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Fenella Fielding

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Fenella Fielding
OBE
Fenella Fielding on her 90th birthday in 2017
Born
Fenella Marion Feldman

(1927-11-17)17 November 1927
Hackney, London, England
Died11 September 2018(2018-09-11) (aged 90)
Hammersmith, London, England
OccupationActress
Years active1952–2018
RelativesBasil Feldman, Baron Feldman (brother)
Nick Feldman (nephew)
Websitehttp://www.fenellafielding.com/

Fenella Fielding (born Fenella Marion Feldman; 17 November 1927 – 11 September 2018)[1] was an English stage, film and television actress who rose to prominence in the 1950s and 1960s, and was often referred to as "England's first lady of the double entendre".[2] She was known for her seductive image and distinctively husky voice. Fielding appeared in two Carry On films, Carry On Regardless (1961) and Carry On Screaming! (1966).[3]

Early life and education

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Fenella Marion Feldman was born on 17 November 1927[4] in Hackney, London,[5] to a Romanian Jewish mother, Tilly (née Katz; 1902–1977), and a Lithuanian Jewish father, Philip Feldman.[6][7]

She was the younger sister of Basil, later Baron Feldman. She grew up in Lower Clapton and later Edgware[8] where she attended North London Collegiate School. Her father at one time managed a cinema in Silvertown, east London.[2] She later resided in Chiswick, west London.[9]

Career

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Fielding began her acting career in 1952, concentrating on stage productions, including the Bromley Little Theatre. She was given her first break when she accompanied the then-unknown actor Ron Moody to an audition (they had met in an amateur production at the London School of Economics). Her performance in Sandy Wilson's musical version of Valmouth made her a star in 1958. By 1959 she was appearing with Kenneth Williams in the comedy revue Pieces of Eight, written by Harold Pinter and Peter Cook.[2] Fielding also guested in the Hancock's Half Hour episode "The Poetry Society" broadcast in December 1959.[10] Between 1960 and 1962 Fielding played Janet Harris, a liberated secretary at an advertising firm, in the BBC radio sitcom Something to Shout About.[11] In 1960 Fielding appeared on tv as the Contessa in the very last episode of the tv series of The Four Just Men (Traviso Dam).

Fielding later starred in her own television programme Izeena (1966).[12] She had occasional guest appearances in television programmes such as The Avengers[13] (after being passed over as Patrick Macnee's regular partner in favour of Honor Blackman)[14] and in Danger Man.[15] She appeared in four episodes of Morecambe and Wise Show between 1969 and 1972.[12] She was in two of the Carry On films, the second was her role as the vampish Valeria in Carry On Screaming ! (1966), and three of the Doctor films (including Doctor in Clover).[16] She interspersed these with performances in plays by Ibsen, Shakespeare and Henry James, reputedly keeping an edition of Plato's writings by her bed.[2] Other theatre credits around this time included Sheridan and Chekhov.[12] In 1977 she appeared on BBC TV's long running show, The Good Old Days performing 'Only A Glass of Champagne' and 'How'd You Like to Spoon with Me?'.[17]

Fielding was the uncredited Village announcer in The Prisoner (1967–68), and co-starred with Tom Poston and Robert Morley in the remake of The Old Dark House (1963).[18] In Dougal and the Blue Cat, based on The Magic Roundabout, she voiced the character of the Blue Voice, referred to as "Madam" by both Buxton (the blue cat of the title) and Dougal at various stages throughout the film.[19] In the late 1960s, Fielding was approached by Federico Fellini to work on one of his films, but turned the work down because she was already booked to perform on stage at the Chichester Festival Theatre.[2]

Fielding also starred in the children's television series Uncle Jack from 1990-1993 as the notorious villainess, The Vixen. In 1999, Fielding starred in Rik Mayall and Adrian Edmondson's film Guest House Paradiso. She toured in a production of Lady Windermere's Fan the same year.[12] In 2011, Fielding appeared at the Jermyn Street Theatre, London in an English Chamber Theatre presentation of Jane McCulloch's Dearest Nancy, Darling Evelyn, the dramatised letters of Nancy Mitford and Evelyn Waugh.[16]

From 2012, Fielding performed readings of English translations of Greek classics by David Stuttard. Her partners for this were Simon Russell Beale and later Stephen Greif. Her memoir[20] was published in both audio and book form in 2017 and led to a number of appearances on stage reading extracts from it in places all over the UK.[6]

Fielding was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2018 Birthday Honours for services to drama and charity.[21]

