Trisha Noble


Patricia Ann Ruth Noble was an Australian singer and actress. Initially performing as Patsy Ann Noble, she was a teenage pop singer in the early 1960s, with regular appearances on the Australian music and variety television series Bandstand. In November 1961, she released her biggest hit single, "Good Looking Boy", which reached the Top 10 in Melbourne and Top 20 in Sydney. At the 1961 Logie Awards, she won the Best Female Singer of the Year award from TV Week. By 1962, she had transferred to the United Kingdom and continued her singing career by releasing singles there.
In 1965, Noble started her television acting career, and by 1967, she was using Trisha Noble as her stage name. By the 1970s, she had relocated to the United States and had guest roles on various television series including The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Columbo, Baretta, McMillan & Wife, The Rockford Files, and Buck Rogers in the 25th Century.

Early life and family

Patricia "Trisha" Ann Ruth Noble was born on 3 February 1944 in Marrickville and grew up in Sydney, Australia. Her father was Clarence Lancelot "Buster" Noble, a comedian and singer; her mother was Helen De Paul, an entertainer, singer, dancer, and comedian on the Tivoli circuit. During World War II, Buster served as a sergeant in the Waratahs Entertainment Unit in the AIF from November 1942 to January 1946. Noble has a younger sister, Amanda. In 1950, Noble appeared onstage with her parents and had her own radio programme. By age 14, she was qualified to teach ballet.

Music career

Noble rose to fame as a teenage singing star in the 1960s under the name Patsy Ann Noble. Her singing career was encouraged by Brian Henderson, the compere of the Australian version of Bandstand, where she made regular appearances. She was signed to the His Master's Voice label and released her first single "Like I'm in Love" / "I Love You So Much It Hurts" in November 1960. She became good friends with a young Peter Allen, who had formed the successful Allen Brothers with Chris Bell, and released one of his compositions "Busy Lips" in January 1961. However, it was not until Johnny Devlin, a New Zealand singer-songwriter, handed her the lyrics of "Good Looking Boy" in November 1961 that she had her first Top 10 hit in Melbourne. "Good Looking Boy" was also top 20 in Sydney, but did not chart internationally. It was released in the United Kingdom, but did not reach the Top 100.
Noble won the 'Best Female Singer of the Year' Logie Award for 1961, presented by TV Week. By December 1962, Patsy Ann had scored herself two No. 1 and four Top 10 singles in Australia. In 1962, she travelled to London where she was given a two-year contract with Columbia Records. There, she released many "girl group"-sounding pop songs including "Sour Grapes", "I'm Nobody's Baby", and "Accidents Will Happen", but received little commercial success – although she continued to score hits between 1963 and 1965 in Australia. In 1963, she appeared in the British musical film Live It Up!, although only in a singing role. In June 1965, Noble released "He Who Rides a Tiger" which peaked at No. 21 on the British Top 30, and No. 15 on Australia's Top 40.
During the 1960s, Noble released six albums in Australia and one in England, the most popular being The Blonde Bombshell which received an award for most outstanding vocal performance on an album.

Acting career

In the second half of the 1960s, she turned to acting and made her dramatic screen debut in a 1965 BBC television production entitled The Snowball, and soon found herself appearing on other television series, including the 1966 Danger Man episode "Not So Jolly Roger", Callan with Edward Woodward, and films such as Death Is a Woman, and Carry On Camping.
After 1967, Noble had changed her name to Trisha Noble in order to distance herself from her years as a teen singer. She relocated to the United States beginning in 1971 and appeared in films and television series. She guest-starred on Buck Rogers in the 25th Century as Sabrina, a superhuman thief in the episode "Cruise Ship to the Stars". In a guest appearance on The Mary Tyler Moore Show in 1976, she played a female reporter who tries to seduce Ted Baxter during the episode "Ted's Temptation". She also appeared in Up Pompeii! as high priestess of the Vestal Virgins.
In 1975, Noble appeared in the Columbo episode "Playback", in which she meets the murderer in an art gallery wearing a low-cut dress. She was cast by the director who had spotted her in a party wearing the same dress. In 1976–77, she had the ongoing role of Yvonne Holland on the soap opera Executive Suite, and appeared in the 1977 television miniseries The Rhinemann Exchange and Testimony of Two Men. In 1979, she featured on The Rockford Files as Odette Lependieu in the two-part episode "Never Send a Boy King To Do a Man's Job".
In 1980, Noble played the role of heiress Phyllis Morley in the mystery comedy film The Private Eyes starring Tim Conway and Don Knotts. Another ongoing role was as Detective Rosie Johnson on the police drama Strike Force on ABC in 1981–82. She also appeared in Season 4 of Hart to Hart as Laela.
Soon after Strike Force was cancelled, Noble returned to Australia in 1983 with her son Patrick because her father, Buster, was seriously ill. She re-established a career there as a theatrical actress. In 1986, she appeared in the television miniseries Body Business. In 2002, Noble filmed a small role as Padmé Amidala's mother Jobal Naberrie, in Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones which was cut from the final film – but included on the DVD release. In 2003 Trisha Noble played the role of Ellie Greenwich's "Ma" to critical acclaim in "Leader of the Pack" at The Star in Sydney, showcasing both her comic onstage genius as well as her vocal range, never failing to bring the audience to tears with her stunning rendition of "Look of Love". She continued to perform on the live stage and, as of 2007, appeared with the new National Music Theatre Company, Kookaburra, in their premiere season of Pippin as Berthe at the Sydney Theatre.

Death

Noble died on 23 January 2021 at the age of 76, days before her 77th birthday, after what was described as an 18-month battle with mesothelioma. Her remains were cremated.

