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Joyce Grenfell 1910 - 1979

Joyce (Phipps) Grenfell was born on February 10, 1910 in Greater London County, England United Kingdom, and died at age 69 years old on November 30, 1979 in London. Joyce Grenfell was buried at Golders Green Crematorium Golders Green in London Borough of Barnet England.

Joyce (Phipps) Grenfell

Joyce Grenfell

February 10, 1910

Greater London County, England, United Kingdom

November 30, 1979

London, Greater London County, England, United Kingdom

Female

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Joyce Grenfell Joyce Grenfell (1910 - 1979)

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Joyce (Phipps) Grenfell's History: 1910 - 1979

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Introduction

Joyce Grenfell Born February 10, 1910 in Knightsbridge, London, England, UK. Both of her parents were born in the United States. Died November 30, 1979 in Chelsea, London, England, UK Birth Name Joyce Irene Phipps Toothy Britisher Joyce Grenfell with her stark, equine features charmed and humored audiences both here and abroad on radio, stage, revues, film and TV for nearly four decades. Lovingly remembered as a delightfully witty monologist and raconteur, she inherited her bold talents from her eccentric socialite mother, who just so happened to be American and the sister of Lady Nancy Astor. Born Joyce Irene Phipps in 1910, her father was an American architect and she was educated both in London and Paris. Her first job in the entertainment business was as a radio critic columnist. In 1939, she performed in her first revue wherein her spot-on impersonations, characterizations and satirical songs became a big hit. One song "I'm Going to See You Today", which she herself wrote in 1942, became her signature song. Performing for the troops during WWII, she finally was sought after for films, finding an opening playing gawky matrons in rollicking comedies. The best of the lot would include The Happiest Days of Your Life (1950), Laughter in Paradise (1951), The Belles of St. Trinian's (1954), and the resulting 'Trinian' sequels. She also put out highly popular comedy albums over the years. Joyce's last performance was in 1973 before Queen Elizabeth and her guests at Windsor Castle. Her health began to fail soon after. An eye infection resulted in a loss of sight in one eye and she was forced to retire. Six years later the eye was diagnosed as cancerous and, though it was removed, she continued to decline, dying on November 30, 1979 at home. She was later commemorated on a postage stamp. - IMDb Mini Biography By: Gary Brumburgh / [contact link] Spouse (1) Reggie Grenfell (1929 - 30 November 1979) ( her death) Trivia (7) Her mother married Maurice 'Lefty' Flynn in 1930. One aunt, Nancy Astor, was married to Waldorf Astor, her aunt Irene to Charles Dana Gibson. Mother was Nora Langhorne of the Virginia Langhornes. She died a month before she was to be awarded the DBE (Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire) in the 1980 Queen's New Year Honours List for her services to entertainment. Sister of writer Thomas Phipps. She was awarded the OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire) in the 1946 King's Birthday Honours List for her services to the Forces during World War II. As lyricist, co-wrote with composer Richard Addinsell many songs for revues and for her own one-woman shows.
02/10

1910

Birthday

February 10, 1910

Birthdate

Greater London County, England United Kingdom

Birthplace

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Military Service

During World War II, she toured battle areas with a troupe going as far east as India. During the Second World War, Grenfell toured North Africa, Southern Italy, the Middle East and India with her pianist Viola Tunnard, performing for British troops. In 1989, her wartime journals were published under the title The Time of My Life: Entertaining the Troops.
Professional Career

Actress and Writer. Actress Jackanory (1965) Jackanory Storyteller TV Series 1968–1969 Ingrid Bergman, Shirley MacLaine, Alain Delon, Rex Harrison, George C. Scott, Omar Sharif, and Jeanne Moreau in The Yellow Rolls-Royce (1964) The Yellow Rolls-Royce Hortense Astor 1964 The Americanization of Emily (1964) The Americanization of Emily Mrs. Barham 1964 The Old Dark House (1963) The Old Dark House Agatha Femm 1963 The Pure Hell of St. Trinian's (1960) The Pure Hell of St. Trinian's Sergeant Ruby Gates 1960 Happy Is the Bride (1958) Happy Is the Bride Aunt Florence 1958 George Cole, Joyce Grenfell, Lionel Jeffries, Sabrina, Alastair Sim, and Terry-Thomas in Blue Murder at St. Trinian's (1957) Blue Murder at St. Trinian's Sgt. Ruby Gates 1957 The Good Companions (1957) The Good Companions Lady Parlitt 1957 George Cole, Joyce Grenfell, and Alastair Sim in The Belles of St. Trinian's (1954) The Belles of St. Trinian's P.W. Sgt. Ruby Gates 1954 Forbidden Cargo (1954) Forbidden Cargo Lady Flavia Queensway 1954 Man with a Million (1954) Man with a Million Duchess of Cromarty 1954 Genevieve (1953) Genevieve Hotel Proprietress 1953 The Pickwick Papers (1952) The Pickwick Papers Mrs. Leo Hunter 1952 Penny Plain TV Movie 1952 The Magic Box (1951) The Magic Box Mrs. Claire 1951 Laughter in Paradise (1951) Laughter in Paradise Elizabeth Robson aka Fluffy 1951 The Galloping Major (1951) The Galloping Major Maggie 1951 Margaret Rutherford and Alastair Sim in The Happiest Days of Your Life (1950) The Happiest Days of Your Life Miss Gossage 1950 Marlene Dietrich, Richard Todd, Michael Wilding, and Jane Wyman in Stage Fright (1950) Stage Fright 'Lovely Ducks' 1950 A Run for Your Money (1949) A Run for Your Money Mrs. Pargiter 1949 Tuppence Coloured TV Movie 1949 Poet's Pub (1949) Poet's Pub Miss Horsefell-Hughes 1949 Alice in Wonderland (1949) Alice in Wonderland Ugly DuchessDormouse 1949 Designing Women (1948) Designing Women Miss Arty Short 1948 While the Sun Shines (1947) While the Sun Shines Daphne 1947 The Lamp Still Burns (1943) The Lamp Still Burns Dr. Barrett (as Joyce Greenfell) 1943 Adventure for Two (1943) Adventure for Two Sybil Paulson 1943 A Letter from Home American Mother Short 1941
11/30

