Yvonne Mitchell

Yvonne Mitchell, a British actress, was born on July 7, 1915, in London. She was primarily known for her stage work, beginning her theatrical career in the late 1930s after being educated at St Paul's Girls School in London and The London Theatre Studio. By the time of her death, she had spent over four decades performing on stage. Her film and television output was limited, but the work she did produce in those mediums was of high quality and often dealt with mature themes. Mitchell made her starring film debut in *The Queen of Spades* (1949) and became a moving, thoughtful, and often anguished presence in films throughout the 1950s. She won the British Film Award for her performance as the biological mother of a foster child in *The Divided Heart* (1954). Her portrayal of a slovenly, cuckolded wife in *Woman in a Dressing Gown* (1957) earned her the Berlin International Film Festival Award. Other notable films included *Escapade* (1955), *Sapphire* (1959), *The Trials of Oscar Wilde* (1960), and *Johnny Nobody* (1961). In addition to her acting career, Mitchell was a novelist who wrote for both children and adults, as well as an award-winning playwright. She also authored a successful biography titled *Colette—A Taste for Life* about the French writer. Married to film and stage critic Derek Monsey, she wrote his biography in 1957. Mitchell died of cancer on March 24, 1979, in London.