Sarah Lawson obituary
Stage and screen actor who appeared in the 1968 film The Devil Rides Out and the ITV prison drama series Within These Walls
She was not on the list.
Sarah Lawson, who has died aged 95 of cancer, was frequently referred to in later years as the wife of the actor Patrick Allen, but she forged her own career as a character player on screen and stage over four decades.
In 1968, horror fans saw her in The Devil Rides Out, giving one of Hammer Films’ best female supporting performances. As Marie Eaton, niece of the Duc de Richleau, Christopher Lee’s aristocrat battling a satanic coven, she brought great charisma to crucial scenes.
In one, Marie is hypnotised by the devil-worshippers’ leader, played by Charles Gray, while in another, possessed by the spirit of Tanith (Niké Arrighi) – one of the group’s apostles who is a victim of the Angel of Death – she utters a line from a mystic ritual in Tanith’s voice, bringing her back to life and saving her own kidnapped daughter from ritualistic sacrifice.
The Devil Rides Out, directed by the horror maestro Terence Fisher, was one instance of Lawson outshining her real-life husband, who did not appear on screen, but who dubbed the actor Leon Greene’s lines as the duke’s friend rescuing Patrick Mower from occultists.
Later, on television in 1978, Lawson stepped into the prison governor’s shoes originally filled by Googie Withers, then Katharine Blake, in Within These Walls. For this final series, she played Sarah Marshall – and said she was determined to bring “drive, enthusiasm and humour” to what could have been a starchy part in the drama set in a women’s jail, the fictional Stone Park.
“I inject bits of fun myself,” she said at the time. “For instance, as governor, I have to meet the prison administration staff every day – and I try to keep the conferences chirpy.”
The nature of the story brought practical benefits for Lawson, a mother of two boys – although her explanation brings into focus the attitudes of the time. “The cast were mostly women with families,” she said. “So we fixed the rehearsal schedules from one to six so we could have mornings free to do the laundry, shop and cook.”
Crime was also at the centre of Lawson’s most memorable part earlier in her TV career. In the second series of The Odd Man, in 1962, she was Judy Gardiner, wife of Steve, a theatrical agent-cum-sleuth, played by Edwin Richfield. After having a nightmare in which she is murdered, Judy is killed for real. Spookily, Lawson was back for the next series the following year as Judy’s twin sister, Anne Braithwaite.
Sarah was born in London to Edith (nee Monteith), whose own acting ambitions were unfulfilled, and Noel Lawson, a naval officer. Her grandfather, Francis Wilfred Lawson, was a painter known for works such as Speaker’s Procession, 1884, bringing to life Victorian parliamentarians.
Brought up in Horsham, West Sussex, where she performed in productions at Herons Ghyll school, Lawson trained at the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art in London. After graduating in 1947, she went straight to the first Edinburgh fringe festival in the medieval mystery play Everyman.
Then, she joined the repertory company at Perth theatre (1948-49), first appearing as Lady Teazle in School for Scandal – a role usually taken by older actors. She had no desire to play ingenues, saying: “I know I’m not the tiny little girl type.”
But it was as the juvenile lead, Madeleine, that she made her West End debut in Jean Cocteau’s play Intimate Relations at the Strand (now Novello) theatre in 1951. Although she played Brenda Paulton in The Whole Truth, by Philip Mackie, at the Aldwych theatre (1955-56), Lawson concentrated on a screen career after breaking into films.
Her chance came with a small part in The Browning Version (1951), followed by an assured performance as a detective dealing with a Women’s Royal Army Corps deserter in Street Corner (1953) and a comedy role as a Wren in You Know What Sailors Are (1954).
An early television part was Sarah Pilgrim in the sci-fi serial The Trollenberg Terror (1956-57). Among her almost 100 other small-screen roles were appearances in action series such as The Saint (in 1965), The Avengers (in 1966), Department S (in 1969) and The Persuaders! (in 1972).
She played Myra Gargan in the 1965 series Legend of Death, a reworking of the Greek myth of Theseus and the Minotaur in the labyrinth, and a Soviet spy in a 1972 episode of Callan.
Directed by Fisher again, Lawson appeared with her husband in the sci-fi film thriller Night of the Big Heat (1967), in which they played inn owners on a remote island whose marriage is threatened by the arrival of his former lover. Although the tension is heightened by inexplicable, stifling mid-winter heat, the action is low-key, despite appearances by both Lee (as a scientist) and Peter Cushing (as a local doctor) investigating the invasion of the island by aliens.
Later, Lawson was offered a part in the BBC television expats soap Eldorado (1992-93) but had no wish to leave her London home for a year in Spain, and settled into retirement.
Lawson married Allen in 1960; he died in 2006. She is survived by their sons, Stephen and Stuart.
Actress
John Nettles in Bergerac (1981)
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6.9
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Cynthia Trowbridge
Sarah Mitchell
1981–1989
2 episodes
Ian McShane in Lovejoy (1986)
Lovejoy
7.8
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Mrs. Hepplestone
1986
1 episode
Cuffy (1983)
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6.2
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Delia Webster
1983
1 episode
Lewis Collins, Gordon Jackson, and Martin Shaw in The
Professionals (1977)
The Professionals
8.0
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Mrs. Shaw
1980
1 episode
Richard Beckinsale, Freddie Fletcher, Arthur Lowe, Jack
Rosenthal, and Paula Wilcox in ITV Playhouse (1967)
ITV Playhouse
7.3
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Wraff
Jenny Innes
Eloise
1969–1979
2 episodes
The Standard (1978)
The Standard
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Lois McGrath
1978
1 episode
Googie Withers in Within These Walls (1974)
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7.7
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1978
12 episodes
Joan Collins and Oliver Tobias in The Stud (1978)
The Stud
4.3
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1978
Kenneth More in Father Brown (1974)
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7.0
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Lady Diana Wales
1974
1 episode
Don Henderson, Diane Keen, Peter Sallis, and Don Warrington
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Crown Court
7.3
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Isobel Clements
1973
1 episode
Full House (1972)
Full House
6.1
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Sarah in McKinley and Sarah
1973
1 episode
Ian Hendry and Geraldine McEwan in Late Night Theatre (1972)
Late Night Theatre
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Louise Martens
1972
1 episode
Sean Connery, Michael Caine, Paul Scofield, and Anna
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ITV Saturday Night Theatre
6.0
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Angela Bordone
Mary Masters
Barbara Wingate
1969–1972
3 episodes
Crime of Passion (1970)
Crime of Passion
8.0
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Manon Vanel
1972
1 episode
Edward Woodward in Callan (1967)
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8.3
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Flo Mayhew
1972
2 episodes
Jason King (1971)
Jason King
6.9
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Mary Trevor
1972
1 episode
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8.0
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1972
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Frieda Campbell
1971
1 episode
Marius Goring in The Expert (1968)
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8.2
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Isobel Howard
1971
1 episode
Peter Wyngarde in Department S (1969)
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7.3
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Miss Wexler
1969
1 episode
Laurence Olivier, Michael Caine, Christopher Plummer, Robert
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6.9
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1969
Journey to the Unknown (1968)
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7.6
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Pamela
1968
1 episode
Detective (1964)
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7.3
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Rachel Borrowdaile
1968
1 episode
The Devil Rides Out (1968)
The Devil Rides Out
6.9
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1968
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5.6
Frankie Callum
1967
Sword of Honour (1967)
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8.0
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Kerstie
1967
2 episodes
Theatre 625 (1964)
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7.6
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Kerstie
1967
2 episodes
BBC Play of the Month (1965)
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6.7
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Caroline Quaife
1966
1 episode
The Wednesday Play (1964)
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7.2
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Clodia Wentworth
1966
1 episode
The Avengers (1961)
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8.3
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1966
1 episode
Thirty-Minute Theatre (1965)
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7.1
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1965
1 episode
Legend of Death
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Myra Gargan
1965
5 episodes
Roger Moore in The Saint (1962)
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7.5
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Betty Tregarth
1965
1 episode
Drama 61-67 (1961)
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7.5
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Harriet Bond
1965
1 episode
Gideon C.I.D. (1964)
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8.1
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Joan Erickson
1965
1 episode
No Hiding Place (1959)
No Hiding Place
7.4
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Christine Millway
Jackie Leigh
Helen Dawson
1959–1964
3 episodes
On the Run (1963)
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5.9
Helen Carr
1963
The World Ten Times Over (1963)
The World Ten Times Over
6.1
Elizabeth
1963
William Mervyn and Edwin Richfield in The Odd Man (1960)
The Odd Man
7.1
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Anne Braithwaite
Judy Gardiner
1962–1963
16 episodes
Nigel Patrick in Zero One (1962)
Zero One
8.6
TV Series
Mrs. Gates
1963
1 episode
The Edgar Wallace Mystery Theatre (1959)
The Edgar Wallace Mystery Theatre
7.7
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Helen Carr
1963
1 episode
Thirty Minute Theatre
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1962
1 episode
Suspense (1962)
Suspense
5.9
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Freda Crale
1962
1 episode
ITV Play of the Week (1955)
ITV Play of the Week
6.7
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Madeline Weldon-Clarke
Rose Shelton
Elizabeth Rossiter ...
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4 episodes
Silent Evidence
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Catherine Alsop
1962
1 episode
Night Without Pity
Diana Martin
1961
The Vise (1954)
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6.8
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Mrs. Chesser
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1958–1960
2 episodes
Patrick McGoohan in Danger Man (1960)
Danger Man
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Lisa Orin
1960
1 episode
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8.6
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Brenda Paulton
Helena Talberg
1960
2 episodes
Tim Turner in The Invisible Man (1958)
The Invisible Man
7.0
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Jenny Reyden
1959
1 episode
Armchair Theatre (1956)
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7.5
TV Series
Lavinia Crabtree
Ann Stuart
Charlotte
1956–1959
3 episodes
Three Crooked Men (1959)
Three Crooked Men
5.1
May Wescot
1959
BBC Sunday-Night Theatre (1950)
BBC Sunday-Night Theatre
7.0
TV Series
Lady Chiltern
Hazel Conway
Virginia Lawrence ...
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10 episodes
Philip Friend, Julia Lockwood, and Barbara Shelley in The
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The Solitary Child
5.8
Ann
1958
ITV Television Playhouse (1955)
ITV Television Playhouse
8.1
TV Series
Kristine Bakke
1958
1 episode
Links of Justice (1958)
Links of Justice
3.2
Clare Mills
1958
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Boyd Q.C.
7.7
TV Series
1958
1 episode
O.S.S.
7.4
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Ella
1958
1 episode
The World Our Stage
TV Series
Actress (The Dancing Lesson)
1958
1 episode
White Hunter (1957)
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6.5
TV Series
Hannah Elsom
1958
1 episode
Man with a Dog
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Vicky
1957
Rupert of Hentzau
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Queen Flavia
1957
Busman's Honeymoon
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Harriet Vane
1957
Hour of Mystery (1957)
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Lady Laura Glyde
1957
1 episode
The Buccaneers (1956)
The Buccaneers
7.2
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Lady Hilary Winrod
1957
1 episode
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6.6
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Sarah Pilgrim
1956–1957
6 episodes
It's Never Too Late (1956)
It's Never Too Late
6.0
Anne Hammond
1956
Navy Heroes (1955)
Navy Heroes
6.2
Gwyneth Thomas
1955
Douglas Fairbanks Jr. in Rheingold Theatre (1953)
Rheingold Theatre
8.2
TV Series
Joan
1954
1 episode
You Know What Sailors Are (1954)
You Know What Sailors Are
5.5
Betty
1954
Meet Mr. Malcolm (1954)
Meet Mr. Malcolm
5.7
Louie Knowles
1954
Three Steps in the Dark (1953)
Three Steps in the Dark
5.6
Dorothy
1953
Both Sides of the Law (1953)
Both Sides of the Law
6.7
WDC Joyce
1953
The Night Won't Talk (1952)
The Night Won't Talk
6.2
Sue
Susan
1952
The Browning Version (1951)
The Browning Version
8.0
Betty Carstairs
1951
Face to Face
TV Movie
Myrtle Beringer
1951
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Self
1975
1 episode
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6.6
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1994
1 episode
Hammer: The Studio That Dripped Blood! (1987)
Hammer: The Studio That Dripped Blood!
7.3
TV Movie
Marie Eaton (archive footage)
1987
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