Margaret Lockwood Queen of the Silver Screen

by Lyndsy Spence

Margaret Lockwood (1916-1990) was Britain's number one box office star during the war years. A three-time winner of the Daily Mail Film Award, her iconic films The Lady Vanishes, The Man in Grey and The Wicked Lady gained her legions of fans and the nickname Queen of the Screen.

With a career spanning fifty years, Margaret reinvented herself from a film star, to an Agatha Christie heroine on the West End, to a television icon in the 1970s series, Justice. Written to coincide with Margaret's centenary, this in-depth biography offers a fresh perspective on an independent woman who was intensely private away from the spotlight and whose life was unlike anything that was reported in the fan magazines.

Hardcover

Published July 11, 2016

About the author

Welcome to my Goodreads profile!

I am the author of The Mitford Girls' Guide to Life (The History Press, 2013); Mrs Guinness: The Rise and Fall of Diana Mitford (The History Press, 2015); Margaret Lockwood: Queen of the Silver Screen (Fantom Films, 2016); The Mistress of Mayfair: Men, Money and the Marriage of Doris Delevingne (The History Press, 2016). I also edit and produce The Mitford Society annual.


Aside from writing books, I have dabbled in screenwriting. In 2012 I co-wrote The Flower Girl, a short film directed by Emmy Award winner Nick Nanton and shot on location in L.A. My biopic of Vivien Leigh is in development with Ariana Entertainment, and I am currently developing and co-writing a television series based during WWI.

I have written for mainstream newspapers and magazines including Social & Personal, The Lady, Vintage Life, and BBC News Magazine. I also review books for The Lady.

Reviews

[Jim Dooley · Rating 3 out of 5]

For many American film Viewers, Margaret Lockwood is a virtually unknown commodity. They may have seen her in the Alfred Hitchcock classic, THE LADY VANISHES, but she is pretty much unknown outside of that. Yet, in Great Britain, she was the Queen of the Silver Screen.

Even for those familiar with her work, details of her life were sketchy. Her ghost-written autobiography, LUCKY STAR, glossed over or reimagined a number of details. So, the writer’s efforts at shedding some light are laudable.

While I did appreciate the revisitation and further research, the writer’s focus was too high level for me. By that, I mean that that the recounting of events was quite good. However, the subject of this biography always seemed to be at a distance. I never felt I had the chance to “know” her. Instead, she was passing by and affording only glimpses into her life.

Now, I would much rather have this approach than the writer assigning assumed emotions or creating snatches of conversation. Whenever there are conversations or witnessed happenings, sources are cited and that is good.

The heart of the matter was that Margaret Lockwood was vivacious and dynamic on the screen. I had hoped that the book would help me to get to know her more intimately than is done here. As an example, in a divorce case determining child custody, her mother presents evidence against her. It led to life-long estrangement as can well be imagined, and the writer speculates on why she may have done this. I’d assume that to be a life-defining moment and it is mentioned, but not explored after that.

There are some “on the set” details that are interesting and I did enjoy those. (James Mason doesn’t come off too well!) Although I would have liked more of those, they were a good reason for reading the book.

Ultimately, I know that I’m involved in a star biography when an have a strong desire to seek out more of the performer’s work. I do have that, but the impulse didn’t arise from this book.

For the person who knows something about Margaret Lockwood and would like some clarification, this will suffice. The Reader who doesn’t really know anything about her will likely finish the book and wonder what all of the fuss was about.

[Terence Towles-Canote · Rating 5 out of 5]

Margaret Lockwood was arguably the biggest British star of the Forties. She ranked in the Motion Picture Herald's polls of the top ten most popular British stars seven years in a row. What is more, she is still popular today. Sadly, very little has been written about Miss Lockwood over the years and much of what has been written about her has at times been inaccurate. Fortunately this book, published just in time for the centennial anniversary of Miss Lockwood's birth, clears up much of what we think we know about the legendary star. Lyndsy Spence goes into more depth on Margaret Lockwood's life and career than ever has been before, and gives us new insights into a woman who was a major star, yet at the same time a very private woman. Written in concise, yet lively prose, this book is easy to read and very enjoyable. Margaret Lockwood--Queen of the Silver Screen is a loving, yet objective look at one of Britain's true screen legends. It is a must for any Margaret Lockwood fan.

[Ant Koplowitz · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disappointingly flat biography of Margaret Lockwood, one of Britain's biggest film stars from the 1940s and 50s. Lockwood appears to have been poorly served by biographers over the years, none of whom seems to have got under the skin of the actor, or to have brought anything but superficial analysis to their picture of her. This work, despite the author Lyndsy Spencer having had access to members of Lockwood's family and her personal papers, is almost devoid of any kind of authorial voice or discussion of her subject's inner world and motivations. For example, Margaret Lockwood's later television career, where she starred in a hugely popular 1970s legal drama (and alongside a man she was in a relationship with) warrants scarcely two pages. The final twenty years or so of her life are concluded at a breakneck pace.

© Koplowitz 2024

[Tara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Britain's most popular wartime actress, Margaret Lockwood was a refined, yet steely siren. Famed for her role as 'The Wicked Lady', she created a new kind of anti-heroine in a series of spicy costume dramas. In later life she returned to the stage, and played a barrister in TV's 'Justice'. A reserved and private woman, Lockwood's career overshadowed her romances, and her defining relationships were with her stalwart, but emotionally distant mother, and her own beloved daughter. In just under 200 pages, author Lyndsy Spence shows that 'less is more' with her bewitching portrait of a very British star.

[Virginie Pronovost · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was so impatient to read Lyndsy Spence's book and, believe me, I was not disappointed! A superbly well written a fascinating biography of one of England's most iconic movie figures. Margaret Lockwood would have been honoured by this honest tribute to her.