Joan Henley (2 September 1904 – 10 February 1986) was an

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

actress and radio presenter. She was active on the

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

stage since at least 1927 in ingenue roles, and appeared there throughout the 1930s. Her first film role was a supporting part in ''

Purse Strings ''Purse Strings'' is a 1933 British drama film directed by Henry Edwards and starring Chili Bouchier, Gyles Isham and Allan Jeayes. It was made as a quota quickie at British and Dominion's Elstree Studios.Wood p.79 Cast * Chili Bouchier as Mar ...

'' in 1933. She had a career of over 50 years in film and television, but her appearances were seldom and mostly small because she concentrated on the stage and her private life. She is probably best known for her role as the friendly spinster Teresa Alan in the Oscar-winning romance film ''

A Room with a View ''A Room with a View'' is a 1908 novel by English writer E. M. Forster, about a young woman in the restrained culture of Edwardian era England. Set in Italy and England, the story is both a romance and a humorous critique of English society a ...

'', which was released less than a year before her death. Joan Henley married

Bruce Belfrage Bruce Belfrage (30 October 1900 – August 1974) was an English actor and BBC radio newsreader.Obituary in ''The Times'', ''Mr Bruce Belfrage'', 17 August 1974, p.14 He was casting director at the BBC between 1936 and 1939, and founded th ...

in 1930 and they had a son, Julian Belfrage, who became an actor's agent. After her divorce from Belfrage, she was married to author Laurence Meynell from 1956 until her death.

Filmography

* ''

'' (1933) as Ida Bentley * ''Charley's Aunt'' (1938, TV Movie) as Donna Lucia * ''

School for Randle ''School for Randle'' is a 1949 British comedy film directed by John E. Blakeley and starring Frank Randle, Dan Young and Alec Pleon. The plot concerns a school caretaker who turns out to be the father of one of the pupils. When she runs away fro ...

'' (1949) * ''

Reluctant Heroes ''Reluctant Heroes'' is a 1951 British comedy filmed in Technicolor. It is based on the farce by Colin Morris. Directed by Jack Raymond, it stars Ronald Shiner as Sergeant Bell. It was produced by Henry Halsted and Byron Film. The play, whic ...

'' (1951) (uncredited) * ''The Common Room'' (1959, TV Series) as Miss Grenville * ''Peridot Flight'' (1960, TV Series) as Lady Stilton * '' The Reckoning'' (1970) as Mrs. Reynolds * '' The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes'' (1971, TV Series) as Mrs. Wycherly * '' Follow Me!'' (1972) as Dinner Guest (uncredited) * '' Hadleigh'' (1973, TV Series) as Enid Broughton * ''Dial M for Murder'' (1974, TV Series) as Dowager * ''

Days of Hope ''Days of Hope'' is a BBC television drama serial produced in 1975. The series dealt with the lives of a working-class family from the turmoils of the First World War in 1916 to the General Strike in 1926. It was written by Jim Allen, produced ...

'' (1975, TV Mini-Series) as Lady Wimborne * ''

Armchair Thriller ''Armchair Thriller'' is a British television drama series broadcast on ITV in 1978 and 1980 in two seasons. Taking the form of a sequence of unconnected serials, scripts for ''Armchair Thriller'' were adaptations of published novels and stories ...

'' (1978, TV Series) as Lady at Garden Party * '' The Thirty Nine Steps'' (1978) as Lady Nettleship * ''

'' (1985) as Miss Teresa Alan * ''The Good Doctor Bodkin-Adams'' (1986, TV Movie) as Mrs. Morrell * '' Shades of Love: Sincerely, Violet'' (1987) as Maggie (final film role)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Henley, Joan 1904 births 1986 deaths Irish stage actresses Irish television actresses Irish film actresses 20th-century Irish actresses