Iris Russell

[cornershop15]

For my 4,000th post I've chosen to pay tribute to one of my favourite DVD discoveries, Iris Russell.

This is from her great performance as Alison Bradley in the Public Eye episode The Fall Guy (1975):

She hires Marker (Alfred Burke) to follow 'husband' Ronald Lewis, who she knows is about to embark on a dirty weekend in Maidenhead with secretary Susan Penhaligon. Iris later pretends she's her niece but it eventually transpires that the reason she wants Marker to keep an eye on the couple is that Susan is in fact her (much younger) lesbian lover, and is jealous of their relationship. This must have been a very challenging role for Iris, then in her early 50s, and I think she's fantastic. I really love her scenes with Alfred Burke and Susan Penhaligon and look forward to including some of the screencaps I did. She has some good close-ups in this!



Fans of Early 70s Children's series Timeslip will know Iris as Cheryl Burfield's mother, with Derek Benfield as her husband. It was another good part but I've found it difficult to come to terms with the disturbing knowledge that the black-and-white images were actually filmed in colour* (see below). My favourite moments are when she has a psychic connection to the dangerous situations her daughter is in, having entered the 'time barrier'. I prefer the realism of Public Eye to Sc-Fi shows like this but, despite it's tragic history, much enjoyed this series and can see why it has a cult following.



You might also remember Iris from Thriller - Spell of Evil, as the Scottish housekeeper who fancies her chances with 'master' Edward de Souza after his wife is murdered in her bed. Unfortunately for her, flamboyant witch Diane Cilento arrives on the scene to put an end to those dreams and casts a spell, having her knocked down by a car!



Other appearances in my DVD collection include her as a Doctor in Ghost Squad, a bespectacled hostage during a bank robbery in The Sweeney (making her a future subject of 'Actors We Didn't Recognise ...'), and the mysterious Miss MacPherson in an early episode of The Pathfinders, entitled Fog, that I haven't seen yet. I most recently saw her in The XYY Man as Lady Harriet Tyler, who opens a hostel for the local community. It was nice to see her enjoying herself in a humorous cameo.

Earlier in her career

With established character parts in Emergency Ward 10 (Sister Mary Stevenson) and a BBC adaptation of Charles Dickens' Bleak House (Lady Honoria Dedlock), Iris must have been a familiar face on TV in 1959. Very soon afterwards, she appeared a few times in a series called Probation Officer, which I've only recently been introduced to through Wearysloth's contributions to the 'Sixties Diary' threads. Frustratingly, I have no other information about these recurring roles, or her guest appearances in shows like Maigret, Z Cars and Dixon of Dock Green.



With any luck, Iris might feature in one or two episodes that are available on the EW10 DVD (I am aware that many were wiped) and I hope the same is true of her appearances in the The Avengers, from the Honor Blackman era. Her last known credit was in the mini-series Perfect Strangers in 2001, starring Jill Baker. I can only hope Iris is well and looking back on an interesting career. It's been a great pleasure watching her in the shows I've mentioned and I can certainly consider myself a fan. Any other admirers of this underrated actress?



*Re: Timeslip. With the exception of one episode - which somehow survived - all the episodes were cruelly wiped from the ITV archives. However, black-and-white 'telerecordings' were made for each of them and it is those copies that are on the DVD.

[wearysloth]

Iris Russell in the Avengers: November Five in 1963 and 10 years later in Thriller: Spell of Evil

[ShirlGirl]

Not a well-known name, but one of those faces you see and recognise immediately. An interesting discovery, Cornershop.



Cornershop, congratulations on reaching your 4,000th post!

This is an amazing achievement, especially considering you don't go in for casual banter and the vast majority of your posts are so well-researched, informative and interesting. IMO you are a huge asset to Britmovie.

[wellendcanons]

Congratulations on reaching your 4,000th post Cornershop. And it's well worth posting it on Iris Russell. She has been in two of my very favourite TV programmes, "The Sweeney" and "Thriller". Without checking on IMDb, I think I'm correct in saying she has a birthday coming up soon on 22nd February.



wellendcanons.

[film1967]

4000th post. I have a very very long way to go. My fingers will be worn out by then.

[smudge]

name='film1967']4000th post. I have a very very long way to go. My fingers will be worn out by then.

Once you dive in you'll be surprised how quickly the numbers go up....



Smudge

[dicky2006]

Iris also played Maurice Denham's housekeeper in the Edgar Wallace film "Downfall" and it was directed by John Moxey.

