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.
| 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 |
