Phyllis Calvert - Revision history

Kurt: /* Later career */

2023-02-13T04:04:14Z

Later career

← Older revision		Revision as of 23:04, 12 February 2023
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	She acted in over 40 films, her later films including ''[[The Battle of the Villa Fiorita]]'' (1965), ''[[Twisted Nerve]]'' (1968), ''[[Oh! What a Lovely War]]'' (1969) and ''[[The Walking Stick]]'' (1970).<ref name=bfi/>		She acted in over 40 films, her later films including ''[[The Battle of the Villa Fiorita]]'' (1965), ''[[Twisted Nerve]]'' (1968), ''[[Oh! What a Lovely War]]'' (1969) and ''[[The Walking Stick]]'' (1970).<ref name=bfi/>

	From 1970 to 1972, she starred in her own TV series, ''[[Kate (TV series)\|Kate]]'', playing the part of an [[agony aunt]] with problems of her own.~~{{Citation needed\|date=September 2021}}~~		From 1970 to 1972, she starred in her own TV series, ''[[Kate (TV series)\|Kate]]'', playing the part of an [[agony aunt]] with problems of her own.

	She made TV appearances in programmes such as ''[[Crown Court (TV series)\|Crown Court]]'', ''Ladykillers'', ''[[Tales of the Unexpected (TV series)\|Tales of the Unexpected]]'', ''[[Boon (TV series)\|Boon]]'', ''[[After Henry (TV series)\|After Henry]]'', ''[[Victoria Wood (1989 TV series)\|Victoria Wood]]'' and ''Limelight: The Film Years – The Lime Grove Story''.<ref>{{cite web\|url=http://www.tv.com/people/phyllis-calvert/\|title=Phyllis Calvert\|last=TV.com\|website=TV.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web\|url=http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b7b5c40dd\|title=Limelight – The Film Years (1991)}}</ref> She also played [[Tom Barnaby\|D.I. Barnaby]]'s Aunt Alice (Alice Bly) in a ''[[Midsomer Murders]]'' episode "Blue Herrings" in 2000.<ref>{{cite web\|url=http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b8419489b\|title=Blue Herring (2000)}}</ref><ref>{{cite web\|url=http://www.allmovie.com/movie/midsomer-murders-blue-herrings-v274567\|title=Midsomer Murders: Blue Herrings (2000) – Peter Smith – Synopsis, Characteristics, Moods, Themes and Related\|website=AllMovie}}</ref> She was the subject of ''[[This Is Your Life (British TV series)\|This Is Your Life]]'' in 1972 when she was surprised by [[Eamonn Andrews]].~~{{Citation needed\|date=September 2021}}~~		She made TV appearances in programmes such as ''[[Crown Court (TV series)\|Crown Court]]'', ''Ladykillers'', ''[[Tales of the Unexpected (TV series)\|Tales of the Unexpected]]'', ''[[Boon (TV series)\|Boon]]'', ''[[After Henry (TV series)\|After Henry]]'', ''[[Victoria Wood (1989 TV series)\|Victoria Wood]]'' and ''Limelight: The Film Years – The Lime Grove Story''.<ref>{{cite web\|url=http://www.tv.com/people/phyllis-calvert/\|title=Phyllis Calvert\|last=TV.com\|website=TV.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web\|url=http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b7b5c40dd\|title=Limelight – The Film Years (1991)}}</ref> She also played [[Tom Barnaby\|D.I. Barnaby]]'s Aunt Alice (Alice Bly) in a ''[[Midsomer Murders]]'' episode "Blue Herrings" in 2000.<ref>{{cite web\|url=http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b8419489b\|title=Blue Herring (2000)}}</ref><ref>{{cite web\|url=http://www.allmovie.com/movie/midsomer-murders-blue-herrings-v274567\|title=Midsomer Murders: Blue Herrings (2000) – Peter Smith – Synopsis, Characteristics, Moods, Themes and Related\|website=AllMovie}}</ref> She was the subject of ''[[This Is Your Life (British TV series)\|This Is Your Life]]'' in 1972 when she was surprised by [[Eamonn Andrews]].

	==Personal life==		==Personal life==

Kurt at 04:02, 13 February 2023

2023-02-13T04:02:09Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 23:02, 12 February 2023
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	~~{{short description\|British film actress (1915–2002)}}~~
	~~{{Use dmy dates\|date=November 2020}}~~
	~~{{Use British English\|date=March 2012}}~~
	{{Infobox person		{{Infobox person
	\| name = Phyllis Calvert		\| name = Phyllis Calvert
	\| image = Phyllis Calvert.jpg		\| image = Phyllis Calvert.jpg
	\| caption = Calvert photographed by [[w:Allan Warren\|Allan Warren]] in 1974		\| caption = Calvert photographed by [[Allan Warren\|Allan Warren]] in 1974
	\| birthname = Phyllis Hannah Bickle		\| birthname = Phyllis Hannah Bickle
	\| birth_date = {{birth date\|1915\|2\|18\|df=y}}		\| birth_date = {{birth date\|1915\|2\|18\|df=y}}
	\| birth_place = [[w:Chelsea, London]], England		\| birth_place = [[Chelsea, London]], England
	\| death_date = {{Death date and age\|2002\|10\|8\|1915\|2\|18\|df=y}}		\| death_date = {{Death date and age\|2002\|10\|8\|1915\|2\|18\|df=y}}
	\| death_place = London, England		\| death_place = London, England
	\| yearsactive = 1927–2000		\| yearsactive = 1927–2000
	\| spouse = {{marriage\|[[w:Peter Murray-Hill\|Peter Murray-Hill]]\|1941\|1957\|reason=died}}		\| spouse = {{marriage\|[[Peter Murray-Hill\|Peter Murray-Hill]]\|1941\|1957\|reason=died}}
	\| children = 2<ref>{{cite news \|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2002/10/12/movies/phyllis-calvert-87-virtuous-heroine-of-wartime-melodramas.html \|title=Phyllis Calvert, 87, Virtuous Heroine of Wartime Melodramas \|first=Paul \|last=Lewis \|date=12 October 2002 \|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref>		\| children = 2<ref>{{cite news \|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2002/10/12/movies/phyllis-calvert-87-virtuous-heroine-of-wartime-melodramas.html \|title=Phyllis Calvert, 87, Virtuous Heroine of Wartime Melodramas \|first=Paul \|last=Lewis \|date=12 October 2002 \|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref>
	}}		}}

