Georgina Cookson(1918-2011)
- Actress
Lean, aristocratic-looking British character actress,on stage from the
1940's. She was noted on Broadway for her performance (and for bringing the house down with her tango on opening night) as Lady India in Jean Anouilh's
'Ring Around the Moon' (1950-51). On television, her aquiline features
and impeccable bearing led to her gravitating towards upper class roles
as wealthy or snooty socialites -- few more memorable than her unnamed
party-goer in the dream sequence of
Le prisonnier (1967) episode
"A.B.and C."; and as Mrs. Butterworth, who not only resides in
Patrick McGoohan's old flat and drives
his sports car but turns out to be another Number 2 (in the episode "Many Happy
Returns"). She also had to graciously scrape the mould of a bread-roll
offered her by
Steptoe and Son (1962) in
"Loathe Story", as the hyphenated mother of
Joanna Lumley.
Georgina had a rare lead in the title role of the low-budget thriller Catacombs (1965) as Gary Merrill's crippled and demanding wife, who, unsurprisingly gets killed and disposed of in the potting shed. Of course, she comes back to haunt her evil hubby (really, just a double-cross staged by his two accomplices). In many of her other appearances on screen, Georgina played opposite great British comic actors, from Sidney James to Tony Hancock. Privately, her circle of friends included Denholm Elliott and Terry-Thomas (with whom she shared the stage in 'Full House'). Her final curtain call before retirement in Australia was as the lead in the comedy play 'A Breath of Spring' in 1990.
Georgina had a rare lead in the title role of the low-budget thriller Catacombs (1965) as Gary Merrill's crippled and demanding wife, who, unsurprisingly gets killed and disposed of in the potting shed. Of course, she comes back to haunt her evil hubby (really, just a double-cross staged by his two accomplices). In many of her other appearances on screen, Georgina played opposite great British comic actors, from Sidney James to Tony Hancock. Privately, her circle of friends included Denholm Elliott and Terry-Thomas (with whom she shared the stage in 'Full House'). Her final curtain call before retirement in Australia was as the lead in the comedy play 'A Breath of Spring' in 1990.
