Jean Kent

For the poet, see Jean Kent (poet).
Jean Kent

1947
Born Joan Mildred Summerfield
(1921-06-29)29 June 1921
Brixton, London, England, UK
Died 30 November 2013(2013-11-30) (aged 92)
Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, England, UK
Other names Jean Carr
Occupation Actress
Years active 1935–1991
Spouse(s) Josef Ramart (1946–1989; his death)

Jean Kent (29 June 1921 − 30 November 2013) was a British film and television actress.

Biography

Born Joan Mildred Summerfield in Brixton, London,[1] the only child of variety performers Norman Field (né Summerfield) and Nina Norre,[2] she started her theatrical career in 1931 as a dancer. She used the stage name Jean Carr when she appeared as a chorus girl in the Windmill Theatre in London. She signed to Gainsborough Pictures during the Second World War. The turning point in her career came when she was given a dramatic part in 1945 film Fanny by Gaslight. She appeared in several British films during the 1940s and 1950s before turning to television[2] probably best remembered for her role as Queen Elizabeth I in the TV historical adventure series Sir Francis Drake (TV series) filmed in 1961-62.

Personal life

Kent was married to Austrian actor Josef Ramart from 1946 until his death in 1989, aged 70. They met on the set of Caravan.[2][3] Actor Stewart Granger was the best man at their wedding.[4] They appeared together in the films Caravan and Trottie True. She was the subject of This Is Your Life in 1974 when she was surprised by Eamonn Andrews at the Strand Theatre. Kent made her last public appearance in June 2011, when she was honoured by the British Film Institute on her 90th birthday.

Death

Kent died in the West Suffolk Hospital, Bury St. Edmunds on 30 November 2013, following a fall at her home in[2] Westhorpe.[5] The coroner recorded a narrative verdict that Kent died from accidental injuries and that cardiac disease may have contributed to a fall.[6]

Filmography

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.

References

  1. ↑ John Walker Halliwell's Who's Who of the Movies, London: HarperCollins, 1999, p. 229; ISBN 0-00-255905-6
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Film star Jean Kent dies at 92". Herald. Herald & Times Group. Retrieved 30 November 2013.
  3. ↑ "FILM CABLE FROM LONDON". The Sunday Times (Western Australia). Perth, WA: National Library of Australia. 17 March 1946. p. 13 Supplement: The Sunday Times MAGAZINE. Retrieved 2 February 2014.
  4. ↑ Ramart on the Internet Movie Database
  5. ↑ "Jean Kent: Suffolk Gainsborough melodramas actress dies". BBC News Online. Retrieved 30 November 2013.
  6. ↑ "Jean Kent: Film star may have suffered heart attack". Retrieved 8 May 2014.
  7. ↑ "Success Of British Films." Times London, England 29 December 1950: 4. The Times Digital Archive. Web. 11 July 2012.
  8. ↑ "Vivien Leigh Actress of the Year.". Townsville Daily Bulletin. Qld.: National Library of Australia. 29 December 1951. p. 1. Retrieved 24 April 2012.

External links

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