Diane Hart facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Diane Hart
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| Born |
Diane Lavinia Hart
20 July 1926 Bedford, Bedfordshire, England
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| Died | 7 February 2002 (aged 75) London, England
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| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1942–1999 |
| Spouse(s) | Kenneth MacLeod (1953–2002) (her death) |
| Children | 2 |
Diane Lavinia Hart (born July 20, 1926 – died February 7, 2002) was an English actress. She was famous for her roles in films and on stage in London's West End. Diane Hart was also known as a political activist and an inventor.
She was born in 1926 and went to different schools, including Abbot's Hill School. At just 14, she joined the RADA in 1941 to study acting. During World War II, she worked for the BBC as an audio engineer. She even helped play Adolf Hitler's speeches back to the Germans over the radio from the UK.
In 1943, Diane started her stage career as a "feed" (someone who helps a comedian) with Pat Aza. This led to a six-month tour. After that, she entertained soldiers for ENSA, a group that provided entertainment during the war.
Her big break in theatre came in 1944 with a play called Daughter Janie. Then, she got a role in The Chiltern Hundreds in 1946. In this funny play about politics, she played a humorous housemaid named Bessie.
Contents
What Were Diane Hart's Main Acting Roles?
Becoming a Star in London's West End
Diane Hart became well-known when she replaced another actress in Terence Rattigan's comedy Who Is Sylvia? in 1950. In this play, she showed off her talent by playing three different characters. Critics gave her great reviews for her performance.
Later in 1950, she also starred in The Little Hut at the Lyric Theatre. She then spent six months acting in one of the first runs of the famous mystery play, The Mousetrap, in 1953. After this, she focused on television and film for 11 years.
Returning to the Stage and Film Work
In 1963, Diane translated a play called Divorce A La Carte and acted in it. The next year, she appeared with her friend Margaret Lockwood in Every Other Evening. She also had a long run in the comedy The Man Most Likely To... starting in 1968. Later, she took over a role in the successful comedy Move Over, Mrs Markham in 1972.
Diane also worked at the Royal Court Theatre in Sloane Square. She played a mother in a play called Cheek in 1970. She also appeared in another play called Morality in 1971.
In her later years, she often performed in regional theatres outside London. She played many different parts, including the main role in Mrs Dot in 1974.
Her film career began in the 1940s with a small role in The Wicked Lady in 1945. She also had a contract with 20th Century Fox. She worked with director Jean Negulesco in Britannia Mews (1949) and starred with David Niven in the musical Happy Go Lovely (1951).
Diane also appeared on television, starting during the war at Alexandra Palace. She performed on radio too, and played Ted Ray's wife in his comedy series Ray's a Laugh.
What Else Did Diane Hart Do?
Inventing and Business Ventures
Besides acting, Diane Hart was an inventor. One of her inventions was a special garment called the "Beatnix" corselet. It sold very well at Marks & Spencer stores in Britain during the 1960s. Even the wife of the Russian premier, Mrs Alexei Kosygin, was a customer!
She also convinced the British War Office to use another of her ideas. She suggested attaching harrows (farm tools) to helicopters to clear landmines. This idea was used during the Falklands War.
Her Efforts in Politics
Diane Hart was also interested in politics. She once tried to start a "Women's Party" in the UK. She placed an anonymous advertisement in The Times newspaper. It asked for 630 women to run for Parliament. She held a meeting, but only about forty women showed up.
Later, she ran as an independent candidate in the 1970 General Election for Lewisham South. However, she did not win.
Legal Actions and Activism
In 1977, Diane Hart took legal action against the actors' union Equity. She was a long-time member and wanted to stop a vote on changes to the union's rules.
Four years later, she successfully took on the Aga Khan Foundation United Kingdom. She represented herself in court without a lawyer. She was awarded £750 in damages. This was to make up for the noise and trouble caused by the building of the Ismaili Centre near her home in London.
In her final years, Diane Hart was a member of the Chelsea Arts Club. She was known for quickly solving difficult crossword puzzles from The Times and The Daily Telegraph. People often saw her cycling to and from the club in a long mink coat.
Personal Life
Diane Hart was married to television broadcaster Kenneth MacLeod for 12 years, starting in 1956. They separated in 1968. Kenneth MacLeod was a well-known news anchor for Westward Diary. Diane and Kenneth had two daughters together.
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Diane Hart
