Carole Lesley
Carole Lesley | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 27 May 1935 Chelmsford, Essex, England |
| Died | 28 February 1974 (aged 38) New Barnet, London, England |
Maureen Rippingale (27 May 1935 – 28 February 1974), known professionally as Carole Lesley, was a British actress who had a short but significant career as a "blonde bombshell".[1]
Lesley was born in Chelmsford, Essex, but ran away from home at the age of 16, "aiming to become a star".[2]
She starred in several films in the late 1950s and early 1960s,[1] including the 1957 film Woman in a Dressing Gown, which won the 1958 Golden Globe Award for Best English-Language Foreign Film.[3] She also appeared in No Trees in the Street, These Dangerous Years, Doctor in Love, Operation Bullshine and What a Whopper, and played Helen of Troy in a television play.[4][5]
However, Associated decided to end her contract, which devastated her and she disappeared from the public eye. She subsequently lived in a semi-detached house overlooking New Barnet station in north London, but by 1973 was described as "a deeply depressed, once beautiful woman, still haunted by a glamorous past".[5]
She was found dead by her husband Michael Dalling in their New Barnet home on 28 February 1974.[6] At her inquest it was determined that she had died of a drug overdose and that she had "killed herself".[7]
Filmography[]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1947 | The Silver Darlings | Una (child) | |
| 1949 | Trottie True | Clare (child) | |
| 1954 | The Embezzler | Tea Shop Waitress | |
| 1956 | Yakity Yak | TV series | |
| 1957 | The Good Companions | Film Star | |
| 1957 | Woman in a Dressing Gown | Hilda | |
| 1957 | These Dangerous Years | Dinah Brown | |
| 1959 | No Trees in the Street | Lova | |
| 1959 | Operation Bullshine | Pvt. Marge White | |
| 1960 | Doctor in Love | Kitten Strudwick | |
| 1960 | ITV Play of the Week | Helen of Troy | Episode: "Tiger at the Gates" |
| 1961 | Three on a Spree | Susan | |
| 1961 | What a Whopper | Charlotte 'Charlie' Pinner | |
| 1962 | The Pot Carriers | Wendy |
References[]
- ^ Jump up to: a b "Carole Lesley".
- ^ "Who'd be a movie star? They are little more than pampered, tethered goats". 20 January 2012 – via The Guardian.
- ^ "Woman in a Dressing Gown".
- ^ "Carole Lesley - Movies and Filmography - AllMovie".
- ^ Jump up to: a b "Carole Lesley and the Illusion of Glamour".
- ^ "'Doctor in Love' actress found dead". Birmingham Daily Post (35970). 2 March 1974. p. 44. Retrieved 23 April 2020 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Tragedy of ex-film girl". Daily Mirror (21826). 22 March 1974. p. 13. Retrieved 23 April 2020 – via British Newspaper Archive.
External links[]
- Carole Lesley at IMDb
- Deborah Orr article featuring photo of Carole Lesley
- Carole Lesley - 'The actress who never went to Hollywood' featuring several Pathe News clips
| hide Authority control  | |
|---|---|
| General | |
| National libraries | |
 | This article about a British actor is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by . |
- 1935 births
- 1974 deaths
- English film actresses
- 20th-century English actresses
- Actors from Chelmsford
- Drug-related deaths in England
- 1974 suicides
- British actor stubs