Googie Withers | |
|---|---|
 Withers in 1947 | |
| Born | Georgette Lizette Withers (1917-03-12)12 March 1917 |
| Died | 15 July 2011(2011-07-15) (aged 94) Sydney, Australia |
| Education | Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts |
| Occupations | Actress, dancer |
| Years active | 1929–2002 |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 3, includingJoanna[1] |
Georgette Lizette "Googie" Withers (12 March 1917 – 15 July 2011) was an English entertainer. She was a dancer and actress, with a lengthy career spanning some 73 years in theatre, film, and television. She was a well-known actress and star of British films during and after theSecond World War.
She often featured in British productions, primarily in films with actor and producerJohn McCallum, whom she married and, in the late 1950s, emigrated together to her husband's native Australia, where they became best known in theatre. During the 1970s, she played prison governor Faye Boswell in the TV seriesWithin These Walls, and continued to feature in films.[2] She won the inauguralBritish Academy Television Award for Best Actress in1955.[3]
Withers was born inKarachi,British India (nowPakistan), to Edgar Withers, a captain in theRoyal Navy, and Lizette Wilhelmina Katarina, of Dutch, French and German descent.[4][5][6] She was named after her aunt Georgette Ottolina, but was fondly given the name "chota ghugi" at a young age by her Punjabiayah (nanny), "chota ghugi" being Punjabi for "little dove", which became anglicised to "Googie". She became used to the nickname and decided to keep it as her stage name.[7]
After her father left the Royal Navy to manage a foundry inBirmingham, England, Googie was sent to Fredville Park School, a boarding school inNonington, and a secondary day school in London.[4][8]
Withers began acting at the age of twelve, and was student at theItalia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts, and at the dance school ofBuddy Bradley, where she learnt ballet and tap. She was a dancer in aWest End production when she was offered work as a film extra inMichael Powell'sThe Girl in the Crowd (1935). She arrived on the set to find one of the major players in the production had been dismissed, and she was immediately asked to step into the leading role, beginning a seven year contract withWarner Brothers, after which she worked for Fox British,Ealing Studios andThe Rank Organisation.[9]
During the 1930s, Withers was constantly in demand in lead roles in minor films, and supporting roles in more prestigious productions. She was inWindfall (1935) andThe Love Test (1935), and she had the lead inAll at Sea (1935).
Withers supported inDark World (1935),King of Hearts (1936), andAccused (1936).Her Last Affaire (1935) was her third film with Powell.
She followed it withShe Knew What She Wanted (1936),Crown v. Stevens (1936) (directed by Powell),Crime Over London (1936),Pearls Bring Tears (1937),Action for Slander (1937), andParadise for Two (1937).
Withers had the lead inYou're the Doctor (1938) and was back to support forKate Plus Ten (1938). Her best-known work of the period was as one ofMargaret Lockwood's friends inAlfred Hitchcock'sThe Lady Vanishes (1938).
She continued in support roles inPaid in Error (1938) andStrange Boarders (1938). She was in aWill Hay filmConvict 99 (1938) and supportedJack Buchanan inThe Gang's All Here (1939). Then she appeared in crime filmsMurder in Soho (1939) andDead Men are Dangerous (1939).
She supportedGeorge Formby inTrouble Brewing (1939) andTommy Trinder inShe Couldn't Say No (1939). She was in a Robert Montgomery filmBusman's Honeymoon (1939) and was reunited with Buchanan inBulldog Sees It Through (1940). She was still supporting comics inBack-Room Boy (1942) withArthur Askey.
Among her successes of the 1940s, and a departure from her previous roles, was thePowell and Pressburger filmOne of Our Aircraft Is Missing (1942), a topicalWorld War II drama, in which she played aDutch resistance fighter who helps British airmen return to safety from behind enemy lines.[10]
Powell and Pressburger then used her in a film they produced but did not direct,The Silver Fleet (1943). She played Helen, a significant second lead in the Clive Book-directed 1944 comedyOn Approval.
Withers was inThey Came to a City (1945), directed byBasil Dearden, and was one of several stars inDead of Night (1945).
