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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