Bernadette O'Farrell, TV's Maid Marian
saintkiss
The obit's from today's Telegraph. I wonder if any of our British
contributors could explain a turn of phrase that's new to me:
"After laying down her Lincoln green as Maid Marian..."
Thanks,
SK
Bernadette O'Farrell
Maid Marian in the television series The Adventures of
Robin Hood
BERNADETTE O'FARRELL, the actress who has died
aged 75, was often seen in the cinema in parts written by
her husband, Frank Launder, who with Sidney Gilliat created
the St Trinian's films; but she was best known for a television
role, as Maid Marian in the long-running 1950s series The
Adventures of Robin Hood.
The programme, which was shown from 1955 until 1959, was
created for Lew Grade's television company and proved
immensely popular with younger viewers. Essentially a
traditional version of the legend, the merry men included Paul
Eddington as Will Scarlet, while Donald Pleasence and
Richard O'Sullivan were Princes John and Arthur
respectively. Robin himself was played by Richard Greene.
Much of the success of the series was attributed to its catchy
theme (Robin Hood, Robin Hood, riding through the glen,
Robin Hood, Robin Hood, with his merrie men) which, sung by
Dick James, became a big hit in 1956. But its other virtues
included a high standard of scriptwriting, some of it by Ring
Lardner Jr, who had been blacklisted in Hollywood for his
suspected Communist sympathies.
The programme was made at Nettlefold Studios,
Walton-on-Thames, where the art director, Peter Proud,
mounted on wheels props such as baronial fireplaces. This
facilitated the quick set changes necessary for a shooting
schedule of an episode every four days. Some of the series
was directed by Lindsay Anderson.
As Maid Marian, the Irish-born Bernadette O'Farrell was
among the most popular characters with viewers, and in 1956
she and Greene toured America to promote the series there.
The Adventures of Robin Hood became one of the first
British television programmes to enjoy success on the other
side of the Atlantic, and at the height of its popularity more
than 30 million viewers in Britain and North America watched
its weekly episodes.
But, after two years and 78 episodes of the programme,
Bernadette O'Farrell feared that she was becoming typecast,
and in 1957 left the series, despite receiving thousands of
letters begging her not to abandon Robin. The turning point
had come, she said, when the shopkeepers in Chelsea, where
she lived, began to greet her with "Good Morning, Maid Marian".
Bernadette Mary O'Farrell was born on January 30 1924 at
Birr, Co Offaly.
Her father was a bank manager and her mother a keen
amateur actress. Nevertheless, Bernadette initially showed no
interest in the stage and, after being educated at a local
convent, was working as a solicitor's secretary when she was
asked to an audition by Carol Reed, who knew her father.
There she met the director and scriptwriter Frank Launder, 17
years her senior, who gave her a small part in Captain Boycott
(1947), with Stewart Granger. In 1949 she appeared as the
glamorous sportsmistress in Launder and Gilliat's The
Happiest Days of Your Life, with Alastair Sim and Margaret
Rutherford, and the following year married Frank Launder.
In the early 1950s, Bernadette O'Farrell combined repertory
stage work with small parts in such films as Life in Her Hands
(1951), Lady Godiva Rides Again (1951), for Launder and
Gilliat, and Lady in the Fog (1952), a Hammer production
starring Cesar Romero.
In 1953 she was in her husband's The Story of Gilbert and
Sullivan, The Genie, with Douglas Fairbanks Jr, and The
Square Ring, a boxing tale in which she divorced her husband
(Robert Beatty) as she could not bear to see him battered any
more. Joan Collins also appeared, as a cheap hussy.
After laying down her Lincoln green as Maid Marian,
Bernadette O'Farrell was seen in Launder and Gilliat's The
Bridal Path (1959), about a Western Islander (Bill Travers)
scouring splendidly vivid Highland scenery for a mate. Then in
1960 she largely retired from acting to spend more time with
her young family on their farm at Radnage, Buckinghamshire.
Later, she and Launder moved to Monaco, where they were
active in local stage productions and charities. Her husband
suffered a severe stroke in 1990, and she nursed him until his
death in 1997.
She is survived by their two daughters.
Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Before you buy.
