Sheila Keith (9 June 1920 – 14 October 2004) was a
British character actress, active in theatre, films and TV. She was born to
Scottish
Scottish usually refers to something of, from, or related to Scotland, including:
*Scottish Gaelic, a Celtic Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family native to Scotland
*Scottish English
*Scottish national identity, the Scottish ide ...
parents in
London while they were visiting the city and brought up in
Aberdeen,
Scotland. Longing to act, she trained at the
Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art in London.
Her stage career took her from repertory theatre at the
Bristol Old Vic and
Pitlochry, to West End appearances including
Noël Coward
Sir Noël Peirce Coward (16 December 189926 March 1973) was an English playwright, composer, director, actor, and singer, known for his wit, flamboyance, and what ''Time'' magazine called "a sense of personal style, a combination of cheek and ...
's
Present Laughter,
Mame with
Ginger Rogers, An Italian Straw Hat,
Anyone for Denis?, and
Deathtrap.
wrote: "In the Sixties, she was often seen in series such as ''
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 ...
'', ''
Public Eye'' and ''
Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes () is a fictional detective created by British author Arthur Conan Doyle. Referring to himself as a " consulting detective" in the stories, Holmes is known for his proficiency with observation, deduction, forensic science and ...
''. But she gained a national popularity when she went into ''
Crossroads
Crossroads, crossroad, cross road or similar may refer to:
* Crossroads (junction), where four roads meet
Film and television Films
* ''Crossroads'' (1928 film), a 1928 Japanese film by Teinosuke Kinugasa
* ''Cross Roads'' (film), a 1930 Brit ...
'' in 1967 as Mrs Cornet. It was the era when the soap was hugely popular and
Noelle Gordon
Joan Noele Gordon (25 December 1919 – 14 April 1985) was an English actress and television presenter. She played the role of Meg Mortimer (originally Richardson) in the long-running British soap opera ''Crossroads'' from 1964 to 1981, with ...
ruled the motel with a rod of iron...She played Lady Rosina in the BBC’s mammoth production of
The Pallisers, Aunt Morag (keen on her whisky) in
Hinge and Bracket's TV series ''Dear Ladies'', Auntie Ethel in ''
Moody and Pegg''. She was also seen in the first run of ''
Dr Finlay's Casebook''.". Also, too, the Housekeeper, Mrs. Mitcham, in the ''
Lord Peter Wimsey (TV series)'', ''
The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club'' episode, 1973.
But Sheila Keith remains best known for her excellent performances in the cult
horror films of director
Pete Walker, having played leading roles in shockers such as ''
House of Whipcord'', ''
Frightmare'', ''
House of Mortal Sin
''House of Mortal Sin'' (also known as ''The Confessional'' and ''The Confessional Murders'') is a 1976 British horror slasher film directed and produced by Pete Walker. It was scripted by David McGillivray from a story by Walker. Its plot con ...
'', ''
The Comeback'' and ''
House of the Long Shadows''. She played variously, a lesbian prison warder, a one eyed housekeeper, and an elderly cannibal, amongst other parts.
In her obituary,
The Times described her as an "Actress of film, stage and television who became a 'British horror icon' ...It was with her portrayal of sinister, sadistic and deranged women in the horror movies of the director Pete Walker that she acquired her most devoted following".
Sheila Keith also had a memorable role as the Reverend Mother Stephen opposite
Arthur Lowe
Arthur Lowe (22 September 1915 – 15 April 1982) was an English actor. His acting career spanned 36 years, including starring roles in numerous theatre and television productions. He played Captain Mainwaring in the British sitcom ''Dad' ...
, in all three series of the LWT sitcom ''
Bless Me, Father''.
Her final role was in the first episode of a horror spoof TV series, ''
Dr. Terrible's House of Horrible'', starring
Steve Coogan
Stephen John Coogan (; born 14 October 1965) is an English actor, comedian, producer and screenwriter. He is most known for creating original characters such as Alan Partridge, a socially inept and politically incorrect media personality, which ...
, in 2001.
Films
External links
*
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Keith, Sheila
1920 births
2004 deaths
British stage actresses
British film actresses
British television actresses
Scottish film actresses