Neva Carr-Glynn

Neva Carr Glyn or Neva Carr Glynn (born Neva Josephine Mary Carr Glyn, 10 May 1908 – 10 August 1975) was an Australian stage, film and radio actress born in Melbourne to Arthur Benjamin Carr Glyn (died 16 January 1923), a humorous baritone and stage manager born in Ireland, and Marie Carr Glyn (late Mola), née Marie Dunoon Senior (10 June 1874 – 24 December 1953), an actress with the stage name "Marie Avis".Lane, Richard ''The Golden Age of Australian Radio Drama'' Melbourne University Press 1994 She had one half-sister Gwendoline Arnold O'Neill and two half-brothers Sacheverill Arnold Mola and Rupert Arnold Mola. She was named "Neva" after a great-aunt, who was a contralto of some quality. Both spellings of her surname appear in print roughly equally and apparently arbitrarily.

Early career

Neva was born while her parents were with the Fred Niblo company touring the J. C. Williamson circuit. Her theatrical debut was four months later, in New Zealand, when Fred Niblo carried her on stage.Porter, Hal ''Stars of Australian Stage and Screen'' Rigby Ltd., Adelaide 1965
She was playing the young ''William'' to her mother's ''Lady Isabel Vane'' in ''East Lynne'' at the age of four.

From age five to twelve, when her father died, she was a boarder in various convent schools, ending in Sydney. At eight she was enrolled in the Minnie Hooper School of Dancing and at eleven she was dancing in a revue ''The Queen of Sheba'' at the Sydney Town Hall.

At thirteen her dancing skills won her a place in the chorus line of a Fuller Brothers pantomime ''Dick Whittington and His Cat'' at the Majestic Theatre, Newtown then in 1925 toured with the ''Band Box Revue''. For the following six years she worked for them under contract, touring Australia and New Zealand in revues. ''Robinson Crusoe'' from 1925 to 1926 as Principal Girl, "Aladdin" 1927–28 as Principal Boy and ''Clowns in Clover'' for the Frank Neil company are noted appearances,Australian Dictionary of Biography
/ref> this last starring Roy Rene. Other stars she worked with at this time were Jim Gerald and George Wallace.

In 1929 she and her mother joined the Frank Neil company in a tour of South Africa playing leads in such comedies as ''Up in Mabel's Room''.

She travelled to London in 1931 and got a break with the Firth Shephard company playing the Sigmund Romberg operetta ''Nina Rosa'' (produced by Carol Reed) then with Firth Shephard and Leslie Henson in a string of "Aldwych comedies" such as ''Living Dangerously'' (1934), ''Accidentally Yours'' (1935), and ''Aren't Men Beasts?'' in 1936. She also appeared in four movies including ''Girls, Please!'' (1934) with Sydney Howard and '' The Squeaker'' (1937) with Ann Todd.

There in 1936 she married an Australian grazier named Arthur John but left him when he insisted she give up the stage. In 1937 she returned to Australia and was soon in work, playing in ''Cinderella'' (playing Dandini) and other pantomimes by day and revues with Jim Gerald and Ella Shields at night.

Radio and stage

The following year she was working for the Australian Broadcasting Commission doing radio plays with Peter Finch. The two became a famous pair, starring in dozens of dramas including a Max Afford husband-and-wife detective series ''Greyface'' as ''Jeffery'' and ''Elizabeth Blackburn''. It was around this time that she was given the nickname "Nessie".Patti Crocker ''Radio Days'' Simon & Schuster 1989

In 1940 she married actor John Tate and their son Nick Tate, also an actor was born in 1942. In 1941 they commenced as a husband-and-wife team for the Macquarie network, where they were known as the "sweethearts of radio", playing romantic leads on the Lux Theatre, the premier drama show in the days when radio was king, and the dark-haired imperious Neva was one of the three "Queens of Radio" (with Lyndall Barbour and Thelma Scott). She played Mrs Cogg, the undertaker's wife in the series ''Granny Martin Steps Out''. She also appeared in ''Star Theatre'' shows for Macquarie; one series with John Tate, another with Arundel Nixon. She played in the long-running ABC series '' Blue Hills''.

She had not left the stage entirely; in 1944 she and John toured New Zealand, and she had regular appearances at the Minerva Theatre such as ''Love from a Stranger'' with Grant Taylor, ''Clutterbuck'', ''Storm in a Teacup'', ''Separate Rooms'' and ''Dangerous Corner'' by J.B. Priestley. But the marriage was foundering. John went off to Central Australia to live with the Arunta tribe (they divorced in 1954). She joined John Alden's Shakespearean touring company; playing roles such as Portia in ''The Merchant of Venice'', Paulina in ''A Winter's Tale'' and Mistress Ford in ''The Merry Wives of Windsor''. In 1957 she joined the Trust Players at the Elizabethan Theatre (the old "Majestic" renamed), also toured performing Richard Beynon's ''The Shifting Heart'' and Peter Kenna's '' Slaughter on St. Teresa's Day''. Neva appeared in two episodes of '' Skippy the Bush Kangaroo'', 'Esmerelda' and 'Fred'.

