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Margaret Nolan
Born
Margaret Ann Nolan

(1943-10-29)29 October 1943
Hampstead, London, England
Died 5 October 2020(2020-10-05) (aged 76)
Belsize Park, London, England
Other names Vicky Kennedy
Occupation Visual artist, actress
Years active 1962–2020
Spouse(s)
Tom Kempinski
(m. 1967; div. 1972)
Michael O’Sullivan
(m. 1974, divorced)
Partner(s) Colin Deeks
(?-2020; her death)
Children 2

Margaret Ann Nolan (29 October 1943 – 5 October 2020) was an English actress, visual artist and glamour model. She appeared in Goldfinger, A Hard Day's Night and six Carry On films, and also regularly appeared on screen from the 1960s to the 1980s.

Early life

Nolan was born in Hampstead, London. Her mother Molly (née O'Sullivan) was an English nurse and her father Jack was an Irish army clerk. They spent the duration of the Second World War in County Waterford in Ireland until the war ended in 1945 before returning to Hampstead. Nolan began training as a teacher but began dating Tom Kempinski, who was acting with the National Theatre Company at the time, who persuaded her to begin a career in acting.

Career

Modelling career

Margaret Nolan began her career as a model. As her glamour modelling career took off, she was briefly known as Vicky Kennedy in the early 1960s.

Acting career

Nolan reverted to her birth name as soon as she began to find acting roles, appearing in numerous television shows, theatre productions and films. The latter included A Hard Day's Night with the Beatles, Ferry Cross the Mersey with Gerry and the Pacemakers, and Marcel Carné's Three Rooms in Manhattan. Nolan also appeared in one of the first episodes of the television spy thriller The Saint with Roger Moore.

Nolan played the role of Dink, Bond's masseuse, in the James Bond film Goldfinger released in 1964. She was also painted gold and wore a gold bikini for Robert Brownjohn's title-sequence, advertisements and soundtrack-cover. In the film Carry On at Your Convenience (1971), composer Eric Rogers referenced Nolan's Goldfinger affiliation by using its three-note motif on a close-up of her. In 2012, Nolan gave her first interview concerning her experiences as the model. It became the first film-title to be shown in installation at MoMA, New York (2012).

On appearing in Michael Pertwee's farce She's Done It Again at London's Garrick Theatre in 1969, Nolan was described as combining "a long list of physical attractions with a talent that has contributed to the success of many films and television plays". She was known for five BBC series with Spike Milligan and in 2013 published a short essay on her time working with him. Nolan gave a live reading of the work at the Poetry Society in Covent Garden, reviewed by What's On London as a "deeply-personal memoir... her performance simply magical." She spoke of her awareness of Milligan's depressive character but also of their friendly working relationship; noting that "Professionally, he taught me that timing is what makes things funny. Timing is crucial." Nolan was cast in several Carry On films including Carry On Girls (1973). The film contains the scene of Nolan (in a silver bikini) and Barbara Windsor cat-fighting on a hotel floor.

Nolan also appeared in serious theatre, motivated by political themes. In 2011, Nolan's work as a comedy actress was recognised with her name included on Gordon Young's Comedy Carpet installation in front of Blackpool Tower. Also in 2011, Nolan returned to the screen after a gap of nearly three decades. She starred in a role especially written for her by Ann Cameron, in Yvonne Deutschman's The Power of Three.

In 2019, Edgar Wright cast her in his 2021 film Last Night in Soho. It was Nolan's final film appearance.

Art career

In 1991, Nolan moved to Andalusia in Spain to a rural farmhouse in the mountains where she practiced permaculture. It was here that she became a visual artist.

As a visual artist, Nolan produced graphic and sometimes grotesque photo-montages assembled from cut-outs of her early publicity photographs. These pieces concern "a unique and personal dialogue intrinsically related to a view of a woman and how a woman is viewed." She exhibited in London at venues including the Brick Lane Gallery (2009), The Misty Moon Gallery (2013) and Gallery Different (2013), whilst a screen-print is held by Kemistry Gallery. In 2007, Nolan moved back to London.

In 2009, early publicity shots of Nolan inspired screen-prints by Brighton-based graffiti artist Hutch. Nolan's work in photo-montage was also selected for the front cover of Playerist poetry magazine (No. 2, 2012). In 2013, her artworks featured in the group show equals: exploring feminism through art and conversation at Blankspace Manchester.

Personal life and death

Nolan was married to English playwright Tom Kempinski in 1967 and divorced in 1972. She had two sons.

Nolan died of cancer on 5 October 2020 at her home in Belsize Park, London, at age 76, three weeks before her 77th birthday. She had sought to write a memoir with Paul Stenning.

Filmography

Nolan's acting career covers works in television and cinema.

