Janette Scott | |
|---|---|
 Janette Scott, from a 1966 publication of the US State Department | |
| Born | Thora Janette Scott 14 December 1938 Morecambe, Lancashire, England |
| Nationality | British |
| Occupation | Actress, author |
| Years active | 1942–1967, 1997 |
| Spouse(s) | (divorced) (divorced) William Rademaekers (m. 1981) |
| Children | 2 including James Tormé |
| Parent(s) | James Scott Thora Hird |
Thora Janette Scott (born 14 December 1938) is an English retired actress. [1]
Scott was born on 14 December 1938 in Morecambe, Lancashire, England. [2] She is the daughter of actors Jimmy Scott and Thora Hird and began her acting career as a child actress known as Janette Scott. Scott was briefly (along with Jennifer Gay) one of the so-called "Children's Announcers" providing continuity links for the BBC's children's TV programmes from the Lime Grove Studios in the early 1950s.
She became a popular leading lady; one of her better known roles as April Smith in the film School for Scoundrels (1960), based on the "one-upmanship" books by Stephen Potter, in which Ian Carmichael and Terry-Thomas competed for her attention. [3] Some scenes for School for Scoundrels were shot at a private members club before its current incarnation as a hotel. The hotel hosted a screening in 2016 with Janette Scott attending and answering questions about filming School for Scoundrels. [4]
Scott's highest profile as a leading lady in British films was from the late 1950s to the mid-1960s, having over a dozen leading roles during this period. She was the female lead opposite some major stars of the time, including Terry-Thomas, Ian Carmichael, Ronald Lewis, Ian Hendry and George Chakiris. She proved adept in a wide variety of genres, including comedy, romantic drama, sci-fi thriller, and period adventure. She gave up her career upon marrying second husband Mel Tormé.
She is best known to American audiences for her role as the parson's wife in the film The Devil's Disciple (1959), starring Burt Lancaster, Kirk Douglas and Laurence Olivier. [5]
She is referenced by name in the song "Science Fiction/Double Feature", the opening number from The Rocky Horror Show and its film version The Rocky Horror Picture Show (performed over the opening credits), for her participation in the 1962 film The Day of the Triffids.
Scott wrote her autobiography Act One at the age of 14. [6] [7]
She has been married three times:
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1942 | Went the Day Well? | Child | ||
| 1943 | The Lamp Still Burns | |||
| 1944 | Two Thousand Women | Mrs. Burtshaw's Daughter on Mother's Lap | ||
| 1944 | The Gay Intruders | |||
| 1949 | Conspirator | Toby | ||
| 1950 | No Place for Jennifer | Jennifer | ||
| 1951 | The Galloping Major | Susan Hill | (with mother, Thora Hird) | |
| 1951 | No Highway in the Sky | Elspeth Honey | ||
| 1951 | The Magic Box | Ethel Friese-Greene | ||
| 1953 | Background | Jess Lomax | AKA, Edge of Divorce | |
| 1955 | As Long as They're Happy | Gwen Bentley | ||
| 1956 | Helen of Troy | Cassandra | ||
| 1956 | Now and Forever | Janette Grant | ||
| 1957 | The Good Companions | Susie Dean | ||
| 1958 | Happy Is the Bride | Janet Royd | ||
| 1959 | The Lady Is a Square | Joanna Baring | ||
| 1959 | The Devil's Disciple | Judith Anderson | ||
| 1960 | School for Scoundrels | April Smith | ||
| 1961 | His and Hers | Fran Blake | ||
| 1961 | Double Bunk | Peggy | ||
| 1962 | Two and Two Make Six | Irene | ||
| 1963 | The Day of the Triffids | Karen Goodwin | ||
| 1963 | Paranoiac | Eleanor Ashby | ||
| 1963 | Siege of the Saxons | Katherine | ||
| 1963 | The Old Dark House | Cecily Femm | ||
| 1964 | The Beauty Jungle | Shirley Freeman | ||
| 1965 | Crack in the World | Dr. Maggie Sorenson | ||
| 1967 | Bikini Paradise | Rachel |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1954 | The Dashing White Sergeant | Fione Cuningham | TV film |
| 1957 | Sunday Night Theatre | Judy | Episode: "The Girl at the Next Table" |
| 1958 | Armchair Theatre | Maeve McHugh | Episode: "A Man's Woman" |
| 1960 | BBC Sunday-Night Play | Kitty Tape | Episode: "20th Century Theatre: The Queen Came By" |
| 1965 | Burke's Law | Jennifer Robbins | Episode: "Password to Death" |
| 1997 | Last of the Summer Wine | Cameo | Episode: "There Goes the Groom" |
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