Joan Mary Waller Greenwood (4 March 1921 – 28 February 1987) was an English actress. Her husky voice, coupled with her slow, precise elocution, was her trademark. She played Sibella in the 1949 film ''

Kind Hearts and Coronets ''Kind Hearts and Coronets'' is a 1949 British crime black comedy film. It features Dennis Price, Joan Greenwood, Valerie Hobson and Alec Guinness; Guinness plays nine characters. The plot is loosely based on the novel ''Israel Rank: The Auto ...

'', and also appeared in ''

The Man in the White Suit ''The Man in the White Suit'' is a 1951 British satirical science fiction comedy film made by Ealing Studios. It stars Alec Guinness, Joan Greenwood and Cecil Parker and was directed by Alexander Mackendrick. The film was nominated for an A ...

'' (1951), ''

Young Wives' Tale ''Young Wives' Tale'', also known as ''Fun for Four'', is a 1951 British comedy film directed by Henry Cass and starring Joan Greenwood, Nigel Patrick, Derek Farr, and Guy Middleton. The film is based on the 1949 play '' Young Wives' Tale'' ...

'' (1951), ''

The Importance of Being Earnest ''The Importance of Being Earnest, A Trivial Comedy for Serious People'' is a play by Oscar Wilde. First performed on 14 February 1895 at the St James's Theatre in London, it is a farcical comedy in which the protagonists maintain fictitious ...

'' (1952), '' Stage Struck'' (1958), ''

Tom Jones Tom Jones may refer to: Arts and entertainment *Tom Jones (singer) (born 1940), Welsh singer *Tom Jones (writer) (1928–2023), American librettist and lyricist *''The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling'', a novel by Henry Fielding published in 1 ...

'' (1963) and ''

Little Dorrit ''Little Dorrit'' is a novel by Charles Dickens, originally published in serial form between 1855 and 1857. The story features Amy Dorrit, youngest child of her family, born and raised in the Marshalsea prison for debtors in London. Arthur Cl ...

'' (1987). Greenwood worked mainly on the stage, where she had a long career, appearing with

Donald Wolfit Sir Donald Wolfit, KBE (born Donald Woolfitt; Harwood, Ronald"Wolfit, Sir Donald (1902–1968)" ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, September 2004; online edn, January 2008; accessed 14 July 2009 20 April 1902 ...

's theatre company in the years following World War II. Later, after the war, her appearances in

Ealing comedies The Ealing comedies is an informal name for a series of comedy films produced by the London-based Ealing Studios during a ten-year period from 1947 to 1957. Often considered to reflect Britain's post-war spirit, the most celebrated films in the ...

are among her memorable screen appearances: '' Whisky Galore!''; as the seductive Sibella in the

black comedy Black comedy, also known as dark comedy, morbid humor, or gallows humor, is a style of comedy that makes light of subject matter that is generally considered taboo, particularly subjects that are normally considered serious or painful to disc ...

'' (1949); and in ''

'' (1951). She opened ''

The Grass Is Greener ''The Grass Is Greener'' is a 1960 British romantic comedy film directed by Stanley Donen and starring Cary Grant, Deborah Kerr, Robert Mitchum, and Jean Simmons. The screenplay was adapted by Hugh Williams and Margaret Vyner from the The Gra ...

'' in the West End in 1952 and played Gwendolen in a film version of ''

'' released in the same year. She had leading roles in ''Stage Struck'' (1958) and then in '' Mysterious Island'', an adaptation of a Jules Verne novel; and was nominated for the Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress for ''

'' (1963). In 1960, Greenwood appeared as the title character in a production of ''

Hedda Gabler ''Hedda Gabler'' () is a play written by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen. The world premiere was staged on 31 January 1891 at the Residenztheater in Munich. Ibsen himself was in attendance, although he remained back-stage. The play has been ca ...

'' at the

Oxford Playhouse Oxford Playhouse is a theatre designed by Edward Maufe and F.G.M. Chancellor. It is situated in Beaumont Street, Oxford, opposite the Ashmolean Museum. History The Playhouse was founded as ''The Red Barn'' at 12 Woodstock Road, North Ox ...

. Starring opposite her as Judge Brack was the actor

André Morell Cecil André Mesritz (20 August 1909 – 28 November 1978), known professionally as André Morell, was an English actor. He appeared frequently in theatre, film and on television from the 1930s to the 1970s. His best known screen roles were as ...

. They fell in love and flew in secret to Jamaica, where they were married, remaining together until his death in 1978.

