Fenella Fielding,OBE(bornFenella Marion Feldman;17 November 1927 – 11 September 2018)[1]was an English stage, film and television actress who rose to prominence in the 1950s and 1960s, and was often referred to as "England's first lady of thedouble entendre".[2]She was known for her seductive image and distinctively husky voice. Fielding appeared in twoCarry Onfilms,Carry On Regardless(1961) andCarry On Screaming!(1966).[3]
Fenella Fielding | |
|---|---|
 Fenella Fielding on her 90th birthday in 2017 | |
| Born | Fenella Marion Feldman 17 November 1927 Hackney,London, England |
| Died | 11 September 2018(aged 90) Hammersmith,London, England |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1952–2018 |
| Relatives | Basil Feldman, Baron Feldman(brother) Nick Feldman(nephew) |
| Website | http://www.fenellafielding.com/ |
Early life and education
editFenella Marion Feldman was born on 17 November 1927[4]inHackney,London,[5]to aRomanian Jewishmother, Tilly (néeKatz; 1902–1977), and aLithuanian Jewishfather, Philip Feldman.[6][7]
She was the younger sister of Basil, laterBaron Feldman.She grew up inLower Claptonand laterEdgware[8]where she attendedNorth London Collegiate School.Her father at one time managed a cinema inSilvertown,east London.[2]She later resided inChiswick,west London.[9]
Career
editFielding began her acting career in 1952, concentrating on stage productions, including theBromley Little Theatre.She was given her first break when she accompanied the then-unknown actorRon Moodyto an audition (they had met in an amateur production at theLondon School of Economics). Her performance inSandy Wilson's musical version ofValmouthmade her a star in 1958. By 1959 she was appearing withKenneth Williamsin the comedy revuePieces of Eight,written byHarold PinterandPeter Cook.[2]Fielding also guested in theHancock's Half Hourepisode "The Poetry Society" broadcast in December 1959.[10]Between 1960 and 1962 Fielding played Janet Harris, a liberated secretary at an advertising firm, in the BBC radio sitcomSomething to Shout About.[11]In 1960 Fielding appeared on tv as the Contessa in the very last episode of the tv series of The Four Just Men (Traviso Dam).
Fielding later starred in her own television programmeIzeena(1966).[12]She had occasional guest appearances in television programmes such asThe Avengers[13](after being passed over asPatrick Macnee's regular partner in favour ofHonor Blackman)[14]and inDanger Man.[15]She appeared in four episodes ofMorecambe and Wise Showbetween 1969 and 1972.[12]She was in two of theCarry Onfilms, the second was her role as the vampish Valeria inCarry On Screaming!(1966), and three of the Doctor films (includingDoctor in Clover).[16]She interspersed these with performances in plays byIbsen,ShakespeareandHenry James,reputedly keeping an edition ofPlato's writings by her bed.[2]Other theatre credits around this time includedSheridanandChekhov.[12]In 1977 she appeared on BBC TV's long running show,The Good Old Daysperforming 'Only A Glass of Champagne' and 'How'd You Like to Spoon with Me?'.[17]
Fielding was the uncreditedVillageannouncer inThe Prisoner(1967–68), and co-starred withTom PostonandRobert Morleyin the remake ofThe Old Dark House(1963).[18]InDougal and the Blue Cat,based onThe Magic Roundabout,she voiced the character of the Blue Voice, referred to as "Madam" by both Buxton (the blue cat of the title) and Dougal at various stages throughout the film.[19]In the late 1960s, Fielding was approached byFederico Fellinito work on one of his films, but turned the work down because she was already booked to perform on stage at theChichester Festival Theatre.[2]
Fielding also starred in the children's television seriesUncle Jackfrom 1990-1993 as the notorious villainess, The Vixen. In 1999, Fielding starred inRik MayallandAdrian Edmondson's filmGuest House Paradiso.She toured in a production ofLady Windermere's Fanthe same year.[12]In 2011, Fielding appeared at theJermyn Street Theatre,London in an English Chamber Theatre presentation of Jane McCulloch'sDearest Nancy, Darling Evelyn,the dramatised letters ofNancy MitfordandEvelyn Waugh.[16]
From 2012, Fielding performed readings of English translations of Greek classics byDavid Stuttard.Her partners for this wereSimon Russell Bealeand laterStephen Greif.Her memoir[20]was published in both audio and book form in 2017 and led to a number of appearances on stage reading extracts from it in places all over the UK.[6]
Fielding was appointedOfficer of the Order of the British Empire(OBE) in the2018 Birthday Honoursfor services to drama and charity.[21]
Voice work
editFielding voiced “The Blue Voice” in the 1972 English adaptation of the 1970 French film ‘Dougal And The Blue Cat’, 'MOOD', the quirky supercomputer in the video gameMartian Gothicin a script written by science fiction authorStephen Marley.[22]After 2000 she recorded withSavoy,a book publishing and recording company. Her work with them includes readings ofColette,J. G. Ballard'sCrashandT. S. Eliot'sFour Quartets.[8]She made an album of cover songs includingRobbie Williams's "Angels",Kylie Minogue's "Can't Get You Out of My Head",New Order's "Blue Monday"and theWhite Stripes' "Passive Manipulation".[2]In 2006, she toured Ireland inThe Vagina Monologues.[2]She provided the voice to two tracks on theGraham RoosalbumQuest.[23]In the following years, Fielding was a regular guest contributor on BBC Radio 4'sPMandBroadcasting House.[12]
