Kathleen Walsh (15 November 1911 – 16 April 2005) was an English actress, dancer, and screenwriter. Her film career prospered after she met her future husband, film director David Lean, with whom she worked on productions such as In Which We Serve and Oliver Twist.

Early life and career Walsh was born on 15 November 1911 in Chelsea, London. She was raised in Pimlico by her grandmother. She began her career as a dancer in West End music halls, and at the age of 17 she began going out with Pownoll Pellew (later 9th Viscount Exmouth), and they shared an interest in sports cars.Dave Cox, Ave Atque Vale, p 15 She made her film debut in How's Chances? (1934) in a small part, and had a larger role in Get Your Man, another 1934 film. She continued to act in "quota quickies" films for several years. Walsh first met David Lean, then a film editor, in 1936, during the filming of Secret of Stamboul. They began a relationship, and Walsh broke her engagement to Pellew. Walsh and Lean married on 23 November 1940. She appeared in the films In Which We Serve (1942) and This Happy Breed (1944), both directed by Lean and written by Noël Coward. Walsh campaigned for Lean to receive co-director credit on In Which We Serve.

Walsh contributed dialogue to the 1938 film of Pygmalion, and devised the scenario for the closing sequence of Lean's film adaptation of Great Expectations (1946), receiving a writing credit on the latter film. She devised the opening sequence of Lean's adaptation of Oliver Twist (1948) and played Nancy. Walsh and Lean divorced in 1949 on grounds of infidelity based on Lean's relationship with actress Ann Todd. Walsh continued to work as a character actress in films through the 1950s, including films with Alfred Hitchcock and Ronald Neame. Her own favourite film role was that of the barmaid Miss D. Coker in Neame's 1958 film of The Horse's Mouth, with Alec Guinness.

Between films, Walsh appeared regularly in plays and farces at the Strand and Aldwych theatres, directed by Basil Dean. She starred with Peter Coke in the 1938 thriller Death on the Table and Ralph Lynn at Aldwych in the 1940 comedy Nap Hand. She was a semi-regular on the 1979 Anglo-Polish TV series Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, and remained active in films until her retirement in 1981. Her last role was in Night Crossing (1982).

Second marriage, later life and death Walsh's second marriage was to the Canadian psychoanalyst Elliott Jaques, and they adopted daughter Gemma in 1956. This marriage also ended in divorce.

Walsh lived in retirement in London. She died on 16 April 2005 at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, aged 93, from multiple burns, following an accident.

Filmography Year Title Role Notes 1934 The Bedroom Diplomat Minor Role uncredited Get Your Man Mary Vivien 1935 Smith's Wives Mabel Smith 1936 If I Were Rich Chrissie de la Mothe The Luck of the Irish Eileen O'Donnel The Secret of Stamboul Diana 1937 All That Glitters Eve Payne-Coade Keep Fit Joan Allen The Last Adventurers Margaret Arkell 1938 I See Ice Judy Gaye Meet Mr. Penny Peggy Allgood 1939 The Mind of Mr. Reeder Peggy Gillette The Missing People Sons of the Sea Alison Devar 1940 All at Sea Diana The Chinese Bungalow Sadie Merivale The Second Mr. Bush Angela Windel-Todd The Middle Watch Fay Eaton 1942 In Which We Serve Freda Lewis 1944 This Happy Breed Queenie Gibbons 1947 The October Man Molly Newman 1948 Vice Versa Florence Verlane Oliver Twist Nancy 1950 Stage Fright Nellie Goode Last Holiday Mrs Poole The Magnet Mrs Brent 1951 The Magic Box Hotel Receptionist Encore Miss Molly Reid segment: "Winter Cruise" 1952 Hunted Mrs. Sykes Meet Me Tonight Lily Pepper segment: "Red Peppers" 1953 Young Bess Mrs Ashley Gilbert Harding Speaking of Murder Priscilla 1954 Calling Scotland Yard: The Missing Passenger Priscilla short The Rainbow Jacket Barbara Lease of Life Vera Thorne 1955 Cast a Dark Shadow Charlotte Young 1956 Now and Forever Miss Muir 1958 The Horse's Mouth Dee Coker 1960 Tunes of Glory Mary Titterington 1961 Greyfriars Bobby: The True Story of a Dog Mrs Brown Alfred Hitchcock Presents Mrs. Morgan Season 7 Episode 9: "I Spy"1962 Reach for Glory Mrs Curlew The L-Shaped Room Prostitute uncredited 1963 80,000 Suspects Matron Dr. Syn, Alias the Scarecrow Mrs Waggett Lunch Hour Manageress 1964 Circus World Flo Hunt 1964 TV series Gideon's Way as Martha Smallwood The Beauty Jungle Mrs. Freeman 1965 A Study in Terror Cathy Eddowes He Who Rides a Tiger Mrs Woodley Gideon's Way : Episodes “The Housekeeper” and "Morna' Martha and Mrs Harriet Bright 1966 The Witches Stephanie Bax 1967 Bikini Paradise Harriet Pembroke 1969 Journey to the Unknown Mrs Joan Walker TV movie, episode: "The Last Visitor" Taste of Excitement Miss Barrow 1970 Connecting Rooms Mrs Brent The Virgin and the Gypsy Aunt Cissie Scrooge Mrs Fezziwig 1972 The Ruling Class Mrs Piggot-Jones 1982 Night Crossing Doris's mother

Notes

References

Kevin Brownlow, David Lean, Faber & Faber, 1997. Silverman, Stephen M., David Lean, Harry N. Abrams, 1989.

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