Shani Wallis (born 14 April 1933) is a British actress and singer, who has worked in theatre, film, and television in both her native United Kingdom and in the United States. A graduate of the

Royal Academy of Dramatic Art The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA; ) is a drama school in London, England, that provides vocational conservatoire training for theatre, film, television, and radio. It is based in the Bloomsbury area of Central London, close to the Sen ...

, she is perhaps best known for her roles in the West End, and for the role of Nancy in the 1968

Oscar Oscar, OSCAR, or The Oscar may refer to: People * Oscar (given name), an Irish- and English-language name also used in other languages; the article includes the names Oskar, Oskari, Oszkár, Óscar, and other forms. * Oscar (Irish mythology), ...

-winning film musical ''

Oliver! ''Oliver!'' is a coming-of-age stage musical, with book, music and lyrics by Lionel Bart. The musical is based upon the 1838 novel '' Oliver Twist'' by Charles Dickens. It premiered at the Wimbledon Theatre, southwest London in 1960 before op ...

Biography

Wallis was born 14 April 1933 in

Tottenham Tottenham () is a town in North London, England, within the London Borough of Haringey. It is located in the ceremonial county of Greater London. Tottenham is centred north-northeast of Charing Cross, bordering Edmonton to the north, Waltham ...

, London, and made her first stage appearance at the age of four. She later studied at the

(RADA) She made her theatrical debut in a lead role as young princess Maria in ''

Call Me Madam ''Call Me Madam'' is a musical written by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse, with music and lyrics by Irving Berlin. The musical is a satire on politics and foreign policy that spoofs postwar America's penchant for lending billions of dollars to ...

'' at the

London Coliseum The London Coliseum (also known as the Coliseum Theatre) is a theatre in St Martin's Lane, Westminster, built as one of London's largest and most luxurious "family" variety theatres. Opened on 24 December 1904 as the London Coliseum Theatre ...

in March 1952. Wallis sprung to global fame when appearing as Nancy in the oscar winning musical film ''

'' in 1968, starring alongside

Oliver Reed Robert Oliver Reed (13 February 1938 – 2 May 1999) was an English actor known for his well-to-do, macho image and "hellraiser" lifestyle. After making his first significant screen appearances in Hammer Horror films in the early 1960s, his ...

as Bill Sykes,

Ron Moody Ron Moody (born Ronald Moodnick; 8 January 1924 – 11 June 2015) was an English actor, composer, singer and writer. He was best known for his portrayal of Fagin in ''Oliver!'' (1968) and its 1983 Broadway revival. Moody earned a Golden Globe ...

as Fagin,

Jack Wild Jack Wild (30 September 1952 – 1 March 2006) was an English actor and singer. He is best known for his role as the Artful Dodger in the film ''Oliver!'' (1968), for which he received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor at t ...

as the Artful Dodger, and

Mark Lester Mark Lester (born Mark A. Letzer; 11 July 1958) is an English former child actor, osteopath, and acupuncturist who starred in a number of British and European films in the 1960s and 1970s. In 1968 he played the title role in the film '' Olive ...

as Oliver. Afterwards Wallis received an offer to star in the television series

The Brady Bunch ''The Brady Bunch'' is an American sitcom created by Sherwood Schwartz that aired from September 26, 1969, to March 8, 1974, on ABC. The series revolves around a large blended family with six children. The show aired for five seasons and, after ...

, but turned it down because she wanted to do more musicals. Wallis is a

naturalised citizen Naturalization (or naturalisation) is the legal act or process by which a non-citizen of a country may acquire citizenship or nationality of that country. It may be done automatically by a statute, i.e., without any effort on the part of the in ...

of the United States where she has lived for more than forty years. She married her agent, Bernie Rich, on 13 September 1968; the couple have one daughter and two grand-daughters. Wallis is a patron of the theatre charity

the Music Hall Guild of Great Britain and America The Music Hall Guild of Great Britain and America and the Theatre and Film Guild of Great Britain and America is a registered theatre charity and non-profit making theatre organisation based in London. The Guild's patrons include Brian Croucher ...

