Ursula Howells (17 September 1922 – 16 October 2005) was an English actress whose elegant presence kept her much in demand for roles in film and television.[1]

Ursula Howells
Howells in an episode of Sherlock Holmes (1954)
Born(1922-09-17)17 September 1922
London, England
Died16 October 2005(2005-10-16) (aged 83)
London, England
OccupationActress
Years active1939–2005
Spouse
(m. 1968; died 1988)

Life and career

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Howells was born in London, the daughter of composer Herbert Howells, and was educated at St Paul's Girls' School, where her father worked as Director of Music. She made her first stage appearance at Dundee in 1939, in John Drinkwater's Bird in Hand, then moved to Oxford in 1942 and three years later made her London debut at the Embassy Theatre, Swiss Cottage. In 1947, she appeared in the comedy Jane at the Aldwych Theatre. After several years in the West End, and a brief stint on Broadway where she appeared in Springtime for Henry in 1951, she began to appear in films.

After the death of her father in 1983, Ursula Howells instigated the Herbert Howells Society in 1987, and became a standard bearer for the promotion of his work.[2] She financially supported the recording of his compositions and did much to encourage the publishing and promotion of church music.

Howells died on 16 October 2005, aged 83.[3]

Filmography

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Film

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Television

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References

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  1. ^ "Ursula Howells". explore.bfi.org.uk. Archived from the original on 21 July 2012. Retrieved 7 December 2016.
  2. ^ Shorter, Eric (3 November 2005). "Ursula Howells". The Guardian. Retrieved 4 March 2015.
  3. ^ "Obituary: Ursula Howells". the Guardian. 3 November 2005. Retrieved 23 August 2022.
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