Noele Gordon
Encyclopedia
Noele Gordon was an English film
and television
actress.
, London
. After attending convent school at Forest Gate
, she was taught to dance by the late Maude Wells and later spent several years living in Southend. Gordon made her first public appearance at the East Ham Palace, and shortly afterwards, sung "Dear Little Jammy Face" at a restaurant in London. After this event, her mother and her aunt were keen for her to begin a stage career. The family later moved to Westcliff-on-Sea
in Essex
. She attended RADA
, she appeared in repertory theatres, including 1,000 performances in Brigadoon
.
(29 Acacia Avenue
and Lisbon Story
). Her acting career came to a halt in 1955 when she joined Associated TeleVision
in London where she presented their first-ever programme, The Weekend Show. She also worked behind the scenes as Head of Lifestyle programmes. Gordon then studied the television medium at New York University
in America and after her return helped Reg Watson
and Ned Sherrin
launch ATV Midlands in 1956. ATV London had already been established. As well as being a producer, Gordon turned to presenting for the new Birmingham based service. Her first television appearance for ATV in the Midlands, Tea With Noele Gordon, was the first popular ITV chat show and whilst presenting this, she became the first woman to interview a British Prime Minister, then Harold Macmillan
. Initially commissioned as an emergency schedule filler, the show became so successful that she gave up her executive position to concentrate on programme presentation. She then moved on to present a daily live entertainment show, Lunchbox a programme which pioneered daytime broadcasts.
, The Midland Road, retitled Crossroads at the last minute, in which Gordon took the role of motel
owner Meg Richardson (later Meg Mortimer).
First in 1969 and then during the following decade, she won the TV Times
award for most popular television actress on eight occasions.
Gordon was the only member of the Crossroads cast who had a permanent contract; all other cast members were booked as and when on an 'ad hoc' basis. Gordon, however, had been a staff member on the board of ATV since her days of Lunch Box.
Gordon stayed with the programme until her sacking in 1981, when ATV
was re-constituted into a new company, Central Independent Television
. The decision to dismiss Gordon was taken by Head of Programmes Charles Denton
and Head Of Drama Margaret Matheson - who wanted to ditch soap opera for more expensive and lavish drama production. Gordon made a brief return to the series in 1983, when Meg met up with her daughter Jill and son-in-law Adam on their Venice honeymoon.
In 1985 Matheson's successor Ted Childs
ordered Crossroads to be revamped. This new-look was designed to bring back Noele Gordon on an 'as and when' basis, starting with a three month stint from April 1985. Gordon's return as Meg was devised by the new Producer, Phillip Bowman, who himself ended the involvement with the series of regulars Ronald Allen
and Sue Lloyd
in order for the motel to be sold - and thus Meg's daughter Jill was to face a tough choice of whether to agree to the sale, or hold on to the shares her mother left her in 1981. Meg's return was to advise Jill to sell the shares, as Meg, we were to discover, was good friends with the new to be owner - Nicola Freeman (played by Gabrielle Drake
) and so Gordon's character would have many reasons to return to Crossroads once more. This storyline never came about as Gordon died before the planned return. The actor Edward Clayton, who had previously played Stan Harvey in the show, returning to take her place in the storyline.
Gordon had battled cancer publicly since 1982, undergoing two major operations. It didn't stop her making a return to Crossroads in August 1983 for two episodes during the honeymoon episodes of Jill and Adam, shot in Venice
.
at Leicester
's Haymarket Theatre
followed by a revival of Irving Berlin
's musical Call Me Madam
at the Victoria Palace Theatre
. Her last stage appearance was in The Boyfriend at Plymouth
's Theatre Royal
produced by Roger Redfarn (she took ill during the run and had to be replaced).
In an interview she gave the TV Times
in 1981 she announced she may, once her stage work had come to an end, take up the offer of returning to presenting. In the same 1981 TV Times interview she commented that a future role as a breakfast television presenter was being negotiated. She would however not return to television full-time due to her theatre commitments. Speaking in 1984 she said "I did several mornings on TV-am a week or so ago. And I have been recording some programmes for my local radio station. But I would like to do more television - and I am ready for it". However she fell ill, and that promised more regular presenting role at TV-am
never materialised because of her failing health.