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1964 It's a Bare, Bare World! Vicki
Saturday Night Out Julie
A Hard Day's Night Girl at Casino
The Beauty Jungle Caroline
Goldfinger Dink
Ferry Cross the Mersey Norah
1965 Three Rooms in Manhattan June
Carry On Cowboy Miss Jones
1966 Promise Her Anything Mail-Order Film Girl
The Great St Trinian's Train Robbery Susie Naphill
1967 Bikini Paradise Margarita
1968 Witchfinder General Girl at Inn Billed as Maggie Nolan in end credits
Don't Raise the Bridge, Lower the River Spink's nurse
1969 Can Heironymus Merkin Ever Forget Mercy Humppe and Find True Happiness? Little Assistance
Crooks and Coronets Girlfriend
The Best House in London
1970 Toomorrow Johnson
1971 Carry On Henry Buxom Lass
Carry On at Your Convenience Popsy
1972 Frenzy Young Woman (scene cut)
Carry On Matron Mrs Tucker
1973 Carry On Girls Dawn Brakes
1974 Carry On Dick Lady Daley
1983 Positions of Power Elizabeth Nihell Short Film
1986 Sky Bandits Waitress
2011 The Power of Three Dame Margaret
2021 Last Night in Soho Sage Barmaid Posthumous release

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1963 The Saint Daisy Episode: "Iris"
1964 ITV Play of the Week Space Hostess Episode: "Deep and Crisp and Stolen"
1965 Danger Man Mrs Elliot Episode: "Parallel Lines Sometimes Meet"
1965 199 Park Lane Martine 3 episodes
1965 Buddenbrooks Babette Episode: "Lengthening Shadows"
1966 Thirty-Minute Theatre Eve Episode: "The Enchanted Night"
1966 Hugh and I Dolly Episode: "Goodbye Dolly"
1966 The World of Wooster Mabel Episode: "Jeeves Exerts the Old Cerebellum"
1966 Theatre 625 Fantasy Girl Episode: "A Man Like That"
1966 Take a Pair of Private Eyes Doreen 3 episodes
1966 The Newcomers Mercedes 17 episodes
1966 Adam Adamant Lives! Sadie Episode: "More Deadly than the Sword"
1967 Armchair Theatre Au Pair Episode: "Compensation Alice"
1967 After Many a Summer Girl TV film
1967 The Wednesday Play Margie "Death of a Private"
1968 Nearest and Dearest Nemone Moore Episode: "Take a Letter"
1968 Mystery and Imagination Vampire Episode: "Dracula" (1968)
Credited as: Marie Legrand
1969 The World of Beachcomber Various 4 episodes
1969 Run a Crooked Mile Secretary TV film
1970 Brian Rix Presents... Melissa Episode: "Clutterbuck"
1970 The Adventures of Don Quick Dulcie Episode: "The Benefits of Earth"
1971 Brian Rix Presents... Pat Thompson Episode: "Reluctant Heroes"
1971–1972 Budgie Inga 3 episodes
1971 The Persuaders! Sophie Episode: "Element of Risk"
1971 Brian Rix Presents... Sylvia Episode: "She's Done It Again!"
1971 Mr. Tumbleweed Leading Huntress TV film
1972 Steptoe and Son Nemone Wagstaff Episode: "A Star is Born"
1972 New Scotland Yard Gudrun Lindblom Episode: "Evidence of Character"
1972 My Wife Next Door Myra Episode: "Pregnant Moment"
1973 Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads? Jackie Episode: "I'll Never Forget Whatshername"
1973 Crown Court Angela Mercer 3 episodes
1973 The Moon Shines Bright on Charlie Chaplin Stella TV film
1973 Black and Blue Lynda Cherry Episode: "The Middle-of-the-Road Roadshow for All the Family"
1973 Men of Affairs Gloria Episode: "Horseface"
1973 Last of the Summer Wine Connie Episode: "Pâté and Chips"
1974 Late Night Drama Gillian Episode: "M + M"
1975 The Sweeney Betty Episode: "Thin Ice"
1975 Q6 Various 3 episodes
1976 I Didn't Know You Cared Barmaid Episode: "The Way My Wife Looks at Me"
1980 Fox Sheila Fox 3 episodes
1981 Brideshead Revisited Effie Episode: "The Bleak Light of Day"
1981 Charlie Was a Rich Man Unknown TV film
1983 Crown Court Frances O'Reilly Episode: "Sword in the Hand of David: Part 1"
1983 Crossroads Denise Paget Unknown episodes

Theatre

Fringe

  • Why Bournemouth? (1968)
  • It Has No Choice
  • A Minor Scene
  • Homo
  • Stimulation
  • Super Santa
  • How the Vote Was Won (1986)
  • Daughters of Men (1986)

Provincial

  • The Bacchae (1970)
  • Bus Stop (Cherie) (1970)
  • Who Goes Bare (1970)
  • Murder in the Office (1972)
  • Not Now, Darling (1973)
  • Don't Look Now (1974)
  • Under the Hill (Aubrey Beardsley) (1976)

West End

  • The Giveaway (1969)
  • Adam's Apple (1970)
  • She's Done It Again (1970)

See also

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