Dorothy Bromiley

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Dorothy Bromiley (Dorothy Bromiley Phelan from 1966) is a British film, stage and television actress, born 1930 in Manchester, the only child of Frank Bromiley and Ada Winifred (nee Thornton).
After attending Levenshulme High School (where she was joint head girl), followed by the Central School of Speech and Drama (1949-52) she successfully auditioned for a role of Gloria in the Hollywood film The Girls of Pleasure Island (Paramount, 1952). Back in England, in 1954 Dorothy worked as Assistant Stage Manager at the Central Library Theatre, Manchester followed by a West End stage role in The Wooden Dish directed by the exiled US film and theatre director Joseph Losey (who became Dorothy's husband from 1956 to 1963).

Contents 1 Films 2 Television 3 Later Career 4 Authority on Domestic Needlework

[edit] Films

Her major roles in several British films include sixth former Paulette at Angel Hill Grammar School (she was 26 at the time ! ) in It's Great To Be Young (1956) in which Dorothy's singing voice for the Paddy Roberts/Lester Powell [Ray Martin] song 'You are My First Love' was dubbed by Edna Savage [see image here: [2]] (and by Ruby Murray in the pre-credits sequence), Rose in A Touch Of The Sun (1956) co-starring with Frankie Howerd, Sarah in Zoo Baby (1957) with Angela Baddeley, Small Hotel (1957), Angela in The Criminal (1960) and a minor role in The Servant (1963), the latter two directed by Losey.

[edit] Television

Dorothy made her television drama debut as Pauline Kirby in The Lady Asks For Help (1956) an episode of Television Playhouse produced by Towers of London for ITV. This was followed by the role of Ann Fleming in Heaven and Earth(1957) part of the Douglas Fairbanks Presents series for ATV. Directed by Peter Brook, it also starred Paul Scofield and Richard Johnson, and was set on board a plane which develops engine trouble. Dorothy also had roles in such popular television series as The Adventures of Robin Hood (1956) as Lady Rowena, Armchair Theatre (1957), Play of the Week (Arsenic and Old Lace) (1958), Saturday Playhouse (The Shop at Sly Corner) (1960), Z Cars (1964), The Power Game (1966) and No Hiding Place (1965, 1966), and the tv play Jemima and Johnny (1966). Her last television drama role was as Sarah Malory in Fathers and Families (BBC tv, 1977) directed by Christopher Morahan.

[edit] Later Career

Dorothy taught at LAMDA [London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art] between 1966-72 and left to create The Common Stock Theatre Company, staging socially relevant theatre in colleges and non-traditional halls. Since 1963 Dorothy has lived with the Dublin-born actor and writer Brian Phelan (who appeared memorably in the 1965 film Four in the Morning), and changed her name by Deed Poll in 1966.

[edit] Authority on Domestic Needlework

Retired from acting, Dorothy lives in Dorset, and has developed an interest in 16th and 17th century amateur domestic needlework, writing on the subject, and curating two major exhibitions. Dorothy is the author of the book: The Point of the Needle: Five Centuries of Samplers and Embroideries, an Exhibition of Needlework at the Dorset County Museum. (ISBN 1874336970)