Glynis Johns

Glynis Johns (born 5 October 1923) is a retired British actress, dancer, musician, and singer.

Glynis Johns
Johns in 1952
Born (1923-10-05) 5 October 1923
Occupation
  • Actress
  • dancer
  • pianist
  • singer
Years active1935–1999
Spouse(s)
(m. 1942; div. 1948)

(m. 1952; div. 1956)

(m. 1964; died 1980)
Children1
Parent(s)Mervyn Johns (father)

Born in Pretoria, South Africa, while her parents were on tour, she is best known for creating the role of Desiree Armfeldt in A Little Night Music on Broadway, for which she won a Tony Award, and for playing Winifred Banks in Walt Disney's musical motion picture Mary Poppins. In both roles, she sang songs written specifically for her, including "Send In the Clowns", composed by Stephen Sondheim, and "Sister Suffragette", written by the Sherman brothers.

She was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her work in the 1960 film The Sundowners, and upon the death of Olivia de Havilland in 2020, became the oldest living Academy Award nominee in an acting category. She is one of the last surviving stars from the Golden Age of Hollywood cinema. She is known for the breathy quality of her husky voice and her upbeat persona.[1]

Early life

Johns was born in Pretoria, Union of South Africa, the daughter of Alice Maude Steele (née Wareham), a pianist, and Mervyn Johns, a Welsh stage and film actor.[2] Her roots are in West Wales, and she was born in Pretoria while her parents were performing on tour there.

Early career

Johns made her first stage appearance in Buckie's Bears as a child ballerina at the Garrick Theatre in 1935. (She later became a qualified ballet teacher.) She was spotted dancing in a children's play during the Christmas holidays and cast in her first notable stage production, St Helena, at the Old Vic in 1936. That year, she was also in productions of The Children's Hour and The Melody That Got Lost. She followed this with Judgement Day (1937) and A Kiss for Cinderella (1937).[3]

Stage and film

Johns in 1951

Johns made her screen debut in 1938 in the film version of Winifred Holtby's novel South Riding. She had small roles in Murder in the Family (1938), Prison Without Bars (1939), On the Night of the Fire (1940), Under Your Hat (1940), and The Briggs Family (1940). On stage, she was in Quiet Wedding (1938).

Johns' scene in The Prime Minister (1941) did not make the final cut, but she had a role in 49th Parallel (1941) as Anna, replacing Elisabeth Bergner at the last minute. She was in Quiet Weekend (1941–43) on stage, which ran for two years.[3]

Johns had roles in The Adventures of Tartu (1943) and The Halfway House (1944). On stage, she appeared in Peter Pan (1943), I'll See You Again (1944), and Fools Rush In (1946).

Johns received good reviews for her performance as Deborah Kerr's best friend in Perfect Strangers (1945) (also titled Vacation from Marriage).

She continued in supporting roles: This Man Is Mine (1946), Frieda (1947), and An Ideal Husband (1947).

Stardom

Johns played the title role in Miranda (1948), a mermaid who causes havoc in a London household, directed by Ken Annakin.[4]

She starred in Third Time Lucky (1949), Dear Mr. Prohack (1949), and State Secret (1950). On stage, Johns was in Fools Rush In and The Way Things Go.

Johns supported Richard Todd in Flesh and Blood (1951) and also appeared in the Hollywood-financed No Highway in the Sky (1951). She co-starred with David Niven in Appointment with Venus (1951) for director Ralph Thomas, and was one of several names in Encore (1951) and The Magic Box (1951).

Johns was one of Alec Guinness' love interests in The Card (1952). On Broadway, she played the title role in Gertie. She was voted by British exhibitors as the 10th-most popular local star at the box office in 1951 and 1952.[5][6]

She was reunited with Richard Todd for two swashbucklers made for Walt Disney: The Sword and the Rose (1953) (directed by Annakin) and Rob Roy, the Highland Rogue (1953). In between, she made Personal Affair (1953) supporting Gene Tierney.

Johns had the starring role in The Weak and the Wicked (1954) about women in prison, which was a big hit.

She did another for Annakin, The Seekers (1954) with Jack Hawkins, then co-starred with Robert Newton in The Beachcomber (1954). For both these films, she was paid £12,500 a picture.[7]

Mad About Men (1954) was a sequel to Miranda, directed by Thomas.

Johns starred in a comedy Josephine and Men (1955) and supported Danny Kaye in The Court Jester (1956). Annakin used her again in Loser Takes All (1956) and she was one of the many actors who made cameos in Around the World in 80 Days (1956).

She returned to Broadway to play the title role in a production of Major Barbara (1956). Johns stayed in America to make the melodrama All Mine to Give (1956).

Character actress

Johns in 1959

Johns returned to Britain to make Another Time, Another Place (1958) and was in Shake Hands with the Devil (1959). Johns starred in The Spider's Web (1960) and had a supporting role in The Sundowners (1960), which earned her an Oscar nomination.

