Belita Gladys Lyne Jepson-Turner (21 October 1923 – 18 December 2005), known professionally as Belita, was a British Olympic figure skater, dancer, and film actress.
Early years Belita was born at the Garlogs house in Nether Wallop, Hampshire, to Major William Jepson-Turner and wife Gladys Olive Jepson-Turner née Lyne-Stivens. She skated (as Belita Jepson-Turner) for the United Kingdom in the 1936 Winter Olympics, where she placed 16th in the singles, then her career turned towards Hollywood. She had classical Russian ballet training which carried over into her skating. As a young ballerina, she was partner to Anton Dolin, appearing with the Dolin-Markova Ballet.
From December 1937 to May 1938 she danced in the ice dance show called "La Feerie Blanche" (The White Fairy) at Mogador Theater in Paris under the direction of Mitty Goldin.
Film career Belita appeared in films, making several highly profitable productions for Monogram Pictures, including skating in Silver Skates (1943) and Lady, Let's Dance (1944), skating and playing the dramatic lead in the film noir Suspense (1946), the female lead in The Gangster (1947), and skating again and playing the dramatic lead in The Hunted (1948). For a brief period, she was Monogram's highest-paid star. Later she worked with A-list stars Charles Laughton in The Man on the Eiffel Tower (1949), and Clark Gable in Never Let Me Go (1953). In 1957 she danced with Fred Astaire in Silk Stockings.
Retirement In 1956, she retired from skating, and gave up show business altogether after 1963. She appeared briefly on the ice at Madison Square Garden in New York City in 1981 in a short production based on "Solitude" by Duke Ellington. As to skating, she said, “I hated the ice. I hated the cold, the smell, everything about it,” and that she did it “for the money.”
Personal life Belita married Joel McGinnis in 1946; they divorced in 1956. She married Irish actor James Berwick (né Kenny) in 1967; they remained married until his death in 2000. Both marriages were childless.
Belita retired from her second career, as a landscape nursery owner, and later relocated to Montpeyroux, Hérault, France, where she died in 2005, aged 82.
Filmography Year Title Role Notes1941 Ice-Capades Ice Capades Skater Uncredited1943 Silver Skates Herself 1944 Lady, Let's Dance Herself 1946 Suspense Roberta Leonard, aka Roberta Elva 1947 The Gangster Nancy 1948 The Hunted Laura Mead 1949 The Man on the Eiffel Tower Gisella Heurtin 1953 Never Let Me Go Valentina Alexandrovna 1956 Invitation to the Dance The Femme Fatale in 'Ring Around the Rosy' 1957 Silk Stockings Vera Uncredited1958 The Key Canteen Hostess Uncredited
Notes
References
External links
Balita at Pro Skating Historical Foundation Belita at Film Noir Foundation