Big Red Book
Celebrating television's This Is Your Life
Joyce CAREY OBE (1898-1993)
THIS IS YOUR LIFE - Joyce Carey, actress, was surprised by Eamonn Andrews at London's Waldorf Hotel, having been led to believe she was to take part in a press photo shoot with the cast of the current West End production of the play Blithe Spirit in celebration of her 70 years in the theatre.
Joyce, who was born into a theatrical family in London and made her stage debut in 1916 at the age of 18, found early success appearing in a series of light comedy roles in London's West End and playing Shakespearean roles at Stratford-upon-Avon. She became best known for her long association with playwright Noel Coward - initially with the play Easy Virtue, and later starring in his most famous plays, This Happy Breed, Blithe Spirit, and Present Laughter, in which she played Liz – a character based partly on herself.
Her film work includes the role of the manageress of the station buffet in Coward's Brief Encounter, the petty officer's wife in In Which We Serve and Mrs Bradman in Blithe Spirit. On television, she starred in the ITV sitcom Father, Dear Father and later in the popular ITV drama serial The Cedar Tree. After 70 years in the business, she appeared on stage in the 1980s as Mrs Higgins in Pygmalion, opposite Peter O'Toole.
programme details...
- Edition No: 688
- Subject No: 682
- Broadcast date: Thu 26 Dec 1985
- Broadcast time: 6.30-7.15pm
- Recorded: Tue 1 Oct 1985
- Venue: Royalty Theatre
- Series: 26
- Edition: 10
- Code name: Lady
on the guest list...
- Jane Asher
- Joanna Lumley
- Simon Cadell
- Martin Tickner
- Simon Bowman
- Martin Shaw
- Maxine Audley
- Robert Morse
- Peter Wyngarde
- Kathy Staff
- Wanda Ventham
- Moray Watson
- Sheila Valentine
- Lynda Baron
- Amanda Barrie
- John Lynch
- Natasha Richardson
- Vanessa Redgrave
- Elfreda Simbarrie
- Robert Harris
- Constance Cummings
- Graham Payn
- Trevor Howard
- Bernard Miles
- Patrick Cargill
- Robert Morley
- Billy Connolly
- Sarah Harper
- Richard Lewis
- Gary Bond
- Nichola McAuliffe
- Lynda Bellingham
- Richard Vernon
- Frances Cuka
- James Grout
- Simon Rouse
- Frank Thornton
- Ursula Smith
- Richard Todd
- Betsy Brantley
- David Healy
- Clarke Peters
- Norman Rossington
- Lulu
- Jackie Smith-Wood
- Tim Ackroyd
- Polly Adams
- Ann Holloway
- Elspeth March
- Peter O'Toole Filmed tributes:
- Mary Latter
- Rex Harrison
- Deborah Kerr
- Princess Antoinette of Monaco
related appearances...
- Robert Morley - May 1974
- Patrick Cargill - Dec 1976
- Donald Sinden - May 1985
production team...
- Researchers: Angela Clark, Claire Jenkinson
- Writer: Roy Bottomley
- Directors: Terry Yarwood, Michael D Kent
- Associate Producer: Brian Klein
- Producer: Malcolm Morris
- names above in bold indicate subjects of This Is Your Life
spotlight on the stars
the special editions
Screenshots of Joyce Carey This Is Your Life
Series 26 subjects
William Roache | Dennis Taylor | Elisabeth Welch | Sheila Mercier | Richard Branson | Maurice Denham | David EllawayTerry O'Neill | Gerry Marsden | Joyce Carey | Chas n Dave | Oliver Reed | Felix Bowness | John Harris | Bonnie Langford
Henry Cotton | June McElnea | Derek Jameson | Richard Vernon | Martyn Lewis | Peter Shilton | Ted Rogers
Simon Williams | Larry Slater | Lena Kennedy | Denis Quilley