Eileen Mabel Elizabeth Way (2 September 1911 – 16 June 1994)[1] was a British actress who appeared in film and television roles in a career dating back to the 1930s. She trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art from the age of 16.[1][2]
She was in some of the first productions of Tennessee Williams‘ plays in Great Britain, including playing the role of the Mexican Woman in A Streetcar Named Desire,[3] and appeared at the Bristol Old Vic and Nottingham Playhouse.[4]
She appeared in a televised episode of Hancock’s Half Hour, The Reunion Party ‘, as a puritanical former ATS member, the TV series Doctor Who, in the serials An Unearthly Child (as Old Mother, the programme’s first on-screen death) and The Creature from the Pit (as Karela),[5] as well as in the 1966 film Daleks’ Invasion Earth 2150 A.D. (as Old Woman), based on the serial The Dalek Invasion of Earth (1964).[6] She also appeared in the second series of Poldark (1977) as Aunt Agatha; Century Falls;[5] Upstairs, Downstairs;[1] By the Sword Divided;[7] Inspector Morse;[1] Bergerac; and Ripping Yarns.[8]
She was married to the psychiatrist Felix Warden Brown.[9]
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1951 | Cheer the Brave | 2nd woman | |
| 1952 | The Happy Family | Mrs. Potter | |
| The Stranger Left No Card | Secretary | ||
| Venetian Bird | Woman Detective | ||
| 1953 | Street of Shadows | Mrs. Thoms | |
| Blood Orange | Mme. Fernande | ||
| 1954 | They Who Dare | Greek Woman | |
| Knave of Hearts | 1st Landlady | Uncredited | |
| Aunt Clara | Maggie Mason | ||
| 1955 | On the Twelfth Day… | Milkmaid | Uncredited |
| 1957 | Bullet from the Past | Lady at No. 72 | Uncredited |
| Fortune is a Woman | Mrs. Litchen’s housekeeper | ||
| 1958 | The Vikings[1] | Kitala | |
| 1960 | Kidnapped | Jennet Clouston | |
| 1961 | The Singer Not the Song | Fortune teller | Uncredited |
| 1962 | Village of Daughters | Gloria Balbino | |
| 1964 | The Bargee | Onlooker | Uncredited |
| The Comedy Man | Landlady | ||
| 1966 | Daleks’ Invasion Earth 2150 A.D. | Old Woman | |
| Drop Dead Darling | Italian Dressmaker | ||
| 1969 | Vendetta for the Saint | The Maid | |
| 1981 | Sphinx | Aida | |
| 1984 | Memed My Hawk | Seuneh | |
| 1985 | Bad Medicine | Sra. Madera | |
| 1989 | Queen of Hearts[1] | Mama Sibilla |
Television
| Year | Title | Episode(s) | Role | Network | Archive status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1938 | The Gay Lord Quex | TV Movie | Unknown | BBC Television Service | Missing |
| 1939 | The Day is Gone | TV Movie | Florrie | BBC Television Service | Missing |
| 1947 | The Gay Lord Quex | TV Movie | Miss. Moon | BBC Television Service | Missing |
| 1952 | BBC Sunday-Night Theatre | Series 4, Episode 4: The Gay Lord Quex | Miss. Moon | BBC Television Service | Missing |
| 1955 | Music and Macaroni | Episodes 1-2, 5-6 | Grandmother | BBC Television Service | Missing |
| BBC Sunday-Night Theatre | Series 6, Episode 16: Midsummer Fire | La Cachiporra | BBC Television Service | Missing | |
| Thunder Rock | TV Movie | Ellen Kirby | BBC Television Service | Missing | |
| The Blakes | Episode 1 | Gypsy Rebecca | BBC Television Service | Missing | |
| Barbie | Episodes 2-3 | Miss McGinty | BBC Television Service | Missing | |
| 1956 | Nom-de-Plume | Episode 9: The Ten Strangers | Mme. Felix | BBC Television Service | Missing |
