Eleanor Summerfield
Encyclopedia
Eleanor Summerfield was a British
actress.
Summerfield was born in London in 1921. She received her acting training at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art
. In the mid-1960s, she played P. G. Wodehouse
' character Aunt Dahlia
in the BBC One
's World of Wooster. She was a team member on BBC Radio 4
's Many a Slip
.
In the mid-1960s, she played P. G. Wodehouse
's character Aunt Dahlia
in BBC One
's black-and-white TV
series World of Wooster (1965–1967). She was also a regular on radio panel games, including BBC Radio's Just a Minute
, and was a team member for the entire 15-year run of BBC Radio 4
's game show Many a Slip
(1964–1979). Her quick mind and infectious laugh endeared her to listeners.
She was the wife of actor Leonard Sachs
, the mother of actor Robin Sachs
and Toby Sachs, and grandmother of Kerry Sachs.
Eleanor Summerfield died in London on 13 July 2001, aged 80.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
actress.
Summerfield was born in London in 1921. She received her acting training at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art
Royal Academy of Dramatic Art
The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art is a drama school located in London, United Kingdom. It is generally regarded as one of the most renowned drama schools in the world, and is one of the oldest drama schools in the United Kingdom, having been founded in 1904.RADA is an affiliate school of the...
. In the mid-1960s, she played P. G. Wodehouse
P. G. Wodehouse
Sir Pelham Grenville Wodehouse, KBE was an English humorist, whose body of work includes novels, short stories, plays, poems, song lyrics, and numerous pieces of journalism. He enjoyed enormous popular success during a career that lasted more than seventy years and his many writings continue to be...
' character Aunt Dahlia
Aunt Dahlia
Dahlia Travers is a recurring fictional character in the Jeeves novels of British comic writer P. G. Wodehouse, being best known as Bertie Wooster's bonhomous, red-faced Aunt Dahlia. She is much beloved by her nephew, in contrast with her sister, Bertie's Aunt Agatha...
in the BBC One
BBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
's World of Wooster. She was a team member on BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
's Many a Slip
Many a Slip
Many a Slip was a BBC Radio 4 panel game created by Ian Messiter that ran from 1964 to 1979. It was chaired by Roy Plomley, with a musical mistakes round supplied by musician Steve Race....
.
In the mid-1960s, she played P. G. Wodehouse
P. G. Wodehouse
Sir Pelham Grenville Wodehouse, KBE was an English humorist, whose body of work includes novels, short stories, plays, poems, song lyrics, and numerous pieces of journalism. He enjoyed enormous popular success during a career that lasted more than seventy years and his many writings continue to be...
's character Aunt Dahlia
Aunt Dahlia
Dahlia Travers is a recurring fictional character in the Jeeves novels of British comic writer P. G. Wodehouse, being best known as Bertie Wooster's bonhomous, red-faced Aunt Dahlia. She is much beloved by her nephew, in contrast with her sister, Bertie's Aunt Agatha...
in BBC One
BBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
's black-and-white TV
Monochrome
Monochrome describes paintings, drawings, design, or photographs in one color or shades of one color. A monochromatic object or image has colors in shades of limited colors or hues. Images using only shades of grey are called grayscale or black-and-white...
series World of Wooster (1965–1967). She was also a regular on radio panel games, including BBC Radio's Just a Minute
Just a Minute
Just a Minute is a BBC Radio 4 radio comedy panel game chaired by Nicholas Parsons. Its first transmission on Radio 4 was on 22 December 1967, three months after the station's launch. The Radio 4 programme won a Gold Sony Radio Academy Award in 2003....
, and was a team member for the entire 15-year run of BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
's game show Many a Slip
Many a Slip
Many a Slip was a BBC Radio 4 panel game created by Ian Messiter that ran from 1964 to 1979. It was chaired by Roy Plomley, with a musical mistakes round supplied by musician Steve Race....
(1964–1979). Her quick mind and infectious laugh endeared her to listeners.
She was the wife of actor Leonard Sachs
Leonard Sachs
Leonard Sachs was a British actor.-Early life and career:Sachs was born in South Africa in the town of Roodepoort, Transvaal...