Selected credits

Film

* ''

Ramsbottom Rides Again ''Ramsbottom Rides Again'' is a 1956 British western comedy film produced and directed by John Baxter. The film features radio, film and stage star Arthur Askey in the lead role of Bill Ramsbottom, with Sid James, Shani Wallis, Betty Marsden and ...

'' (1956) * ''

The Extra Day ''The Extra Day'' is a 1956 British comedy-drama film directed by William Fairchild and starring Richard Basehart, Simone Simon and George Baker. Plot After the final scene of a film is lost by the driver taking it to the printing lab, the ca ...

'' (1956) *''

A King in New York ''A King in New York'' is a 1957 British comedy film directed by and starring Charlie Chaplin in his last leading role, which co-stars, among others, his young son Michael. The film presents a satirical view of the McCarthy communist-hunt era ...

'' (1957) as Cabaret Singer * ''

'' (1968) as Nancy * '' Arnold'' (1973) * ''

Terror in the Wax Museum ''Terror in the Wax Museum'' is a 1973 American horror mystery film directed by Georg Fenady and starring Ray Milland, Elsa Lanchester, Maurice Evans, John Carradine, Broderick Crawford, Louis Hayward, Patric Knowles, and Shani Wallis. The fi ...

'' (1973) * '' Mayday at 40,000 Feet'' (1976) * ''

The Great Mouse Detective ''The Great Mouse Detective'' (also known as ''The Adventures of the Great Mouse Detective'' for its 1992 theatrical re-release and ''Basil the Great Mouse Detective'' in some countries) is a 1986 American animated mystery film, mystery adventur ...

'' (voice of Lady Mouse, 1986) * ''Round Numbers'' (1992) * ''

The Pebble and the Penguin ''The Pebble and the Penguin'' is a 1995 Irish-American independent animated film directed by Don Bluth and Gary Goldman. The film stars the voices of Martin Short, Jim Belushi, Tim Curry, and Annie Golden. Based on the true life mating rituals of ...

'' (narrator, 1995) * ''

Mojave Phone Booth ''Mojave Phone Booth'' is an independently produced 2006 film directed by John Putch. The film is based on a Mojave phone booth, real phone booth in the Mojave Desert that once accepted incoming calls, but has since been removed. The film is compos ...

'' (voice of "Greta", 2006)

Selected TV

* '' Two of a Kind'' (with Morecambe and Wise, 1961) * ''

The Garry Moore Show ''The Garry Moore Show'' is the name for several separate American variety series on the CBS television network in the 1950s and 1960s. Hosted by experienced radio performer Garry Moore, the series helped launch the careers of many comedic talent ...

'' (1963-1964) * ''Once Upon a Mattress'' (as Lady Larken, with most of the original Broadway cast, 1964) * ''The Dean Martin Show'' (singing "I'm a Girl" and "

How Are Things in Glocca Morra? "How Are Things in Glocca Morra?" is a popular song about a fictional village in Ireland, with themes of nostalgia and homesickness. It was introduced by Ella Logan in the original 1947 Broadway production of '' Finian's Rainbow''. Production T ...

", 1965) * ''The Red Skelton Hour'' (1965 episode singing "

I'm Old Fashioned "I'm Old Fashioned" is a 1942 song composed by Jerome Kern, with lyrics written by Johnny Mercer. It was written for the film ''You Were Never Lovelier'' (1942), where it was introduced by Nan Wynn who dubbed for Rita Hayworth as part of a song ...

" and singing/dancing "Pass Me By") * ''

This Is Tom Jones ''This Is Tom Jones'' is an ATV variety series starring Tom Jones. The series was exported to the United States by ITC Entertainment and was networked there by ABC. The series ran between 1969 and 1971 to total 65 colour episodes. Jones was no ...

