Helen Cherry

Helen Cherry (24 November 1915 – 27 September 2001) was an English stage and film actress.

Helen Mary Cherry was born at Thurgarton, Worsley, Lancashire, the daughter of John William Cherry, a works manager then serving as a captain in the 45th Provisional Battalion, and his wife, Annie Nall.

Educated in Harrogate, Helen Cherry trained as a commercial artist, intending to be a theatrical designer, but instead found work in northern repertory; her first part was as an extra in The Vagabond King in Manchester in 1938.^[1] Her London début was in Herbert Farjeon's revue In Town Again at the Criterion in 1940. Spotted by Robert Atkins, actor–manager of the Open Air Theatre, Regent's Park, London, she appeared in many of his productions there,^[2] at the Westminster Theatre, and, after a season at Alec Clunes's Arts Theatre, at the Memorial Theatre, Stratford upon Avon. Her Rosalind in As You Like It (1943) was particularly well received, described as being "unrivalled in the 1940s".^[3]

After World War II, she remained in demand for Shakespeare and Restoration comedy, though she also appeared in many modern plays. Her Ursula in John Gielgud's production of Much Ado About Nothing at the Palace Theatre in 1955 earned outstanding reviews; her Goneril in his "Japanese" version of King Lear the same season was also acclaimed, although critics generally disliked the production. Cherry's last West End appearance was in Ladies in Retirement at the Fortune Theatre in 1982. She appeared in more than twenty films, mostly derived from stage plays; she was also featured in many television productions, the last of which was the Agatha Christie's mystery novel, Nemesis, playing Miss Elizabeth Temple. She was also seen on the quiz show Guess My Story.^{[citation needed]}

Marriage

While working at the Arts Theatre Cherry met fellow actor Trevor Howard, whom she married on 8 September 1944; they remained married until his death in 1988. They had no children.

Death

She died on 27 September 2001, aged 85, at the Bupa Hospital, Heathbourne Road, Bushey, Hertfordshire, from multiple organ failure and cerebrovascular disease.

References

Source

• T. Pettigrew, Trevor Howard: a personal biography, 2001 (ISBN#?)