Mary Merrall (5 January 1890 – 31 August 1973), born Elsie Lloyd, was an English actress whose career of over 60 years encompassed stage, film and television work.

Stage career

Merrall's stage career started in her teens, making her first stage appearance in 1907, as Queenie Merrall, and for the rest of her life she remained a well-known and respected stage actress. Although she was based in London, she often appeared in other prestigious venues in the UK such as the

Birmingham Repertory Theatre Birmingham Repertory Theatre, commonly called Birmingham Rep or just The Rep, is a producing theatre based on Centenary Square in Birmingham, England. Founded by Barry Jackson, it is the longest-established of Britain's building-based theatre c ...

and the Theatre Royal,

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...

. Among her most famous stage roles were

Lady Macbeth Lady Macbeth is a leading character in William Shakespeare's tragedy '' Macbeth'' (). As the wife of the play's tragic hero, Macbeth (a Scottish nobleman), Lady Macbeth goads her husband into committing regicide, after which she becomes quee ...

in a controversial but influential 1928 modern-dress production by Barry Jackson which opened in

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 ...

before transferring to London's

Royal Court Theatre The Royal Court Theatre, at different times known as the Court Theatre, the New Chelsea Theatre, and the Belgravia Theatre, is a non-commercial West End theatre in Sloane Square, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London, Englan ...

, and Mrs. Danvers in

Daphne du Maurier Dame Daphne du Maurier, Lady Browning, (; 13 May 1907 – 19 April 1989) was an English novelist, biographer and playwright. Her parents were actor-manager Sir Gerald du Maurier and his wife, actress Muriel Beaumont. Her grandfather was Geor ...

's ''

Rebecca Rebecca, ; Syriac: , ) from the Hebrew (lit., 'connection'), from Semitic root , 'to tie, couple or join', 'to secure', or 'to snare') () appears in the Hebrew Bible as the wife of Isaac and the mother of Jacob and Esau. According to biblical ...

'' at the Strand Theatre in 1940. Her stage career also took her to the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

, where she appeared in ''Canaries Sometimes Sing'' (

Frederick Lonsdale Frederick Lonsdale (5 February 1881 – 4 April 1954) was a British playwright known for his librettos to several successful musicals early in the 20th century, including '' King of Cadonia'' (1908), ''The Balkan Princess'' (1910), ''Betty'' (1 ...

) in

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

and

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

in 1930.

Film and television

With the exception of an appearance in a 1932

quota quickie The Cinematograph Films Act of 1927 ('' 17 & 18 Geo. V'') was an act of the United Kingdom Parliament designed to stimulate the declining British film industry. It received Royal Assent on 20 December 1927 and came into force on 1 April 1928. D ...

'' Men of Steel'', Merrall did not make the move into films until the 1940s. She was given leading roles in the 1940 Irish-set drama '' Dr. O'Dowd'' (now classed as a

lost film A lost film is a feature or short film that no longer exists in any studio archive, private collection, public archive or the U.S. Library of Congress. Conditions During most of the 20th century, U.S. copyright law required at least one copy o ...

) and the film adaptation of

Walter Greenwood Walter Greenwood (17 December 1903 – 13 September 1974) was an English novelist, best known for the socially influential novel ''Love on the Dole'' (1933). Early life Greenwood was born at 56 Ellor Street, his father's house and hairdres ...

's ''

Love on the Dole ''Love on the Dole'' is a novel by Walter Greenwood, about working-class poverty in 1930s Northern England. It has been made into both a play and a film. The novel Walter Greenwood's novel (1933) was written during the early 1930s as a respons ...

'' the following year. The 1940s then brought a steady stream of good film parts including her best-remembered roles as Mrs. Foley in the 1945 classic ''

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 Wi ...

'' and Mrs. Nickleby in the

Alberto Cavalcanti Alberto de Almeida Cavalcanti (February 6, 1897 – August 23, 1982) was a Brazilian-born film director and film producer, producer. He was often credited under the single name "Cavalcanti". Early life Cavalcanti was born in Rio de Janeiro, ...

