Belita Jepson-Turner (21 October 1923[a] – 18 December 2005), known professionally as Belita, was a British Olympic figure skater, dancer, and film actress.
Belita | |
|---|---|
 Belita in 1940 | |
| Born | Maria Belita Gladys Jepson-Turner 21 October 1923[a] Garlogs, Nether Wallop, England |
| Died | 18 December 2005 (aged 82) Montpeyroux, Hérault, France |
| Years active | 1947–1963 |
| Spouses | Joel McGinnis
(m. 1946; div. 1956)James Berwick (né James Kenny)
(m. 1967; d. 2000) |
Early years
editBelita was born at Nether Wallop, Hampshire,[1] to Major William Jepson-Turner and wife Gladys Olive Lyne-Stivens.[2] She skated (as Belita Jepson-Turner) for the United Kingdom in the 1936 Winter Olympics, where she was placed 16th in the singles, then her career turned towards Hollywood. She had classical Russian ballet training which carried over into her skating. As a young ballerina, she was partner to Anton Dolin, appearing with the Dolin-Markova Ballet.[3]
Film career
editBelita appeared in films, making several highly profitable productions for Monogram Pictures, including skating in Silver Skates (1943) and Lady, Let's Dance (1944), skating and playing the dramatic lead in and the film noir Suspense (1946), the female lead in The Gangster (1947), and skating again and playing the dramatic lead in The Hunted (1948). For a brief period, she was Monogram's highest-paid star. Later she worked with A-list stars Charles Laughton in The Man on the Eiffel Tower (1949, and Clark Gable in Never Let Me Go (1953). In 1957 she danced with Fred Astaire in Silk Stockings.
Retirement
editIn 1956, she retired from skating, and three years later gave up show business altogether. She appeared briefly on the ice at Madison Square Garden in New York City in 1981 in a short production based on "Solitude" by Duke Ellington.
Personal life
editBelita married Joel McGinnis in 1946; they divorced in 1956. She married Irish actor James Berwick (né Kenny; 1929–2000) in 1967; they remained married until his death. Both marriages were childless.
Belita retired from her second career, as a landscape nursery owner,[3] and later relocated to Montpeyroux, Hérault, France, where she died in 2005, aged 82.[3][4]
Filmography
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1941 | Ice-Capades | Ice Capades Skater | Uncredited |
| 1943 | Silver Skates | Herself | |
| 1944 | Lady, Let's Dance | Herself | |
| 1946 | Suspense | Roberta Leonard, aka Roberta Elva | |
| 1947 | The Gangster | Nancy | |
| 1948 | The Hunted | Laura Mead | |
| 1949 | The Man on the Eiffel Tower | Gisella Heurtin | |
| 1953 | Never Let Me Go | Valentina Alexandrovna | |
| 1956 | Invitation to the Dance | The Femme Fatale in 'Ring Around the Rosy' | |
| 1957 | Silk Stockings | Vera | Uncredited |
| 1958 | The Key | Canteen Hostess | Uncredited |
| 1963 | The Terrace | Herself | (final film role) |
Notes
editReferences
edit- ^ Belita Jepson-Turner. sports-reference.com
- ^ "William Jepson Turner 1868-1954". ghgraham.org. 3 September 2017. Retrieved 11 June 2022.
- ^ a b c Stevens, Ryan. "Skate Guard: All The Best, Belita: The Definitive Biography Of Belita Jepson-Turner". Retrieved 29 November 2020.
- ^ "Belita". IMDb.
External links
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