City and active until 1991.Talki ...
'' programme.


Death

Withers died on 15 July 2011 at her Sydney home, aged 94. Her husband, actor, television producer and studio executive John McCallum predeceased her on 3 February 2010.


Honours

Withers was appointed an Honorary Officer of the
Order of Australia The Order of Australia is an honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, on the advice of the Australian Gove ...
(AO) for services to drama, in the 1980 Australia Day Honours List. In the 2001 Queen's Birthday Honours List (UK), she was named a Commander of the
Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established ...
(CBE). Withers was a
JC Williamson Award The JC Williamson Award (formally known as the James Cassius Williamson Award), is an lifetime achievement award presented annually as a sector of the Helpmann Awards, governed by Live Performance Australia. The awards are named after the Ameri ...
recipient for lifetime achievement in 1999. In 1992 Googie Withers and John McCallum were founding patrons and active supporters of the Tait Memorial Trust in London. A Charity established by Isla Baring OAM, the daughter of Sir Frank Tait of J. C. Williamson's to support young Australian performing artists in the UK. She was the subject of '' This Is Your Life'' in 1971 when she was surprised by
Eamonn Andrews Eamonn Andrews, (19 December 1922 – 5 November 1987) was an Irish radio and television presenter, employed primarily in the United Kingdom from the 1950s to the 1980s. From 1960 to 1964 he chaired the Radio Éireann Authority (now the RTÉ ...
, whilst thinking she was going to be interviewed by her close friend
Godfrey Winn Godfrey Herbert Winn (15 October 1906 – 19 June 1971) was an English journalist known as a columnist, and also a writer and actor. Born in Kings Norton, Warwickshire, he attended King Edward's School, Birmingham.Ghostarchive
and th
Wayback Machine


