Patricia Helen Mary Jessel (15 October 1920 – 8 June 1968) was an English actress of stage, film and television.

Biography

Jessel was born in the then

British Crown Colony A Crown colony or royal colony was a colony administered by The Crown within the British Empire. There was usually a Governor, appointed by the British monarch on the advice of the UK Government, with or without the assistance of a local Council ...

Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a List of cities in China, city and Special administrative regions of China, special ...

, daughter of Clement Edward Jessel and Ursula Theodora (née Buckley). She was the grandniece of

Lillah McCarthy Lillah Emma McCarthy, Lady Keeble CBE (22 September 1875 – 15 April 1960) was an English actress and theatrical manager. Biography Lila Emma McCarty was born in Cheltenham on 22 September 1875, the seventh of eight children of Jonadab McCar ...

. She died from a heart attack in London in June 1968, aged 47. Jessel appeared both in the West End and on Broadway in the 1950s in

Agatha Christie Dame Agatha Mary Clarissa Christie, Lady Mallowan, (; 15 September 1890 – 12 January 1976) was an English writer known for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections, particularly those revolving around fiction ...

's play ''

Witness for the Prosecution In law, a witness is someone who has knowledge about a matter, whether they have sensed it or are testifying on another witnesses' behalf. In law a witness is someone who, either voluntarily or under compulsion, provides testimonial evidence, e ...

'', for which she won a

Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual c ...

in 1955. As Romaine Heilger aka Romaine Vole, Jessel's performance in the dock was praised as "cold-blooded" and that she "makes a clear-cut image of hatred releasing itself suddenly from inhibitions which have become intolerable". Other stage roles included Lady Macbeth at the

Old Vic Old or OLD may refer to: Places *Old, Baranya, Hungary *Old, Northamptonshire, England * Old Street station, a railway and tube station in London (station code OLD) *OLD, IATA code for Old Town Municipal Airport and Seaplane Base, Old Town, Ma ...

in 1962 and Lady Bracknell in ''

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 ...

'' in the opening season of the

Yvonne Arnaud Theatre The Yvonne Arnaud Theatre is a theatre located in Guildford, Surrey, England. Named after the actress Yvonne Arnaud, it presents a series of locally produced and national touring productions, including opera, ballet and pantomime. The theatre h ...

in Guildford.

Selected filmography

* ''

The Flesh Is Weak ''The Flesh Is Weak'' is a 1957 British film directed by Don Chaffey. It stars John Derek and Milly Vitale. Distributors Corporation of America released the film in the USA as a double feature with ''Blonde in Bondage''. Plot Tony Giani is a ...

'' (1957) * '' The Man Upstairs'' (1958) * '' Armchair Theatre: Underground'' (TV, 1958) * ''

Model for Murder ''Model for Murder'' is a 1959 British crime film directed by Terry Bishop and starring Keith Andes, Hazel Court and Jean Aubrey. Plot American sailor David Martens, on shore leave in England, visits his brother Jack's grave. He meets fashion d ...

'' (1959) * '' No Kidding'' (1960) * '' The City of the Dead'' (a.k.a. ''Horror Hotel'', 1960) * ''

A Jolly Bad Fellow ''A Jolly Bad Fellow'' (US: ''They all Died Laughing'') is a 1964 British black comedy film directed by Don Chaffey. It stars Leo McKern and Janet Munro.A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum ''A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum'' is a Musical theatre, musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by Burt Shevelove and Larry Gelbart. Inspired by the farces of the Ancient Rome, ancient Roman playwright Plautu ...

'' (1966) * ''

The Prisoner ''The Prisoner'' is a 1967 British television series about an unnamed British intelligence agent who is abducted and imprisoned in a mysterious coastal village, where his captors designate him as Number Six and try to find out why he abruptl ...

'' ("

Checkmate Checkmate (often shortened to mate) is any game position in chess and other chess-like games in which a player's king is in check (threatened with ) and there is no possible escape. Checkmating the opponent wins the game. In chess, the king is ...

", 1967)

References

External links

* * 1920 births 1968 deaths English film actresses English stage actresses English television actresses British expatriates in Hong Kong Tony Award winners 20th-century English actresses {{UK-stage-actor-stub