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Karen Dotrice is a Actor British born on 9 november 1955
Karen Dotrice (/doʊˈtriːs/ doh-TREESE; born 9 November 1955) is a British former child actress, known primarily for her role as Jane Banks in Walt Disney's feature film adaptation of the Mary Poppins book series. Dotrice was born in Guernsey to two accomplished stage actors. Her career began on stage, and expanded into film and television, including starring roles as a young girl whose beloved cat magically reappears in Disney's The Three Lives of Thomasina and with Thomasina co-star Matthew Garber as one of two children pining for their parents' attentions in Poppins. She appeared in five television programmes between 1972 and 1978, when she made her only feature film as an adult. Her life as an actress concluded with a short run as Desdemona in the 1981 pre-Broadway production of Othello.
In 1984, Dotrice retired from show business to focus on motherhood—she has three children from two marriages—though she has provided commentary for various Disney projects and has resumed making public appearances. She was named a Disney Legend in 2004.
Born into a theatre family, Dotrice is the daughter of Roy and Kay Dotrice, two Shakespearean actors who met and married while performing in repertory productions in England. Her father also was born in the Channel Islands. She has two sisters, Michele and Yvette, both of whom are actresses. Her godfather was actor Charles Laughton, who was married to Elsa Lanchester, one of the co-stars of Mary Poppins.
Dotrice was a toddler when her father joined the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre (later the Royal Shakespeare Company) in 1957. By age four, she was ready to perform, making her début in an RSC production of The Caucasian Chalk Circle by Bertolt Brecht. There, a Disney scout saw Dotrice and brought her to Burbank, California, to meet Walt Disney.
Film
At age eight, Dotrice was hired in 1964 to appear in The Three Lives of Thomasina as a girl whose relationship with her father is mended by the magical reappearance of her cat. While Dotrice was in California, her father stayed in England—where he was portraying King Lear—and Walt Disney personally took care of her family, often hosting them in his Palm Springs home. Dotrice took quickly to Disney as a father figure, calling him "Uncle Walt". She said the admiration was mutual: "I think he really liked English kids. He was tickled pink by the accent and the etiquette. And when I was being very English and polite, he would look proudly at this little charge who had such good manners."
Film historian Leonard Maltin said Dotrice "won over everyone" with her performance in The Three Lives of Thomasina, and she was signed to play Jane Banks (along with once and future co-star Matthew Garber as her brother, Michael Banks) in Mary Poppins. Disney's part-live-action, part-animation musical adaptation of the Poppins children's books by P. L. Travers starred David Tomlinson as a workaholic father and Glynis Johns as a suffragette mother who are too busy to spend much time with their children. Instead, they hire a nanny (Julie Andrews) who takes Jane and Michael on magical adventures designed to teach them—and their parents—about the importance of family. Poppins was Disney's biggest commercial success at the time and won five Academy Awards, making its stars world-famous. Dotrice and Garber were praised for their natural screen presence; critic Bosley Crowther wrote, "the kids ... are just as they should be," while author Brian Sibley said, "these charming, delightful young people provided a wonderful centre for the film."
Dotrice and Garber paired up a third time in The Gnome-Mobile (1967) as the grandchildren of a rich lumber mogul who stumble across a gnome forest and help to stop the gnomes from dying off. Starring Walter Brennan in a dual role, The Gnome-Mobile failed to perform on a par with Poppins at the box office, and Dotrice did not make another film appearance as a child.
After The Gnome-Mobile, "the kids" no longer kept in contact with each other. In an interview for the 40th Anniversary Edition DVD release of Mary Poppins, Dotrice recalled how she learned of Garber's 1977 death:"I remember his mum, Margot, calling [...] to let us know that Matthew had died. That was—so unexpected. [...] I wished I had picked up the phone over the years, I wished I had treated him more like a brother; but he's indelibly printed in all of our minds, he's eternal. An amazing little soul."
Dotrice appeared as Alex Mackenzie in The Thirty Nine Steps (1978) with Robert Powell and John Mills. The third film based on the John Buchan novel, this was her only feature film as an adult. In the film, Alex accompanies Hannay (Powell) while on the run from "both the spies and the police".
Television
Dotrice appeared as Désirée Clary in the Thames Television serial Napoleon and Love. The nine-hour, dramatised account of Napoleon I of France starred Ian Holm and Tim Curry.
