To me she will never be that quintessential ‘English Rose’ - a role she thought she’d be saddled with for the rest of her career. In my eyes she will always be that naughty Aunt that’s always up to mischief. You know the type, that one with that naughty glint in her eye, because to her the rules never apply.
Honor Blackman has always been either treading the boards, singing (please don’t judge her by the ‘Kinky Boots’ single), featuring in films or appearing on the box. She’s never seemed to be off the damn thing, but she had humble beginnings and funnily she didn’t always come with that wonderfully, gravelly clipped English accent. Eartha Kit on G & T, I call it.
She first arrived on the scene on the 22nd August 1925. Yes, I know I couldn’t believe it either; she’s always been so timeless in appearance. She was born in the front room of a small terraced house in the East End area of Plaistow. Her father was a civil servant, something Honor would dabble in briefly.
She went to school in the Ealing area. Catching the eye of the drama teacher, she appeared in some of the leading roles in her school plays. Definitely no holding spears in the back row for this girl.
Her parents treated her to several acting lessons for her birthday during her early teens, something that excited and frustrated her in equal measure. She would later recall that men never wrote women’s parts with women in mind, they just appeared to be ‘after thoughts’ who walked on, moved the plates and sat on the sofa looking pretty.
So as much as Honor enjoyed the craft, the world of work reared its ugly head. She followed her father into the Civil Service as an administrative assistant. In my head as I type this, I have a vision of her throwing the men around the room the first time one says “Put the kettle on luv, I’ve got a throat like the Gobi Desert!”
Thankfully the film industry hired her for her first role in 1947; a non-speaking part in the feature film ‘Fame Is The Spur’, a Roy Boulting film with Michael Redgrave as the lead. But this would be the rolling snowball moment that would head Honor towards the 1960s and an amazing change in her fortunes.
So, the roles started to come in for the young Miss Blackman, usually playing the love interest or the ‘English Rose’ character. In 1958 she had a starring role in the classic feature ‘A Night To Remember’ alongside such blossoming names as David McCallum, Geoffrey Bayldon and the extremely underrated Ronald Allen. And yes, for all you trivia buffs out there this would be her first appearance with Sean Connery, who had a walk-on uncredited part in the film.
And to save a sleepless night if you haven’t seen it, her character did survive. I mean you couldn’t have Britain’s first lady of leather-wear drowning in Ruislip Lido.
She appeared in an episode of ‘The Saint’ that aired on the 15th November 1962 alongside Roger Moore. The episode was ‘The Arrow Of God’ and it's available on DVD, if you want to investigate further...
In the late 1950s a young brash Canadian producer arrived at ABC Television. Sydney Newman the father of many an unforgettable series; 'Police Surgeon', 'Target Luna' and 'Pathfinders' to name but a few. He spawned 'The Avengers', of course, although he was more clear about the title of the series rather than what it would be about. In its second year one of its main actors, Ian Hendry wanted to leave to pursue what would turn out to be a very successful career in films.
They went about looking for a replacement. Sydney, resourceful and controversial as ever, suggested that a woman could be the side-kick, but to be written in a masculine vein. I pause to hear the metaphorical spluttering around the production table as several ABC execs spat out their coffee.
And enter Honor…………..
I could say the rest is history, but it's more than that.
I don’t know about you but as I grew up there was a myth that surrounded Honor's character. The only reference my generation had to the original 'Avengers' episodes was the pale 1970s imitation ‘The New Avengers’. And that, as we know, wasn’t a fair comparison.
But those who had been there at the time spoke with reverence of Honor Blackman, the sort of reverence that was reserved for a real game-changer. It wasn’t until Lumiere Home Video released some early 'Avengers' that Cathy Gale was truly appreciated.
For me Cathy Gale is, and will always be, the following:
The most independent and emancipated character on 1960s Television. Ever. No contest. Don’t even try and argue that one!
The most intelligent and beautiful 'Avenger' there has ever been.
And the most charismatic.
During her stint on the programme she was cool & calm, cut a stylish dash, fought baddies, threw people over her shoulder countless times and even managed to knock out a stuntman. All on live television, all clad in leather!
Her successors would all have the privilege of film and editing.
In the days of live TV, it was make or break. Fluffing a key line was death to any actor who sought re-employment. Honor worked her fingers to the bone and it's not surprising when the episodes were completed, the actors were exhausted. Live television is a pressurised environment and very unforgiving.
In ‘63 she appeared (quite rightly) as a Goddess in the film ‘Jason And The Argonauts’
But in ’64 she hung up her ‘Kinky Boots’ and left Steed’s apartment, informing him that she'd be pussy-footing across the sun-kissed shores on holiday. She was Pinewood-bound for a part she'd be forever associated with; Pussy Galore. Or just Mrs Gale in jodhpurs?
From that point on Honor was working constantly displaying all the gravitas of an English icon.
Popping up in the awful ‘Minder On The Orient Express’ as the sexy con artist who manages to outwit Arthur Daley.
And for me strangely miscast in the Doctor Who story ‘Terror Of The Vervoids’. I say miscast as I felt she never really had that much to do, and it smacked very much of JN-T casting a big name for the sake of it. Actually, I think she would have made a terrific Rani! I’ll just leave that there to sink in.
Drama, tragedy, comedy, horror or sci-fi Honor Blackman took hold of her career and moulded it into a thing of beauty.
And when a star such as Honor passes, in a small way it reminds me that a little bit of my past has vanished from the portable telly in my head. You know, the one with the coathanger ariel.
So, here’s to the naughty Aunt who threw James Bond across the screen, knocked out a stuntman live on telly and had an appeal that spanned the decades.
Honor has left a legacy that will be appreciated by generations to come.
Honor Blackman : 22nd August 1925 – 5th April 2020
(Written by Warren Cummings)
('RTA' cover by Martin Holmes)
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