Early life and education

Greenwood was born in 1921 in

Chelsea Chelsea or Chelsey may refer to: Places Australia * Chelsea, Victoria Canada * Chelsea, Nova Scotia * Chelsea, Quebec United Kingdom * Chelsea, London, an area of London, bounded to the south by the River Thames ** Chelsea (UK Parliament consti ...

, London. Her parents were Ida (née Waller) and Sydney Earnshaw Greenwood (1887–1949), a portrait artist. She went to school at

St Catherine's School, Bramley St Catherine's School is an independent girls' school in the village of Bramley, near Guildford, Surrey, England. The school is divided into a senior school, for ages 11–18, and a preparatory school for girls aged 4–11. History St Cat ...

, leaving when fifteen. She originally wanted to be a ballet dancer but then decided to act and studied at 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 Senat ...

Career

Greenwood worked for two years in repertory. Her fluency in French saw her cast in London in a production of ''The Imaginary Invalid'' when she was 18. Greenwood appeared in ''Little Ladyship'' (1939) on TV and in the short ''

John Smith Wakes Up John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second E ...

'' (1941). Her first feature was '' My Wife's Family'' (1941) followed by ''

He Found a Star ''He Found a Star'' is a 1941 British musical film directed by John Paddy Carstairs and starring Vic Oliver, Sarah Churchill and Evelyn Dall. It concerns a frustrated stage manager who quits his job and, with his secretary's help, sets up a th ...

'' (1941). She joined the

Repertory Company, and while there played leading- parts in a number of well known plays, such as ''School for Scandal'', ''Caesar and Cleopatra'', ''Hamlet'' and ''A Doll's House''. She went back to the London stage and appeared in productions of ''Little Ladyship'', ''Peter Pan'', ''Heartbreak House'', and ''The Women''. While appearing in the latter she was seen by

Leslie Howard Leslie Howard Steiner (3 April 18931 June 1943) was an English actor, director and producer.Obituary ''Variety'', 9 June 1943. He wrote many stories and articles for ''The New York Times'', ''The New Yorker'', and ''Vanity Fair'' and was one o ...

who cast her in a notable role in ''

The Gentle Sex ''The Gentle Sex'' is a 1943 British black-and-white romantic comedy-drama war film, directed and narrated by Leslie Howard. It was produced by Concanen Productions, Two Cities Films, and Derrick de Marney. ''The Gentle Sex'' was Howard's l ...

'' (1943), which was a hit. Greenwood had a support part in ''

Frenzy ''Frenzy'' is a 1972 British thriller film directed by Alfred Hitchcock. It is the penultimate feature film of his extensive career. The screenplay by Anthony Shaffer was based on the 1966 novel ''Goodbye Piccadilly, Farewell Leicester Squa ...

'' (1945) and '' They Knew Mr. Knight'' (1946). She appeared in the role of Wendy in ''Peter Pan'' and as Elie Dunn in ''Heartbreak House,'' She played Ophelia in ''Hamlet'' with the Donald Wolfit company, Nora in ''Doll House,'' Celia in ''Volpone'' and Sabina in '' The Young Wives' Tale''.

Rank Organisation

Sydney Box Frank Sydney Box (29 April 1907 – 25 May 1983) was a British film producer and screenwriter, and brother of British film producer Betty Box. In 1940, he founded the documentary film company Verity Films with Jay Lewis. He produced and co- ...

offered her a seven year contract with the Rank Organisation, starting with the female lead in '' A Girl in a Million'' (1946). Box was so taken with her performance he changed the title to refer to her. She had a good role in ''

The Man Within ''The Man Within'' (1929) is the first novel by author Graham Greene. It tells the story of Francis Andrews, a reluctant smuggler, who betrays his colleagues, and the aftermath of his betrayal. It is Greene's first published novel. (Two earlier a ...

'' (1947), billed after

Michael Redgrave Sir Michael Scudamore Redgrave CBE (20 March 1908 – 21 March 1985) was an English stage and film actor, director, manager and author. He received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in ''Mourning Becomes Elec ...

and

Jean Kent Jean Kent (born Joan Mildred Field; 29 June 1921 − 30 November 2013) was an English film and television actress. Biography Born Joan Mildred Field (sometimes incorrectly cited as Summerfield) in Brixton, London in 1921, the only child of va ...

, then co starred alongside

John Mills Sir John Mills (born Lewis Ernest Watts Mills; 22 February 190823 April 2005) was an English actor who appeared in more than 120 films in a career spanning seven decades. He excelled on camera as an appealing British everyman who often portray ...

in ''

The October Man ''The October Man'' is a 1947 mystery film/film noir starring John Mills and Joan Greenwood, written by novelist Eric Ambler, who also produced. A man is suspected of murder, and the lingering effects of a brain injury he sustained in an earlier ...

