She was the blue-eyed English rose with the china-white skin and cupid lips who epitomised the sensuality of the swinging Sixties. Sexy and demure by turn, Susannah York, who died yesterday from cancer at 72, held a generation of male admirers in her thrall.
Her wide-ranging career, which won her both a Bafta and an Oscar nomination, oscillated between powerful portrayals of either the dutiful woman or the wanton wife. The zenith of her career was surely her roles as Thomas More's daughter in A Man For All Seasons, in 1966, and her passionate performance as the feisty section officer who took on Kenneth More in the acclaimed film Battle of Britain in 1966.
But York was not an actress whose career was shaped by her artistic ambition. Instead, as a single mother with two children, she chose roles (at times unwisely) which provided income. But for all that, she was acclaimed as one of our best character actors whose professionalism was legendary. ...
More (w/gorgeous photo gallery):
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/celebritynews/8262216/Actress-Susannah-York-has-died-aged-72.html
Also:
... But her most memorable performance was surely as Childie, the young lesbian in Robert Aldrich's film adaptation of Frank Marcus's hit play The Killing of Sister George (1969).
The film, which is now viewed by many as one of Aldridge's best, encountered numerous difficulties during and after the production, partly due to behind-the-scenes bitching between Beryl Reid and Coral Browne – Susannah York's alcoholic co-stars, and rivals (in the film) for her affection.
It also ran into trouble on account of its most notorious sequence, an extended scene of lesbian lovemaking between Childie and Mercy Croft (Coral Browne) that was so explicit that it caused the film to be X-rated and banned in several locations. (It also caused Aldrich's longtime collaborator Frank DeVol to quit in disgust).
Susannah York was extremely uncomfortable playing the scene, but the scene carried a strong erotic charge, and Susannah York's performance in the role of Childie demonstrated her versatility as an actress, allowing her shed her typecast image as the demure English Rose. ...
More (w/photos):
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/culture-obituaries/film-obituaries/8262228/Susannah-York.html
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