Victoria Dawn Addams (21 September 1930 – 7 May 1985) was a British actress, particularly in Hollywood motion pictures of the 1950s and on British television in the 1960s and 1970s. She became a princess in 1954 (until 1971).[citation needed]
Dawn Addams | |
|---|---|
 Addams with Alan Young in the television show The Alan Young Show, 1953. | |
| Born | Victoria Dawn Addams 21 September 1930 Felixstowe, Suffolk, England |
| Died | 7 May 1985 (aged 54) London, England |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1951–83 |
| Spouses | Jimmy White (m. 1974) |
| Children | 2[1][2] |
Early years
editAddams's mother died when she was young.[3]
Career
edit
Susan Cabot, 1953
Addams' face and physique attracted the attention of talent agents. In December 1950, she signed a seven-year contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studios.[4] Her film career began with a role in Night into Morning (1951), and her subsequent MGM films included Singin' in the Rain (1952), Plymouth Adventure (1952), Young Bess (1953) and the female lead opposite Peter Lawford in The Hour of 13 (1952). She played David Niven's daughter in The Moon Is Blue (1953). She also embarked on a USO tour the same year to help entertain troops in Korea. She worked steadily in films during the remainder of the 1950s, including a heavily publicised role as Richard Carlson's model girlfriend in the science fiction film Riders to the Stars (1954) and 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 leading lady in several episodes of The Saint (1962–69), which starred Roger Moore as Simon Templar. Among her last film credits were two British horror films, The Vampire Lovers (1970) and The Vault of Horror (1973), and she was also a regular in the British sitcom Father, Dear Father (1971–1973).[5] One of her last television roles was in the science fiction serial Star Maidens (1977).[6] Addams retired in the early 1980s, dividing her remaining years between Europe and the United States.[citation needed]
On 1 May 2024 the book, Dawn Addams - My Life As Chaplin's Leading Lady - Filming Charles Chaplin's A King in New York - By John Francis Lane. Introduction and Afterword by James Pepper, was published by James Pepper Rare Books, Inc., Santa Barbara, California.
Personal life
editShe married Don Vittorio Emanuele Massimo, Prince of Roccasecca, in 1954;[7] the wedding was the subject of a cover story in Life magazine.[8] Their son, Prince Stefano, married Atalanta Foxwell, daughter of film producer Ivan Foxwell and Lady Edith (Lambart), granddaughter of the 9th Earl of Cavan.[citation needed]
Death
editAddams died in 1985 in a London hospital at age 54 from lung cancer.[7]
Filmography
editFilm
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1951 | Night into Morning | Dotty Phelps | |
| The Unknown Man | Ellie Fansworth | ||
| 1952 | Singin' in the Rain | Teresa, Lady-in-Waiting | Uncredited |
| The Hour of 13 | Jane Frensham | ||
| Plymouth Adventure | Priscilla Mullins | ||
| 1953 | Young Bess | Kate Howard | |
| The Moon Is Blue | Cynthia Slater | ||
| Die Jungfrau auf dem Dach | Cynthia Slader | English translation: The Virgin on the Roof | |
| The Robe | Junia | ||
| 1954 | Riders to the Stars | Susan Manners | |
| Mizar | Mizar | ||
| The Bed | Janet | ||
| Return to Treasure Island | Jamesina 'Jamie' Hawkins | ||
| Khyber Patrol | Diana Rivington | ||
| The Count of Bragelonne | Hélène de Winter | ||
| 1955 | Rommel's Treasure | Sofia | |
| I quattro del getto tonante | Moglie di Rovi | ||
| 1956 | The House of Intrigue | Mary | |
| 1957 | A King in New York | Ann Kay, TV Specialist | |
| 1958 | The Silent Enemy | Third Officer Jill Masters, W.R.N.S. | |
| 1959 | The Scarlet Baroness | Szaga de Bor | |
| Temptation Island | Victoria | ||
| Pensione Edelweiss | Nadia Rakesy | ||
