{{Short description|British actress (1910–1963)}} {{Use British English|date=May 2017}} {{Use dmy dates|date=May 2017}} [[File:Actress_Vida_Hope.jpg|thumb|right|Vida Hope in ''Lease of Life'' (1954)]]
'''Vida Hope''' (16 December 1910 – 23 December 1963) was a British stage and film actress,<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20090117131521/http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/individual/165398 Profile], ftvdb.bfi.org.uk; accessed 4 April 2014.</ref> who also directed stage productions.
==Life and career== Born in Liverpool, Lancashire, to theatrical parents, Hope travelled widely as a child.<ref name="LJ">Some of the Company – Vida Hope (autobiographical note). In : ''Late Joys at The Players' Theatre''. T V Boardman & Co Ltd, London, New York, 1943., p83</ref> She was "forbidden to go on the stage", so at age 16, she became a typist in an advertising office, going on to write copy.<ref name="LJ"/> She took every opportunity to take part in amateur dramatics, managing to get lead roles in plays by Shaw, Ibsen, and Chekhov.<ref name="LJ"/>
Following the role of the Fairy Wish-Fulfilment in the pantomime ''The Babes in the Wood'' at the Unity Theatre, London, she was, in 1939, offered a role by Herbert Farjeon in ''The Little Revue'' and worked in his revues for more than three years.<ref name="LJ"/> In 1940, she supported and formed a strong friendship with Dirk Bogarde, in his first West End play, ''Diversions''.<ref>Bogarde, Dirk. ''A Postillion Struck by Lightning''. Triad/Panther Books, Frogmore, 1978, p268.</ref> During the Second World War, she became a regular singer at the Players' Theatre, where her repertoire included "Casey Jones", "Daddy Wouldn't Buy Me a Bow-wow", "Dashing Away with the Smoothing Iron", "The Lady Wasn't Going that Way" and "You May Pet Me as Much as You Please".<ref>List of Songs. In: ''Late Joys at The Players' Theatre''. T V Boardman & Co Ltd, London, New York, 1943, p113-115.</ref> In 1942 she appeared alongside Geoffrey Dunn in a melodrama, ''The Streets of London''.<ref>[https://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/news-photo/british-actors-geoffrey-dunn-and-vida-hope-as-bloodgood-and-news-photo/131403952?adppopup=true Geoffrey Dunn and Vida Hope arguing during a scene from 'The Streets Of London', on stage in London, 5th December 1942. Picture Post - 1320 - The Streets of London - pub. 1943, photo by Felix Man at gettyimages] accessed 26 July 2024.</ref>
Hope played a prominent role alongside Alec Guinness in the Academy Award-nominated film ''The Man in the White Suit'' as Bertha, in 1951. She appeared in a range of roles in a production of ''Peer Gynt'' at the New Theatre in London (1944–45),<ref>Ibsen, Henrik. ''Peer Gynt'' – English version by Norman Ginsbury. Hammond, Hammond & Co Ltd, London, 1946, p7 (cast list for 1944 New London Theatre production).</ref> she directed the 1953 London production of ''The Boy Friend'' (and is also credited as director on the 'original cast' recording of 1954 starring Julie Andrews)<ref>RCA Victor LP LOC 1018</ref> and directed ''Valmouth'' at the Lyric, Hammersmith (1958) and a revival of ''The Boy Friend'' at the Bristol Hippodrome (1958–59).<ref>[http://theatricalia.com/person/r58/vida-hope List of appearances for Vida Hope at the Theatricalia site] accessed 10 April 2015.</ref>
Hope was married to the film editor and director Derek Twist, and appeared in several of his films. She died in a road accident, on 23 December 1963, in Chelmsford, Essex, aged 53.
==Partial filmography== {{div col}} * ''The 39 Steps'' (1935) - Usherette<ref name="bfi">[https://web.archive.org/web/20120711152742/http://explore.bfi.org.uk/4ce2ba428ea8e BFI page of films with Vida Hope] accessed 10 April 2015.</ref> * ''Champagne Charlie'' (1944) – Rosie<ref name="bfi"/> * ''English Without Tears'' (1944) * ''The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby'' (1946) – Fanny Squeers<ref name="bfi"/> * ''Hue and Cry'' (1947) – Mrs. Kirby * ''The Mark of Cain'' (1947) – Jennie * ''They Made Me a Fugitive'' (1947) – Mrs Fenshaw<ref name="bfi"/> * ''It Always Rains on Sunday'' (1947) – Mrs Wallis<ref name="bfi"/> * ''Woman Hater'' (1948) * ''For Them That Trespass'' (1949) – Olive Mockson<ref name="bfi"/> * ''Paper Orchid'' (1949) – Jonquil Jones<ref name="bfi"/> * ''The Interrupted Journey'' (1949) – Miss Marchmont<ref name="bfi"/> * ''Double Confession'' (1950) – Madam Zilia * ''The Woman in Question'' (1950) – Shirley Jones<ref name="bfi"/> * ''The Man in the White Suit'' (1951) – Bertha<ref name="bfi"/> * ''Cheer the Brave'' (1951) * ''Green Grow the Rushes'' (1951) – Polly Bainbridge<ref name="bfi"/> * ''Angels One Five'' (1952) – W.A.A.F. * ''Emergency Call'' (1952) – Brenda<ref name="bfi"/> * ''The Long Memory'' (1952) – Alice Gedge<ref name="bfi"/> * ''Women of Twilight'' (1952) – Jess Smithson<ref name="bfi"/> * ''The Broken Horseshoe'' (1953) – Jackie Leroy<ref name="bfi"/> * ''Marilyn'' (1953) - Rosie<ref name="bfi"/> * ''Fast and Loose'' (1954) – Gladys<ref name="bfi"/> * ''Lease of Life'' (1954) - Mrs. Sproatley * ''Charley Moon'' (1955) – staging of the musical numbers<ref name="bfi"/> * ''Rx Murder'' (1958) - Louise * ''In the Doghouse'' (1961) – Mrs Crabtree<ref name="bfi"/> {{div col end}}
==References== <references/>
==External links== *{{IMDb name|0394051}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Hope, Vida}} Category:1910 births Category:1963 deaths Category:Actresses from Liverpool Category:British stage actresses Category:British film actresses Category:British television actresses Category:20th-century English actresses Category:Road incident deaths in England Category:English theatre directors Category:British women theatre directors