Phyllis Calvert

Phyllis Calvert

As the heroine of the British romantic melodrama Madonna of the Seven Moons (1946), Phyllis Calvert was placed under a gypsy curse which forced her to be wife, mother and mistress all in one. This triumvirate sums up the range of characters played by Ms. Calvert throughout her career. Starting out as a dancer, Phyllis switched to acting after a suffering an injury. Beginning with 1943's The Man in Grey, Phyllis established herself as Britain's favorite "Gothic" heroine, seldom carrying on a romance unless she was dressed in 19th-century fashion, with her long black hair cascading in the wind. Occasional efforts were made to turn Phyllis into a Hollywood star; the best of these was Appointment with Danger (1950), in which she plays a nun who witnesses a murder committed by future Dragnet co-stars Jack Webb and Harry Morgan! Long married to publisher Peter Murray-Hill, Phyllis Calvert cut back on her filmmaking activities in the 1970s, though she starred on the popular BBC TV series Kate (1970-71). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide