Susannah York RIP

[stuart.uk]

This is really sad news for me to break to you, but British actress has died of cancer at 72.

To me Susannah was a British actress more than anyother, who represented the 60s with her performance as the modern mini-skirted Becky Howard in Sebastian with Dirk Bogarde.

Other films of note include Tunes Of Glory with John Fraser, The Greengage Summer with Kenneth More, The 7th Dawn with William Holden, They Shoot Horses Only with Jane Fonda, A Man For All Seasons, Tom Jones with Albert Finney, The Battle Of Britain with Christopher Plummer, The Killing Of Sister George with Beryl Reid and Jane Eyer. There was also2 films with Roger Moore-Gold and That Lucky Touch

Susannah in the 70s and 80s had 2 successful UK tv series Second Chance with Ralph Bates and the war-time set We'll Meet Again. While she looked great in the horse racing soap Trainer, it failed

[stuart.uk]

Here's a spoiler Alert. It's Susannah and Beryl Reid in The Killing Of Sister George

[mongoII]

The lovely Miss York was wonderful as Alice in her Oscar nominated performance in "They Shoot Horses, Don't They?", among others. May she rest in peace.


York as Alice

[Richard--W]

I feel this passing.
I first saw Susannah York the ingenue in theatrical re-releases of Tom Jones and A Man For All Seasons, and she remains my favorite Jane Eyre (1970). The way she kneels beside George C. Scott's knee, expecting judgment but defying it, submissive yet rebellious, needing affection but permitting only a caress of her cheek, allowing herself only the slightest expression of the internal storm of conflicting feelings. She zeroed in on the dark side of Jane like a heat-seating missile, a performance all the more remarkable because it was the shortened Hallmark Hall of Fame version for American TV and European theaters. No one else has come close to finding the Jane that Susannah York found. She had a rare insight into the character. She became a risk-taker and a ground-breaker in films and plays like The Killing of Sister George (1968), Images (1972), and The Maids (1975). Peter Hunt told me she was the finest actress he had ever worked with, on Gold (1974). She was an utterly fearless actor who could dig deep to flesh out difficult characters, and every performance was a fully-realized woman. She became a working actor in television and occasional theater as she got older, although she was rarely called upon to test her mettle. She was drop-dead beautiful from the inside out, and I've had a crush on her all my life.

Last year I bought about twelve different PD editions of her Jane Eyre, hoping to find a decent print. There isn't a decent print in circulation, but at least the Triton Media DVD, which says Platinum Edition across the top of the front cover, is complete and watchable. That started me gathering the rest of her films on DVD. I even found the scarce Australian DVD of Eliza Fraser (1978). Anyhow, I shall miss new work from Susannah York.

Richard

[moira finnie]

I feel this passing.
I first saw Susannah York the ingenue in theatrical re-releases of Tom Jones and A Man For All Seasons, and she remains my favorite Jane Eyre (1970). The way she sits at George C. Scott's knee, compliant and yet rebellious, inviting affection yet rejecting it, allowing herself only the slightest expression of the internal storm of conflicting feelings. She zeroed in on the dark side of Jane like a heat-seating missile, a performance all the more remarkable because it was the shortened Hallmark Hall of Fame version for American TV and European theaters. No one else has come close to finding the Jane that Susannah York found.

I agree completely, Richard. The 1970 made-for-tv version of Jane Eyre with York and Scott is the best one I've ever seen. It just became available on DVD last Fall for the first time. I am hoping that more people discover this one.

Another Susannah York movie that doesn't seem to be very well known anymore is Loss of Innocence aka The Greengage Summer (1961). She captured the spirit of Rumer Godden's heroine, just on the brink of maturity, drawn to a man (Kenneth More) whose vanity is cheered by her admiring presence even though he knows that what he might offer her has little lasting value. Beautiful as the dew on fresh green grass at dawn, the young Susannah York's ability to make her character's quicksilver emotional changes credible and infinitely touching is something I have never forgotten.

[stuart.uk]

The child actress who played York's sister in The Greengage Summer was Jane Asher, who made Alfie and The Six Wives Of Henry 8th as Jane Seymore. She is now, in her 60s, enjoying a successful attumn to her acting career.

[Richard--W]

I feel this passing.
I first saw Susannah York the ingenue in theatrical re-releases of Tom Jones and A Man For All Seasons, and she remains my favorite Jane Eyre (1970). The way she kneels beside George C. Scott's knee, expecting judgment but defying it, submissive yet rebellious, needing affection but permitting only a caress of her cheek, allowing herself only the slightest expression of the internal storm of conflicting feelings. She zeroed in on the dark side of Jane like a heat-seating missile, a performance all the more remarkable because it was the shortened Hallmark Hall of Fame version for American TV and European theaters. No one else has come close to finding the Jane that Susannah York found.

I agree completely, Richard. The 1970 made-for-tv version of Jane Eyre with York and Scott is the best one I've ever seen. It just became available on DVD last Fall for the first time. I am hoping that more people discover this one.

Here in the states there are many editions of Jane Eyre (1970). This is the one you want:



The picture quality isn't very good, but it's better than all the others. The new release from VCI is missing a couple of minutes of footage.

The film is in dire need of restoration.

Appreciate the tip on The Greengage Summer. I found it on the U.K. amazon and clicked "Buy It Now."

Richard

[stuart.uk]

I was interested to read that Susannah so enjoyed working with Dirk Bogarde on Sebastian, she excepted half a days work in oder to work with him again in Oh What A Lovely War. Interesting because I was under the impression Bogarde was dificult to work with.

I gather to Susannah, due to Roger Moore, was brought in at the last minute afterSophia Loren pulled out of That Lucky Touch