Elizabeth Begley

Early life and career Born in 1907, in County Carlow, Ireland, During this period her father served with the Royal Irish Constabulary and, thus, it was not until after "The Troubles"—meaning, presumably, not until the early to mid 1920s–that the Begleys finally made their way north to Belfast.

Theatre Although Begley would later describe her professional debut as having taken place in Dublin, performing the works of Thomas Carnduff with Richard Hayward's company (something that did in fact occur in 1937 ), the fact remains that Begley"s membership in Hayward's company—complete with glowing reviews for her part therein—dates back to at least 1933, in Belfast. In fact, comparable press mentions of Begley's pre-Hayward work—all of which took place in Belfast—extend at least back to the previous decade, beginning in January 1929 with her appearance in Lynn C. Doyle's Love and Land, with St. Lawrence's Dramatic Society, and including her work in the impromptu company of Cathal O'Byrne in 1931.

Among her most impactful Group Theatre appearances are Begley's portrayals of Gerty "Gugs" Marley in Joseph Tomelty's Barnum Was Right (1939), Mrs. M'Bratney in Boyd's Shop by St. John Greer Ervine, the protagonist's "shrewish wife" in Tomelty's Poor Errand, co-starring with Tomelty in George Shiels's The Old Broom, as Ellen Carey, the "bewildered, self-sacrificing widow, given impressive dignity by Elizabeth Begley" in Shiels' The New Gossoon, her "skill[ful] portray[al of] the hard-hearted, self-seeking mother [and] her degeneration into a drink-sodden harridan" in Vincent Carroll's Things That Are Caesar's, "happily cast as the mother of the family, and giv[ing] one of her best performances" in the Shiels comedy, Borderwine, Mrs. Davidson in Patricia O'Connor's Highly Efficient Hannah McCook in Shiels's Macook's Corner, Widow Dougherty in Doyle's Love and Land, Daisy Mullan in the Shiels comedy, Paul Twyning, Mrs. Adams in Patricia O'Connor's Master Adams, Katrine Quinn in Tomelty's All Souls' Night, Mrs. Madigan in Sean O'Casey's Juno and the Paycock, Mrs. Dolman in the Shiels comedy, Quin's Secret, Father Malan's housekeeper in Tomelty's Is the Priest at Home?, and Ellen—to J. G. Devlin's Patrick—in Gerard McLarnon's The Back Window.

In one notable post-UGT appearance, Begley portrayed Mrs. Henderson in a production of Sean O'Casey's The Shadow of a Gunman, directed by Jack MacGowran (who also starred as Seamas Shields), alongside Brian Phelan as Donal Davoren, a young Stephen Rea as Tommy Owens, and the playwright's daughter Shivaun as Minnie Powell.

But it was the controversy surrounding the Group's 1958 production, Over the Bridge, and the company's ensuing dissolution that ushered in Begley's transition to the small screen the following year.

Television Back in February 1954 (in what would prove more a low-profile foreshadowing than a full-fledged debut), Begley, with no fanfare whatsoever, had already made her first-ever screen appearance as Mrs. Clotworthy in the BBC Sunday Night Theatre adaptation of St. John Greer Ervine's stage comedy, Boyd's Shop.

The following year, another Armchair episode, "The Cupboard" (penned by Ray Rigby and directed by David Greene), paired Begley with British actor Donald Pleasence; On September 26, 1965, Begley and Pleasence were reunited in the Armchair Mystery Theatre presentation of "Ambrose", a part scripted, part improvised adaptation of Mary Hocking's like-named short story, published the previous year. –reunited Begley with "Worm in the Bud" scripter John D. Stewart.

In 1970, Begley starred in the series premiere of Granada TV's The Sinners, playing the title character in Hugh Leonard's adaptation of Sean O'Faolain's Mother Mathilde's Book. The following year, Begley served as the titular guest star of yet another series premiere, portraying Philomena Hawley in "Philomena and the Tatty Howkers", the first installment of the BBC-2 series, The View from Daniel Pike.

In 1972, Begley starred opposite her old friend and fellow Group Theatre alumnus J. G. Devlin in the Play for Today episode, "Carson County".

Personal life On September 25, 1959, the night before her career-changing TV debut, a brief profile published in the Walsall Observer disclosed two of Begley's self-professed "pet hates"; namely, housework and telephones. Moreover, it concludes, "She refuses to have a telephone installed in her home." A slightly more extended and considerably more probing interview, conducted in February 1961 by Belfast Telegraph columnist Martin Wallace, finds a surprisingly forthcoming Begley holding forth on a variety of subjects. The strange thing—and it is not apparent in the theatre, where she has great presence—is that she claims to lack confidence in her work. Possibly this is why she prefers comedy, with the audience's reassuring laughter. Possibly it is why she escapes so often into old women's parts. She is unmarried, incidentally, and her life is the simple, narrow one which most theatre people live. Her needs are few—'a comfortable bed and a good fire.' She likes visiting people, and reads anything from Wodehouse to "Wuthering Heights." When not working, she is lazy. In her approah to the theatre, Elizabeth Begley is conservative, and even puritanical; in particular, she regrets the decline of the family play. 'I have plain tastes,' she confesses. "And if a play entertains me, I don't dissect it." Attending the final performance, the Evening Herald's G. O'R. notes that the production went well, with Quinn, along with the other supporting players, giving "well judged performances".

