Kay Walsh

Biography

Kay Walsh was an English actress, dancer and screenwriter who began dancing in West End music halls and entered films with small parts, among them How's Chances? (1934), before years of quota quickies. She met David Lean while he was still an editor, and he later directed her in This Happy Breed (1944) and In Which We Serve (1942), both from scripts by Noël Coward. She also wrote, supplying dialogue for Pygmalion (1938), earning a credit for the closing sequence of Great Expectations (1946), and shaping the opening of Oliver Twist (1948), in which she played Nancy. She went on as a character actress through the 1950s, named Miss D. Coker in The Horse's Mouth (1958) as her favorite role, acted in plays and farces staged by Basil Dean at the Aldwych and the Strand, and appeared semi-regularly in the TV series Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson. She retired in 1981, her final part coming in Night Crossing (1982).

93years old at death

Born November 15, 1911Chelsea
Died April 16, 2005Chelsea
Star sign: ScorpioThe sign runs October 23 to November 21
Kathleen Walsh (birth name)

Movie Career

Films: 18
Career span: 40 years1942 to 1982

Genres

Drama67%, 12 films
Comedy33%, 6 films
Thriller28%, 5 films
Crime17%, 3 films
Family17%, 3 films

First and latest

Did you know?!

Behind the camera
For Lean's adaptation of Oliver Twist in 1948, Walsh devised the opening sequence and also took the part of Nancy.

Kay Walsh movies on Netflix

Night Crossing1982IMDb rating 6.5
The Ruling Class1972IMDb rating 7.2as Mrs. Piggot-Jones
Scrooge1970IMDb rating 7.5as Mrs. Fezziwig
The Witches1966IMDb rating 5.8as Stephanie Bax
A Study in Terror1965IMDb rating 6.5as Cathy Eddowes
Dr. Syn, Alias the Scarecrow1963IMDb rating 7.3as Mrs. Waggett
Greyfriars Bobby1961IMDb rating 7.2as Mrs. Brown
Tunes of Glory1960IMDb rating 7.5as Mary Titterington
The Horse's Mouth1958IMDb rating 6.9as Dee Coker
Cast a Dark Shadow1955IMDb rating 7.0as Charlotte Young
Lease of Life1954IMDb rating 6.8as Vera Thorne
Hunted1952IMDb rating 7.3as Mrs. Sykes
Last Holiday1950IMDb rating 7.3as Mrs. Poole
Stage Fright1950IMDb rating 7.0as Nellie Goode
The Magnet1950IMDb rating 6.7as Mrs Brent
Oliver Twist1948IMDb rating 7.8as Nancy
This Happy Breed1944IMDb rating 7.3as Queenie
In Which We Serve1942IMDb rating 7.2as Freda Lewis / Freda

Best known for

The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.

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Oliver Twist1948 Adventure, Comedy, Crime, Dramaas Nancy
IMDb rating 7.815K votes
Stage Fright1950 Film-Noir, Mystery, Thrilleras Nellie Goode
IMDb rating 7.018K votes
The Horse's Mouth1958as Dee Coker
IMDb rating 6.94.2K votes
The Witches1966as Stephanie Bax
IMDb rating 5.83.7K votes
In Which We Serve1942as Freda Lewis / Freda
IMDb rating 7.27.2K votes
Tunes of Glory1960as Mary Titterington
IMDb rating 7.55.2K votes
Cast a Dark Shadow1955as Charlotte Young
IMDb rating 7.03.9K votes
Last Holiday1950as Mrs. Poole
IMDb rating 7.32.4K votes

Most often with

David Lean directed three of these films, Ronald Neame three and Charles Frend two. Alec Guinness appears in five of them, more than any other actor. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.

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Alec Guinness

John Mills

Gordon Jackson

Dirk Bogarde

Geoffrey Keen

Percy HerbertDavid LeanDirector, 3 films Ronald NeameDirector, 3 films Charles FrendDirector, 2 films

