Angela Baddeley
Encyclopedia
Angela Baddeley, CBE
(4 July 1904 – 22 February 1976), born Madeline Angela Clinton-Baddeley, was an English
actress best remembered for her role as Mrs Bridges in the period drama
Upstairs, Downstairs
. Baddeley also had a long and distinguished career on stage that lasted for 63 years.
in 1904, the daughter of a wealthy family. She based the character of Mrs Bridges on one of the cooks
her family had when she was a child. Her younger sister was the actress Hermione Baddeley
. In 1912, at the age of 8, Baddeley made her stage debut at the Dalston Palace in London in a play called The Dawn of Happiness. When she was nine, Angela Baddeley auditioned at the Old Vic Theatre and in November 1915 she made her stage debut at the Old Vic in Richard III and appeared in many other Shakespeare
plays. During her teenage years, the "consummate little actress", as a national paper called had called her when she was 10, starred in many musicals
and pantomime
s. She briefly 'retired' from acting at age 18. Her first marriage, to Stephen Thomas, produced one daughter. On 8 July 1929 she married the actor and theatre director Glen Byam Shaw
, and they had a son and a daughter. In 1938, she appeared in King Vidor
's film, The Citadel
, an adaptation of A. J. Cronin
's novel.
After spending some time touring in Australia, Baddeley succeeded in establishing herself as one of the most popular theatre actresses of her day, with roles in The Rising Stud and Marriage à la Mode. In 1931, she appeared in two popular movies, the Sherlock Holmes
tale The Speckled Band
, featuring Raymond Massey
as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's sleuth, and in The Ghost Train
, a large screen version of the hit stage thriller. Throughout the 1940s, she played many strong female roles on stage, including Miss Prue in 'Love for Love' and Nora in The Winslow Boy
.
's production of Pericles, Prince of Tyre
at the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre in 1958. She was made a CBE in 1975 for "services to the theatre". She died in Wargrave, Berkshire in 1976 of pneumonia
at the age of 71, shortly after Upstairs, Downstairs had ended its original run. Had she lived it is likely that a spin-off series, with Baddeley reprising her role as Mrs. Bridges and Gordon Jackson
returning as Mr Hudson, would have been made. This would have been set in the boarding house
they had moved to at the end of Upstairs, Downstairs. Her last role was on the London stage in the second cast of Stephen Sondheim's A Little Night Music. She is interred, along with her husband Glen Byam Shaw
, at St Mary's Church, Wargrave.
She was the grandmother of Charles Hart
, the lyricist of The Phantom of the Opera
.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(4 July 1904 – 22 February 1976), born Madeline Angela Clinton-Baddeley, was an English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
actress best remembered for her role as Mrs Bridges in the period drama
Period piece
-Setting:In the performing arts, a period piece is a work set in a particular era. This informal term covers all countries, all periods and all genres...
Upstairs, Downstairs
Upstairs, Downstairs
Upstairs, Downstairs is a British drama television series originally produced by London Weekend Television and revived by the BBC. It ran on ITV in 68 episodes divided into five series from 1971 to 1975, and a sixth series shown on the BBC on three consecutive nights, 26–28 December 2010.Set in a...
. Baddeley also had a long and distinguished career on stage that lasted for 63 years.
Early life
Madeline Angela Clinton-Baddeley was born in LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in 1904, the daughter of a wealthy family. She based the character of Mrs Bridges on one of the cooks
Cook (servant)
A cook is a household staff member responsible for food preparation. The term can refer to the head of kitchen staff in a great house or to the cook-housekeeper, a far less prestigious position involving more physical labour....
her family had when she was a child. Her younger sister was the actress Hermione Baddeley
Hermione Baddeley
Hermione Baddeley was an English character actress of theatre, film and television. She was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in Room at the Top and a Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play for The Milk Train Doesn't Stop Here...
. In 1912, at the age of 8, Baddeley made her stage debut at the Dalston Palace in London in a play called The Dawn of Happiness. When she was nine, Angela Baddeley auditioned at the Old Vic Theatre and in November 1915 she made her stage debut at the Old Vic in Richard III and appeared in many other Shakespeare
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
plays. During her teenage years, the "consummate little actress", as a national paper called had called her when she was 10, starred in many musicals
Musical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
and pantomime
Pantomime
Pantomime — not to be confused with a mime artist, a theatrical performer of mime—is a musical-comedy theatrical production traditionally found in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Jamaica, South Africa, India, Ireland, Gibraltar and Malta, and is mostly performed during the...
s. She briefly 'retired' from acting at age 18. Her first marriage, to Stephen Thomas, produced one daughter. On 8 July 1929 she married the actor and theatre director Glen Byam Shaw
Glen Byam Shaw
Glen Byam Shaw was an English actor and theatre director, known for his dramatic productions in the 1950s and his operatic productions in the 1960s and later....
, and they had a son and a daughter. In 1938, she appeared in King Vidor
King Vidor
King Wallis Vidor was an American film director, film producer, and screenwriter whose career spanned nearly seven decades...