[cornershop15]

name='dicky2006']Iris also played Maurice Denham's housekeeper in the Edgar Wallace film "Downfall" and it was directed by John Moxey.

Good heavens! There's a coincidence. T.P. McKenna and Peter Barkworth were in it too. I forgot to mention that this and The Human Jungle are the appearances I'd most like to see released on DVD - that goes for the shows themselves. Thanks, Dicky. Also to wellend and especially ShirlGirl. You gave me a round of applause for my 2,000th as well, if you remember, which was the beginning of my tribute to Katherine Schofield. A similar response from Smudge as well I notice.



I enjoy the research more than the writing (that's for sure), which can take hours. My usual attention to detail led to yet more unexpected screencapping during the post, as I had to be reminded of what Iris did in The XYY Man. I hope you like these two I did of my latest subject:

"Men without pittance. Men joined in the common aim, under the banner of ECHO, to make Britain great once more!"









"It is a great honour and a great pleasure for me to inaugurate this hostel and dedicated it to the future of rehabilitation"



EDIT - I almost forgot. Wearysloth, your screencap from The Avengers indicates that episode exists, but what about Mission to Montreal?

[Gerald Lovell]

cornershop, may I add my congratulations on your 4,000 post? It's always a pleasure to read your posts, which are informative and entertaining.

name='cornershop15'] Wearysloth, your screencap from The Avengers indicates that episode exists, but what about Mission to Montreal?[/CENTER]

I'm pleased to confirm that "Mission to Montreal" from THE AVENGERS does exist, so that part of Iris's career is intact!

[cornershop15]

Thank you very much, Gerald. You're one of very few I think but compliments like yours and ShirlGirl's help give me the incentive to go on. I'm glad some of what I do is worthwhile. Fantastic news about Mission to Montreal! Thank you again. I might even get to see Iris's Avengers episodes in the not-too-distant future as I understand the whole series is being released this year. Exciting times for us fans.

I did a few screencaps from the Ghost Squad episode Eyes of the Bat earlier. Iris is merely credited

as 'Doctor' but I heard main character Nick Craig (Michael Quinn) address her as 'Dr Chappell', who

is observing 'The Bat' (actually the nickname of a safecracker) after an operation to save his sight:



Craig: "Was it successful?" - Doctor: "We think it was!"



Craig pretends he's from the American Embassy and asks the doctor to make sure 'The Bat' is moved

to a remote hideaway for his own safety, allowing the Ghost Squad member to assume his identity:



"We can probably persuade him to go anywhere you want. You can move him to the Highlands of Scotland!"



Original ITV Transmission: 14th October 1961, when Michael (Row the Boat Ashore) was No. 1 for The Highwaymen



Iris is only in it for about 45 seconds, sadly, but guests William Lucas, Edward Judd and Dudley Foster

make up for it, along with regulars Donald Wolfit and Angela Browne. A star-studded cast indeed!

[cornershop15]

Iris played Mrs. Roberts, Scottish housekeeper to the suave Edward de Souza, in the episode Spell of Evil (1973). At the beginning his wife dies, which secretly pleases Iris as she thinks she's in with a chance with Edward (ditto Jennifer Daniel, his equally faithful secretary)! But the arrival of the alluring Diane Cilento, who is actually a witch, puts an end to those hopes. To make matters worse, she casts a spell on the housekeeper, resulting in her being in a coma for the rest of the show (not seen, mercifully)! Here are some of her highlights, beginning with a similar shot to the one Wearysloth posted a few days ago.

Iris is startled to see the French doors are open in the master bedroom when a breeze comes through:





Now that she's got her man, Diane helps Iris clear the bedroom, including a photo of Edward's late wife:



Carla: "Now that my husband and I will be using this room ..." - Mrs. Roberts: "A man should be married"



Later, the malevolent witch puts a curse on Edward, who becomes ill. The housekeeper is about to tell

the doctor, who she's on her way to see anyway, but a spell is cast on her too and she is hit by a car:







Recognise the location? NW London maybe? A good supporting role for Iris in an entertaining episode.



Original ITV Transmission: 16th June 1973, the same day Suzi Quatro got to No. 1 with Can the Can!

[ShirlGirl]

name='cornershop15']

Hi Cornershop

Diane Cilento caught my eye there - I recognised her before I read it was her. Even when framed with dark hair, her features are unmistakable.

[darrenburnfan]

BELOW: Iris Russell as Judith Strangeways in The Moonraker (1957).

[cornershop15]

Brilliant work, DBF. Iris looks great there. She would have been around 35 then. Thank you very much indeed.



