Carole Lynne
Carole Lynne, Baroness Delfont (16 September 1918 - 17 January 2008) was a British theatre actress, best known for her work in the 1940s and 1950s. She was the widow of Lord Bernard Delfont, a prominent figure in the British entertainment industry.[1]
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[edit] Early life
Lynne was born Helen Violet Carolyn Heyman in Rochester, Kent, on 16 September 1918.[2] She made her stage acting debut at the age of 18 at His Majesty's Theatre as a chorus member in the production of Paprika, a Hungarian musical romance.[2]
Her first husband was actor Derek Farr, whom she married in June 1939.[2] The marriage ended in divorce.[1] She met her second husband, Bernard Delfont, in 1946. Delfont was from a family of prominent people in the entertainment industry, who included his brothers, Lew Grade and Leslie Grade.[1] The couple were together until Delfont's death in 1994.[2]
[edit] Career
Lynne was best known for headlining many theatre productions in London's West End during the 1940s and 1950s.[1] Her film credits included The Ghost Train, a 1941 comic horror film starring Arthur Askey, and Asking for Trouble, a 1942 Max Miller movie.[2] She retired from stage acting in the mid-1950s.[2]
Her husband, Bernard Delfont, was knighted in 1974,[1][2] and created a life peer as Baron Delfont in 1976.[1][2]
Lynne remained closely associated with entertainment-related charities throughout her life. She was the life governor of the Entertainment Artistes' Benevolent Fund, of which her husband, Lord Delfont, was life president.[2]
She made her last television appearance in 1994 on an episode of This Is Your Life, which was featuring actress Pat Kirkwood.[1] Lynne and Kirkwood had co-starred in Black Velvet at the London Hippodrome in 1939. Her performance with Kirkwood was one of her biggest successes.[2]
[edit] Death
Carole Lynne died at her home in Sussex, England, on 17 January 2008 at the age of 89, of motor neurone disease.[1] She was survived by her son and two daughters.[2]
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d e f g h "Lady Delfont dies aged 89". The Stage. 2008-01-21. http://www.thestage.co.uk/news/newsstory.php/19590/lady-delfont-dies-aged-89. Retrieved 2008-02-12.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Lady Delfont". The Telegraph. 2008-01-28. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2008/01/25/db2503.xml. Retrieved 2008-02-12.
