Glynis Johns, who passed away at the age of 100, will be most remembered by multiple generations for her role as the Edwardian matriarch in the beloved Disney musical Mary Poppins (1964). As Winifred Banks, she is the wife of George W Banks (played by David Tomlinson) and mother to Jane and Michael, the children under the care of the magical nanny, Julie Andrews. Winifred is also a passionate advocate for women’s suffrage and sings the spirited song “Sister Suffragette” as their previous nanny attempts to leave.
The actor with a deep voice had other notable achievements in addition to appearing in over 60 films and 30 stage productions. In 1973, Stephen Sondheim wrote the song “Send in the Clowns” specifically for Johns when she was chosen for the main role in the first production of his Broadway musical A Little Night Music. She first gained recognition in British cinema as a mermaid.
In the lead role of the movie Miranda (1948), she journeys from Cornwall to London and stirs up romantic complications within the Chelsea social scene. Despite the film’s now possibly forced humor, it was a popular hit during its time and elevated Johns to a prominent position in British cinema. Miranda later reappeared in the delayed sequel, Mad About Men (1954).
During that period, Johns transitioned primarily from performing on stage to appearing in movies. She was often cast in lighthearted roles, displaying a mix of playfulness and determination. A notable role for her was in the suspenseful film State Secret (1950, titled The Great Manhunt in the US), where she portrayed a cabaret performer in a made-up Balkan nation and impressively sang Paper Doll in a completely fabricated language.
She displayed her youthful qualities by playing a teenage schoolgirl in the melodrama Personal Affair (1953) at the age of 30. In the same year, she starred in two whimsical British films produced by Walt Disney: as Mary Tudor in The Sword and the Rose and as the heroic wife of Rob Roy. She then made her debut in Hollywood with the Danny Kaye comedy The Court Jester in 1955. The next year, she had a small role in the star-studded film Around the World in 80 Days.
During this period, Johns appeared in both American and British films, typically in smaller roles. However, she landed a notable role in The Sundowners (1960), which took place in Australia, playing a cheerful barmaid who becomes fond of a British visitor portrayed by Peter Ustinov. This performance earned her an Oscar nomination for best supporting actress. She also received top billing in the horror film The Cabinet of Caligari (1962). By this point, she had gained enough recognition from American audiences to star in the television sitcom series Glynis in 1963, though it only lasted for one season.
In 1966, Johns made a comeback to the London theater scene in The King’s Mare. She portrayed Anne of Cleves opposite Keith Michell’s Henry VIII. Her Welsh background was highlighted when she played Myfanwy Price in the film adaptation of Dylan Thomas’s Under Milk Wood (1971), alongside Richard Burton, Elizabeth Taylor, and Peter O’Toole. Two years later, she achieved great success on Broadway as Desiree Armfeldt in A Little Night Music, which earned her a Tony award.
Glynis was raised in a family involved in show business. Her mother, Alice Steele (nee Wareham), was a concert pianist known as Alys Steele-Payne, and her father was a well-known character actor named Mervyn Johns. Mervyn was a frequent actor in Ealing Studios productions and both he and Glynis appeared in the 1944 film The Halfway House.
Glynis, who was born in South Africa while her parents were touring, had distinct Welsh vocal tones. At just three weeks old, she was already being brought on stage and soon after, she made her professional debut as a dancer in the revue Buckie’s Bears (1935) at London’s Garrick theatre.
She received her education at Clifton High School in Bristol, South Hampstead High School, and the Cone School of Dancing in London. She quickly moved on to playing roles in both theater and film as a young actress. Her first appearance on screen was at 14 years old, playing the daughter of politician Ralph Richardson in South Riding (1938). On stage, she played the role of a young sister named Miranda in Esther McCracken’s comedies Quiet Wedding (1938) and Quiet Weekend (1941).
In that particular year, there was a chance to be featured in the movie 49th Parallel. This film, which starred Leslie Howard and Laurence Olivier, was a spy thriller that aimed to increase support for the second world war in the United States. After the war, she was offered the role of a mermaid, and her experience in theater allowed her to excel in the role. She had strong muscles from dancing and was quite athletic, so wearing a mermaid tail was not a problem for her. She swam with ease, much like a porpoise.
In 1977, Johns made a comeback to the London theater scene, cast by Terence Rattigan to portray murderer Alma Rattenbury in his acclaimed adaptation of the Rattenbury case, Cause Célèbre. However, her acting roles became infrequent after that. In 1989, she took on a lead role alongside Rex Harrison and Stewart Granger in Somerset Maugham’s The Circle on Broadway.
She made appearances as a guest star on American TV shows like Murder She Wrote and The Love Boat. She portrayed Helen Chambers, the wealthy mother of Diane, in the first season of Cheers (1983) and Trudie Pepper in the sitcom Coming of Age (1988-89). In her last films, While You Were Sleeping (1995) and Superstar (1999), she played the role of a charming grandmother.
Johns had been married and divorced on four separate occasions. Her initial spouse was Anthony Forwood, an actor, and they were married from 1942 until 1948. Sadly, their son Gareth, who was also an actor, passed away in 2007. She then went on to marry two businessmen, David Foster from 1952 to 1956, and Cecil Henderson from 1960 to 1962. From 1964 to 1973, Johns was married to Elliott Arnold, a novelist. She is survived by her grandson and three great-grandchildren.
Source: theguardian.com
