Margaret Rutherford: An Autobiography as told to Gwen Robyns

by Margaret Rutherford, Gwen Robyns

"To 'Tuft' - my beloved husband Stringer Davis -
without whose presence I should be nothing."

One of the best-loved actresses of the British
stage and screen, Dame Margaret became
a world-wide favourite through her films.
Her career has spanned many years and
many parts: Miss Prism in The Importance of
Being Earnest, Mrs Solness in The Master
Builder, the hilarious headmistress in The
Happiest Days of Your Life, for instance, and
of course her incomparable characterisation
of Agatha Christie’s famous ‘detective’, Miss
Marple.
It is often said that great comedians are
essentially serious people. This book by
Dame Margaret Rutherford is witness to
this truth. As a matter of fact, she had
doubts about the ethics of taking part in a
film about murder—for such thoughts weigh
heavily with her—until she was at last
persuaded that Miss Christie’s detective was
on the side of the angels. Yet she is never too
serious, because of her innate sense of fun
and her ability to laugh at herself—writing,
for example, of her belief in mermaids or
her hard-up days of bicycling around
Wimbledon, giving music lessons.
Her warm love and generous nature are
revealed in her attitude to her adopted son
who became an adopted daughter through a
sex-change operation, and in the story of her
marriage to the distinguished actor Stringer
Davis. Hers is a love story as well as a piece
of stage and screen history; touching, true
and happy-for after years when the path
of true love could not run smooth, Dame
Margaret and Stringer Davis are the living
embodiment of the happy ending. She
mentions in passing: "Although I was very
honoured to be made a Dame of the British
Empire I do enjoy being called Mrs
Stringer Davis."

Her book-in the writing of which she has
been helped by Gwen Robyns-takes the
reader inside the gay, whimsical, and
loving personality who has endeared herself
to so many. They are all here-the
incredibly varied experiences which she has
seized and built into her personality.

Genres: Autobiography

230 pages, Hardcover

Published January 1, 1972

About the author

Margaret Rutherford's career as an actor spanned many years. She was very involved with British stage productions. She also starred in a large number of films, including her well known, although controversial, portrayal of Agatha Christie's Miss Marple. She was happily married to Stringer Davis with whom she often acted alongside on the stage and in film.

Reviews

[Richard Jespers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Recently I caught a couple of Rutherford’s Murder films on Turner Classic Movies, in which she plays Agatha Christie’s detective, Ms. Marple. And I became fascinated with the actor, how intricately and honestly she played the part, though the stories are relatively simple. Like a lot of actors/artists she suffered in her personal life early on. At age three her mother died, and an Aunt Besse raised her. It is easy to imagine her life as she was born in 1892, just a few months before my maternal grandmother was born. I usually don’t care for “as told to” books because the prose does sound as if it has been dictated onto a recording and transcribed word for word. But Rutherford’s spoken prose apparently is so eloquent, it doesn’t seem to affect the quality of the written result. Besides, her accounts are terribly interesting.

Rutherford celebrated nearly fifty years in the acting business before, because of physical difficulties, she quit, just before her death in 1972—at age eighty. She seemed to make the most of her life no matter what. She went after and earned the career she desired. She traveled for both work and pleasure. She “adopted” adult children after she was married because she had none of her own. At age fifty-four she married fellow actor, Stringer Davis. He died a few months following her death. Perhaps some of her tips to actors are dated, but for the most part probably not. Kindness, consideration of fellow workers, and generosity never seem to go out of style. I paid entirely too much for this used copy, but I do think it has been worth it! If only it were signed !