# Beryl Measor > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Beryl_Measor > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Beryl_Measor.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beryl_Measor > Source revision: 1343985480 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) British actress (1908–1965) As Madame Arcati in *[Blithe Spirit](/source/Blithe_Spirit_(play))*, 1944 **Beryl Measor** (22 April 1908 – 8 February 1965) was a British actress. She created roles in plays by [Noël Coward](/source/No%C3%ABl_Coward) and [Terence Rattigan](/source/Terence_Rattigan). In addition to her stage career she broadcast frequently on [BBC](/source/BBC) radio and television, and appeared in several cinema films. ## Life and career Measor was born in [Shanghai](/source/Shanghai), China, on 22 April 1908, the daughter of Ernest Anthony Measor and his wife, Mary (née Humphreys).[1] She was educated at [St Margaret's School, Bushey](/source/St_Margaret's_School%2C_Bushey), before enrolling at the [Royal Academy of Dramatic Art](/source/Royal_Academy_of_Dramatic_Art) in London.[2] She was a star pupil, winning the RADA Silver Medal in 1931.[3] She made her first professional appearance on the stage at the [Whitehall Theatre](/source/Whitehall_Theatre) on 28 July 1931, walking-on in *[Take a Chance](/source/Take_a_Chance_(play))*. In 1931–32, she toured as Luella Carmody in *Late Night Final*. From 1932 to 1934 she was a member of repertory companies in Worthing, Croydon, and Hull. From 1934 she appeared in [West End](/source/West_End_theatre) productions, mostly of new plays, and at the [Old Vic](/source/Old_Vic) as Margaret in *[Much Ado About Nothing](/source/Much_Ado_About_Nothing)* (1934).[1] In 1942 she created two roles in [Noël Coward](/source/No%C3%ABl_Coward) plays: Monica Reed in *[Present Laughter](/source/Present_Laughter)* and Edie in *[This Happy Breed](/source/This_Happy_Breed)*, first during a long [wartime](/source/Second_World_War) provincial tour and then in the West End. She took over from [Margaret Rutherford](/source/Margaret_Rutherford) as Madame Arcati in the original production of Coward's *[Blithe Spirit](/source/Blithe_Spirit_(play))* during its record-breaking London run,[4] and played the part on tour, with the author as Charles Condomine.[5] In 1945 she married the actor [Terence De Marney](/source/Terence_De_Marney).[6] From 1941 to 1961 Measor was a frequent broadcaster on [BBC](/source/BBC) radio and television. In addition to playing Madame Arcati in the first televised version of *Blithe Spirit* (performed live, 1948), her roles included Lady Fallowfield in [Eric Maschwitz](/source/Eric_Maschwitz)'s 13-part series *Family Affairs* (1950) and Mrs Proudie in a six-part adaptation of *[Barchester Towers](/source/Barchester_Towers)* (1959). On radio she was a regular member of the cast of *Navy Mixture* (1946–47), with [Jimmy Jewel](/source/Jimmy_Jewel) and [Ben Warriss](/source/Ben_Warriss).[7] Between 1946 and 1954, Measor played in the West End in eight new plays, mostly box-office successes, though not subsequently revived.[1] Her next role in a notable play was in [Terence Rattigan](/source/Terence_Rattigan)'s double-bill *[Separate Tables](/source/Separate_Tables)* as Miss Cooper, the proprietor of the hotel in which both plays are set. She received the [Clarence Derwent Award](/source/Clarence_Derwent_Award) for her performance in this production in London and made her first appearance on [Broadway](/source/Broadway_theatre) in the same role in October 1956, receiving a [Tony nomination](/source/Tony_Awards).[1][8] Her final West End roles were Cornelia Scott in *[Something Unspoken](/source/List_of_one-act_plays_by_Tennessee_Williams#Something_Unspoken)* and Mrs Holly in *[Suddenly Last Summer](/source/Suddenly_Last_Summer)* in the [Tennessee Williams](/source/Tennessee_Williams) double bill *Garden District* at the [Arts Theatre](/source/Arts_Theatre) in 1958. In 1959 she played Lady Saill in [Eric Linklater](/source/Eric_Linklater)'s *Breakspear in Gascony* at the [Edinburgh Festival](/source/Edinburgh_Festival).