	'''Phyllis Hannah Murray-Hill''' (née '''Bickle'''; 18 February 1915 – 8 October 2002), known professionally as '''Phyllis Calvert''', was an English film, stage and television actress.<ref name=obituaries>{{cite book \|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Z3rGCwAAQBAJ&q=phyllis+calvert+obituary&pg=PA49 \|title=Obituaries in the Performing Arts, 2002: Film, Television, Radio, Theatre, Dance, Music, Cartoons and Pop Culture \|first=Harris M. Lentz \|last=III \|date=9 April 2003 \|publisher=McFarland \|via=Google Books \|isbn=9780786452071}}</ref> She was one of the leading stars of the [[w:Gainsborough melodramas\|Gainsborough melodramas]] of the 1940s such as ''[[w:The Man in Grey\|The Man in Grey]]'' (1943) and was one of the most popular movie stars in Britain in the 1940s.<ref name="screen">{{cite web\|last=Brooke\|first=Michael\|url=http://www.screenonline.org.uk/people/id/446920/ \|title=BFI Screenonline: Calvert, Phyllis (1915–2002) Biography \|work=BFI Screenonline\|date=2003–14}}</ref> She continued her acting career for another 50 years.<ref name=bfi>{{cite web \|url=http://explore.bfi.org.uk/4ce2b9f4e655e \|title=Phyllis Calvert \|publisher=[[w:BFI\|]] \|access-date=1 June 2015 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160101114051/http://explore.bfi.org.uk/4ce2b9f4e655e \|archive-date=1 January 2016 \|url-status=dead}}</ref>		'''Phyllis Hannah Murray-Hill''' (née '''Bickle'''; 18 February 1915 – 8 October 2002), known professionally as '''Phyllis Calvert''', was an English film, stage and television actress.<ref name=obituaries>{{cite book \|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Z3rGCwAAQBAJ&q=phyllis+calvert+obituary&pg=PA49 \|title=Obituaries in the Performing Arts, 2002: Film, Television, Radio, Theatre, Dance, Music, Cartoons and Pop Culture \|first=Harris M. Lentz \|last=III \|date=9 April 2003 \|publisher=McFarland \|via=Google Books \|isbn=9780786452071}}</ref> She was one of the leading stars of the [[Gainsborough melodramas\|Gainsborough melodramas]] of the 1940s such as ''[[The Man in Grey\|The Man in Grey]]'' (1943) and was one of the most popular movie stars in Britain in the 1940s.<ref name="screen">{{cite web\|last=Brooke\|first=Michael\|url=http://www.screenonline.org.uk/people/id/446920/ \|title=BFI Screenonline: Calvert, Phyllis (1915–2002) Biography \|work=BFI Screenonline\|date=2003–14}}</ref> She continued her acting career for another 50 years.<ref name=bfi>{{cite web \|url=http://explore.bfi.org.uk/4ce2b9f4e655e \|title=Phyllis Calvert \|publisher=[[BFI\|]] \|access-date=1 June 2015 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160101114051/http://explore.bfi.org.uk/4ce2b9f4e655e \|archive-date=1 January 2016 \|url-status=dead}}</ref>

	In the words of an article by Michael Brooke for the BFI's [[w:Screenonline\|Screenonline]] website: "Most of the time she drew what looked like the short straw, playing the 'good girl' in films that revelled in the exploits of her wicked opposite number, and it says much for her talent and charisma that she was able to hold attention in what must have seemed thankless parts – she herself acknowledged that 'I do think it is much more difficult to establish a really charming, nice person than a wicked one – and make it real'."<ref name="screen"/>		In the words of an article by Michael Brooke for the BFI's [[Screenonline\|Screenonline]] website: "Most of the time she drew what looked like the short straw, playing the 'good girl' in films that revelled in the exploits of her wicked opposite number, and it says much for her talent and charisma that she was able to hold attention in what must have seemed thankless parts – she herself acknowledged that 'I do think it is much more difficult to establish a really charming, nice person than a wicked one – and make it real'."<ref name="screen"/>

	==Biography==		==Biography==
	Born in [[w:Chelsea, London\|Chelsea]], she trained at the [[w:Margaret Morris (dancer)\|Margaret Morris School of Dancing]], and performed from the age of ten, performing with [[w:Ellen Terry\|Ellen Terry]] in ''Crossings''.<ref name=guardian/> She gained her first film role at the age of 12, in ''[[w:The Arcadians (film)\|The Arcadians]]'' (1927), also known as ''The Land of Heart's Desire''.<ref>{{cite news \|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article141908423 \|title=PHYLLIS CALVERT Britain's Wartime Star \|newspaper=[[w:The Australasian\|The Australasian]] \|volume=CLX \|issue=5,065 \|location=Victoria, Australia \|date=26 January 1946 \|access-date=29 August 2017 \|page=13 \|via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>		Born in [[Chelsea, London\|Chelsea]], she trained at the [[Margaret Morris (dancer)\|Margaret Morris School of Dancing]], and performed from the age of ten, performing with [[Ellen Terry\|Ellen Terry]] in ''Crossings''.<ref name=guardian/> She gained her first film role at the age of 12, in ''[[The Arcadians (film)\|The Arcadians]]'' (1927), also known as ''The Land of Heart's Desire''.<ref>{{cite news \|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article141908423 \|title=PHYLLIS CALVERT Britain's Wartime Star \|newspaper=[[The Australasian\|The Australasian]] \|volume=CLX \|issue=5,065 \|location=Victoria, Australia \|date=26 January 1946 \|access-date=29 August 2017 \|page=13 \|via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>

	Calvert performed in repertory theatre in Malvern and Coventry. She made her London stage debut in ''A Woman's Privilege'' in 1939.<ref name=telegraph>{{cite news \|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/1409542/Phyllis-Calvert.html \|title=Phyllis Calvert \|date=9 October 2002 \|work=Telegraph.co.uk}}</ref> Her early films include ''[[w:Two Days to Live\|Two Days to Live]]'' (1939).<ref>{{cite news \|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article182797334 \|title=Phyllis Calvert Featured in Picture \|newspaper=[[Glen Innes Examiner]] \|location=New South Wales, Australia \|date=17 March 1948 \|access-date=29 August 2017 \|page=4 \|via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>		Calvert performed in repertory theatre in Malvern and Coventry. She made her London stage debut in ''A Woman's Privilege'' in 1939.<ref name=telegraph>{{cite news \|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/1409542/Phyllis-Calvert.html \|title=Phyllis Calvert \|date=9 October 2002 \|work=Telegraph.co.uk}}</ref> Her early films include ''[[Two Days to Live\|Two Days to Live]]'' (1939).<ref>{{cite news \|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article182797334 \|title=Phyllis Calvert Featured in Picture \|newspaper=[[Glen Innes Examiner]] \|location=New South Wales, Australia \|date=17 March 1948 \|access-date=29 August 2017 \|page=4 \|via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>

