Yvonne Romain


Yvonne Adelaide "Evie" Romain is a British former film and television actress of the late 1950s and 1960s.

Early career

Romain was born in London to a family of Maltese descent. From the age of twelve she appeared in children's shows and repertory, and later graduated from the Italia Conti Academy. She started appearing in British films in her late teens. Her exotic, dark looks and 38-22-36 figure saw her often cast in supporting roles as Italian or Spanish maidens in war films and comedies.
She is perhaps most remembered for her roles in numerous British horror films. She appeared in Corridors of Blood, where she starred alongside Boris Karloff and Christopher Lee, and in Circus of Horrors. She also starred in the later Devil Doll.
Romain is probably best known for The Curse of the Werewolf where she starred with Oliver Reed in his first major role. Romain plays a mute servant girl who spurns the advances of the sadistic marqués. Hammer Films' publicity stills for the movie capitalised on Romain's appearance by having her photographed in typical 'scream queen' poses alongside a made-up Reed, despite she and Reed sharing no actual screen time.
Her probable biggest role was in another Hammer production, Captain Clegg, aka Night Creatures, playing alongside Peter Cushing and Oliver Reed again, this time as his fiancée. She also appeared alongside Sean Connery twice, in Action of the Tiger, and the gangster film The Frightened City, where she shared equal billing with the pre-Bond star. Romain also co-starred in the Danger Man episode titled Sabotage in 1961, and in the 1964 mystery film Smokescreen alongside Peter Vaughan.
Oliver Reed was Romain's most frequent co-star. The two appeared together again in an episode of The Saint, and for a fourth and final time in The Brigand of Kandahar. Credited as 'Yvonne Warren', she played the second sister in the episode "Sir Bliant" of the TV series The Adventures of Sir Lancelot.
Romain auditioned for the part of Jill Masterson in the James Bond film Goldfinger, a role that ultimately went to Shirley Eaton.

Later career

Romain moved to Los Angeles and starred alongside Ann-Margret in The Swinger, and Elvis Presley in Double Trouble, which she herself called a 'dreadful film', though she enjoyed the experience.
After a break from the screen, Romain emerged from semi-retirement as the title character in the Anthony Perkins/Stephen Sondheim-scripted mystery thriller The Last of Sheila, her final screen role before leaving the industry. "I was in my prime," she told The Daily Telegraph in 2021. "But with the success of my husband and all of that going on, we were living the life in New York and LA and having far too good a time. So many films you're taken off to do three months here, three months there, in different countries, so it just didn't work for me. So it had to go. Of course it's sad, but you can't have everything."

Personal life

In 1958, Romain married composer Leslie Bricusse. He composed musicals and was also the lyricist for the titular James Bond film songs "Goldfinger" and "You Only Live Twice". They lived in the South of France and were married for 63 years until Bricusse's death in 2021.

Filmography

YearTitleRoleNotes
1956The Baby and the BattleshipItalian GirlUncredited
1956House of SecretsUncredited
1957InterpolUncredited
1957Murder ReportedBetty
1957Action of the TigerKatina
1957Seven ThundersMinor RoleUncredited
1957A King in New YorkOlder Girl
1958The Silent EnemySpanish GirlUncredited
1958Corridors of BloodRosa
1960Circus of HorrorsMelina
1961The Curse of the WerewolfServant Girl
1961The Frightened CityAnya
1962Village of DaughtersAnnunziata Gastoni
1962Captain CleggImogene – serving wench
1963Return to SenderLisa
1964Devil DollMarianne Horn
1964SmokescreenJanet Dexter
1965The Brigand of KandaharRatina
1966The SwingerKaren Charles
1967Double TroubleClaire Dunham
1973The Last of SheilaSheila Green