Daphne Heard

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Daphne Heard
Nanny Webster (Upstairs, Downstairs 1971 TV series - Out of the Everywhere).jpg
Heard as Nanny Webster in the episode "Out of the Everywhere" of Upstairs, Downstairs
Born
Delia Phyllis Daphne Heard

21 August 1904
Plymouth, England
Died22 June 1983(1983-06-22) (aged 78)
Bristol, England
Occupation(s)Actress, acting tutor
Years active1948, 1958-1992

Delia Phyllis Daphne Heard (21 August 1904 22 June 1983) [1] was an English actress and acting teacher. She was born in Plymouth, Devon. She appeared in numerous made-for-TV movies and TV series. But was perhaps best known in latter years as Richard's elderly mother Mrs. Polouvicka in To the Manor Born .

Contents

Film

Her film credits include roles in Goodbye Gemini (1970), the film version of Please Sir! (1971) as an old gypsy, Jude the Obscure (1971) as Drusilla Fawley, and The Triple Echo (1972). [2] She also appeared as the nanny in Laurence Olivier's film Three Sisters (1970) based on the Anton Chekhov play, with Joan Plowright, Alan Bates and Olivier himself as Chebutikin. [3]

Television and radio

She performed in many other television serials, including Wild, Wild Women , Doctor Who (in a story-stealing turn in the serial Image of the Fendahl as white witch 'Granny' Tyler), the sitcom Don't Forget to Write! as Mrs Field the cleaner, Z-Cars and Nanny Webster in Upstairs, Downstairs , series 2, episode 8, Out of the Everywhere. [4] In 1966, she was cast as a beleaguered tenant in Vacant Possession, [5] a TV play produced by Rediffusion. [6] From its inception until her death in 1983, she played the part of Maud, the eccentric housekeeper, in the Hinge and Bracket radio series. [7]

In 1971, Heard starred in a couple of episodes in the TV sitcom For the Love of Ada playing the nosey, next door neighbour. [8]

In 1974, she played the part of Mrs. Froggitt in the pilot episode of Oh No It's Selwyn Froggitt . [9]

Teaching career

During the 1950s and 1960s, she was a member of the teaching staff at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. [10]

