The Late Great Fenella Fielding

Fenella Fielding, the legendary actress known for her appearances in two "Carry On" films and three of the "Doctor" films, as well as numerous television appearances (including the voice of the unseen louspeaker announcer on The Prisoner), died at the age of 90 following a stroke yesterday.

Fenella Fielding was born Fenella Feldman in London on November 17 1927. Miss Fielding won a scholarship to RADA, but left after one year. Afterwards she attended Saint Martin’s School of Art, worked for actors' agent Al Parker, and she worked in a beauty shop. Despite having left RADA, she still dreamed of pursuing acting. She was an understudy for the play Constant Lover at
Bolton's Theatre in London in 1952 before making her stage debut at the Saville in the play Pay the Piper. In the Fifties she appeared on stage in the productions Jubilee Girl, Love for Life, Valmouth, and Pieces of Eight. She made her television debut in 1957 in an episode of BBC Sunday-Night Theatre. She appeared on the shows Destination Downing Street, Saturday Playhouse, The Adventures of Brigadier Wellington-Bull, International Detective, The Four Just Men, The Strange World of Guerney Slade, and Danger Man. She made her film debut in Sapphire in 1959. She appeared in the films Follow a Star (1959), Doctor in Love (1960), Foxhole in Cario (1960), and No Love for Johnnie (1960). 

Fenella Fielding appeared frequently on stage, on the big screen, and on television throughout the Sixties. She appeared on stage in such productions as Five Plus One, As You Like It, Doctors of Philosophy, Let's Get a Divorce, The High Bid, Lysistrata, Hedda Gabler, and Colette. She appeared in the films No Love for Johnnie (1961), Carry On Regardless (1961), In the Doghouse (1962), Doctor in Distress (1963), The Old Dark House (1963), How to Undress in Public Without Undue Embarrassment (1965), Doctor in Clover (1966), Carry On Screaming! (1966), Drop Dead Darling (1966), and Lock Up Your Daughters (1969). On television she starred in the mini-series Saki. She starred on the TV series Ooo La La!. She was the voice of the loudspeaker announcer and the telephone operator on The Prisoner. She guest starred on such shows as The Avengers, Love Story, Armchair Theatre, Comedy Playhouse, and A Touch of Venus. 

In the Seventies Fenella Fielding appeared on stage in such productions as Fish Out of Water,
The Second Mrs Tanqueray, Helen, Birds of Paradise, Absurd Person Singular, A Marriage, and Look After Lulu. On television she guest starred on That's Your Funeral.

In the Eighties Miss Fielding appeared on stage in such productions as The Wizard of Oz, Once a Catholic, The Jungle Book, The Ghost Train, A Midsummer Night's Dream, School for Scandal, and Beggar's Opera. On television she guest starred on the show Cribb and the mini-series The Pickwick Papers. She appeared in the TV movie The Zany Adventures of Robin Hood and provided one of the voices in the animated TV special A Winter Story. In 1990 she appeared in the first of four "Uncle Jack" series (Uncle Jack and Operation Green), playing Uncle Jack's  archenemy The Vixen. 

In the Nineties she appeared in three more "Uncle Jack" TV series (Uncle Jack and the Loch Ness Monster, Uncle Jack and the Dark Side of the Moon, and Uncle Jack and Cleopatra's Mummy). She appeared in the movie Guest House Paradisio (1990). She appeared on stage in such productions as Inside Stories, Benefit for Shelter, The Witty One, Hard Time, The Spanish Curate, Lady Windmere's Fan, and Blithe Spirit. 

In the Naughts Fenella Fielding appeared in the movies Beginner's Luck (2001), The All Together (2007), and Wishbaby (2007). She appeared on stage in Die Fledermaus, The Vagina Monologues, and An Ideal Husband. In the Teens she guest starred on the TV show Skins. She appeared in the film Over the Edge (2011). She appeared in such productions as Dearest Nancy Darling Evelyn, An Evening with Fenella Fielding, Savage Beauty, and Just a Little Murder. From 2016 to this year she appeared on various London stages, reading from her memoirs.

Fenella Fielding was a singular actress, and it wasn't just because of her rather unique voice. For one thing, she was very much an intellectual, often sighted around the London Library doing research. Her intelligence was often displayed in both her performances and her interviews. She was a clever lady with considerable wit. In films she was best known for the much maligned "Carry On" films (particularly Carry On Screaming) and the "Doctor" films, in which she invariably played a comic femme fatale. While the critics may have disdained the "Carry On" films, I don't see how anyone could fault Miss Fielding's performance in either of the two she made. While Fenella Fielding was an all-around talent, she had a particular gift for comedy.

Of course, Miss Fielding could play more than comic vamps. In The Avengers episode "The Charmers" she played an actress who assists Steed in dealing with enemy agents. She appeared on stage in roles from Nora in A Doll's House to Titania in A Midsummer Night's Dream to Nancy Mitford in Dearest Nancy, Darling Evelyn. Fenella Fielding was a actress with considerable range who gave a great many excellent performances. She was certainly more than the comic femme fatale.