Louis Epstein
: This should strike a chord mainly with some of the boomers out there.
:
: The obit's from today's Telegraph. I wonder if any of our British
: contributors could explain a turn of phrase that's new to me:
:
: "After laying down her Lincoln green as Maid Marian..."
No need to be a Brit to understand that..."Lincoln green" was the
color,the "uniform" if you would,of Robin Hood's band.It has the
same sense as "After laying down his baton as conductor of the
Philharmonic,Sir Phoebus became a fulltime manhole cleaner..."
: Bernadette O'Farrell
:
: Maid Marian in the television series The Adventures of
: Robin Hood
:
: BERNADETTE O'FARRELL, the actress who has died
: aged 75, was often seen in the cinema in parts written by
: her husband, Frank Launder, who with Sidney Gilliat created
: the St Trinian's films; but she was best known for a television
: role, as Maid Marian in the long-running 1950s series The
: Adventures of Robin Hood.
:
: The programme, which was shown from 1955 until 1959, was
: created for Lew Grade's television company and proved
: immensely popular with younger viewers. Essentially a
: traditional version of the legend, the merry men included Paul
: Eddington as Will Scarlet, while Donald Pleasence and
: Richard O'Sullivan were Princes John and Arthur
: respectively. Robin himself was played by Richard Greene.
:
:
: As Maid Marian, the Irish-born Bernadette O'Farrell was
: among the most popular characters with viewers, and in 1956
: she and Greene toured America to promote the series there.
:
: The Adventures of Robin Hood became one of the first
: British television programmes to enjoy success on the other
: side of the Atlantic, and at the height of its popularity more
: than 30 million viewers in Britain and North America watched
: its weekly episodes.
:
: But, after two years and 78 episodes of the programme,
: Bernadette O'Farrell feared that she was becoming typecast,
: and in 1957 left the series, despite receiving thousands of
: letters begging her not to abandon Robin. The turning point
: had come, she said, when the shopkeepers in Chelsea, where
: she lived, began to greet her with "Good Morning, Maid Marian".
:
:
: After laying down her Lincoln green as Maid Marian,
Steven Celli
>
> This should strike a chord mainly with some of the boomers out there.
>
> The obit's from today's Telegraph. I wonder if any of our British
> contributors could explain a turn of phrase that's new to me:
>
> "After laying down her Lincoln green as Maid Marian..."
>
> SK
>
> Bernadette O'Farrell
>
> Maid Marian in the television series The Adventures of
> Robin Hood
I most certainly remember this show,although by the time I got to see it
it was already in reruns and/or syndication as I was a bit young at the
time the series was in it's original run.
Good show,though,and another blast from the past!
SGC
saintkiss
l...@put.com (Louis Epstein) wrote:
> saintkiss (sain...@my-deja.com) wrote:
> : The obit's from today's Telegraph. I wonder if any of our British
> : contributors could explain a turn of phrase that's new to me:
> :
> : "After laying down her Lincoln green as Maid Marian..."
>
> color,the "uniform" if you would,of Robin Hood's band.It has the
> same sense as "After laying down his baton as conductor of the
> Philharmonic,Sir Phoebus became a fulltime manhole cleaner..."
>
Brad Ferguson
<sce...@swbell.net> wrote:
> saintkiss wrote:
> >
> > This should strike a chord mainly with some of the boomers out there.
> >
> > The obit's from today's Telegraph. I wonder if any of our British
> > contributors could explain a turn of phrase that's new to me:
> >
> > "After laying down her Lincoln green as Maid Marian..."
> >
> > Thanks,
> > SK
> >
> > Bernadette O'Farrell
> >
> > Maid Marian in the television series The Adventures of
> > Robin Hood
>
> I most certainly remember this show,although by the time I got to see it
> it was already in reruns and/or syndication as I was a bit young at the
> time the series was in it's original run.
> Good show,though,and another blast from the past!
There was a clutch of these low-budget British shows in U.S. airplay at
the time: THE BUCCANEERS with Robert Shaw, THE INVISIBLE MAN with Jim
Turner, a SHERLOCK HOLMES series, and some others. One or two of them
ran as prime-time programming on U.S. networks in the 1950s. All of
them were pretty good.