Helen Cherry

Infobox actor
name = Helen Cherry


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birthname = Helen Mary Cherry
birthdate = birth date|1915|11|24
birthplace = Worsley, Lancashire, England
deathdate = death date and age|2001|9|27|1915|11|24
deathplace = Bushey, Hertfordshire, England
othername =
occupation = Actress
yearsactive = 1938 - 1982
spouse = Trevor Howard (1944 - 1988)
domesticpartner =
website =
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Helen Mary Cherry (24 November 1915 – 27 September 2001) was an English stage and film actress.

Cherry was born at Thurgarton, Worsley, Lancashire, the daughter of (John) William Cherry, a works manager then serving as a captain in the 45th Provisional Battalion, and his wife, Annie, "née" Nall. She was educated in Harrogate.

She trained as a commercial artist, intending to be a theatrical designer, but instead found work in northern repertory; her first part was as an extra in "The Vagabond King" in Manchester in 1938. ["The Daily Telegraph", 2 October 2001] Her London début was in Herbert Farjeon's revue "In Town Again" at the Criterion in 1940. Spotted by Robert Atkins, actor–manager of the Open Air Theatre, Regent's Park, London, she appeared in many of his productions there, ["The Independent", 3 October 2001] at the Westminster Theatre, and, after a season at Alec Clunes's Arts Theatre, where she met future husband Trevor Howard, at the Memorial Theatre, Stratford upon Avon. Her Rosalind in "As You Like It" (1943) was particularly well received, described as being "unrivalled in the 1940s". ["The Guardian", 4 October 2001]

After World War II, she remained in demand for Shakespeare and Restoration comedy, though she also appeared in many modern plays. Her Ursula in John Gielgud's production of "Much Ado About Nothing" at the Palace Theatre in 1955 earned outstanding reviews; her Goneril in his ‘Japanese’ "King Lear" the same season was also acclaimed, though critics disliked the production. Her last West End appearance was in "Ladies in Retirement" at the Fortune Theatre in 1982.

She appeared in more than twenty films, mostly derived from stage plays. She was also featured in many television productions and reached a wider audience through the quiz show "Guess My Story".

Tall, auburn-haired, and blue-eyed, she was renowned for her elegance and sense of style. She and Trevor Howard were married on 8 September 1944. She bore her husband's philandering and drinking with stoicism, ["The Independent", 3 October 2001] and after his death in 1988, was quick to defend his reputation. She died on 27 September 2001 at the BUPA Hospital, Heathbourne Road, Bushey, Hertfordshire, of multiple organ failure and cerebrovascular disease.

References and sources

* T. Pettigrew, "Trevor Howard: a personal biography", 2001
* "The Times", 2 October 2001