Born: 19 October 1913 Deceased: 27 October 1998
Born in Tottenham, London, England, UK
Rosamund John would go on to become one of the leading stage and screen actresses of her generation, with such pivotal roles in films like “The Way to the Stars”, “Green for Danger”, and “The Tawny Pipit”.
She initially studied at the Embassy School of Acting and would spend years working on the stage, earning a reputation for the roles that she would eventually start to become known for in film as well; gentle mannered women. Her film debut came in “The Secret of the Loch” in 1934, and within two years she was starring in West End productions, starting with “Anthony and Cleopatra” in 1936. From here, she would go on to star in “Home and Beauty” after being spotted by C. B. Cochran, the legendary impresario.
By the 1940s she was gaining momentum, and in 1940 she starred in “Shaw’s Devil’s Disciple” at the Adelphi Theatre, and would then go on to make three films with Leslie Howard: “The First of the Few”, “The Gentle Sex” and “The Lamp Still Burns”. Rosamund would credit Howard with teaching her everything she needed to know about film-making, and for being a greatly respectable actor who never once tried to get into bed with her.
Later in her life she would become firmly entrenched as a leading figure for Equity, the British actor’s union, in fighting with the BBC for unemployment compensation and insurance rights. |
