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{{short description|British actress (1927–1979)}}
{{EngvarB|date=October 2017}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2017}}
{{Infobox person
{{Infobox person
| name                  = Jane Hylton
| image                = Jane Hylton.jpg
| image                = Jane Hylton.jpg
| caption              =  
| caption              =  
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| birth_place          = London, England
| birth_place          = London, England
| death_date            = {{death date and age|df=yes|1979|02|28|1926|07|16}}
| death_date            = {{death date and age|df=yes|1979|02|28|1926|07|16}}
| death_place          = [[w:Glasgow|Glasgow]], [[w:Scotland|Scotland]]
| death_place          = [[Glasgow]], [[Scotland]]
| occupation            = Actress
| occupation            = Actress
| yearsactive          = 1946–1979
| yearsactive          = 1946–1979
| spouse                = {{plainlist|
| spouse                =  
*{{marriage|[[w:Euan Lloyd|Euan Lloyd]]|<!-- Unknown -->|<!-- Unknown -->|end=div}}
*{{marriage|[[Euan Lloyd|Euan Lloyd]]|<!-- Unknown -->|<!-- Unknown -->|end=div}}
*{{marriage|[[w:Peter Dyneley|Peter Dyneley]]|1956|1977|end=d.}}}}<ref>McFarlane, Brian (16 May 2016). The Encyclopedia of British Film: Fourth edition. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9781526111968 – via Google Books.</ref>
*{{marriage|[[Peter Dyneley|Peter Dyneley]]|1956|1977|end=d.}}<ref>McFarlane, Brian (16 May 2016). The Encyclopedia of British Film: Fourth edition. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9781526111968 – via Google Books.</ref>
| children              = [[w:Rosalind Lloyd|Rosalind Lloyd]]
| children              = [[Rosalind Lloyd]]
}}
}}


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==Career==
==Career==
Talent-spotted in her teens, Hylton was a product of the [[w:Rank Organisation|Rank Organisation]]'s [[w:The Company of Youth|Company of Youth]] (more commonly referred to as the Rank Charm School), which took promising young actors and groomed them for a career in film. The programme turned out some genuine stars such as [[w:Dirk Bogarde|Dirk Bogarde]] and [[Diana Dors]], but most alumni only had modest film careers, regularly employed in British films but rarely if ever receiving star-billing.  Female graduates of the programme were often referred to, somewhat disparagingly, as "Rank Starlets", with the implication that their purpose was merely to appear on screen and look glamorous; however, Hylton did feature in substantial acting roles with prominent billing.<ref name=allmovie>{{cite web|url=https://www.allmovie.com/artist/jane-hylton-p34245|title=Jane Hylton – Biography, Movie Highlights and Photos – AllMovie|website=AllMovie}}</ref>
Talent-spotted in her teens, Hylton was a product of the [[Rank Organisation|Rank Organisation]]'s [[The Company of Youth|Company of Youth]] (more commonly referred to as the Rank Charm School), which took promising young actors and groomed them for a career in film. The programme turned out some genuine stars such as [[Dirk Bogarde|Dirk Bogarde]] and [[Diana Dors]], but most alumni only had modest film careers, regularly employed in British films but rarely if ever receiving star-billing.  Female graduates of the programme were often referred to, somewhat disparagingly, as "Rank Starlets", with the implication that their purpose was merely to appear on screen and look glamorous; however, Hylton did feature in substantial acting roles with prominent billing.<ref name=allmovie>{{cite web|url=https://www.allmovie.com/artist/jane-hylton-p34245|title=Jane Hylton – Biography, Movie Highlights and Photos – AllMovie|website=AllMovie}}</ref>


