Biography

Born Joan Mildred Summerfield in Brixton, London, the only child of variety performers Norman Field (né Summerfield) and Nina Norre, she started her theatrical career in 1931 as a dancer. She used the stage name Jean Carr when she appeared as a chorus girl in the Windmill Theatre in London. She signed to Gainsborough Pictures during the Second World War. The turning point in her career came when she was given a dramatic part in 1945 film Fanny by Gaslight. She appeared in several British films during the 1940s and 1950s before turning to television probably best remembered for her role as Queen Elizabeth I in the TV historical adventure series Sir Francis Drake (TV series) filmed in 1961-62.

Personal life

Kent was married to Austrian actor Josef Ramart from 1946 until his death in 1989. They met on the set of Caravan. Actor Stewart Granger was the best man at their wedding. They appeared together in the films Caravan and Trottie True. She was the subject of This Is Your Life in 1974 when she was surprised by Eamonn Andrews at the Strand Theatre.

Death

Kent died in the West Suffolk Hospital, Bury St. Edmunds on 30 November 2013, following a fall at her home in Westhorpe. The coroner recorded a narrative verdict that Kent died from accidental injuries and that cardiac disease may have contributed to a fall.

Filmography

• It's That Man Again (1943)
• Miss London Ltd. (1943)
• Warn That Man (1943)
• Two Thousand Women (1944)
• Bees in Paradise (1944)
• Champagne Charlie (1944)
• Fanny by Gaslight (1945)
• Madonna of the Seven Moons (1945)
• The Rake's Progress (1945)
• Waterloo Road (1945)
• Caravan (1946)
• The Magic Bow (1946)
• Carnival (1946)
• The Man Within (1947)
• The Loves of Joanna Godden (1947)
• Good-Time Girl (1948)
• Bond Street (1948)
• Sleeping Car to Trieste (1948)
• Trottie True (1949)
• Her Favourite Husband (1950)
• The Woman in Question (1950)
• The Reluctant Widow (1950)
• The Browning Version (1951)
• The Lost Hours (1952)
• Before I Wake (1954)
• The Prince and the Showgirl (1957)
• Bonjour Tristesse (1958)
• The Haunted Strangler (1958)
• Please Turn Over (1959)
• Web of Evidence (1959)
• Bluebeard's Ten Honeymoons (1960)
• Shout at the Devil (1976)

Box office ranking

For a number of years, British film exhibitors voted her among the top ten British stars at the box office via an annual poll in the Motion Picture Herald.

• 1950 - 9th
• 1951 - 8th

[ Source: Wikipedia ]