Mary Barclay
Encyclopedia
Mary Barclay was an English
film
, television
and theater actress. She was best known for playing Stella Dane in the Crossroads television series, as well as her role in the 1973 film, A Touch of Class.
, Somerset, England. She earned a double first from Cambridge University in Classics
.
She applied to the Civil Service Board, but was turned down for the position. Afterwards she moved in with the mother of Ivor Novello
in London
. Novello's mother taught Barclay how to play the piano
and sing
. In return, Barclay agreed to take out her gin
bottles. She worked at the landmark HMV
music store on Oxford Street
in London during this time.
Barclay enrolled in the Guildhall School of Music and Drama
around the outbreak of World War II
. She married Richard Barclay, who later became a BBC
film editor, in 1940.
after the war. There she landed her first cating role in the Canadian drama
, Sins of the Fathers. Barclay next played a prostitute in the Canadian opening of the play
, Tit-Coq (Little Rooster), beginning in 1948. She remained as a cast member of the play for three years.
Barclay made her Broadway in New York City
in The Hollow
by Agatha Christie
. Her success in The Hollow led to other Broadway roles and appearances on American television shows, including Florence Nightingale. In 1955 she appeared in "Witness For The Prosecution" at Henry Miller's Theatre in New York City.
Barclay and her husband returned to Great Britain
in 1956, where she continued to act in film, stage and television. She was cast in the Crossroads television series as Stella Dane, an overbearing mother-in-law during the 1960s. She continued on Crossroads for 18 months before becoming bored with the role. She asked the show's producers to kill off her character, which they did.
She later appeared as Jon Voight
's mother in The Revolutionary
in 1970. She also acted in the controversial Sex and the Other Woman in 1972. Sex and the Other Woman was cut by nine minutes because British censors objected to material in the show.
Barlay was cast in the 1973 film, A Touch of Class, opposite Glenda Jackson
and George Segal
. Her other credits included roles in Dixon of Dock Green
, Steptoe and Son
, Spy Trap and Secret Army. She played Sophie Chantal in Secret Army, which was set in Belgium
during World War II
, from 1977 until 1979.
in Guernsey
at the age of 91. She had suffered from complications from a stroke
which occurred seven years before her death.
Her first husband, Richard Barclay, had died from a heart attack in 1985. She married her second husband, David Taylor, a Scottish
widower, in 1987.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
, television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
and theater actress. She was best known for playing Stella Dane in the Crossroads television series, as well as her role in the 1973 film, A Touch of Class.
Early life
Barclay was born Mary Biddulph in WillitonWilliton
Williton is a medium-sized village and civil parish in West Somerset, England. It has many of the facilities of a small town, being the administrative centre for the district. Williton is situated at the junction of the A39, A358 and B3191 roads...
, Somerset, England. She earned a double first from Cambridge University in Classics
Classics
Classics is the branch of the Humanities comprising the languages, literature, philosophy, history, art, archaeology and other culture of the ancient Mediterranean world ; especially Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome during Classical Antiquity Classics (sometimes encompassing Classical Studies or...
.
She applied to the Civil Service Board, but was turned down for the position. Afterwards she moved in with the mother of Ivor Novello
Ivor Novello
David Ivor Davies , better known as Ivor Novello, was a Welsh composer, singer and actor who became one of the most popular British entertainers of the first half of the 20th century. Born into a musical family, his first successes were as a songwriter...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. Novello's mother taught Barclay how to play the piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
and sing
Sing
Sing may refer to:* Singing, the act of producing musical sounds with the voice-Music:* SING! or Sing, annual student performance in New York City area high schoolsSongs:* "Sing" , a 1991 song from the album Leisure...
. In return, Barclay agreed to take out her gin
Gin
Gin is a spirit which derives its predominant flavour from juniper berries . Although several different styles of gin have existed since its origins, it is broadly differentiated into two basic legal categories...
bottles. She worked at the landmark HMV
HMV
His Master's Voice is a trademark in the music business, and for many years was the name of a large record label. The name was coined in 1899 as the title of a painting of the dog Nipper listening to a wind-up gramophone...
music store on Oxford Street
Oxford Street
Oxford Street is a major thoroughfare in the City of Westminster in the West End of London, United Kingdom. It is Europe's busiest shopping street, as well as its most dense, and currently has approximately 300 shops. The street was formerly part of the London-Oxford road which began at Newgate,...
in London during this time.
Barclay enrolled in the Guildhall School of Music and Drama
Guildhall School of Music and Drama
Guildhall School of Music and Drama is an independent music and dramatic arts school which was founded in 1880 in London, England. Students can pursue courses in Music, Opera, Drama and Technical Theatre Arts.-History:...
around the outbreak of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. She married Richard Barclay, who later became a BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
film editor, in 1940.