	===Gainsborough Pictures===		===Gainsborough Pictures===
	Calvert was spotted in a play ''Punch without Judy'', and was signed to a contract by [[w:Gainsborough Pictures]] which gave her the lead in ''[[w:They Came by Night\|They Came by Night]]'' (1940), opposite [[w:Will Fyffe\|Will Fyffe]].<ref>{{cite news \|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article65855570 \|title=Phyllis Calvert. \|newspaper=[[Morwell Advertiser]] \|issue=2850 \|location=Victoria, Australia \|date=3 July 1941 \|access-date=29 August 2017 \|page=4 (morning.) \|via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> She was [[George Formby]]'s love interest in ''[[Let George Do It!]]'' (1940) and had a support part in ''[[Charley's (Big-Hearted) Aunt]]'' (1940), starring [[Arthur Askey]].<ref>{{cite web \|url=http://www.allmovie.com/movie/let-george-do-it-v99403 \|title=Let George Do It (1940) – Marcel Varnel – Synopsis, Characteristics, Moods, Themes and Related \|website=AllMovie}}</ref><ref>{{cite web \|url=http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b6a765646 \|title=Charley's (Big-hearted) Aunt (1940) }}</ref>		Calvert was spotted in a play ''Punch without Judy'', and was signed to a contract by [[Gainsborough Pictures]] which gave her the lead in ''[[They Came by Night\|They Came by Night]]'' (1940), opposite [[Will Fyffe\|Will Fyffe]].<ref>{{cite news \|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article65855570 \|title=Phyllis Calvert. \|newspaper=[[Morwell Advertiser]] \|issue=2850 \|location=Victoria, Australia \|date=3 July 1941 \|access-date=29 August 2017 \|page=4 (morning.) \|via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> She was [[George Formby]]'s love interest in ''[[Let George Do It!]]'' (1940) and had a support part in ''[[Charley's (Big-Hearted) Aunt]]'' (1940), starring [[Arthur Askey]].<ref>{{cite web \|url=http://www.allmovie.com/movie/let-george-do-it-v99403 \|title=Let George Do It (1940) – Marcel Varnel – Synopsis, Characteristics, Moods, Themes and Related \|website=AllMovie}}</ref><ref>{{cite web \|url=http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b6a765646 \|title=Charley's (Big-hearted) Aunt (1940) }}</ref>

	Calvert was in a war movie, ''[[w:Neutral Port\|Neutral Port]]'' (1940), then had a good role as [[w:Michael Redgrave\|Michael Redgrave]]'s love interest in ''[[w:Kipps (1941 film)\|Kipps]]'' (1941), directed by [[w:Carol Reed\|Carol Reed]].<ref>{{cite web \|url=http://www.allmovie.com/movie/neutral-port-v103754 \|title=Neutral Port (1941) – Marcel Varnel – Synopsis, Characteristics, Moods, Themes and Related \|website=AllMovie}}</ref><ref>{{cite web \|url=http://www.allmovie.com/movie/kipps-v27501 \|title=Kipps (1941) – Carol Reed – Synopsis, Characteristics, Moods, Themes and Related \|website=AllMovie}}</ref> After a detective film ''[[Inspector Hornleigh Goes To It]]'' (1941) she had the co-lead in ''[[w:Uncensored (film)\|Uncensored]]'' (1942), a war movie with [[w:Eric Portman\|Eric Portman]].<ref>{{cite web \|url=http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b6ad296be \|title=Inspector Hornleigh Goes to It (1941) }}</ref><ref>{{cite web \|url=http://www.allmovie.com/movie/uncensored-v114978 \|title=Uncensored (1942) – Anthony Asquith – Synopsis, Characteristics, Moods, Themes and Related \|website=AllMovie}}</ref> Reed used her again in ''[[w:The Young Mr. Pitt\|The Young Mr. Pitt]]'' (1942), playing [[w:Eleanor Eden\|Eleanor Eden]].<ref>{{cite web \|url=http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b6bb6c9a7\|title=The Young Mr. Pitt (1942)}}</ref>		Calvert was in a war movie, ''[[Neutral Port\|Neutral Port]]'' (1940), then had a good role as [[Michael Redgrave\|Michael Redgrave]]'s love interest in ''[[Kipps (1941 film)\|Kipps]]'' (1941), directed by [[Carol Reed\|Carol Reed]].<ref>{{cite web \|url=http://www.allmovie.com/movie/neutral-port-v103754 \|title=Neutral Port (1941) – Marcel Varnel – Synopsis, Characteristics, Moods, Themes and Related \|website=AllMovie}}</ref><ref>{{cite web \|url=http://www.allmovie.com/movie/kipps-v27501 \|title=Kipps (1941) – Carol Reed – Synopsis, Characteristics, Moods, Themes and Related \|website=AllMovie}}</ref> After a detective film ''[[Inspector Hornleigh Goes To It]]'' (1941) she had the co-lead in ''[[Uncensored (film)\|Uncensored]]'' (1942), a war movie with [[Eric Portman\|Eric Portman]].<ref>{{cite web \|url=http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b6ad296be \|title=Inspector Hornleigh Goes to It (1941) }}</ref><ref>{{cite web \|url=http://www.allmovie.com/movie/uncensored-v114978 \|title=Uncensored (1942) – Anthony Asquith – Synopsis, Characteristics, Moods, Themes and Related \|website=AllMovie}}</ref> Reed used her again in ''[[The Young Mr. Pitt\|The Young Mr. Pitt]]'' (1942), playing [[Eleanor Eden\|Eleanor Eden]].<ref>{{cite web \|url=http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b6bb6c9a7\|title=The Young Mr. Pitt (1942)}}</ref>

	In 1942, she had the lead role as Patricia Graham in the [[w:West End theatre\|West End]] production of [[w:Terence Rattigan\|Terence Rattigan]]'s play ''[[w:Flare Path (play)\|Flare Path]]''.<ref name=telegraph/><ref name=guardian>{{cite news \|url=https://www.theguardian.com/news/2002/oct/09/guardianobituaries.filmnews \|title=Obituary: Phyllis Calvert \|author=Eric Shorter \|newspaper=The Guardian \|date=2002-10-09}}</ref>		In 1942, she had the lead role as Patricia Graham in the [[West End theatre\|West End]] production of [[Terence Rattigan\|Terence Rattigan]]'s play ''[[Flare Path (play)\|Flare Path]]''.<ref name=telegraph/><ref name=guardian>{{cite news \|url=https://www.theguardian.com/news/2002/oct/09/guardianobituaries.filmnews \|title=Obituary: Phyllis Calvert \|author=Eric Shorter \|newspaper=The Guardian \|date=2002-10-09}}</ref>

	===Stardom===		===Stardom===
	Calvert was by now well established in British films. She did not become a star, however, until given one of the four leading roles in the [[w:Gainsborough melodrama\|Gainsborough melodrama]] ''[[w:The Man in Grey\|The Man in Grey]]'' (1943).<ref name=allmovie>{{cite web\|url=http://www.allmovie.com/artist/phyllis-calvert-p10341\|title=Phyllis Calvert – Biography, Movie Highlights and Photos \|website=AllMovie}}</ref> The movie was a huge success, making her and her three co-stars – [[w:Stewart Granger\|Stewart Granger]], [[w:James Mason\|James Mason]] and [[w:Margaret Lockwood\|Margaret Lockwood]] – genuine box office stars in Britain.<ref>{{cite web \|url=http://www.allmovie.com/movie/the-man-in-grey-v31175/review \|title=The Man in Grey (1943) – Leslie Arliss – Review \|website=AllMovie}}</ref>		Calvert was by now well established in British films. She did not become a star, however, until given one of the four leading roles in the [[Gainsborough melodrama\|Gainsborough melodrama]] ''[[The Man in Grey\|The Man in Grey]]'' (1943).<ref name=allmovie>{{cite web\|url=http://www.allmovie.com/artist/phyllis-calvert-p10341\|title=Phyllis Calvert – Biography, Movie Highlights and Photos \|website=AllMovie}}</ref> The movie was a huge success, making her and her three co-stars – [[Stewart Granger\|Stewart Granger]], [[James Mason\|James Mason]] and [[Margaret Lockwood\|Margaret Lockwood]] – genuine box office stars in Britain.<ref>{{cite web \|url=http://www.allmovie.com/movie/the-man-in-grey-v31175/review \|title=The Man in Grey (1943) – Leslie Arliss – Review \|website=AllMovie}}</ref>