-directed 1947 screen version of ''

Nicholas Nickleby ''Nicholas Nickleby'' or ''The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby'' (or also ''The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby, Containing a Faithful Account of the Fortunes, Misfortunes, Uprisings, Downfallings, and Complete Career of the ...

''. Into the 1950s Merrall also landed a string of diverse roles in films such as ''

Encore An encore is an additional performance given by performers after the planned show has ended, usually in response to extended applause from the audience.Lalange Cochrane, in ''Oxford Companion to Music'', Alison Latham, ed., Oxford University Pres ...

'' (1951), prison drama ''

The Weak and the Wicked ''The Weak and the Wicked'' (called ''Young and Willing'' in the United States) is a 1954 British drama film directed by J. Lee Thompson based on the autobiographical novel '' Who Lie in Gaol'' by his wife, Joan Henry, starring Glynis Johns and ...

'' (1954), comedy '' The Belles of St. Trinian's'' (1954) and harrowing World War II drama ''

The Camp on Blood Island ''The Camp on Blood Island'' is a 1958 British World War II film, directed by Val Guest for Hammer Film Productions and starring André Morell, Carl Möhner, Edward Underdown and Walter Fitzgerald. The film is set in a Japanese prisoner of war ...

'' (1958). As film work began to dry up from the late 1950s, Merrall increasingly found work in television, appearing in several productions for the

ITV ITV or iTV may refer to: ITV *Independent Television (ITV), a British television network, consisting of: ** ITV (TV network), a free-to-air national commercial television network covering the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man, and the Channel Islan ...

drama strands ''Play of the Week'' and ''ITV Playhouse'' as well as guest appearances in popular series such as ''

Sir Francis Drake Sir Francis Drake ( – 28 January 1596) was an English explorer, sea captain, privateer, slave trader, naval officer, and politician. Drake is best known for his circumnavigation of the world in a single expedition, from 1577 to 1580 ( ...

'', ''

Dixon of Dock Green ''Dixon of Dock Green'' was a BBC police procedural television series about daily life at a fictional London police station, with the emphasis on petty crime, successfully controlled through common sense and human understanding. It ran from 19 ...

'', ''

The Saint The Saint may refer to: Fiction * Simon Templar, also known as "The Saint", the protagonist of a book series by Leslie Charteris and subsequent adaptations: ** ''The Saint'' (film series) (1938–43), starring Louis Hayward, George Sanders an ...

'', '' The Avengers'', ''

Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) ''Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased)'' is a British private detective television series, starring Mike Pratt and Kenneth Cope respectively as the private detectives Jeff Randall and Marty Hopkirk. The series was created by Dennis Spooner and p ...

'' and the ''

UFO An unidentified flying object (UFO), more recently renamed by US officials as a UAP (unidentified aerial phenomenon), is any perceived aerial phenomenon that cannot be immediately identified or explained. On investigation, most UFOs are id ...

'' episode "

A Question of Priorities "A Question of Priorities" is the fifth episode aired of the first series of ''UFO'' - a 1970 British television science fiction series about an alien invasion of Earth. Tony Barwick wrote the screenplay and it was directed by David Lane. The e ...

Private life

Merrall married three times. Her first marriage to John Bouch Hissey in 1909 ended acrimoniously in 1914 amid a great deal of public and media interest, after Hissey brought a highly publicised divorce suit alleging infidelity on Merrall's part, naming several men including famous

music hall Music hall is a type of British theatrical entertainment that was popular from the early Victorian era, beginning around 1850. It faded away after 1918 as the halls rebranded their entertainment as variety. Perceptions of a distinction in Bri ...

star Albert Whelan. Merrall's second marriage, to noted Shakespearean actor Ion Swinley, was also dissolved in 1927. Her third marriage, to fellow actor

Franklin Dyall Frank Poole Dyall (3 February 1870– 8 May 1950), professionally known as Franklin Dyall, was an English actor. In his early years he was a member of the companies of the actor-managers George Alexander, Ben Greet, John Martin-Harvey and J ...

