Delia Phyllis Daphne Heard (21 August 1904 – 22 June 1983)[1] was an English actress and acting teacher. She was born in Plymouth, Devon. She appeared in numerous made-for-TV movies and TV series. She was perhaps best known in latter years as Richard's elderly mother Mrs. Polouvicka in To the Manor Born.

Daphne Heard
Heard as Nanny Webster in the episode "Out of the Everywhere" of Upstairs, Downstairs
Born
Delia Phyllis Daphne Heard

21 August 1904
Plymouth, England
Died22 June 1983(1983-06-22) (aged 78)
Bristol, England
Occupation(s)Actress, acting tutor
Years active1948, 1958-1982

Film edit

Her film credits include roles in Goodbye Gemini (1970), the film version of Please Sir! (1971) as an old gypsy, Jude the Obscure (1971) as Drusilla Fawley, and The Triple Echo (1972).[2] She also appeared as the nanny in Laurence Olivier's film Three Sisters (1970) based on the Anton Chekhov play, with Joan Plowright, Alan Bates and Olivier himself as Chebutikin.[3]

Television and radio edit

She performed in many other television serials, including Wild, Wild Women, Doctor Who (in a story-stealing turn in the serial Image of the Fendahl as white witch 'Granny' Tyler), the sitcom Don't Forget to Write! as Mrs Field the cleaner, Z-Cars and Nanny Webster in Upstairs, Downstairs, series 2, episode 8, "Out of the Everywhere".[4] In 1966, she was cast as a beleaguered tenant in Vacant Possession,[5] a TV play produced by Rediffusion.[6]

In 1971, Heard starred in a couple of episodes in the TV sitcom For the Love of Ada playing the nosey next door neighbour.[7]

In 1974, she played the part of Mrs. Froggitt in the pilot episode of Oh No It's Selwyn Froggitt.[8]

From its inception until her death in 1983, she played the part of Maud, the eccentric housekeeper, in the Hinge and Bracket radio series.[9]

Teaching career edit

During the 1950s and 1960s, she was a member of the teaching staff at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School.[10]