Begley died in 1993,

Filmography

BBC Sunday Night Theatre Ep. "Boyd's Shop" (1954) as Mrs. Clotworthy Armchair Theatre Ep. 3.55 "Worm in the Bud" (1959) as Mrs. Bratney Ep. 3.60 "A Shilling for the Evil Day" (1959) as Katherine Quinn Ep. 3.72 "Fifth Floor People" (1960) as Mrs. Frazer Ep. 4.14 "The Cupboard" (1960) as Mrs. Sparrow Saturday Playhouse Ep. "The Country Boy" (1960) as Mary Kate Maher Sons and Lovers (1960) as Mrs. Radford Police Surgeon Ep. "Three's a Crowd" (1960) as Mrs. Carroll Jango Ep. Great Day for Jango (1961) as Mrs. Murphy The Randy Dandy (1961, TV film) as Mrs. Blaney Dangerous Afternoon (1961) as Mrs. Caldwell ITV Play of the Week Ep. 6.52 "Over the Bridge" (1961) as Nellie Mitchell Ep. 7.29 "Birds in the Wilderness" (1962) as Rosa Denchfield Ep. 8.14 "A Letter from the General" (1962) as Sister Magdalen Z Cars Ep. 1.8 "Family Feud" (1962) as Great Grandma Maddigan Ep. 1.14 "Found Abandoned" (1962) as Annie Tales of Mystery Ep. 3.2 "The Doll" (1963) as Mrs. O'Reilly BBC Sunday-Night Play Ep. 4.26 "The Big Donkey" (1963) as Mary Moonstrike Ep. 1.15 "Last Act" (1963) as Madame Sissons Maupassant (TV series) Ep. 1.5 "Women and Money" (1963) as Mere Rapet No Hiding Place Ep. 5.16 "Peggy" (1963) as Mrs. Perkins The Plane Makers Recurring (1963–64) as Margie Thomas The Leather Boys (1964) as Woman Receptionist The Edgar Wallace Mystery Theatre Ep. 5.9 "Face of a Stranger" (1964) as Mrs. Holden Alexander Graham Bell Eps. 2.2, 2.3 "A Note in Music" and "A Rival in the Field" (1965) as Mrs. Connor Armchair Mystery Theatre Ep. 3.15 "Ambrose" (1965) as Adeline The Wednesday Play Ep. 2.18 "Cemented with Love" (1965) as Ethel Kerr Ep. 6.20 "A Crucial Week in the Life of a Grocer's Assistant" (1967) as Mother Ep. 7.5 "The Devil a Monk Would Be" (1967) as Auntie Ep. 8.11 "Nothing Will Be the Same" (1968) as Landlady Dr. Finlay's Casebook Ep. 4.25 "The Decision" (1966) as Mrs. Douglas The Likely Lads Ep. 3.7 "Love and Marriage" (1966) as Mrs. Foster This Man Craig Ep. 2.13 "Fresh Off the Boat" (1966) as Norah Maddox Out of the Unknown Ep. "Walk's End" (1966) as Matron Thirty-Minute Theatre Ep. 1.19 "The Sugar Cubes" (1966) as Mother Ep. 3. "Snakes and Reptiles" (1968) as Missus Dixon of Dock Green Ep. 12.27 "The Complaint" (1966) as Mrs. Gibbard Ep. 17.13 "The Shotgun" (1971) as Lil Monaghan Mystery and Imagination Ep. 3.2 "The Listener" (1968) as Mrs. Monson Gazette Ep. 1.8 "The Old Folks at Home" (1968) as Mrs. Parsons ITV Playhouse Ep. 1.41 "Boatman Do Not Tarry" (1968) as Sarah Corby Ep. 2.32 "Square on the Hypotenuse" (1969) as Tilly Ep. 3.7 "The Patriot Game" (1970) as Mrs. McKiernon The Mind of Mr. J.G. Reeder Ep. 1.2 "The Stealer of Marble" (1969) as Mrs. Welford Me Mammy Recurring (1969–1971) as Mrs. Canaan The Main Chance Ep. 2.4 "A Little Black and White Lie" (1970) as Mrs. Donnell The Sinners Ep. 1.1 "Mother Matilda's Book" (1970) as Mother Matilda Ep. 2.1 "The Holy Door" (1971) as Mrs. Cashman ITV Saturday Night Theatre Ep. 3.7 "The Dead" (1971) as Mrs. Malins The Liver Birds Ep. 2.5 "The Good Samaritan" (1971) as Gerry's Mother Paul Temple Ep. 3.11 "Cue Murder!" (1971) as Mrs. Mary Donnelly Under and Over Ep. 1.4 "The Sunday Colour Supplement" (1971) as Mrs. Mulligan The View from Daniel Pike Ep. "Philomena and the Tattie-Howkers" (1971) as Philomena Hawley Tales from the Lazy Acre Ep. 1.1 "The Pick-Pocketer" (1972) as Mrs. Dunphy Ep. 1.7 "The Traveling Woman" (1972) as Mrs. Hoorihan In for a Penny Ep. 1.4 "Dan and the Connubial Bliss" (1972) as Norah Play for Today Ep. 3.3 "Carson Country" (1972) as Sarah Curdie Ep. 7.6 "Your Man from Six Counties" (1976) as Annie Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em Ep. 1.5 "The Hospital Visit" (1973) as Mrs. White Black and Blue 'Ep. 1.3 "High Kampf" (1973) as Mother Superior 2nd House Ep. 1.3 "An Anthology for November" (1973) as Maria in Clay Crown Court Eps. 2.131–132 "The Age of Leo Trotsky (Pts. 1 & 2)" (1973) as Ireen Richards Great Short Stories Ep. "Clay" (1974) as Maria Merry Go Round Eps. "The Sleepers on the Hill (Pts 1 thru 3)" (1975) as Miss Cooney The Sweeney "Trap" (1975) as Mrs. Riley The Crezz Recurring (1976) as Mrs. Macarthy The Strange Affair of Adelaide Harris Eps. 1.4 thru 1.6 (1979) as Mrs. Bonney The Outsider (1979) as Mrs. Cochran Harry's Game (1982, TV miniseries) as Mrs. Duncan