Olive Sloane
Encyclopedia
Olive Sloane was an English actress whose film career spanned over 40 years from the silent era
through to her death. Sloane's career trajectory was unusual in that for most of her professional life she was essentially an anonymous bit part
actress, and her best, most substantial roles did not come until relatively late in her career when she was in her 50s. Her most famous film appearance is the 1950 production Seven Days to Noon
.
, and there were five further appearances in silents up to 1925, including 1922's Trapped by the Mormons, a film which many decades later became a cult favourite with midnight movie aficionados due to its unintentionally ludicrous hilarity, and received a DVD release in the U.S. in 2006. After 1925, there would be no further film appearance for Sloane until after the advent of talkies with 1933's The Good Companions
. Details of Sloane's activities in the intervening years are sparse, but information retrieved places her working with a touring stage company in New Zealand
in 1927.
After 1933, Sloane rapidly began to accumulate credits in British films. The majority of these were cheaply-made quota quickies which immediately vanished into oblivion, but occasionally there was a higher-profile and more prestigious production such as the Gracie Fields
star vehicle Sing As We Go
(1934), in which she was credited as "Violet, the Song-Plugger's Girlfriend". However Sloane toiled mainly in insignificant roles in inferior films for many years, and it was not until towards the end of the 1940s, aged over 50, that she began to find her services in increasing demand, with a notable improvement both in the quality of films and size of roles being offered to her.
's 1949 British production Under Capricorn
was followed the next year by her most widely-admired and best-known screen performance in the critically acclaimed Boulting Brothers
-directed Seven Days to Noon
, as Goldie Phillips, the woman who helps the desperate Professor Willingdon (Barry Jones
). The character of Goldie was written as an aging ex-chorus girl
– brassy, excessively made-up and cheaply and gaudily dressed, whiling away her days gossiping and tippling in local public houses. Although not explicitly stated, the script strongly implied that Goldie relied on casual prostitution to make ends meet. With the open and unquestioning way in which she offered assistance and shelter to Willingdon, and her devotion to her little dog Trixie, Goldie came across as a cheerful, good-hearted soul and Sloane's performance earned much praise from critics for the mixture of humour and pathos she brought to Goldie's character, in a way that a younger or more glamorous actress would have been unlikely to have been able to achieve.
The next few years brought roles for Sloane in other well-known films, such as the 1953 Ealing Studios
satire Meet Mr. Lucifer
with Stanley Holloway
and 1954 prison drama The Weak and the Wicked
, in which she played Nellie Baden, an elderly compulsive shoplifter sharing the cells with, amongst others, Glynis Johns
and Diana Dors
. 1955 brought the Richard Widmark
heist
thriller A Prize of Gold
and 1957 the legal comedy Brothers in Law
. Sloane's last credit came in the Peter Sellers
satire Heavens Above!
, released two weeks before she died in London on 28 June 1963, aged 66.
Silent film
A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound, especially with no spoken dialogue. In silent films for entertainment the dialogue is transmitted through muted gestures, pantomime and title cards...
through to her death. Sloane's career trajectory was unusual in that for most of her professional life she was essentially an anonymous bit part
Bit part
A bit part is a supporting acting role with at least one line of dialogue . In British television, bit parts are referred to as under sixes...
actress, and her best, most substantial roles did not come until relatively late in her career when she was in her 50s. Her most famous film appearance is the 1950 production Seven Days to Noon
Seven Days to Noon
Seven Days to Noon is a 1950 British drama / thriller film directed by John Boulting and Roy Boulting. Paul Dehn and James Bernard won the Academy Award for Best Story for this film.-Plot:The film is set in the early 1950s...
.
1920s - 1940s
Born in London in 1896, Sloane's first screen credit came in a 1921 silent film The Door That Has No Key produced by Frank Hall CraneFrank Hall Crane
Frank Hall Crane was an American stage and film actor and director. He appeared in 75 films between 1909 and 1939. He also directed 48 films between 1914 and 1927. His first screen writing included The Stolen Voice in 1915.He was born in San Francisco, California, and died in Woodland Hills, Los...