Thanks also to ShirlGirl. You should start a thread on Diane Cilento, as a fan (and fellow-Australian). I have a lot that might interest you.



Can't get over how great Iris looks there!

[darrenburnfan]

Thanks, cornershop. The last time I saw Iris was in a BT television commercial that said something like there was a time, not long ago, when, if your loved ones moved to Australia, you would never hear their voice or speak to them again. Then it showed Iris receiving a call from a relative in Australia, showing how it's now possible to easily keep in touch with loved ones around the world. Maybe the advert is on YouTube.

[cornershop15]

No luck with YouTube, DBF (I wonder if I've seen that advert?), but I did much better with a random search on eBay.



Like "a gift from the Gods", I found this excellent (signed! ) publicity photo of Iris, appropriately on her birthday.







Mid to Late 1950s maybe?



Many Happy Returns, Iris



With love from Cornershop

[cornershop15]

This is from the Timeslip website, which has profiles of the main actors and their characters:

Iris Russell was born of Scottish parents in Kuala Lumpar, Malaysia. She attended drama school in Edinburgh and from there started her career with Donald Wolfit's Shakespearian company. Shortly after, she joined the forces' entertainment section ENSA and played in reportary with Derek Salberg's companies in Wolverhampton and Birmingham. After playing in several small theatres around London, her big break came with a major role in Castle at the Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith and the Duke of York's, London.



A number of film contracts followed before she returned to the London stage, appearing opposite Yul Brynner in Lute Song and spending two years with John Clements in The Beaux Stratagem. Seeking more variety of work, she returned to Scotland and spent 2-3 years with The Glasgow Citizens Theatre. On television, Iris is perhaps best known for her recurring role in the pioneering ITV medical drama Emergency Ward Ten (a credit she shares with several other members of the Timeslip cast and crew). She also made no less than three appearances in The Avengers for ABC, most notably in the 1969 episode Stay Tuned, where she played Steed's blind boss, 'Father'!



I would be interested to see some promotional pictures, at least, of Iris with the co-stars mentioned there, especially Yul Brynner! She didn't have any scenes with Donald Wolfit in Ghost Squad, unfortunately, in the guest appearance I highlighted a couple of weeks ago. A pity. I can't remember John Clements too well but know he was married to Kay Hammond, Elvira the Ghost in Blithe Spirit.

The Timeslip profile also includes some of Iris's TV credits (though not her role in Public Eye, which

led to my becoming a fan), all mentioned in her IMDb filmography, as well as these Theatre credits:



Lute Song (no character mentioned)

King Lear (as Goneril)

Lottie Dundas (title role)

Castle (as Esther Eccles)

The Beaux Stratagem (as Dorinda)

Photo Finish (as Stella)



Scottish Theatre:

The Other Dear Charmer as Nancy Maclehose (Clarinda)

The Taming of the Shrew (as Katherine)

Venus Observed (as Perpetua)

The Diary of a Scoundrel (as Auntie Kleopatra)

Highland Fair (as Nanny)



A very distinguished career. Well done, Iris

[Gerald Lovell]

Very interesting information on Iris's career. She has always been one of my favourites. Thanks, cornershop.



I remember reading an interview with Iris who had recently watched her "November Five" performance from THE AVENGERS and she wished she was still as slim!

[wellendcanons]

My apologies for omitting Iris from my list of great actresses born on 22 February on the sixties diary thread. What a marvellous day this is for great actresses born. I'm going to watch Iris in the "Thriller" episode "Spell Of Evil" later tonight.



wellendcanons.

[cornershop15]

It's nice to be back here. I watched the first of Iris's surviving appearances in the

once much-loved British Soap a couple of nights ago, having bought the volume 1

DVD from Amazon. I will work on some captures from the episode later this week,

but I did find this excellent picture (successfully enlarged) at Rex Features earlier:



It's dated 1958 but IMDb says she played Sister Mary Stevenson from 1959-64



I also discovered some more precious information about Iris's career at this site:



The Avengers - Press Cuttings: Guest Stars



Iris Russell



TVTimes issue 417, 25th October 1963, page 27, John Gough gossip column



The cast list for next Saturday's The Avengers carries these three names: Honor Blackman, David Davies and Iris Russell.

What do they have in common? They all played probation officers, at one time or another, in the series Probation Officer.



So it's not just me who likes to add the odd bit of Trivia! The episode in question was November Five, which, I notice,

also included recent 'Where Were They Then?' subject Aimee Delamain and Upstairs Downstairs star David Langton.