, lasted until Dyall's death in 1950. Merrall died in Brighton on 31 August 1973, aged 83.

Partial filmography

* ''Fatal Fingers'' (1916) - Irene Lambton * ''

The Manxman ''The Manxman'' is a 1929 British silent romance film directed by Alfred Hitchcock and starring Anny Ondra, Carl Brisson and Malcolm Keen. The film is based on a popular 1894 romantic novel '' The Manxman'' by Hall Caine, which had previousl ...

'' (1917) - Tom's girl * ''

Duke's Son ''Duke's Son'' is a 1920 British silent drama film directed by Franklin Dyall and starring Guy Newall, Ivy Duke and Hugh Buckler.Low p.147 Cast * Guy Newall as Lord Francis Delamere * Ivy Duke as Loan Lambourne * Hugh Buckler as Sir Robe ...

'' (1920) - Billy Honour * '' Men of Steel'' (1932) - Mrs. Harg * '' Dr. O'Dowd'' (1940) - Constantia * ''

You Will Remember ''You Will Remember'' is a 1941 British musical drama film directed by Jack Raymond and starring Robert Morley, Emlyn Williams and Dorothy Hyson. It portrays the life of the composer Leslie Stuart. Featured songs include, '' Tell Me Pretty Maiden ...

'' (1941) - London Landlady (uncredited) * ''

'' (1941) - Mrs. Hardcastle * ''

Squadron Leader X ''Squadron Leader X'' is a 1943 British World War II spy drama directed by Lance Comfort and starring Eric Portman and Ann Dvorak. The screenplay was adapted by Miles Malleson and Wolfgang Wilhelm from a short story by Emeric Pressburger. Plo ...

'' (1943) - Miss Thorndike * ''

'' (1945) - Mrs. Foley (segment "Linking Story") * ''

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) - Mrs. Ellen Sutton * '' This Man Is Mine'' (1946) - Mrs. Jarvis * ''

The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby ''Nicholas Nickleby'' or ''The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby'' (or also ''The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby, Containing a Faithful Account of the Fortunes, Misfortunes, Uprisings, Downfallings, and Complete Career of the ...

'' (1947) - Mrs. Nickleby * ''

They Made Me a Fugitive ''They Made Me a Fugitive'' (released in the United States as ''I Became a Criminal'') is a 1947 British film noir set in postwar England.''Variety'' film review; 2 July 1947, page 13.'' Harrison's Reports'' film review (14 February 1948), page ...

'' (1947) - Aggie * ''

The Three Weird Sisters ''The Three Weird Sisters'' is a 1948 British melodrama film directed by Daniel Birt and starring Nancy Price, Mary Clare, Mary Merrall, Nova Pilbeam and Raymond Lovell. The film has Gothic influences. The screenplay was adapted by Dylan Thoma ...

'' (1948) - Isobel Morgan-Vaughan * '' Badger's Green'' (1949) - Mrs. Wetherby * ''

For Them That Trespass ''For Them That Trespass'' is a 1949 British crime film directed by Alberto Cavalcanti and starring Richard Todd, Patricia Plunkett and Stephen Murray (actor), Stephen Murray. It is an adaptation of the 1944 For Them That Trespass (novel), novel ...

'' (1949) - Mrs. Drew * '' Trio'' (1950) - Miss Atkin (uncredited) * ''

The Late Edwina Black ''The Late Edwina Black'' (U.S. ''Obsessed'') is a 1951 British drama film, directed by Maurice Elvey and starring David Farrar, Geraldine Fitzgerald and Roland Culver. The film is a melodramatic murder mystery set in the Victorian era and was ...

'' (1951) - Lady Southdale * ''

'' (1951) - Flora Penezzi (segment "Gigolo and Gigolette") * '' Out of True'' (1951, Short) - Granny * ''

Judgment Deferred ''Judgment Deferred'' is a 1952 British drama film directed by John Baxter and starring Joan Collins, Hugh Sinclair, Helen Shingler and Abraham Sofaer. The film is a remake of the director's earlier film, ''Doss House'' (1933). Production The ...

