Dinah Sheridan (born Dinah Nadyejda Ginsburg; 17 September 1920 – 25 November 2012) was an English actress with a career spanning seven decades. She was best known for the films '' Genevieve'' (1953) and '' The Railway Children'' (1970); the long-running BBC comedy series '' Don't Wait Up'' (1983–1990); and for her distinguished theatre career in London's West End.

Early life and career

Sheridan was born Dinah Nadyejda Ginsburg in

Finchley Finchley () is a large district of north London, England, in the London Borough of Barnet. Finchley is on high ground, north of Charing Cross. Nearby districts include: Golders Green, Muswell Hill, Friern Barnet, Whetstone, Mill Hill a ...

,Brian McFarlane, "Sheridan, Dinah ée Dinah Nadyejda Ginsburg(1920–2012)", ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, Jan 201
available online
Retrieved 26 August 2020. London, to Charlotte Lisa Ginsburg (née Everth; 1893–1966) and James Ginsburg (1893–1958).Barker, Dennis
Dinah Sheridan
''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers '' The Observer'' and '' The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the ...

'', film obituary. Retrieved 26 November 2012Lisa Sheridan profile at the Alan Cash website
accessed 30 November 2012 Her father was born in

Osaka is a designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the third most populous city in Japan, following Special wards of Tokyo and Yokohama. With a population of ...

, Japan, to a Jewish father of Russian descent. Her mother was born in Kew, Surrey, to parents of German descent. Her parents were photographers commissioned as "Studio Lisa" by the Queen Mother and her daughter,

Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. She was queen regnant of 32 sovereign states durin ...

to photograph the royal family and such events as royal

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-speakin ...

s. She was educated at Sherrards School in

Welwyn Garden City Welwyn Garden City ( ) is a town in Hertfordshire, England, north of London. It was the second garden city in England (founded 1920) and one of the first new towns (designated 1948). It is unique in being both a garden city and a new town and ...

Hertfordshire Hertfordshire ( or ; often abbreviated Herts) is one of the home counties in southern England. It borders Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire to the north, Essex to the east, Greater London to the south, and Buckinghamshire to the west. For gov ...

and the Italia Conti Stage School. In 1932, at the age of 11, she debuted professionally in ''Where the Rainbow Ends'' at the Holborn Empire. She changed her name to Dinah Sheridan, which she selected from a phone book, to play Wendy, at the age of 14, in a long-running theatrical production of '' Peter Pan'' starring Jean Forbes-Robertson. Sheridan became the first actress to play both Peter Pan and Wendy, touring between 1934–36 and taking the show to

Stratford-upon-Avon Stratford-upon-Avon (), commonly known as just Stratford, is a market town and civil parish in the Stratford-on-Avon district, in the county of Warwickshire, in the West Midlands region of England. It is situated on the River Avon, north-we ...

. Her parents changed their surname to Sheridan at the same time. Her first feature film was ''Give My Heart'' (1935). Other early films included '' Father Steps Out'' (1937) and her first starring role the following year in '' Irish and Proud of It''. Stage appearances included Terence Rattigan's '' French Without Tears'' (1939, Oxford), J B Priestley's ''When We Are Married'' (1940, with Cyril Cusack, Llandudno) and ''The Golden Grain'' (1952, with Betty Balfour, Embassy Theatre, London).

One of television's pioneers

Sheridan was one of the first actresses to appear on television in 1936 when the medium was in its infancy, and was interviewed on the BBC TV magazine programme ''

Picture Page ''Picture Page'' is a British television non-fiction programme, broadcast by the BBC Television Service (now known as BBC One) from 1936 to 1939, and again after the service's hiatus during the Second World War from 1946 until 1952. It was the ...

''. The BBC had commenced the world's first regular-scheduled service that year from

Alexandra Palace Alexandra Palace is a Grade II listed entertainment and sports venue in London, situated between Wood Green and Muswell Hill in the London Borough of Haringey. It is built on the site of Tottenham Wood and the later Tottenham Wood Farm. Origi ...

