Elvi Hale

Pretty, tawny-haired British second lead actress, born and raised as Patricia Elvira Hake in Essex and educated at Reed's School in Cobham, Surrey. Her original surname can be traced back to either Old Norse or Anglo-Saxon origins. As Elvi Hale, she first acted on stage at the Old Vic School in 1951 where she was discovered by Laurence Olivier, who signed her under contract. For some reason, Olivier was never to utilize her in any of his screen projects. Elvi resumed her theatrical work in London with notable appearances as Sally Bowles in I Am a Camera (1955) and as Alexandra Crowley in The Crystal Heart (1957). She made her film debut in 1956 and the following year garnered a BAFTA Award nomination as Most Promising Newcomer for her role in the charming nautical comedy True as a Turtle (1957). During the early 60s, she acted mainly in anthology drama on TV. Arguably, her best known later role was that of Anne of Cleves in BBC's production of The Six Wives of Henry VIII (1970), starring Keith Michell. Up until her retirement in 1992, Elvi popped up in a handful of films and had guest roles on TV in shows like The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes (1971), Upstairs, Downstairs (1971), Z Cars (1962) and Bergerac (1981). On stage, she specialized in Shakespearean roles, including Maria in Twelfth Night, Gertrude in Hamlet and Nerissa in The Merchant of Venice.