'' (1952) - Lady Musterby * ''

Meet Me Tonight ''Meet Me Tonight'' is a 1952 omnibus British comedy film adapted from three one act plays by Noël Coward: ''Red Peppers'', ''Fumed Oak'' and '' Ways and Means''; which are part of his '' Tonight at 8.30'' play cycle. The film was released as ...

'' (1952) - Mrs. Rockett (segment "Fumed Oak: An Unpleasant Comedy") * ''

The Pickwick Papers ''The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club'' (also known as ''The Pickwick Papers'') was Charles Dickens's first novel. Because of his success with ''Sketches by Boz'' published in 1836, Dickens was asked by the publisher Chapman & Hall to s ...

'' (1952) - Grandma Wardle * ''Three's Company'' (1953) - Mrs. Bailey (segment "Take a Number' story) * ''

'' (1954) - Mrs. Skinner * ''

Duel in the Jungle ''Duel in the Jungle'' is a 1954 British adventure film combining the detective film with the jungle adventure genres directed by George Marshall and starring Dana Andrews, Jeanne Crain and David Farrar. It was shot at the Elstree Studios near ...

'' (1954) - Mrs. Henderson * '' The Belles of St. Trinian's'' (1954) - Miss Buckland * ''

The Green Carnation ''The Green Carnation'' is a novel by Robert Hichens that was first published anonymously in 1894. A satire on contemporary champions of the Aesthetic Movement, it was withdrawn briefly after the scandal of the Oscar Wilde trial in the follo ...

'' (1954) - Mrs. Rydon-Smith * ''The Last Moment'' (1954) - Housekeeper (segment: 'The Last Moment') * '' Destination Milan'' (1954) * ''

It's Great to Be Young ''It's Great to Be Young'' is a 1956 musical Technicolor comedy film about a school music teacher, starring Cecil Parker and John Mills. Plot Mr Dingle (John Mills) seeks to interest his pupils in music in order to enjoy life, while the new ...

'' (1956) - Miss Wyvern, School Mistress * ''

Campbell's Kingdom ''Campbell's Kingdom'' is a 1957 British adventure film directed by Ralph Thomas, based on the 1952 novel of the same name by Hammond Innes. The film stars Dirk Bogarde and Stanley Baker, with Michael Craig, Barbara Murray, James Robertson Ju ...

'' (1957) - Miss Ruth * ''

Rx Murder ''Rx Murder'' is a 1958 American crime film directed by Derek Twist and written by John W. Gossage and Derek Twist. It is based on the 1955 novel ''The Deeds of Dr. Deadcert'' by Joan Fleming. The film stars Rick Jason, Lisa Gastoni, Marius Gori ...

'' (1958) - Miss Bettyhill * ''

'' (1958) - Helen * '' Spare the Rod'' (1961) - Miss Fogg * '' Bitter Harvest'' (1963) - Aunt Louisa * ''

The Amorous Adventures of Moll Flanders ''The Amorous Adventures of Moll Flanders'' is a 1965 British historical comedy film directed by Terence Young and starring Kim Novak, Richard Johnson, and Angela Lansbury. It is based on the 1722 novel '' Moll Flanders'' by Daniel Defoe. ...

'' (1965) - A Lady * ''

Who Killed the Cat? ''Who Killed the Cat?'' is a 1966 British crime film directed by Montgomery Tully and starring Mary Merrall, Ellen Pollock and Amy Dalby. It was based on the 1956 play ''Tabitha'' by Arnold Ridley and Mary Cathcart Borer. Plot Three elderly s ...

'' (1966) - Janet Bowering * ''

Futtocks End ''Futtocks End'' is a British comedy film released in 1970, directed by Bob Kellett and written by Ronnie Barker. Almost entirely without dialogue, the film includes a musical score, sound effects and incoherent mutterings. The story revolves ar ...

'' (1970) - The Aunt

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Merrall, Mary 1890 births 1973 deaths English stage actresses English film actresses English silent film actresses English television actresses Actresses from Liverpool 20th-century English actresses