Selected filmography

*'' The Girl in the Crowd'' (1935) – Sally *''
The Love Test ''The Love Test'' is a 1935 British romantic comedy film directed by Michael Powell and starring Judy Gunn, Louis Hayward, David Hutcheson, Googie Withers and Thorley Walters. It was made as a Quota quickie. Plot When a woman is made the head ...
'' (1935) – Minnie *'' Windfall'' (1935) – Dodie *'' Her Last Affaire'' (1935) – Effie *'' Dark World'' (1935) – Annie *'' All at Sea'' (1935) – Daphne Tomkins *''
She Knew What She Wanted ''She Knew What She Wanted'' is a 1936 British musical comedy film directed by Thomas Bentley and starring Albert Burdon, Claude Dampier and Googie Withers. It was based on the stage musical '' Funny Face''. Premise An amoral young dancer falls ...
'' (1936) – Dora *''
Crown v. Stevens ''Crown v. Stevens'' is a 1936 British crime thriller film directed by Michael Powell. It was made as a quota quickie. Plot Ex-dancer Doris Stevens kills a moneylender who is pressing her for settlement of her debt and threatening to tell her re ...
'' (1936) – Ella Levine *''
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) – Miss Dupres *''
Accused Accused or The Accused may refer to: * A person suspected with committing a crime or offence; see Criminal charge ** Suspect, a known person suspected of committing a crime * The Accüsed, a 1980s Seattle crossover thrash band *''The Accused'', a ...
'' (1936) – Ninette Duval *''
King of Hearts The king of hearts is a playing card in the standard 52-card deck. King of Hearts may also refer to: Games * The King of Hearts Has Five Sons, card game that may have been a precursor to Cluedo Books * King of Hearts (''Alice's Adventures ...
'' (1936) – Elaine *''
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) – Mary *'' Pearls Bring Tears'' (1937) – Doreen *'' Paradise for Two'' (1937) – Miki *''
The Green Cockatoo ''The Green Cockatoo'' (a.k.a. ''Four Dark Hours'') is a 1937 British drama film directed by William Cameron Menzies from a story by Graham Greene and shot at Denham Studios. Starring John Mills, René Ray, and Robert Newton, it tells the story ...
'' (1937) – (uncredited) *''
Paid in Error ''Paid in Error'' is a 1938 British comedy film directed by Maclean Rogers and featuring George Carney, Lillian Christine and Tom Helmore. The screenplay concerns a man who is mistakenly given a large sum of money at the bank. Cast * George Car ...
'' (1938) – Jean Mason *''If I Were Boss'' (1938) – Pat *''
Strange Boarders ''Strange Boarders'' is a 1938 British comedy thriller film, directed by Herbert Mason, produced by Edward Black for Gainsborough Pictures, and starring Tom Walls, Renée Saint-Cyr, Googie Withers and Ronald Adam. The film is an adaptation o ...
'' (1938) – Elsie *''
Convict 99 ''Convict 99'' is a 1938 British comedy film directed by Marcel Varnel and starring Will Hay, Moore Marriott, Graham Moffatt and Googie Withers. Plot Incompetent Dr Benjamin Twist (Will Hay) is dismissed from his job as headmaster at St. Mich ...
'' (1938) – Lottie *'' Kate Plus Ten'' (1938) – Lady Moya *''
The Lady Vanishes ''The Lady Vanishes'' is a 1938 British mystery thriller film directed by Alfred Hitchcock, starring Margaret Lockwood and Michael Redgrave. Written by Sidney Gilliat and Frank Launder, based on the 1936 novel ''The Wheel Spins'' by Ethel L ...
'' (1938) – Blanche *'' You're the Doctor'' (1938) – Helen Firmstone *'' Trouble Brewing'' (1939) – Mary Brown *''
Murder in Soho ''Murder in Soho'' is a 1939 British crime film directed by Norman Lee and starring Jack La Rue, Sandra Storme, Googie Withers and Bernard Lee. It concerns a murder in the Central London district of Soho. It was released in the U.S. as ''Murder ...
'' (1939) – Lola Matthews *'' The Gang's All Here'' (1939) – Alice Forrest *''
Dead Men are Dangerous ''Dead Men are Dangerous'' is a 1939 British noir crime film directed by Harold French and starring Robert Newton, Betty Lynne, John Warwick, and Peter Gawthorne. It was released in the U.S. as ''Dangerous Masquerade''. Its plot concerns an u ...
'' (1939) *'' She Couldn't Say No'' (1940) – Dora *''
Busman's Honeymoon ''Busman's Honeymoon'' is a 1937 novel by Dorothy L. Sayers, her eleventh and last featuring Lord Peter Wimsey, and her fourth and last to feature Harriet Vane. Plot introduction Lord Peter Wimsey and Harriet Vane marry and go to spend thei ...
'' (1940) – Polly *''
Bulldog Sees It Through ''Bulldog Sees it Through'' is a 1940 British, black-and-white, mystery war film directed by Harold Huth and starring Jack Buchanan, Greta Gynt, Googie Withers, Ronald Shiner as Pug and Sebastian Shaw. Plot This is not a Bulldog Drummond ...
'' (1940) – Toots *'' Jeannie'' (1941) – Laundry Girl *''
Back-Room Boy ''Back-Room Boy'' is a 1942 British comedy film directed by Herbert Mason, produced by Edward Black for Gainsborough Pictures and distributed by General Film Distributors. The cast includes Arthur Askey, Googie Withers, Graham Moffatt and Moor ...
'' (1942) – Bobbie *''
One of Our Aircraft Is Missing ''One of Our Aircraft Is Missing'' (stylized onscreen as ''......one of our aircraft is missing'') is a 1942 British black-and-white war film, mainly set in the German-occupied Netherlands. It was the fourth collaboration between the British writ ...
'' (1942) – Jo de Vries *''
The Silver Fleet ''The Silver Fleet'' is a 1943 British war film written and directed by Vernon Sewell and Gordon Wellesley and produced by Powell and Pressburger under the banner of "The Archers". Plot Early during the World War II, Second World War, the Nazi ...
'' (1943) – Helène van Leyden *'' On Approval'' (1944) – Helen Hale *''