She was given a star part inPink String and Sealing Wax (1945). It was well received, and Withers was given the title role inThe Loves of Joanna Godden (1947), which was a hit. In the cast was actor John McCallum, whom Withers later married. They remained married until McCallum died in 2010.[11]
Withers then starred inIt Always Rains on Sunday (1948), which was one of the biggest hits of the year. In 1948, British exhibitors voted her the 8th most popular British star in the country.[12][13]
Three comedies followed: the hugely popularMiranda (1948), with McCallum, andOnce Upon a Dream (1949) andTraveller's Joy (1949), both directed byRalph Thomas. Next, she was third-billed after Hollywood starsGene Tierney andRichard Widmark in the tense thrillerNight and the City (1950).[14]
Withers took 13 months off following the birth of her first child, then returned to star as a doctor inWhite Corridors (1951), one of the most popular films of the year in Britain.[15][16] She was one of many cameos inThe Magic Box (1951) and was in a playWinter Journey.[17]
Withers made three films with her husband,Derby Day (1952),Devil on Horseback (1954), andPort of Escape (1956).
In 1954, she starred with McCallum in the West End playWaiting for Gillian, byRonald Millar.
Withers first toured Australia in the stage playSimon and Laura. After McCallum was offered the position of runningJ. C. Williamson theatres, they moved to Australia in 1959. Withers starred in a number of stage plays, includingRattigan'sThe Deep Blue Sea,Desire of the Moth,The First 400 Years (withKeith Michell),The Circle,[18]A. R. Gurney'sThe Cocktail Hour,Time and the Conways,The Importance of Being Earnest,Beekman Place (1965), for which she also designed the set.[19]Desire of the Moth,The Kingfisher,Stardust,Chekhov'sThe Cherry Orchard andWilde'sAn Ideal Husband for theMelbourne Theatre Company; both productions toured Australia. They appeared together in the UK inThe School for Scandal at theDuke of York's Theatre in London's West End and on the subsequentBritish Council tour of Europe in 1983–84, and inW. Somerset Maugham'sThe Circle at theChichester Festival Theatre.[citation needed] Withers starred on Broadway withMichael Redgrave inThe Complaisant Lover, and in London withAlec Guinness inExit the King.
Withers returned to films with the lead inNickel Queen (1971), directed by McCallum.
She was inThe Cherry Orchard (1974) on Australian TV.
In 1974, she appeared as Faye Boswell, the original governor of a women's prison, in the television seriesWithin These Walls. BecauseWithin These Walls had been a moderate success in Australia, she was approached by producers to play the role of the Governor in the Australian version titledPrisoner, but she declined and the role was given toPatsy King.
Performances on the stage in productions ofThe Cherry Orchard andAn Ideal Husband earned Withers a nomination in theActress of the Year in a Revival at the1976 Laurence Olivier Awards.[20]
Withers starred in the BBC adaptation ofHotel du Lac (1986), which was followed a year later by another BBC production,Northanger Abbey.
In 1989, she appeared at Brighton in England inThe Cocktail Hour alongside her husband John and her daughter,Joanna. In the previous year, the play had been a success in New York, starringNancy Marchand. In 1990, she appeared in ITV's adaptation ofEnding Up. Her last screen performance was as the Australian novelistKatharine Susannah Prichard in the filmShine (1996), for which she and the other cast members were nominated for aScreen Actors Guild award for "Outstanding performance by a cast".
In 2002, aged 85, Withers, withVanessa Redgrave, appeared in London's West End, inOscar Wilde'sLady Windermere's Fan.
In October 2007, aged 90 and 89 respectively, Withers and McCallum appeared in an extended interview withPeter Thompson onABC TV'sTalking Heads programme.[7]
Withers died on 15 July 2011 at her Sydney home, aged 94. Her husband, actor, television producer and studio executiveJohn McCallum predeceased her on 3 February 2010.[21][22]
Withers was appointed an Honorary Officer of theOrder of Australia (AO) for services to drama, in the 1980 Australia Day Honours List.[23] In the 2001 Queen's Birthday Honours List (UK), she was named a Commander of theOrder of the British Empire (CBE). Withers was aJC Williamson Award recipient for lifetime achievement in 1999.[24] In 1992 Googie Withers and John McCallum were founding patrons and active supporters of theTait Memorial Trust in London. A Charity established by Isla Baring OAM, the daughter of Sir Frank Tait ofJ. C. Williamson's to support young Australian performing artists in the UK.[25]
She was the subject ofThis Is Your Life in 1971, when she was surprised byEamonn Andrews whilst thinking she was going to be interviewed by her close friendGodfrey Winn. Although she knew Andrews, when he appeared as she entered the set, she asked him why he was no longer working as a presenter and was instead working as a floor manager.[26]
Actress Georgette 'Googie' Withers was a pupil there around 1929 to 1930 just prior to beginning her long career. She was educated first at Fredville Park School, and after a year or so moved to the Convent of the Holy Family in Kensington