| BBC Sunday-Night Theatre | Series 7, Episode 34: Siding 723 | Jadwiga Konska | BBC Television Service | Missing | |
| Armchair Theatre | Series 1, Episode 11: The Right Thing | Unknown | ITV (ABC) | Missing | |
| 1957 | ITV Television Playhouse | Series 2, Episode 24: The Affair at Assino | Tina | ITV | Missing |
| The Coelacanth | TV Movie | Nicko’s mother | BBC Television Service | Missing | |
| BBC Sunday-Night Theatre | Series 8, Episode 49: Counsellor at Law | Sarah Becker | BBC Television Service | Missing | |
| 1958 | Television World Theatre | Series 1, Episode 3: Women of Troy | Woman of Troy | BBC Television Service | Partial (18 minute excerpt survives) |
| General Electric Theater | Series 6, Episode 15: Time to Go Now | Old maid | CBS | Unknown | |
| BBC Sunday-Night Theatre | Series 9, Episode 32: The Shadow of Doubt | Gladys Gibson | BBC Television Service | Missing | |
| ITV Television Playhouse | Series 4, Episode 10: Breakdown | Susan | ITV | Exists | |
| 1959 | The Adventures of William Tell | Series 1, Episode 32: The Black Brothers | Granny Rossi | ITV (ITC) | Exists |
| The Vagrant Heart | TV Movie | Mrs. Smith | BBC Television Service | Missing | |
| 1960 | International Detective | Series 1, Episode 5: The Winthrop Case | Mama Carlucci | ITV (ABPC) | Exists |
| Hancock’s Half Hour | Series 6, Episode 4: The Reunion Party | Mavis Smith | BBC Television Service | Exists | |
| BBC Sunday-Night Play | Series 1, Episode 15: Glorious Morning | Ruth Kellner | BBC Television Service | Missing | |
| Series 1, Episode 27: A Town Has Turned to Dust | Senora Rivera | BBC Television Service | Missing | ||
| Series 1, Episode 34: The Liberators | Mama Valbella | BBC Television Service | Missing | ||
| Rendezvous | Series 1, Episode 18: Next Time You’ll See Venice | Signora Zampino | ITV (Rediffusion) | Exists | |
| Theatre 70 | Series 1, Episode 14: To Death With Love | Marie Albert | ITV (ATV) | Missing | |
| 1961 | Rashomon | TV Movie | The medium | BBC Television | Exists |
| The Charlie Drake Show | Series 2, Episode 2: Charlie the Kid | Unknown | BBC Television | Exists | |
| One Step Beyond | Series 3, Episode 27: The Confession | Mrs. Evans | ABC | Exists | |
| Dixon of Dock Green | Series 8, Episode 7: Desperation | Isa Capon | BBC Television | Missing | |
| 1962 | Sir Francis Drake | Series 1, Episode 22: The Gypsies | Pastora | ITV (ITC) | Exists |
| Benny Hill | Series 2, Episode 1: The Mystery of Black Bog Manor | Lorna | BBC Television | Exists | |
| 1963 | Compact | Episode 126 | Violet | BBC Television | Missing |
| Crane | Series 1, Episode 5: The Executioners | Unknown | ITV (Rediffusion) | Missing | |
| Man of the World | Series 2, Episode 6: The Bullfighter | Catrina | ITV (ATV) | Exists | |
| Moonstrike | Series 1, Episode 21: A Matter of Trust | Helene | BBC Television | Missing | |
| Drama ’63 | Series 3, Episode 14: Rasputin Was a Nice Old Man | Landlady | BBC Television | Missing | |
| Maupassant | Series 1, Episode 10: Bachelors | Mme. Padoie | ITV (Granada) | Exists | |
| Maigret | Series 4, Episode 3: The Lost Life | Irene | BBC Television | Exists | |
| The Sentimenal Agent | Series 1, Episode 7: A Little Sweetness and Light | Miss Mithras | ITV (ITC) | Exists | |
| Kidnapped | Episode 7: Catriona | Jennet Clouston | BBC Television | Missing | |
| Doctor Who | Series 1: An Uneartly Child (2 episodes) | Old woman | BBC Television | Exists | |