Hylton's first screen appearance came in a 1946 programmer ''[[w:A Girl in a Million|A Girl in a Million]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.allmovie.com/artist/jane-hylton-p34245/filmography|title=Jane Hylton – Movies and Filmography – AllMovie|website=AllMovie}}</ref> She quickly moved on to minor roles in films produced by [[w:Gainsborough Studios|Gainsborough Studios]] (''[[w:Jassy (film)|Jassy]]'', ''[[w:When the Bough Breaks (1947 film)|When the Bough Breaks]]'') and [[w:Ealing Studios|Ealing Studios]] (''[[w:Holiday Camp|Holiday Camp]]'', ''[[w:It Always Rains on Sunday|It Always Rains on Sunday]]''), then in 1948 landed her largest role to that time, as an escaped convict's mistress in Gainsborough's ''[[w:My Brother's Keeper (film)|My Brother's Keeper]]''.<ref name=bfi/> She was cast as one of the daughters in the successful comedy ''[[Here Come the Huggetts]]'', then in 1949 as Molly Reed in the Ealing Comedy ''[[Passport to Pimlico]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b6ac27235|title=Here Come the Huggetts (1948)|publisher=}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.screenonline.org.uk/film/id/441383/credits.html|title=BFI Screenonline: Passport to Pimlico (1949) Credits|website=www.screenonline.org.uk}}</ref>
Hylton's first screen appearance came in a 1946 programmer ''[[A Girl in a Million|A Girl in a Million]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.allmovie.com/artist/jane-hylton-p34245/filmography|title=Jane Hylton – Movies and Filmography – AllMovie|website=AllMovie}}</ref> She quickly moved on to minor roles in films produced by [[Gainsborough Studios|Gainsborough Studios]] (''[[Jassy (film)|Jassy]]'', ''[[When the Bough Breaks (1947 film)|When the Bough Breaks]]'') and [[Ealing Studios|Ealing Studios]] (''[[Holiday Camp|Holiday Camp]]'', ''[[It Always Rains on Sunday|It Always Rains on Sunday]]''), then in 1948 landed her largest role to that time, as an escaped convict's mistress in Gainsborough's ''[[My Brother's Keeper (film)|My Brother's Keeper]]''.<ref name=bfi/> She was cast as one of the daughters in the successful comedy ''[[Here Come the Huggetts]]'', then in 1949 as Molly Reed in the Ealing Comedy ''[[Passport to Pimlico]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b6ac27235|title=Here Come the Huggetts (1948)|publisher=}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.screenonline.org.uk/film/id/441383/credits.html|title=BFI Screenonline: Passport to Pimlico (1949) Credits|website=www.screenonline.org.uk}}</ref>


In the early 1950s, Hylton was cast in major roles in several films with a predominantly female cast and targeted at female audiences; ''[[w:Dance Hall (1950 film)|Dance Hall]]'' (1950), ''[[w:It Started in Paradise|It Started in Paradise]]'' (1952 – set in the world of [[w:haute couture|haute couture]]) and 1954 women's prison drama ''[[w:The Weak and the Wicked|The Weak and the Wicked]]''. The quality of film roles offered to her then began to fall and she found herself for the rest of the decade toiling mainly in quickly-shot [[w:B-film|B-film]]s, an exception being a prominent role in the 1960 horror film ''[[w:Circus of Horrors|Circus of Horrors]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.screenonline.org.uk/film/id/546703/index.html|title=BFI Screenonline: Circus of Horrors (1960)|website=www.screenonline.org.uk}}</ref>
In the early 1950s, Hylton was cast in major roles in several films with a predominantly female cast and targeted at female audiences; ''[[Dance Hall (1950 film)|Dance Hall]]'' (1950), ''[[It Started in Paradise|It Started in Paradise]]'' (1952 – set in the world of [[haute couture|haute couture]]) and 1954 women's prison drama ''[[The Weak and the Wicked|The Weak and the Wicked]]''. The quality of film roles offered to her then began to fall and she found herself for the rest of the decade toiling mainly in quickly-shot [[B-film|B-film]]s, an exception being a prominent role in the 1960 horror film ''[[Circus of Horrors|Circus of Horrors]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.screenonline.org.uk/film/id/546703/index.html|title=BFI Screenonline: Circus of Horrors (1960)|website=www.screenonline.org.uk}}</ref>


