Thin-lipped, dark-haired British character actress who usually played strong-willed women. She was active primarily on the English stage, with roles in "Grand Hotel" (1931) and "The Importance of Being Earnest" (1946), among many others. On Broadway in "Point Valaine" (1935), two years prior making her screen debut as Katherine Parr in The Private Life of Henry VIII. (1933). Her other well-known screen role was that of Dolly Messiter in Brief Encounter (1945).