Dawn Addams
Encyclopedia
Dawn Addams was an English actress in motion pictures of the 1950s.
, Suffolk
, England, the daughter of Ethel Mary (née
Hickie) and Captain James Ramage Addams. Her mother died when she was young, and she spent her early life in Calcutta
, India
. Her heart shaped face and beautiful physique soon attracted the attention of talent agents. She resembled another English actress Elizabeth Taylor
but only slightly. Addams unlike Taylor retained her English accent.
Her film career began in 1951, and a year later she co-starred with Peter Lawford
in The Hour of 13. In 1953 she appeared in a small role in the ground-breaking film The Moon is Blue
, the film which helped end the system of religious censorship of Hollywood films, which had been in place since 1934. She also embarked on a USO tour the same year to help entertain troops in Korea
, followed by a small but heavily publicised role as Richard Carlson
's model girlfriend in the science fiction film Riders to the Stars
(1954). Another notable performance was as the female lead opposite actor-director-filmmaker legend Charlie Chaplin
in his final comedy to star himself A King in New York
(1957). During the 1960s and 1970s she appeared mainly in British TV shows and French films.
She was a semi-regular on the instructional series En France (1962) and the campy sci-fi serial Star Maidens
(1977), and she was a ubiquitous leading lady in several episodes of The Saint
, which starred Roger Moore
as Simon Templar
(1962–1969).
Among her last film credits were two British horror films, The Vampire Lovers
and The Vault of Horror
, and she was also a regular in the British sitcom Father Dear Father. Addams retired in the early 1980s, dividing her remaining years between Europe and the United States.
She died in 1985, aged 54, reportedly from cancer
. Addams had been a heavy smoker.
Life and career
She was born Victoria Dawn Addams in FelixstoweFelixstowe
Felixstowe is a seaside town on the North Sea coast of Suffolk, England. The town gives its name to the nearby Port of Felixstowe, which is the largest container port in the United Kingdom and is owned by Hutchinson Ports UK...
, Suffolk
Suffolk
Suffolk is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, England. It has borders with Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. The North Sea lies to the east...
, England, the daughter of Ethel Mary (née
Married and maiden names
A married name is the family name adopted by a person upon marriage. When a person assumes the family name of her spouse, the new name replaces the maiden name....
Hickie) and Captain James Ramage Addams. Her mother died when she was young, and she spent her early life in Calcutta
Kolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. Her heart shaped face and beautiful physique soon attracted the attention of talent agents. She resembled another English actress Elizabeth Taylor
Elizabeth Taylor
Dame Elizabeth Rosemond "Liz" Taylor, DBE was a British-American actress. From her early years as a child star with MGM, she became one of the great screen actresses of Hollywood's Golden Age...
but only slightly. Addams unlike Taylor retained her English accent.
Her film career began in 1951, and a year later she co-starred with Peter Lawford
Peter Lawford
Peter Sydney Ernest Aylen , better known as Peter Lawford, was an English-American actor.He was a member of the "Rat Pack", and brother-in-law to US President John F. Kennedy, perhaps more noted in later years for his off-screen activities as a celebrity than for his acting...
in The Hour of 13. In 1953 she appeared in a small role in the ground-breaking film The Moon is Blue
The Moon Is Blue
The Moon Is Blue is a 1953 American comedy film produced and directed by Otto Preminger. The screenplay by F. Hugh Herbert, based on his 1951 play of the same title, focuses on a young woman who meets an architect on the observation deck of the Empire State Building and quickly turns his life...
, the film which helped end the system of religious censorship of Hollywood films, which had been in place since 1934. She also embarked on a USO tour the same year to help entertain troops in Korea
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
, followed by a small but heavily publicised role as Richard Carlson
Richard Carlson
Richard Carlson was an American actor, television and film director, and screenwriter.-Career:Born in Albert Lea, Minnesota, Carlson graduated from the University of Minnesota with an M.A. degree, Summa Cum Laude, Phi Beta Kappa. He later appeared on the Broadway stage in the 1930s after studying...