She retired to her home in Birmingham
, where she died in 1985 of cancer. Her grave is in Ross-on-Wye
where she had lived in a large white-washed country house (beside the A40 road
to Monmouth
) called Weir End for many years in the 1960s and early 1970s. Noele Gordon never married, although she was engaged to someone who later became a leading lawyer.
Tony Adams
who played Adam Chance in the series commented in 1985 just after her death that "There has never been a star of Crossroads, although Nolly was Crossroads."
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...
and television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
actress.
Early life
Gordon's father was an engineer in the Merchant Navy and she was born in East HamEast Ham
East Ham is a suburban district of London, England, and part of the London Borough of Newham. It is a built-up district located 8 miles east-northeast of Charing Cross...
, 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...
. After attending convent school at Forest Gate
Forest Gate
Forest Gate is a residential area in the London Borough of Newham, 7 miles northeast of Charing Cross. It is bordered by Manor Park to the east and and to the west lies Stratford town centre. The northern half of the busy Green Street runs through it.-History:...
, she was taught to dance by the late Maude Wells and later spent several years living in Southend. Gordon made her first public appearance at the East Ham Palace, and shortly afterwards, sung "Dear Little Jammy Face" at a restaurant in London. After this event, her mother and her aunt were keen for her to begin a stage career. The family later moved to Westcliff-on-Sea
Westcliff-on-Sea
Westcliff-on-Sea is a suburb of Southend-on-Sea, a seaside resort in the East of England and unitary authority in Essex. It is situated on the northern bank of the Thames Estuary and about 34 miles east of London.-Geography:...
in Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
. She attended RADA
Rada
Rada is the term for "council" or "assembly"borrowed by Polish from the Low Franconian "Rad" and later passed into the Czech, Ukrainian, and Belarusian languages....
, she appeared in repertory theatres, including 1,000 performances in Brigadoon
Brigadoon
Brigadoon is a musical with a book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and music by Frederick Loewe. Songs from the musical, such as "Almost Like Being in Love" have become standards....
.
Early television and film career
She was credited as the first woman to be seen on colour television sets, as she took part in the BBC's early tests in colour broadcasting in the 1940s. Gordon appeared in two films in the 1940s, produced in Britain and then distributed to the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
(29 Acacia Avenue
29 Acacia Avenue
29 Acacia Avenue is a play by Denis and Mabel Constanduros, and its 1945 film adaptation, directed by Henry Cass and released in the U.S. as The Facts of Love.-Plot:...
and Lisbon Story
Lisbon Story (1946 film)
Lisbon Story is a 1946 British musical thriller film directed by Paul L. Stein and starring Patricia Burke, David Farrar, Walter Rilla and Austin Trevor...
). Her acting career came to a halt in 1955 when she joined Associated TeleVision
Associated TeleVision
Associated Television, often referred to as ATV, was a British television company, holder of various licences to broadcast on the ITV network from 24 September 1955 until 00:34 on 1 January 1982...
in London where she presented their first-ever programme, The Weekend Show. She also worked behind the scenes as Head of Lifestyle programmes. Gordon then studied the television medium at New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
in America and after her return helped Reg Watson
Reg Watson
Reginald James "Reg" Watson AM is an Australian television producer, best known for creating soap operas like Prisoner and Neighbours.-Career:...
and Ned Sherrin
Ned Sherrin
Edward George "Ned" Sherrin CBE was an English broadcaster, author and stage director. He qualified as a barrister and then worked in independent television before joining the BBC...
launch ATV Midlands in 1956. ATV London had already been established. As well as being a producer, Gordon turned to presenting for the new Birmingham based service. Her first television appearance for ATV in the Midlands, Tea With Noele Gordon, was the first popular ITV chat show and whilst presenting this, she became the first woman to interview a British Prime Minister, then Harold Macmillan
Harold Macmillan
Maurice Harold Macmillan, 1st Earl of Stockton, OM, PC was Conservative Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 10 January 1957 to 18 October 1963....
