julian_craster

Helen Cherry, stage and film actress wife of Trevor Howard
by Colin Briggs


Helen Mary Cherry was born November 24, 1915 in Worsley, Manchester,
England. A striking 5-ft. 6-in., blue-eyed, redhead, she enjoyed a happy
family life with her parents and two brothers. Originally her conservative
father disapproved of her becoming an actress, but finally agreed, providing
she prepared for another career to support herself in case her acting dreams
fizzled. This led to her training in not only voice, dance, and drama, but
also in the field of commercial art which became her first profession.

Her acting dreams did not vanish, however, and Helen began to win roles on
stage in The Vagabond King (1938), Nine Sharp (1940), In Town Again, Twelfth
Night (1942), The Taming of the Shrew. During her run in A Midsummer Nights
Dream she received special notice when a reporter named her, "Britain's Most
Beautiful Redhead".

In 1943 she was signed for The Recruiting Officer by Alec Clunes who was
running The Arts Theatre. A young actor named Trevor Howard, a friend of
Clunes, was cast as her leading man. The chemistry between Helen and Trevor
was strong; they clicked immediately and the show became a huge success.
Offstage a romance between the two developed into a very serious
relationship, and when the play closed, Trevor would spend weekends with
Helen when she became a Stratford leading lady. Here she starred in Henry
IV, The Tempest, Love's Labour Lost, The Merchant of Venice, and As You Like
It (1944). That year also found her cast in On Life's Sunny Side and
Volpone.

She had hired a caravan (trailer) for her season at Stratford and Trevor
would join her there whenever his own work schedule would permit. Helen
said, "We had our spats, once I threw a bicycle at him, but he eventually
asked me to marry him." The wedding, a very quiet private affair, took place
on September 8, 1944, without either sets of parents present. While the
parents approved of the union, they were a little miffed not to be invited,
but got over it. Helen said, "After we told him of our marriage, my father
was delighted to have been spared the expense of a grand wedding. As we were
leaving he ran down to the taxi which was taking Trevor and I back to
London, put his head in the window and said, "Tell me, Helen darling, what
is Trevor's other name".

Helen Cherry continued with her stage work in The Two Mrs Carrolls, Fit For
Heroes and Glass Slipper (1945). Meanwhile her husband, Trevor Howard, found
fame and stardom in films with his strong performance in the poignant film
Brief Encounter. Often the publicity and interviews also included Helen and
as a result of this exposure she began to receive film offers. Possessing a
narrow aquiline nose, she had not pursued film work prior to this. Sacred
Flame (1946) was her next theater production. Then Herbert Wilcox presented
her with a firm offer and contract to portray Michael Wilding's young sister
in The Courtneys of Curzon Street, starring his wife, Anna Neagle. Looking
beautiful with period hairstyles and costumes, Helen prepared for her big
close-up, playing piano and raising her head with a smile. Director Wilcox
intervened and as he turned her head into profile said, "There can only be
one leading lady, my dear". The film proved to be popular when released in
1947, and Helen then had small roles in two 1948 releases, The Mark of Cain
and For Them That Trespass. The latter starred Richard Todd with Helen cast
as the wife of Stephen Murray.

After a season in another play, Bates Wharf, she landed a choice role as
Stewart Granger's chic girlfriend in Adam and Evelynne (1949). Looking very
glamorous in this one, critics compared her to Myrna Loy and predicted - "a
bright, future comedienne with all the wit and sophistication of a Hollywood
star".

However, Jean Simmons was the star and leading lady and Jean's romance and
subsequent marriage to her co-star garnered most of the publicity. There
were rumbles with her own marriage as rumors kept arising over Trevor
Howard's interest in his latest leading lady, Anouk Aimee, during the
location shooting of The Golden Salamander. Helen wisely kept silent during
this period and upon his return home, they were happily reunited.

Becoming known as Britain's Myrna Loy led to a series of "perfect wife"
roles. In 1950 Helen shot three features with the memorable Last Holiday
starring Alec Guinness being the best. Although only seen briefly as a hotel
receptionist, she made the most of her scenes.

The very tragic Morning Departure about doomed men trapped in a submarine
had her cast as star John Mills' stoic wife. Again, she stands out, with a
warm, winning and completely natural characterization. Her third film that
year was Woman With No Name (Her Paneled Door) starring Phyllis Calvert and
introducing Richard Burton. Unfortunately the film did not get the wide
release it deserved. With a Random Harvest type plot, Helen plays Phyllis
Calvert's devious sister who is secretly in love with Phyllis's husband,
Edward Underdown. There was no Anna Neagle-type protection in this one and
Helen was given her fair share of close-ups and a very fashionable wardrobe.

Now much in demand, Helen made They Were Not Divided (1951) in which she
again played the wife of a serviceman, and again with a tragic finale. Young
Wives Tale (1951) was a bright comedy adapted from a hit London play. Helen
played the wife of Derek Farr, with Joan Greenwood and Nigel Patrick as the
other couple whose home they share. The film is also remembered for the
appearance of Audrey Hepburn as a flirtatious lodger in the same household.
In 1952 Helen was seen in His Excellency in which her role was that of
another "perfect wife" opposite Cecil Parker. Her final release of that year
was Castle in the Air which was based on a highly successful play which had
starred Jack Buchanan, Coral Browne and Irene Manning. Helen was delighted
to be cast in the lead role of "Bess", the young and pretty heroine. David
Tomlinson inherited Jack Buchanan's role and Barbara Kelly took on Irene
Manning's part of visiting American, Mrs Dunne. Dealing with an impoverished
Earl and his girlfriend/secretary, Bess, it told of his attempts to sell his
very run down castle. Helen got splendid reviews but again the film was not
given a major release.