, the mother of actor Robin Sachs
Robin Sachs
Robin David Sachs is an English actor.Sachs was born in London, the son of actors Leonard Sachs and Eleanor Summerfield...
and Toby Sachs, and grandmother of Kerry Sachs.
Eleanor Summerfield died in London on 13 July 2001, aged 80.
Selected filmography
- Take My LifeTake My LifeTake My Life is a 1947 British thriller film directed by Ronald Neame and starring Hugh Williams, Greta Gynt and Marius Goring.-Cast:* Hugh Williams as Nicholas Talbot* Greta Gynt as Philippa Shelley* Marius Goring as Sidney Flemming...
(1947) - London Belongs to MeLondon Belongs to MeLondon Belongs to Me is a 1948 British film directed by Sidney Gilliat and starring Richard Attenborough and Alastair Sim. It was based on the novel of the same name by Norman Collins...
(1948) - The Weaker Sex (1948)
- All Over the TownAll Over the TownAll Over the Town is a 1949 British comedy film directed by Derek N. Twist and starring Norman Wooland, Sarah Churchill and Cyril Cusack. A newspaper reporter in a small seaside town tries to use his paper to imrprove the community.-Cast:...
(1949) - No Way BackNo Way Back (1949 film)No Way Back is a 1949 British crime film directed by Stefan Osiecki and starring Terence De Marney, Eleanor Summerfield and Jack Raine. An injured boxer sinks into bad company when his fighting career comes to an end leading to a spiral of crime.-Cast:...
(1949) - Man on the RunMan on the RunMan on the Run is a 1949 British drama film directed by Lawrence Huntington and starring Derek Farr, Joan Hopkins, Edward Chapman, Kenneth More and Laurence Harvey.-Synopsis:...
(1949) - Laughter in ParadiseLaughter in ParadiseLaughter in Paradise is the title of a British comedy film released in 1951. The film stars Alastair Sim, Fay Compton, George Cole, and Guy Middleton...
(1951) - The Last PageThe Last PageThe Last Page is a 1952 British film noir starring George Brent, Marguerite Chapman, and Diana Dors. The movie, largely set in a bookstore, was directed by Terence Fisher and released in the United States as Man Bait.-Cast:...
(1952) - MandyMandy (film)Mandy was a 1952 Ealing Studios film, based on the book The Day Is Ours by Hilda Lewis, with screenplay by Nigel Balchin and Jack Whittingham, and direction by Alexander Mackendrick and Fred Sears. Another title for the film was Crash of Silence...
(1952) - Top SecretTop Secret (1952 film)Top Secret is a 1952 British comedy film directed by Mario Zampi and starring George Cole, Oskar Homolka and Nadia Gray. A sanitation inspector is mistaken for an international spy.-Cast:* George Cole - George Potts* Oskar Homolka - Zekov...
(1952) - Street CornerStreet Corner (1953 film)Street Corner is a 1953 British drama film. It was written by Muriel and Sydney Box and directed by Muriel. It was marketed as Both Sides of the Law in the United States. While not quite a documentary, the film depicts the daily routine of women in the police force from three different angles...
(1953) - Face the MusicFace the Music (film)Face the Music is a 1954 crime film directed by Terence Fisher. It stars Alex Nicol and Eleanor Summerfield.-Cast:*Alex Nicol as James Bradley*Eleanor Summerfield as Barbara Quigley*John Salew as Maxie Maguilies*Paul Carpenter as Johnny Sutherland...
(1954) - Murder by ProxyMurder by ProxyMurder by Proxy is a 1954 crime film directed by Terence Fisher. It stars Dane Clark and Belinda Lee.-Cast:* Dane Clark as Casey Morrow* Belinda Lee as Phyllis Brunner* Betty Ann Davies as Mrs...
(1954) - Final AppointmentFinal Appointment (1954 film)Final Appointment is a 1954 British film directed by Terence Fisher. It starred John Bentley, Eleanor Summerfield and Hubert Gregg. It also featured Arthur Lowe, later to become famous for his portrayal of Captain Mainwaring in Dad's Army, in an early role....
(1954) - LostLost (1956 film)Lost is a 1956 British thriller film directed by Guy Green. It is set in 1950s London, and revolves around the apparent kidnapping of a young American couple's baby.-Plot:...