| Prisoner of the Volga | Irina Tatyana | ||
| The Treasure of San Teresa | Hedi von Hartmann | ||
| The Black Chapel | Tilla Turner | ||
| Secret professionnel | Dr. Catherine Langeac | ||
| Come Dance with Me | Anita Florès | ||
| 1960 | Die zornigen jungen Männer | Irene | |
| The Two Faces of Dr. Jekyll | Kitty Jekyll | ||
| The Thousand Eyes of Dr. Mabuse | Marion Menil | ||
| 1961 | House of Sin | Norma O'Brien | |
| Follow That Man | Janet Clark | ||
| 1962 | Sentimental Education | Catherine Dambreuse | |
| 1963 | Come Fly with Me | Katie Rinard | |
| 1964 | The Black Tulip | La marquise Catherine de Vigogne | |
| 1965 | Ballad in Blue | Gina Graham | |
| 1966 | Where the Bullets Fly | Felicity 'Fiz' Moonlight | |
| 1969 | Zeta One | Zeta | |
| 1970 | The Vampire Lovers | The Countess | |
| 1971 | Sapho ou la Fureur d'aimer | Marianne | |
| 1973 | The Vault of Horror | Inez |
Television
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | The Alan Young Show | Kay Prindall | Sketch comedy |
| 1953 | Racket Squad | Betty Grant | Episode: "The Case of Lady Luck" |
| 1955 | Sherlock Holmes | Doreen Meredith | Episode: "The Case of the Careless Suffragette" |
| 1956 | I Tre moschettieri | Alvina - Countess of Aragon | Episode: "The Hapsburg Hare" |
| 1959 | Sunday Night Theatre | Epifania Fitzfassenden | Episode: "The Millionairess" |
| The Third Man | Eva | Episode: "Barcelona Passage" | |
| ITV Play of the Week | Jane Lockridge | Episode: "Sweet Poison" | |
| 1962 | Edgar Wallace Mysteries | Maxine Hagen | Episode: "The £20,000 Kiss" |
| 1963 | The Saint | Magda Vamoff | Episode: "The Fellow Traveller" |
| 1964 | Danger Man | Martine/Gerdi | Episodes: "The Battle Of The Cameras" and "Fish on the Hook" |
| The Saint | Countess Audrey Morova | Episode: "The Lawless Lady" | |
| 1966 | The Saint | Queen Adana | Episode: "The Queen's Ransom" |
| 1967 | Emergency Ward 10 | Diane Parker | Episode: "Second Sight" |
| 1969 | Department S | Dianne Lynne | Episode: "Handicap Dead" |
| Playhouse | Alma Rostalba | Episode: "Romans and Friends" | |
| 1970 | Armchair Theatre | Margo | Episode: "A Room in Town" |
| Ryan International | Francoise Albert | Episode: "Evidence of Murder" | |
| 1971 | Armchair Theatre | Cynthia Fenton | Episode: "The Bargain Hunters" |
| 1971-1973 | Father, Dear Father | Georgie Thompson | Series regular |
| 1972 | The Troubleshooters | Lady Diana | Episode: "Whatever Became of the Year 2000?" |
| Crime of Passion | Therese | Episode: "Therese" | |
| Sez Les | 1 episode | ||
| 1973 | The Adventurer | Lady Anne Benson | Episode: "The Case of the Poisoned Pawn" |
| 1974 | Dial M for Murder | Sybil Willis | Episode: "Murder on Demand" |
| 1976 | Star Maidens | Clara | 5 episodes |
| 1977 | Crossroads | Katherine Lambert | 1 episode |
| 1983 | Triangle | Mrs. Landers | Recurring role |
References
edit- ^ Burgess, Patricia; Turner, Roland (1988). The Annual Obituary. St. Martin's. p. 221. ISBN 9780912289823.
- ^ "Dawn Addams". Glamour Girls of the Silver Screen. Retrieved 6 March 2018.
- ^ Cotter, Robert Michael “Bobb” (2013). The Women of Hammer Horror: A Biographical Dictionary and Filmography. McFarland. pp. 7–8. ISBN 9781476602011. Retrieved 12 May 2018.
- ^ "English Actress' Contract Okeyed [sic]". Arizona Daily Star. Arizona, Tucson. Associated Press. 8 December 1950. p. 30. Retrieved 11 May 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Dawn Addams". BFI. Archived from the original on 26 March 2019.
- ^ "Dawn Addams - Biography, Movie Highlights and Photos". AllMovie.
- ^ a b Walter Waggoner (9 May 1985). "Dawn Addams, 54, Actress is Dead". The New York Times.
- ^ "Once upon a time ... a pretty girl met a prince". Life. 17 May 1954. pp. 131–134, 136. Retrieved 12 May 2018.
External links
edit
- Dawn Addams at IMDb