Hylton's first television appearance was in the starring role of Queen Guinevere in the 1956 series ''[[w:The Adventures of Sir Lancelot|The Adventures of Sir Lancelot]]'' and from the early 1960s she spent her career entirely in television, where she featured in a number of one-off productions for BBC and ITV drama strands as well as appearing in series such as ''[[w:Dixon of Dock Green|Dixon of Dock Green]]'', ''[[w:Journey to the Unknown|Journey to the Unknown]]'', ''[[w:The Troubleshooters|The Troubleshooters]]'' and ''[[w:Take Three Girls|Take Three Girls]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.aveleyman.com/ActorCredit.aspx?ActorID=8480|title=Jane Hylton|website=www.aveleyman.com}}</ref> Her most identifiable TV role was Beryl Fisher, the mother of Betty Spencer ([[w:Michele Dotrice|Michele Dotrice]]) in the BBC comedy series ''[[Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.aveleyman.com/TVEpisode.aspx?FilmID=316&Episode=19730301|title=Some Mothers Do 'Ave Em: S1|website=www.aveleyman.com}}</ref>
Hylton's first television appearance was in the starring role of Queen Guinevere in the 1956 series ''[[The Adventures of Sir Lancelot|The Adventures of Sir Lancelot]]'' and from the early 1960s she spent her career entirely in television, where she featured in a number of one-off productions for BBC and ITV drama strands as well as appearing in series such as ''[[Dixon of Dock Green|Dixon of Dock Green]]'', ''[[Journey to the Unknown|Journey to the Unknown]]'', ''[[The Troubleshooters|The Troubleshooters]]'' and ''[[Take Three Girls|Take Three Girls]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.aveleyman.com/ActorCredit.aspx?ActorID=8480|title=Jane Hylton|website=www.aveleyman.com}}</ref> Her most identifiable TV role was Beryl Fisher, the mother of Betty Spencer ([[Michele Dotrice|Michele Dotrice]]) in the BBC comedy series ''[[Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.aveleyman.com/TVEpisode.aspx?FilmID=316&Episode=19730301|title=Some Mothers Do 'Ave Em: S1|website=www.aveleyman.com}}</ref>


==Critical assessment==
==Critical assessment==
The film historians Steve Chibnall and Brian McFarlane praise her "quite unusual intensity and a real capacity for depicting working-class lives", and note her extensive [[w:B film|B movie]] career in the 1950s: "Virtually everything she did is worth watching, for her if sometimes for little else." They add that each film she was in "benefits from the instinctive humanity, the sense of her characters having a past and a place in the world, which she brings to them".<ref>Steve Chibnall & Brian McFarlane, ''The British 'B' Film'', Palgrave Macmillan, London, 2009, p. 187.</ref>
The film historians Steve Chibnall and Brian McFarlane praise her "quite unusual intensity and a real capacity for depicting working-class lives", and note her extensive [[B film|B movie]] career in the 1950s: "Virtually everything she did is worth watching, for her if sometimes for little else." They add that each film she was in "benefits from the instinctive humanity, the sense of her characters having a past and a place in the world, which she brings to them".<ref>Steve Chibnall & Brian McFarlane, ''The British 'B' Film'', Palgrave Macmillan, London, 2009, p. 187.</ref>


