Virginia McKenna

[stuart.uk]

In global terms I would think Ginny's most famous film was Born Free, playing Joy Adamson. I find it interesting that Joy and husband George Adamson wern't exactly loves young dream and were seperated at the time of her death, (I think Honor Blackman oppisite Richard Harris in To Walk With Lions, was perhaps a more accurate potrayal in that sense) though I think one of the reasons why they were potrayed as a loving couple in BF was because Ginny and husband Bill Travers, who played George were truly devoted to each other and that came across.

I think Ginny and Bill were one of the screens great romantic couples with two other gems. They play a young couple who inherit a run down cinema with employess pianist Margaret Rutherford and young Peter Sellers, as an old man in The Smallest Show On earth. They also starred together in the lovley film Ring Of Bright Water.

Ginny made her name as Donald Sindens love interest in the naval classic The Cruel Sea. She was also famous as Japanese prisoner in A Town Like Alice, oppisite Peter Finch. However, IMO her greatest performance came in Carve Her Name With Pride as a real life young war widow with a very young daughter, who joins the British secret service. It was argubaly IMO the greatest role ever offered to a British actress

[Ollie]

Those last three are powerful performances in great films. As you wrote, BORN FREE might be the most popularized role, but CRUEL SEA, CARVE and A TOWN LIKE ALICE get my vote as career high points.

[stuart.uk]

Not long after Bill died, Ginny followed in the footsteps of Gertrude Lawerence. played Anna in a West-End production of The King And I and like Gerti her leading man was Yul Brynner

[mongoII]

I'll never forget Virginia McKenna as Violette Szabo in "Carve Her Name with Pride". She was sensational. It's a shame she was bypassed for an Oscar nomination, as many are.

[CineMaven]

Admittedly I have not seen many Virginia McKenna films (other than..."BORN FREE.") I caught a glimpse of her during Dirk Bogarde's night on TCM. But I was watching Gwyneth Paltrow in "Sliding Doors" and I saw this older woman and her name immediately popped into my mind after not thinking about her in a good while.

I ran to imdb and lo and behold...that WAS Virginia McKenna I saw. I guess I must look out for "Carve Her Name With Pride." I always liked her and thought she was one of the prettiest British actresses.