Esme Melville (born Esme Grace Mount-Melville, 23 July 1918 – 14 September 2006) was an Australian theatre, television and film actress. At the Tropfest awards for 2003 she won Best Actor – Female for her role of Granma in the short film, Forbidden. At the 2007 Australian Film Institute Awards she was nominated for Best Supporting Actress for her role of Miss Collard in Romulus, My Father.

Her theatre roles included Mrs. Bedwin in Oliver! (1961–62, 1966–67). Melville had four separate ongoing roles on television soap opera, Neighbours, including as Rose Belker during 2006.

Biography

Esme Melville was born as Esme Grace Mount-Melville on 23 July 1918 and grew up in Norwood.. Her mother was Margaret Mount-Melville. Melville started as a theatre actress in Adelaide in 1939 – just before the outbreak of World War II.

On 11 May 1944 Melville enrolled into the Women's Royal Australian Naval Service as a transport driver and was honourably discharged on 13 September 1946 from Victoria Barracks in Melbourne. She remained in that city and from 1956 worked at St Martins Theatre for eight years.

Television roles

Her television credits of the 1970s included various guest roles in the Crawford Productions police dramas Homicide, Division 4, Matlock Police and Bluey. Other appearances included guest roles in Crawford's adventure series Ryan (1973), and in the miniseries Power Without Glory (1976).

Later television appearances include Cop Shop (1978), Sons and Daughters (1982), Special Squad (1984), The Flying Doctors (1986), Sugar and Spice (1988), Phoenix (1992), Round the Twist (1993), Wedlocked (1994), The Damnation of Harvey McHugh (1994), The Man from Snowy River (1994), Mercury (1996), Driven Crazy (1998), Eugenie Sandler P.I. (2000), SeaChange (2000), Stingers (2000), The Secret Life of Us (2001), miniseries Bootleg (2002), miniseries After the Deluge (2003), Real Stories (2006).

She also made frequent appearances in televisions series Prisoner, Blue Heelers, and Neighbours. For the latter series she portrayed four different characters starting in 1986 with Mrs. York and most recently, in 2006, as the hard-of-hearing, Rose Belker.

Theatre roles

Her theatre roles include Serita in Waiting in the Wings, Mrs Grey in The Secretary Bird (1969) and Mrs. Bedwin in Oliver (1961–62, 1966–67).

She worked in theatre until 2005, a year before her death

Film roles

Melville also acted in several feature films including Alvin Purple Rides Again (1974), Dimboola (1979), I Can Jump Puddles (1981) (TV), Squizzy Taylor (1982), Annie's Coming Out (1984), Niel Lynne (1985), The Four Minute Mile (1988) (TV), Mull (1989), Spotswood (1992), Say a Little Prayer (1993), The Heartbreak Kid (1993), Dead End (1999), Siam Sunset (1999), A Telephone Call for Genevieve Snow (2000), Dalkeith (2001), Crackerjack (2002), Forbidden (2003) and Romulus, My Father (2007).

At the Tropfest awards for 2003, Melville won "Best Actor–Female" for her role of Granma in the short film, Forbidden. At the 2007 Australian Film Institute Awards, she was nominated for "Best Supporting Actress" for her role of Miss Collard in Romulus, My Father. She worked in student films, independent short films, did voice-overs and appeared in TV ads.

Esme Melville died on 14 September 2006 after a short illness, aged 88.

Filmography Film TitleYearRole(s)NotesAlvin Rides Again 1974 Cleaning Lady Feature film debutDimboola 1979 AprilSquizzy Taylor 1982 Woman in the Street Annie's Coming Out 1984 Mrs. ArnoldNiel Lynne 1985 Old WomanMull 1985 FannyFrank's Chair 1990Spotswood 1992 RoseDuplex 1993 ElsieSay a Little Prayer 1993 Song Mimer 1993 Lady on StairsAngel Baby 1995 Elderly PatientClippings 1995 Falling 1995 Park Street 1995 Dead End 1999 Boarding House Woman Siam Sunset 1999 Dot A Telephone Call for Genevieve Snow 2000 MadameBare 2000 Cast memberDalkeith 2002 Maisie CarterCrackerjack 2002 Mrs. JenkinsForbidden 2003 Granma The Watch 2004 Opportunity Shop Lady Wally 2005 GranmaThirty Five Candles 2006Romulus, My Father 2007 Miss CollardHotel Motel 2007 Granny Crack