. Dinah's acting credits included appearing with Robert Helpmann in ''The Maker of Dreams'' (1937); and in ''Gallows Glorious'', the first-ever three-act play on television (1938).

Films

She postponed her film career to serve for two years as an ambulance driver at the start of

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

, where she participated in repertory theatre. After marrying

Jimmy Hanley Jimmy Hanley (22 October 1918 – 13 January 1970) was an English actor who appeared in the popular Huggetts film series, and in ITV's most popular advertising magazine programme, ''Jim's Inn'', from 1957 to 1963. Early life Born in Norwich, N ...

in 1942, she appeared in several films with him. Notable films in the 1940s were '' Salute John Citizen'' (1942), ''

Get Cracking ''Get Cracking'' is a 1943 British comedy war film, directed by Marcel Varnel starring George Formby, with Dinah Sheridan and Ronald Shiner. It was produced by Marcel Varnel and Ben Henry for Columbia (British) Productions, a subsidiary of th ...

'' (1943, with George Formby), ''

Murder in Reverse? ''Murder in Reverse'' (also styled ''Murder in Reverse?'') is a 1945 British thriller film directed by Montgomery Tully and starring William Hartnell, Jimmy Hanley and Chili Bouchier. It is based on the story ''Query'' by "Seamark" ( Austin J. ...

'' (1945, with Chili Bouchier), ''

For You Alone ''For You Alone'' is a 1945 British World War II romance melodrama, one of only two films directed by cinematographer Geoffrey Faithfull, starring Lesley Brook, Dinah Sheridan and Jimmy Hanley. The film was made by a smaller studio, Butcher's ...

'' (1945), and the lead roles in '' The Hills of Donegal'' (1948) and ''

The Story of Shirley Yorke ''The Story of Shirley Yorke'' is a 1948 British drama film directed by Maclean Rogers and starring Derek Farr, Dinah Sheridan and Margaretta Scott. The film was based on the play '' The Case of Lady Camber'' by Horace Annesley Vachell. It w ...

'' (1949). She played Jane Huggett in '' The Huggetts Abroad'' (1949) and appeared as "Steve Temple" in two

Paul Temple Paul Temple is a fictional character created by English writer Francis Durbridge. Temple is a professional author of crime fiction and an amateur private detective. With his wife Louise, affectionately known as 'Steve' in reference to her ...

films, '' Calling Paul Temple'' (1948) and '' Paul Temple's Triumph'' (1950). She received wider recognition for her acting in 1951 as the game warden's wife in a film about African wildlife, '' Where No Vultures Fly''. The film was notable for being largely shot on location in Africa. Although a fictional story, it was inspired by the events and life of Mervyn Cowie who had recently fought to establish the National Parks of Kenya. Given a Royal Premiere, it became one of the UK box office hits of the year and won the National Board of Review award (USA) for Foreign Film of the Year. Dinah followed this with playing the second female lead in the acclaimed '' The Sound Barrier'' (1952) directed by

David Lean Sir David Lean (25 March 190816 April 1991) was an English film director, producer, screenwriter and editor. Widely considered one of the most important figures in British cinema, Lean directed the large-scale epics ''The Bridge on the River ...

. The film was a popular and critical success, winning many awards including three

BAFTAs The British Academy Film Awards, more commonly known as the BAFTA Film Awards is an annual award show hosted by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) to honour the best British and international contributions to film. The cer ...

, an Academy Award, a New York Critics Circle award and four National Board of Review awards. In interviews, Dinah spoke of how she was very happy to take a supporting role to Ann Todd in order to be directed by Lean. Sheridan then starred opposite Dirk Bogarde in '' Appointment in London'' (1952) and had a featured role as Grace Marston in '' The Story of Gilbert and Sullivan'' which was made as part of the Coronation celebrations of 1953. She was Britain's top female box-office star of 1953, according to the Motion Picture Herald's poll of film exhibitors. This issued a ranking of the 'Top Ten British Box-Office Stars' each year. One of her enduringly popular roles was as Wendy McKim in the comedy '' Genevieve'' (1953), where her "comic instinct and control were precise and stylish". The film won a BAFTA, a Golden Globe and a National Board of Review award. Her other most memorable screen role was as Mrs Waterbury, the mother of the ''Railway Children'' in the famous film '' The Railway Children'' (1970). She made only one more cinema film after ''The Railway Children'': '' The Mirror Crack'd'' (1980), which starred

