Fanny Rowe

Frances Mabel Morton[1] (née Rowe, 26 June 1913 – 31 July 1988) was an English stage, film and television actress.[2][3]

Fanny Rowe
Photo by Francis Goodman, 1949 © National Portrait Gallery, London
Born
Frances Mabel Rowe

(1913-06-26)26 June 1913
Preston, Lancashire, England
Died31 July 1988(1988-07-31) (aged 75)
London, England
Alma materNewnham College, Cambridge
OccupationActress
Years active1936–1988
Spouse
​
​
(m. 1954; died 1975)​

Early years

Rowe was born in Preston, Lancashire,[4] the daughter of a parson, and educated at Channing School For Girls in Highgate and then went on to study at Newnham College, Cambridge.[4][5]

Stage

Rowe's acting career started in the Marlowe Society, Cambridge. She then worked on the West End and in repertory theatre from 1936 onward,[5] at Newcastle, Coventry, Harrogate, Worthing, Dundee and Windsor.

She appeared in many theatrical productions both on the West End and also in the United States.[6][3] Her American stage debut was in Man and Superman.[7] In 1951 she was awarded the Clarence Derwent Award (her real name Frances Rowe is listed). She played the part of Alex Cornwall in Who Goes There!.[8] In 1955 she starred in the J.B. Priestley play Mr. Kettle and Mrs. Moon.[4]

Radio

Rowe made her American radio debut on Grand Central Station.[7]

Television

Rowe's television work included Love Story, Rogues' Gallery, Vanity Fair, The Mill on the Floss (1965 TV adaptation of the book) and as Emily Forsyte in the 1967 TV series The Forsyte Saga.[2] In later years, her most famous roles were that of Nancy Penrose, the mother of Hester played by Julia McKenzie in the ITV sitcom Fresh Fields, (1984–86) and Vera Polling in After Henry (TV series) (1988).[9] She was also in the Tales of the Unexpected episode What Have You Been up to Lately?. (series 5-episode 13)[10] She also starred in an episode of Upstairs Downstairs as the Duchess of Mitcham in the episode The Hero's Farewell.

Personal life

Rowe married actor Clive Morton in 1954.[11][12] She died in London on 31 July 1988, at the age of 75.[1][4]

Filmography
Year Title Role Notes
1944They Came to a CityPhilippa
1952Never Look BackLiz
1952Miss Robin HoodMarion
1953Street CornerC.O.Uncredited
1954The Teckman MysteryEileen Miller
1954Aunt ClaraMaggie MasonUncredited
1955The Dark AvengerGenevieve
1957The Birthday PresentSecretary
1958The MoonrakerLady Dorset
1970Jane EyreMrs. EshtonTV movie
1972Lady Caroline LambLady Holland

Radio appearances
YearProgramEpisode/source
1948Grand Central StationNA[7]

References
  1. "Index entry". FreeBMD. ONS. Retrieved 9 March 2024.
  2. "Fanny Rowe". Archived from the original on 25 January 2022.
  3. "Frances Rowe – Broadway Cast & Staff - IBDB". www.ibdb.com.
  4. "Fanny Rowe". The Times. 3 August 1988. p. 12.
  5. Cotes, Peter (6 August 1988). "Frances Rowe". The Guardian. p. 35. Retrieved 9 March 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. "Frances Rowe - Theatricalia". theatricalia.com.
  7. "Janney, Rowe 'Station' Stars". Pennsylvania, Harrisburg. Harrisburg Telegraph. 20 March 1948. p. 22. Retrieved 21 December 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. Wearing, J. P. (16 September 2014). The London Stage 1950-1959: A Calendar of Productions, Performers, and Personnel. Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 9780810893085 – via Google Books.
  9. "Fresh Fields - TV Guide". TVGuide.com.
  10. "What Have You Been up to Lately? (1982)". Archived from the original on 17 May 2019.
  11. "Index entry". FreeBMD. ONS. Retrieved 9 March 2024.
  12. "Clive Morton, Actor, Dies at 71; Butler in 'Upstairs, Downstairs'". The New York Times.
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