	Calvert followed it with ''[[w:Fanny by Gaslight (film)\|Fanny by Gaslight]]'' (1944), co-starring Granger and Mason, which was another big hit.<ref name=heartthrobs>{{cite book \|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cIELDgAAQBAJ&q=fanny+by+gaslight+1944+big+hit&pg=PT48 \|title=Heartthrobs: A History of Women and Desire \|first=Carol \|last=Dyhouse \|date=9 February 2017 \|publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] \|via=Google Books \|isbn=9780191078392}}</ref> Also popular was ''[[Two Thousand Women]]'' (1944), made by [[Frank Launder\|Launder and Gilliat]], about British women interned in occupied France.<ref>{{cite web \|url=http://www.screenonline.org.uk/film/id/440851/index.html \|title=BFI Screenonline: Two Thousand Women (1944) \|website=www.screenonline.org.uk}}</ref> It co-starred [[Patricia Roc]], who appeared with Calvert and Granger in ''[[Madonna of the Seven Moons]]'' (1945), another Gainsborough melodrama, and another hit.<ref name=heartthrobs/> Calvert's successful run at the box office continued when she and Mason were reunited in ''[[They Were Sisters]]'' (1945), a more contemporary-set Gainsborough melodrama.<ref>{{cite web \|url=http://www.screenonline.org.uk/film/id/440876/index.html \|title=BFI Screenonline: They Were Sisters (1945) \|website=www.screenonline.org.uk}}</ref> Exhibitors voted her the fifth-most popular star of 1945 in Britain.<ref>{{cite news \|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article26173215 \|title=CROSBY and HOPE try their luck in Alaska \|newspaper=[[The Mercury (Hobart)\|The Mercury]] \|volume=CLXIII \|issue=23,475 \|location=Tasmania, Australia \|date=2 March 1946 \|access-date=9 August 2017 \|page=3 (The Mercury Magazine) \|via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>		Calvert followed it with ''[[Fanny by Gaslight (film)\|Fanny by Gaslight]]'' (1944), co-starring Granger and Mason, which was another big hit.<ref name=heartthrobs>{{cite book \|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cIELDgAAQBAJ&q=fanny+by+gaslight+1944+big+hit&pg=PT48 \|title=Heartthrobs: A History of Women and Desire \|first=Carol \|last=Dyhouse \|date=9 February 2017 \|publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] \|via=Google Books \|isbn=9780191078392}}</ref> Also popular was ''[[Two Thousand Women]]'' (1944), made by [[Frank Launder\|Launder and Gilliat]], about British women interned in occupied France.<ref>{{cite web \|url=http://www.screenonline.org.uk/film/id/440851/index.html \|title=BFI Screenonline: Two Thousand Women (1944) \|website=www.screenonline.org.uk}}</ref> It co-starred [[Patricia Roc]], who appeared with Calvert and Granger in ''[[Madonna of the Seven Moons]]'' (1945), another Gainsborough melodrama, and another hit.<ref name=heartthrobs/> Calvert's successful run at the box office continued when she and Mason were reunited in ''[[They Were Sisters]]'' (1945), a more contemporary-set Gainsborough melodrama.<ref>{{cite web \|url=http://www.screenonline.org.uk/film/id/440876/index.html \|title=BFI Screenonline: They Were Sisters (1945) \|website=www.screenonline.org.uk}}</ref> Exhibitors voted her the fifth-most popular star of 1945 in Britain.<ref>{{cite news \|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article26173215 \|title=CROSBY and HOPE try their luck in Alaska \|newspaper=[[The Mercury (Hobart)\|The Mercury]] \|volume=CLXIII \|issue=23,475 \|location=Tasmania, Australia \|date=2 March 1946 \|access-date=9 August 2017 \|page=3 (The Mercury Magazine) \|via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>

	She was one of Stewart Granger's loves in ''[[The Magic Bow]]'' (1946) and had the female lead in a drama about colonialism in Africa ''[[Men of Two Worlds]]'' (1946), made a few years before being released.<ref>{{cite web\|url=http://www.screenonline.org.uk/film/id/441045/index.html\|title=BFI Screenonline: Magic Bow, The (1946)\|website=www.screenonline.org.uk}}</ref> It was a success, though not profitable because of its high cost.<ref>{{cite web\|url=http://www.colonialfilm.org.uk/node/1845\|title=MEN OF TWO WORLDS – colonialfilm\|website=www.colonialfilm.org.uk}}</ref> ''[[The Root of All Evil (1947 film)\|The Root of All Evil]]'' (1947) was one of the last of the Gainsborough melodramas.<ref>{{cite book\|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tAGGFKeyXvsC&q=the+root+of+all+evil+1947+last+of+gainsborough+melodramas&pg=PA66\|title=Women in British Cinema: Mad, Bad and Dangerous to Know\|first=Sue\|last=Harper\|date=14 September 2000\|publisher=Bloomsbury Academic\|via=Google Books\|isbn=9780826447333}}</ref> She was voted the sixth most popular British star at the box office in 1946.<ref>{{cite news \|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article46266039 \|title=FILM WORLD. \|newspaper=[[The West Australian]] \|volume=63 \|issue=18,916 \|location=Western Australia \|date=28 February 1947 \|access-date=9 August 2017 \|page=20 (SECOND EDITION.) \|via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>		She was one of Stewart Granger's loves in ''[[The Magic Bow]]'' (1946) and had the female lead in a drama about colonialism in Africa ''[[Men of Two Worlds]]'' (1946), made a few years before being released.<ref>{{cite web\|url=http://www.screenonline.org.uk/film/id/441045/index.html\|title=BFI Screenonline: Magic Bow, The (1946)\|website=www.screenonline.org.uk}}</ref> It was a success, though not profitable because of its high cost.<ref>{{cite web\|url=http://www.colonialfilm.org.uk/node/1845\|title=MEN OF TWO WORLDS – colonialfilm\|website=www.colonialfilm.org.uk}}</ref> ''[[The Root of All Evil (1947 film)\|The Root of All Evil]]'' (1947) was one of the last of the Gainsborough melodramas.<ref>{{cite book\|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tAGGFKeyXvsC&q=the+root+of+all+evil+1947+last+of+gainsborough+melodramas&pg=PA66\|title=Women in British Cinema: Mad, Bad and Dangerous to Know\|first=Sue\|last=Harper\|date=14 September 2000\|publisher=Bloomsbury Academic\|via=Google Books\|isbn=9780826447333}}</ref> She was voted the sixth most popular British star at the box office in 1946.<ref>{{cite news \|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article46266039 \|title=FILM WORLD. \|newspaper=[[The West Australian]] \|volume=63 \|issue=18,916 \|location=Western Australia \|date=28 February 1947 \|access-date=9 August 2017 \|page=20 (SECOND EDITION.) \|via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>