Johns starred in the remake of The Cabinet of Caligari (1962), and was one of several stars in The Chapman Report (1962). She supported Jackie Gleason in Papa's Delicate Condition (1963), and was in Too Good to be True on Broadway in 1963.

Johns was cast in 1961 in the ABC/Warner Bros. crime drama The Roaring '20s. She portrayed Kitty O'Moyne, an Irish immigrant who falls overboard into the harbour as she arrives in the United States. In the 1962–63 television season, Johns guest-starred in the CBS anthology series The Lloyd Bridges Show. In the autumn of 1963, she and Keith Andes starred as a married couple in her eponymous CBS television series Glynis, in which she played a mystery writer and Andes a criminal defence attorney. The programme was cancelled after thirteen episodes.[8]

Johns appeared as Winifred Banks in Mary Poppins (1964) and played James Stewart's wife in Dear Brigitte (1965). She was in The King's Mare at the Garrick Theatre in 1966.

Johns appeared in various character roles in Don't Just Stand There! (1968) and Lock Up Your Daughters (1969). She made a guest appearance as villainess Lady Penelope Peasoup in the Batman TV series in 1967. She turned increasingly to stage work, appearing in A Talent to Amuse (1969), Come as You Are (1969–70), and Marquise (1971–72).

Johns appeared in A Little Night Music (1973) on Broadway. The song "Send In the Clowns" was written with her in mind.[9] In 1973, she won a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her role as Desiree Armfeldt.

Later career

Her later film roles included The Vault of Horror (1973) and The Happy Prince (1974), but her focus was the stage: Ring Round the Moon (1975), 13 Rue de l'Amour (1976), Cause Célèbre (1978), Hay Fever (1980–81), and The Circle (1989–90). Johns starred as Myrtle Bledsoe in the premiere of Horton Foote's A Coffin in Egypt in 1998 at the Bay Street Theatre.[10]

During the first season of NBC's hit sitcom Cheers, Johns guest-starred as Diane Chambers' mother, Helen Chambers, a rich eccentric, who due to a stipulation in Diane's late father's will, will lose all her money unless Diane is married by the next day. From 1988–89, she played Trudie Pepper, a senior citizen living in an Arizona retirement community, in the television sitcom Coming of Age on CBS.[11]

Johns played the camera-toting grandmother in the 1995 Sandra Bullock hit While You Were Sleeping. Her last film appearance to date was as the grandmother of Molly Shannon's character in the 1999 film Superstar.[12]

Personal life

Johns has been married four times. Her first husband was Anthony Forwood (m. 1942–48), with whom she had her only child, actor Gareth Forwood (1945–2007).[13] She was married to David Foster, a Royal Navy officer and later president of Colgate-Palmolive.[14] She married Cecil Henderson, a businessman, in 1960.[15] She married Elliott Arnold, a writer, in 1964.[16][17][18][19]

Filmography

Year Title Role Notes
1938South RidingMidge Carne
Murder in the FamilyMarjorie Osborne
Prison Without BarsNina
1939On the Night of the FireMary Carr
1940Under Your HatWinnie
The Briggs FamilySheila Briggs
The Thief of BagdadPrincess' MaidUncredited
The Prime MinisterMiss SheridanUncredited
194149th ParallelAnnaWon - National Board of Review Awards 1942 for Best Acting
1943The Adventures of TartuPaula PalacekU.S. title Sabotage Agent
1944The Halfway HouseGwyneth
1945Perfect StrangersDizzy ClaytonU.S. title Vacation from Marriage
1946This Man Is MineMillie
1947FriedaJudy
An Ideal HusbandMiss Mabel Chiltern
1948MirandaMiranda Trewella
1949Third Time LuckyJoan Burns
Helter SkelterMiranda TrewellaUncredited
Dear Mr. ProhackMimi Warburton
1950State SecretLisa RobinsonU.S. title The Great Manhunt
1951Flesh and BloodKatherine
No HighwayMarjorie CorderU.S. title No Highway in the Sky
Appointment with VenusNicola FallaizeU.S. title Island Rescue
EncoreStella Cotmansegment "Gigolo and Gigolette"
The Magic BoxMay Jones
1952The CardRuth EarpU.S. title The Promoter
1953The Sword and the RosePrincess Mary Tudor
Personal AffairBarbara Vining
Rob Roy, the Highland RogueHelen Mary MacPherson MacGregor
1954The Weak and the WickedJean RaymondU.S. title Young and Willing
The SeekersMarion SoutheyU.S. title Land of Fury
The BeachcomberMartha Jones
Mad About MenCaroline Trewella / Miranda Trewella
1955Josephine and MenJosephine Luton
The Court JesterMaid Jean
1956Loser Takes AllCary
Around the World in 80 DaysSporting lady's companion
1957All Mine to GiveJo Eunson
1958Another Time, Another PlaceKay Trevor
1959Shake Hands with the DevilKitty Brady
1960Last of the FewNarrator
The Spider's WebClarissa Hailsham-Brown
The SundownersMrs. FirthNominated -Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress
1962The Cabinet of CaligariJane Lindstrom
The Chapman ReportTeresa HarnishNominated - Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama
1963Papa's Delicate ConditionAmberlyn Griffith
1964Mary PoppinsWinifred Banks
1965Dear BrigitteVina Leaf
1968Don't Just Stand There!Sabine Manning
1969Lock Up Your Daughters!Mrs. Squeezum
1972Under Milk WoodMyfanwy Price
1973The Vault of HorrorEleanor(Segment "The Neat Job")
1974The Happy PrinceSwallowVoice, Short
1975Mrs. AmworthMrs. AmworthShort
1977Three Dangerous LadiesMrs. Amworth(Segment "Mrs. Amworth")
1982Little Gloria... Happy at LastLaura Fitzpatrick MorganTV movie
1987NukieSister Anne
1988Scooby-Doo and the Ghoul SchoolGrimwoodVoice, TV movie
Zelly and MeCo-Co
1994The RefRose
1995While You Were SleepingElsie
1999SuperstarGrandmaFinal film role

