Barbara Hamilton (actress)
Barbara Hamilton | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Hamilton in 1970 | |
| Born | 11 December 1926 Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
| Died | 7 February 1996 (aged 69) Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
| Resting place | Mount Pleasant Cemetery, Toronto |
| Alma mater | University of Toronto |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1940s–1996 |
Barbara Hamilton (11 December 1926 – 7 February 1996) was a Canadian actress. She was known for her comedic roles and was dubbed 'The Funniest Woman in Canada.'[1] Outside of Canada, her live theatre career took her to London, New York and Bermuda. Hamilton is known for roles in films and television series such as Road to Avonlea. Her theatre performances have included the Spring Thaw review.[2] She is also known for originating the role of Marilla Cuthbert in both the Canadian and West End productions of Anne of Green Gables.
Early life
Hamilton was born in Toronto, Ontario on 11 December 1926 and educated in Cobourg, Ontario. She was the youngest of three children. The others, Mary and Bob both died of cancer.[3] After studies at Brockville Collegiate Institute, she attended the University of Toronto where her early performances were featured at the Hart House Theatre.[1]
Career
Hamilton's first professional role was in Kesselring's Arsenic and Old Lace at Toronto's Royal Alexandra Theatre (Royal Alex) in 1943.[1] This was the first of 14 appearances at the Royal Alex, the most of any actor.[3]
She played in the Razzle Dazzle revue on Broadway. According to Hamilton, that folded so quickly, she had to take a job in the luggage department at Selfridge's. "I was the only girl in the place, but I did all of the muscle work, lifting trunks and suitcases. None of the men were as big as me."[3]
Hamilton returned to Canada and toured for several seasons with the Canadian Players troupe and acted for three seasons in Bermuda. She then joined the cast of Spring Thaw which established her comedic credentials. She developed her own revue That Hamilton Woman at Toronto's Crest Theatre as well as appearing in numerous dramatic productions at the Crest.[1] According to Hamilton herself "I don't pretend to be a classical actress, but I have a tough time convincing people that I am not just a clown."[3]
In 1965, Hamilton originated the role of Marilla at the Charlottetown Festival production of Anne of Green Gables. She repeated the role in a London, England production and was awarded the best actress award by the London drama critics.[1] She portrayed Marilla for five seasons at the Festival, at Expo '70, and at the Royal Alex.[3]
In 1985, she appeared in No Sex Please, We're British and in 1987 in Pride and Prejudice as Lady Catherine de Bourgh.[3]
While known for theatre, Hamilton also appeared in television and film and did animation voice work. She was disappointed that Colleen Dewhurst was cast as Marilla in the live action Anne of Green Gables by Sullivan Productions, but did appear in its Road to Avonlea TV series.[4] Hamilton has appeared as Marilla in two British TV series based on the Lucy Maud Montgomery books. Hamilton played Mavis in the CBC-TV drama series "Mavis" in the 1960s. Her final film role was in Norman Jewison's Bogus, released after her death.[4]
Personal life and death
Hamilton's long-time companion was Wayne Lonergan from 1972 until his death in 1986. They had no children. Hamilton died as a result of breast cancer in 1996 at the age of 69.[3] That year, the Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts established the Barbara Hamilton Award to honour those who demonstrate excellence in the performing arts.[5]
