Siddhesh Joshi (Editor)

Valerie French (actress)

Updated on
Edit
Like
Comment
Share on FacebookTweet on TwitterShare on LinkedInShare on Reddit
Cause of death
  
Role
  
Film actress

Name
  
Valerie French

Years active
  
1954-1982

Occupation
  
Actress


Valerie French (actress) Valerie French actress Wikipedia the free encyclopedia


Full Name
  
Valerie Harrison

Born
  
11 March 1928 (
1928-03-11
)
London, England

Died
  
November 3, 1990, New York City, New York, United States

Spouse
  
Thayer David (m. 1970–1975), Michael Pertwee (m. 1952–1959)

Movies
  
Jubal, Decision at Sundown, The 27th Day, The Hard Man, The Four Skulls of Jonathan

Similar People
  
Felicia Farr, Delmer Daves, Thayer David, Michael Pertwee, Budd Boetticher

Vincent price valerie french john mcgiver 1958 tv drama


Valerie French (11 March 1928 - 3 November 1990) was an English film and stage actress whose career began in the 1950s.

Contents

Valerie French (actress) DOLL GALLERY 3

Career

Born Valerie Harrison in London, she spent her early childhood in Spain, but returned to Britain to become a student at Malvern Girls' College. After graduating, she joined the BBC drama department, working in television production before deciding to become an actress, joining the Theatre Royal Repertory Company.

Valerie French (actress) Valerie French 1928 1990 Find A Grave Memorial

She moved into film acting in her early 20s. Her first film appearance was in a minor role in the 1954 Italian film Maddalena. After a role in the British film The Constant Husband (1955), she moved to Hollywood.

Valerie French (actress) Valerie French 1928 1990 Find A Grave Memorial

Her best-remembered roles during this period were in western films such as Jubal in 1956 opposite Glenn Ford and Decision at Sundown opposite Randolph Scott in 1957. She also appeared in the science fiction film The 27th Day (1957). Critic Gene Blottner says that French's performances in this era were "sultry, exuding raw sex".

Her television roles included episode No. 61 of Have Gun – Will Travel, and The Prisoner, episode: "Living In Harmony" and episode No. 6 of Trackdown (1957). She later appeared in daytime television shows, including two roles on The Edge of Night, The Nurses and (briefly) All My Children.

Theatre

French returned to the theatre in the 1960s. She performed in a Broadway production of John Osborne's play Inadmissible Evidence in 1965 and was also in Help Stamp Out Marriage! in 1966. She caused a minor sensation by appearing on stage naked in The Mother Lover, at the Booth Theatre in 1969, though only her back was visible to the audience.

Personal life

French was married twice. In 1952, at the age of 24, she married her first husband, the playwright Michael Pertwee, who was 36 at the time. They divorced seven years later, in 1959, when she was 31 and he was 42.

In 1970, at the age of 42, French married her second husband, the actor Thayer David. They divorced five years later, in 1975, when she was 47. They later got back together and were planning to remarry at the time of his death in 1978 at the age of 51, when she was 50.

French died of leukaemia in New York City in 1990, aged 62.

Filmography

Actress
1982
One of the Boys (TV Series) as
Ann Burns
- Parents' Weekend (1982) - Ann Burns
1977
One Life to Live (TV Series) as
Peggy Filmore / Peggy Gilmore
- Episode #1.2221 (1977) - Peggy Filmore
- Episode #1.2216 (1977) - Peggy Filmore
- Episode #1.2215 (1977) - Peggy Filmore
- Episode #1.2212 (1977) - Peggy Gilmore (credit only)
1976
The Adams Chronicles (TV Mini Series) as
Countess Rostov
- Chapter VII: John Quincy Adams, Diplomat (1976) - Countess Rostov
1970
All My Children (TV Series) as
Maureen Dalton Tiller (#2) (1977)
1968
Shalako as
Elena Clarke
1968
Armchair Theatre (TV Series)
- The Ballad of the Artificial Mash (1968)
1968
Champion House (TV Series) as
Erica Martin
- Handle with Care (1968) - Erica Martin
1968
ITV Playhouse (TV Series) as
Freda
- The Detour (1968) - Freda
1967
The Prisoner (TV Series) as
Kathy
- Living in Harmony (1967) - Kathy
1967
Love Story (TV Series) as
Isabel Bishop
- Cinéma Vérité (1967) - Isabel Bishop
1965
The Nurses (TV Series) as
Helen Cox (1966)
1964
A Flame in the Wind (TV Series) as
Role unknown
1961
The Best of the Post (TV Series)
- The Return (1961)
1959
Have Gun - Will Travel (TV Series) as
Secura Celine / Charity Trevington
- Ransom (1960) - Secura Celine
- Champagne Safari (1959) - Charity Trevington
1958
Alcoa Theatre (TV Series) as
Paula Crowley / Vicki
- Forced Landing (1960) - Paula Crowley (unconfirmed)
- Morning Boat to Africa (1960)
- Three Years Dark (1958) - Vicki
1960
The Alaskans (TV Series) as
Marie Forbes
- Odd Man Hangs (1960) - Marie Forbes
1958
Goodyear Theatre (TV Series) as
Vickie
- Morning Boat to Africa (1960)
- Three Dark Years (1958) - Vickie
1959
Bold Venture (TV Series) as
Joan
- Huckleberry Fine and the Purloined Fox (1959) - Joan
1959
The Story on Page One as
Liz (uncredited)
1959
The Four Skulls of Jonathan Drake as
Alison Drake
1959
The Third Man (TV Series) as
Jane
- The Girl Who Didn't Know (1959) - Jane
1959
Ten Little Indians (TV Movie) as
Emily Brent
1958
Schlitz Playhouse (TV Series) as
Miss Smith
- The Kind Mr. Smith (1958) - Miss Smith
1957
The George Sanders Mystery Theater (TV Series)
- Morning Boat to Africa (1957)
1957
The Hard Man as
Fern Martin
1957
Trackdown (TV Series) as
Marcia
- Sweetwater, Texas (1957) - Marcia
1957
Decision at Sundown as
Ruby James
1957
The 27th Day as
Eve Wingate
1957
The Garment Jungle as
Lee Hackett
1956
The Ford Television Theatre (TV Series) as
Yvette Revere
- Paris Edition (1956) - Yvette Revere
1956
Secret of Treasure Mountain as
Audrey Lancaster
1956
The Edge of Night (TV Series) as
Kitty DeSena (1965) / Angela Morgan Hillyer (1972-1973, 1974)
1956
Jubal as
Mae Horgan
1955
Marriage a la Mode as
The 'Wives' - Bridget
1954
Rheingold Theatre (TV Series) as
Contessa Malfalda
- Four Farewells in Venice (1954) - Contessa Malfalda (as Valerie Pertwee)
1954
Tonight's the Night as
Girl at Hunt Ball (uncredited)
1954
Maddalena (uncredited)
1953
Strictly Personal (TV Series) as
Airport official
- By Hook or by Crook (1953) - Airport official (as Valerie Pertwee)
Self
1956
Variety Club of Great Britain Awards for 1955 (TV Special documentary short) as
Self - Presenter
Archive Footage
1990
The Prisoner Video Companion (Video documentary)

References

Valerie French (actress) Wikipedia