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External links

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	==External links==		==External links==
	~~{{Portal\|Biography}}~~
	*{{Screenonline name\|id=446920\|name=Phyllis Calvert biography and filmography}}		*{{Screenonline name\|id=446920\|name=Phyllis Calvert biography and filmography}}
	*{{IMDb name\|0130829}}		*{{IMDb name\|0130829}}
	*{{Find a Grave\|7385246}}		*{{Find a Grave\|7385246}}
	*[http://film.virtual-history.com/person.php?personid=5537 Photographs and literature]		*[http://film.virtual-history.com/person.php?personid=5537 Photographs and literature]

	~~{{Authority control}}~~

	{{DEFAULTSORT:Calvert, Phyllis}}		{{DEFAULTSORT:Calvert, Phyllis}}

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en>Edwardx: Children are not named in the infobox unless independently notable, number is sufficient. See Template:Infobox person.

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Children are not named in the infobox unless independently notable, number is sufficient. See Template:Infobox person.

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{{short description|British film actress (1915–2002)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2020}}
{{Use British English|date=March 2012}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Phyllis Calvert
| image = Phyllis Calvert.jpg
| caption = Calvert photographed by [[Allan Warren]] in 1974
| birthname = Phyllis Hannah Bickle
| birth_date = {{birth date|1915|2|18|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Chelsea, London]], England
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2002|10|8|1915|2|18|df=y}}
| death_place = London, England
| yearsactive = 1927–2000
| spouse = {{marriage|[[Peter Murray-Hill]]|1941|1957|reason=died}}
| children = 2<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2002/10/12/movies/phyllis-calvert-87-virtuous-heroine-of-wartime-melodramas.html |title=Phyllis Calvert, 87, Virtuous Heroine of Wartime Melodramas |first=Paul |last=Lewis |date=12 October 2002 |newspaper=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref>
}}

'''Phyllis Hannah Murray-Hill''' (née '''Bickle'''; 18 February 1915 – 8 October 2002), known professionally as '''Phyllis Calvert''', was an English film, stage and television actress.<ref name=obituaries>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Z3rGCwAAQBAJ&q=phyllis+calvert+obituary&pg=PA49 |title=Obituaries in the Performing Arts, 2002: Film, Television, Radio, Theatre, Dance, Music, Cartoons and Pop Culture |first=Harris M. Lentz |last=III |date=9 April 2003 |publisher=McFarland |via=Google Books |isbn=9780786452071}}</ref> She was one of the leading stars of the [[Gainsborough melodramas]] of the 1940s such as ''[[The Man in Grey]]'' (1943) and was one of the most popular movie stars in Britain in the 1940s.<ref name="screen">{{cite web|last=Brooke|first=Michael|url=http://www.screenonline.org.uk/people/id/446920/ |title=BFI Screenonline: Calvert, Phyllis (1915–2002) Biography |work=BFI Screenonline|date=2003–14}}</ref> She continued her acting career for another 50 years.<ref name=bfi>{{cite web |url=http://explore.bfi.org.uk/4ce2b9f4e655e |title=Phyllis Calvert |publisher=[[BFI]] |access-date=1 June 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160101114051/http://explore.bfi.org.uk/4ce2b9f4e655e |archive-date=1 January 2016 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

In the words of an article by Michael Brooke for the BFI's [[Screenonline]] website: "Most of the time she drew what looked like the short straw, playing the 'good girl' in films that revelled in the exploits of her wicked opposite number, and it says much for her talent and charisma that she was able to hold attention in what must have seemed thankless parts – she herself acknowledged that 'I do think it is much more difficult to establish a really charming, nice person than a wicked one – and make it real'."<ref name="screen"/>

==Biography==
Born in [[Chelsea, London]], she trained at the [[Margaret Morris (dancer)|Margaret Morris School of Dancing]], and performed from the age of ten, performing with [[Ellen Terry]] in ''Crossings''.<ref name=guardian/> She gained her first film role at the age of 12, in ''[[The Arcadians (film)|The Arcadians]]'' (1927), also known as ''The Land of Heart's Desire''.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article141908423 |title=PHYLLIS CALVERT Britain's Wartime Star |newspaper=[[The Australasian]] |volume=CLX |issue=5,065 |location=Victoria, Australia |date=26 January 1946 |access-date=29 August 2017 |page=13 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>

Calvert performed in repertory theatre in Malvern and Coventry. She made her London stage debut in ''A Woman's Privilege'' in 1939.<ref name=telegraph>{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/1409542/Phyllis-Calvert.html |title=Phyllis Calvert |date=9 October 2002 |work=Telegraph.co.uk}}</ref> Her early films include ''[[Two Days to Live]]'' (1939).<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article182797334 |title=Phyllis Calvert Featured in Picture |newspaper=[[Glen Innes Examiner]] |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=17 March 1948 |access-date=29 August 2017 |page=4 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>

===Gainsborough Pictures===
Calvert was spotted in a play ''Punch without Judy'', and was signed to a contract by [[Gainsborough Pictures]] which gave her the lead in ''[[They Came by Night]]'' (1940), opposite [[Will Fyffe]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article65855570 |title=Phyllis Calvert. |newspaper=[[Morwell Advertiser]] |issue=2850 |location=Victoria, Australia |date=3 July 1941 |access-date=29 August 2017 |page=4 (morning.) |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> She was [[George Formby]]'s love interest in ''[[Let George Do It!]]'' (1940) and had a support part in ''[[Charley's (Big-Hearted) Aunt]]'' (1940), starring [[Arthur Askey]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.allmovie.com/movie/let-george-do-it-v99403 |title=Let George Do It (1940) – Marcel Varnel – Synopsis, Characteristics, Moods, Themes and Related |website=AllMovie}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b6a765646 |title=Charley's (Big-hearted) Aunt (1940) }}</ref>

