I never thought of Audrey Hepburn at all.  I have seen Audrey Hepburn in the first film she was listed as being in (she played a cigarette girl in a nightclub) and she did not look like that.  She always had a more 'pulled together' look but of course I could well be wrong.

I did think she looked a little old to be a young starlet, but she definitely looks like Audrey it's a shame she doesn't get to speak because that'd help We've been for a lovely 9 mile coastal walk today, it made a pleasant change of scenery and the weather was just nice I hope you've all had a lovely day too

Sounds like you've had a lovely day, Summer.

Coastal walks are great - although the sea air does seem to tire me out.

I always sleep like a baby afterwards.

I suspect it wasn't Audrey Hepburn in Scrooge although there are similarities. Scrooge was passed by the BBFC on 24 September 1951. The  second British film known to include Audrey Hepburn was Laughter in Paradise (as the cigarette girl as squiggle posted) and that was passed by the BBFC on 10 January 1951. She did have a speaking role in that which makes it less likely that she would have a non-speaking role in a film passed 8 months later. She did appear in an earlier British film called One Wild Oat which was passed on 20 July 1950.

 

Purely as a matter of curiousity I found this clip on Youtube of Audrey Hepburn's roles in her early films. It starts off with Laughter in Paradise followed by One Wild Oat, bith brief scenes. Most of the clip seems to be from Young Wives' Tales where she seems to have a more substantial role. I didn't bother to watch those as just seeing bits of a film would make it very disjointed and a bit pointless.

 

I'm off to read soon, so I will say goodnight and speak to you all tomorrow, sleep well.

Goodnight Squiggle, sweet dreams.

 

N

El, next time Scrooge is on TV, I'll check the cast list and see if the maid is listed. I'm intrigued to know who it is now.

There's got to be a film buff online somewhere who could solve that mystery! The sea air has made me very tired yogi, I'll not be long for the pillow. I met a border terrier puppy today during the walk, he was super adorable!!!! Sweet dreams all

Aww, has the puppy made you all broody for a pup of your own, Summer? Not long to wait until Stream is in season again.

Signing out, off to watch Lewis on ITV3+1.

Catch up tomorrow.

For Summer and Ros.

night yogi

i thought of Shirley Mclaine in that clip - but not sure - i think the age fits - but think her features were heavier

just googled it - apparently opinion was that it was Audrey Hepburn in  her first acting role but it isn't apparently - TBh - the features and face shape don't really look like Audrey Hepburn to me - I also thought of Natalie woods but  she would only have been 13 in 1951

 

hmmm I love a good mystery

Good morning everyone

 

Cloudy but milder than recently. No sign of the fog which is affecting the eastern side of England.

 

Yogi, the maid is not credited in the cast list and is not mentioned on the IMDB details for Scrooge. I'm fairly certain that it isn't Audrey Hepburn as the maid's eyes have a shadow under them and her nose is a bit sharper.

 

I saw Call the Midwives last night which was good with Jenny Agutter's last scene with the bother and sister the most memorable.

Good morning everyone, much milder here which is welcome.

 

I did a bit of research regarding the ongoing mystery and I did find several references to the smiling maid but none that will confirm that it is Audrey Hepburn.  I did find this, so it is obvious that this is not the first time that this has occurred to people

 

By the way, my family has been debating for decades whether the uncredited actress playing maid who greets him is an extremely young Audrey Hepburn. There's a definite resemblence! And Hepburn was in another film with Sim and Eleanor Summerfield, who plays Flora here. But I doubt there are any Hepburn films we don't know about at this late date.

Have a good day everyone.

Hi EL and squiggle

 

I realy don't think it is Audrey Hepburn - had another look at the clip and Shirley Maclaine pictures - searched 1940's/50's actresses -  Can't find a thing .

I am beginning to think it was just the studio tea girl or something LOL

I've found this link to an article posted a couple of months ago about the main. That's probably as close an answer as we will ever get.

 

The article includes this:

Recently, however, I returned to my search, discovering that in 2006, a poster at IMDB (Internet Movie Data Base) had responded to a similar question with the following information:

My Uncle worked for casting director Maude Spector, and while he wasn’t directly involved in this film, he did keep extensive notes on all the projects she worked on. The only thing I could find in the production information was this: Maid (Nephew’s House): Frances Arden.

 [chipster_22001, Nov. 27, 2006]

Good afternoon all including daytime ros! I've had busy morning with it being half term, and it's milder too so it's bringing out the older folk who avoided the icy conditions last week... I quite like the fact that the maid mystery is very difficult to solve, it would be nice to know the answer though lol

Good afternoon everyone.

Good to have you with us in daylight hours, Ros.

I love the way everyone has been trying to solve the mystery of the maid.

Had to drop the car off at the garage today. It's having a service and the brakes sorted, before it goes in for its MOT next month.

Weather seems quite mild today, and the sun is trying to break through, too.

It's quite a mystery this, which has been causing many people to scratch their heads over the years

 

The mystery of the maid

While doing some reading up on the 1951 version of A Christmas Carol (which I enjoyed very much on TCM last week), I came across an interesting debate. It seems that ever since the film came out, viewers have been falling in love with the maid who takes Scrooge's coat at Fred's house, near the end. She's onscreen for only a moment and never speaks, but her sweet face and kindly manner are captivating.

