Wednesday 12 January 2022

REMEMBERING KATHLEEN BYRON ON HER BIRTHDAY TODAY


TODAY WE MARK the birthday, of an actress that shone very brightly indeed, in just about every film she appeared in at the beginning of her film career. BUT what a waste of an amazing talent.. . . during a time, she should have been offered so much more. Sadly, Kathleen Byron, left us on January 18 aged 88, passing at Denville Hall, London, a retirement hospital for professional actors, actresses and other theatrical professions. Byron was an English actress of real distinction. 
 

ONE ONLY has to watch her performance as Sister Ruth in Michael Powell's 'Black Narcissus (1947) to see someone who knew very well, how to entertain audiences with her attractive features, in such a dark and sexually charged vehicle like 'Narcissus'... exactly the calibre of woman, Hammer would have been looking for, one would think? 
 


DURING THE LATE 1950'S when Hammer were riding a wave with their most successful dark fantasy genre films, Byron was one, they over looked.
 


HAMMER DID GIVE HER a role in their 1952 film noir feature, 'The Gambler and the Lady' but it was a truly weak second banana role, with a horrible ending. She did get to work in a #PeterCushing and #ChristopherLee feature, 'Nothing But The Night' in 1973, but blink and...'  It took until 1971 when they cast her as Katy Weil, Peter Cushing loyal but suffering wife in 'Twins of Evil'. Next was worse, as 'Katherine of Locksley' in Hammer's / London Weekend Television joint floppy Robin Hood feature, 'Wolfshead: The Legend of Robin Hood'. . and that was it, there after a career of tv drama's from BBC 'Howard's Way', 'Eastenders' and 'The Bill' she worked every year in several roles from 1959 until her bowing out with health issues until 2001. 
 


ONE LITTLE NUGGET was playing Mrs Marker in 'The Golden Pince-Nez' with Jeremy Brett, with a script adapted by my close buddy, Gary Hopkins. I can think of several roles she would have suited so well for Hammer from 1958 onwards. She was wildly attractive on screen, it's a cliche, but the camera really did love her. Her moments in several key scenes of 'Black Narcissus' are seen by many today as ' outstanding examples of cinematic drama, where the camera, lighting and the actress, become one!' 
 



THE FILMS STAR, Deborah Kerr is great, but Byron actually owns every scene in which she features. . and the film! . . ."When Sister Ruth abandons her wimple and habit for a low-cut dress and very slowly and deliberately applies blood-red lipstick.. . It was Kathleen Byron who provided that moment; as Sister Ruth she delivers an astounding study of repressed sexuality suddenly, fervently and fatally imploding." Nation Film Theatre Monthly Review: Nov 2000. Remembering Kathleen Byron. Born TODAY January 11th 1921. - Marcus


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