Wendy HILLER (Dame, 1975)

* 15.08.1912, Bramhall, Cheshire (heute zu: Greater Manchester), England, GB
† 14.05.2003, Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire, England, GB

Schauspielerin * 1930 beginnt ihre Schauspielkarriere beim Manchester Repertory Theatre (The Ware Case) * ab 1935 tritt an Londoner Bühnen auf - 1936 Debüt am Broadway (Love on the Dole) * 1936 verkörpert Saint Joan and Eliza Doolittle (an der Seite von Leslie Howard) in Pygmalion in zwei Stücken ihres Mentors und Freundes George Bernard Shaw ("George Bernard Shaw wasn't like an old man. He was very upright: very elegant, beautifully groomed, very fresh-looking. He had sparkling blue eyes with a very wicked look in them. He flirted with me disgracefully. I fell deeply in love with him. Looking back, if only I'd been a little less diffident ... He really did hold out the hand of friendship. He insisted I play Eliza. I didn't know.") * 1937 Filmdebüt in Lancashire Luck * 1938-41 feiert ihren Durchbruch in zwei George Bernard Shaw-Verfilmungen (Pygmalion; Major Barbara) - in Folgezeit dreht eher sporadisch Kinofilme ("Dame Wendy's performances were celebrated for spirit and integrity, and she became a major film personality despite only a handful of starring roles in movies." The New York Times, Mai 2003) und bleibt in erster Linie Theaterschauspielerin (The Cradle Song, 1944; Portia in The Merchant of Venice, 1946; am Broadway in The Heiress, 1947/48; Waters of the Moon, 1951-52; 1955/56 Mitglied der Old Vic Company; am Broadway in Eugene O'Neills A Moon for the Misbegotten, 1957; Flowering Cherry, 1958-59; Toys in the Attic, London 1960; letzte Rolle am Broadway in The Aspern Papers, 1962; Queen Mary in Crown Matrimonial, 1972; John Gabriel Borkman, 1975; Titelrolle in Driving Miss Daisy, 1988) * ab Anfang der 70er Jahre wirkt verstärkt in Fernsehproduktionen mit (Witness for the Prosecution, 1982) * 1987 spielt ihre letzte Leinwandrolle in The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne * Vorsitzende der Chiltern Shakespeare Company

"She shares with two of her contemporaries, Celia Johnson and Peggy Ashcroft, the charm and skill of a typically English temperament, fresh and simple, honest, frank and open, without the tricks and affectations which actresses too often use in order to cover basic inadequacies in their performances." John Gielgud
"She was never afraid of over-acting when she felt instinctively that the role required her to do so and, as Princess Charlotte [in The First Gentleman, 1945], she was in turn so fierce and so gentle that, on some evenings, after she had died in the second act it seemed a waste of time continuing with the play." Robert Morley
FILMS

Lancashire Luck (1937-GB; d: Henry Cass, B: A.R. Rawlinson, K: Francis Carver, D: George Carney: George Lovejoy, Wendy Hiller: Betty Lovejoy) 74m-Komödie (3711)

Pygmalion (Pygmalion: Der Roman eines Blumenmädchens, 1938-GB; R: Anthony Asquith, Leslie Howard, B: George Bernard Shaw; W.P. Lipscomb, Cecil Lewis, K: Harry Stradling, M: Arthur Honegger, D: Leslie Howard: Professor Henry Higgins, Wendy Hiller: Eliza Doolittle) 96m-Komödie (Bühnenstück von George Bernard Shaw, 1913) (03-07; 3810)

Major Barbara (Major Barbara, 1940-GB; R: Gabriel Pascal, B: George Bernard Shaw, K: Ronald Neame, M: William Walton, D: Wendy Hiller: Major Barbara, Rex Harrison: Adolphus Cusins, Robert Morley: Andrew Undershaft, Robert Newton: Bill Walker) 121m-Komödie (Bühnenstück von George Bernard Shaw, 1905) (05-11; 4108)

I Know Where I'm Going! (Ich weiß wohin ich gehe, 1944-GB; R+B: Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger, K: Erwin Hillier, M: Allan Gray, D: Wendy Hiller: Joan Webster * Roger Livesey: Torquil MacNeil) 92m-Liebesdrama (09-11; 4511)

Outcast of the Islands (Der Verdammte der Inseln, 1951-GB * Carol Reed ... Mrs. Almayer) (Roman von Joseph Conrad, 1896) (5202)

Single-Handed (1952-GB; d: Roy Boulting, B: Valentine Davies, K: Gilbert Taylor, M: Clifton Parker, D: Jeffrey Hunter: Andrew Brown * Michael Rennie: Kapitän Richard Saville * Wendy Hiller: Lucinda Bentley) 83m-Kriegsdrama (Roman von C.S. Forester, 1929) (09-12; 5306)