's model girlfriend in the science fiction film Riders to the Stars
Riders to the Stars
Riders to the Stars is an American science fiction film that was released in 1954 by Ivan Tors Productions and directed by Richard Carlson. It stars William Lundigan, Martha Hyer, Herbert Marshall, and Richard Carlson.- Plot :...
(1954). Another notable performance was as the female lead opposite actor-director-filmmaker legend Charlie Chaplin
Charlie Chaplin
Sir Charles Spencer "Charlie" Chaplin, KBE was an English comic actor, film director and composer best known for his work during the silent film era. He became the most famous film star in the world before the end of World War I...
in his final comedy to star himself A King in New York
A King in New York
A King in New York is a 1957 British comedy film directed by and starring Charlie Chaplin in his last leading role, which presents a satirical view of certain aspects of United States politics and society. The film was produced in Europe after Chaplin's exile from the US in 1952...
(1957). During the 1960s and 1970s she appeared mainly in British TV shows and French films.
She was a semi-regular on the instructional series En France (1962) and the campy sci-fi serial Star Maidens
Star Maidens
Star Maidens is a British science-fiction television series made by Portman Productions for the ITV Network. Produced in 1975, and first screened in 1976, it was filmed at Bray Studios and on location in Windsor, Bracknell and Black Park...
(1977), and she was a ubiquitous leading lady in several episodes of The Saint
The Saint (TV series)
The Saint was an ITC mystery spy thriller television series that aired in the UK on ITV between 1962 and 1969. It centred on the Leslie Charteris literary character, Simon Templar, a Robin Hood-like adventurer with a penchant for disguise. The character may be nicknamed The Saint because the...
, which starred Roger Moore
Roger Moore
Sir Roger George Moore KBE , is an English actor, perhaps best known for portraying British secret agent James Bond in seven films from 1973 to 1985. He also portrayed Simon Templar in the long-running British television series The Saint.-Early life:Moore was born in Stockwell, London...
as Simon Templar
Simon Templar
Simon Templar is a British fictional character known as The Saint featured in a long-running series of books by Leslie Charteris published between 1928 and 1963. After that date, other authors collaborated with Charteris on books until 1983; two additional works produced without Charteris’s...
(1962–1969).
Among her last film credits were two British horror films, The Vampire Lovers
The Vampire Lovers
The Vampire Lovers is a 1970 British Hammer Horror film directed by Roy Ward Baker and starring Peter Cushing, Ingrid Pitt, Madeline Smith, Kate O'Mara, and Jon Finch. It is based on the J. Sheridan Le Fanu novella Carmilla and is part of the so-called Karnstein Trilogy of films. The other films in...
and The Vault of Horror
The Vault of Horror
The Vault of Horror was a bi-monthly horror comic anthology series published by EC Comics in the early 1950s. Along with Tales from the Crypt and The Haunt of Fear, it formed a trifecta of popular EC horror anthologies...
, and she was also a regular in the British sitcom Father Dear Father. Addams retired in the early 1980s, dividing her remaining years between Europe and the United States.
She died in 1985, aged 54, reportedly from cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
. Addams had been a heavy smoker.
Personal life
She was married to:- Jimmy White (September 1974 – ?)
- Don Vittorio Emanuele Massimo, Prince of Roccasecca (1954–1971). One son, Prince Stefano Massimo, born 10 January 1955.
Movies
- The Vault of Horror (film)The Vault of Horror (film)The Vault of Horror is a British portmanteau horror film made in 1973 by Amicus Productions. Like its predecessor, Tales from the Crypt, it is based on stories from the EC Comics series written by Al Feldstein and Bill Gaines...