Elizabeth Taylor Dame Elizabeth Rosemond Taylor (February 27, 1932 – March 23, 2011) was a British-American actress. She began her career as a child actress in the early 1940s and was one of the most popular stars of classical Hollywood cinema in the 1950s. ...

and

Rock Hudson Rock Hudson (born Roy Harold Scherer Jr.; November 17, 1925 – October 2, 1985) was an American actor. One of the most popular movie stars of his time, he had a screen career spanning more than three decades. A prominent heartthrob in the Gold ...

, with

Angela Lansbury Dame Angela Brigid Lansbury (October 16, 1925 – October 11, 2022) was an Irish-British and American film, stage, and television actress. Her career spanned eight decades, much of it in the United States, and her work received a great deal ...

as Miss Marple. That role was an atmospheric cameo appearance with Anthony Steel and Nigel Stock in the 'film within a film' ''Murder at Midnight''.

Return to the stage

Sheridan's second husband, film executive John Davis, whom she married in 1954, insisted that she quit acting and stay at home with her children. After their 1965 divorce (which was granted to Sheridan on the grounds of cruelty), she resumed her career appearing in Margaret Williams' comedy ''Let's All Go Down the Strand'' (1967, alongside

Gladys Cooper Dame Gladys Constance Cooper, (18 December 1888 – 17 November 1971) was an English actress, theatrical manager and producer, whose career spanned seven decades on stage, in films and on television. Beginning as a teenager in Edwardian mus ...

and Evelyn Laye, Phoenix Theatre, London). ''Let's All Go Down the Strand'' began a prolonged period of success in London's West End, with Sheridan appearing in both comedic and dramatic roles for the next 25 years. She starred in Ronald Gow's ''A Boston Story'' (1968, opposite Tony Britton, Duchess Theatre); Ira Wallach's ''Out of the Question'' (1969, again opposite Dame Gladys Cooper, St Martin's Theatre), and in the title role of Ray Cooney's ''Move Over Mrs Markham'' (1972, again opposite Tony Britton, Vaudeville Theatre). She played the Countess of Chell in Waterhouse & Hall's ''The Card'' (1973, with Jim Dale, Queen's Theatre), and starred in Frances Durbridge's ''The Gentle Hook'' (1973, Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Guildford, then Piccadilly Theatre), Samuel Taylor & Cornelia Otis Skinner's ''The Pleasure of His Company'' (1976 revival, starring opposite Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Phoenix Theatre), Agatha Christie's '' A Murder Is Announced'' (1977, opposite Dulcie Gray, Vaudeville Theatre), William Douglas Home's ''In The Red'' (1977, with Gerald Harper, Whitehall Theatre) and Noël Coward's ''

Present Laughter ''Present Laughter'' is a comic play written by Noël Coward in 1939 but not produced until 1942 because the Second World War began while it was in rehearsal, and the British theatres closed. The title is drawn from a song in Shakespeare's ''T ...

'' (1981, with Donald Sinden and Gwen Watford, Vaudeville Theatre). The latter production was recorded and transmitted on BBC Television. During 1978/79, Sheridan starred opposite John Gielgud in ''Half Life'' which toured the UK, before they both took the play to Toronto, Canada. Other theatre credits included ''Robert's Wife'' (1968, with future husband John Merivale at the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre), ''Softly, Goldfish Mating'' (1971, with Patrick Macnee, toured the UK), ''Touch of Purple'' (1972, Thorndike Theatre, Leatherhead), Don Taylor's ''Out on the Lawn'' (1975, with Edward Hardwicke, Rosemary Leach and T. P. McKenna, Watford Palace Theatre), Noël Coward's ''Star Quality'' (1982/83, with Emlyn Williams and Annette Crosbie amongst others, Theatre Royal Bath), George Bernard Shaw's ''The Apple Cart'' (1985/86, with Peter O'Toole and Susannah York, firstly in Bath, then transferred to the London's Theatre Royal Haymarket), and William Douglas Home's ''The Kingfisher'' (1992, Theatre Royal Bath and toured the UK). Sheridan participated in ''A Talent To Amuse'' a gala evening production at the Phoenix Theatre, London, on 16 December 1969 which celebrated

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 70th birthday. Sheridan and John Merivale were friends of Coward. Many stars appeared in the production, including John Gielgud, Anna Neagle, Richard Attenborough, Joyce Grenfell and Danny La Rue.