==Personal life==
==Personal life==
Hylton's first marriage to film producer [[w:Euan Lloyd|Euan Lloyd]] ended in divorce, although the couple remained on good terms. The marriage produced a daughter, [[w:Rosalind Lloyd|Rosalind Lloyd]], who also became an actress; Hylton and her daughter both appeared in Lloyd's big budget 1978 [[w:mercenary|mercenary]] drama ''[[w:The Wild Geese|The Wild Geese]]'', which was Hylton's first screen role for 17 years and turned out to be the last of her career.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=V7vPDQAAQBAJ&dq=jane+hylton+The+Encyclopedia+of+British+Film%3A+Fourth+edition&pg=RA3-PA1980|title=The Encyclopedia of British Film: Fourth edition|first=Brian|last=McFarlane|date=16 May 2016|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=9781526111968|via=Google Books}}</ref><ref name=allmovie/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.allmovie.com/movie/the-wild-geese-v54543/cast-crew|title=The Wild Geese (1978) - Andrew V. McLaglen - Cast and Crew - AllMovie|website=AllMovie}}</ref>
Hylton's first marriage to film producer [[Euan Lloyd|Euan Lloyd]] ended in divorce, although the couple remained on good terms. The marriage produced a daughter, [[Rosalind Lloyd|Rosalind Lloyd]], who also became an actress; Hylton and her daughter both appeared in Lloyd's big budget 1978 [[mercenary|mercenary]] drama ''[[The Wild Geese|The Wild Geese]]'', which was Hylton's first screen role for 17 years and turned out to be the last of her career.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=V7vPDQAAQBAJ&dq=jane+hylton+The+Encyclopedia+of+British+Film%3A+Fourth+edition&pg=RA3-PA1980|title=The Encyclopedia of British Film: Fourth edition|first=Brian|last=McFarlane|date=16 May 2016|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=9781526111968|via=Google Books}}</ref><ref name=allmovie/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.allmovie.com/movie/the-wild-geese-v54543/cast-crew|title=The Wild Geese (1978) - Andrew V. McLaglen - Cast and Crew - AllMovie|website=AllMovie}}</ref>


Hylton's second marriage to actor [[w:Peter Dyneley|Peter Dyneley]], whom she met on the set of ''Ett kunglit aventyr'' (''[[w:Laughing in the Sunshine|Laughing in the Sunshine]]''), made in 1956, lasted until Dyneley's death from cancer in 1977.<ref>Letter from Hylton's daughter, [[w:Rosalind Lloyd|Rosalind Lloyd]] to Talking Pictures. October 2020.</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=V7vPDQAAQBAJ&dq=peter+dyneley+The+Encyclopedia+of+British+Film%3A+Fourth+edition&pg=RA8-PA1950|title=The Encyclopedia of British Film: Fourth edition|first=Brian|last=McFarlane|date=16 May 2016|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=9781526111968|via=Google Books}}</ref>  
Hylton's second marriage to actor [[Peter Dyneley|Peter Dyneley]], whom she met on the set of ''Ett kunglit aventyr'' (''[[Laughing in the Sunshine|Laughing in the Sunshine]]''), made in 1956, lasted until Dyneley's death from cancer in 1977.<ref>Letter from Hylton's daughter, [[Rosalind Lloyd|Rosalind Lloyd]] to Talking Pictures. October 2020.</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=V7vPDQAAQBAJ&dq=peter+dyneley+The+Encyclopedia+of+British+Film%3A+Fourth+edition&pg=RA8-PA1950|title=The Encyclopedia of British Film: Fourth edition|first=Brian|last=McFarlane|date=16 May 2016|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=9781526111968|via=Google Books}}</ref>  