'' (1969, 1970) * ''

Gunsmoke ''Gunsmoke'' is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman Macdonnell and writer John Meston. It centers on Dodge City, Kansas, in the 1870s, during the settlement of the American West. The central character ...

'' (as Stella in the episodes "Women for Sale", 1973) * ''

The Young and the Restless ''The Young and the Restless'' (often abbreviated as ''Y&R'') is an American television soap opera created by William J. Bell and Lee Phillip Bell for CBS. The show is set in fictional Genoa City (not the real-life similarly-named Genoa City, Wi ...

'' (as Frances the Governess, 2004) * ''

The $10,000 Pyramid ''Pyramid'' is the collective name of a series of American television game shows that has aired several versions domestically and internationally. The original series, ''The $10,000 Pyramid'', debuted on March 26, 1973, and spawned seven subsequ ...

'' * ''

Charlie's Angels ''Charlie's Angels'' is an American crime drama television series that aired on ABC from September 22, 1976, to June 24, 1981, producing five seasons and 115 episodes. The series was created by Ivan Goff and Ben Roberts and was produced by Aa ...

'' (guest appearance as Ellen Jason, 1977) * ''

Columbo ''Columbo'' () is an American crime drama television series starring Peter Falk as Lieutenant Columbo, a homicide detective with the Los Angeles Police Department. After two pilot episodes in 1968 and 1971, the show originally aired on NBC f ...

'' (as Gwen, in the "Strange Bedfellows" episode, 1995) * ''

Murder, She Wrote ''Murder, She Wrote'' is an American crime drama television series, created by Peter S. Fischer, Richard Levinson and William Link, starring Angela Lansbury, and produced and distributed by Universal Television for the CBS network. The series f ...

'' (guest appearance as Olivia Waverley, 1989) * ''

Night Gallery ''Night Gallery'' is an American anthology television series that aired on NBC from December 16, 1970, to May 27, 1973, featuring stories of horror and the macabre. Rod Serling, who had gained fame from an earlier series, ''The Twilight Zone'', ...

'' (as Miss Danton - segment "The Doll", 1971) * '' Mickie Finn's'' (as herself, 1966) * ''

The Ed Sullivan Show ''The Ed Sullivan Show'' is an American television program, television variety show that ran on CBS from June 20, 1948, to March 28, 1971, and was hosted by New York City, New York entertainment columnist Ed Sullivan. It was replaced in Septembe ...

'' (where she was spotted and subsequently auditioned and won the part of Nancy in the 1968 film ''Oliver'')

Theatre

* ''

'', (1952), London Coliseum (as Princess Marie) * ''

Wish You Were Here Wish You Were Here may refer to: Film, television, and theater Film * ''Wish You Were Here'' (1987 film), a British comedy-drama film by David Leland * ''Wish You Were Here'' (2012 film), an Australian drama/mystery film by Kieran Darcy-Smith ...

'', (1953), London Casino * ''Happy As a King'', (1953), Princes Theatre, London (as Juliet) * ''

Wonderful Town ''Wonderful Town'' is a 1953 musical with book written by Joseph A. Fields and Jerome Chodorov, lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green, and music by Leonard Bernstein. The musical tells the story of two sisters who aspire to be a writer and act ...

'' (1954), London Casino (as Fay Tomkin) * ''

Irma La Douce ''Irma la Douce'' (, "Irma the Sweet") is a 1963 American romantic comedy film directed by Billy Wilder from a screenplay he co-wrote with I. A. L. Diamond, based on the 1956 French stage musical of the same name by Marguerite Monnot and Alexa ...

'' (1961), Lyric Theatre (title role) * ''Fine Fettle'' (1959), Palace Theatre * ''Green Room Rags'' (1954), Princes Theatre * '' The Dave King Show'', (1956), London Hippodrome * ''

Aladdin Aladdin ( ; ar, علاء الدين, ', , ATU 561, ‘Aladdin') is a Middle-Eastern folk tale. It is one of the best-known tales associated with ''The Book of One Thousand and One Nights'' (''The Arabian Nights''), despite not being part of ...