. Initially commissioned as an emergency schedule filler, the show became so successful that she gave up her executive position to concentrate on programme presentation. She then moved on to present a daily live entertainment show, Lunchbox a programme which pioneered daytime broadcasts.
Crossroads
In the summer of 1964 Lunchbox came to an end after over 2,000 episodes. It was axed to make way for a new daily soap operaSoap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
, The Midland Road, retitled Crossroads at the last minute, in which Gordon took the role of motel
Motel
A motor hotel, or motel for short, is a hotel designed for motorists, and usually has a parking area for motor vehicles...
owner Meg Richardson (later Meg Mortimer).
First in 1969 and then during the following decade, she won the TV Times
TV Times
TVTimes is a television listings magazine published in the United Kingdom by IPC Media, a subsidiary of Time Warner. It is known for its access to television actors and their programmes. In 2006 it was refreshed for a more modern look, increasing its emphasis on big star interviews and soaps...
award for most popular television actress on eight occasions.
Gordon was the only member of the Crossroads cast who had a permanent contract; all other cast members were booked as and when on an 'ad hoc' basis. Gordon, however, had been a staff member on the board of ATV since her days of Lunch Box.
Gordon stayed with the programme until her sacking in 1981, when ATV
Associated TeleVision
Associated Television, often referred to as ATV, was a British television company, holder of various licences to broadcast on the ITV network from 24 September 1955 until 00:34 on 1 January 1982...
was re-constituted into a new company, Central Independent Television
Central Independent Television
Central Independent Television, more commonly known as Central is the Independent Television contractor for the Midlands, created following the restructuring of ATV and commencing broadcast on 1 January 1982. The station is owned and operated by ITV plc, under the licensee of ITV Broadcasting...
. The decision to dismiss Gordon was taken by Head of Programmes Charles Denton
Charles Denton (television and film producer)
Charles Denton is a British film and television producer and executive.He first worked for the BBC as a documentary filmmaker for five years from 1963, before he left the corporation to go freelance...
and Head Of Drama Margaret Matheson - who wanted to ditch soap opera for more expensive and lavish drama production. Gordon made a brief return to the series in 1983, when Meg met up with her daughter Jill and son-in-law Adam on their Venice honeymoon.
In 1985 Matheson's successor Ted Childs
Ted Childs
Edward Samuel "Ted" Childs is a British television producer, screenwriter and director, whose notable works include The Sweeney, Kavanagh QC, Soldier Soldier, Making Waves, Inspector Morse and its spin-off Lewis...
ordered Crossroads to be revamped. This new-look was designed to bring back Noele Gordon on an 'as and when' basis, starting with a three month stint from April 1985. Gordon's return as Meg was devised by the new Producer, Phillip Bowman, who himself ended the involvement with the series of regulars Ronald Allen
Ronald Allen
Ronald John Allen was an English character actor who achieved the status of a soap opera star.Allen was born in Reading, Berkshire...
and Sue Lloyd
Sue Lloyd
Sue Lloyd was an English model turned actress with numerous film and television credits.-Biography:...
in order for the motel to be sold - and thus Meg's daughter Jill was to face a tough choice of whether to agree to the sale, or hold on to the shares her mother left her in 1981. Meg's return was to advise Jill to sell the shares, as Meg, we were to discover, was good friends with the new to be owner - Nicola Freeman (played by Gabrielle Drake
Gabrielle Drake
Gabrielle Drake is a British actress who was born in Lahore, British India and lived in several Far Eastern countries .-Career:...
) and so Gordon's character would have many reasons to return to Crossroads once more. This storyline never came about as Gordon died before the planned return. The actor Edward Clayton, who had previously played Stan Harvey in the show, returning to take her place in the storyline.
Gordon had battled cancer publicly since 1982, undergoing two major operations. It didn't stop her making a return to Crossroads in August 1983 for two episodes during the honeymoon episodes of Jill and Adam, shot in Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
.
Post-Crossroads
After her sacking, Gordon appeared in GypsyGypsy: A Musical Fable
Gypsy is a musical with music by Jule Styne, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, and a book by Arthur Laurents. Gypsy is loosely based on the 1957 memoirs of Gypsy Rose Lee, the famous striptease artist, and focuses on her mother, Rose, whose name has become synonymous with "the ultimate show business...
at Leicester
Leicester
Leicester is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England, and the county town of Leicestershire. The city lies on the River Soar and at the edge of the National Forest...