Something of Value (Flammen über Afrika, 1956-USA; R+B: Richard Brooks, K: Russell Harlan, M: Miklos Rozsa, D: Rock Hudson: Peter McKenzie * Dana Wynter: Holly Keith * Sidney Poitier: Kimani, Wendy Hiller: Elizabeth Newton) 115m-Abenteuerdrama (Roman von Robert Ruark, 1955) (07-10; 5705)

How to Murder a Rich Uncle (Onkel George und seine Mörder, 1957-GB; R: Nigel Patrick, B: John Paxton, K: Ted Moore, M: Kenneth V. Jones, D: Charles Coburn: Onkel George * Nigel Patrick: Henry * Wendy Hiller: Edith Clitterburn) 79m-Krimikomödie (Bühnenstück Il faut tuer Julie von Didier Daix) (01-02; 5706)

Separate Tables (Getrennt von Tisch und Bett, 1957/58-USA * Delbert Mann ... Pat Cooper) (12-02; 5812) > "Because the leading roles were being played by four actors instead of two, as on stage, Wendy said it would mean she would be the fifth most important character, whereas on stage she had been the third most important in both plays. She wanted to withdraw from the project, but I talked her out of it and at least to try it awhile in rehearsals. She was great in rehearsal, wonderful to work with and totally co-operative. I never heard another word of complaint from her, and of course she went on to win an Oscar." Delbert Mann

Sons and Lovers (Söhne und Liebhaber, 1959/60-GB; R: Jack Cardiff, B: Gavin Lambert, T.E.B. Clarke, K: Freddie Francis, M: Mario Nascimbene, D: Trevor Howard: Walter Morel ° Dean Stockwell: Paul Morel ° Wendy Hiller: Gertrude Morel) 100m-Drama (Roman von D.H. Lawrence, 1913) (12-02; 6004-BBFC)

Toys in the Attic (Puppen unterm Dach, 1962-USA * George Roy Hill ... Anna Berniers) (Bühnenstück von Lillian Hellman, 1960) (?-12; 6307)

A Man for All Seasons (Ein Mann zu jeder Jahreszeit, 1966-GB; R: Fred Zinnemann, B: Robert Bolt, K: Ted Moore, M: Georges Delerue, D: Wendy Hiller: Alice More ° Leo McKern: Thomas Cromwell ° Robert Shaw: König Henry VIII [Heinrich VIII.] ° Orson Welles: Kardinal Wolsey ° Susannah York: Margaret More & Paul Scofield: Sir Thomas More) 120m-Historiendrama (Bühnenstück von Robert Bolt, 1960) (05-08; 6703)

David Copperfield (David Copperfield, 1969-GB; R: Delbert Mann, B: Jack Pulman, K: Ken Hodges, M: Malcolm Arnold, D: Richard Attenborough: Mr. Tungay, Cyril Cusack: Barkis, Edith Evans: Tante Betsey, Pamela Franklin: Dora Spenlow, Susan Hampshire: Agnes Wickfield, Wendy Hiller: Mrs. Micawber, Ron Moody: Uriah Heep, Laurence Olivier: Mr. Creakle, Robin Phillips: David Copperfield, Michael Redgrave: Dan Peggotty, Ralph Richardson: Mr. Micawber, Emlyn Williams: Mr. Dick) 118m-Drama (Roman von Charles Dickens, 1849-50) (6912-BBFC)

Murder on the Orient Express (1974-GB * Sidney Lumet ... Prinzessin Dragomiroff) (Roman von Agatha Christie, 1934) (7409-BBFC)

Voyage of the Damned (1975/76-GB * Stuart Rosenberg ... Rebecca Weiler) (Buch von Gordon Thomas & Max Morgan-Witts) (7612)

The Cat and the Canary (1976/77-GB * Radley Metzger ... Allison Crosby) (Bühnenstück von John Willard, 1922) (8002-BBFC)

The Elephant Man (1979/80-USA * David Lynch ... Mothershead) (8010)

Making Love (1981-USA; d: Arthur Hiller, B: Barry Sandler, K: David M. Walsh, M: Leonard Rosenman, D: Michael Ontkean: Zack * Kate Jackson: Claire * Harry Hamlin: Bart, Wendy Hiller: Winnie Bates & Arthur Hill: Henry) 113m-Drama (8202)

The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne (Die große Sehnsucht der Judith Hearne, 1987-GB; R: Jack Clayton, B: Peter Nelson, K: Peter Hannan, M: Georges Delerue, D: Maggie Smith: Judith Hearne * Bob Hoskins: James Madden, Wendy Hiller: Tante D'Arcy, Marie Kean: Mrs. Rice, Ian McNeice: Bernard Rice) 116m-Melodram (Roman Judith Hearne von Brian Moore, 1955) (05-?; 8901)
AWARDS

Academy Award / Oscar (beste Nebendarstellerin) für Separate Tables (1959)

Dilys Powell Award [London Critics Circle Film Awards 1996]
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