Television

Having made television history by appearing in the first major TV play and being the first actor interviewee in the 1930s, Sheridan worked extensively in the medium later in her career. Roles included guest appearances in popular series of the time including ''Armchair Theatre'' (1969), ''Seasons of the Year'' (1971), ''Zodiac'', ''Crown Court'' and ''Marked Personal'' (all during 1974), ''Village Hall'' (1975); ''Sykes'' (1979) and ''The Swish of the Curtain'' (1980). Sheridan featured in several major television plays (in the BBC ''Play of the Month'' and ''Play for Today'' strands) most notably Oscar Wilde's ''An Ideal Husband'' (1969, with Margaret Leighton, Keith Michell,

Jeremy Brett Peter Jeremy William Huggins (3 November 1933 – 12 September 1995), known professionally as Jeremy Brett, was an English actor. He played fictional detective Sherlock Holmes in four Granada TV series from 1984 to 1994 in all 41 episodes. His ...

and Susan Hampshire); and John Galsworthy's '' Loyalties'' (1976, with Edward Fox amongst others). Both were produced by Cedric Messina and directed by

Rudolph Cartier Rudolph Cartier (born Rudolph Kacser, renamed himself in Germany to Rudolph Katscher; 17 April 1904 – 7 June 1994) was an Austrian television director, filmmaker, screenwriter and producer who worked predominantly in British television, excl ...

. In 1983 she made a guest appearance in the BBC science fiction television series ''

Doctor Who ''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series depicts the adventures of a Time Lord called the Doctor, an extraterrestrial being who appears to be human. The Doctor explores the ...

'' as the Time Lady Chancellor Flavia in the 20th-anniversary special, "

The Five Doctors ''The Five Doctors'' is a special feature-length episode of the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'', produced in celebration of the programme's 20th anniversary. It had its world premiere in the United States, on the Chicago ...

". She co-starred with long-standing friend and colleague

Tony Britton Anthony Edward Lowry Britton (9 June 1924 – 22 December 2019) was an English actor. He appeared in a variety of films (including ''The Day of the Jackal'') and television sitcoms (including '' Don't Wait Up'' and '' Robin's Nest'' He is the ...

and

Nigel Havers Nigel Allan Havers (born 6 November 1951) is an English actor. His film roles include Lord Andrew Lindsay in the 1981 British film ''Chariots of Fire'', which earned him a BAFTA nomination; as Dr. Rawlins in the 1987 Steven Spielberg war dram ...

in British sitcom, '' Don't Wait Up'' (1983–1990, BBC TV) which had audiences of over 15 million. She was a regular in the ITV series ''The Winning Streak'' (1985) and ''Just Us'' (1992), and the BBC comedy series '' All Night Long'' (1994). She made a memorable guest appearance as Dotty Mayhew in BBC TV's ''

Lovejoy ''Lovejoy'' is a British television comedy-drama mystery series, based on the novels by John Grant under the pen name Jonathan Gash. The show, which ran to 71 episodes over six series, was originally broadcast on BBC1 between 10 January 19 ...

'' special ''The Prague Sun'' (1992), which also featured Donald Pleasence and Peter Vaughan. Her last role was in 1999 as Kathleen Gilmore in the '' Jonathan Creek'' television episode "Miracle in Crooked Lane". When Sheridan was the subject of the British TV show ''

This Is Your Life This Is Your Life may refer to: Television * ''This Is Your Life'' (American franchise), an American radio and television documentary biography series hosted by Ralph Edwards * ''This Is Your Life'' (Australian TV series), the Australian versio ...

