Peggy Bryan
Encyclopedia
Margaret Eileen "Peggy" Bryan (3 January 1916 – 12 January 1996) was an English
film and stage actress, born in Birmingham, England. She appeared in many films, including most notably as the screen wife of George Formby in the comedy film Turned Out Nice Again
(1941). She married cinematographer
Wilkie Cooper
with whom she had three sons.
teacher
at Highclare College located in Sutton Coldfield
. Although nobody from her family had a show business
background, she gained considerable amateur stage experience and eventually decided to attempt a career in acting. She applied to the London Academy of Music and Drama and succeeded in being awarded a six month scholarship
.
Bryan gained her first professional acting role on December 16, 1937 as the character of 'Puck' in a scene from William Shakespeare
's A Midsummer Night's Dream
at the Royal performance in aid of King George's Actors Pension Fund.
In 1938, she performed at Regent's Park, London, repeating the role of 'Puck' and also playing 'Ariel' in The Tempest
. West End roles soon followed in April Clouds and Glorious Morning she succeeded Jessica Tandy
. In 1939 she appeared in three more shows, The Springtime of Others, Q, and The Fanatics. 1940 saw her appearing in five Shakespearean plays at Stratford on Avon.
Bryan suffered from ill health in the final 20 years of her life. She died in West Sussex
on January 12, 1996, aged 80.
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 and stage actress, born in Birmingham, England. She appeared in many films, including most notably as the screen wife of George Formby in the comedy film Turned Out Nice Again
Turned Out Nice Again
Turned Out Nice Again is a British comedy film starring Lancashire-born George Formby. The film was released in 1941 and filmed at Ealing Studios, London.-Sypnosis:...
(1941). She married cinematographer
Cinematographer
A cinematographer is one photographing with a motion picture camera . The title is generally equivalent to director of photography , used to designate a chief over the camera and lighting crews working on a film, responsible for achieving artistic and technical decisions related to the image...
Wilkie Cooper
Wilkie Cooper
Wilkie Cooper BSC was a British cinematographer.He had a number of prestigious film credits until his retirement in 1972...
with whom she had three sons.
Biography
Peggy Bryan attended Windermere College with her first employment position as an elocutionElocution
Elocution is the study of formal speaking in pronunciation, grammar, style, and tone.-History:In Western classical rhetoric, elocution was one of the five core disciplines of pronunciation, which was the art of delivering speeches. Orators were trained not only on proper diction, but on the proper...
teacher
Teacher
A teacher or schoolteacher is a person who provides education for pupils and students . The role of teacher is often formal and ongoing, carried out at a school or other place of formal education. In many countries, a person who wishes to become a teacher must first obtain specified professional...
at Highclare College located in Sutton Coldfield
Sutton Coldfield
Sutton Coldfield is a suburb of Birmingham, in the West Midlands of England. Sutton is located about from central Birmingham but has borders with Erdington and Kingstanding. Sutton is in the northeast of Birmingham, with a population of 105,000 recorded in the 2001 census...
. Although nobody from her family had a show business
Show business
Show business, sometimes shortened to show biz, is a vernacular term for all aspects of entertainment. The word applies to all aspects of the entertainment industry from the business side to the creative element ....
background, she gained considerable amateur stage experience and eventually decided to attempt a career in acting. She applied to the London Academy of Music and Drama and succeeded in being awarded a six month scholarship
Scholarship
A scholarship is an award of financial aid for a student to further education. Scholarships are awarded on various criteria usually reflecting the values and purposes of the donor or founder of the award.-Types:...
.
Bryan gained her first professional acting role on December 16, 1937 as the character of 'Puck' in a scene from William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
's A Midsummer Night's Dream
A Midsummer Night's Dream
A Midsummer Night's Dream is a play that was written by William Shakespeare. It is believed to have been written between 1590 and 1596. It portrays the events surrounding the marriage of the Duke of Athens, Theseus, and the Queen of the Amazons, Hippolyta...
at the Royal performance in aid of King George's Actors Pension Fund.
In 1938, she performed at Regent's Park, London, repeating the role of 'Puck' and also playing 'Ariel' in The Tempest
The Tempest
The Tempest is a play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in 1610–11, and thought by many critics to be the last play that Shakespeare wrote alone. It is set on a remote island, where Prospero, the exiled Duke of Milan, plots to restore his daughter Miranda to her rightful place,...
. West End roles soon followed in April Clouds and Glorious Morning she succeeded Jessica Tandy
Jessica Tandy
Jessie Alice "Jessica" Tandy was an English-American stage and film actress.She first appeared on the London stage in 1926 at the age of 16, playing, among others, Katherine opposite Laurence Olivier's Henry V, and Cordelia opposite John Gielgud's King Lear. She also worked in British films...
. In 1939 she appeared in three more shows, The Springtime of Others, Q, and The Fanatics. 1940 saw her appearing in five Shakespearean plays at Stratford on Avon.
Bryan suffered from ill health in the final 20 years of her life. She died in West Sussex
West Sussex
West Sussex is a county in the south of England, bordering onto East Sussex , Hampshire and Surrey. The county of Sussex has been divided into East and West since the 12th century, and obtained separate county councils in 1888, but it remained a single ceremonial county until 1974 and the coming...
on January 12, 1996, aged 80.
Filmography
- 1941 - Turned Out Nice AgainTurned Out Nice AgainTurned Out Nice Again is a British comedy film starring Lancashire-born George Formby. The film was released in 1941 and filmed at Ealing Studios, London.-Sypnosis:...
- 1941 - My Wife's FamilyMy Wife's Family (1941 film)My Wife's Family is a 1941 British comedy film directed by Walter C. Mycroft and starring Charles Clapham, John Warwick and David Thomlinson.It was based on the 1933 Finnish film Voi meitä! Anoppi tulee. A remake was made in 1956....
- 1945 - Dead of NightDead of NightDead of Night is a British portmanteau horror film made by Ealing Studios, its various episodes directed by Alberto Cavalcanti, Charles Crichton, Basil Dearden and Robert Hamer. The film stars Mervyn Johns, Googie Withers and Michael Redgrave...
- 1952 - Emergency CallEmergency CallEmergency Call is a British film released in 1952 by Nettlefold Films. The film was directed by Lewis Gilbert and stars Jack Warner in a familiar role playing a policeman, Anthony Steel, Joy Shelton and Sid James as a dubious boxing promoter....
Stage roles
- 1938 - April Clouds
- 1938 - Glorious Morning
- 1938 - The Tempest
- 1939 - The Springtime of Others
- 1939 - Q
- 1939 - The Fanatics
- 1940 - Stratford on Avon in five roles
- 1942 - The Little Minister
- 1942 - The Professor's Love Story
- 1943 - An Ideal HusbandAn Ideal HusbandAn Ideal Husband is an 1895 comedic stage play by Oscar Wilde which revolves around blackmail and political corruption, and touches on the themes of public and private honour...
- 1945 - Yellow SandsYellow SandsYellow Sands is a play which opened at the Haymarket Theatre, London in 1925, where it ran for 610 performances, and at the Fulton Theatre, New York on September 10, 1927, where it ran for 25 performances, closing in October 1927. It was written by Eden Phillpotts and his daughter Adelaide...