Megs Jenkins | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Muguette Mary Jenkins 21 April 1917 Birkenhead, Cheshire, England |
| Died | 5 October 1998 (aged 81) Suffolk, England |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1939–1990 |
| Spouse |
George Routledge
(m. 1943; div. 1959) |
Muguette Mary "Megs" Jenkins (21 April 1917 – 5 October 1998) was an English character actress who appeared in British films and television programmes.
Jenkins was born in Birkenhead, Cheshire, the daughter of a construction engineer.[1]
She originally trained to be a ballet dancer. Although born in England, she often played Welsh characters. She made her noticeable film debut in Millions Like Us (1943) as the Welsh room-mate and confidante of the main character (played by Patricia Roc). She went on to appear in such films as Green for Danger (1946), The History of Mr. Polly (1949), The Cruel Sea (1953), and Oliver! (1968). She played the housekeeper, Mrs. Grose, in two adaptations of Henry James's The Turn of the Screw: the film The Innocents (1961) and a 1974 television adaptation. She also frequently played comedic roles, and in later life was a regular in the sitcom Oh No It's Selwyn Froggitt, and the children's series Worzel Gummidge. [2]
From 1933, Jenkins also had a long stage career, and appeared in several plays by Emlyn Williams including The Light of Heart in 1940. In 1953 she appeared in the long-running A Day by the Sea by N.C. Hunter. In 1956, she won the Clarence Derwent Award for Best Supporting performance in Arthur Miller's A View from the Bridge.[2]
Megs Jenkins's 1943 marriage to George Routledge, a commando who had been a childhood classmate, and who renewed their acquaintance when he saw her name in a review, ended in divorce in 1959.
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1939 | The Silent Battle | Louise | Released as Continental Express in USA | [1] |
| Secret Journey | Reception girl in glasses | Uncredited | ||
| Poison Pen | Barmaid | |||
| Inspector Hornleigh on Holiday | Maid | Uncredited | ||
| 1943 | Millions Like Us | Gwen | [1] | |
| The Lamp Still Burns | Nurse | Uncredited | [2] | |
| 1944 | It's in the Bag | Peach St. Clair | ||
| 1945 | 29 Acacia Avenue | Shirley | Released as The Facts of Love in USA | [1] |
| Painted Boats | Barmaid | |||
| 1947 | Green for Danger | Nurse Woods | [1] | |
| The Brothers | Angustina McFarish | [1] | ||
| 1948 | Saraband for Dead Lovers | Frau Busche | ||
| The Monkey's Paw | Mrs Trelawne | [1] | ||
| 1949 | The History of Mr. Polly | The Innkeeper | [1] | |
| A Boy, a Girl and a Bike | Nan Ritchie | |||
| 1950 | No Place for Jennifer | Mrs Marshall | [1] | |
| Mr. Gillie | Mrs Gillie | Live TV drama | [1] | |
| 1951 | White Corridors | Mrs. Briggs | ||
| 1952 | Secret People | Penny | ||
| Ivanhoe | Servant to Isaac | [1] | ||
| 1953 | The Cruel Sea | Tallow's sister | [1] | |
| Rough Shoot | Mrs. Powell | |||
| Personal Affair | Vi Vining | |||
| Trouble in Store | Miss Gibson | [1] | ||
| 1954 | The Gay Dog | Maggie Gay | ||
| 1955 | Out of the Clouds | The Landlady | ||
| John and Julie | Mrs Pritchett | |||
| 1957 | The Man in the Sky | Mrs. Snowden | ||
| The Passionate Stranger | Millie | |||
| The Story of Esther Costello | Nurse Evans | |||
| 1958 | Indiscreet | Doris Banks | [1] | |
| 1959 | Tiger Bay | Mrs Philips | [1] | |
| Jet Storm | Rose Brock | |||
| Friends and Neighbours | Lily Grimshaw | |||
| 1960 | Conspiracy of Hearts | Sister Constance | ||
| 1961 | The Green Helmet | Kitty Launder | ||
| The Innocents | Mrs Grose | [1] | ||
| 1962 | The Barber of Stamford Hill | Mrs. Werner | ||
| Life for Ruth | Mrs. Gordon | |||
| The Wild and the Willing | Mrs. Corbett | |||
| 1964 | Murder Most Foul | Mrs Gladys Thomas | ||
| 1965 | Bunny Lake Is Missing | Sister | ||
| 1967 | Stranger in the House | Mrs. Christoforides | ||
| 1968 | Oliver! | Mrs Bedwin | [1] | |
| 1969 | The Smashing Bird I Used to Know | Matron | ||
| 1972 | Asylum | Miss Higgins | (segment: "Lucy Comes to Stay") | |
| 1975 | The Amorous Milkman | Iris |