's film, The Citadel
The Citadel (film)
The Citadel is a 1938 film based on the novel of the same name by A. J. Cronin, first published in 1937. The film was directed by King Vidor and produced by Victor Saville.-Plot:...
, an adaptation of A. J. Cronin
A. J. Cronin
Archibald Joseph Cronin was a Scottish physician and novelist. His best-known works are Hatter's Castle, The Stars Look Down, The Citadel, The Keys of the Kingdom and The Green Years, all of which were adapted to film. He also created the Dr...
's novel.
After spending some time touring in Australia, Baddeley succeeded in establishing herself as one of the most popular theatre actresses of her day, with roles in The Rising Stud and Marriage à la Mode. In 1931, she appeared in two popular movies, the Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes is a fictional detective created by Scottish author and physician Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The fantastic London-based "consulting detective", Holmes is famous for his astute logical reasoning, his ability to take almost any disguise, and his use of forensic science skills to solve...
tale The Speckled Band
The Speckled Band (1931 film)
The Speckled Band is a 1931 British film directed by Jack Raymond and an adaption of Arthur Conan Doyle's story The Adventure of the Speckled Band.- Plot summary :...
, featuring Raymond Massey
Raymond Massey
Raymond Hart Massey was a Canadian/American actor.-Early life:Massey was born in Toronto, Ontario, the son of Anna , who was born in Illinois, and Chester Daniel Massey, the wealthy owner of the Massey-Ferguson Tractor Company. Massey's family could trace their ancestry back to the American...
as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's sleuth, and in The Ghost Train
The Ghost Train (1931 film)
The Ghost Train is a 1931 British comedy thriller film directed by Walter Forde and starring Jack Hulbert, Cicely Courtneidge and Ann Todd. It is based on the play The Ghost Train by Arnold Ridley.-Cast:* Jack Hulbert - Teddy Deakin...
, a large screen version of the hit stage thriller. Throughout the 1940s, she played many strong female roles on stage, including Miss Prue in 'Love for Love' and Nora in The Winslow Boy
The Winslow Boy
thumb|1st edition cover The Winslow Boy is an English play from 1946 by Terence Rattigan based on an actual incident in the Edwardian era, which took place at the Royal Naval College, Osborne.-Performance History:...
.
Later years
Continuing to act on stage, she played the bawd in Tony RichardsonTony Richardson
Cecil Antonio "Tony" Richardson was an English theatre and film director and producer.-Early life:Richardson was born in Shipley, Yorkshire in 1928, the son of Elsie Evans and Clarence Albert Richardson, a chemist...
's production of Pericles, Prince of Tyre
Pericles, Prince of Tyre
Pericles, Prince of Tyre is a Jacobean play written at least in part by William Shakespeare and included in modern editions of his collected works despite questions over its authorship, as it was not included in the First Folio...
at the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre in 1958. She was made a CBE in 1975 for "services to the theatre". She died in Wargrave, Berkshire in 1976 of pneumonia
Pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...
at the age of 71, shortly after Upstairs, Downstairs had ended its original run. Had she lived it is likely that a spin-off series, with Baddeley reprising her role as Mrs. Bridges and Gordon Jackson
Gordon Jackson (actor)
Gordon Cameron Jackson, OBE was a Scottish Emmy Award-winning actor best remembered for his roles as the butler Angus Hudson in Upstairs, Downstairs and George Cowley, the head of CI5, in The Professionals....
returning as Mr Hudson, would have been made. This would have been set in the boarding house
Boarding house
A boarding house, is a house in which lodgers rent one or more rooms for one or more nights, and sometimes for extended periods of weeks, months and years. The common parts of the house are maintained, and some services, such as laundry and cleaning, may be supplied. They normally provide "bed...
they had moved to at the end of Upstairs, Downstairs. Her last role was on the London stage in the second cast of Stephen Sondheim's A Little Night Music. She is interred, along with her husband Glen Byam Shaw
Glen Byam Shaw
Glen Byam Shaw was an English actor and theatre director, known for his dramatic productions in the 1950s and his operatic productions in the 1960s and later....
, at St Mary's Church, Wargrave.
She was the grandmother of Charles Hart
Charles Hart (lyricist)
Charles Hart is a British lyricist, songwriter and musician. He is best known for re-writing the lyrics to, and contributing to the book of Andrew Lloyd Webber's stage musical The Phantom of the Opera. He also co-wrote the lyrics to Lloyd Webber's 1989 musical Aspects of Love...
, the lyricist of The Phantom of the Opera
The Phantom of the Opera (1986 musical)
The Phantom of the Opera is a musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber, based on the French novel Le Fantôme de l'Opéra by Gaston Leroux.The music was composed by Lloyd Webber, and most lyrics were written by Charles Hart, with additional lyrics by Richard Stilgoe. Alan Jay Lerner was an early collaborator,...
.