'' in 1979, guests in the studio included John Gielgud, Evelyn Laye, Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Betty Marsden and Charles Hawtrey, and filmed tributes from

Dirk Bogarde Sir Dirk Bogarde (born Derek Jules Gaspard Ulric Niven van den Bogaerde; 28 March 1921 – 8 May 1999) was an English actor, novelist and screenwriter. Initially a matinée idol in films such as '' Doctor in the House'' (1954) for the Rank Org ...

and

. Sheridan died peacefully at her home in Northwood, London, on 25 November 2012, aged 92. She is buried in

Northwood Cemetery Northwood Cemetery is a cemetery located in the West Oak Lane neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. It was established in 1878. Notable interments * George Bradley (1852–1931) Major League Baseball player. * Duke Esper (1 ...

Private life

Sheridan married four times, divorcing twice and being made a widow twice: firstly to actor Jimmy Hanley (1942–1952), with whom she had three children, then to business executive John Davis (1954–1965), later to actor John Merivale (1986–1990, his death) and lastly to Aubrey Ison (1992–2007, his death). During her marriage to Ison, the couple lived in Palm Desert, California; following Ison's death, Sheridan returned to the UK in 2007. Her son

Jeremy Hanley Sir Jeremy James Hanley, KCMG (born 17 November 1945) is a politician and former chartered accountant from the United Kingdom. He served as the Chairman of the Conservative Party from 1994 to 1995, and as a member of parliament (MP) representin ...

became an accountant, Conservative Party Chairman, and government minister under

John Major Sir John Major (born 29 March 1943) is a British former politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party from 1990 to 1997, and as Member of Parliament (MP) for Huntingdon, formerly Hunting ...

's administration. Her daughter Jenny Hanley became an actress and a co-presenter of the British television series ''

Magpie Magpies are birds of the Corvidae family. Like other members of their family, they are widely considered to be intelligent creatures. The Eurasian magpie, for instance, is thought to rank among the world's most intelligent creatures, and is on ...

''. Another daughter died in infancy.

Selected filmography

* ''

Landslide Landslides, also known as landslips, are several forms of mass wasting that may include a wide range of ground movements, such as rockfalls, deep-seated slope failures, mudflows, and debris flows. Landslides occur in a variety of environmen ...

'' (1937) – Dinah Shaw * '' Behind Your Back'' (1937) – Kitty Hogan * '' Father Steps Out'' (1937) – Helen Hardcastle * '' Irish and Proud of It'' (1938) – Moira Flaherty * '' Salute John Citizen'' (1942) – Evie * ''

'' (1943) – Mary Pemberton * '' 29 Acacia Avenue'' (1945) – Pepper * ''

'' (1945) – Stella White * ''

'' (1945) – Jill Masterick * '' The Hills of Donegal'' (1947) – Eileen Hannay * '' Calling Paul Temple'' (1948) – Steve Temple * ''

'' (1948) – Shirley Yorke * '' The Huggetts Abroad'' (1949) – Jane Huggett * '' Dark Secret'' (1949) – Valerie Merryman * '' Paul Temple's Triumph'' (1950) – Steve Temple * '' Blackout'' (1950) – Pat Dale * '' No Trace'' (1950) – Linda * '' Where No Vultures Fly'' (1951) – Mary Payton * '' The Sound Barrier'' (1952) – Jess Peel * '' Appointment in London'' (1952) – Eve Canyon * '' The Story of Gilbert and Sullivan'' (1953) – Grace Marston * '' Genevieve'' (1953) – Wendy McKim * '' The Railway Children'' (1970) – Mrs. Waterbury * '' The Mirror Crack'd'' (1980) – Lady Amanda Ridgeley * '' Jonathan Creek'' (1999) - Kathleen Gilmore

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Sheridan, Dinah 1920 births 2012 deaths Alumni of the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts English film actresses English people of German descent English people of Russian-Jewish descent English television actresses People from Hampstead Actresses from London British comedy actresses 20th-century British businesspeople Burials in England