Star Archive


Freda Jackson (1907 - 1990)

Freda Jackson took a variety of roles throughout her film career, but carved a memorable niche for herself as bad women.

She was born in Nottingham. She was educated at University College Nottingham and became a teacher briefly before going into the local rep in 1934. She retained her connection with the company throughout her career, but by 1938 she had joined the Old Vic company. Theatre provided her with strong roles including Katherine in The Taming of the Shrew at Stratford.

The role that made her a star player was that of Mrs Voray in No Room at the Inn which opened in 1945. As the drunken slut fostering children displaced by the war she was a magnificently wicked witch. The play was filmed in 1948, but she was already being typecast as terrible mother figures such as Mrs Joe in Great Expectations.

As the years went on, Old Bag roles turned into Old Crone roles in the cinema, though her stage career continued to offer more rewarding parts. Her last screen role was as a witch in Clash of the Titans which seems appropriate. She died in 1990 and was survived by her husband, the painter Henry Bird.      

Filmography 

1938 Mountains O'Mourne
1944 A Canterbury Tale
1944 Henry V
1946 Beware of Pity
1946 Great Expectations
1948 No Room at the Inn
1951 Flesh and Blood
1952 Mr Denning Drives North
1952 Women of Twilight
1954 The Good Die Young
1954 The Crowded Day
1956 Bhowani Junction
1956 The Last Man to Hang?
1957 The Flesh is Weak
1958 A Tale of Two Cities
1960 The Brides of Dracula
1961 The Shadow of the Cat
1961 Greyfriers Bobby
1963 Tom Jones
1963 West 13
1964 The Third Secret
1965 Die, Monster, Die!
1965 The Jokers
1969 The Valley of Gwangi
1981 Clash of the Titans
 

 Freda Jackson at Amazon UK

 Freda Jackson at Amazon US