'' (1947) and

Margaret Lockwood Margaret Mary Day Lockwood, CBE (15 September 1916 – 15 July 1990), was an English actress. One of Britain's most popular film stars of the 1930s and 1940s, her film appearances included ''The Lady Vanishes'' (1938), ''Night Train to Munich' ...

in ''

The White Unicorn ''The White Unicorn'' is a 1947 British drama film directed by Bernard Knowles and starring Margaret Lockwood, Joan Greenwood, Ian Hunter and Dennis Price. Kyra Vayne appeared as the singer. It was made at Walton Studios by the independent p ...

'' (1947).

Stardom

Greenwood was cast in the lead role of '' Saraband for Dead Lovers'' (1948), as

Sophia Dorothea of Celle Sophia Dorothea of Brunswick-Lüneburg-Celle (15 September 1666 – 13 November 1726) was the repudiated wife of future King George I of Great Britain. The union with George, her first cousin, was a marriage of state, arranged by her father Geor ...

, alongside

Stewart Granger Stewart Granger (born James Lablache Stewart; 6 May 1913 – 16 August 1993) was a British film actor, mainly associated with heroic and romantic leading roles. He was a popular leading man from the 1940s to the early 1960s, rising to fame thr ...

. It was an expensive box-office failure. She did ''

'' (1949) for TV; then played

Lady Caroline Lamb Lady Caroline Lamb (née Ponsonby; 13 November 1785 – 25 January 1828) was an Anglo-Irish aristocrat and novelist, best known for ''Glenarvon'', a Gothic novel. In 1812 she had an affair with Lord Byron, whom she described as "mad, bad, and ...

in ''

The Bad Lord Byron ''The Bad Lord Byron'' is a 1949 British historical drama film about the life of Lord Byron. It was directed by David MacDonald and starred Dennis Price as Byron with Mai Zetterling, Linden Travers and Joan Greenwood. Plot The film sees life ...

'' (1949), a notorious flop. More successful was '' Whisky Galore!'' (1949), which kicked off the Ealing comedy cycle. It was directed by

Alexander Mackendrick Alexander Mackendrick (September 8, 1912 – December 22, 1993) was an American-born director and professor, long based in Scotland. He was born in Boston, Massachusetts, and later moved to Scotland. He began making television commercials befor ...

and Greenwood was top billed along with Basil Radford. She did another for Ealing, ''

'' (1949), with

Alec Guinness Sir Alec Guinness (born Alec Guinness de Cuffe; 2 April 1914 – 5 August 2000) was an English actor. After an early career on the stage, Guinness was featured in several of the Ealing comedies, including '' Kind Hearts and Coronets'' (1 ...

directed by Robert Hamer. Both films became regarded as comedy classics. Greenwood was Richard Todd's leading lady in '' Flesh and Blood'' (1951), at British Lion. She went to France to co-star with

Bourvil André Robert Raimbourg (; 27 July 1917 – 23 September 1970), better known as André Bourvil (), and mononymously as Bourvil, was a French actor and singer best known for his roles in comedy films, most notably in his collaboration with Louis ...

in ''

Mr. Peek-a-Boo ''Mr. Peek-a-Boo'' or ''Garou-Garou, le Passe-muraille'' (often shortened to just ''Le Passe-muraille'') is a 1951 French comedy film, directed by Jean Boyer. The film is based on the short story by Marcel Aymé about a "man who could walk thr ...

'' (1951). She did another for Ealing, Mackendrick and Guinness, ''

'' (1951), then ''

'' (1951) and did ''

'' (1952) again, this time as a feature film. She appeared on TV shows like '' BBC Sunday-Night Theatre''. Greenwood returned to France to appear in '' Lovers, Happy Lovers!'' (1954) with

Gérard Philipe Gérard Philipe (born Gérard Albert Philip, 4 December 1922 – 25 November 1959) was a prominent French actor who appeared in 32 films between 1944 and 1959. Active in both theatre and cinema, he was, until his early death, one of the main ...

. She did '' The King and Mrs. Candle'' (1954) for American TV and made a third film with Guinness and a second with Hamer, ''

Father Brown Father Brown is a fictional Roman Catholic priest and amateur detective who is featured in 53 short stories published between 1910 and 1936 written by English author G. K. Chesterton. Father Brown solves mysteries and crimes using his intui ...

'' (1954). She did ''A Dolls House'' in Copenhagen then was in ''The Confidential Clerk'' by T.S. Eliot which had a short run on Broadway in 1954. In Hollywood she was the female lead in '' Moonfleet'' (1955) at MGM, replacing original choice Merle Oberon.