Voice work

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Fielding voiced “The Blue Voice” in the 1972 English adaptation of the 1970 French film ‘Dougal And The Blue Cat’, 'MOOD', the quirky supercomputer in the video game Martian Gothic in a script written by science fiction author Stephen Marley.[22] After 2000 she recorded with Savoy, a book publishing and recording company. Her work with them includes readings of Colette, J. G. Ballard's Crash and T. S. Eliot's Four Quartets.[8] She made an album of cover songs including Robbie Williams's "Angels", Kylie Minogue's "Can't Get You Out of My Head", New Order's "Blue Monday" and the White Stripes' "Passive Manipulation".[2] In 2006, she toured Ireland in The Vagina Monologues.[2] She provided the voice to two tracks on the Graham Roos album Quest.[23] In the following years, Fielding was a regular guest contributor on BBC Radio 4's PM and Broadcasting House.[12]

Critical reception

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A 2007 article in The Independent remarked that it was "one of the mysteries of British life that Fenella Fielding, whose wit and distinctive stage presence captivated figures such as Kenneth Tynan, Noël Coward and Federico Fellini, should have drifted into obscurity rather than being celebrated", and the same article quotes The Times as saying that Fielding's performance as Hedda Gabler was "one of the experiences of a lifetime".[24][2] A 2017 article in The Guardian highlighted a career "renaissance in recent years" and describes Fielding as a phenomenal storyteller. "She reminds me of the great raconteur Quentin Crisp – the same love of language, mastery of its rhythms, perfectly formed sentences, and a joie de vivre even when relating her profound despair."[6]

"People Are Very Free With Their Bad Advice...", a quote from Metafenella

Fielding is the subject of MetaFenella, a 2014 online artwork by artist Martin Firrell.[25]

Death

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Fielding suffered a stroke on 25 August 2018 and died two weeks later at Charing Cross Hospital in Hammersmith, on 11 September 2018, aged 90.[26] She never married nor had children.[27]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
1959 Sapphire Lingerie Shop Manageress Uncredited
Follow a Star Lady Finchington
1960 Doctor in Love Mrs Tadwich
Foxhole in Cairo Yvette
1961 No Love for Johnnie Sheilah
Carry On Regardless Penny Panting
In the Doghouse Miss Fordyce
1962 Village of Daughters Voice-Over
1963 Doctor in Distress Passenger on Train
The Old Dark House Morgana Femm
1965 How to Undress in Public Without Undue Embarrassment Narrator
1966 Doctor in Clover Tatiana Rubikov
Carry On Screaming! Valeria Watt
Drop Dead Darling Fenella
1969 Lock Up Your Daughters Lady Eager
1972 Dougal and the Blue Cat The Blue Voice Voice, Uncredited
1974 S*P*Y*S Voice-over Uncredited
1977 Cumbernauld Hit Liana
1984 The Zany Adventures of Robin Hood Molly
1999 Guest House Paradiso Mrs Foxfur
2001 Beginner's Luck Mark's mum
2007 The All Together Mrs Cox
Wishbaby Eve
2009 Radio Mania Mrs Langdon
2011 Tincture of Vervain Her Ladyship
Over the Edge Mrs van Eisner
2016 Surge of Power: Revenge of the Sequel Fenella Fielding
2017 Frankula Voice-over Voice
2021 The Curse of Minerva Minerva Posthumous release

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
1957 BBC Sunday-Night Theatre Prostitute Episode: "The Magnificent Egotist"
Destination Downing Street Djemila 3 episodes
1958 Saturday Playhouse Delia Mitchell Episode: "Design for Murder"
1959 The Adventures of Brigadier Wellington-Bull The Rajah's Wife Episode: "A Spicy Dish"
1960 International Detective Marcelle Clinton Episode: "The Whitley Case"
Armchair Theatre Susi Flamberg Episode: "Guardian Angel"
The Four Just Men The Contessa Episode: "Treviso Dam"
ITV Television Playhouse Ernestine Lawrence Episode: "Reprise"
The Strange World of Gurney Slade Caroline the Cow Voice; Episode: #1.3
Danger Man Hostess Episode: "An Affair of State"
1962 Saki Mary Drakmanton All 8 episodes
1963 Mr Justice Duncannon The Girl Episode: "Trial and Error"
Comedy Playhouse Julie Episode: "Comrades in Arms"
1964 The Avengers Kim Lawrence Episode: "The Charmers"
Love Story Celia Episode: "Divorce, Divorce"
Theatre 625 Cleopatra Episode: "The Ides of March"
Armchair Theatre Hon. Gwendolen Fairfax Episode: "The Importance of Being Earnest"
1965 Drama 61-67 Mrs Garfield Episode: "Mrs. Quilley's Murder Shoes"
1966 Izeena Izeena All episodes
1967 The Prisoner Loudspeaker Announcer Voice; 7 episodes
1968 Ooh La La! Various 4 episodes
1969 A Touch of Venus Marcella Episode: "The Autograph"
1971 That's Your Funeral Mrs Darling Episode: "A Touch of Violet"
1980 Nobody's Perfect Vivien Episode: "Vivien's Problem"
1981 Cribb Zena Prothero Episode: "Mad Hatter's Holiday"
1984 The Zany Adventures of Robin Hood Molly TV film
1985 The Pickwick Papers Mrs Leo Hunter Episode: #1.4
1990–1993 Uncle Jack The Vixen 18 episodes
1999 Doctor Who Night Narration Voice; Segment: "Carnival of Monsters"
2004 Abroad Again in Britain Dearie Voice; Episode: "Brighton Pavilion"
2011 The Legend of Dick and Dom Lotte Lawoo Episode: "Land of the Luvvies"
2012 Skins Miriam Henley Episode: "Alex"
2019 Conditions Mother Voice; all 13 episodes

