R.I.P. Jean Kent - the last of the Gainsborough Girls
Walter Neff
Posts: 9,175 Forum Member
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I doubt if her name will mean much to anyone under 65, but Jean was one of the big names of British films in the mid to late '40's.
She appeared with James Mason in Fanny by Gaslight, and starred in The Woman in Question with Dirk Bogarde supporting her.
Marilyn fans mat remember her as the snooty Maisie Springfield in The Prince and the Showgirl.
One of her best roles was in the 1951 version of The Browning Version. Sadly, Jean said that it finished her as a leading lady as she played an older character than her real age. Neverless she carried on for another 50 plus years, including the TV series Sir Francis Drake, as Queen Elizabeth.
She even spent time on Crossroads. She died early this morning aged 92 after a fall in her home on Thursday.
I didn't think that she would get a mention in the papers, but both the Mirror and the Mail have given her a well deserved tribute.
R.I.P. Jean Kent - 1921 - 2013
She appeared with James Mason in Fanny by Gaslight, and starred in The Woman in Question with Dirk Bogarde supporting her.
Marilyn fans mat remember her as the snooty Maisie Springfield in The Prince and the Showgirl.
One of her best roles was in the 1951 version of The Browning Version. Sadly, Jean said that it finished her as a leading lady as she played an older character than her real age. Neverless she carried on for another 50 plus years, including the TV series Sir Francis Drake, as Queen Elizabeth.
She even spent time on Crossroads. She died early this morning aged 92 after a fall in her home on Thursday.
I didn't think that she would get a mention in the papers, but both the Mirror and the Mail have given her a well deserved tribute.
R.I.P. Jean Kent - 1921 - 2013
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Now it seems that her funeral has been delayed as the coroner has ordered a post mortem. I can't imagine why, a lady of 92 dies after a fall two days earlier. I just hope that there was nothing sinister about her fall.
I remember her mostly from The Browning Version, Fanny by Gaslight, Beyond This Place (Van Johnson), Shout at the Devil (Lee Marvin) and an interesting British mystery film (I can't remember the title. An American character doesn't believe her parents died naturally, and tries to investigate after suspecting Kent's character is behind it all). Also, the one where a police investigator tries to re-build the day Kent's character died, to figure out who had killed her, by interviewing different characters. Similar to Rashomon.
I must admit that I tend to recognise her face, but couldn't remember her name. At same time, I usually confuse her name as the one for Jean Simmons. As in, kept thinking Jean Simmons's name was Jean Kent.
That is good to hear, we used to do very well for Classic Movies on Channel 4 when Leslie was alive. I remember them having a Betty Grable season.
Happy Days!
I am so glad that I revived this thread, I knew that there were other fans of the films of the 1940's in here.
Jean was in the top four of British actresses in those days. I always thought that she was a better and more versatile actress than Margaret Lockwood, who was voted Best Actress every year, although I did like Margaret.
Such a shame that she never went to Hollywood, who when Jean's favourite film Trottie True was released said, "Britain has it's own Grable."
That mystery film was an excellent thriller called Before I Wake, aka Shadow of Fear (1954). In which Jean played a cross between a wicked stepmother and Mrs Danvers, and was frighteningly convincing.
The Rashomon style film was The Woman in Question, (1950) aka Five Angles on a Murder. In which you see Jean's character through five different people's eyes. This gave her the opportunity to show her versatility by playing five variations of the same woman. From ladylike to slutty tart, which she played with relish.
For anyone reading this who can't put a face to the name, do yourself a favour and Google Jean Kent, to see just how gorgeous she was in her hey day.
I was lucky enough to meet her at a Film Tribute for her at the NFT in 1999, and she was delightful. She stood and posed for photo's and signed every autograph, and she was in her late seventies then.