, and there were five further appearances in silents up to 1925, including 1922's Trapped by the Mormons, a film which many decades later became a cult favourite with midnight movie aficionados due to its unintentionally ludicrous hilarity, and received a DVD release in the U.S. in 2006. After 1925, there would be no further film appearance for Sloane until after the advent of talkies with 1933's The Good Companions
The Good Companions (1933 film)
The Good Companions is a 1933 comedy film directed by Victor Saville starring Jessie Matthews and John Gielgud. It is based on the novel of the same name.-Cast:* Jessie Matthews - Susie Dean* Edmund Gwenn - Jess Oakroyd* John Gielgud - Inigo Jollifant...
. Details of Sloane's activities in the intervening years are sparse, but information retrieved places her working with a touring stage company in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
in 1927.
After 1933, Sloane rapidly began to accumulate credits in British films. The majority of these were cheaply-made quota quickies which immediately vanished into oblivion, but occasionally there was a higher-profile and more prestigious production such as the Gracie Fields
Gracie Fields
Dame Gracie Fields, DBE , was an English-born, later Italian-based actress, singer and comedienne and star of both cinema and music hall.-Early life:...
star vehicle Sing As We Go
Sing as We Go
Sing As We Go is a 1934 British musical film starring Gracie Fields and Stanley Holloway. The script was written by Gordon Wellesley and J. B. Priestley; it was directed by Basil Dean....
(1934), in which she was credited as "Violet, the Song-Plugger's Girlfriend". However Sloane toiled mainly in insignificant roles in inferior films for many years, and it was not until towards the end of the 1940s, aged over 50, that she began to find her services in increasing demand, with a notable improvement both in the quality of films and size of roles being offered to her.
1950 - 1963
A minor role in Alfred HitchcockAlfred Hitchcock
Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock, KBE was a British film director and producer. He pioneered many techniques in the suspense and psychological thriller genres. After a successful career in British cinema in both silent films and early talkies, Hitchcock moved to Hollywood...
's 1949 British production Under Capricorn
Under Capricorn
Under Capricorn is an Alfred Hitchcock historical feature film.-Production:The film is based on the novel Under Capricorn by Helen Simpson, with screenplay by James Bridie, and adaptation by Hume Cronyn. The movie was co-produced by Hitchcock and Sidney Bernstein for their short-lived production...
was followed the next year by her most widely-admired and best-known screen performance in the critically acclaimed Boulting Brothers
John and Roy Boulting
John Edward Boulting and Roy Alfred Clarence Boulting , known collectively as the Boulting brothers, were English filmmakers and identical twins who became known for their popular series of satirical comedies in the 1950s and 1960s.-Biography:The twin brothers were born in Bray, Berkshire, England...
-directed Seven Days to Noon
Seven Days to Noon
Seven Days to Noon is a 1950 British drama / thriller film directed by John Boulting and Roy Boulting. Paul Dehn and James Bernard won the Academy Award for Best Story for this film.-Plot:The film is set in the early 1950s...
, as Goldie Phillips, the woman who helps the desperate Professor Willingdon (Barry Jones
Barry Jones (actor)
Barry Jones was an actor seen in British and American films, on American television and on the stage.-Biography:...
). The character of Goldie was written as an aging ex-chorus girl
Chorus Girl
A chorus girl is a female performer in a chorus or chorus line.It may also refer to:*Chorus Girl , a compilation from Atomic Records*Chorus Girls , a 1981 musical*"The Chorus Girl", a story by Anton Chekhov...
– brassy, excessively made-up and cheaply and gaudily dressed, whiling away her days gossiping and tippling in local public houses. Although not explicitly stated, the script strongly implied that Goldie relied on casual prostitution to make ends meet. With the open and unquestioning way in which she offered assistance and shelter to Willingdon, and her devotion to her little dog Trixie, Goldie came across as a cheerful, good-hearted soul and Sloane's performance earned much praise from critics for the mixture of humour and pathos she brought to Goldie's character, in a way that a younger or more glamorous actress would have been unlikely to have been able to achieve.