Filmography

TitleYearRole
Yellow Sands (TV movie)1948Jennifer Varwell
Miranda (TV movie)1949Nrse Carey
Rest you Merry (TV movie)1958Jin
The True Misery of the Passion (TV movie)1960Despair
Lorna Doone (TV series)1963Betty Maxworthy
Compact1963Mrs. Metcalfe
Viewpoint1963Actress
Story Parade1964Mrs. Poulton-Morse
The Children of the New Forest (TV series)1964Judith Villiers
Thursday Theatre (TV anthology series)1964Mrs. Dorbeil
Esther Waters 1964Mrs. Latch
The Walrus and the Carpenter (TV series)1965 ?
Undermind1965Mrs. Neary
Poison Island (TV series)1965Mrs. Stimcoe
The Witness (TV movie)1966Madame Naquet
Thirteen Against Fate 1966Madame Naquet
The Woman in White 1966Madame Fosco
Blackmail1966Mrs. Pearce
Macbeth (TV movie)1966Third Witch
ITV Play of the Week (TV series)1967Witness
Sanctuary (TV series)1967Mrs. Evans
Boy Meets Girl (TV series)1967Mary
Hobson's Choice (TV series)1967Mrs. Hepworth
Softly, Softly (TV series)1967Mrs Evans - Mrs Peck
Inheritance (TV series)1967Janie Mellor
Dr. Finlay's Casebook (TV series)1964-19683 character roles- Grandma - Mrs. McNaughton - Mrs. Verrier
Public Eye (TV series)1968Nora
Nicholas Nickleby (TV miniseries)1968Peg Sliderskew
Mr. Rose (TV series)1968Mrs. Simmons
City' 68 (TV series))Miss. Barnes
The Wednesday Play 19681968Mrs. Edgell - Nan
Nearest and Dearest (TV series sitcom)1968Mrs. Hardman
Wild, Wild Women (TV series)1969Ginny
Big Breadwinner Hog (TV series)1969Mrs. Lennox
Rogue's Gallery (TV series)1969Grandma Groom
The Expert (TV series)1969Mrs. Dipper
The First Churchills (TV miniseries)1969Mrs. Jennings
Ace of Wands (TV series)Ma Epps1970
Goodbye Gemini1970Mrs. McLaren
Three Sisters1970Anfissa
The Emergency of Anthony Purdy Esq, Farmers Labourer (TV movie)1970Mother
ITV Saturday Night Theatre 1971Mrs. Castleton
Jude the Obscure (TV miniseries)1971Drusilla Fawley
For the Love of Ada (TV series)1971Mrs. Chandler
Z-Cars (TV series)1964-1971Various - 3 character roles
Thick as Thieves (TV movie)1971
Please Sir?1971Old Gypsy Lady
Thirty-Minute Theatre (TV series)1971Mrs. Norton
Owen M.D. (TV series)1971Mary Brough
Suspicion (TV series)1972Mrs. Fawcett
The Fenn Street Gang (TV series)1972Mrs. Upjohn
Spyder's Web (TV series)1972Mrs. Hartley
Horace (TV movie)1972Mrs.Beal
Pretenders (TV series)1972Carrity
The Triple Echo1972Shopkeeper
Upstairs, Downstairs (TV series)1972Nanny Webster
Cranford (TV series)1972Mrs.Fitz- Adams
Country Matters (TV series)1972Cassandra
Arthur of the Britons (TV series)1973Elder
Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads? (TV series)1973Aunt Beattie
The Jensen Code (TV series)1973Granny Powell
Orson Welles Great Mysteries (TV series)1973Deborah Crabbe
The Kids from 47A (TV series)1974Miss Budge
John Halifax, Gentleman (TV miniseries)1974Jael
Oh No It's Selwyn Froggitt (TV series)1974Florrie Froggitt
BBC Play of the Month (TV series)1970-19743 character roles
Horizon (TV series)1974Magistrate
Churchill's People (TV series)1975Old Woman
Wodehouse Playhouse (TV series)1975Nanny Wilkes
Village Hall (TV series)1975Mrs. Goodchild
Comedy Playhouse 1974-1975Aunty Vee - Mum
Plays for Britain (TV series)1976Mrs. Brown
Westway (TV series)1976Miss Marlbury
Angels (TV series)1976Edith Dawson
Within These Walls (TV series)1976Ralda Loveridge
Murder Most English: A Flaxborough Chronicle (TV series)Mrs. Crunkinghorn
Marie Curie (TV miniseries)1977Madame Sophie curie
The Upchat Line (TV series)1977Mrs. Burgess
Doctor Who (TV series)1977Martha Tyler
Hazell (TV series)1978Kathleen Donaldson
Crown Court (TV series)1974-19784 character roles
Coronation Street (TV series)1978Lizzie Hinchcliffe
Don't Forget to Write (TV series)1977-1979Mrs.Field
Late Night Drama (TV series)1980Mrs. Woon
Nanny (TV series)1981Miss. Cooper
John Keats (TV miniseries)1981Mrs. Cook
To the Manor Born (TV series)1979-1981Mrs. Polouvicka
Play for Today (TV series)1982Mrs Merridew
Horace (TV series)1982Mrs. Tiddy

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References

  1. Per original research added by a contributor from IP address 192.176.202.37 to this article on 21 August 2020, Heard appears in the 1939 England & Wales Register as Daphne Barns (her married name) with the birth date of 21 August 1904; the contributor also commented "A few years ago, only her month and year of birth were known and the 1st [n.b. another date formerly given in the article] was probably a guess".
  2. "Daphne Heard". BFI.
  3. "Three Sisters (1970) - Laurence Olivier, John Sichel | Cast and Crew | AllMovie" via www.allmovie.com.
  4. "Daphne Heard". www.aveleyman.com.
  5. ""Blackmail" Vacant Possession (TV Episode 1966) - IMDb". imdb.com. Retrieved 7 November 2019.
  6. "Vacant Possession". Radio Times.
  7. "BBC Radio 4 Extra - The Enchanting World of Hinge and Bracket, Pilot". BBC.
  8. "The Queen's Birthday (1971)". BFI.
  9. "Oh No, It's Selwyn Froggit[30/09/74] (1974)". BFI.
  10. Blessed, Brian (19 May 2016). Absolute Pandemonium: The Autobiography. Pan Macmillan. ISBN   9781447292975 via Google Books.