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
1963Live It Up!HerselfMusical film
1964Reels Within ReelsHerselfShort film
1964A Dream SingingPerformerTV movie
1966Funny Girl Happened to Me on the Way to the PianoHerselfTV movie
1966Death Is a WomanFrancescaFeature film
1968IolantheIolantheTV movie
1969Carry On CampingSallyFeature film
1975One of Our OwnSabrina RogoffTV movie
1978The Courage and the PassionLt. Lisa RydellTV movie
1979The Wild Wild West RevisitedPenelopeTV movie
1980Willow B: Women In PrisonChris BrickerTV movie
1980The Private EyesMistress Phyllis MorleyFeature film
1981..Deadline...Gillian BolesTV movie
2002Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the ClonesJobal Naberrie Feature film
2005Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the SithJobal NabarrieFeature film

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1959The Bobby Limb ShowGuest SingerTV series, 1 episode
1960The Golden RockHerself - SingerTV special
1961Revue '61Herself1 episode
1961–1962, 1965, 1967BandstandHerself - SingerTV series
1963The Arthur Haynes ShowHerself - Singer1 episode
1963Pops and LennyHerself1 episode
1963Ready, Steady, Go!Herself1 episode
1963–1964Discs a Go-GoHerself5 episodes
1963Val Parnell's Sunday Night At The London PalladiumHerself1 episode
1963–1966Thank Your Lucky StarsGuest host9 episodes
1964Hi There! It's Rolf HarrisHerself1 episode
1964Big Night OutHerself1 episode
1964Two of a KindHerself1 episode
1964The Andy Stewart ShowHerself1 episode
1964Blackpool Night OutHerself1 episode
1964Club NightHerself1 episode
1964The Eamonn Andrews ShowHerself1 episode
1964, 1965Comedy BandboxHerself2 episodes
1965With AndyHerself1 episode
1965Ni figue ni raisinHerself2 episodes
1965, 1966Five O'Clock ClubHerself2 episode
1966Juke Box JuryPanellist2 episode
1966The Benny Hill ShowGuest performer1 episode
1966Danger ManSusan Wade1 episode
1966The Wednesday PlayFrancoise Clouet1 episode
1967The Blackpool ShowHerself1 episode
1967The Charlie Drake ShowHerself1 episode
1967The Nixon LineHerself1 episode
1967, 1968The Dick Emery ShowHerself2 episodes
1967Mickey DunneJanie Jenkins1 episode
1968International CabaretHerself1 episode
1968BBC Show of the WeekHerself1 episode
1968We Have Ways of Making You LaughVariousTV series
1969Out of the UnknownGladia1 episode
1969The Liberace ShowHerself1 episode
1969The Dave King ShowHerself1 episode
1969Who-Dun-ItDolores Vail1 episode
1969The Engelbert Humperdinck ShowHerself1 episode
1969Z-CarsBetty Jordan2 episodes
1970It's Tommy CooperHerself1 episode
1970CallanJean Price1 episode
1970Fraud SquadLiz Paterson1 episode
1970Crowther's Back In TownHerself1 episode
1970Up Pompeii!Luscia / High Priestess of the Vestal Virgins2 episodes
1970The Benny Hill ShowVarious roles1 episode
1971The Merv Griffin ShowHerself1 episode
1971Night GallerySherry1 episode
1972I'm a FanHerselfTV special
1972The Courtship of Eddie's FatherDr. Liz Park1 episode
1975Baretta ''New Girl in TownGirl1 episode
1975Columbo PlaybackMarcy Hubbard1 episode
1975The Bob Crane ShowStudent1 episode
1975Matt HelmMillicent1 episode
1976The Mary Tyler Moore ShowWhitney Lewis1 episode
1976–1977Executive SuiteYvonne Holland7 episodes
1977The Rhinemann ExchangeIreneMiniseries, 1 episode
1977McMillan & WifeBeulah Harrington1 episode
1977Testimony of Two MenEdna BeamishMiniseries, 3 episodes
1978James at 15Call girl1 episode
1978How the West Was WonValerie3 episodes
1978Husbands, Wives & LoversCarol1 episode
1978Fantasy IslandDenise Carlson1 episode
1978; 1984The Mike Walsh ShowGuest - Herself via satellite USTV series, 1 episode
1979The Rockford FilesOdette Lependieu2 episodes
1979Mrs. ColumboPatty1 episode
1979EischiedJeanne1 episode
1979Buck Rogers in the 25th CenturySabrina1 episode
1980StoneLynette1 episode
1980John Newcombe's Australian Stars In The StatesHerself at homeTV special
1981Flamingo RoadVanessa Curtis1 episode
1981The Love BoatGertrude Turner1 episode
1981–82Strike ForceSergeant Rosie Johnson20 episodes
1982Hart to HartLaela1 episode
1983CasablancaCelia1 episode
1983T. J. HookerLorraine Daggett1 episode
1983Oh MadelineJulie1 episode
1983Matt HoustonMelinda1 episode
1984; 1985The Mike Walsh ShowGuest - HerselfTV series, 1 episode
1985The Mike Walsh ShowGuest - Herself with Carmen DuncanTV series, 1 episode
1986Body BusinessElizabethMiniseries, 2 episodes
1992Tonight Live with Steve VizardGuest1 episode
1996The South Bank ShowHerself1 episode
2000, 2004All SaintsSister O'Reilly, Mrs. Summers2 episodes
2000Water RatsMrs. Clarke1 episode
2001BlondeDr. MittelstadtMiniseries
2001This Is Your LifeHerself1 episode: Trisha Noble
2002Burke's BackyardHerself - Celebrity Gardener1 episode
2002Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones: Deleted ScenesJobal NabarrieVideo
2003; 2005Good Morning AustraliaHerself1 episode
2005Good Morning AustraliaHerselfTV series, 1 episode
2017The Daily Edition''Herself1 episode