Later career

In 1956, Greenwood starred in ''

The Grass is Greener ''The Grass Is Greener'' is a 1960 British romantic comedy film directed by Stanley Donen and starring Cary Grant, Deborah Kerr, Robert Mitchum, and Jean Simmons. The screenplay was adapted by Hugh Williams and Margaret Vyner from the The Gra ...

'' on the West End. In the late 1950s, she worked increasingly on TV in versions of ''

Man and Superman ''Man and Superman'' is a four-act drama written by George Bernard Shaw in 1903. The series was written in response to a call for Shaw to write a play based on the Don Juan theme. ''Man and Superman'' opened at the Royal Court Theatre in London o ...

'', ''

Ann Veronica ''Ann Veronica'' is a novel by H. G. Wells published in 1909. It describes the rebellion of Ann Veronica Stanley, "a young lady of nearly two-and-twenty", against her middle-class father's stern patriarchal rule. The novel dramatizes the conte ...

'', '' Hedda Gabbler'' and ''

''. She had a support role in '' Stage Struck'' (1958), '' Mysterious Island'' (1961) and the female lead in '' The Amorous Mr. Prawn'' (1962). She married Andre Morell in 1960. Greenwood had a flashy support role in ''

'' (1963), and ''

The Moon-Spinners ''The Moon-Spinners'' is a 1964 American mystery film starring Hayley Mills, Eli Wallach and Peter McEnery in a story about a jewel thief hiding on the island of Crete. Produced by Walt Disney Productions, the film was based upon a 1962 suspense ...

'' (1964). She appeared as Olga, alongside

Spike Milligan Terence Alan "Spike" Milligan (16 April 1918 – 27 February 2002) was an Irish actor, comedian, writer, musician, poet, and playwright. The son of an English mother and Irish father, he was born in British Colonial India, where he spent his ...

in Frank Dunlop's production of the play ''Oblomov'', based on

the novel ''The Novel'' (1991) is a novel written by American author James A. Michener. A departure from Michener's better known historical fiction, ''The Novel'' is told from the viewpoints of four different characters involved in the life and work of ...

by Russian writer

Ivan Goncharov Ivan Alexandrovich Goncharov (, also ; rus, Ива́н Алекса́ндрович Гончаро́в, r=Iván Aleksándrovich Goncharóv, p=ɪˈvan ɐlʲɪkˈsandrəvʲɪdʑ ɡənʲtɕɪˈrof; – ) was a Russian novelist best known for his ...

. The play opened at London's Lyric Theatre on 6 October 1964. Greenwood was described as "a model of generosity and tolerance...the only person in the cast who could not be 'corpsed' by Milligan; although he tried very hard. She looked beautiful, and played the part of Oblomov's unfortunate lady with total integrity. 'She never left the script', says Milligan with a guilty smile of something between irritation and admiration. 'I just couldn't make her crack up. All the rest of us did. She never lost her dignity for a moment.'" pp. 215–216. She was in the play ''Those That Play the Clowns'' (1966) which had a short run on Broadway. Greenwood dubbed the voice of The Black Queen in '' Barbarella'' (1968) when the voice of actress Anita Pallenberg was judged unsuitable for the role. She was in ''

The Great Inimitable Mr. Dickens ''The Great Inimitable Mr. Dickens'' is a 1970 British television film about the life of Charles Dickens directed by Ned Sherrin and starring Anthony Hopkins, Jenny Agutter and Arthur Lowe.Pointer, Michael (1996) ''Charles Dickens on the screen: t ...

'' (1970) and '' Girl Stroke Boy'' (1971). Later roles included '' The Uncanny'' (1977), '' The Water Babies'' (1978), ''

The Hound of the Baskervilles ''The Hound of the Baskervilles'' is the third of the four crime novels by British writer Arthur Conan Doyle featuring the detective Sherlock Holmes. Originally serialised in ''The Strand Magazine'' from August 1901 to April 1902, it is set ...

'' (1978), ''

Bognor Bognor Regis (), sometimes simply known as Bognor (), is a town and seaside resort in West Sussex on the south coast of England, south-west of London, west of Brighton, south-east of Chichester and east of Portsmouth. Other nearby town ...

'' (1981), ''

Triangle A triangle is a polygon with three edges and three vertices. It is one of the basic shapes in geometry. A triangle with vertices ''A'', ''B'', and ''C'' is denoted \triangle ABC. In Euclidean geometry, any three points, when non- colline ...

'' (1982), and ''

Ellis Island Ellis Island is a federally owned island in New York Harbor, situated within the U.S. states of New York and New Jersey, that was the busiest immigrant inspection and processing station in the United States. From 1892 to 1954, nearly 12 mil ...

