Yvonne Furneaux (born Elisabeth Yvonne Scatcherd; 11 May 1926 – 5 July 2024) was a British-French actress. A graduate of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, she worked with notable filmmakers like Peter Brook, Federico Fellini, Roman Polanski, Michelangelo Antonioni, and Claude Chabrol, as well as in several genre productions.
Early life Furneaux was born Elisabeth Yvonne Scatcherd to English parents living in Roubaix, northern France. Her Yorkshireman father, Joseph Scatcherd, was a director at a local branch of Lloyds Bank. Her mother, Amy Furneaux, was from Devon. She had a sister, Jeanne.
The family moved to England prior to the outbreak of World War II, and Yvonne enrolled in St Hilda's College, Oxford in 1946 to study Modern Languages, where she was known as "Tessa Scatcherd". While studying at Oxford she became involved in university theatre groups, and after graduating enrolled in the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, which she graduated from in 1951."Student Profile: Yvonne Furneaux". Rada.ac.uk. Retrieved 30 November 2023.
Career Furneaux made her stage debut at the age of 24. She played in productions of Macbeth and The Taming of the Shrew, and was photographed by Norman Parkinson as one of "The Young Look in the Theatre" for the January 1953 issue of Vogue.
She made her film debut with a minor role in Anthony Pelissier's omnibus comedy Meet Me Tonight (1952). She subsequently played several supporting parts, including in Peter Brook's 1953 film version of The Beggar's Opera, the adventure films The Master of Ballantrae and The Dark Avenger, and the mystery film The House of the Arrow. She played the female lead in the Hammer horror film The Mummy.
In 1955, she starred in Michelangelo Antonioni's Le Amiche, which won the Silver Lion at the Venice Film Festival, and launched a successful parallel career in Italian cinema. She played Emma, the fiancée to Marcello Mastroianni's character, in Federico Fellini's La Dolce Vita and also appeared in various genre films, including several leading roles in peplum films. She also returned to her native France to star in The Count of Monte Cristo (1961) and Enough Rope (1963), both directed by Claude Autant-Lara, as well as The Champagne Murders (1967) by Claude Chabrol.
In 1965, she appeared in Roman Polanski's psychological thriller Repulsion where she played the sister of Catherine Deneuve's character.
Furneaux retired from acting in the early 1970s, only returning for the 1984 film Frankenstein's Great Aunt Tillie.
Personal life and death Furneaux was married to cinematographer Jacques Natteau, who died on 17 April 2007. They had one son, Nicholas. From 1985, she resided in Lausanne, Switzerland.
Furneaux died of complications from a stroke at her home in North Hampton, New Hampshire, on 5 July 2024, at the age of 98.
Filmography Film YearTitleRoleDirectorNotes1952Meet Me TonightElenaAnthony Pelissier24 Hours of a Woman's LifeHenrietteVictor Saville1953The Beggar's OperaJenny DiverPeter BrookThe Master of BallantraeJessie BrownWilliam KeighleyThe House of the ArrowBetty HarloweMichael Anderson1954Crossed SwordsAmeliaMilton KrimsUncredited1955The Dark AvengerMarieHenry LevinThe Prince with the Red MaskLauraLeopoldo SavonaLe AmicheMomina De StefaniMichelangelo AntonioniCross ChannelJacqueline MoreauR. G. Springsteen1956LisbonMaria Maddalena MasanetRay Milland1959Lui, lei e il nonnoHelenAnton Giulio MajanoThe MummyIsobel Banning / Princess AnankaTerence Fisher1960La Dolce VitaEmmaFederico FelliniSome Like It ColdRosalinaStenoRun with the DevilMartaMario CameriniIl carro armato dell'8 settembreGianni Puccini1961The Count of Monte CristoMercedesClaude Autant-LaraCaccia all'uomoMariaRiccardo Freda1962Charge of the Black LancersJassaGiacomo GentilomoNight Train to MilanAngelaMarcello Baldi1963Enough RopeClaraClaude Autant-LaraI Am SemiramisSemiramisPrimo ZeglioI 4 tassistiCorinnaGiorgio BianchiSegment: "Caccia al tesoro"1964The Secret of Dr. MabuseGilda LarsenHugo FregoneseThe Lion of ThebesHelen of TroyGiorgio Ferroni1965RepulsionHelene LedouxRoman Polanski1967The Champagne MurdersChristine BellingClaude Chabrol1971In the Name of the Italian PeopleLavinia SantenocitoDino Risi1972Temptation in the Summer WindProfessor's WifeRolf Thiele1984Frankenstein's Great Aunt TillieTillie FrankensteinMyron J. Gold
Television YearTitleRoleNotes1953Douglas Fairbanks PresentsSuzie RochardEpisode: "The Genie"1954The Three Princes YasminTelevision film1955The Adventures of the Scarlet PimpernelSuzanne de FleuryEpisode: "The Hostage"1956Nom-de-PlumeThe CountessEpisode: "The Courtesan"Adventure TheatreVanessaEpisode: "The Javanese Dagger"1957ITV Play of the WeekKathi LutterwellEpisode: "The Tigress on the Hearth"1965Danger ManLisa LeeEpisode: "A Very Dangerous Game"Hereward the WakeTorfrida11 episodes1966The BaronSelina TravisEpisodes: "Masquerade" & "The Killing"The Man Who Never WasPaulaEpisode: "A Little Ignorance"1969The Last of the PowerseekersMiss RabierTelevision film
References
External links
Yvonne Furneaux at aenigma