Critical reception
editA 2007 article inThe Independentremarked that it was "one of the mysteries of British life that Fenella Fielding, whose wit and distinctive stage presence captivated figures such asKenneth Tynan,Noël CowardandFederico Fellini,should have drifted into obscurity rather than being celebrated ", and the same article quotesThe Timesas saying that Fielding's performance asHedda Gablerwas "one of the experiences of a lifetime".[24][2]A 2017 article inThe Guardianhighlighted a career "renaissance in recent years" and describes Fielding as a phenomenal storyteller. "She reminds me of the great raconteurQuentin Crisp– the same love of language, mastery of its rhythms, perfectly formed sentences, and a joie de vivre even when relating her profound despair. "[6]
Fielding is the subject of MetaFenella, a 2014 online artwork by artistMartin Firrell.[25]
Death
editFielding suffered a stroke on 25 August 2018 and died two weeks later atCharing Cross HospitalinHammersmith,on 11 September 2018, aged 90.[26]She never married nor had children.[27]
Filmography
editFilm
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1959 | Sapphire | Lingerie Shop Manageress | Uncredited |
| 1959 | Follow a Star | Lady Finchington | |
| 1960 | Doctor in Love | Mrs Tadwich | |
| 1960 | Foxhole in Cairo | Yvette | |
| 1961 | No Love for Johnnie | Sheilah | |
| 1961 | Carry On Regardless | Penny Panting | |
| 1961 | In the Doghouse | Miss Fordyce | |
| 1962 | Village of Daughters | Voice-Over | |
| 1963 | Doctor in Distress | Passenger on Train | |
| 1963 | The Old Dark House | Morgana Femm | |
| 1965 | How to Undress in Public Without Undue Embarrassment | Narrator | |
| 1966 | Doctor in Clover | Tatiana Rubikov | |
| 1966 | Carry On Screaming! | Valeria Watt | |
| 1966 | Drop Dead Darling | Fenella | |
| 1969 | Lock Up Your Daughters | Lady Eager | |
| 1972 | Dougal and the Blue Cat | The Blue Voice | Voice, Uncredited |
| 1974 | S*P*Y*S | Voice-over | Uncredited |
| 1977 | Cumbernauld Hit | Liana | |
| 1984 | The Zany Adventures of Robin Hood | Molly | |
| 1999 | Guest House Paradiso | Mrs Foxfur | |
| 2001 | Beginner's Luck | Mark's mum | |
| 2007 | The All Together | Mrs Cox | |
| 2007 | Wishbaby | Eve | |
| 2009 | Radio Mania | Mrs Langdon | |
| 2011 | Tincture of Vervain | Her Ladyship | |
| 2011 | Over the Edge | Mrs van Eisner | |
| 2016 | Surge of Power: Revenge of the Sequel | Fenella Fielding | |
| 2017 | Frankula | Voice-over | Voice |
| 2021 | The Curse of Minerva | Minerva | Posthumous release |
Television
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1957 | BBC Sunday-Night Theatre | Prostitute | Episode: "The Magnificent Egotist" |
| 1957 | Destination Downing Street | Djemila | 3 episodes |
| 1958 | Saturday Playhouse | Delia Mitchell | Episode: "Design for Murder" |
| 1959 | The Adventures of Brigadier Wellington-Bull | The Rajah's Wife | Episode: "A Spicy Dish" |
| 1960 | International Detective | Marcelle Clinton | Episode: "The Whitley Case" |
| 1960 | Armchair Theatre | Susi Flamberg | Episode: "Guardian Angel" |
| 1960 | The Four Just Men | The Contessa | Episode: "Treviso Dam" |
| 1960 | ITV Television Playhouse | Ernestine Lawrence | Episode: "Reprise" |
| 1960 | The Strange World of Gurney Slade | Caroline the Cow | Voice; Episode: #1.3 |
| 1960 | Danger Man | Hostess | Episode: "An Affair of State" |
| 1962 | Saki | Mary Drakmanton | All 8 episodes |
| 1963 | Mr Justice Duncannon | The Girl | Episode: "Trial and Error" |
| 1963 | Comedy Playhouse | Julie | Episode: "Comrades in Arms" |
| 1964 | The Avengers | Kim Lawrence | Episode: "The Charmers" |
| 1964 | Love Story | Celia | Episode: "Divorce, Divorce" |
| 1964 | Theatre 625 | Cleopatra | Episode: "The Ides of March" |
| 1964 | Armchair Theatre | Hon. Gwendolen Fairfax | Episode: "The Importance of Being Earnest" |
| 1965 | Drama 61-67 | Mrs Garfield | Episode: "Mrs. Quilley's Murder Shoes" |
| 1966 | Izeena | Izeena | All episodes |
| 1967 | The Prisoner | Loudspeaker Announcer | Voice; 7 episodes |
| 1968 | Ooh La La! | Various | 4 episodes |
| 1969 | A Touch of Venus | Marcella | Episode: "The Autograph" |
| 1971 | That's Your Funeral | Mrs Darling | Episode: "A Touch of Violet" |
| 1980 | Nobody's Perfect | Vivien | Episode: "Vivien's Problem" |
| 1981 | Cribb | Zena Prothero | Episode: "Mad Hatter's Holiday" |
| 1984 | The Zany Adventures of Robin Hood | Molly | TV film |
| 1985 | The Pickwick Papers | Mrs Leo Hunter | Episode: #1.4 |
| 1990–1993 | Uncle Jack | The Vixen | 18 episodes |
| 1999 | Doctor Who Night | Narration | Voice; Segment: "Carnival of Monsters" |
| 2004 | Abroad Again in Britain | Dearie | Voice; Episode: "Brighton Pavilion" |
| 2011 | The Legend of Dick and Dom | Lotte Lawoo | Episode: "Land of the Luvvies" |
| 2012 | Skins | Miriam Henley | Episode: "Alex" |
| 2019 | Conditions | Mother | Voice; all 13 episodes |
References
edit- ^Coveney, Michael (12 September 2018)."Fenella Fielding obituary".the Guardian.Retrieved13 September2018.
