Ursula Howells

Howells was born in London, the daughter of composer Herbert Howells, and was educated at St Paul's Girls' School, where her father worked as Director of Music. She made her first stage appearance at Dundee in 1939, in John Drinkwater's Bird in Hand, then moved to Oxford in 1942 and three years later made her London debut at the Embassy Theatre, Swiss Cottage. In 1947 she appeared in the comedy Jane at the Aldwych Theatre. After several years in the West End, and a brief stint on Broadway where she appeared in Springtime for Henry in 1951, she began to appear in films. After the death of her father in 1983, Ursula Howells instigated the "Herbert Howells Society" and became a standard bearer for the promotion of his work. She financially supported the recording of his compositions and did much to encourage the publishing and promotion of church music.

Filmography

• The Cazalets
• 1999The Tichborne Claimant — Lady Doughty
• 1998A Rather English Marriage — Mary
• Midsomer Murders — Lady Isabel Aubrey
• She's Out — Mrs Lawson
• 1994A Pinch of Snuff — Alice Andover
• Downtown Lagos — Ticker Dawson
• Heartbeat — Miriam Wakefield
• Jewels — The Duchess
• Lovejoy — Olive Nettleton
• 1986Time After Time — May Swift
• Miss Marple: A Murder Is Announced — Miss Blacklock
• Miss Marple — Miss Blacklock
• 1984The Cold Room — Headmistress
• Something in Disguise — May Browne-Lacey
• The Barchester Chronicles — Miss Thorne
• Bergerac — Elizabeth Fouchet, Laura Atherton
• A Question of Guilt — Lady Uredale (voice)
• 1980Gentle Folk — Mrs Menant
• 1980The Enigma — Mrs Fielding
• Father, Dear Father — Barbara Mossman
• 1978When the Actors Come — Barbara Karolina
• BBC2 Play of the Week — Barbara Karolina
• Hard Times — Mrs Gradgrind
• The Many Wives Of Patrick
• Ten from the Twenties — Mrs Isobel Asterley
• Fall of Eagles — Empress Maria Fyodorovna
• 1974Little Fears — The Older Woman
• 1974Miss Nightingale — Aunt May
• Playhouse — Mrs. Menant, Mrs. Fielding
• 1973Father Dear Father — Barbara
• 1972Franklin's Farm — Prue
• Late Night Theatre — The Older Woman
• Cousin Bette — Adeline Hulot
• Upstairs, Downstairs — Duchess of Buckminster
• 1970Mumsy, Nanny, Sonny & Girly — Mumsy
• Play for Today — Sarah Chandler
• Ryan International
• 1969Crossplot — Maggi Thwaites
• ITV Saturday Night Theatre — Mrs. Clissold
• 1968Assignment K — Estelle
• Father, Dear Father — Barbara
• Ooh La La! — Mme Pontagnac
• The Root of All Evil? — Angela
• All Gas and Gaiters — Mrs Buckley
• Half Hour Story — Peggy
• Man in a Suitcase
• The Forsyte Saga — Frances Forsyte
• 1967Torture Garden — Miss Maxine Chambers (segment 3 "Mr. Steinway")
• The Informer — Lady Tregunter
• 1965Dr. Terror's House of Horrors — Mrs. Deirdre Biddulph (segment 1 "Werewolf")
• Knock on Any Door — Ann Gibbs
• Six Shades of Black — Netta Bartholomew
• The Wednesday Thriller — Hilda
• Thirty-Minute Theatre — Ellen
• A Choice of Coward — Liz Essendine
• 1964A Choice of Coward: Present Laughter — Liz Essendine
• 196380,000 Suspects — Joanna Duten
• The Human Jungle — Julia Gray
• 1963The Madhouse on Castle Street — Martha Tompkins
• 1963The Sicilians — Mme. Perrault
• 1962Two Letter Alibi — Louise
• Drama 61-67 — Claire
• Sunday-Night Play — Janet Ormund
• Theatre '70 — Jessy Tomson
• Interpol Calling — Miki
• No Hiding Place
• 1957Account Rendered — Lucille Ainsworth
• 1957Now Let Him Go — Nurse Judith
• 1957West of Suez — Eileen
• Armchair Theatre — Margaret, Violet Green, Nurse Judith, Prue
• 1956Keep It Clean — Pat Anstey
• 1956The Long Arm — Mrs. Elliot / Mrs. Gilson
• Lilli Palmer Theatre — Mary
• 1955The Constant Husband — Ann
• 1955The Gilded Cage — Brenda Lucas
• 1955They Can't Hang Me — Antonia Pitt
• 1955Track the Man Down — Mary Dennis
• Sherlock Holmes
• 1954The Weak and the Wicked — Pam Vickers
• 1953Number Three — Maureen Dartington
• 1953The Blakes Slept Here — Emily
• 1953The Oracle — Peggy
• 1952I Believe in You — Hon. Ursula
• 1952The Cocktail Party
• 1951Flesh and Blood — Harriet Marshall
• Sunday Night Theatre — Mary Winsloe, Maureen Dartington