Calvert was in a war movie, ''[[Neutral Port]]'' (1940), then had a good role as [[Michael Redgrave]]'s love interest in ''[[Kipps (1941 film)|Kipps]]'' (1941), directed by [[Carol Reed]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.allmovie.com/movie/neutral-port-v103754 |title=Neutral Port (1941) – Marcel Varnel – Synopsis, Characteristics, Moods, Themes and Related |website=AllMovie}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.allmovie.com/movie/kipps-v27501 |title=Kipps (1941) – Carol Reed – Synopsis, Characteristics, Moods, Themes and Related |website=AllMovie}}</ref> After a detective film ''[[Inspector Hornleigh Goes To It]]'' (1941) she had the co-lead in ''[[Uncensored (film)|Uncensored]]'' (1942), a war movie with [[Eric Portman]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b6ad296be |title=Inspector Hornleigh Goes to It (1941) }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.allmovie.com/movie/uncensored-v114978 |title=Uncensored (1942) – Anthony Asquith – Synopsis, Characteristics, Moods, Themes and Related |website=AllMovie}}</ref> Reed used her again in ''[[The Young Mr. Pitt]]'' (1942), playing [[Eleanor Eden]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b6bb6c9a7|title=The Young Mr. Pitt (1942)}}</ref>

In 1942, she had the lead role as Patricia Graham in the [[West End theatre|West End]] production of [[Terence Rattigan]]'s play ''[[Flare Path (play)|Flare Path]]''.<ref name=telegraph/><ref name=guardian>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/news/2002/oct/09/guardianobituaries.filmnews |title=Obituary: Phyllis Calvert |author=Eric Shorter |newspaper=The Guardian |date=2002-10-09}}</ref>

===Stardom===
Calvert was by now well established in British films. She did not become a star, however, until given one of the four leading roles in the [[Gainsborough melodrama]] ''[[The Man in Grey]]'' (1943).<ref name=allmovie>{{cite web|url=http://www.allmovie.com/artist/phyllis-calvert-p10341|title=Phyllis Calvert – Biography, Movie Highlights and Photos |website=AllMovie}}</ref> The movie was a huge success, making her and her three co-stars – [[Stewart Granger]], [[James Mason]] and [[Margaret Lockwood]] – genuine box office stars in Britain.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.allmovie.com/movie/the-man-in-grey-v31175/review |title=The Man in Grey (1943) – Leslie Arliss – Review |website=AllMovie}}</ref>

Calvert followed it with ''[[Fanny by Gaslight (film)|Fanny by Gaslight]]'' (1944), co-starring Granger and Mason, which was another big hit.<ref name=heartthrobs>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cIELDgAAQBAJ&q=fanny+by+gaslight+1944+big+hit&pg=PT48 |title=Heartthrobs: A History of Women and Desire |first=Carol |last=Dyhouse |date=9 February 2017 |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |via=Google Books |isbn=9780191078392}}</ref> Also popular was ''[[Two Thousand Women]]'' (1944), made by [[Frank Launder|Launder and Gilliat]], about British women interned in occupied France.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.screenonline.org.uk/film/id/440851/index.html |title=BFI Screenonline: Two Thousand Women (1944) |website=www.screenonline.org.uk}}</ref> It co-starred [[Patricia Roc]], who appeared with Calvert and Granger in ''[[Madonna of the Seven Moons]]'' (1945), another Gainsborough melodrama, and another hit.<ref name=heartthrobs/> Calvert's successful run at the box office continued when she and Mason were reunited in ''[[They Were Sisters]]'' (1945), a more contemporary-set Gainsborough melodrama.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.screenonline.org.uk/film/id/440876/index.html |title=BFI Screenonline: They Were Sisters (1945) |website=www.screenonline.org.uk}}</ref> Exhibitors voted her the fifth-most popular star of 1945 in Britain.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article26173215 |title=CROSBY and HOPE try their luck in Alaska |newspaper=[[The Mercury (Hobart)|The Mercury]] |volume=CLXIII |issue=23,475 |location=Tasmania, Australia |date=2 March 1946 |access-date=9 August 2017 |page=3 (The Mercury Magazine) |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>

She was one of Stewart Granger's loves in ''[[The Magic Bow]]'' (1946) and had the female lead in a drama about colonialism in Africa ''[[Men of Two Worlds]]'' (1946), made a few years before being released.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.screenonline.org.uk/film/id/441045/index.html|title=BFI Screenonline: Magic Bow, The (1946)|website=www.screenonline.org.uk}}</ref> It was a success, though not profitable because of its high cost.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.colonialfilm.org.uk/node/1845|title=MEN OF TWO WORLDS – colonialfilm|website=www.colonialfilm.org.uk}}</ref> ''[[The Root of All Evil (1947 film)|The Root of All Evil]]'' (1947) was one of the last of the Gainsborough melodramas.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tAGGFKeyXvsC&q=the+root+of+all+evil+1947+last+of+gainsborough+melodramas&pg=PA66|title=Women in British Cinema: Mad, Bad and Dangerous to Know|first=Sue|last=Harper|date=14 September 2000|publisher=Bloomsbury Academic|via=Google Books|isbn=9780826447333}}</ref> She was voted the sixth most popular British star at the box office in 1946.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article46266039 |title=FILM WORLD. |newspaper=[[The West Australian]] |volume=63 |issue=18,916 |location=Western Australia |date=28 February 1947 |access-date=9 August 2017 |page=20 (SECOND EDITION.) |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>

===Hollywood===
Calvert's success had been noticed in the US, although her films had not been as popular there. [[Universal Pictures|Universal-International]] signed her to star in ''[[Time Out of Mind (1947 film)|Time Out of Mind]]'' (1947), which was a box office disappointment.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article26405124 |title=PHYLLIS CALVERT Makes Her Hollywood Delrit |newspaper=[[The Mercury (Hobart)|The Mercury]] |volume=CLXVI |issue=23,915 |location=Tasmania, Australia |date=2 August 1947 |access-date=29 August 2017 |page=3 (The Mercury Magazine) |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article52599861 |title=FILMS AND FILM STARS |newspaper=[[The Examiner (Tasmania)|The Examiner]] |volume=CVI |issue=121 |location=Tasmania, Australia |date=2 August 1947 |access-date=29 August 2017 |page=1 (WEEK-END MAGAZINE SECTION) |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article137125748 |title=Hollywood can't get along without British stars |newspaper=[[The World's News]] |issue=23[?] |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=4 October 1947 |access-date=4 September 2017 |page=17 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> She received several offers from studios and eventually decided to sign a six-picture deal with [[Paramount Pictures|Paramount]].<ref>{{cite news |title=PARAMOUNT SIGNS PHYLLIS CALVERT: British Actress to Be Seen in Six Films, With 'Make You a Fine Wife' as First Waugh to Adapt His Book of Local Origin |date=13 December 1946 |work=The New York Times |page=29}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=PHYLLIS CALVERT – RED-HEAD WITHOUT TEMPER |author=GRADY JOHNSON. |date=7 September 1947 |work=The New York Times |page=X3}}</ref>

She returned to Britain to make ''[[Broken Journey]]'' (1948) playing a role written especially for her, but the film failed at the box-office.<ref name="box">[https://books.google.com.au/books?id=sY1LGFNtCOEC&pg=PA232&lpg=PA232&dq=sydney+box+film+producer&source=bl&ots=F02E_WOkLo&sig=bTwtFh0NIsHllgPcTGLkovJObNU&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjmkt78sr_MAhXltIMKHcEYCX0Q6AEILjAD#v=onepage&q=sydney%20box%20film%20producer&f=false Andrew Spicer, ''Sydney Box'' Manchester Uni Press 2006 p 210]</ref>