Career
The couple immigrated to CanadaCanada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
after the war. There she landed her first cating role in the Canadian drama
Drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a...
, Sins of the Fathers. Barclay next played a prostitute in the Canadian opening of the play
Play (theatre)
A play is a form of literature written by a playwright, usually consisting of scripted dialogue between characters, intended for theatrical performance rather than just reading. There are rare dramatists, notably George Bernard Shaw, who have had little preference whether their plays were performed...
, Tit-Coq (Little Rooster), beginning in 1948. She remained as a cast member of the play for three years.
Barclay made her Broadway in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in The Hollow
The Hollow
The Hollow is a work of detective fiction by Agatha Christie and first published in the US by Dodd, Mead and Company in 1946 and in the UK by the Collins Crime Club in November of the same year. The US edition retailed at $2.50 and the UK edition at eight shillings and sixpence...
by Agatha Christie
Agatha Christie
Dame Agatha Christie DBE was a British crime writer of novels, short stories, and plays. She also wrote romances under the name Mary Westmacott, but she is best remembered for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections , and her successful West End plays.According to...
. Her success in The Hollow led to other Broadway roles and appearances on American television shows, including Florence Nightingale. In 1955 she appeared in "Witness For The Prosecution" at Henry Miller's Theatre in New York City.
Barclay and her husband returned to Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
in 1956, where she continued to act in film, stage and television. She was cast in the Crossroads television series as Stella Dane, an overbearing mother-in-law during the 1960s. She continued on Crossroads for 18 months before becoming bored with the role. She asked the show's producers to kill off her character, which they did.
She later appeared as Jon Voight
Jon Voight
Jonathan Vincent "Jon" Voight is an American actor. He has received an Academy Award, out of four nominations, and three Golden Globe Awards, out of nine nominations. Voight is the father of actress Angelina Jolie....
's mother in The Revolutionary
The Revolutionary
The Revolutionary is a 1970 film directed by Paul Williams. The screenplay was written by Hans Koning , based on his novel of the same name. It was the film debut for actor Jeffrey Jones.-Main cast:...
in 1970. She also acted in the controversial Sex and the Other Woman in 1972. Sex and the Other Woman was cut by nine minutes because British censors objected to material in the show.
Barlay was cast in the 1973 film, A Touch of Class, opposite Glenda Jackson
Glenda Jackson
Glenda May Jackson, CBE is a British Labour Party politician and former actress. She has been a Member of Parliament since 1992, and currently represents Hampstead and Kilburn. She previously served as MP for Hampstead and Highgate...
and George Segal
George Segal
George Segal is an American film, stage and television actor.-Early life:George Segal, Jr. was born in 1934 Great Neck, Long Island, New York, the son of Fannie Blanche and George Segal, Sr. He was educated at George School, a private Quaker preparatory boarding school near Newtown, Bucks County,...
. Her other credits included roles in Dixon of Dock Green
Dixon of Dock Green
Dixon of Dock Green was a popular BBC television series that ran from 1955 to 1976, and later a radio series. Despite being a drama series, it was initially produced by the BBC's light entertainment department.-Overview:...
, Steptoe and Son
Steptoe and Son
Steptoe and Son is a British sitcom written by Ray Galton and Alan Simpson about two rag and bone men living in Oil Drum Lane, a fictional street in Shepherd's Bush, London. Four series were broadcast by the BBC from 1962 to 1965, followed by a second run from 1970 to 1974. Its theme tune, "Old...
, Spy Trap and Secret Army. She played Sophie Chantal in Secret Army, which was set in Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, from 1977 until 1979.
Death
Mary Barclay died on 18 February 2008 at a nursing homeNursing home
A nursing home, convalescent home, skilled nursing unit , care home, rest home, or old people's home provides a type of care of residents: it is a place of residence for people who require constant nursing care and have significant deficiencies with activities of daily living...
in Guernsey
Guernsey
Guernsey, officially the Bailiwick of Guernsey is a British Crown dependency in the English Channel off the coast of Normandy.The Bailiwick, as a governing entity, embraces not only all 10 parishes on the Island of Guernsey, but also the islands of Herm, Jethou, Burhou, and Lihou and their islet...
at the age of 91. She had suffered from complications from a stroke
Stroke
A stroke, previously known medically as a cerebrovascular accident , is the rapidly developing loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This can be due to ischemia caused by blockage , or a hemorrhage...
which occurred seven years before her death.
Her first husband, Richard Barclay, had died from a heart attack in 1985. She married her second husband, David Taylor, a Scottish
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
widower, in 1987.