[1] Measor died in London on 8 February 1965 at the age of 56;[9] her husband survived her. They had no children.[6] ## Film and television roles - *[Almost a Honeymoon](/source/Almost_a_Honeymoon_(1938_film))* – Mabel, the barmaid (1938) - *Richard of Bordeaux* – Countess of Derby (1938) - *[English Without Tears](/source/English_Without_Tears)* – Miss Faljambe (1944) - *[Dual Alibi](/source/Dual_Alibi)* – Gwen (1947) - *[Odd Man Out](/source/Odd_Man_Out)* – Maudie (1947) - *[The Mark of Cain](/source/The_Mark_of_Cain_(1947_film))* – Nurse Brand (1947) - *[While the Sun Shines](/source/While_the_Sun_Shines_(film))* – Woman in train (1947) - *Blithe Spirit* – Madame Arcati (1948) - *[Esther Waters](/source/Esther_Waters_(film))* – Mrs Spires (1948) - *Morning Star* – Amarilla Arbuthnot (1956) - *Please Murder Me* – cast member (1958) - *Uncle Harry* – Hester Quincey (1958) - *Barchester Towers* – Mrs Proudie (1959) - *No Wreath for the General Episode 3* – middle-aged woman (1960)[10] ## Notes 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-ww_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-ww_1-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-ww_1-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-ww_1-3) [***e***](#cite_ref-ww_1-4) Parker, Gaye and Herbert, pg. 1669. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** "Royal Academy of Dramatic Art", *The Times*, 31 July 1930, p. 12 1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** "Royal Academy of Dramatic Art", *The Times*, 8 August 1931, p. 8 1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** "Theatres", *The Times*, 29 June 1942, p. 6 1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** Payn, p. 361 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-ancestry_6-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-ancestry_6-1) ["Terence Arthur De Marney"](https://www.ancestry.co.uk/family-tree/person/tree/176462055/person/252293904573/facts), Ancestry UK. Retrieved 28 August 2021 (subscription required) 1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** ["Beryl Measor"](https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/search/0/20?order=first&q=%22Beryl+Measor%22), BBC Genome. Retrieved 28 August 2021 1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** ["Beryl Measor search"](http://www.tonyawards.com/p/tonys_search) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20160831204617/http://www.tonyawards.com/p/tonys_search) 2016-08-31 at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine), Tony Awards, retrieved 19 March 2014 1. **[^](#cite_ref-bfi1_9-0)** [https://web.archive.org/web/20140319221242/http://explore.bfi.org.uk/4ce2bac44528c](https://web.archive.org/web/20140319221242/http://explore.bfi.org.uk/4ce2bac44528c) Beryl Measor 1. **[^](#cite_ref-bfi2_10-0)** [*Dual Alibi*](https://web.archive.org/web/20120712004350/http://explore.bfi.org.uk/4ce2b6a9421fd), British Film Institute **retrieved 19 March 2014.** ## Sources - Parker, John; Freda Gaye; Ian Herbert (1978). *Who Was Who in the Theatre*. Detroit: Gale Research. [OCLC](/source/OCLC_(identifier)) [310466458](https://search.worldcat.org/oclc/310466458). - Payn, Graham (1994). *My Life with Noël Coward*. New York: Applause Books. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-1-55783-190-3](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-55783-190-3). ## External links - [Beryl Measor](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0575246/) at [IMDb](/source/IMDb_(identifier)) - Coward, Noël (1994). [*Plays, Four*](https://archive.org/details/collectedplays00cowa). London: Methuen. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0413461203](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0413461203). Authority control databases International ISNI VIAF National United States Other Yale LUX --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Beryl Measor](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beryl_Measor) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beryl_Measor?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.