Yvonne Mitchell (born Yvonne Frances Joseph; 7 July 1915Reference books give her year of birth as 1925. However, her name appears in the birth indexes for England and Wales for the July–September quarter of 1915. – 24 March 1979) was an English actress and author. After beginning her acting career in theatre, Mitchell progressed to films in the late 1940s. Her roles include Julia in the 1954 BBC adaptation of George Orwell's novel Nineteen Eighty-Four. She retired from acting in 1977.
Early life Mitchell was born Yvonne Frances Joseph, but in 1946 changed her name by deed poll to Yvonne Mitchell (without the Frances).London Gazette, 8 October 1946, p. 5007. Her parents were Madge (Mitchell) and Bertie Joseph. Her cousin was Conservative MP Keith Joseph.McFarlane, Brian (28 February 2014). The Encyclopedia of British Film: Fourth edition. Oxford University Press. p. 525; She was Jewish and was educated in Sussex at Battle Abbey School and St Paul's Girls' School in London.Mantell, Edward (1971). The Author's & Writer's Who's who: Volume 6. Burke's Peerage Limited. p. 563."Mitchell, Yvonne". WHO'S WHO & WHO WAS WHO. Retrieved 17 July 2021.
Acting Mitchell trained for an acting career at the London Theatre Studio,Charles Landstone, Off-stage: A Personal Record of the First Twelve Years of Stage Sponsored Drama in Great Britain (Arts Council of Great Britain, 1953), p. 154 making her professional debut in 1939. Already an experienced stage actress, she made her speaking film debut in The Queen of Spades (1949), although she played an uncredited minor role in Love on the Dole eight years earlier.
She had several prominent film roles over the next three decades, winning a British Film Award for The Divided Heart (1954) and the Silver Bear for Best Actress at the 7th Berlin International Film Festival for Woman in a Dressing Gown (1957). She appeared as Mildred in the controversial film Sapphire (1959).
Mitchell was voted 'Television Actress of the Year' for 1953 by the Daily Mail newspaper, mainly for her role as Cathy in the Nigel Kneale/Rudolph Cartier adaptation of Emily Brontë's novel Wuthering Heights. The next year, she appeared in another Kneale/Cartier literary adaptation in the role of Julia, with Peter Cushing as Winston Smith, in their adaptation of Nineteen Eighty-Four.
She starred as Lea in the 1973 BBC TV production of Colette's Cheri. She continued to appear in television guest roles until the late 1970s, in series such as Out of the Unknown (in 1966); her final screen role was in the BBC science-fiction series 1990 (1977).
Writing Outside acting, Mitchell was also an established author, writing several books for children and adults as well as winning awards for playwriting. Her plays include The Same Sky. She wrote an acclaimed biography of the French writer Colette, and her own autobiography was published in 1957.
Personal life
Mitchell was married to the journalist, film and theatre critic and novelist Derek Monsey (1921–1979) and they lived in a village in the south of France.
Mitchell died of cancer, aged 63, in 1979. Monsey died the same year, roughly one month earlier.
Filmography Year Film Role Director Notes 1941 Love on the Dole Factory Worker at Gate John Baxter uncredited 1949 The Queen of Spades Lizaveta Ivanova Thorold Dickinson Children of Chance Australia Luigi Zampa 1953 Turn the Key Softly Monica Marsden Jack Lee 1954 The Divided Heart Sonja Charles Crichton 1955 Escapade Mrs. Stella Hampden Philip Leacock 1956 Yield to the Night MacFarlane J. Lee Thompson 1957 Woman in a Dressing Gown Amy J. Lee Thompson 1958 Passionate Summer Mrs. Pawley Rudolph Cartier 1959 Tiger Bay Anya J. Lee Thompson Sapphire Mildred Basil Dearden 1960 Conspiracy of Hearts Sister Gerta Ralph Thomas The Trials of Oscar Wilde Constance Wilde Ken Hughes 1961 Johnny Nobody Miss Floyd Nigel Patrick 1962 The Main Attraction Elenora Moreno Daniel Petrie 1965 Genghis Khan Katke Henry Levin 1971 The Corpse Edith Eastwood Viktors Ritelis 1972 The Great Waltz Anna Strauss Andrew L. Stone Demons of the Mind Hilda Peter Sykes 1976 The Incredible Sarah Mam'selle Richard Fleischer 1977 Nido de Viudas Elvira Tony Navarro19781990 (TV Series)Kate SmithWilfred Greatorex
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