The odd thing is, no one seems to know for certain who played her.

 

There's an urban legend that it's a young Audrey Hepburn. I floated this idea on an Audrey Hepburn LiveJournal community I belong to, but the consensus there was that it's probably not her. I do think it looks a little like her, though. Some say it was an actress called Frances Arden, but she doesn't have an IMDb page and no one seems to know a thing about her.

Perhaps we'll never know who played the maid . . . but isn't she quintessentially, delightfully Dickensian? The mysterious, quiet, self-contained, gentle young woman who blesses the lives of all around her just by showing up -- how Dickens must have smiled over that one in heaven. (If he wasn't kicking himself for not having thought her up in the first place.)

 

Hi all x
Hope you all had a good weekend. I have been busy , first chance i have had to pop in.
I see you have all been doing a bit of sleuthing ! I dont know either, but she is very like Audrey Hepburn. Ask Steven Fry, i bet he knows ! 
 

Very similar but not her I think

 

Hi squiggle, no dont think so either, very similar tho. I have been having a nosey around and not come up with anything except the possibility of it being Frances Arden x

It's looking like Frances Arden is the front runner.

If you look at the two photos squiggle has posted firstly of the maid and secondly of Audrey Hepburn you will see that the maid's eyes look as if they've got bags under the eyes which I think confirms that they are different people. There is no record that Audrey Hepburn ever had plastic surgery.

 

Here are two more urban legends about film actors.

Firstly Max Schreck played the part of Orlok the vampire in the 1922 film Nosferatu. He was so convincing that some people really though he was a vampire. The film Shadow of the Vampire made in 2000 was supposedly based on the making of that film and William Dafoe portrayed Max Schreck as if he really was a vampire. Definitely untrue as there are no such things as vampires and Schreck was already a stage and film actor before 1922 and made other films afterwards unrelated with vampires.

 

Secondly Clint Eastwood's father is Stan Laurel. That of course is absurd but there are some who think that is true on the basis that they look alike. I think they need their eyes and heads examined.

 

I'm amazed than anyone believed that one.

Frances Arden could have changed her name of course, if she did later things. She seems very familiar to me, but it may be, because i have seen the film umpteen times !

I have heard that too about Clint and Stan 

Hi by the way x

The Laurel and Hardy website confirms that the myth is rubbish - link

Having spent too long on Google, we are now having soggy veg for tea  

 

Hi Skylark I think it is possible that Frances Arden has been mistaken for Audrey Hepburn is because of a similarity in appearance and when she smiles at Alastair Sim just before he enters the large room there is a warmth to her smile which is reminiscent of Audrey Hepburn. The traditional English folksong "Barbara Allen" sung during this also adds warmth to the scene.

 

You can blame me for the soggy veg for distracting you

See you later, Skylark.

Naughty step again El 
No i found it very interesting, i then had a look at Alastair Sim,s bio, then on to "An Inspector Calls" (one of my fave films)..........
Then blended said soggy veg into soup! 

Skylark, An Inspector Calls is one of those films which I've never seen and always seem to miss it if it's shown on television. One of these days I will catch it. Alastair Sim was one of the best British character actors, a rare talent who could be humerous and sinister.

 

He acted as mentor to George Cole and helped him to develop his acting. George Cole was adopted as a child and left school deciding to become an actor. He met Alastair Sim when he was 15 and they appeared in the film Cottage to Let (often shown on Channel 4) in 1941 which was his first film. The Sim family took in George and his mother into their home and he lived with them until he was 27. This is why George Cole often appeared in films with Alastair Sim - 13 in all. Somtimes a bit role - he appeared uncredited in An Inspector Calls. It is no coincidence that George Cole appeared as the young Ebenezer Scrooge in Scrooge.

 

I doubt whether George Cole would have become as popular as he did if he hadn't learned from Alastair Sim.

Surprised you havent seen the film El, you must. I also went through the book with my daughter when she was doing her GCSE,s (J.B Priestley, as you know)

Alastair Sim was a fabulous character and actor, and yes he took many under his wing. i agree that George Cole maybe wouldnt have been so successful had he not had such a good start. x

Ooh more sleuthing I like it evening all, just cooking some fish fingers and having run out of veg, I've opted for tinned tomatoes & a gherkin we need to go grocery shopping lol

Enjoy, Summer , and dont argue with Mr Summer over the one gherkin 

That's an unusual combination, Summer. Did it taste nice?

Been up since 4.30 this morning so feeling a bit a tired. 
Will say goodnight all FM,s  

That was an early rise, no wonder you are tired.

I hope you get a longer lie in tomorrow.

Night night Skylark sleep well sounds like you've had a tiring day   Tinned tomatoes and a gherkin, that made me laugh hope it tasted nice Summer.

 

I'm signing off too, my new book looks good, I picked it up outside our local village shop for 50p (they have a shelf where villagers put books they are finished with) a new crime author (Erica Spindler)  I think she may be one that I will buy again, time will tell.  Have a good evening and sleep well everybody, speak again tomorrow.