The next few years brought roles for Sloane in other well-known films, such as the 1953 Ealing Studios
Ealing Studios
Ealing Studios is a television and film production company and facilities provider at Ealing Green in West London. Will Barker bought the White Lodge on Ealing Green in 1902 as a base for film making, and films have been made on the site ever since...
satire Meet Mr. Lucifer
Meet Mr. Lucifer
Meet Mr. Lucifer is a black and white British comedy satire film released in 1953 starring Stanley Holloway. Filmed at Ealing Studios, London, The film is based on the play Beggar My Neighbour by Arnold Ridley -Plot:When Mr Pedelty leaves his firm, he is given a...
with Stanley Holloway
Stanley Holloway
Stanley Augustus Holloway, OBE was an English stage and film actor, comedian, singer, poet and monologist. He was famous for his comic and character roles on stage and screen, especially that of Alfred P. Doolittle in My Fair Lady...
and 1954 prison drama The Weak and the Wicked
The Weak and the Wicked
The Weak and the Wicked is a 1954 British drama film directed by J. Lee Thompson based on the book by his wife, Joan Henry, starring Glynis Johns and Diana Dors....
, in which she played Nellie Baden, an elderly compulsive shoplifter sharing the cells with, amongst others, Glynis Johns
Glynis Johns
Glynis Johns is a South African-born Welsh stage and film actress, dancer, pianist and singer . With a career spanning seven decades, Johns is often cited as the "complete actress", who happens to be a trained pianist and singer...
and Diana Dors
Diana Dors
Diana Dors was an English actress, born Diana Mary Fluck in Swindon, Wiltshire. Considered the English equivalent of the blonde bombshells of Hollywood, Dors described herself as: "The only sex symbol Britain has produced since Lady Godiva."-Early life:Diana Mary Fluck was born in Swindon,...
. 1955 brought the Richard Widmark
Richard Widmark
Richard Weedt Widmark was an American film, stage and television actor.He was nominated for an Academy Award for his role as the villainous Tommy Udo in his debut film, Kiss of Death...
heist
Heist film
A heist film is a film that has an intricate plot woven around a group of people trying to steal something. Versions with dominant or prominent comic elements are often called caper movies. They could be described as the analogues of caper stories in film history...
thriller A Prize of Gold
A Prize of Gold
A Prize of Gold is a British 1955 Warwick Films heist film directed by Mark Robson partly filmed in West Berlin. The film stars Richard Widmark as a United States Air Force Air Police Master Sergeant motivated by love and compassion to begin a life of crime...
and 1957 the legal comedy Brothers in Law
Brothers in Law
Brothers in Law is a 1955 comedy book by Henry Cecil, himself a County Court judge, about Roger Thursby — a young barrister — experiencing his first year in chambers.-Television and Film:...
. Sloane's last credit came in the Peter Sellers
Peter Sellers
Richard Henry Sellers, CBE , known as Peter Sellers, was a British comedian and actor. Perhaps best known as Chief Inspector Clouseau in The Pink Panther film series, he is also notable for playing three different characters in Dr...
satire Heavens Above!
Heavens Above!
Heavens Above! is a 1963 British satirical comedy film starring Peter Sellers, directed by John and Roy Boulting, who also co-wrote along with Frank Harvey, from an idea by Malcolm Muggeridge...
, released two weeks before she died in London on 28 June 1963, aged 66.
Filmography
- 1921: The Door That Has No KeyThe Door That Has No KeyThe Door That Has No Key is a 1921 silent British drama film directed by Frank Hall Crane. The film is considered to be lost.- Cast :* George Relph as Jack Scorrier* Betty Faire as Margaret Hubbard* Evelyn Brent as Violet Melton...
- 1921: GreatheartGreatheart (film)Greatheart is a 1921 British silent drama film directed by George Ridgwell and starring Cecil Humphreys, Madge Stuart and Ernest Benham. It was based on the 1912 novel Greatheart by Ethel M...
- 1922: Trapped by the MormonsTrapped by the MormonsTrapped by the Mormons is a 1922 silent British drama film directed by H. B. Parkinson and starring Evelyn Brent.- Cast :* Evelyn Brent as Nora Prescott* Louis Willoughby as Isoldi Keene...
- 1923: Rogues of the Turf
- 1923: The Dream of Eugene Aram
- 1925: Money Isn't Everything
- 1933: The Good CompanionsThe Good Companions (1933 film)The Good Companions is a 1933 comedy film directed by Victor Saville starring Jessie Matthews and John Gielgud. It is based on the novel of the same name.-Cast:* Jessie Matthews - Susie Dean* Edmund Gwenn - Jess Oakroyd* John Gielgud - Inigo Jollifant...
