Margaret Lockwood facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Margaret Lockwood
Margaret Lockwood, 1945
Born	Margaret Mary Day Lockwood (1916-09-15)15 September 1916 Karachi, British India
Died	15 July 1990(1990-07-15) (aged 73) Kensington, London, England
Years active	1928–1983
Spouse(s)	Rupert Leon ​ ​ (m. 1937; div. 1950)​
Children	Julia Lockwood

Margaret Mary Day Lockwood (born September 15, 1916 – died July 15, 1990) was a famous English actress. She was one of Britain's most loved film stars in the 1930s and 1940s. Some of her most well-known movies include The Lady Vanishes (1938), Night Train to Munich (1940), The Man in Grey (1943), and The Wicked Lady (1945). She was also nominated for a top acting award, the BAFTA Award, for her role in the 1955 film Cast a Dark Shadow. Later in her career, she starred in the TV series Justice from 1971 to 1974.

Early Life and First Steps in Acting

Margaret Lockwood was born on September 15, 1916, in Karachi, which was part of British India at the time. Her father, Henry Francis Lockwood, worked for a railway company. Her mother was Margaret Eveline Waugh.

In 1920, Margaret moved back to England with her mother and brothers. She went to Sydenham High School for girls and another school in Kensington, London.

Margaret started learning to act at a young age at the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts. She made her first stage appearance in 1928 when she was only 12 years old. She played a fairy in a play called A Midsummer Night's Dream at the Holborn Empire theatre. The next year, she appeared in a pantomime, which is a type of musical play, called The Babes in the Wood. In 1932, she performed in the play Cavalcade at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane.

Starting a Film Career

In 1933, Margaret Lockwood joined the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, a famous acting school. There, a talent scout noticed her and offered her an acting contract.

She began her film career in 1934. In 1935, she appeared in the movie Lorna Doone. For this, she signed a contract with British Lion, a film company. She played young, innocent characters in her early films, like in Midshipman Easy (1935), directed by Carol Reed. She also had a main role in Someday (1935), directed by Michael Powell.

Her acting career grew when she starred alongside the famous actor Maurice Chevalier in The Beloved Vagabond (1936).

Joining Gaumont British

Margaret Lockwood's career took a big step forward when she joined Gaumont British, a major film studio. She was cast in the film Doctor Syn (1937). She impressed the studio so much that she signed a three-year contract with Gainsborough Pictures, which was part of Gaumont British.

Becoming a British Star

Catherine Lacey, Margaret Lockwood and Michael Redgrave in Alfred Hitchcock's The Lady Vanishes (1938)

Margaret Lockwood became a true star with her next two films. First was Bank Holiday (1938), directed by Carol Reed. This movie was a big success and made her a well-known actress.

Even more popular was her next film, The Lady Vanishes (1938), directed by the legendary Alfred Hitchcock. Margaret loved making this film and it became one of her most famous roles. She then made A Girl Must Live, a musical comedy. At this time, Margaret often played bright young women who found themselves in fun or tricky situations.

Working in American Films

Because of her growing fame, Margaret Lockwood went to Hollywood, USA, in 1939. She appeared in Susannah of the Mounties (1939) with child star Shirley Temple. She also starred in Rulers of the Sea (1939) with Douglas Fairbanks Jr.. Even though Paramount Pictures wanted her for more films, Margaret decided to return to Britain.

Back in Britain During Wartime

Margaret returned to Britain in June 1939, just before World War II began. She starred in The Stars Look Down (1940), playing a challenging role as a self-centered wife.

She then reunited with director Carol Reed for Night Train to Munich (1940). This film tried to capture the excitement of The Lady Vanishes. She continued to make films during the war, including Quiet Wedding (1941) and Alibi (1942).

Peak of Her Career

The Man in Grey and Melodramas

Margaret Lockwood became a top star with the film The Man in Grey (1943). This was the first of a series of popular films known as the Gainsborough melodramas. In this movie, she played the villainous Hesther, alongside Phyllis Calvert, James Mason, and Stewart Granger. The film was a huge hit, making all four actors very famous. By the end of 1943, she was voted the seventh most popular British star.

She then made the romantic film Love Story (1944), where she played a pianist who was very ill. This film was also very popular.

The Wicked Lady Success

Margaret Lockwood had her biggest success with the main role in The Wicked Lady (1945). She starred with James Mason and Michael Rennie. This film was the most popular movie in Britain in 1946. In 1946, she won the Daily Mail National Film Award for the most popular British film actress.

However, after this huge success, she had a series of films that were not as popular. She signed a contract with Rank, another film company, in 1946. She made films like Hungry Hill (1947) and Jassy (1947), which was a big hit.

Margaret sometimes disagreed with the roles she was offered. She felt the scripts were not good enough and even went on suspension from her contract for a while. During this time, she appeared in a TV version of Pygmalion (1948).

She returned to films with Look Before You Love (1948) and the comedy Cardboard Cavalier (1949). She also returned to the stage, starring in plays like Noël Coward's Private Lives (1949) and Peter Pan (1949 and 1950).

Later Career in TV and Theatre

As her film popularity changed, Margaret Lockwood started performing more on stage in London's West End and on television. Her TV debut was in 1948.

She appeared in several TV plays, including a BBC version of Agatha Christie's Spider's Web (1955). She also had the main role in the TV series The Royalty (1957–1958) and The Flying Swan (1965).

Her stage career continued to be very successful. She starred in plays like Oscar Wilde's An Ideal Husband (1965–66) and thrillers like Signpost to Murder (1962).

In 1971, she began starring as a lawyer named Harriet Peterson in the TV series Justice. This role was very popular and won her Best Actress Awards from TV Times (1971) and The Sun (1973).

Her last film role was as the Stepmother in The Slipper and the Rose (1975), a musical version of Cinderella. Her very last professional appearance was on stage in 1980, playing Queen Alexandra in the play Motherdear.

Margaret Lockwood was honored with the title Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 1981 for her contributions to acting.

Personal Life

Margaret Lockwood married Rupert Leon in 1937, but they divorced in 1950. She had one daughter, Julia Lockwood, who also became an actress.

Margaret Lockwood spent her final years living quietly in Kingston upon Thames. She passed away on July 15, 1990, at the age of 73.

Filmography

Awards and Recognition

Margaret Lockwood received several awards for her acting:

• 1946 – Daily Mail National Film Awards: Most Outstanding British actress during the war years.
• 1947 – Daily Mail National Film Awards: Best Film Actress of the year.
• 1948 – Daily Mail National Film Awards: Best Film Actress of the year for her role in Jassy.
• 1955 – Nominated for a BAFTA award for Best British Actress in Cast a Dark Shadow.
• 1971 – TV Times: Best Actress Award.
• 1973 – The Sun: Best Actress Award.

She was also consistently ranked among the most popular stars by film exhibitors:

• 1943 – 7th most popular British star in Britain.
• 1944 – 6th most popular British star in Britain.
• 1945 – 3rd most popular British star in Britain.
• 1946 – 3rd most popular star and 2nd most popular British star in Britain.
• 1947 – 4th most popular star and 3rd most popular British star in Britain.
• 1948 – 3rd most popular star and 2nd most popular British star in Britain, and the most popular female star in Canada.
• 1949 – 5th most popular British star in Britain.

Images for kids

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  Margaret Lockwood, 1945

See also

In Spanish: Margaret Lockwood para niños