- ^abcdefghChalmers, Robert (24 February 2008)."Whatever Happened to Fenella Fielding?".The Independent.London, UK.Retrieved2 May2010.
- ^"Fenella Fielding - Movies and Filmography - AllMovie".AllMovie.Retrieved17 November2017.
- ^"Fenella Fielding".BFI Films, TV & People.Archived fromthe originalon 12 September 2018.Retrieved27 March2020.
- ^Manby, Christine (13 September 2018)."Fenella Fielding: Carry On star who turned down a role in a Fellini film".The Independent.
- ^abcHattenstone, Simon (8 November 2017)."Carry on Screaming's Fenella Fielding on fighting with Kenneth Williams and bouncing back after bankruptcy".Theguardian.com.Retrieved17 November2017.
- ^"Variety Club-Jewish Chronicle colour supplement" 350 years "".The Jewish Chronicle.15 December 2006. pp. 28–29.
- ^ab"Carry on Screaming's Fenella Fielding on fighting with Kenneth Williams and bouncing back after bankruptcy".the Guardian.8 November 2017.
- ^"Chiswick's Local Web site".www.chiswickw4.com.
- ^"Tony Hancock Appreciation Society - Series 6".Tonyhancock.org.uk.Retrieved17 November2017.
- ^"Something to Shout About".www.comedy.co.uk.Retrieved15 May2023.
- ^abcde"Fenella Fielding 'Do You Mind If I Smoke?' - Buy the book".Fenella Fielding 'Do You Mind If I Smoke?' - Buy the book.Retrieved17 November2017.
- ^Rogers, D. (1989). The complete Avengers: everything you ever wanted to know about The Avengers and the New avengers. New York: St. Martins Press, p. 88
- ^Cornell, P., Day, M., & Topping, K. (1998). The Avengers dossier. London: Virgin. "[T]hree actors were shortlisted [for Cathy Gale]: Fenella Fielding... Honor Blackman... and Nyree Dawn Porter..."
- ^"The Danger Man Website".danger-man.co.uk.Retrieved13 September2018.
- ^abDunmore, Simon (4 December 2013).Actors' Yearbook 2014.A&C Black.ISBN9781408185537.Retrieved13 September2018– via Google Books.
- ^"BBC Four - The Good Old Days - Episode guide".BBC.Retrieved13 September2018.
- ^"Letters: Fenella Fielding obituary",The Guardian,25 September 2018,retrieved17 May2019
- ^Barkham, Patrick (28 October 2010)."Dougal and the Blue Cat: The Magic Roundabout movie finally hits DVD".The Guardian.Retrieved13 September2018.
- ^Coveney, Michael (12 September 2018)."Fenella Fielding obituary".The Guardian.Retrieved13 September2018.
- ^"Dalglish and Thompson head honours list".BBC News.8 June 2018.Retrieved8 June2018.
- ^Frew, Cameron (28 August 2018)."'Martian Gothic: Unification': A Terrible Title For a Fantastic Game ".
- ^"iTunes Music –Questby Graham Roos ".iTunes Store. 14 February 2010.Retrieved10 June2012.
- ^Hedda Gabler. Fenella Fielding in this role,Phoenix Theatre,Leicester.March, 1969. Director,Robin Midgley.[1]
- ^"Why artists should Carry On Screaming Fenella Fielding's name".The Guardian.London. 17 March 2014.Retrieved6 April2016.
- ^Coveney, Michael (12 September 2018)."Fenella Fielding obituary".The Guardian.ISSN0261-3077.Retrieved18 February2019.
- ^Rawlinson, Kevin (12 September 2018)."Fenella Fielding, Carry On Screaming actor, dies aged 90".The Guardian.
External links
edit