Television TitleYearRole(s)NotesConsider Your Verdict 1963 unnamed Television debut: "Queen Versus Burns" (guest appearance)Division 4 1969–72 Mary Bentley, Mrs. Grey, Mrs.Gillespie, Mrs. McDougallHomicide 1970–75 Mrs. Smithers, Mrs. Carter, Emily, Kathleen Evans, Mrs. Grace, unnamed, Mama Stepanov Matlock Police 1971–74 Mrs. Butler, Mrs. Evans, Mrs. Stevens, Mrs. Williams, Mrs. JenkinsRyan 1973 unnamedBluey 1977 Mrs. Neilson, Old WomanYoung Ramsay 1977 Mrs. McIverPrisoner 1980–86 Vera's Neighbour (uncredited), Freda, Beryl Hudson (2×), Charlady (2×), Granny Wilkinson (2×) First repeat role: Beryl Hudson (1982) (guest appearance)Holiday Island 1981 NellieSpecial Squad 1984 unnamed, unnamed in "The Patchwork" 1986 Grace in "To the Rescue" Neighbours 1986, 1993, 2002, 2006 Annabelle York, Jean Halliday, Moina Beresford, Rose Belker First ongoing role(s) 1987 Old Lady in Series TwoSugar and Spice 1988 Mrs WatsonPugwall, Pugwall Summer 1989, 1991 Mary, ClaraPhoenix 1992 Mrs. Butler in "A Bunch of Big Girls"Round the Twist 1993 Mrs. Gribble, senior in "Pink Bow Tie" 1994 Old WomanWedlocked 1994 unnamed in "Dating Game"Blue Heelers 1994, 1998, 2001, 2003 Maude Keane in "Day in Court", "Damage Control"; Grace Burrell in "Stars in Their Eyes"; Amelia Dodds in "A Bit on the Side"; Elsie Wright in "A Blind Eye"Fast Forward Presents Full Frontal, Full Frontal 1995–96 additional castBanjo Paterson's The Man from Snowy River 1996 Bobbe Berkovich Mercury1996Mrs. KeenDriven Crazy 1998 Mrs. TrappIntroducing Gary Petty 2000 Victim of Jude's Poetry in "The Flight Attendant Who Did Me Wrong"Stingers 2000 Old LadySeaChange 2000 RubyEugénie Sandler P.I. 2000 Scottish Lady 2001 Elderly Woman in "Better the Devil You Know"Bootleg 2002 Old LadyShort Cuts 2002 Mrs. Green in "Money or the Box", "My Funny Valentine", "Grass Is Greener"After the Deluge 2003 EdithLegacy of the Silver Shadow 2003 Older WomanReal Stories 2006 Gran on "Episode 2"

Theatre TitleYearRole(s)Notes 1939 unnamed Theatre debut 1956–1963 St Martins TheatreOliver! 1961–62, 1966–67 Mrs. Bedwin Musical based on Oliver Twist by Charles DickensLittle Women 1964 Musical based on Little Women and Good Wives by Louisa May Alcott 1969 Mrs. Grey Comedy 1972 Comedy, drama Rumpelstiltskin 1974 Aunty Flora Dora Based on folk tales about Rumpelstiltskin as collected by Brothers Grimm Morning Sacrifice 1989 Drama by Dymphna Cusack Gilmore: A Portrait 1992 Biographical drama of Mary Gilmore by Eric ColladettiSerendipity 1993 DramaWaiting for Marlene 2000 JessicaReview by Colin Donald, "The standout aspect of this play is the well-versed performance of Esme Melville as Jessica".. 2003 DramaSpell 2005 Drama Credits:

References

External links

Interview