Vanda Godsell

Vanda Godsell (17 November 1922–11 April 1990) was an English actress. She was born near Bristol into the well known Godsell family, best known for its brewery based in Stroud. Her father was an officer in the Navy and served in the Battle of Jutland whilst her mother, Muriel, was the sister of novelist and actress Naomi Jacob. Godsell's sister Felicia was also an actress but her other sister was a respected editor in the publishing world.

She began acting when she joined the Bristol Repertoire aged 14. Her career lasted for fifty years, making her film debut in 1953 in "Flannelfoot" starring Ronald Howard. She also appeared in "Hell is a City", "A Shot in the Dark", "The Earth Dies Screaming", "The Wrong Box", "Bitter Harvest" and "The Pink Panther Strikes Again". Many of these films were directed or produced by Blake Edwards. Vanda portrayed Mrs. Anne Weaver in "This Sporting Life". On television, she appeared in shows like "The Saint", "Minder", "Dixon of Dock Green", "Bless This House", "In Loving Memory" and "Taxi!". She appeared as Blanche Dubois in a critically acclaimed version of "A Streetcar Named Desire" at the West End.

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* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/guide/talent/g/godsell_vanda.shtml BBC profile]