(1956) - It's Great to Be YoungIt's Great To Be YoungIt's Great to Be Young is a 1956 musical comedy film about a school music teacher, starring Cecil Parker and John Mills.-Cast:* John Mills as Mr. Dingle* Cecil Parker as Frome* John Salew as Routledge* Elizabeth Kentish as Mrs...
(1956) - No Road BackNo Road BackNo Road Back is a 1957 British B picture crime drama, notable mainly for being the first major film role for future filmstar Sean Connery. Connery's role is that of a minor gangster, Spike, who has a speech impediment.-Cast:...
(1957) - A Cry from the StreetsA Cry from the Streets-Cast:* Max Bygraves as Bill Lowther* Barbara Murray as Ann Fairlie* Colin Petersen as Georgie* Dana Wilson as Barbie* Kathleen Harrison as Mrs. Farrer* Sean Barrett as Don Farrer* Mona Washbourne as Mrs. Daniels* Eleanor Summerfield as Gloria...
(1958) - Dentist in the ChairDentist in the ChairDentist in the Chair is a 1960 British comedy film, directed by Don Chaffey and starring Bob Monkhouse, Ronnie Stevens, Eric Barker and Vincent Ball. The screenplay was written by Val Guest, based on a novel by Matthew Finch...
(1960) - Spare the RodSpare the Rod (film)Spare the Rod is a 1961 British social drama, directed by Les Norman and starring Max Bygraves, Geoffrey Keen, Donald Pleasence and Richard O'Sullivan...
(1961) - Don't Bother to KnockDon't Bother to Knock (1961 film)Don't Bother to Knock is a 1961 British comedy film directed by Cyril Frankel and starring Richard Todd, Nicole Maurey, Elke Sommer and John Le Mesurier.-Synopsis:...
(1961) - On the FiddleOn the FiddleOn the Fiddle is a 1961 British comedy film directed by Cyril Frankel and starring Sean Connery, Alfred Lynch, Cecil Parker, Stanley Holloway, Eric Barker, Mike Sarne, Wilfrid Hyde-White, Kathleen Harrison, Victor Maddern and John Le Mesurier....
(1961) - Petticoat PiratesPetticoat PiratesPetticoat Pirates is a 1961 British comedy film directed by David MacDonald and starring Charlie Drake, Anne Heywood, Cecil Parker, John Turner and Thorley Walters.-Cast:* Charlie Drake as Charlie* Anne Heywood as Chief Officer Anne Stevens...
(1961) - Guns of DarknessGuns of DarknessGuns of Darkness is a 1962 British drama film directed by Anthony Asquith and starring David Niven, Leslie Caron and James Robertson Justice...
(1962) - On the BeatOn the Beat (1962 film)On the Beat is a 1962 British comedy film starring Norman Wisdom, and directed by Robert Asher.-Plot:Norman Pitkin works at Scotland Yard as a car cleaner but dreams of becoming a policeman like his late father....
(1962) - The Running ManThe Running Man (1963 film)The Running Man is a 1963 British drama film directed by Carol Reed, starring Laurence Harvey as a man who fakes his own death in a glider accident, then runs into trouble when an insurance investigator starts taking a close interest....
(1963) - Some Will, Some Won'tSome Will, Some Won'tSome Will, Some Won't was a 1970 British comedy film directed by Duncan Wood. It was a remake of Laughter in Paradise. It starred an ensemble British cast, including Michael Hordern, Ronnie Corbett, Dennis Price, Leslie Phillips and Arthur Lowe....
(1970) - Foreign ExchangeForeign Exchange (1970 film)Foreign Exchange is a 1970 British television thriller film directed by Roy Ward Baker and starring Robert Horton, Sebastian Cabot and Jill St. John. It was based on a novel by Jimmy Sangster. A former British spy arranges an exchange of captured spies with Russia.-Cast:* Robert Horton ... John...
(1970, TV film) - The Watcher in the WoodsThe Watcher in the WoodsThe Watcher in the Woods is a 1980 American-British mystery and horror film from Buena Vista Distribution Company. Based on the 1976 novel by Florence Engel Randall, it is a live action movie that, though predominantly a family oriented work, also contains elements of the mystery, thriller, horror,...
(1981)