1979

Death

November 30, 1979

Death date

Unknown
Cause of death

London, Greater London County, England United Kingdom
Death location

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Gravesite & Burial

mm/dd/yyyy
Funeral date
Golders Green Crematorium Golders Green in London Borough of Barnet, Greater London County England
Burial location
Obituary

Joyce Grenfell, 69, British Actress By THOMAS LASK DEC. 1, 1979 December 1, 1979, Page 47 The New York Times Archives Joyce Grenfell, the British actress whose sketches and impersonations on stage and screen of a variety of well‐intentioned but slightly daffy British upper class ladies delighted viewers on both sides of the Atlantic, died yesterday in London She was 69 years old. Mrs. Grenfell ‐the wife of a mining executive, Reginald Grenfell — was a tall, slim, charming woman with a rather toothy smile that became one of the hallmarks of her performances. She had an eye for the revealing platitude and for the well‐meaning but bumbling mannerisms of her countrywomen. In a series of sketches, monologues and songs, she incorporated them into her own shows and those of others. Two of her one‐woman shows, “Joyce Grenfell Requests the Pleasure” (1955) and “Joyce Grenfell” (1958), were seen on Broadway. Of the former, Walter Kerr wrote: “Miss Grenfell seems to me to have built for herself a small but quite valid theater of her own. What she does is to take a familiar, sometimes almost routine little snapshot of overheard life, define the comment she wants to make on it, then expand the picture to the precisely controlled, severely stylized dimensions of the musical stage.” Memorable Parts In films, she appeared as a lanky gym mistress in “The Happiest Day of Your Life”; as a woman sleuth in “The Bells of St. Trinian's”; as an eager saleswoman in “A Run for Your Money” with Alec Guinness. In these and other pictures, the parts were small but memorable and they were recalled long after the pictures themselves faded from the mind. She did concede once that she was getting tired of making fun of silly women for money. The London‐born actress described herself as three‐quarters American because her father, Paul Phipps, was American born, and her mother was Nancy Langhorne of Virginia, one of the famous Langhorne sisters. One aunt was Lady Astor; another was the wife of Charles Dana Gibson, the artist. She loved the theater from childhood and, as a young woman, was sent to the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art for training. But her plans were interrupted by marriage. Instead of looking for acting jobs, she began to contribute light verse to Punch and other magazines and wrote for The Observer. Discovered at Party At a party one evening, she entertained the guests with a lecture, “How to Make a Boutonniere Out of Beech Nut Husks Clusters.” At the party was the producer Herbert Farjeon, who was entranced and invited her to join his “The Little Revue.” It was the beginning of her career. During World War II, she toured battle areas with a troupe going as far east as India. In addition to her stage and screen work she appeared on BBC radio in quiz and discussion programs. On one, “Trans‐Atlantic Quiz,” she was the quiz mistress. In 1946, she was named Officer of the Order of the British Empire. Her husband survives.

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Joyce Grenfell lived 3 years shorter than the average family member when died at the age of 69.

The average age of a Phipps family member is 72.

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16 Memories, Stories & Photos about Joyce

Amanda S. Stevenson

17.8k+ favorites

03/12/2023

Joyce Grenfell to Sandy.

I have held onto this photograph since 1957. She sent it to me from England.

Date & Place: Not specified or unknown.

Comments

Amanda S. Stevenson

17.8k+ favorites

03/12/2023

Meeting Joyce Grenfell was one of the happiest and funniest days of my life.

I had already gotten an autographed photograph from her in the mail.
She was appearing at the Lyceum Theatre in New York in April 1958.
I went backstage and she was clutching her half-zipped gown in distress.

