Marjorie Rhodes

[Ascoyne D'Ascoyne]

Marjorie Rhodes (1902-1979) was usually seen playing grim-faced landladies or housekeepers in films and farces. I have recently seen a young woman commentating on Wimbledon for the BBC whose name is Mary Rhodes; she looks so much like Marjorie Rhodes (when she was allowed to smile!) that I wonder if she is related to her. Anyone know? :)

[Marky B]

I can't offer much,but I do remember Marjorie Rhodes with having a lovely smile,but matronly manner. She was wife to Sir John Mills in the 1960's film The Family Way,set in Lancashire. She stole the film - no easy task when you are up against Sir John.

Ta Ta

Marky B

[Ascoyne D'Ascoyne]

I'd forgotten that film! It hasn't been on telly for ages.

Marjorie Rhodes was one of those characters, like Gladys Henson and Thora Hird (in her younger days)who were often cast as quarrelsome old bats. She gave an excellent performance in "Footsteps in the Fog" as the disapproving housekeeper who falls foul of scheming Jean Simmons. She was a fine comedy actress too, and I still remember a TV broadcast of an hilarious farce, starring Freddie Frinton, in which she played a fearsome landlady.

What excellent actors/actresses many of these supporting players were!

[Bobj]

Remember her in an episode of the original 'Randall & Hopkirk (Deceased)' TV series. She played a medium who could actually see Marty Hopkirk (Kenneth Cope). Can't remember the name of the episode.

[smudge]

Bob -



The R&H episode was FOR THE GIRL WHO HAS EVERYTHING and Marjorie Rhodes was excellent as Mrs Pleasence. It was the episode which also had the marvellous Freddie Jones in the cast ; but she just nudges him out, I think, as the likeable psychic who in the end joins Marty on the other side after one of her home electric repairs... frown

[JOHN]

Many years ago, I met Marjorie Rhodes when she came into a store in New York in which I was working at night. The lady was stunned that anyone would recognize her in the U.S. so I had to explain to her that I was from England. We talked about her role in the Army Game and she told me she was in NY to do a play with Donald Wolfit. That play later became the film called, I think, Family Way, with theme music by Paul McCartney. She was a very nice lady and, when leaving, said she'd be back but I forgot to tell her I was in college in the daytime so, if she did return, I never saw her again. Years later, I was saddened to read in a book that she had died. And I should add that, recently, when I played one of my Old Mother Reilly tapes, there was Ms. Rhodes playing one of her character parts right next to Arthur Lucan so she certainly had a long and varied career.

[steve lamont]

I thought she was brilliant as "Ma West" in Hell Drivers.Exactly how you would expect a landlady to be.

[Allen Dace]

I'm pleased to see that her wonderful performance in 'The Family Way' brought her some concrete recognition as she was named Best Supporting Actress by both The National Board Of Review and The National Society Of Film Critics in the USA. She was also nominated for a Tony Award for the original play "All In Good Time" when it was on Broadway.

[cornershop15]

I can't offer much,but I do remember Marjorie Rhodes with having a lovely smile,but matronly manner. She was wife to Sir John Mills in the 1960's film The Family Way,set in Lancashire. She stole the film - no easy task when you are up against Sir John.

Ta Ta

Marky B

Bet you weren't expecting this thread to be resurrected after four years. I was going to pay tribute at 'Unmentioned Actors and Actresses' but decided to search Marjorie's name first and found this. She well deserves her own dedication.



My admiration is based on two performances among the many she graced, one of which is the role she's most associated with - Mrs. Fitton in The Family Way. I think Marky B is right - she did steal the film, not just from John but a phenomenal cast of familiar faces, from Barry Foster to Diana Coupland. There was a bit of the 'it's grim up North' about her but I captured a moment where she does smile.







This was during a rare wistful moment amongst the gentle teasing of 'husband' John Mills, remembering when they were young. I was unaware of the awards she won for this role but am delighted she did.



The other performance I enjoyed most was, as mentioned by others, in Randall And Hopkirk (Deceased). She was hilarious in that. I'll try and find something to share with you tomorrow.

[thatllbetheday]

Another great performance by Marjorie was in a TV production of Spring and Port Wine written by Bill Naughton who wrote The Family Way. Wilfred Lawson (and why isn't he an avatar?) also gave a superb performance. Here he is in The Wrong Box. He's the one on the left. By the way, Naughton also wrote Alfie.

[cornershop15]

And Michael Caine on the right! Was there really a TV version of 'Spring And Port Wine'? It's not listed on IMDB. I wouldn't be happy if that didn't exist anymore.

[Hugo]

The first version of Spring and Port Wine was called My Flesh, My Blood and was broadcast on BBC tv in 1957. I think it started out as a radio play.

[stalbridge]

It was searching for Marjorie Rhodes that led me to this site. Thank you Marjorie.

[cornershop15]

I think Hugo meant 1967 earlier but still can't find any evidence of a TV version of Spring And Port Wine. Also, Wilfred Lawson died in 1966 - before the original stage play. All very mysterious ...



Better late than never, here is a capture of Marjorie Rhodes as Mrs. Pleasance in Randall And Hopkirk (Deceased) - For The Girl Who Has Everything, from 1969, praised by Smudge in an earlier post.

[rskershaw]

She had a small role in the film of Spring and Port Wine as the mother of Hannah Gordon's boyfriend.

[cornershop15]

Yes, I know that sir, but there seems to be confusion about a possible TV production. I've just found out though that there was a Broadway version, under the title 'Keep It In The Family', which starred film star Maureen O'Sullivan (from the Tarzan films/Mia Farrow's mother) and the menacing Patrick Magee. I bet that was an unusual experience (especially Maureen's Lancashire accent)!

[rskershaw]

Keep It In the Family

Play, Comedy

Setting: Autumn almost 20 years ago. The Brady home in a town in Massachusetts.





Written by Bill Naughton.

[cornershop15]

Thank you for enlightening me. An ideal opportunity to use your Avatar Hylda Baker's catchphrase in that case: "She knows you know"!

[cornershop15]

Blimey, it's five months since anyone had anything to add here. We must raise Marjorie's profile!



This was a regular feature in the magazine in the '70s, focusing on veteran character actors:

[cornershop15]

Yet more months have rolled by since the previous post (threads often

grind to a halt when I'm involved), but I hope this will interest someone:







Yes, Marjorie really did play the original Ivy Unsworth, ten years before

Thora Hird. I don't think Harold Goodwin played Christopher Beeny's role.

Not hopeful this pilot still exists as it would have been on the DVD surely?