Calvert went to Hollywood to make two films, both for Paramount: ''[[My Own True Love]]'' (1949), with [[Melvyn Douglas]], and ''[[Appointment with Danger]]'' (1951 but made two years earlier) with [[Alan Ladd]], in which she played a nun.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.allmovie.com/movie/my-own-true-love-v103393|title=My Own True Love (1948) – Compton Bennett – Synopsis, Characteristics, Moods, Themes and Related|website=AllMovie}}</ref><ref name=allmovie/> She did ''Peter Pan'' on stage in Britain.<ref>{{cite news |title=Phyllis Calvert Off To London for New Stage Job |work=[[The Washington Post]] |date=26 October 1947 |page=L2}}</ref>

===Producer===
Back in Britain she made two films with director [[Ladislao Vajda]], neither particularly successful: ''[[Golden Madonna]]'' (1950), shot in Italy, and ''[[The Woman with No Name]]'' (1950).<ref name=bfi/> She invested her own money in the latter.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article46455501 |title=Phyllis Calvert talks of home and career |newspaper=[[The Australian Women's Weekly]] |volume=17 |issue=50 |date=20 May 1950 |access-date=29 August 2017 |page=52 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> She wanted to produce other films: ''Eastward Ho'', about an Englishwoman who romances a cowboy, and ''Equilibrium'', about a trapeze artist, as well as star in a third film for Paramount but none of these were made.<ref>{{cite news |title=PHYLLIS CALVERT RETAINS 'INTERNATIONAL' RATING |author=Strong, Edwin J. |work=Los Angeles Times|date=18 September 1949 |page=D1}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Phyllis Calvert Maps International Features; Italian Woos Medea |author=Scheuer, Philip K. |date=30 August 1949 |work=Los Angeles Times|page=A7}}</ref>

Calvert was in a thriller ''[[Mr. Denning Drives North]]'' (1951) with [[John Mills]] and a BBC TV production ''[[The Holly and the Ivy (film)|The Holly and the Ivy]]'' (1951).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.allmovie.com/movie/mr-denning-drives-north-v103033/cast-crew|title=Mr. Denning Drives North (1951) – Anthony Kimmins – Cast and Crew|website=AllMovie}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b727d3e9a|title=The Holly and the Ivy (1951)}}</ref> She had her first big hit in a while, ''[[Mandy (1952 film)|Mandy]]'' (1952).<ref name="screen"/>

Calvert was a wife in ''[[The Net (1953 film)|The Net]]'' (1953), then was off screen for a while.<ref name=bfi/> She acted on stage in ''[[It's Never Too Late (1956 film)|It's Never Too Late]]'' (1956), then appeared in the film version.<ref>{{cite news |title=OBSERVATIONS ON THE BRITISH SCREEN SCENE |author=S. W. |date=25 September 1955 |work=The New York Times |id={{ProQuest|113205684}}}}</ref> She followed it with ''[[Child in the House]]'' (1956).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.allmovie.com/artist/phyllis-calvert-p10341/filmography |title=Phyllis Calvert – Movies and Filmography |website=AllMovie}}</ref>

On TV she was in [[Strindberg]]'s ''[[The Father (Strindberg play)|The Father]]'' for ITV's ''[[Television Playhouse]]'', and played the lead in ''Tatiana, the Czar's Daughter''.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0908906/ |title=The Father |date=27 June 1957 |via=www.imdb.com}}</ref><ref name=bfi/> She also played Mrs March in a six-part BBC adaptation of ''[[Little Women (1958 TV series)|Little Women]]''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b7df5c94d |title=Little Women Part 6 (1958) }}</ref>

Calvert had a support part in the Hollywood-financed ''[[Indiscreet (1958 film)|Indiscreet]]'' (1958), then played a concerned mother in ''[[The Young and the Guilty]]'' (1958) and a wacky spinster in ''[[A Lady Mislaid]]'' (1959).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.allmovie.com/movie/indiscreet-v24772|title=Indiscreet (1958) – Stanley Donen – Synopsis, Characteristics, Moods, Themes and Related|website=AllMovie}}</ref><ref name=bfi/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.radiotimes.com/film/mwqjh/a-lady-mislaid/|title=A Lady Mislaid – review – cast and crew, movie star rating and where to watch film on TV and online|website=Radio Times}}</ref> On TV she was in "The Break" for ''[[Armchair Theatre]]'' (1959) and played [[Katherine O'Shea]] in ''Parnell'' for ''[[ITV Play of the Week|Play of the Week]]'' (1959), then reprised her role as Mrs March for the BBC in ''Good Wives'' (1959).<ref name=bfi/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0922202/|title=Parnell|date=10 February 1959|via=www.imdb.com}}</ref> She was [[Constance Wilde]] in ''[[Oscar Wilde (film)|Oscar Wilde]]'' (1960) with [[Robert Morley]] and ''A Righteous Woman'' on ''Play of the Week'' (1962).<ref name=bfi/>

The only time people recall Calvert risking loss of sympathy for an apparent lapse of taste, grace or charm was during her stage career at the Lyric in 1963, and at the Duke of York's in 1964. In the first, as the wife in [[Ronald Duncan]]'s Ménage à Trois, she condoned his misconduct - as long as it took place off the premises, herself departing as a lesbian with his mistress as the curtain fell. Then, as the cold, insensitive stepmother in [[James Saunders (playwright)|James Saunders]]'s A Scent Of Flowers, she left no trace of "the rose that sings". [https://www.theguardian.com/news/2002/oct/09/guardianobituaries.filmnews]

===Later career===
She acted in over 40 films, her later films including ''[[The Battle of the Villa Fiorita]]'' (1965), ''[[Twisted Nerve]]'' (1968), ''[[Oh! What a Lovely War]]'' (1969) and ''[[The Walking Stick]]'' (1970).<ref name=bfi/>

From 1970 to 1972, she starred in her own TV series, ''[[Kate (TV series)|Kate]]'', playing the part of an [[agony aunt]] with problems of her own.{{Citation needed|date=September 2021}}

She made TV appearances in programmes such as ''[[Crown Court (TV series)|Crown Court]]'', ''Ladykillers'', ''[[Tales of the Unexpected (TV series)|Tales of the Unexpected]]'', ''[[Boon (TV series)|Boon]]'', ''[[After Henry (TV series)|After Henry]]'', ''[[Victoria Wood (1989 TV series)|Victoria Wood]]'' and ''Limelight: The Film Years – The Lime Grove Story''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tv.com/people/phyllis-calvert/|title=Phyllis Calvert|last=TV.com|website=TV.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b7b5c40dd|title=Limelight – The Film Years (1991)}}</ref> She also played [[Tom Barnaby|D.I. Barnaby]]'s Aunt Alice (Alice Bly) in a ''[[Midsomer Murders]]'' episode "Blue Herrings" in 2000.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b8419489b|title=Blue Herring (2000)}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.allmovie.com/movie/midsomer-murders-blue-herrings-v274567|title=Midsomer Murders: Blue Herrings (2000) – Peter Smith – Synopsis, Characteristics, Moods, Themes and Related|website=AllMovie}}</ref> She was the subject of ''[[This Is Your Life (British TV series)|This Is Your Life]]'' in 1972 when she was surprised by [[Eamonn Andrews]].{{Citation needed|date=September 2021}}

