Joanna Dunham

Joanna Elizabeth Dunham (6 May 1936 – 25 November 2014) was an English actress, best noted for her work on stage and television. She also appeared in several major films.

Career

Dunham was born in Luton, Bedfordshire, the daughter of Peter Browning Dunham (1911–1997), an architect and artist, and Constance Amy Margareta (1911-1992; née Young). Her father's aunt was the Impressionist painter Amy Katherine Browning, who married the artist Thomas Cantrell Dugdale.[1][2][3][4]

Dunham was educated at Bedales School, then the Slade School of Art,[1] and in 1956 she attended RADA, the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, the same year as Susannah York and Brian Epstein, who later became the manager of the Beatles.[5][6][7]

Dunham first gained notice for playing Juliet in the 1962 Old Vic production of Romeo and Juliet, under the direction of Franco Zeffirelli, which was performed in a five-month, 13-city U.S. tour.[8] She was spotted by Marilyn Monroe, who recommended her to director George Stevens for the role of Mary Magdalen in The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965).[7]

Her first television role had come some years earlier (1958), when she appeared as Louka in the "Arms and the Man" episode of BBC Sunday Night Theatre.[1] As of 1998 Dunham had appeared in at least 45 different television series or productions.[9]

Filmography

Dunham had credited roles in at least seven films:

While working on The Greatest Story Ever Told, the on-site filming of which stretched to over a year,[10] Dunham announced that she was pregnant. Director George Stevens tried to keep her in the production with the use of flattering camera angles and draped costumes. He told an interviewer from Variety, "Well, that Mary Magdalene always was a troublemaker."[11][12]

Television

She appeared as William Tell's sister-in-law, Gretel, in The Adventures of William Tell, notably in "The Shrew" episode (1958).

In 1970, she played murderess Alice Rhodes in the TV series Wicked Women.[13]

In 1972, Dunham appeared in an episode of Sykes (series 1, episode 11 – "Dreams") as Sykes' doctor.

In 1973, Dunham was featured as Penny Burns in an episode of the Thriller entitled, Possession. She appeared as Lucienne Elders in the first episode of the second series of Van der Valk (1977). She later returned as Arlette van der Valk in the third series.

In 1974 she appeared in a two part episode of the soap opera 'Rooms' for Thames Television, opposite Ray Brooks.

In 1976, she appeared as a guest artist in an episode of Space 1999 entitled Missing Link, she played the character Vana. She appeared as Arlette van der Valk in the third series of Van der Valk (1977), as Alice Rhodes in an episode of Wicked Women (1970), and as Miss Featherstone in the episode "Goodbye Mrs. Slocombe" in the 10th series of Are You Being Served (1984).[9][14] She was Jean Gayton in Casting the Runes (1979) for ITV.

Personal life

Dunham was married twice, to Henry A. Osborne (1961–72, ended in divorce) and to Reggie Oliver (1992-her death).[7] She took up painting when her acting career declined, and converted a Suffolk farm building into an art gallery.[15]

Death

Dunham died on 25 November 2014, aged 78.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Joanna Dunham obituary". The Guardian. 1 December 2014. Retrieved 17 April 2021.
  2. ↑ "Suffolk Artists - DUNHAM, Joanna". suffolkartists.co.uk. Retrieved 17 April 2021.
  3. ↑ "Suffolk Artists - DUNHAM, Peter Browning". suffolkartists.co.uk. Retrieved 17 April 2021.
  4. ↑ Amy K. Browning, 1881-1978: An Impressionist in the Women's Movement, Joanna Dunham, Boudicca Books, 1995, pp. 2, 37
  5. ↑ "Joanna Dunham — RADA". www.rada.ac.uk.
  6. ↑ "Susannah York — RADA". www.rada.ac.uk.
  7. 1 2 3 "Joanna Dunham: Actress best known for playing Mary Magdalen who could". The Independent. 7 December 2014. Archived from the original on 9 June 2022.
  8. ↑ "The Stage: The New Old Vic". Time. 2 March 1962 – via content.time.com.
  9. 1 2 "Joanna Dunham". BFI. Archived from the original on 26 April 2017.
  10. ↑ The Hollywood Hall of Shame, p. 140
  11. ↑ "BIBLICAL STORY BEFORE CAMERAS; Atmosphere on Set Hushed as Scene Is Shot Whispers Die Away Scene Shot Again Exchange With Judas". 9 February 1963 – via NYTimes.com.
  12. ↑ Joanna Dunham filmography, nytimes.com; accessed 2 December 2014.
  13. ↑ Wicked Women at IMDb
  14. ↑ "Joanna Dunham". www.aveleyman.com.
  15. ↑ "Mary Magdalene actress Dunham dies". BBC News. 3 December 2014.
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