'', (

pantomime Pantomime (; informally panto) is a type of musical comedy stage production designed for family entertainment. It was developed in England and is performed throughout the United Kingdom, Ireland and (to a lesser extent) in other English-speaking ...

), (1955), Streatham Hill Theatre (as Aladdin) * ''

King Cole Coel (Old Welsh: ''Coil''), also called ''Coel Hen'' (Coel the Old) and King Cole, is a figure prominent in Welsh literature and legend since the Middle Ages. Early Welsh tradition knew of a Coel Hen, a 4th-century leader in Roman or Sub-Roman ...

'' (pantomime, 1962), Palace Manchester (as Miranda) * '' Bells Are Ringing'' (1958), Princess Theatre, MelbournePrincess Theatre, Melbourne theatre programme (1958) * ''

Bus Stop A bus stop is a place where buses stop for passengers to get on and off the bus. The construction of bus stops tends to reflect the level of usage, where stops at busy locations may have shelters, seating, and possibly electronic passenger ...

'' (1958), Golders Green Hippodrome (as Cherie) * ''You'll Be Lucky'', (1954), Adelphi Theatre with Lauri

Lupino Lane Henry William George Lupino (16 June 1892 – 10 November 1959) professionally Lupino Lane, was an English actor and theatre manager, and a member of the famous Lupino family, which eventually included his cousin, the screenwriter/director/actr ...

* ''

Cowardy Custard ''Cowardy Custard'' is a musical revue and was one of the last Noël Coward shows staged during his life. It was devised by Gerard Frow, Alan Strachan and Wendy Toye. A book, also titled ''Cowardy Custard'', was published in connection with the ...

'' (1989), Theatre Royal Bath * ''

A Time for Singing ''A Time for Singing'' is a musical with music by John Morris, lyrics by Gerald Freedman and John Morris, and a book by Freedman and Morris. The work was based on Richard Llewellyn's novel of a Welsh mining village, ''How Green Was My Valley''. ...

'' (1966), Broadway Theater * ''

Finian's Rainbow ''Finian's Rainbow'' is a musical with a book by E. Y. Harburg and Fred Saidy, lyrics by Harburg, and music by Burton Lane, produced by Lee Sabinson. The original 1947 Broadway production ran for 725 performances, while a film version was re ...

'' (1958), New Shakespeare Theatre * '' 42nd Street'', (1985), Drury Lane Theatre * ''Always'' (1997), Victoria Palace Theatre * ''Follies'' (1990), Long Beach Civic Light Opera, 20th Anniversary Revival (as Sally Durant Plummer)

Recordings

* ''Call Me Madam'' – original London stage recording (1952) * ''Wish You Were Here'' – original London stage recording (1953) * ''Shani!'' EP (1960) – Philips BBE 12337 ("Personality", "Please Don't Say No", "Don't Take Your Love Away from Me", "There Goes My Heart") * ''A Time for Singing'' (1966) – original Broadway cast recording * ''I'm a Girl!'' LP (1967) – Kapp Records KS-3472 * ''Look to Love'' LP (1967) – Kapp Records KS-3527 * ''Oliver!'' (1968) – original film cast recording * ''As Long As He Needs Me'' LP (1968) – Kapp Records KS-3573 * ''The Girl from Oliver'' LP (1969) – Kapp Records KS-3606

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Wallis, Shani 1933 births Living people American film actresses American stage actresses American television actresses American women singers American musical theatre actresses American voice actresses Audiobook narrators English film actresses English television actresses English women singers English emigrants to the United States English musical theatre actresses English voice actresses English stage actresses People from Tottenham Alumni of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art Kapp Records artists 21st-century American women