Muguette Mary "Megs" Jenkins (21 April 1917 – 5 October 1998) was an English character actress who appeared in British films and television programmes.
Megs Jenkins | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Muguette Mary Jenkins 21 April 1917 Birkenhead, Cheshire, England |
| Died | 5 October 1998 (aged 81) Felixstowe, Suffolk, England |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1939–1990 |
| Spouse |
George Routledge
(m. 1943; div. 1959) |
Life and career
editJenkins was born in Birkenhead, Cheshire, the daughter of a construction engineer.[1]
She originally trained to be a ballet dancer. Although born in England, she often played Welsh characters. She made her noticeable film debut in Millions Like Us (1943) as the Welsh room-mate and confidante of the main character (played by Patricia Roc). She went on to appear in such films as Green for Danger (1946), The History of Mr. Polly (1949), The Cruel Sea (1953), and Oliver! (1968). She played the housekeeper, Mrs. Grose, in two adaptations of Henry James's The Turn of the Screw: the film The Innocents (1961) and a 1974 television adaptation. She also frequently played comedic roles, and in later life was a regular in the sitcom Oh No It's Selwyn Froggitt, and the children's series Worzel Gummidge. [2]
From 1933, Jenkins also had a long stage career, and appeared in several plays by Emlyn Williams including The Light of Heart in 1940. In 1952 she appeared in the comedy play The Gay Dog in the West End and reprised her role in the 1954 film version. In 1953 she appeared in the long-running A Day by the Sea by N.C. Hunter. In 1956, she won the Clarence Derwent Award for Best Supporting performance in Arthur Miller's A View from the Bridge.[2]
Megs Jenkins's 1943 marriage to George Routledge, a commando who had been a childhood classmate, and who renewed their acquaintance when he saw her name in a review, ended in divorce in 1959.
Filmography
editFilm
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1939 | The Silent Battle | Louise | Released as Continental Express in USA | [1] |
| Secret Journey | Reception girl in glasses | Uncredited | ||
| Poison Pen | Barmaid | |||
| Inspector Hornleigh on Holiday | Maid | Uncredited | ||
| 1943 | Millions Like Us | Gwen | [1] | |
| The Lamp Still Burns | Nurse | Uncredited | [2] | |
| 1944 | It's in the Bag | Peach St. Clair | ||
| 1945 | 29 Acacia Avenue | Shirley | Released as The Facts of Love in USA | [1] |
| Painted Boats | Barmaid | |||
| 1947 | Green for Danger | Nurse Woods | [1] | |
| The Brothers | Angustina McFarish | [1] | ||
| 1948 | Saraband for Dead Lovers | Frau Busche | ||
| The Monkey's Paw | Mrs Trelawne | [1] | ||
| 1949 | The History of Mr. Polly | The Innkeeper | [1] | |
| A Boy, a Girl and a Bike | Nan Ritchie | |||
| 1950 | No Place for Jennifer | Mrs Marshall | [1] | |
| Mr. Gillie | Mrs Gillie | Live TV drama | [1] | |
| 1951 | White Corridors | Mrs. Briggs | ||
| 1952 | Secret People | Penny | ||
| Ivanhoe | Servant to Isaac | [1] | ||
| 1953 | The Cruel Sea | Tallow's sister | [1] | |
| Rough Shoot | Mrs. Powell | |||
| Personal Affair | Vi Vining | |||
| Trouble in Store | Miss Gibson | [1] | ||
| 1954 | The Gay Dog | Maggie Gay | ||
| 1955 | Out of the Clouds | The Landlady | ||
| John and Julie | Mrs Pritchett | |||
| 1957 | The Man in the Sky | Mrs. Snowden | ||
| The Passionate Stranger | Millie | |||
| The Story of Esther Costello | Nurse Evans | |||
| 1958 | Indiscreet | Doris Banks | [1] | |
| 1959 | Tiger Bay | Mrs Philips | [1] | |
| Jet Storm | Rose Brock | |||
| Friends and Neighbours | Lily Grimshaw | |||
| 1960 | Conspiracy of Hearts | Sister Constance | ||
| 1961 | The Green Helmet | Kitty Launder | ||
| The Innocents | Mrs Grose | [1] | ||
| 1962 | The Barber of Stamford Hill | Mrs. Werner | ||
| Life for Ruth | Mrs. Gordon | |||
| The Wild and the Willing | Mrs. Corbett | |||
| 1964 | Murder Most Foul | Mrs Gladys Thomas | ||
| 1965 | Bunny Lake Is Missing | Sister | ||
| 1967 | Stranger in the House | Mrs. Christoforides | ||
| 1968 | Oliver! | Mrs Bedwin | [1] | |
| 1969 | The Smashing Bird I Used to Know | Matron | ||
| 1972 | Asylum | Miss Higgins | (segment: "Lucy Comes to Stay") | |
| 1975 | The Amorous Milkman | Iris |
Television
edit- Jenny Meade (1951, TV film)
- Dark Summer (1951, TV film)
- The Human Jungle (1964, Episode, "Conscience on a Rack") – Dr Murphy
- Gideon's Way (1965, Episode, "The Wall") – Landlord's wife
- Weavers Green (1966, TV serial)
- David Copperfield (1969, TV film)
- Ben Travers' Farces (1970, 3 episodes)
- The Befrienders (1970, TV film) – Janet
- Jane Eyre (1973, TV Serial) – Mrs. Fairfax
- Orson Welles Great Mysteries (1973, TV series, Series 1, episode 11: 'The Monkey's Paw') - Mrs. White
- Crown Court (1974, Episode, "Vermin") – Dr. Bridget Walker
- The Turn of the Screw (1974, TV film) – Mrs. Grose
- Oh No It's Selwyn Froggitt (1976–77) – Mrs Froggitt
- Worzel Gummidge (1979–80) Mrs Braithwaite
- Young at Heart (1980–1982, TV sitcom) – Ethel Collyer
- A Woman of Substance (1985 TV film) – Mrs. Turner
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Vallance, Tom (11 October 1998). "Obituary: Megs Jenkins". The Independent. London. Archived from the original on 12 May 2022. Retrieved 19 September 2016.
- ^ a b c Lyall, Sarah (22 October 1998). "Megs Jenkins, 81, an Actress Known for Her Matronly Roles". The New York Times. Retrieved 19 September 2016.