==Personal life==
She was married to the actor and antiquarian bookseller [[Peter Murray-Hill]]<ref name=guardian/> until his sudden death in 1957.<ref name=bbc>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/2311321.stm|title=BBC NEWS – Entertainment – Actress Phyllis Calvert dies|work=bbc.co.uk|date=2002-10-09}}</ref> The couple had two children, Ann Murray-Hill (born 1943) and Piers Murray-Hill (born 1954). Calvert never remarried. She died in her sleep in London in 2002 from [[natural causes]],<ref name=bbc/> aged 87.<ref name=obituaries/>

==Partial filmography==
{{Div col|colwidth=30em}}
* ''[[The Arcadians (film)|The Arcadians]]'' (1927) – Young Girl (uncredited)
* ''[[Discord (film)|Discord]]'' (1933) – (uncredited)
* ''[[Anne One Hundred]]'' (1933) – (uncredited)
* ''[[School for Stars]]'' (1935) – (uncredited)
* ''[[They Came by Night]]'' (1940) – Sally
* ''[[Let George Do It!]]'' (1940) – Mary Wilson
* ''[[Charley's (Big-Hearted) Aunt]]'' (1940) – Betty Forsythe
* ''[[Neutral Port]]'' (1940) – Helen Carter
* ''[[Kipps (1941 film)|Kipps]]'' (1941) – Ann Pornick – as a woman
* ''[[Inspector Hornleigh Goes To It]]'' (1941) – Mrs. Wilkinson
* ''[[Uncensored (film)|Uncensored]]'' (1942) – Julie Lanvin
* ''[[The Young Mr. Pitt]]'' (1942) – Eleanor Eden
* ''[[The Man in Grey]]'' (1943) – Clarissa Marr
* ''[[Fanny by Gaslight (film)|Fanny by Gaslight]]'' (1944) – Fanny
* ''[[Two Thousand Women]]'' (1944) – Freda Thompson
* ''[[Madonna of the Seven Moons]]'' (1945) – Maddalena
* ''[[They Were Sisters]]'' (1945) – Lucy Moore
* ''[[The Magic Bow]]'' (1946) – Jeanne de Vermond
* ''[[Men of Two Worlds]]'' (1946) – Dr. Caroline Munro
* ''[[The Root of All Evil (1947 film)|The Root of All Evil]]'' (1947) – Jeckie Farnish
* ''[[Time Out of Mind (1947 film)|Time Out of Mind]]'' (1947) – Kate Fernald
* ''[[Broken Journey]]'' (1948) – Mary Johnstone
* ''[[My Own True Love]]'' (1949) – Joan Clews
* ''[[Golden Madonna]]'' (1949) – Patricia Chandler
* ''[[The Woman with No Name]]'' (1950) – Yvonne Winter
* ''[[Appointment with Danger]]'' (1951) – Sister Augustine
* ''[[Mr. Denning Drives North]]'' (1951) – Kay Denning
* ''[[Mandy (1952 film)|Mandy]]'' (1952) – Christine
* ''[[The Net (1953 film)|The Net]]'' (1953) – Lydia Heathley
* ''[[It's Never Too Late (1956 film)|It's Never Too Late]]'' (1956) – Laura Hammond
* ''[[Child in the House]]'' (1956) – Evelyn Acheson
* ''[[Indiscreet (1958 film)|Indiscreet]]'' (1958) – Mrs. Margaret Munson
* ''[[The Young and the Guilty]]'' (1958) – Gladys Connor
* ''[[A Lady Mislaid]]'' (1958) – Esther Williams
* ''[[Oscar Wilde (film)|Oscar Wilde]]'' (1960) – Constance Wilde
* ''[[The Battle of the Villa Fiorita]]'' (1965) – Margot
* ''[[Twisted Nerve]]'' (1968) – Enid Durnley
* ''[[Oh! What a Lovely War]]'' (1969) – Lady Dorothy Haig
* ''[[The Walking Stick]]'' (1970) – Erica Dainton
* ''[[Mr. Bean]]'' (1991) – Old Woman
* ''[[Mrs Dalloway (film)|Mrs Dalloway]]'' (1997) – Aunt Helena
* ''[[Midsomer Murders]]'' (2000) – Alice Bly
{{div col end}}

==Box office ranking==
For a number of years, British film exhibitors voted her among the top ten British stars at the box office via an annual poll in the ''Motion Picture Herald''.
*1945 – 5th<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article26173215 |title=CROSBY and HOPE try their luck in Alaska. |newspaper=[[The Mercury (Hobart)|The Mercury]] |location=Hobart, Tasmania |date=2 March 1946 |access-date=24 April 2012 |page=3 Supplement: The Mercury Magazine |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>
*1946 – 6th<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article46266039 |title=FILM WORLD. |newspaper=[[The West Australian]] |location=Perth |date=28 February 1947 |access-date=27 April 2012 |page=20|edition=SECOND |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}
{{refbegin}}
*{{cite news |title=Phyllis Calvert |url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/obituaries/article1074777.ece |work=The Times |date=9 October 2002 |access-date=2009-10-28}}
*{{cite news |last=Lewis |first=Paul |title=Phyllis Calvert, 87, Virtuous Heroine of Wartime Melodramas |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2002/10/12/movies/phyllis-calvert-87-virtuous-heroine-of-wartime-melodramas.html |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=12 October 2002 |access-date=2009-10-28}}
*{{cite news |title=Actress Phyllis Calvert dies |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/2311321.stm |work=BBC News |date=9 October 2002 |access-date=2009-10-28}}
*{{cite news |title=Phyllis Calvert |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/1409542/Phyllis-Calvert.html |work=The Telegraph|date=9 October 2002 |access-date=2009-10-28}}
*{{cite news |title=Modest star a symbol of womanhood |url=http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2002/10/21/1034561443577.html |work=The Sydney Morning Herald |date=22 October 2002 |access-date=2009-10-28}}
{{refend}}

==External links==
{{Portal|Biography}}
*{{Screenonline name|id=446920|name=Phyllis Calvert biography and filmography}}
*{{IMDb name|0130829}}
*{{Find a Grave|7385246}}
*[http://film.virtual-history.com/person.php?personid=5537 Photographs and literature]

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Calvert, Phyllis}}
[[Category:1915 births]]
[[Category:2002 deaths]]
[[Category:20th-century English actresses]]
[[Category:Actresses from London]]
[[Category:Alumni of the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama]]
[[Category:English film actresses]]
[[Category:English stage actresses]]
[[Category:English television actresses]]
[[Category:People from Chelsea, London]]