- 1934: Faces
- 1934: Soldiers of the King
- 1934: Brides to Be
- 1934: Sing As We GoSing as We GoSing As We Go is a 1934 British musical film starring Gracie Fields and Stanley Holloway. The script was written by Gordon Wellesley and J. B. Priestley; it was directed by Basil Dean....
- 1935: Key to Harmony
- 1935: Squibs
- 1935: Alibi Inn
- 1936: The Howard Case
- 1936: In the SoupIn the Soup (1936 film)In the Soup is a 1936 British comedy film directed by Henry Edwards and starring Ralph Lynn, Judy Gunn, Morton Selten and Nelson Keys. It was based on a play by Ralph Lumley...
- 1937: Café Collette
- 1937: Stardust
- 1937: Overcoat Sam
- 1938: Make It Three
- 1939: InquestInquest (1939 film)Inquest is a 1939 British crime film directed by Ray Boulting and starring Elizabeth Allan, Herbert Lomas, Hay Petrie and Barbara Everest. A young widow is accused of murder, and enlists the support of a King's Counsel to help prove her innocence...
- 1941: Tower of Terror
- 1942: Those Kids from TownThose Kids from TownThose Kids from Town is a 1942 British, black-and-white, comedy-drama propaganda film war film, directed by Lance Comfort and starring George Cole, Harry Fowler, Percy Marmont, Ronald Shiner as Mr. Bert Burns and Charles Victor as Harry, the Vicar. It was produced by Richard Vernon and presented by...
- 1942: Let the People SingLet the People Sing (film)Let the People Sing is a 1942 British comedy film directed by John Baxter and starring Alastair Sim, Fred Emney and Edward Rigby. A small town bands together to try to save their music hall from closure. It was based on the novel Let the People Sing by J.B...
- 1942: Thunder RockThunder Rock (film)Thunder Rock is a 1942 British drama film with supernatural elements, directed by Roy Boulting and starring Michael Redgrave, James Mason, Lilli Palmer and Barbara Mullen.-Background:...
- 1943: The Dummy TalksThe Dummy TalksThe Dummy Talks is a 1943 British crime film directed by Oswald Mitchell and starring Jack Warner, Claude Hulbert and Beryl Orde.-Cast:* Jack Warner - Jack* Claude Hulbert - Victor Harbord* Beryl Orde - Beryl* Evelyn Darvell - Peggy...
- 1945: The Voice Within
- 1946: They Knew Mr. Knight
- 1946: Send for Paul TempleSend for Paul TempleSend for Paul Temple is a 1946 British crime film directed by John Argyle and starring Anthony Hulme, Joy Shelton and Tamara Desni. Paul Temple is called in after a major diamond theft. It was the first of four film adaptations of the Paul Temple stories, with John Bentley taking over the role in...
- 1947: Bank Holiday Luck
- 1948: CounterblastCounterblast (film)Counterblast is a 1948 British drama film directed by Paul L. Stein and starring Robert Beatty, Mervyn Johns and Nova Pilbeam.-Plot:A Nazi scientist experiments with biological warfare with which he intends to wage the next war against Britain.-Cast:...
- 1948: The Guinea Pig
- 1949: Under CapricornUnder CapricornUnder Capricorn is an Alfred Hitchcock historical feature film.-Production:The film is based on the novel Under Capricorn by Helen Simpson, with screenplay by James Bridie, and adaptation by Hume Cronyn. The movie was co-produced by Hitchcock and Sidney Bernstein for their short-lived production...
- 1950: WaterfrontWaterfront (1950 film)Waterfront is a 1950 British drama film directed by Michael Anderson and starring Robert Newton, Kathleen Harrison and Avis Scott. A sailor abandons his family, in the Liverpool slums...
- 1950: Once a SinnerOnce a SinnerOnce a Sinner is a 1950 British drama film directed by Lewis Gilbert.-Cast:* Patricia Kirkwood as Irene James* Jack Watling as John Ross* Joy Shelton as Vera Lamb* Sydney Tafler as Jimmy Smart* Thora Hird as Mrs. James...
- 1950: Seven Days to NoonSeven Days to NoonSeven Days to Noon is a 1950 British drama / thriller film directed by John Boulting and Roy Boulting. Paul Dehn and James Bernard won the Academy Award for Best Story for this film.-Plot:The film is set in the early 1950s...
