If ever an actress had a typical career in British films, that actress was Phyllis Calvert. She started on stage then had a couple of bits in some undistinguished films. Some more stage work followed and then she played stooge to some popular comedians: Formby (Let George Do It), Askey (Charley's (Big-Hearted) Aunt) and Harker (Inspector Hornleigh Goes To It). As her career build-up continued she played nice-girl parts. Then came the golden period when she starred in some of Gainsborough's most popular fluff. After the war she made an undistinguished stab at a Hollywood career before returning to Britain to do dramatic serious stuff (though for every Mandy there were several dull turkeys like The Net). Thanks to that her career declined and she was soon off to the stage and also a highly successful television series (Kate).
As an actress she was competent and charming - she felt like the perfect hostess and it was always a pleasure to see her. She herself recognised that it was difficult to cast "nice" girls in interesting roles and spent most of her career fighting for nastier parts. She turned down the role in Two Thousand Women that was written for her (well, you can't get nicer than a nun) and instead took the part of the cynical journalist. She still managed to make her a nice journalist. Only in Mandy did she successfully play hard - battling with Terence Morgan over the future of their deaf daughter.
| 1932 | Discord |
| 1933 | Anne One Hundred |
| 1939 | Two Days to Live |
| 1940 | They Came By Night |
| 1940 | Let George Do It |
| 1940 | Charley's (Big-Hearted) Aunt |
| 1940 | Neutral Port |
| 1941 | Inspector Hornleigh Goes To It |
| 1941 | Kipps |
| 1942 | The Young Mr Pitt |
| 1942 | Uncensored |
| 1943 | The Man in Grey |
| 1944 | Fanny By Gaslight |
| 1944 | Two Thousand Women |
| 1944 | Madonna of the Seven Moons |
| 1945 | They Were Sisters |
| 1946 | Men of Two Worlds |
| 1946 | The Magic Bow |
| 1947 | The Root of All Evil |
| 1947 | Time Out of Mind (US) |
| 1948 | My Own True Love (US) |
| 1948 | Broken Journey |
| 1949 | The Golden Madonna |
| 1949 | Appointment with Danger (US) |
| 1950 | The Woman with No name |
| 1951 | Mr Denning Drives North |
| 1952 | Mandy |
| 1953 | The Net |
| 1956 | It's Never Too Late |
| 1956 | Child in the House |
| 1958 | Indiscreet |
| 1958 | A Lady Mislaid |
| 1958 | The Young and the Guilty |
| 1960 | Oscar Wilde |
| 1965 | Battle of the Villa Fiorita |
| 1968 | Twisted Nerve |
| 1969 | Oh! What a Lovely War |
| 1970 | The Walking Stick |
| 1997 | Mrs Dalloway |