Filmography edit

Title Year Role
Yellow Sands (TV movie) 1948 Jennifer Varwell
Miranda (TV movie) 1949 Nurse Carey
Rest you Merry (TV movie) 1958 Jin
The True Misery of the Passion (TV movie) 1960 Despair
Lorna Doone (TV series; eleven episodes; erased by BBC) 1963 Betty Maxworthy
Compact 1963 Mrs. Metcalfe
Viewpoint 1963 Actress
Story Parade 1964 Mrs. Poulton-Morse
The Children of the New Forest (TV series; six episodes) 1964 Judith Villiers
Thursday Theatre (TV anthology series) 1964 Mrs. Dorbeil
Esther Waters 1964 Mrs. Latch
The Walrus and the Carpenter (TV series) 1965
Undermind (TV series) 1965 Mrs. Neary
Poison Island (TV series) 1965 Mrs. Stimcoe
Thirteen Against Fate (episode "The Witness") 1966 Madame Naquet
The Woman in White 1966 Madame Fosco
Blackmail 1966 Mrs. Pearce
Macbeth (TV movie) 1966 Third Witch
ITV Play of the Week (TV series) 1967 Witness
Sanctuary (TV series) 1967 Mrs. Evans
Boy Meets Girl (TV series). 24 wiped BBCTV episodes. 1967 Mary
Hobson's Choice (BBC Schools) 1967 Mrs. Hepworth
Softly, Softly (TV series) 1967 Mrs Evans - Mrs Peck
Inheritance (TV series) 1967 Janie Mellor
Dr. Finlay's Casebook (TV series) 1964-1968 3 character roles: Grandma, Mrs. McNaughton, and Mrs. Verrier
Public Eye (TV series) 1968 Nora
Nicholas Nickleby (TV series) 1968 Peg Sliderskew
Mr. Rose (TV series) 1968 Mrs. Simmons
City '68 (TV series) Miss. Barnes
The Wednesday Play 1968 1968 Mrs. Edgell - Nan
Nearest and Dearest (TV series sitcom) 1968 Mrs. Hardman
Wild, Wild Women (TV series) 1969 Ginny
Big Breadwinner Hog (TV series) 1969 Mrs. Lennox
Rogues' Gallery (TV series) 1969 Grandma Groom
The Expert (TV series) 1969 Mrs. Dipper
The First Churchills (TV miniseries) 1969 Mrs. Jennings
Ace of Wands (TV series) 1970 Ma Epps
Goodbye Gemini 1970 Mrs. McLaren
Three Sisters 1970 Anfissa
The Emergency of Anthony Purdy Esq, Farmer's Labourer (TV movie) 1970 Mother
ITV Saturday Night Theatre 1971 Mrs. Castleton
Jude the Obscure (serial) 1971 Drusilla Fawley
For the Love of Ada (TV series) 1971 Mrs. Chandler
Z-Cars (TV series) 1964-1971 Various - 3 character roles
Thick as Thieves (TV movie) 1971
Please Sir? 1971 Old Gypsy Lady
Thirty-Minute Theatre (TV series) 1971 Mrs. Norton
Owen M.D.(TV series) 1971 Mary Brough
Suspicion (TV series) 1972 Mrs. Fawcett
The Fenn Street Gang (TV series) 1972 Mrs. Upjohn
Spyder's Web (TV series) 1972 Mrs. Hartley
Horace (TV movie) 1972 Mrs.Beal
Pretenders (TV series) 1972 Carrity
The Triple Echo (AKA Soldier in Skirts, in US) 1972 Shopkeeper
Upstairs, Downstairs (TV series) 1972 Nanny Webster
Cranford (TV series) 1972 Mrs. Fitz-Adams
Country Matters (TV series) 1972 Cassandra
Arthur of the Britons (TV series) 1973 Elder
Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads? (TV series) 1973 Aunt Beattie
The Jensen Code (TV series) 1973 Granny Powell
Orson Welles Great Mysteries (TV series) 1973 Deborah Crabbe
The Kids from 47A (TV series) 1974 Miss Budge
John Halifax, Gentleman (TV series) 1974 Jael
Oh No It's Selwyn Froggitt (TV series) 1974 Florrie Froggitt
BBC Play of the Month (TV series) 1970-1974 3 character roles
Horizon (TV series) 1974 Magistrate
Churchill's People (TV series) 1975 Old Woman
Wodehouse Playhouse (TV series) 1975 Nanny Wilkes
Village Hall (TV series) 1975 Mrs. Goodchild
Comedy Playhouse 1974-1975 Aunty Vee - Mum
Plays for Britain (TV series) 1976 Mrs. Brown
Westway (TV series) 1976 Miss Marlbury
Angels (TV series) 1976 Edith Dawson
Within These Walls (TV series) 1976 Ralda Loveridge
Murder Most English: A Flaxborough Chronicle (TV series) Mrs. Crunkinghorn
Marie Curie (TV miniseries) 1977 Madame Sophie Curie
The Upchat Line (TV series) 1977 Mrs. Burgess
Doctor Who (TV series) – in serial Image of the Fendahl 1977 Martha Tyler
Hazell (TV series) 1978 Kathleen Donaldson
Crown Court (TV series) 1974-1978 4 character roles
Coronation Street (TV series) 1978 Lizzie Hinchcliffe
Don't Forget to Write (TV series) 1977-1979 Mrs. Field
Late Night Drama (TV series) 1980 Mrs. Woon
Nanny (TV series) 1981 Miss Cooper
John Keats (TV miniseries) 1981 Mrs. Cook
To the Manor Born (TV series) 1979-1981 Mrs. Polouvicka
Play for Today (TV series) 1982 Mrs Merridew
Horace (TV series) 1982 Mrs. Tiddy

References edit

  1. ^ Per original research added by a contributor from IP address 192.176.202.37 to this article on 21 August 2020, Heard appears in the 1939 England & Wales Register as Daphne Barns (her married name) with the birth date of 21 August 1904; the contributor also commented "A few years ago, only her month and year of birth were known and the 1st [n.b. another date formerly given in the article] was probably a guess".
  2. ^ "Daphne Heard". BFI. Archived from the original on 22 November 2017.
  3. ^ "Three Sisters (1970) - Laurence Olivier, John Sichel | Cast and Crew | AllMovie" – via www.allmovie.com.
  4. ^ "Daphne Heard". www.aveleyman.com.
  5. ^ ""Blackmail" Vacant Possession (TV Episode 1966) - IMDb". imdb.com. Retrieved 7 November 2019.
  6. ^ "Vacant Possession". Radio Times.
  7. ^ "The Queen's Birthday (1971)". BFI. Archived from the original on 29 October 2021.
  8. ^ "Oh No, It's Selwyn Froggit[30/09/74] (1974)". BFI. Archived from the original on 26 February 2021.
  9. ^ "BBC Radio 4 Extra - The Enchanting World of Hinge and Bracket, Pilot". BBC.
  10. ^ Blessed, Brian (19 May 2016). Absolute Pandemonium: The Autobiography. Pan Macmillan. ISBN 9781447292975 – via Google Books.

External links edit