- 1952: The Tall HeadlinesThe Tall HeadlinesThe Tall Headlines is a 1952 British film directed by Terence Young and starring André Morell, Flora Robson, Peter Burton, Sid James and Dennis Price.-Cast:* André Morell - George Rackham* Flora Robson - Mary Rackham* Michael Denison - Phillip Rackham...
- 1952: Curtain UpCurtain UpCurtain Up is a 1952 British film directed by Ralph Smart, written by Jack Davies and Philip King. It is based on the play Sunday for Seven Days by Philip King.-Plot:...
- 1952: My Wife's LodgerMy Wife's LodgerMy Wife's Lodger is a 1952 British comedy film directed by Maurice Elvey and starring Dominic Roche, Olive Sloane and Leslie Dwyer. A soldier returns home after the Second World War only to find a spiv lodger has established himself in his place. He begins plotting to restore his place as the head...
- 1953: Alf's Baby
- 1953: Meet Mr. LuciferMeet Mr. LuciferMeet Mr. Lucifer is a black and white British comedy satire film released in 1953 starring Stanley Holloway. Filmed at Ealing Studios, London, The film is based on the play Beggar My Neighbour by Arnold Ridley -Plot:When Mr Pedelty leaves his firm, he is given a...
- 1954: The Weak and the WickedThe Weak and the WickedThe Weak and the Wicked is a 1954 British drama film directed by J. Lee Thompson based on the book by his wife, Joan Henry, starring Glynis Johns and Diana Dors....
- 1954: The Golden LinkThe Golden LinkThe Golden Link is a 1954 British crime film directed by Charles Saunders and starring André Morell, Thea Gregory and Patrick Holt. Police try to solve a case involving a woman who fell to her death from the top of a block of high-rise flats.-Cast:...
- 1955: A Prize of GoldA Prize of GoldA Prize of Gold is a British 1955 Warwick Films heist film directed by Mark Robson partly filmed in West Berlin. The film stars Richard Widmark as a United States Air Force Air Police Master Sergeant motivated by love and compassion to begin a life of crime...
- 1956: The Man in the RoadThe Man in the RoadThe Man in the Road is a 1956 British thriller film directed by Lance Comfort and starring Derek Farr, Ella Raines, Donald Wolfit and Cyril Cusack....
- 1956: The Last Man to Hang?The Last Man to Hang?The Last Man to Hang? is a 1956 crime film directed by Terence Fisher. It stars Tom Conway and Elizabeth Sellars.-Cast:*Tom Conway as Sir Rodrick Strood*Elizabeth Sellars as Daphne Strood*Eunice Gayson as Elizabeth*Freda Jackson as Mrs. Tucker...
- 1957: Brothers in LawBrothers in Law (film)Brothers in Law is a 1957 British comedy film directed by Roy Boulting and starring Richard Attenborough, Ian Carmichael, Terry-Thomas and Jill Adams...
- 1959: Wrong Number
- 1959: The Price of SilenceThe Price of Silence (1959 film)The Price of Silence is a 1959 British crime film directed by Montgomery Tully and starring Gordon Jackson, June Thorburn, Maya Koumani and Terence Alexander.-Cast:* Gordon Jackson - Roger Fenton* June Thorburn - Audrey Truscott...
- 1959: Serious Charge
- 1960: Your Money or Your WifeYour Money or Your WifeYour Money or Your Wife is a 1960 British comedy film directed by Anthony Simmons and starring Donald Sinden, Peggy Cummins and Richard Wattis.-Cast:* Donald Sinden - Pelham Butterworth* Peggy Cummins - Gay Butterworth* Richard Wattis - Hubert Fry...
- 1960: The House in Marsh RoadThe House in Marsh RoadThe House in Marsh Road is a 1960 British suspense film directed by Montgomery Tully and starring Tony Wright, Patricia Dainton and Sandra Dorne...
- 1963: Heavens Above!Heavens Above!Heavens Above! is a 1963 British satirical comedy film starring Peter Sellers, directed by John and Roy Boulting, who also co-wrote along with Frank Harvey, from an idea by Malcolm Muggeridge...
External links
- Olive Sloane filmography at the Internet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...