Occupation Actress Siblings Felicia Godsell Parents Muriel Godsell | Role Actress Name Vanda Godsell | |
Movies A Shot in the Dark, This Sporting Life, The Earth Dies Screaming, Hell Is a City, The Shadow of the Cat Similar People Val Guest, Lindsay Anderson, John Gilling, Terence Fisher, Montgomery Tully | ||
Vanda Godsell (17 November 1922 – 11 April 1990) was an English actress. Hal Erickson writes in Allmovie, "Vanda Godsell specialised in playing disheveled housewives, busybody landladies and blowsy domestics." She appeared as Mrs. Weaver in This Sporting Life (1963), Mrs. Pitt in Bitter Harvest (1965), Mrs. Goodge in The Wrong Box (1967)
Contents
Early life
She was born near Bristol into the well known Godsell family, best known for its brewery based in Stroud. Her father was an officer in the Navy and served in the Battle of Jutland whilst her mother, Muriel, was the sister of novelist and actress Naomi Jacob. Godsell's sister Felicia was also an actress but her other sister was an editor in the publishing world.
Career
She began acting when she joined the Bristol Repertoire aged 14. Her career lasted for fifty years, making her film debut in 1953 in Flannelfoot starring Ronald Howard. She also appeared in Hell Is a City, A Shot in the Dark, The Earth Dies Screaming, The Wrong Box, Bitter Harvest and The Pink Panther Strikes Again. Many of these films were directed or produced by Blake Edwards. Vanda portrayed Mrs. Anne Weaver in This Sporting Life. On television, she appeared in shows like The Saint, Coronation Street, Minder, Dixon of Dock Green, Bless This House, In Loving Memory and Taxi!. She appeared as Blanche DuBois in a critically acclaimed version of A Streetcar Named Desire in the West End.
Filmography
Actress
1983
Reilly: Ace of Spies (TV Mini Series) as
Woman
- An Affair with a Married Woman (1983) - Woman
1982
Minder (TV Series) as
Queenie
- Looking for Micky (1982) - Queenie
1980
Cowboys (TV Series) as
Mrs. Hill
- Black Day at Bad Rock (1980) - Mrs. Hill
1979
In Loving Memory (TV Series) as
Elsie Unsworth
- The Legacy (1979) - Elsie Unsworth
1975
I Didn't Know You Cared (TV Series) as
Mrs. Partington / Mrs Partington
- The Last Tram (1978) - Mrs. Partington
- Paradise Lost (1978) - Mrs. Partington
- A Bleak Day (1978) - Mrs. Partington
- Party Games (1978) - Mrs Partington
- Good Wood, God! (1976) - Mrs. Partington
- You Should See Me Now (1976) - Mrs. Partington
- The Way My Wife Looks at Me (1976) - Mrs. Partington
- Aye- Well- Mm- (1975) - Mrs. Partington
- A Knitter in the Family (1975) - Mrs. Partington
1977
Rough Justice (TV Mini Series) as
Angela May Brownes
- Irretrievable Breakdown (1977) - Angela May Brownes
1977
Hazlitt in Love (TV Movie) as
Edinburgh prostitute
1976
The Pink Panther Strikes Again as
Mrs. Leverlilly
1975
Kim & Co. (TV Series) as
Mrs. Hansen
- Doublecross (1975) - Mrs. Hansen
1975
Ten from the Twenties (TV Series) as
Mrs. Dickson
- The Fifty Pound Note (1975) - Mrs. Dickson
1974
Pianorama (Short)
1973
ITV Saturday Night Theatre (TV Series) as
Amy Cooper
- Reckoning Day (1973) - Amy Cooper
1973
Full House (TV Series documentary) as
Maria in On the High Road
- Episode #1.22 (1973) - Maria in On the High Road
1973
Bless This House (TV Series) as
Virginia
- Tea for Two and Four for Tea (1973) - Virginia
1963
Z Cars (TV Series) as
Mrs. Hartley / Mona Hodson
- Big Jake (1973) - Mrs. Hartley
- All Up by Seven (1963) - Mona Hodson
1972
General Hospital (TV Series) as
Edith Bishop
- Episode #1.22 (1972) - Edith Bishop
- Episode #1.21 (1972) - Edith Bishop
