Janette Scott

Janette Scott
Janette Scott
	Janette Scott, from a 1966 publication of the US State Department
Born	Thora Janette Scott; 14 December 1938 (age 85); Morecambe, Lancashire, England
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1942–1967, 1997
Spouse(s)	Jackie Rae (m. 1959; div. 1965); Mel Tormé (m. 1966; div. 1977); William Rademaekers (m. 1981; died 2018)
Children	2, including James Tormé
Parent(s)	James Scott ; Thora Hird

Thora Janette Scott (born 14 December 1938) is a British retired actress.^[1]

Life and career

Scott was born on 14 December 1938 in Morecambe, Lancashire, England.^[2] She is the daughter of actors Jimmy Scott and Thora Hird and began her acting career as a child actress known as Janette Scott. Scott was briefly (along with Jennifer Gay) one of the so-called "Children's Announcers" providing continuity links for the BBC's children's TV programmes from the Lime Grove Studios in the early 1950s.

She became a popular leading lady, one of her best-known roles being April Smith in the film School for Scoundrels (1960), based on the "one-upmanship" books by Stephen Potter, in which Ian Carmichael and Terry-Thomas vie for her attention.^[3] Some scenes for School for Scoundrels were shot at a private members club before its current incarnation as a hotel. The hotel hosted a screening in 2016 with Janette Scott attending and answering questions about filming School for Scoundrels.^[4]

Scott's highest profile as a leading lady in British films was from the late 1950s to the mid-1960s, having over a dozen leading roles during this period. She was the female lead opposite some major stars of the time, including Terry-Thomas, Ian Carmichael, Ronald Lewis, Ian Hendry and George Chakiris. She proved adept in a wide variety of genres, including comedy, romantic drama, sci-fi thriller, and period adventure. She gave up her career upon marrying second husband Mel Tormé.

She is best known to American audiences for her role as the parson's wife in the film The Devil's Disciple (1959), starring Burt Lancaster, Kirk Douglas and Laurence Olivier.^[5]

She is referenced by name in the song "Science Fiction/Double Feature", the opening number from The Rocky Horror Show and its film version The Rocky Horror Picture Show (performed over the opening credits), for her participation in the 1962 film The Day of the Triffids.

Scott wrote her autobiography Act One at the age of 14.^[6]^[7]

Marriages

She has been married three times:

Jackie Rae (27 June 1959 – 1965), divorced
Mel Tormé (20 May 1966 – 1977), divorced; 2 children, including son James Tormé
William Rademaekers (1981–2018), died^[2]

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1942	Went the Day Well?	Child
1943	The Lamp Still Burns		uncredited
1944	Two Thousand Women	Mrs. Burtshaw's Daughter on Mother's Lap
1944	The Gay Intruders
1949	Conspirator	Toby	uncredited
1950	No Place for Jennifer	Jennifer
1951	The Galloping Major	Susan Hill	(with mother, Thora Hird)
	No Highway in the Sky	Elspeth Honey
	The Magic Box	Ethel Friese-Greene
1953	Background	Jess Lomax	AKA, Edge of Divorce
1955	As Long as They're Happy	Gwen Bentley
1956	Helen of Troy	Cassandra
1956	Now and Forever	Janette Grant
1957	The Good Companions	Susie Dean
1958	Happy Is the Bride	Janet Royd
1959	The Lady Is a Square	Joanna Baring
1959	The Devil's Disciple	Judith Anderson
1960	School for Scoundrels	April Smith
1961	His and Hers	Fran Blake
1961	Double Bunk	Peggy
1962	Two and Two Make Six	Irene
1963	The Day of the Triffids	Karen Goodwin
	Paranoiac	Eleanor Ashby
	Siege of the Saxons	Katherine
	The Old Dark House	Cecily Femm
1964	The Beauty Jungle	Shirley Freeman
1965	Crack in the World	Dr. Maggie Sorenson
1967	Bikini Paradise	Rachel

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1954	The Dashing White Sergeant	Fione Cuningham	TV film
1957	Sunday Night Theatre	Judy	Episode: "The Girl at the Next Table"
1958	Armchair Theatre	Maeve McHugh	Episode: "A Man's Woman"
1960	BBC Sunday-Night Play	Kitty Tape	Episode: "20th Century Theatre: The Queen Came By"
1965	Burke's Law	Jennifer Robbins	Episode: "Password to Death"
1997	Last of the Summer Wine	Cameo	Episode: "There Goes the Groom"