Kay Walsh glamour girl to middle-age overnight

[stuart.uk]

While watching Lease Of Life the other night I was reminded of Kay Walsh's potrayal of Robert Donat's decidely middle-aged wife, while she was still in her mid 40s. I know in the British 1950s women began to make themselves look older once they reached a certain age, but LOL was made just 8-years after Kay's brillaint performance as the glamorous Queenie Gibbons in David Lean's This Happy Breed. When younger she did 2 films with George Formby and was 2nd leading lady to Celia Johnson in the classic Naval movie In Which We Serve

I wouldn't mind seeing Cast A Dark Shadow, made around the same time as LOL, just to see how Kay played her role in a film that also starred Dirk Bogarde and Margaret Lockwood. In Disney's Greyfrier's Bobby she played the elderly wife of 79-year-old Donald Crisp, when she herself was just about 50, yet a yr before was glamorous again in Tunes Of Glory playing the showgirl lover of Alec Guiness.

[CineMaven]

I watched "LEASE OF LIFE" on YouTube late late at night last week and enjoyed it. I saw "CAST A DARK SHADOW" sometime last year. I'd never heard of Kay Walsh.

Well she blew my mind in that film and hit me like a ton of bricks. I've got to make it a point to see her in more films. She just positively just blew me away! I'm glad you brought up her name, Stuart.

[stuart.uk]

Here's a clip of Kay from In Which We Serve

[JackFavell]

I agree, It's a neatly tied up, well done movie. Quite a lot of fun to watch, actually.

[stuart.uk]

I've seen Nigel Havers in The Charmer, a tv series which seems to have a similiar theme to Cast A Dark Shadow. Haver's plays a smooth killer, Rosemarry Leech an older woman attracted to him and Bernard Hepton as Leech's friend out to bring Haver's to justice. I think an another older actress, Judy Parfitt played one of his victim's and Bond girl Fiona Fullerton the woman he really loved.

[JackFavell]

I remember that series, I only got to see the first part. Then I could never find it again over here. I should check youtube.

You just don't see Nigel Havers types anymore. I like those elegant men who dress nicely and seem rather upper crust. I've seen a few episodes of Man-child, and thought they were very funny. Not to digress.... (even though I just did).