- Episode #1.20 (1972) - Edith Bishop
- Episode #1.18 (1972) - Edith Bishop
- Episode #1.16 (1972) - Edith Bishop
1971
Crime of Passion (TV Series) as
Madame Leclerc
- Louis (1971) - Madame Leclerc
1971
Never Mind the Quality, Feel the Width (TV Series) as
Mary Appleton
- You Will Go to the Ball, Manny Cohen (1971) - Mary Appleton
1970
A Touch of the Other as
Angela
1966
The Newcomers (TV Series) as
Katie Heenan
1966
Who Killed the Cat? as
Eleanor Trellington
1966
The Wrong Box as
Mrs. Goodge
1966
Dr. Finlay's Casebook (TV Series) as
Alison Canning
- Hear No Evil (1966) - Alison Canning
1965
Dateline Diamonds as
Mrs. Jenkins
1964
Crane (TV Series) as
Ida Lewis
- The Man with the Big Feet (1964) - Ida Lewis
1964
Gideon C.I.D. (TV Series) as
Charlotte Borgman
- To Catch a Tiger (1964) - Charlotte Borgman
1964
The Earth Dies Screaming as
Violet Courtland
1964
The Indian Tales of Rudyard Kipling (TV Series) as
Mrs. Herriot
- The Rescue of Pluffles (1964) - Mrs. Herriot
1964
Escape by Night as
Mrs. Grey-Simmons
1964
The Hidden Truth (TV Series) as
Betty Cleaves
- The Achilles Heel (1964) - Betty Cleaves
1964
The Four Seasons of Rosie Carr (TV Mini Series) as
Mrs. Quorn
- Spring at the Winged Horse (1964) - Mrs. Quorn
1964
The Third Man (TV Series) as
Miss Muffin
- A Question in Ice (1964) - Miss Muffin
1964
A Shot in the Dark as
Madame LaFarge
1964
Detective (TV Series) as
Dagmar Candour
- Death in Ecstasy (1964) - Dagmar Candour
1964
Sergeant Cork (TV Series) as
Mrs. Whibley
- The Case of the Dumb Witness (1964) - Mrs. Whibley
1962
ITV Play of the Week (TV Series) as
Margaret / Rosie / Mrs. Boone
- Finger on the Balance (1964) - Margaret
- The Travelling Man (1963) - Rosie
- Murder in Shorthand (1962) - Mrs. Boone
1964
Festival (TV Series) as
Prudence
- The Lady of the Camellias (1964) - Prudence
1963
The Saint (TV Series) as
Tina Ourley
- The Rough Diamonds (1963) - Tina Ourley
1963
The Victors as
Nurse (uncredited)
1963
Dixon of Dock Green (TV Series) as
Mrs. Perry / Rosie Brown / Rosie Shaw-Brown
- Thicker Than Water (1963) - Mrs. Perry
- The End of the Trail (1963) - Rosie Brown
- Before the Ball (1963) - Rosie Shaw-Brown
1963
Maigret (TV Series) as
Madame Laboine
- The Lost Life (1963) - Madame Laboine
1963
Bitter Harvest as
Mrs. Pitt
1963
The Scales of Justice (TV Series) as
Agnes Chester
- The Undesirable Neighbour (1963) - Agnes Chester
1963
80,000 Suspects as
Mrs. Agnes Davis
1963
Taxi! (TV Series) as
Madeleine
- It's Lonely Up Front (1963) - Madeleine
1963
The Wrong Arm of the Law as
Annette
1957
ITV Television Playhouse (TV Series) as
May Vine / Madge Tullis / Miss Summerfield
- A Builder by Trade (1963) - May Vine
- Strictly for the Sparrows (1958) - Madge Tullis
- Naughty Mr Punch (1957) - Miss Summerfield
1963
This Sporting Life as
Mrs. Weaver
1960
No Hiding Place (TV Series) as
Moira Forbes / Patsy Baines
- Contents Noted (1962) - Moira Forbes
- Two Blind Mice (1960) - Patsy Baines
1962
The Danny Thomas Show (TV Series) as
Mavis
- A Hunting We Will Go (1962) - Mavis
1962
Term of Trial as
Mrs. Thompson (uncredited)
1962
Silent Evidence (TV Series) as
Viv
- Shadow of the Past (1962) - Viv
1962
The Pot Carriers as
Mrs. Red Band
1962
Candidate for Murder as
Betty Conlon
1962
Waltz of the Toreadors as
Emma Bulstrode
1960
The Edgar Wallace Mystery Theatre (TV Series) as
Betty Conlon / Mrs. Ferber
- Candidate for Murder (1962) - Betty Conlon
- The Man Who Was Nobody (1960) - Mrs. Ferber
1961
Night Without Pity as
Tart
1961
Family Solicitor (TV Series) as
Mrs. Anderson
- The Battle of Tanley Corner (1961) - Mrs. Anderson