's Haymarket Theatre
Haymarket Theatre (Leicester)
The Haymarket Theatre was a theatre in Leicester, England, based in the Haymarket Shopping Centre on Belgrave Gate in Leicester city centre. The theatre closed at the end of 2006 and has been replaced by the Curve Theatre...
followed by a revival of Irving Berlin
Irving Berlin
Irving Berlin was an American composer and lyricist of Jewish heritage, widely considered one of the greatest songwriters in American history.His first hit song, "Alexander's Ragtime Band", became world famous...
's musical Call Me Madam
Call Me Madam
Call Me Madam is a musical with a book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse and music and lyrics by Irving Berlin.A satire on politics and foreign affairs that spoofs America's penchant for lending billions of dollars to needy countries, it centers on Sally Adams, a well-meaning but ill-informed...
at the Victoria Palace Theatre
Victoria Palace Theatre
Victoria Palace Theatre is a West End theatre in Victoria Street, in the City of Westminster, opposite Victoria Station.-Origins:The theatre began life as a small concert room above the stables of the Royal Standard Hotel, a small hotel and tavern built in 1832 at what was then 522 Stockbridge...
. Her last stage appearance was in The Boyfriend at Plymouth
Plymouth
Plymouth is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England, about south-west of London. It is built between the mouths of the rivers Plym to the east and Tamar to the west, where they join Plymouth Sound...
's Theatre Royal
Theatre Royal, Plymouth
The Theatre Royal in Plymouth, Devon, England is "the largest and best attended regional producing theatre in the UK and the leading promoter of theatre in the south west", according to Arts Council England...
produced by Roger Redfarn (she took ill during the run and had to be replaced).
In an interview she gave the TV Times
TV Times
TVTimes is a television listings magazine published in the United Kingdom by IPC Media, a subsidiary of Time Warner. It is known for its access to television actors and their programmes. In 2006 it was refreshed for a more modern look, increasing its emphasis on big star interviews and soaps...
in 1981 she announced she may, once her stage work had come to an end, take up the offer of returning to presenting. In the same 1981 TV Times interview she commented that a future role as a breakfast television presenter was being negotiated. She would however not return to television full-time due to her theatre commitments. Speaking in 1984 she said "I did several mornings on TV-am a week or so ago. And I have been recording some programmes for my local radio station. But I would like to do more television - and I am ready for it". However she fell ill, and that promised more regular presenting role at TV-am
TV-am
TV-am was a breakfast television station that broadcast to the United Kingdom from 1 February 1983 to 31 December 1992. It made history by being the first national operator of a commercial television franchise at breakfast-time , and broadcast every day of the week for most or all of the period...
never materialised because of her failing health.
She retired to her home in Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
, where she died in 1985 of cancer. Her grave is in Ross-on-Wye
Ross-on-Wye
Ross-on-Wye is a small market town with a population of 10,089 in southeastern Herefordshire, England, located on the River Wye, and on the northern edge of the Forest of Dean.-History:...
where she had lived in a large white-washed country house (beside the A40 road
A40 road
The A40 is a major trunk road connecting London to Fishguard, Wales and officially called The London to Fishguard Trunk Road in all legal documents and Acts...
to Monmouth
Monmouth
Monmouth is a town in southeast Wales and traditional county town of the historic county of Monmouthshire. It is situated close to the border with England, where the River Monnow meets the River Wye with bridges over both....
) called Weir End for many years in the 1960s and early 1970s. Noele Gordon never married, although she was engaged to someone who later became a leading lawyer.
Tony Adams
Tony Adams (actor)
Tony Adams is a Welsh actor, best known for his performances in two British television soap operas.Adams was born in Anglesey, Wales, and he trained as an actor at the Italia Conti Stage School...
who played Adam Chance in the series commented in 1985 just after her death that "There has never been a star of Crossroads, although Nolly was Crossroads."
External links
- Official Noele Gordon Website
- Noele Gordon at the Internet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...
- Noele Gordon Interview