Partial television credits

Television
Year Title Role Notes
1956The Errol Flynn TheatreLou McNamara / Susan Tracey2 episodes
1958The Frank Sinatra ShowChristine NolanEpisode: Face of Fear
1961Adventures in ParadiseEsther Holmes
The Naked City Miss Arlington
1963GlynisGlynis Granville13 episodes
196412 O'clock HighJennifer Heath
1967BatmanLady Penelope Peasoup4 episodes
1968ITV PlayhouseLorraine BarrieEpisode: Star Quality
1983CheersMrs. Helen Chambers
1984The Love BoatEdna Miles
1985Murder, She WroteBridget O'HaraEpisode: Sing a Song of Murder
1987The CavanaughsMaureenEpisode: The Eyes Have Had It
1988-89Coming of AgeTrudie Pepper15 episodes

Theatre (selected)

See also

References

  1. "Glynis Johns Biography". TCM.com. Retrieved 3 November 2017.
  2. "Glynis Johns Biography". Filmreference.com. Retrieved 8 April 2013.
  3. "THE LIFE STORY OF Glynis Johns". The Voice. 25 (38). Tasmania, Australia. 20 September 1952. p. 4. Retrieved 31 August 2017 via National Library of Australia.
  4. "Glynis Johns has a mermaid tail in "Miranda"". The Australian Women's Weekly. 15 (6). 19 July 1947. p. 36. Retrieved 31 August 2017 via National Library of Australia.
  5. "Vivien Leigh: Actress of the Year". Townsville Daily Bulletin. Qld. 29 December 1951. p. 1. Retrieved 9 July 2012 via National Library of Australia.
  6. "COMEDIAN TOPS FILM POLL". The Sunday Herald. Sydney. 28 December 1952. p. 4. Retrieved 9 July 2012 via National Library of Australia.
  7. "Croaky-voiced actress in big roles". Brisbane Telegraph. Queensland, Australia. 29 October 1953. p. 23 (LATE CITY). Retrieved 7 July 2020 via National Library of Australia.
  8. Leszczak, Bob (2012). Single Season Sitcoms, 1948–1979: A Complete Guide. McFarland. p. 58. ISBN 9780786493050. Retrieved 12 August 2017.
  9. Gussow, Mel (11 March 2008). "Send In the Sondheim; City Opera Revives 'Night Music,' as Composer Dotes". The New York Times. Retrieved 10 June 2008.
  10. "Glynis Johns Opens Foote's Coffin in Egypt at Bay Street June 17 – Playbill". Playbill.
  11. Terrace, Vincent (2011). Encyclopedia of Television Shows, 1925 through 2010 (2nd ed.). Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company. p. 203. ISBN 978-0-7864-6477-7.
  12. "Superstar". IMDb.com. Retrieved 7 April 2013.
  13. Lentz, Harris M. "Gareth Forwood" Obituaries in the Performing Arts, 2007: Film, Television, Radio, Theatre, Dance, Music, Cartoons and Pop Culture, McFarland, 2008, ISBN 0786434813, p. 124
  14. "Obituary" The Telegraph, 18 July 2010
  15. "1960 Press Photo British actress Glynis Johns and husband Cecil Henderson" picclick.co.uk, retrieved 7 April 2019
  16. "British Actress Married" Tucson Daily Citizen (archives), October 2, 1964
  17. Berkvist, Robert. "Miss Johns Hits a High Note" The New York Times, March 11, 1973
  18. "Glynis Johns Companions" tcm.com, retrieved 7 April 2019
  19. "Glynis Johns Is Engaged" The New York Times, June 25, 1964
Batman
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December 18, 2016 – present
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