"I went to my dressing room and there were 30 men there with a men's chorus.
Would you help me get undressed? And dressed?"
I laughed. "I'd love to play "dresser" today."
She laughed and was suddenly very cheerful.
I told her she sent me an autographed picture, and I cherished it.
"You must be Sandy. From Brooklyn. Nobody else from New York asked me for an autographed picture."
It was a wonderful experience.

Comments

Amanda S. Stevenson

17.8k+ favorites

11/17/2018

Joyce Grenfell

A photo of Joyce Grenfell

Date & Place: Not specified or unknown.

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Amanda S. Stevenson

17.8k+ favorites

11/17/2018

Joyce Grenfell and Margaret Rutherford

A photo of Joyce Grenfell and Margaret Rutherford, as MISS MARPLE.

Date & Place: Not specified or unknown.

Comments

Amanda S. Stevenson

17.8k+ favorites

11/17/2018

Joyce Grenfell with Alastair Sim

A photo of Joyce Grenfell in The Belles of St. Trinians.

Date & Place: Not specified or unknown.

Comments

Amanda S. Stevenson

17.8k+ favorites

05/19/2018

Joyce Phipps Grenfell

A photo of Joyce Phipps Grenfell

Date & Place: Not specified or unknown.

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Amanda S. Stevenson

17.8k+ favorites

05/19/2018

Joyce Phipps Grenfell

A photo of Joyce Phipps Grenfell

Date & Place: Not specified or unknown.

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Joyce Phipps Grenfell as the lady in church

Amanda S. Stevenson

17.8k+ favorites

05/19/2018

Joyce Phipps Grenfell as the lady in church

A photo of Joyce Phipps Grenfell

Date & Place: Not specified or unknown.

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Amanda S. Stevenson

17.8k+ favorites

05/19/2018

Joyce Phipps Grenfell

A photo of Joyce Phipps Grenfell

Date & Place: Not specified or unknown.

Comments

Amanda S. Stevenson

17.8k+ favorites

05/18/2018

Joyce Phipps Grenfell Playbill

A photo of a playbill featuring Joyce Phipps Grenfell

Date & Place: Not specified or unknown.

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Joyce Phipps' Family Tree & Friends

Joyce Phipps' Family Tree

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Joyce Grenfell Feb 10, 1910 - Nov 30, 1979

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Other Biographies

Other Joyce Phipps Biographies

Phipps, Joyce (Born Jan 29, 1960) Phipps, Joyce (Born Jan 29, 1960) Phipps, Joyce (Sep 14, 1914 - Jan 1978) Phipps, Joyce (Oct 10, 1949 - Jan 9, 2011) Phipps, Joyce (Dec 5, 1938 - Dec 4, 2002)

Phipps, Joyce (Sep 3, 1918 - Nov 3, 1991) Phipps, Joyce (Jun 16, 1932 - Feb 9, 2006) Phipps, Joyce (May 4, 1937 - Feb 9, 2010) Phipps, Joyce (Aug 31, 1940 - Jun 12, 2009) Phipps, Joyce (Jun 11, 1939 - Nov 28, 2008)

Other Phipps Family Biographies

Phipps, Jake (Born Dec 18, 1895) Phipps, Kenneth (Born 1924) Phipps, Margaret (Born Jan 1855) Phipps, Mattie Phipps, Lucille (Born c. Jun 26, 1922) Phipps, Harold (May 25, 1896 - Feb 1969) Phipps, Terrance (May 3, 1952 - Feb 13, 2005) Phipps, Ruth (May 29, 1890 - Sep 1973) Phipps, John (Mar 27, 1907 - Feb 1987) Phipps, Ralph (Aug 31, 1915 - Sep 21, 1997)

Phipps, Marion (Dec 3, 1905 - Nov 3, 1990) Phipps, Paul (Oct 16, 1911 - Jun 27, 1998) Phipps, Clare (Jul 26, 1902 - Mar 21, 1995) Phipps, Bradbury (Oct 24, 1872 - Mar 1978) Phipps, Gertrude (Jul 30, 1912 - Sep 13, 1989) Phipps, Leonard (Aug 18, 1932 - Oct 1984) Phipps, Bridget (Jan 15, 1914 - Jun 20, 2009) Phipps, William (May 8, 1924 - Jun 4, 2001) Phipps, Alberta (Nov 4, 1908 - Jun 1980) Phipps, Ernestine (Mar 12, 1941 - Jun 21, 2010)

About the AncientFaces Community

Joyce Grenfell 1910 - 1979

Joyce (Phipps) Grenfell's History: 1910 - 1979

Introduction

Birthday

Military Service

Professional Career

Death

Gravesite & Burial

Obituary

16 Memories, Stories & Photos about Joyce

Joyce Phipps' Family Tree & Friends

Joyce Phipps' Family Tree

Joyce's Friends

Other Joyce Phipps Biographies

Other Phipps Family Biographies