Wendy Hiller

In 1934, Wendy Hiller met Ronald Gow, who adapted Walter Greenwood’s novel ‘Love and Dole’ for stage. Later they got married in 1937. They had two children, Ann and Anthony Gow. Ronal Grow died in April 1993.

Soon after their marriage, they moved to Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire, where they set up their home at ‘Spindles’. It was here that Hiller died on 14 May 2003 from natural causes. She was survived by her two children.

Wendy Margaret Hiller was born on 15th August 1912 in Bramhall, near Stockport, Cheshire, England. Her father, Frank Watkin Hiller, was a well-to-do cotton spinner and cloth manufacturer. Her mother was Marie Elizabeth (nee Stone). She had three brothers, René, Michael and John.

Little Wendy was sent to Bexhill, Sussex to be educated at Winceby House School. Her parents had hoped that this would help her lose her Cheshire accent. However, she was not entirely successful in that.

While in school, Wendy decided to become an actress. On completing her course in 1930, she entered the Manchester Repertory Theater, making her professional debut in the same year with a small part in ‘The Ware Case’. Subsequently, she continued playing similar parts in different plays.

At the same time, she tried her hand at every other kind of job like sweeping the stage, making tea, prompting, setting the scenery etc. Later, she also worked as an assistant stage manager.

Wendy undertook all these jobs quite willingly because they helped her to learn the principles of stage acting and management. Her actual breakthrough came in 1934.

In 1934, Wendy Hiller was chosen to play Sally Hardcastle, a slum dweller, in the stage version of ‘Love on the Dole’. The play was hugely successful and reached the West End Theatre in 1935.

In 1936, she travelled to New York with the play. Here, her performance was noticed by George Bernard Shaw, who cast her in many of his productions, including ‘Saint Joan’ and ‘Pygmalion’.

Subsequently in July 1936, she appeared in the lead role of the above mentioned plays at Malvern Theatre Festival, England. As her name spread, she began to receive offers to act in films.

In 1937, she made her debut in films as Betty Lovejoy in ‘Lancashire Luck’. Her next film, released in 1938, was ‘Pygmalion’, in which she once more enacted the role of Eliza Doolittle at Shaw’s insistence. It was a huge hit and she received an Academy nomination for it.

Hiller’s third film ‘Major Barbara’ was also based on George Bernard Shaw’s play of the same name. The film, released on 2 August, 1941, was both a critical and financial success. In spite of that, she decided to concentrate on her stage career.

Her first major work in films was ’Pygmalion’ (1938). Appearing as Eliza Doolittle, she clearly defined the character, going to the extent of uttering, "Not bloody likely, I'm going in a taxi!". This makes her the first British actress to utter the word in a film. It also earned her the first Oscar nomination.

‘Separate Tables’, done two decades later, was another of her memorable films. In this film, she depicts the role of Pat Cooper, an accommodating hotel owner carrying on a disturbed relationship with an alcoholic guest. The film earned $3.1 million in the US and Canada alone.

Onstage, although ‘Love on the Dole’ (1936) introduced her to the viewers, it was ‘Heiress’ (1947), which is said to be her most significant work. Her depiction of the ill-used, painfully shy spinster became well-known for its stubborn acrimony.