| 1964 | ITV Play of the Week | Series 9, Episode 23: Camino Real | La Madrecita | ITV (Granada) | Missing |
| First Night | Series 1, Episode 30: How Many Angels | Mrs. Phillips | BBC Television | Missing | |
| The Graham Stark Show | Series 1, Episode 7 | Unknown | BBC One | Missing | |
| The Larkins | Series 6, Episode 3: Gypsy’s Warning | Gypsy | ITV (ATV) | Exists | |
| Cluff | Series 1, Episode 5: The Daughter-in-law | Mrs. Bateson | BBC One | Missing | |
| 1965 | Series 2, Episode 9: The Daughters | Amy Horrisey | BBC One | Exists | |
| Mogul | Series 1, Episode 9: A Job for Willy | Mrs. Murtagh | BBC One | Missing | |
| Court Martial | Series 1, Episode 4: No Wreath for an Angel | Madame Cornelis | ITV (ITC) | Exists | |
| 1966 | Series 1, Episode 10: Where There Was No Echo | Woman | ITV (ITC) | Exists | |
| The Wednesday Play | Series 4, Episode 4: Calf Love | Aunt Erika | BBC One | Exists | |
| Series 4, Episode 22: The Executioner | Marguerite Rosmer | BBC One | Missing | ||
| The Newcomers | 29 episodes | Cora Brassett | BBC One | Missing | |
| 1967 | Comedy Playhouse | Series 6, Episode 4: Heirs on a Shoestring | Mrs. Jibbet | BBC One | Audio recording survives |
| Mickey Dunne | Series 1, Episode 13: Are There Any More at Home Like You | Sophia Lombardi | BBC One | Missing | |
| Z-Cars | Series 6, Episode 49: The Great Art Robbery, Pt. 1 | Mrs. Hancock | BBC One | Exists | |
| The Troubleshooters | Series 4, Episode 11: Who Buys Who? | Saroya | BBC One | Missing | |
| 1968 | The Spanish Farm | Episodes 1, 3 and 4 | Berthe | BBC Two | Partial (Episode 4 survives) |
| ITV Playhouse | Series 2, Episode 9: The Kindness of Mrs Radcliffe | Gypsy woman | ITV | Missing | |
| 1969 | The Saint | Series 6, Episodes 15-16: Vendetta for the Saint, Pts.1 & 2 | The maid | ITV (ITC) | Exists |
| Omnibus | Series 2, Episode 16: The Woman from the Shadows | Old Dorothy | BBC One | Exists | |
| The Gold Robbers | Series 1, Episode 8: The Arrangement | The dowager | ITV (LWT) | Exists | |
| Series 1, Episode 12: The Man with Two Faces | ITV (LWT) | Exists | |||
| The Wednesday Play | Series 9, Episode 1: The Last Train Through Harecastle Tunnel | Mrs. Phillips | BBC One | Exists | |
| Series 9, Episode 6: All Out for Kangaroo Valley | Woman in pub | BBC One | Missing | ||
| The Flaxton Boys | Series 1, Episode 8: The Witches | Macena | ITV (Yorkshire) | Exists | |
| 1970 | Germinal | Episodes 3 & 4: Mob Rule / Soldiers | Ma Brûlé | BBC Two | Exists |
| ITV Playhouse | Series 3, Episode 32: A Sound from the Sea | Woman | ITV | Exists | |
| The Doctors | Episodes 97-104 | Alice Platt | BBC One | Missing | |
| 1972 | New Scotland Yard | Series 1, Episode 3: Memory of a Gauntlet | Mrs. Esther Gruber | ITV (LWT) | All programmes exist from this point |
| The Onedin Line | Series 2, Episode 3: A Woman Alone | Old woman | BBC One | ||
| Thirty Minutes Worth | Series 1, Episode 6 | Unknown | ITV (Thames) | ||
| 1973 | The Adventures of Black Beauty | Series 1, Episode 25: The Barge | Maggie | ITV (LWT) | |
| 1974 | Z-Cars | Series 10, Episode 1: Bits An’ Bats | Mrs. McGann | BBC One | |
| Upstairs, Downstairs | Series 4, Episode 8: The Glorious Dead | Madame Francini | ITV (LWT) | ||
| 1976 | The Glittering Prizes | Series 1, Episode 6: A Double Life | Mrs. Hersh | BBC Two | |
| 1977 | Z-Cars | Series 12, Episode 2: Rage | Mrs. Riley | BBC One | |
