David Brent

One major British actress, now often forgotten, was the lovely Madeleine Carroll.

Born in West Bromwich in 1906, she went on to become the highest paid Hollywood actress of her time.
In 1938 it was estimated that she had earned a staggering $250,000 from motion pictures.
She was the first of Alfred Hitchcock's famed blond leading ladies and is best remembered for her role in "The 39 Steps".

After her sister, Marguerite, was killed in a London bombing raid, she halted her acting career and worked in field hospitals as a Red Cross nurse.
She was given the Legion d'Honneur for bravery in France.

This wonderful woman died in 1987.

Dave.

penfold

Terrific actress, but a couple of things; she wasn't the first Hitchcock Blonde, not by about ten years....there were quite a few in the silent era, not least Anny Ondra in Blackmail. In fact, she wasn't blonde at all; in her earliest films, she was brunette....and if such a thing were possible, even more gorgeous. I'll try and get a capture from 'The First Born' (1927) for you. EDIT: not the most flattering, but it was a short clip....

Bit of a Bay Window, what??

Joenoir

Well I have certainly not forgotten her! Who can forgot the classic scene in The 39 Steps, where she takes off her nylons whilst still handcuffed to Robert Donat?!

Start every day with a smile and get it over with.

batman

Jingle bells Batman smells ... I heard that at school Daddy.

BAT QUIZ 16 HAS JUST BEEN POSTED IN THE COMPETITION THREAD - 06/01/09

Dame Starry

Me - I've forgotten it.

YDSL x.

Joenoir

You are too young to remember it!

Start every day with a smile and get it over with.

Dame Starry

Thanks, Joe; you've made my day!

(Can you tell Bats, please?)

YDSL x.

stevie boy

She is still very well thought of in the Black Country of the West Midlands. Was it last year or the year before they had some sort of tribute to her. She was sexy in the 39 steps.

suzepulcheria

AND in the Prisoner of Zenda (impossibly beautiful I, as a mere female, would say) AND in the Secret Agent. But I think I would say I could tell she wasn't a natural blonde- and no I am not being catty- I'm all for the peroxide bottle. I'm just sorry I'm too dark to resort to it myself!

"I've come a long way you know!" "Equally long way to go back..."

TimR

Madeleine Carroll was one of the most beautiful actresses in film: "The Prisoner of Zenda", "The 39 Steps", "My Favorite Blonde", "The General Died at Dawn".

Then she worked with wounded troops on troop trains, and followed that up with several decades of work on behalf of French/American relations, as well as numerous humanitarian causes, winning the French Legion of Honour.

A life well lived.

Joenoir

The scene in The 39 Steps that Dame Starry is too young to remember.

Start every day with a smile and get it over with.

penfold

...In olden days, a glimpse of stocking was looked on as something shocking. Now heaven knows,.....anything goes...


Mind you, in The First Born, (See grab above) you get a glimpse of something far more, er, shocking than stocking as she throws her flannel at Miles Mander....

Bit of a Bay Window, what??

TimR

Are you sure? It looks real to me. It would never have occurred to me...

(Don't destroy my illusions....!)

penfold

In all the pre-1930 shots I've seen of her, MC was a brunette...sorry!!

Bit of a Bay Window, what??

TimR

I just read the first part of the thread, with accompanying illustrations...

Well, I would never have known.

You learn something new every day. She still looks very good, of course.