(1973) ... Inez - Sapho ou La fureur d'aimer (1971) ... Marianne
- The Vampire LoversThe Vampire LoversThe Vampire Lovers is a 1970 British Hammer Horror film directed by Roy Ward Baker and starring Peter Cushing, Ingrid Pitt, Madeline Smith, Kate O'Mara, and Jon Finch. It is based on the J. Sheridan Le Fanu novella Carmilla and is part of the so-called Karnstein Trilogy of films. The other films in...
(1970) ... The Countess - Zeta OneZeta OneZeta One is a 1969 British comedy science fiction film directed by Michael Cort and starring James Robertson Justice, Charles Hawtrey and Robin Hawdon.-Cast:* James Robertson Justice - Major Bourdon* Charles Hawtrey - Swyne* Robin Hawdon - James Word...
(1969) ... Zeta - Where the Bullets FlyWhere the Bullets FlyWhere the Bullets Fly is a 1966 British comedy spy film directed by John Gilling and starring Tom Adams as Charles Vine and John Arnatt repeating their roles from Licensed to Kill/The Second Best Secret Agent in the Whole Wide World...
(1966) ... Felicity 'Fiz' Moonlight - Ballad in Blue (1964) ... Gina Graham
- La Tulipe noireLa Tulipe noireLa tulipe noire was only loosely based on the novel of the same name by Alexandre Dumas. It was basically a star vehicle for the popular French actor Alain Delon.-Synopsis:...
(1964) ... Catherine de Vigogne - Come Fly with MeCome Fly with Me (film)Come Fly with Me is a 1963 comedy film about three beautiful international airline stewardesses looking for romance and excitement. The film has dramatic or soap opera elements to it, and was a vehicle for glamorizing the jet age and the prestige, adventure and romance that came with being a...
(1963) ... Katie Rinard - The 20,000 Pound Kiss (1963) ... Maxine Hagen
- L'Éducation sentimentale (1962) ... Catherine Dambreuse
- Les Menteurs (1961) ... Norma O'Brien
- Follow That Man (1961) ... Janet Clark
- The Two Faces of Dr. JekyllThe Two Faces of Dr. JekyllThe Two Faces of Dr. Jekyll is a 1960 horror film by Hammer Film Productions. It was directed by Terence Fisher, and stars Paul Massie as Dr. Jekyll, and co-stars Dawn Addams, Christopher Lee and David Kossoff. It was written by Wolf Mankowitz, based on the story of Dr. Jekyll and Mr...
(1960) ... Kitty Jekyll - The Thousand Eyes of Dr. MabuseThe Thousand Eyes of Dr. MabuseThe Thousand Eyes of Dr. Mabuse is a 1960 film made in West Germany. It was the last film directed by Fritz Lang and concerned the further exploits of Dr. Mabuse, a character Lang had used in two previous films in 1922 and 1933.The movie, based on the Esperanto novel Mr...
AKA Die Tausend Augen des Dr. Mabuse (1960) ... Marion Menil - Die zornigen jungen Männer (1960) ... Irene
- Voulez-vous danser avec moi? (1959) ... Anita Flores
- Les Fruits du péché (1959) ... Dr. Catherine Langeac
- Geheimaktion schwarze Kapelle (1959) ... Tila
- Melodie und Rhythmus (1959) ... Cameo appearance (uncredited)
- The Treasure of San TeresaThe Treasure of San TeresaThe Treasure of San Teresa is a 1959 British-West German thriller film directed by Alvin Rakoff and starring Eddie Constantine, Dawn Addams and Marius Goring. It was based on a play by Jeffrey Dell...
(1959) ... Hedi von Hartmann (film also released as "Hot Money Girl") - L'Île du bout du monde (1959) ... Victoria
- I Battellieri del Volga (1959) ... Tatyana
- Pensione Edelweiss (1959) ... Nadia Rakesy
- Die Feuerrote Baronesse (1959) ... Szaga de Bor
- The Silent EnemyThe Silent Enemy (film)The Silent Enemy is a 1958 action film directed by William Fairchild. It stars Laurence Harvey as Lionel "Buster" Crabb and describes his exploits during World War II...