Films together

Alec Guinness5 films together, 1948 to 1970
Alec Guinness's page
- Scrooge1970IMDb rating 7.5Walsh as Mrs. FezziwigGuinness as Jacob Marley's Ghost
- Tunes of Glory1960IMDb rating 7.5Walsh as Mary TitteringtonGuinness as Maj. Jock Sinclair, D.S.O., M.M.
- The Horse's Mouth1958IMDb rating 6.9Walsh as Dee CokerGuinness as Gulley Jimson
- Last Holiday1950IMDb rating 7.3Walsh as Mrs. PooleGuinness as George Bird
- Oliver Twist1948IMDb rating 7.8Walsh as NancyGuinness as Fagin
John Mills3 films together, 1942 to 1960
John Mills's page
- Tunes of Glory1960IMDb rating 7.5Walsh as Mary TitteringtonMills as Lt. Col. Basil Barrow (Battalion Commander)
- This Happy Breed1944IMDb rating 7.3Walsh as QueenieMills as Billy Mitchell
- In Which We Serve1942IMDb rating 7.2Walsh as Freda Lewis / FredaMills as Ordinary Seaman Blake / Shorty Blake
Gordon Jackson3 films together, 1960 to 1970
Gordon Jackson's page
- Scrooge1970IMDb rating 7.5Walsh as Mrs. FezziwigJackson as Tom - Friend of Harry's
- Greyfriars Bobby1961IMDb rating 7.2Walsh as Mrs. BrownJackson as Farmer
- Tunes of Glory1960IMDb rating 7.5Walsh as Mary TitteringtonJackson as Capt. Jimmy Cairns, M.C. (Battalion Adjutant)
Dirk Bogarde2 films together, 1952 to 1955
Dirk Bogarde's page
- Cast a Dark Shadow1955IMDb rating 7.0Walsh as Charlotte YoungBogarde as Edward "Teddy" Bare
- Hunted1952IMDb rating 7.3Walsh as Mrs. SykesBogarde as Chris Lloyd
Geoffrey Keen2 films together, 1952 to 1963
Geoffrey Keen's page
- Dr. Syn, Alias the Scarecrow1963IMDb rating 7.3Walsh as Mrs. WaggettKeen as General Pugh
- Hunted1952IMDb rating 7.3Walsh as Mrs. SykesKeen as Detective Inspector Deakin
Percy Herbert2 films together, 1960 to 1963
Percy Herbert's page
- Dr. Syn, Alias the Scarecrow1963IMDb rating 7.3Walsh as Mrs. WaggettHerbert as Dover Castle Jailer
- Tunes of Glory1960IMDb rating 7.5Walsh as Mary TitteringtonHerbert as RSM Riddick
David LeanDirector, 3 films, 1942 to 1948
All films by David Lean
- Oliver Twist1948IMDb rating 7.8Walsh as Nancy
- This Happy Breed1944IMDb rating 7.3Walsh as Queenie
- In Which We Serve1942IMDb rating 7.2Walsh as Freda Lewis / Freda
Ronald NeameDirector, 3 films, 1958 to 1970
All films by Ronald Neame
- Scrooge1970IMDb rating 7.5Walsh as Mrs. Fezziwig
- Tunes of Glory1960IMDb rating 7.5Walsh as Mary Titterington
- The Horse's Mouth1958IMDb rating 6.9Walsh as Dee Coker
Charles FrendDirector, 2 films, 1950 to 1954
All films by Charles Frend
- Lease of Life1954IMDb rating 6.8Walsh as Vera Thorne
- The Magnet1950IMDb rating 6.7Walsh as Mrs Brent
Also two films together25 more actors
- Laurence NaismithScrooge (1970) and Greyfriars Bobby (1961)
- Joan HicksonThe Horse's Mouth (1958) and The Magnet (1950)
- Geoffrey BayldonScrooge (1970) and Greyfriars Bobby (1961)
- Sam KyddHunted (1952) and The Magnet (1950)
- Reginald BeckwithThe Horse's Mouth (1958) and Lease of Life (1954)
- Robert NewtonOliver Twist (1948) and This Happy Breed (1944)
- John HarveyTunes of Glory (1960) and Stage Fright (1950)
- Adrienne CorriA Study in Terror (1965) and Lease of Life (1954)
- Ernest ThesigerThe Horse's Mouth (1958) and Last Holiday (1950)
- Alastair SimThe Ruling Class (1972) and Stage Fright (1950)
- Kathleen HarrisonCast a Dark Shadow (1955) and Oliver Twist (1948)
- Frederick PiperLease of Life (1954) and Hunted (1952)
- Jim O'BradyGreyfriars Bobby (1961) and The Horse's Mouth (1958)
- Moultrie KelsallGreyfriars Bobby (1961) and Last Holiday (1950)
- Richard LeechTunes of Glory (1960) and Lease of Life (1954)
- Russell WatersLease of Life (1954) and The Magnet (1950)
- Michael WildingStage Fright (1950) and In Which We Serve (1942)
- Ballard BerkeleyStage Fright (1950) and In Which We Serve (1942)
- John FraserA Study in Terror (1965) and Tunes of Glory (1960)
- Bruce SetonDr. Syn, Alias the Scarecrow (1963) and Greyfriars Bobby (1961)
- Duncan MacraeGreyfriars Bobby (1961) and Tunes of Glory (1960)
- Mark DignamDr. Syn, Alias the Scarecrow (1963) and Lease of Life (1954)
- Amy VenessOliver Twist (1948) and This Happy Breed (1944)
- Joyce CareyGreyfriars Bobby (1961) and In Which We Serve (1942)
- Celia JohnsonThis Happy Breed (1944) and In Which We Serve (1942)
When several people share the same number of films, the ones with the most films on Netflix are in the chart.

Online

Official profiles and reference pages.

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