Hylton, who had been diagnosed with a congenital heart defect in her late 30s, died of a heart attack in Glasgow on 28 February 1979, aged 52.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ticipedia.info/voice-actor-archive/peter-dyneley/peter-dyneley-information/|title=Peter Dyneley – Information|website=www.ticipedia.info}}</ref>
Hylton, who had been diagnosed with a congenital heart defect in her late 30s, died of a heart attack in Glasgow on 28 February 1979, aged 52.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ticipedia.info/voice-actor-archive/peter-dyneley/peter-dyneley-information/|title=Peter Dyneley – Information|website=www.ticipedia.info}}</ref>
Line 42: Line 38:
==Partial filmography==
==Partial filmography==
{{div col|colwidth=30em}}
{{div col|colwidth=30em}}
* ''[[w:The Years Between (film)|The Years Between]]'' (1946) – Minor role (uncredited)
* ''[[The Years Between (film)|The Years Between]]'' (1946) – Minor role (uncredited)
* ''[[w:A Girl in a Million|A Girl in a Million]]'' (1946) – Nurse
* ''[[A Girl in a Million|A Girl in a Million]]'' (1946) – Nurse
* ''[[w:Dear Murderer|Dear Murderer]]'' (1947) – Rita
* ''[[Dear Murderer|Dear Murderer]]'' (1947) – Rita
* ''[[w:The Upturned Glass|The Upturned Glass]]'' (1947) – Miss Marsh
* ''[[The Upturned Glass]]'' (1947) – Miss Marsh
* ''[[w:Holiday Camp (film)|Holiday Camp]]'' (1947) – Receptionist
* ''[[Holiday Camp (film)|Holiday Camp]]'' (1947) – Receptionist
* ''[[w:Jassy (film)|Jassy]]'' (1947) – Amelia (uncredited)
* ''[[Jassy (film)|Jassy]]'' (1947) – Amelia (uncredited)
* ''[[w:When the Bough Breaks (1947 film)|When the Bough Breaks]]'' (1947) – Maid
* ''[[When the Bough Breaks (1947 film)|When the Bough Breaks]]'' (1947) – Maid
* ''[[w:It Always Rains on Sunday|It Always Rains on Sunday]]'' (1947) – Bessie, his sister
* ''[[It Always Rains on Sunday]]'' (1947) – Bessie, his sister
* ''[[w:Daybreak (1948 film)|Daybreak]]'' (1948) – Doris
* ''[[Daybreak (1948 film)|Daybreak]]'' (1948) – Doris
* ''[[w:Streets Paved with Water|Streets Paved with Water]]'' (1947) (abandoned during filming)
* ''[[Streets Paved with Water]]'' (1947) (abandoned during filming)
* ''[[w:Good-Time Girl]]'' (1948) – Doris
* ''[[Good-Time Girl]]'' (1948) – Doris
* ''[[w:My Sister and I (1948 film)|My Sister and I]]'' (1948) – Elsie
* ''[[My Sister and I (1948 film)|My Sister and I]]'' (1948) – Elsie
* ''[[w:My Brother's Keeper (film)|My Brother's Keeper]]'' (1948) – Nora Lawrence
* ''[[My Brother's Keeper (film)|My Brother's Keeper]]'' (1948) – Nora Lawrence
* ''[[Here Come the Huggetts]]'' (1948) – Jane Huggett
* ''[[Here Come the Huggetts]]'' (1948) – Jane Huggett
* ''[[Passport to Pimlico]]'' (1949) – Molly
* ''[[Passport to Pimlico]]'' (1949) – Molly
* ''[[w:Dance Hall (1950 film)|Dance Hall]]'' (1950) – Mary
* ''[Dance Hall (1950 film)|Dance Hall]]'' (1950) – Mary
* ''[[w:Out of True (film)|Out of True]]'' (1951, Short) – Molly Slade
* ''[[Out of True (film)|Out of True]]'' (1951, Short) – Molly Slade
* ''[[w:The Quiet Woman|The Quiet Woman]]'' (1951) – Jane
* ''[[The Quiet Woman]]'' (1951) – Jane
* ''[[w:The Tall Headlines|The Tall Headlines]]'' (1952) – Frankie Rackham
* ''[[The Tall Headlines|The Tall Headlines]]'' (1952) – Frankie Rackham
* ''[[w:It Started in Paradise|It Started in Paradise]]'' (1952) – Martha Watkins
* ''[[It Started in Paradise|It Started in Paradise]]'' (1952) – Martha Watkins
* ''[[w:The Weak and the Wicked|The Weak and the Wicked]]'' (1954) – Babs Peters, inmate
* ''[[The Weak and the Wicked|The Weak and the Wicked]]'' (1954) – Babs Peters, inmate
* ''[[w:Burnt Evidence|Burnt Evidence]]'' (1954) – Diana Taylor
* ''[[Burnt Evidence|Burnt Evidence]]'' (1954) – Diana Taylor
* ''[[w:Secret Venture|Secret Venture]]'' (1955) – Joan Butler
* ''[[Secret Venture|Secret Venture]]'' (1955) – Joan Butler
* ''[[w:Laughing in the Sunshine|Laughing in the Sunshine]]'' (1956) – Princess Caroline
* ''[[Laughing in the Sunshine]]'' (1956) – Princess Caroline
* ''[[w:You Pay Your Money|You Pay Your Money]]'' (1957) – Mrs. Delgado
* ''[[You Pay Your Money]]'' (1957) – Mrs. Delgado
* ''[[w:Dial 999 (TV series)|Dial 999]]'' (1958) - Ruth Harrison
* ''[[ial 999 (TV series)|Dial 999]]'' (1958) - Ruth Harrison
* ''[[w:Violent Moment|Violent Moment]]'' (1959) – Daisy Hacker
* ''[[Violent Moment]]'' (1959) – Daisy Hacker
* ''[[w:Deadly Record|Deadly Record]]'' (1959) – Ann Garfield
* ''[[Deadly Record]]'' (1959) – Ann Garfield
* ''[[w:The Manster|The Manster]]'' (1959) – Linda Stanford
* ''[[The Manster]]'' (1959) – Linda Stanford
* ''[[w:Devil's Bait|Devil's Bait]]'' (1959) – Ellen Frisby
* ''[[Devil's Bait]]'' (1959) – Ellen Frisby
* ''[[w:Night Train for Inverness|Night Train for Inverness]]'' (1960) – Marion
* ''[[Night Train for Inverness]]'' (1960) – Marion
* ''[[w:Circus of Horrors|Circus of Horrors]]'' (1960) – Angela
* ''[[Circus of Horrors|Circus of Horrors]]'' (1960) – Angela
* ''[[w:House of Mystery (1961 film)|House of Mystery]]'' (1961) – Stella Lemming
* ''[[House of Mystery (1961 film)|House of Mystery]]'' (1961) – Stella Lemming
* ''[[w:Bitter Harvest (1963 film)|Bitter Harvest]]'' (1963) – Carole (uncredited)
* ''[[itter Harvest (1963 film)|Bitter Harvest]]'' (1963) – Carole (uncredited)
* ''[[w:The Wild Geese|The Wild Geese]]'' (1978) – Mrs. Marjorie Young
* ''[[The Wild Geese]]'' (1978) – Mrs. Marjorie Young
{{div col end}}
{{div col end}}