'' (1985). She took over from Dame

Celia Johnson Dame Celia Elizabeth Johnson, (18 December 1908 – 26 April 1982) was an English actress, whose career included stage, television and film. She is especially known for her roles in the films ''In Which We Serve'' (1942), ''This Happy Bree ...

on stage in ''The Understanding'' (1982) after Johnson's death."Joan Greenwood for 'Understanding'", ''The Guardian'', 30 April 1982: p. 4. She played Lady Carlton, a quirky romance novelist and the landlady to the main characters, in the British sitcom '' Girls on Top'' (1985–86). She was in '' Miss Marple: At Bertram's Hotel'' (1987). Her last film was ''

'' (1988), released posthumously. Her last TV series was '' Melba'' (1988). She appeared on stage in a sketch with

Robert Morley Robert Adolph Wilton Morley, CBE (26 May 1908 – 3 June 1992) was an English actor who enjoyed a lengthy career in both Britain and the United States. He was frequently cast as a pompous English gentleman representing the Establishment, of ...

two weeks before her death.JOAN GREENWOOD, 65, ACTRESS: bituaryNew York Times, Late Edition (East Coast); New York, 3 March 1987: p. D27.

Personal life and death

Greenwood married

in 1960. Their son, Jason Morell, is an actor, writer and film/theatre director. In 1987, nine years after her husband's death, Greenwood died from acute bronchitis and asthmaRachel Low, "Greenwood, Joan Mary Waller (1921–1987)", ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, Jan 201
available online
Retrieved 4 August 2020. at her home in London, less than a week before her 66th birthday.

Partial filmography

*'' My Wife's Family'' (1941) - Irma Bagshott *''

'' (1941) - Babe Cavour *''

'' (1943) - Betty Miller *''

Latin Quarter The Latin Quarter of Paris (french: Quartier latin, ) is an area in the 5th and the 6th arrondissements of Paris. It is situated on the left bank of the Seine, around the Sorbonne. Known for its student life, lively atmosphere, and bistro ...

'' (1945) - Christine Minetti *'' They Knew Mr. Knight'' (1946) - Ruth Blake *'' A Girl in a Million'' (1946) - Gay Sultzman *''

'' (1947) - Elizabeth *''

'' (1947) - Jenny Carden *''

'' (1947) - Lottie Smith *'' Saraband for Dead Lovers'' (1948) - Sophie Dorothea *''

'' (1949) - Lady Caroline Lamb *'' Whisky Galore!'' (1949) - Peggy Macroon *''

'' (1949) - Sibella *'' Flesh & Blood'' (1951) - Wilhelmina Cameron *'' Le Passe-muraille'' (English: ''Mr Peek-a-boo'') (1951) - Susan *''

'' (1951) - Daphne Birnley *''

'' (1951) - Sabina Pennant *''

'' (1952) - Gwendolen Fairfax *'' Monsieur Ripois'' (1954) - Norah *''

'' (1954) - Lady Warren *'' Moonfleet'' (1955) - Lady Ashwood *'' Stage Struck'' (1958) - Rita Vernon *'' Mysterious Island'' (1961) - Lady Mary Fairchild *'' The Amorous Prawn'' (1962) - Lady Dodo Fitzadam *''

'' (1963) - Lady Bellaston *''

'' (1964) - Aunt Frances Ferris *'' Barbarella'' (1968) - The Great Tyrant (voice, uncredited) *'' Girl Stroke Boy'' (1971) - Lettice Mason *'' The Uncanny'' (1977) - Miss Malkin (segment "London 1912") *'' The Water Babies'' (1978, animated film) - Lady Harriet *''

'' (1978) - Beryl Stapleton *''The Flame Is Love'' (1979, TV Movie) - Duchess of Grantham *''

(1984) - Madame Levitska *''

At Bertram's Hotel ''At Bertram's Hotel'' is a work of detective fiction by Agatha Christie and first published in the UK by the Collins Crime Club on 15 November 1965Chris Peers, Ralph Spurrier and Jamie Sturgeon. ''Collins Crime Club – A checklist of First Ed ...

'' (1987, TV Movie) - Selina Hazy *''

'' (1987) - Mrs. Clennam

References

External links

* * * * *
Photographs of Joan Greenwood

Screen Legends Joan Greenwood
{{DEFAULTSORT:Greenwood, Joan 1921 births 1987 deaths Alumni of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art English film actresses English stage actresses English television actresses People from Chelsea, London Actresses from London 20th-century English actresses British comedy actresses