(1958) ... Third Officer Jill Masters, W.R.N.S. - A King in New YorkA King in New YorkA King in New York is a 1957 British comedy film directed by and starring Charlie Chaplin in his last leading role, which presents a satirical view of certain aspects of United States politics and society. The film was produced in Europe after Chaplin's exile from the US in 1952...
(1957) ... Ann Kay - I quattro Del Getto Tonante (1955) ... Rosi's wife
- Riders to the StarsRiders to the StarsRiders to the Stars is an American science fiction film that was released in 1954 by Ivan Tors Productions and directed by Richard Carlson. It stars William Lundigan, Martha Hyer, Herbert Marshall, and Richard Carlson.- Plot :...
(1954) ... Susan Manners - Die Jungfrau auf dem DachDie Jungfrau auf dem DachDie Jungfrau auf dem Dach is a 1954 American comedy film produced and directed by Otto Preminger. The screenplay by Carl Zuckmayer is a German language translation of the script for The Moon is Blue by F...
(1954) - Return to Treasure Island (1954)
- The RobeThe Robe (film)The Robe is a 1953 American Biblical epic film that tells the story of a Roman military tribune who commands the unit that crucifies Jesus. The film was made by 20th Century Fox and is notable for being the first film released in the widescreen process CinemaScope.It was directed by Henry Koster...
(1953) ... Julia - The Moon is BlueThe Moon Is BlueThe Moon Is Blue is a 1953 American comedy film produced and directed by Otto Preminger. The screenplay by F. Hugh Herbert, based on his 1951 play of the same title, focuses on a young woman who meets an architect on the observation deck of the Empire State Building and quickly turns his life...
(1953) ... Cynthia - Young BessYoung BessYoung Bess is a 1953 biographical film made by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer about the early life of Elizabeth I, from her turbulent childhood to the eve of her accession to the throne of England...
(1953) ... Catherine HowardCatherine HowardCatherine Howard , also spelled Katherine, Katheryn or Kathryn, was the fifth wife of Henry VIII of England, and sometimes known by his reference to her as his "rose without a thorn".... - Plymouth AdventurePlymouth AdventurePlymouth Adventure is a 1952 drama film with an ensemble cast starring Spencer Tracy, Gene Tierney, Van Johnson and Leo Genn, made by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, directed by Clarence Brown, and produced by Dore Schary...
(1952) ... Patricia MullinsPriscilla AldenPriscilla Alden , , noted member of Massachusetts's Plymouth Colony of Pilgrims, was the wife of fellow colonist John Alden . They married in 1623 in Plymouth.-Biography:... - Night Into Morning (1950)
Television
- Sherlock HolmesSherlock HolmesSherlock Holmes is a fictional detective created by Scottish author and physician Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The fantastic London-based "consulting detective", Holmes is famous for his astute logical reasoning, his ability to take almost any disguise, and his use of forensic science skills to solve...
series in The Case of the Careless Suffragette (aired 28 Feb 1955) - "Danger ManDanger ManDanger Man is a British television series that was broadcast between 1960 and 1962, and again between 1964 and 1968. The series featured Patrick McGoohan as secret agent John Drake. Ralph Smart created the program and wrote many of the scripts...
" series 2, episode 8 – "The Battle of the Cameras" (aired UK 1st Decemnber 1964), as Martine, working for Mr Kent esq. - A Room in Townhttp://www.screenonline.org.uk/tv/id/1078072/ Sept 1970. With George ColeGeorge ColeGeorge Edward Cole, OBE is a veteran British film and television actor whose successful career has spanned over 70 years in show business....
and Pauline YatesPauline YatesPauline Yates is an English actress best known for playing Elizabeth Perrin in the BBC television sitcom The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin...
External links
- Dawn Addams at HorrorStars
- NY Times biography/filmography