They Came to a City ''They Came to a City'' is a 1944 British film directed by Basil Dearden adapted from the 1943 play of the same title by J. B. Priestley. It stars John Clements, Googie Withers, Raymond Huntley, Renee Gadd, A. E. Matthews and others, and is ...
'' (1945) – Alice *''
Dead of Night ''Dead of Night'' is a 1945 black and white British anthology horror film, made by Ealing Studios. The individual segments were directed by Alberto Cavalcanti, Charles Crichton, Basil Dearden and Robert Hamer. It stars Mervyn Johns, Googie W ...
'' (1945) – Joan Cortland (segment "Linking Story") / (segment "The Haunted Mirror") *''
Pink String and Sealing Wax ''Pink String and Sealing Wax'' is a 1945 British drama film directed by Robert Hamer and starring Mervyn Johns. It is based on a play with the same name by Roland Pertwee. It was the first feature film Robert Hamer directed on his own. The ti ...
'' (1945) – Pearl Bond *''
The Loves of Joanna Godden ''The Loves of Joanna Godden'' is a 1947 British historical drama film directed by Charles Frend and produced by Michael Balcon. The screenplay was written by H. E. Bates and Angus MacPhail from the novel '' Joanna Godden'' (1921) by Sheila Ka ...
'' (1947) – Joanna Godden *''
It Always Rains on Sunday ''It Always Rains on Sunday'' is a 1947 British film adaptation of Arthur La Bern's novel by the same name, directed by Robert Hamer. The film has been compared with the poetic realism movement in the French cinema of a few years earlier by the ...
'' (1947) – Rose Sandigate *'' Miranda'' (1948) – Clare Martin *'' Once Upon a Dream'' (1949) – Carol Gilbert *''
Night and the City ''Night and the City'' is a 1950 film noir directed by Jules Dassin and starring Richard Widmark, Gene Tierney and Googie Withers. It is based on the novel of the same name by Gerald Kersh. Shot on location in London and at Shepperton Studio ...
'' (1950) – Helen Nosseross *''
Traveller's Joy ''Traveller's Joy'' is a 1949 British comedy film directed by Ralph Thomas and starring Googie Withers, John McCallum and Maurice Denham. Based on a West End play of the same name by Arthur Macrae, it was the last film released by the origina ...
'' (1950) – Bumble Pelham *''
White Corridors ''White Corridors'' is a 1951 British drama film directed by Pat Jackson and starring Googie Withers, Godfrey Tearle, James Donald and Petula Clark. It is based on a novel by Helen Ashton. The film is set in a hospital shortly after the establish ...
'' (1951) – Dr. Sophie Dean *''
The Magic Box ''The Magic Box'' is a 1951 British Technicolor biographical drama film directed by John Boulting. The film stars Robert Donat as William Friese-Greene, with numerous cameo appearances by performers such as Peter Ustinov and Laurence Olivie ...
'' (1951) – Sitter in Bath Studio *''
Lady Godiva Rides Again ''Lady Godiva Rides Again'' is a 1951 British comedy film starring Pauline Stroud, George Cole and Bernadette O'Farrell, with British stars in supporting roles or making cameo appearances. It concerns a small-town English girl who wins a local ...
'' (1951) – Susan Foster (actress in clip, "The Shadow of the Orient") (uncredited) *'' Derby Day'' (1952) – Betty Molloy *''
Devil on Horseback ''Devil on Horseback'' is a 1954 British sports drama film directed by Cyril Frankel and starring Googie Withers, John McCallum and Jeremy Spenser. Its plot involves a boy who pursues his ambition to be a jockey. The screenplay was by Scottis ...
'' (1954) – Mrs. Cadell *''
Port of Escape ''Port of Escape'' is a 1956 British thriller film directed by Tony Young and starring Googie Withers, John McCallum, Bill Kerr and Joan Hickson. Plot Two sailors, one Australian and one American, are kicked off their ship when it docks in Lo ...
'' (1956) – Anne Stirling *'' The First 400 Years'' (1964) *''
Nickel Queen ''Nickel Queen'' is a 1971 Australian comedy film starring Googie Withers and directed by her husband John McCallum. The story was loosely based on the Poseidon bubble, a nickel boom in Western Australia in the late 1960s, and tells of an outback ...
'' (1971) – Meg Blake *''
The Cherry Orchard ''The Cherry Orchard'' (russian: Вишнёвый сад, translit=Vishnyovyi sad) is the last play by Russian playwright Anton Chekhov. Written in 1903, it was first published by '' Znaniye'' (Book Two, 1904), and came out as a separate editio ...
'' (1974, TV Movie) – Ranevskaya *''
Within These Walls ''Within These Walls'' is a British television drama programme made by London Weekend Television for ITV and shown between 1974 and 1978. It portrayed life in HMP Stone Park, a fictional women's prison. Unlike later women-in-prison TV series, ...
'' (1974–1975, TV Series) – Prison Governess – Faye Boswell *''
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 ...
'' (1986, TV Series) – Mrs. Allen / Mrs. Pusey / Leda Klein *'' Melba'' (1988, TV Mini-Series) – Lady Armstrong *'' Country Life'' (1994) – Hannah *'' Shine'' (1996) – Katharine Susannah Prichard (final film role)


References


External links

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, %20Number%3A355688%20, %20Number%3A360821;querytype=;resCount=10 Googie Withers at the National Film and Sound ArchivePerformances listed in the Theatre Archive University of Bristol
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Withers, Googie 1917 births 2011 deaths Alumni of the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts Australian people of Dutch descent Best Actress BAFTA Award (television) winners Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Helpmann Award winners Honorary Officers of the Order of Australia British emigrants to Australia English film actresses English people of Dutch descent English stage actresses English television actresses British people in colonial India