Tracy Hyde

Tracy Constance Margaret Hyde, actress and model (born May 16, 1959, Fulham, London, England) shot to fame in the 1971 film Melody after being discovered by film producer, David Puttnam. She learnt ballet at the age of four, did junior modelling for an agency and auditioned for a pickle advertisment.

Andrew Parkin, brother of Jane Parkin, saw photographs of the young Tracy and persuaded her mother, Maureen to audition her for the role. Parkin also recommended Tracy to director Waris Hussein, writer, Alan Parker and producer, David Puttnam. After screen tests and auditions, Tracy finally won the role.

After Melody, Tracy appeared in a few TV appearances in the U.K. Trial (BBC, 1971), Playhouse: The Greeks And Their Gifts (Anglia, 1972) and Love Story: Home For The Holidays (Associated Television, 1973). Due to the success of Melody in Japan, Tracy was invited over in 1972 for plans to make a film with her in the lead role. Unfortunately, due to budget restrictions, the film was never made.

Tracy continued with her education and studied at a secretarial college, after leaving she was employed as a legal secretary for a law firm. Meanwhile, she appeared in Japanese magazines and calendars and visited Japan for the second time in 1977, when she was awarded "Favourite actress" in the Roadshow magazine.

In the 1980s, Tracy made her film comeback in Dead End For Belinda (1980), The Orchard End Murder (1981) and Alice (1982) where she was re-united with her Melody co-actor, Jack Wild. Numerous TV appearances including Sorry! (BBC, 1981-1982), Kinvig (LWT, 1981), The Gentle Touch (LWT, 1982), Now And Then (LWT, 1983-1984), Dempsey & Makepeace (LWT, 1985) and The Bill (Thames Television, 1988).

By the end of the decade, Tracy had disappeared from the limelight and married property master, Allen J. Polley.

In 1994, Japanese Television were on the lookout for Tracy Hyde and sent one of their reporters to go to the U.K. to find her. Mark Lester was contacted and when it was found that Tracy had moved to France, Mark and the reporter both went over there to search for her. She had moved there with her husband, Allen J. Polley and her three sons. Mark and Tracy both re-enacted the apple-chomping cemetery scene with hilarious results. In 1999, Mark and Tracy were re-united again in another Japanese TV special, this time they meet up in London and go on a ghost train ride. Tracy has since re-married to her new husband, Cyril.

Darjan Sahanaja from the The Wondermints', an American retro-pop group wrote, sung and recorded the tribute track, "Tracy Hide". In the middle track, there is a sample of the dialogue from the infamous cemetery scene where Melody asks Daniel "Will you love me that long?"

Tracy was a consultant for the film, Elephant Juice (1999) although she did not appear in the film. Correction: Tracey Hyde, a literary agent from Casarotto, Ramsay & Associates was credited in Elephant Juice. This is not the same person as Tracy Hyde. This has been confirmed at Casarotto, Ramsay & Associates.