Television then became Helen's major career focus and in 1953 through to
1957 she was a panelist on Guess My Story. She found time to do only one
film Three Cases of Murder (1954) in the Lord Montdrago segment, playing the
wife of Orson Welles. She also did a play at this time, The Edwardians with
Jeremy Brett. Toward the end of her TV tenure, she also underwent an
alteration to her nose. The surgery was a total success and as a result her
profile was now more delicate.

While Trevor Howard became an International star, famous and respected on
both sides of the Atlantic, the career of his wife Helen Cherry waned. She
was seen in the public eye mainly because she accompanied him on his many
overseas location shoots. However, she was seen on television which kept her
busy guesting on programs such as Colonel March - Missing Link (1955); Robin
Hood - Isabella (1956); Invisible Man - Play to Kill; and Reunion in Vienna
(1957). That year she also returned to films as leading lady to Ray Milland
in High Flight (Columbia). On stage she played in The Deep Blue Sea in South
Africa and then back to film appearances in The Naked Edge with Gary Cooper
(1961), Tomorrow at 10 (1963), The Devil's Agent, and an MGM starrer,
Flippers New Adventure. Columbia then recalled her for Delayed Flight
(1964), and she was briefly seen in The Charge of the Light Brigade (1967)
which also featured her husband. There was also more television including: A
Woman of No Importance (1960), London Wall, Danger Man - The Professionals
(1962), Brimstone Butterfly (1963) and My Representative (1965). The film
Hard Contract (Fox, 1969) gave Helen an important role as the wife of
Sterling Hayden, who was stalked by paid assassin James Coburn. Fox liked
her work and in 1974 she had a choice role as a titled lady who falls in
love with Candice Bergen. The film was 11 Harrowhouse which also starred
James Mason and Trevor Howard. The Howards were together again in Conduct
Unbecoming (Col., 1975), and on stage in Canada in The Scenario (1976).
Helen scored excellent notices for her acting in the TV series Love Story
playing a beautiful older woman who infatuates a younger man. Her beauty was
still very much in evidence when she played the real Aunt in Charley's Aunt
on stage in 1979 with John Inman. There was also a TV play that year, One
Take Two.

Moving into the 1980s Helen landed a top role in Time After Time filmed for
television in Ireland (1985). Trevor was also cast along with Googie
Withers, Ursula Howells and Brenda Bruce. Clash of Loyalties (1983), Sophia
& Caroline, which reunited her with Phyllis Calvert, and Nemesis (1987), an
Agatha Christie thriller, were her other TV appearances. Theatre included
Streets of London (1981) and Ladies in Retirement (1983). There were movie
appearances too, in No Longer Alone, Bengal Lancers, Girl in the Swing
(1988) and Ghost in Monte Carlo (1990).

When Trevor Howard retired from acting in 1986, mainly because of ill
health, Helen devoted most of her time to his care. She was at his bedside
when he died on January 6, 1988.

More or less retiring herself in 1991, for the next ten years she remained
the cheerful and generous friend to all who knew her, despite suffering a
bad case of arthritis which noticeably affected her hands. Then, in 1995,
she suffered a stroke, but remained chirpy as ever in her conversations with
me. Holidaying in Brittany in 2001 with her friend and companion of eleven
years, Tim Baker, she had another stroke. Never fully recovering, she died
on September 27 of that year.

cornershop15

Belated thanks to Julian for reproducing that interesting article. I've only ever remembered Helen Cherry by name (confusing her with the legendary Ellen Terry for some years) and of course as the wife of Trevor Howard. So it was a surprise to discover just now that she was in two of my favourite British films, Last Holiday, starring Alec Guinness, and Three Cases of Murder. I often think about both (each unseen for 20+ years), but my main memory of the latter must have featured Helen as she played the wife of Orson Welles.

I can remember Alan Badel giving him a mischievous look at one point, following a nightmare Orson had had where he was without his trousers - as if Alan knew what he'd just dreamt. I'm sure Helen was accompanying Orson in this scene but I obviously failed to make a mental note of her in either this or Last Holiday.

The reason I'm 'writing about Helen Cherry now is because I recently saw her in an episode of The Invisible Man, mentioned in passing during the above article, and was p;leased to find this thread. I can see why she was compared to Myrna Loy, one of my favourite film stars, and thought she looked great at 43, when this was made in 1959. I spent a few hours doing some screencaps yesterday, originally for co-star Colin Gordon's appearance, and have chosen this as my favourite ... so far (plenty more work to do yet):


This is at the beginning of the blackmail scene, which I'(painstakingly!) transcribed - and illustrated - at Colin's thread. I love their showdown and it was a pleasure paying tribute to it. I hope to bring you much more of Helen's role in The Invisible Man soon and maybe one or two articles and TV listings as well.

When you understand the past, the confusion of the present becomes clearer - John Betjeman.

dremble wedge

Howard didn't retire in 1986, he carried on working until a couple of months before his death and had at least two films planned for 1988.