Film and television career

The world was changing for Neva. Television had taken over as the star medium and required youthful good looks and different skills.

She appeared in ''Slaughter of St Teresa's Day'' with Annette Andre who called her "a wonderful actress – I was always terrified of her, she was a really tough lady, but very professional and experienced. I have to say I learned a lot from her." She had played the role on stage.

She was consigned to unsympathetic older roles like Mrs Gillipop in ''The Gillipops'', and in movies like ''Age of Consent'' (1969) and ''Ride a Wild Pony'' (1975). Her last role was in the ABC-TV series '' Certain Women''. She died mid-series.

Recognition

*In 1950 she won the Macquarie Network's award for "best performance by an actress in a leading role" (in ''Half Light'').
*In 1951 she won the Macquarie Network's award for "best performance by an actress in a leading role" (in ''If This Be Error'').''Canberra Times'' 11 February 1952
/ref>

Filmography

Film

* ''Girls, Please!'' (1934, feature film)
* '' The Squeaker'' (aka ''Murder on Diamond Row'') (1937, feature film)
*'' First Victory Loan: Return Journey'' (1944, short film)
*'' Murder Story'' (1957, TV movie) as Jim Tanner's mother
* '' The Bastard Country'' (1959, TV movie) as Connie Naismith
*''Harlequinade'' (1961, TV movie) as Edna Selby
*'' A Night Out'' (1961, TV movie) as Mother
* ''Red Peppers'' (1962, TV movie)
* ''Prelude to Harvest'' (1963, TV movie) as Mrs Barnsley
*'' Don't Listen Ladies'' (1963, TV movie) as Julie
*''Rape of the Belt'' (1964, TV movie) as Hera
*''A Touch of Gold'' (1967, TV movie)
*''Age of Consent'' (1969, feature film) as Ma Ryan
* ''Ride a Wild Pony'' (1975, feature film) as Miss Gwen

Television

*''The Adventures of Long John Silver'' (1958)
* ''Whiplash'' (1960-61)
* ''The Mavis Bramston Show'' (1966)
*''A Touch of Gold'' (1967)
* '' Skippy the Bush Kangaroo'' (episodes: 'Esmerelda' and 'Fred') (1967-68)
*''The Cousin from Fiji'' (1972)
*'' Certain Women''

Stage

* ''East Lynne'' (1912) as William
* ''The Queen of Sheba'' (1919) as a dancer at Sydney Town Hall
* ''Dick Whittington and His Cat'' (1921, pantomime) in the chorus line for Fuller Brothers at Majestic Theatre, Newtown
* ''Band Box Revue'' (1925-31) (Australia & New Zealand tour)
* ''Robinson Crusoe'' (1925-26) as Principal Girl
* ''Aladdin'' (1927–28) as Principal Boy
* ''Clowns in Clover'' for Frank Neil Company
* '' Up in Mabel's Room'' (1929) as Mabel for Frank Neil Company (South African tour)
*''Nina Rosa'' (1931, operetta) for Firth Shephard Company
* ''Living Dangerously'' (1934) for Firth Shephard Company
* ''Accidentally Yours'' (1935) for Firth Shephard Company
* ''Aren't Men Beasts?'' (1936) for Firth Shephard Company
* ''Cinderella'' (1937) as Dandini
* ''Love from a Stranger'' at Minerva Theatre
* ''Clutterbuck'' at Minerva Theatre
* ''Storm in a Teacup'' at Minerva Theatre
* ''Separate Rooms'' at Minerva Theatre
* ''Dangerous Corner'' by J.B. Priestley
* ''The Merchant of Venice'' as Portia for John Alden Shakespeare Company
* '' A Winter's Tale'' as Paulina for John Alden Shakespeare Company
* ''The Merry Wives of Windsor'' as Mistress Ford for John Alden Shakespeare Company
* ''The Shifting Heart'' for John Alden Shakespeare Company
* '' The Bastard Country'' (1959) as Connie Naismith
*'' The Slaughter of St Theresa's Day'' (1960) as Oola Maguire

Selected radio performances

*''The Laughing Woman'' with Peter Finch for the ABC in 1941
*''Mrs Parkington'' with John Saul for Macquarie Network in 1946
*''If This Be Error'' by Rachel Grieve and Mollie Greenhalgh for Macquarie Network 1951
*''Shadow of the Vine'' by Beverley Nichols for the General Motors Hour 1952
*''Mildred Pierce'' by James M. Cain in 1953''Sydney Morning Herald'' 17 December 1953
/ref>

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Carr Glyn, Neva
1908 births
1975 deaths
Actresses from Melbourne
Australian radio actresses
Australian stage actresses
Australian film actresses
Australian television actresses
Australian people of Irish descent
20th-century Australian actresses