| The Mackinnons | Series 1, Episode 7: Shame the Devil | Christina McSween | BBC One | ||
| Poldark | Series 2, Episodes 1-5 | Agatha Poldark | BBC One | ||
| Ripping Yarns | Series 1, Episode 5: Across the Andes by Frog | Old woman | BBC Two | ||
| Just William | Series 2, Episode 5: William the Philanthropist | Mrs. Marsh | ITV (LWT) | ||
| 1978 | Les Misérables | TV Movie | Lodger | CBS | |
| 1979 | Doctor Who | Series 17: The Creature from the Pit (4 episodes) | Karela | BBC One | |
| Secret Army | Series 3, Episode 10: Collaborator | Woman patient | BBC One | ||
| 1980 | Fair Stood the Wind for France | TV Movie | Grandmother | BBC One | |
| 1982 | Minder | Series 3, Episode 1: Dead Men Do Tell Tales | Mrs. Chamber’s mother | ITV (Thames) | |
| The Hunchback of Notre Dame | TV Movie | Woman in crowd | CBS | ||
| 1983 | The Old Men at the Zoo | Episode 4: Armageddon | Mrs. Langley-Beard | BBC Two | |
| By the Sword Divided | Series 1: 9 episodes | Minty | BBC One | ||
| BBC Television Shakespeare | Series 6, Episode 2: Macbeth | Second witch | BBC Two | ||
| 1984 | Sakharov | TV Movie | Ruf Grigorievna | HBO | |
| 1985 | By the Sword Divided | Series 2: 8 episodes | Minty | BBC One | |
| Mussolini: The Untold Story | Episode 2 | Vendor | NBC | ||
| 1986 | Paradise Postponed | Episodes 10-11: Faith Unfaithful / The Simcox Inheritance | Dora Nowt | ITV (Thames) | |
| All Passion Spent | All 3 episodes | Genoux | BBC One | ||
| 1987 | Screen Two | Series 3, Episode 6: Naming the Names | Finn’s granny | BBC Two | |
| One by One | Series 3, Episode 1: Changing Places | Mrs. Maplin | BBC One | ||
| Vanity Fair | Episode 3: Crawley of Queen’s Crawley | Mrs. Tinker | BBC One | ||
| 1988 | The Rainbow | Episodes 1 & 3: Ghosts / The Darkness of Paradise | Lydia Brangwen | BBC One | |
| 1989 | War and Remembrance | Episodes 10-11 | Mrs. Stern | ABC | |
| 1990 | Chillers | Series 1, Episode 12: Under a Dark Angel’s Eye | Edna | France 3 | |
| Screen One | Series 2, Episode 6: One Last Chance | Aunt Anna | BBC One | ||
| 1991 | Bergerac | Series 9, Episode 7: The Waiting Game | Mrs. Edwards | BBC One | |
| Inspector Morse | Series 5, Episode 4: Greeks Bearing Gifts | Mrs. Papas | ITV (Carlton) | ||
| Birds of a Feather | Series 3, Episode 10: Cuckoo | Irene | BBC One | ||
| 1992 | Sean’s Show | Series 1: 6 episodes | Mrs. Pebbles | Channel 4 | |
| The Bill | Series 8, Episode 74: A Blind Eye | Mrs. Collins | ITV (Thames) | ||
| 1993 | The Detectives | Series 1, Episode 2: Hostage | Old lady | BBC One | |
| Century Falls | 5 episodes | Alice Harkness | BBC One | ||
| Sean’s Show | Series 2, all 7 episodes | Mrs. Pebbles | Channel 4 |
References
- ^ a b c d e f “Obituary: Eileen Way”. The Independent. 2 July 1994.
- ^ Fabrique. “Eileen Way — RADA”. www.rada.ac.uk.
- ^ “Production of A Streetcar Named Desire – Theatricalia”. theatricalia.com.
- ^ “Eileen Way obituary”. The Doctor Who Cuttings Archive. Retrieved 7 May 2015.
- ^ a b “BBC – Cult – Classic TV – Century Falls (1993)”. www.bbc.co.uk.
- ^ “Eileen Way”. BFI. Archived from the original on 17 June 2017.
- ^ “Eileen Way obituary – the Doctor Who Cuttings Archive”.
- ^ “BBC Two – Ripping Yarns, Series 1, Across the Andes by Frog”. BBC.
- ^ “Munks Roll Details for Felix Warden Brown”. munksroll.rcplondon.ac.uk. Archived from the original on 8 August 2014. Retrieved 3 August 2014.
External links
- Eileen Way at IMDb