Godspeed Anna Quayle

Anna Quayle, who appeared in such films as A Hard Day's Night (1964), Casino Royale (1967), and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968), as well as having a regular role on the British television show Grange Hill, died on August 16 2019. She had been diagnosed with Lewy body dementia in 2012.

Anna Quayle was born Anne Quayle on October 6 1932 in Birmingham, England. She studied at Convent of Jesus and Mary Language College in Harlesden. She would later study acting at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. She started acting when she was very, very young. She was only three years old when she made her stage debut in East Lynne.

Anna Quayle made her television debut in the TV movie Flying High in 1961. She made her film debut in 1964 in A Hard Day's Night, appearing in the famous scene on the stairs with John Lennon In the Sixties she guest starred in the episode of The Avengers, "The Correct Way to Kill," playing Russian agent Olga Vilovski. She also guest starred on the television shows Not Only...But Also, Knock on Any Door, Girls About Town, and ITV Playhouse. Miss Quayle appeared in the films The Sandwich Man (1966), Drop Dead Darling (1966), Casino Royale (1967), Smashing Time (1967), and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968).  She appeared on Broadway in Stop the World--I Want to Get Off.

In the Seventies, Anna Quayle was a regular on the TV show Grubstreet. She guest starred on the TV Shows Jackanory Playhouse, The Sound of Laughter, The Basil Brush Show, and In the Looking Glass. She had a recurring role in the mini-series The Georgian House. She appeared in several TV movies, including James and the Giant Peach, The Light Princess, S.O.S. Titanic, and The Life of Henry the Fifth. She appeared in the films Up the Chastity Belt (1972), Mistress Pamela (1973), Eskimo Nell (1975), Three for All (1975), The Seven-Per-Cent Solution (1976), Adventures of a Private Eye (1977), and Adventures of a Plumber's Mate (1978).

In the Eighties she played Reverend Mother Joseph in the TV series Father Charlie and Mrs. Monroe on Grange Hill. She appeared in the mini-series Brideshead Revisited. She guest starred on the TV shows Never the Twain, Objects of Affection, Marjorie and Men, Mapp & Lucia, Lytton's Diary, and The Sooty Show. In the Nineties she continued to appear on Grange Hill. She guest starred on the show Adam's Family Tree.

Anna Quayle was an incredibly talented actress. She had a particular gift for comedy. What is more she could play a wide variety of roles. She could be a Russian secret agent on The Avengers and then the owner of a boutique in Smashing Time. Miss Quayle was Mata Hari's teacher Frau Hoffer in Casino Royale, and Baroness Bomburst in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. She had a gift for different dialects and a gift for playing broad characters that were always memorable.