Kay Walsh

Kathleen Walsh (15 November 1911 – 16 April 2005) was an English actress, dancer, and screenwriter. Her film career prospered after she met her future husband, film director David Lean, with whom she worked on productions such as In Which We Serve and Oliver Twist.

Early life and career Walsh was born on 15 November 1911 in Chelsea, London. She was raised in Pimlico by her grandmother. She began her career as a dancer in West End music halls, and at the age of 17 she began going out with Pownoll Pellew (later 9th Viscount Exmouth), and they shared an interest in sports cars. She made her film debut in How's Chances? (1934) in a small part, and had a larger role in Get Your Man, another 1934 film. She continued to act in "quota quickies" films for several years. Walsh first met David Lean, then a film editor, in 1936, during the filming of Secret of Stamboul. They began a relationship, and Walsh broke her engagement to Pellew. Walsh and Lean married on 23 November 1940. She appeared in the films In Which We Serve (1942) and This Happy Breed (1944), both directed by Lean and written by Noël Coward. Walsh campaigned for Lean to receive co-director credit on In Which We Serve.

Walsh contributed dialogue to the 1938 film of Pygmalion, She devised the opening sequence of Lean's adaptation of Oliver Twist (1948) and played Nancy. Walsh and Lean divorced in 1949 on grounds of infidelity based on Lean's relationship with actress Ann Todd. Walsh continued to work as a character actress in films through the 1950s, including films with Alfred Hitchcock and Ronald Neame. Her own favourite film role was that of the barmaid Miss D. Coker in Neame's 1958 film of The Horse's Mouth, with Alec Guinness.

Filmography Year Title Role Notes 1934 The Bedroom Diplomat Minor Role uncredited Get Your Man Mary Vivien Lease of Life Vera Thorne 1955 Cast a Dark Shadow Charlotte Young 1956 Now and Forever Miss Muir 1958 The Horse's Mouth Dee Coker 1960 Tunes of Glory Mary Titterington 1961 Greyfriars Bobby: The True Story of a Dog Mrs Brown Alfred Hitchcock Presents Mrs. Morgan Season 7 Episode 9: "I Spy"1962 Reach for Glory Mrs Curlew The L-Shaped Room Prostitute uncredited 1963 80,000 Suspects Matron Dr. Syn, Alias the Scarecrow Mrs Waggett Lunch Hour Manageress 1964 Circus World Flo Hunt 1964 TV series Gideon's Way as Martha Smallwood The Beauty Jungle Mrs. Freeman 1965 A Study in Terror Cathy Eddowes He Who Rides a Tiger Mrs Woodley Gideon's Way : Episodes “The Housekeeper” and "Morna' Martha and Mrs Harriet Bright 1966 The Witches Stephanie Bax 1967 Bikini Paradise Harriet Pembroke 1969 Journey to the Unknown Mrs Joan Walker TV movie, episode: "The Last Visitor" Taste of Excitement Miss Barrow 1970 Connecting Rooms Mrs Brent The Virgin and the Gypsy Aunt Cissie Scrooge Mrs Fezziwig 1972 The Ruling Class Mrs Piggot-Jones 1982 Night Crossing Doris's mother