Noelle Middleton

{{Infobox person

| name = Noelle Middleton

| image = Actress_Noelle_Middleton.jpg

| caption =

| birth_name = Evelyn Noelle Middleton

| birth_date = {{birth date|df=y|1926|12|18}}

| birth_place = Sligo, Connacht, Ireland

| death_date = {{death date and age|df=y|2016|01|30|1926|12|18}}

| death_place = Strandhill, Connacht, Ireland

| other_names = Evelyn Woodeson

| education = Trinity College Dublin

| occupation = Actress, announcer

| years_active =

}}

Evelyn Noelle Woodeson (née Middleton; 18 December 1926 – 30 January 2016){{cite web|url=http://oceanfm.ie/former-actress-and-bbc-announcer-passes-away-in-sligo/|title=Former actress and BBC announcer passes away in Sligo|author=Harry Keaney|work=Ocean FM|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160207141912/http://oceanfm.ie/former-actress-and-bbc-announcer-passes-away-in-sligo/|archivedate=7 February 2016}} was an Irish actress and one of the first BBC television announcers. She was also a leading lady of the 1950s British films.

Middleton received a BAFTA Film Award nomination for her leading role in Carrington V.C. (1954). Her other notable film roles were in Happy Ever After (1954), John and Julie (1955), The Iron Petticoat (1956), and Three Men in a Boat (1956).

Biography

Middleton was the daughter of Lillian (née Martin) and Wilbram or Willbraham Middleton.{{Cite web |last=Byrne |first=Angela |title=Middleton, Evelyn Noelle |url=https://www.dib.ie/biography/middleton-evelyn-noelle-a10376 |access-date=2025-02-19 |website=Dictionary of Irish Biography}} She has a brother, Gerald (91)who has lived in Sydney Australia with his wife Zoe since the late 1960’s. Her cousin Ian Doyle (89) still resides in Sligo.[http://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/people/film-actor-who-came-home-to-sligo-to-set-up-an-oyster-farm-1.2531709 Noelle Middleton obituary]. Retrieved 11 November 2016

She attended Trinity College, Dublin, but left and began her career on the stage at the famous Gate Theatre in Dublin.{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lXnXDQAAQBAJ&dq=noelle+middleton+The+Encyclopedia+of+British+Film%3A+Fourth+edition&pg=PA517|title=The Encyclopedia of British Film: Fourth edition|first=Brian|last=McFarlane|date=16 May 2016|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=9781526111975|via=Google Books}} In the 1950s she moved to London and began appearing in British films. She was also an announcer on the BBC.{{Cite web|url=https://www.transdiffusion.org/2015/06/17/this-announcing-business|title=This announcing business – Presentation – Transdiffusion Broadcasting System|website=transdiffusion.org}}

Her first film was South of Algiers in 1953. Other films include Carrington V.C. with David Niven and The Iron Petticoat with Katharine Hepburn and Bob Hope.{{Cite web|url=https://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2ba18e55ab|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170426093937/http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2ba18e55ab|url-status=dead|archive-date=26 April 2017|title=Noëlle Middleton|website=BFI}} She was nominated for a BAFTA Film Award for Best Actress in 1955 for her performance in Carrington V.C..{{Cite web|url=http://awards.bafta.org/award/1955/film/british-actress|title=BAFTA Awards|website=awards.bafta.org}} She was a founding member of Irish Actors' Equity.[http://irishequity.ie/noelle-middleton-1926-2016-a-tribute/ Noelle Middleton remembrance]. Retrieved 11 February 2016

She retired and returned to County Sligo to run an oyster farm at Culleenamore Bay. Noelle died on 30 January 2016 at Summerville Nursing Home, Strandhill, County Sligo aged 89. Her home sadly left the family and was sold to others after her death. There was a stone seat with a memorial plaque created on her death by her 2nd cousin Steven Doyle at her cottage.

Filmography

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" \|+ List of acting performances in film and television
scope="col" \| Year ! scope="col" \| Title ! scope="col" \| Role ! scope="col" \| Note
1953 \|South of Algiers \|Stewardess \|
rowspan=2\|1954 \|Happy Ever After \| Kathy McGluskey \|
Buried Treasure \| Herself \|TV series (1 episode)
rowspan=4\|1955 \|Carrington \|Captain Alison L. Graham \|
John and Julie \| Miss Stokes \|
St. Ives \| Flora Gilchrist \| TV series (6 episodes)
A Yank in Ermine \|Angela \|
rowspan=3\|1956 \|The Iron Petticoat \|Lady Connie Warburton-Watts \|
Three Men in a Boat \| Ethelbertha \|
You Can't Escape \|Kay March \|
1957 \|The Vicious Circle \|Laura James \|
1958 \|Sword of Freedom \| Adriana \|TV series (1 episode)
1961 \|A Question of Suspense \| Rose Marple \|
1961 \|Sir Francis Drake \| Mary Queen of Scots \|TV series (1 episode)
1962 \|Man of the World \| Mother Superior / Fiona \|TV series (2 episodes)

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"

|+ List of acting performances in film and television

scope="col" | Year

! scope="col" | Title

! scope="col" | Role

! scope="col" | Note

1953

|South of Algiers

|Stewardess

rowspan=2|1954

|Happy Ever After

| Kathy McGluskey

Buried Treasure

| Herself

|TV series (1 episode)

rowspan=4|1955

|Carrington

|Captain Alison L. Graham

John and Julie

| Miss Stokes

St. Ives

| Flora Gilchrist

| TV series (6 episodes)

A Yank in Ermine

|Angela

rowspan=3|1956

|The Iron Petticoat

|Lady Connie Warburton-Watts

Three Men in a Boat

| Ethelbertha

You Can't Escape

|Kay March

1957

|The Vicious Circle

|Laura James

1958

|Sword of Freedom

| Adriana

|TV series (1 episode)

1961

|A Question of Suspense

| Rose Marple

1961

|Sir Francis Drake

| Mary Queen of Scots

|TV series (1 episode)

1962

|Man of the World

| Mother Superior / Fiona

|TV series (2 episodes)

Awards and nominations

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"
Year ! Award ! Category ! Nominated work ! Result
1955 \| 8th British Academy Film Awards \| Best British Actress \| Carrington V.C. \| {{Nom}}

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"

Year

! Award

! Category

! Nominated work

! Result

1955

| 8th British Academy Film Awards

| Best British Actress

| Carrington V.C.

| {{Nom}}