References

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  1. ^ Coveney, Michael (12 September 2018). "Fenella Fielding obituary". the Guardian. Retrieved 13 September 2018.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h Chalmers, Robert (24 February 2008). "Whatever Happened to Fenella Fielding?". The Independent. London, UK. Retrieved 2 May 2010.
  3. ^ "Fenella Fielding - Movies and Filmography - AllMovie". AllMovie. Retrieved 17 November 2017.
  4. ^ "Fenella Fielding". BFI Films, TV & People. Archived from the original on 12 September 2018. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
  5. ^ Manby, Christine (13 September 2018). "Fenella Fielding: Carry On star who turned down a role in a Fellini film". The Independent.
  6. ^ a b c Hattenstone, Simon (8 November 2017). "Carry on Screaming's Fenella Fielding on fighting with Kenneth Williams and bouncing back after bankruptcy". Theguardian.com. Retrieved 17 November 2017.
  7. ^ "Variety Club-Jewish Chronicle colour supplement "350 years"". The Jewish Chronicle. 15 December 2006. pp. 28–29.
  8. ^ a b "Carry on Screaming's Fenella Fielding on fighting with Kenneth Williams and bouncing back after bankruptcy". the Guardian. 8 November 2017.
  9. ^ "Chiswick's Local Web site". www.chiswickw4.com.
  10. ^ "Tony Hancock Appreciation Society - Series 6". Tonyhancock.org.uk. Retrieved 17 November 2017.
  11. ^ "Something to Shout About". www.comedy.co.uk. Retrieved 15 May 2023.
  12. ^ a b c d e "Fenella Fielding 'Do You Mind If I Smoke?' - Buy the book". Fenella Fielding 'Do You Mind If I Smoke?' - Buy the book. Retrieved 17 November 2017.
  13. ^ Rogers, D. (1989). The complete Avengers: everything you ever wanted to know about The Avengers and the New avengers. New York: St. Martins Press, p. 88
  14. ^ Cornell, P., Day, M., & Topping, K. (1998). The Avengers dossier. London: Virgin. "[T]hree actors were shortlisted [for Cathy Gale]: Fenella Fielding... Honor Blackman... and Nyree Dawn Porter..."
  15. ^ "The Danger Man Website". danger-man.co.uk. Retrieved 13 September 2018.
  16. ^ a b Dunmore, Simon (4 December 2013). Actors' Yearbook 2014. A&C Black. ISBN 9781408185537. Retrieved 13 September 2018 – via Google Books.
  17. ^ "BBC Four - The Good Old Days - Episode guide". BBC. Retrieved 13 September 2018.
  18. ^ "Letters: Fenella Fielding obituary", The Guardian, 25 September 2018, retrieved 17 May 2019
  19. ^ Barkham, Patrick (28 October 2010). "Dougal and the Blue Cat: The Magic Roundabout movie finally hits DVD". The Guardian. Retrieved 13 September 2018.
  20. ^ Coveney, Michael (12 September 2018). "Fenella Fielding obituary". The Guardian. Retrieved 13 September 2018.
  21. ^ "Dalglish and Thompson head honours list". BBC News. 8 June 2018. Retrieved 8 June 2018.
  22. ^ Frew, Cameron (28 August 2018). "'Martian Gothic: Unification': A Terrible Title For a Fantastic Game".
  23. ^ "iTunes Music – Quest by Graham Roos". iTunes Store. 14 February 2010. Retrieved 10 June 2012.
  24. ^ Hedda Gabler. Fenella Fielding in this role, Phoenix Theatre, Leicester. March, 1969. Director, Robin Midgley.[1]
  25. ^ "Why artists should Carry On Screaming Fenella Fielding's name". The Guardian. London. 17 March 2014. Retrieved 6 April 2016.
  26. ^ Coveney, Michael (12 September 2018). "Fenella Fielding obituary". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 18 February 2019.
  27. ^ Rawlinson, Kevin (12 September 2018). "Fenella Fielding, Carry On Screaming actor, dies aged 90". The Guardian.
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