1961
Probation Officer (TV Series) as
Mrs. Goodwin
- Episode #3.5 (1961) - Mrs. Goodwin
1961
The Frightened City as
Sophie Peters
1961
Magnolia Street (TV Series) as
Maggie Tawnie
- Episode #1.6 (1961) - Maggie Tawnie
- Episode #1.4 (1961) - Maggie Tawnie
- Episode #1.3 (1961) - Maggie Tawnie
- Episode #1.1 (1961) - Maggie Tawnie
1961
The Cheaters (TV Series) as
First Matron / Mrs. Little
- Affairs of the Heart (1961) - First Matron
- Single or Double Indemnity (1961) - Mrs. Little
1961
Three Live Wires (TV Series)
- Stranger Than Fiction (1961)
1961
The Shadow of the Cat as
Louise Venable
1961
Konga as
Bob's Mother
1961
Around the Corner (TV Movie) as
Stella Palmer
1961
I Promised to Pay as
Doll
1960
Sword of Sherwood Forest as
The Prioress
1960
The Man Who Was Nobody as
Mrs. Ferber
1960
Man from Interpol (TV Series) as
Diane
- Latest Fashion in Crime (1960) - Diane
1960
Hell Is a City as
Lucretia 'Lucky' Lusk
1960
Armchair Theatre (TV Series) as
Grace Warren
- The Girl in the Market Square (1960) - Grace Warren
1958
Dial 999 (TV Series) as
Margaret / Mary
- Ghost Squad (1959) - Margaret
- 77 Bus (1958) - Mary
1957
The Vise (TV Series) as
Nurse / Edwina
- Incident in Soho (1959) - Nurse
- A Hat Full of Trouble (1957) - Edwina (as Wanda Godsell)
1959
Emergency-Ward 10 (TV Series) as
Mrs. Rendell
- Episode #1.296 (1959) - Mrs. Rendell
1959
Knight Errant Limited (TV Series) as
Drazin
- Adam Meets His Match (1959) - Drazin
1959
Nick of the River (TV Series) as
Laida
- Oranges and Lemons (1959) - Laida
1959
Upstairs and Downstairs as
Buxom Train Passenger (uncredited)
1959
Dancers in Mourning (TV Series) as
Chloe Pye
- Part 2 (1959) - Chloe Pye
- Part 1 (1959) - Chloe Pye
1959
In the Wake of a Stranger as
Hetty McCabe
1959
No Safety Ahead (uncredited)
1959
Horrors of the Black Museum as
Miss Ashton
1959
Murder Bag (TV Series)
- Lockhart Breaks Even (1959)
1958
BBC Sunday-Night Theatre (TV Series) as
Commander's Wife / Babs Coates
- The Stone Ship (1959) - Commander's Wife
- Grand National Night (1958) - Babs Coates
1958
Private Investigator (TV Series) as
Mrs. Raffanole
- The Villa St. Yves (1958) - Mrs. Raffanole
1958
Starr and Company (TV Series) as
Mrs. Kay
- Flight to Freedom (1958) - Mrs. Kay
- Father and Daughter (1958) - Mrs. Kay
1958
Television Playwright (TV Series) as
Laura
- Liberty Hall (1958) - Laura
1958
Innocent Sinners as
Lovejoy's Mother
1958
The Killing Stones (TV Series) as
Lucille Kleiber
- The Carefulness of Kleiber (1958) - Lucille Kleiber
1957
Shadow Squad (TV Series) as
Stella Curtis
- Murder in Mink: Part 2 (1957) - Stella Curtis
- Murder in Mink: Part 1 (1957) - Stella Curtis
1957
Hour of Decision as
Eileen Chadwick
1957
Many Mansions (TV Movie) as
Susan Brown
1956
Without Love (TV Movie) as
Sylvia
1956
The Other Man (TV Series) as
Billie Reynolds
- Episode #1.3 (1956) - Billie Reynolds
- Episode #1.2 (1956) - Billie Reynolds
1956
Adventure Theater (TV Series) as
Wanda
- The Javanese Dagger (1956) - Wanda
1956
The Wall of Death (Short) as
Nina Hartier
1955
Song of Norway (Short)
1955
Murder Anonymous (Short) as
Hotel guest
1955
Lilli Palmer Theatre (TV Series) as
Mary Smith
- The Little Black Book (1955) - Mary Smith
1955
The Atomic Man as
Stenographer
1955
The Brain Machine as
Mae Smith
1954
Johnny on the Spot as
Diana Townley
1954
The Javanese Dagger (Short) as
Wanda - Tresall's 1st Wife
1953
The Long Rope as
Amy Jordan
1953
Flannelfoot as
Angela Neilson
1949
My Mother Said (TV Movie) as
Mirabelle
References
Vanda Godsell Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA