Aimée Delamain
Aimée Delamain was an English actress, known for spending most of her career playing elderly ladies.
Biography
Her father, Colonel Frank Delamain, was a member of King Edward VII's Bengal Lancers. Upon his retirement in 1909, the family moved to Lamberhurst, Kent. Tragedy struck in 1915 when Aimée's mother Mabel died of rheumatic fever and the following year her elder brother Frank Gun Delamain was killed in action at the Battle of the Somme.Brought up by relatives, she expressed a desire to act and began performing as a teenager in little plays in the village hall to raise money for the local football club. By 1931, she graduated from RADA. This was followed by playing in the provinces but when the Second World War broke out, Aimée worked as a nurse with the Voluntary Aid Detachment, later playing in an ENSA company.
Theatre roles soon followed, as did film and television work, the actress being a popular choice among directors for portraying old ladies. One such director was Peter Moffatt, as they had known each other since 1945 when they were both members of the same repertory company. Subsequently, he often cast her in several of his productions. Some parts were small but memorable, especially her appearance as a type of deus ex machina in the Fawlty Towers episode "The Psychiatrist", precipitating Basil Fawlty's mental breakdown. Larger roles in The Saint, Angels, Thriller and The Avengers showed her range.
Never married, Delamain moved into Denville Hall, the retirement home for actors in February 1991, retiring from acting not long afterwards. There, she spent her final years and indulged in a lifelong passion for gardening.
Selected filmography
Film
Little Red Monkey – Mrs. Henley The Secret – Miss LyonsTwo Left Feet – Auntie Rotten to the Core – Lady Greville The Raging Moon – AliceI, Monster – LandladyThe Amazing Mr. Blunden – Elsie TuckerThe House in Nightmare Park – MotherOne of Our Dinosaurs Is Missing – MillicentWho Is Killing the Great Chefs of Europe? a.k.a. Too Many Cooks – Old WomanOxford Blues – Lady BemoreSanta Claus: The Movie – StorytellerHigh Spirits – Great Granny PlunkettGetting It Right – Mrs. ArbuthnotTelevision
- The Bishop's Candlesticks – BaptistineSunday Night Theatre – Dulcie Curtis / Jessica StreatfordOur Miss Pemberton – Miss Henrietta CopleyITV Play of the Week – Mrs. Culff / Phyllis / Miss ChancellorTheatre 70 – BeggarwomanDixon of Dock Green – Mrs. Lane / Matty / Arabella FloydTales of Mystery – Aunt Eleanor / Mrs. MallesonBoyd Q.C. – Gladys WestburyOliver Twist – Old SallyZ-Cars – Woman CustomerMaigret – LisetteHarpers West One – Woman CustomerSuspense – AphroditeThe Avengers – 1st Lady / Miss Gladys CulpepperEmergency Ward 10 – Miss EdwardesMoonstrike – Farmer's WifeThe Plane Makers – Mrs. MilneThe Odd Man a.k.a. It's Dark Outside – Maude RossiterThe Human Jungle – Mrs. OliverHereward the Wake – Lapp nurseThe Wednesday Play – Mrs. MorrisPardon the Expression – Miss SingletonNo Hiding Place – Nurse GibbsThirteen Against Fate – Mademoiselle CouvertThe Saint – Lady HaverstockLes Misérables – PorteressITV Playhouse – Miss Davidson / PrudenceOmnibus – Old MaryThe Main Chance – Alice GreensmithSoftly, Softly – Mrs. AbbottThe Root of All Evil? – Dame Helen BlakeITV Sunday Night Theatre – Mrs. HubbardThe Troubleshooters – Mrs. Izard seniorThe Rivals of Sherlock Holmes – Mrs. HisginsUpstairs, Downstairs – Lady TempletonThe Befrienders – Mrs. KenwoodOwen, M.D. – Miriam MiltonCrown Court – Mrs. ElgarThe Morecambe & Wise Show – Miss TaskerThriller – PenelopeBeryl's Lot – PhoebeShadows – GrandmotherAngels – DodieITV Sunday Night Drama – Lady TaggartThe Crezz – Lady ClarkeJackanory – StorytellerTarget – Susan De VeerArmchair Thriller – Mrs. FranklynOh No It's Selwyn Froggitt – Mrs. PriceThe Famous Five – Mrs. ThomasGeorge and Mildred – Old Lady / PatientFawlty Towers – Mrs. JohnsonShoestring – Anne ApplebyThe Sandbaggers – PenelopeBBC2 Playhouse – RoseChronicle – Mrs. BrasherAll for Love – Miss BirdNever the Twain – Miss BarnesThe Professionals – Old LadyShine on Harvey Moon – LadyDoctor Who – Doña AranaOne by One – Miss RindFresh Fields – Mrs. BevinC.A.T.S. Eyes – Mrs. SitwellScreen Two – Lady Birdstock / Ambulatory GrannieThe District Nurse – Emily ReesCasualty – Eugenie'Allo 'Allo! – Madame SablonAll in Good Faith – Mrs. BagleyDon't Wait Up – Mrs. ClarkeDramarama – BooksellerWyatt's Watchdogs – Mary SpencerThe Bill – Mrs. West / Pensioner on BusYou Rang, M'Lord? – Aunt MaudA Bit of Fry & Laurie – Customer Service LadyDizzy Heights – Rose