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* [http://www.superstrangevideo.com/images/JaneHyltonPeterDyneley_7080489.jpg "A new kind of happiness for Jane Hylton"] 1972 interview
* [http://www.superstrangevideo.com/images/JaneHyltonPeterDyneley_7080489.jpg "A new kind of happiness for Jane Hylton"] 1972 interview
* {{IMDb name|0405140}}
* {{IMDb name|0405140}}
{{Authority control}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Hylton, Jane}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hylton, Jane}}

Latest revision as of 20:31, 7 February 2023

Jane Hylton
Jane Hylton.jpg
Born
Audrey Gwendolene Clark

(1926-07-16)16 July 1926
London, England
Died28 February 1979(1979-02-28) (aged 52)
OccupationActress
Years active1946–1979
Spouses
(divorced)
(m. 1956; died 1977)
[1]
ChildrenRosalind Lloyd

Jane Hylton (16 July 1926 – 28 February 1979,[2] born as Audrey Gwendolene Clark) was an English actress who accumulated 30 film credits, mostly in the 1940s and 1950s, before moving into television work in the latter half of her career in the 1960s and 1970s.[3]

Career

Talent-spotted in her teens, Hylton was a product of the Rank Organisation's Company of Youth (more commonly referred to as the Rank Charm School), which took promising young actors and groomed them for a career in film. The programme turned out some genuine stars such as Dirk Bogarde and Diana Dors, but most alumni only had modest film careers, regularly employed in British films but rarely if ever receiving star-billing. Female graduates of the programme were often referred to, somewhat disparagingly, as "Rank Starlets", with the implication that their purpose was merely to appear on screen and look glamorous; however, Hylton did feature in substantial acting roles with prominent billing.[4]