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1948 | A Song Is Born | Woman at Dorsey Club (uncredited) | |
| 1950 | The Lady Craved Excitement | Chorus Girl | |
| Come Dance with Me | Kiki – Stage Girl | ||
| 1994 | Car 54, Where Are You? | Mrs. Muldoon | |
| 1996 | Bogus | Mrs. Partridge | Posthumous release |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1952 | Sunshine Sketches | Poet's Wife | |
| Stopwatch and Listen | |||
| 1954–1959 | Howdy Doody (Canadian version) | Willow The Witch | |
| 1956 | Is It a Woman's World? | ||
| Anne of Green Gables | Shop Assistant | TV movie | |
| 1957 | On Camera | Mother | Episode: "Black Cats Are Good Cats" |
| 1959 | A Dangerous Age | ||
| 1960 | Encounter | Episode: "How to Make More Money Than Men" | |
| Just Mary | |||
| 1961 | One Plus One | Segment: "Baby" | |
| Razzle Dazzle | Mother Mayonnaise | ||
| 1964 | The Forest Rangers | Mrs. Aggie Apple | 4 episodes |
| 1970–1971 | The Trouble With Tracy | Maid | |
| 1972 | The Year of the Yahoo! | Barbara | |
| Anne of Green Gables | Marilla Cuthbert | Miniseries | |
| 1973 | Delilah | Aunt Peggy | |
| 1974 | And That's the News, Goodnight | Various | |
| The Naked Mind | |||
| 1975 | Anne of Avonlea | Marilla Cuthbert | 6 episodes |
| 1978 | Mathmakers | ||
| 1979 | Lost and Found | Mrs. Bryce | |
| 1980 | Archie Bunker's Place | Woman #2 | Episode: "The Wildcat Strike" |
| 1981 | B.C.: A Special Christmas | Fat Broad (voice) | TV movie |
| Sanford | Old Woman Juror | Episode: "Jury Duty" | |
| 1983 | Gimme a Break! | Lady Customer | Episode: "Nell and the Kid" |
| 1984 | Today's Special | Dr. Bennett | Episode: "Hospitals" |
| 1985 | Today's Special | Dr. Bennett | Episode: "Muffy" |
| Check It Out | Mrs. Cobb | ||
| Night Heat | Irma Deutch | Episode: "Secrets" | |
| 1986 | Seeing Things | Mrs. Coitart | Episode: "Snow Blind" Episode: "That Hang Dog Look" |
| 1987 | Diamonds | Episode: "Here Comes the Bride" | |
| 1988 | Diamonds | Episode: "Where There's a Will" | |
| Sharon, Lois & Bram's Elephant Show | The Curio Shoppe Owner | Episode: "Curio Shoppe" | |
| Hot Paint | TV movie | ||
| C.O.P.S. | Additional Voices | Episode: "The Case of the Stuck-Up Blimp" | |
| 1989 | Glory! Glory! | Selma | TV movie |
| Babar | Additional Voices | 13 episodes | |
| Street Legal | Dr. Bernstein | Episode: "Confession" | |
| 1990 | Clarence | Mrs. Duckworth | TV movie |
| 1990–1991 | E.N.G. | Christy Callwood | 4 episodes |
| 1991 | Rin Tin Tin: K-9 Cop | Mrs. Baker | Episode: "Abused Child" |
| 1991–1995 | Shining Time Station | Ginny Johnson | 15 episodes |
| 1992 | Change of Heart | Aunt Bea | |
| 1992–1996 | Road to Avonlea | Eulalie Bugle | 23 episodes |
| 1994 | The Mighty Jungle | Rose Hufnagel | Episode: "Hairy Proposal" |
Awards and recognition
- Earle Grey Award (1993)
References
- ^ a b c d e Benson & Conolly 1989, p. 254.
- ^ Hale, Marjorie. "Spring Thaw". The Canadian Encyclopedia. Archived from the original on 4 December 2010. Retrieved 9 August 2010.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Legendary Barbara Hamilton Loses Fight With Cancer". Toronto Star. 8 February 1996. pp. A1, A4.
- ^ a b Adilman, Sid (8 February 1996). "That Hamilton Woman". Toronto Star. p. C9.
- ^ "Barbara Hamilton Award". Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts. Archived from the original on 18 April 2010. Retrieved 9 August 2010.
Sources
- Illidge, Paul (2005). Glass Cage: The Crest Theatre Story. Toronto: Creber Monde (Canada). ISBN 0968634796.
- Benson, Eugene; Conolly, L. W., eds. (1989). The Oxford Companion to Canadian Theatre. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0195406729.