Hylton's first screen appearance came in a 1946 programmer A Girl in a Million.[5] She quickly moved on to minor roles in films produced by Gainsborough Studios (Jassy, When the Bough Breaks) and Ealing Studios (Holiday Camp, It Always Rains on Sunday), then in 1948 landed her largest role to that time, as an escaped convict's mistress in Gainsborough's My Brother's Keeper.[3] She was cast as one of the daughters in the successful comedy Here Come the Huggetts, then in 1949 as Molly Reed in the Ealing Comedy Passport to Pimlico.[6][7]

In the early 1950s, Hylton was cast in major roles in several films with a predominantly female cast and targeted at female audiences; Dance Hall (1950), It Started in Paradise (1952 – set in the world of haute couture) and 1954 women's prison drama The Weak and the Wicked. The quality of film roles offered to her then began to fall and she found herself for the rest of the decade toiling mainly in quickly-shot B-films, an exception being a prominent role in the 1960 horror film Circus of Horrors.[8]

Hylton's first television appearance was in the starring role of Queen Guinevere in the 1956 series The Adventures of Sir Lancelot and from the early 1960s she spent her career entirely in television, where she featured in a number of one-off productions for BBC and ITV drama strands as well as appearing in series such as Dixon of Dock Green, Journey to the Unknown, The Troubleshooters and Take Three Girls.[9] Her most identifiable TV role was Beryl Fisher, the mother of Betty Spencer (Michele Dotrice) in the BBC comedy series Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em.[10]

Critical assessment

The film historians Steve Chibnall and Brian McFarlane praise her "quite unusual intensity and a real capacity for depicting working-class lives", and note her extensive B movie career in the 1950s: "Virtually everything she did is worth watching, for her if sometimes for little else." They add that each film she was in "benefits from the instinctive humanity, the sense of her characters having a past and a place in the world, which she brings to them".[11]

Personal life

Hylton's first marriage to film producer Euan Lloyd ended in divorce, although the couple remained on good terms. The marriage produced a daughter, Rosalind Lloyd, who also became an actress; Hylton and her daughter both appeared in Lloyd's big budget 1978 mercenary drama The Wild Geese, which was Hylton's first screen role for 17 years and turned out to be the last of her career.[12][4][13]

Hylton's second marriage to actor Peter Dyneley, whom she met on the set of Ett kunglit aventyr (Laughing in the Sunshine), made in 1956, lasted until Dyneley's death from cancer in 1977.[14][15]

Hylton, who had been diagnosed with a congenital heart defect in her late 30s, died of a heart attack in Glasgow on 28 February 1979, aged 52.[16]

Partial filmography

References

  1. ^ McFarlane, Brian (16 May 2016). The Encyclopedia of British Film: Fourth edition. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9781526111968 – via Google Books.
  2. ^ "Obituaries of the Seventies, 1979".
  3. ^ a b "Jane Hylton". Archived from the original on 2012-07-22.
  4. ^ a b "Jane Hylton – Biography, Movie Highlights and Photos – AllMovie". AllMovie.
  5. ^ "Jane Hylton – Movies and Filmography – AllMovie". AllMovie.
  6. ^ "Here Come the Huggetts (1948)".
  7. ^ "BFI Screenonline: Passport to Pimlico (1949) Credits". www.screenonline.org.uk.
  8. ^ "BFI Screenonline: Circus of Horrors (1960)". www.screenonline.org.uk.
  9. ^ "Jane Hylton". www.aveleyman.com.
  10. ^ "Some Mothers Do 'Ave Em: S1". www.aveleyman.com.
  11. ^ Steve Chibnall & Brian McFarlane, The British 'B' Film, Palgrave Macmillan, London, 2009, p. 187.
  12. ^ McFarlane, Brian (16 May 2016). The Encyclopedia of British Film: Fourth edition. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9781526111968 – via Google Books.
  13. ^ "The Wild Geese (1978) - Andrew V. McLaglen - Cast and Crew - AllMovie". AllMovie.
  14. ^ Letter from Hylton's daughter, Rosalind Lloyd to Talking Pictures. October 2020.
  15. ^ McFarlane, Brian (16 May 2016). The Encyclopedia of British Film: Fourth edition. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9781526111968 – via Google Books.
  16. ^ "Peter Dyneley – Information". www.ticipedia.info.

External links