In 1974, she appeared alongside Helen Mirren and Clive Revill in Bellamira. The following year, Dotrice played housemaid Lily Hawkins in six episodes of Upstairs, Downstairs during its fifth and final season. The series—a narrative of the upper class Bellamy family and their servants in Edwardian England, early in the 20th century—was one of the most popular programmes produced by London Weekend Television for ITV. It also proved popular when shown in the United States on Masterpiece Theatre, and was "beloved throughout much of the world."
Dotrice took on the role of Maria Beadnell in two episodes of the serial Dickens of London (1976), starring her father as both Charles and John Dickens. In 1977, credited as Karen Dotrice Nalle, she appeared with Ann-Margret in Joseph Andrews, a German telefilm based on the Henry Fielding novel Joseph Andrews; and as Princess Ozyliza in the Jackanory episode "The Princess and the Hedgehog".
In 1978, Dotrice made her final screen appearance as an actress, playing Jenny in the BBC2 Play of the Week, She Fell Among Thieves. Starring Malcolm McDowell and Eileen Atkins, Thieves made its U.S. début on 5 February 1980—the first film screened as part of the PBS Mystery! series.
Later life
In 1981, Dotrice took the role of Desdemona in the Warner Theatre production of Othello opposite James Earl Jones and Christopher Plummer. Reviewers were less than kind; calling her "the only serious let-down" in the cast, David Richards of The Washington Post wrote, "Dotrice is not Desdemona. She is a Desdemona doll, reciting her lines in a thin, reedy voice and moving through the tragedy with a rare somnolence." Dianne Wiest took the role in the 1982 Broadway production and received similar reviews.
Dotrice virtually disappeared from public life following her retirement. She was married to English actor Alex Hyde-White from 1986 to 1992; they have a son, Garrick. In 1994, Dotrice married then-Universal Studios executive Edwin "Ned" Nalle and later gave birth to two children, Isabella and Griffin.
Her voice work includes spoken-word adaptations of Disney's The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast and Pocahontas; a sing-along release of Mary Poppins; an interview for the ABC television special Walt: The Man Behind the Myth; and narration for the audiobook adaptation of Dangerous Women by George R. R. Martin. She appeared as herself in the 2009 film The Boys: The Sherman Brothers' Story. As for acting, however, "I'll never go back," she told Hello! magazine in 1995, "because you don't have to put on any make-up."
Dotrice was coaxed back into the spotlight twice in 2004: she was named a Disney Legend at a ceremony in Burbank (at which Matthew Garber was honoured posthumously), and she was interviewed and provided audio commentary for the 40th Anniversary Edition Mary Poppins DVD release. Dotrice also provided audio commentary for the Acorn Media DVD release of Upstairs, Downstairs Series 5, discussing Episode 7 ("Disillusion"), the final episode in which she appears.
Despite having retired from acting, Dotrice's official Web site announced in 2014 that she will be making public appearances "for the first time in 50 years". The list includes memorabilia shows, signings and corporate events.
Looking back
Almost a half-century after Poppins, and just in time for its 50th anniversary Blu-Ray re-release and the theatrical release of Saving Mr. Banks, Dotrice, who had since moved to Brentwood, California, told the Los Angeles Times that it wasn't until seeing Banks that she truly understood why Walt Disney was the father figure she remembered. "I didn't know P. L. Travers' history" with Disney and his many years spent trying to convince Travers to let him tell the Poppins story on film. Dotrice noted a common thread; Travers was eight years old when her father died, and Walt Disney's father put him to work when he was eight. "I was eight when I did the film. I think P. L. Travers was trying to fix families [with the Poppins books, and Disney] wanted to heal people through his movies. Here I am 50 years later looking at this—I was crying when I was watching the film."
That experience stood in stark contrast to her memories of working on Poppins. "The joy that you see on the screen is the joy we felt." Dotrice recalled having a difficult time staying in character whenever Dick Van Dyke would do one of his "goofy dances". She also thought it odd that Julie Andrews was a smoker. "Everybody smoked back then. I have memories of Mary Poppins smoking a cigarette".
Still, in hindsight, Dotrice said she'd never have done Poppins or any of her other films if she had it to do over again. She said children "should be learning and growing at their own pace" rather than "living in a Justin Bieberesque-type world surrounded by a bunch of yes people". Dotrice had seen so many of her peers struggling with "all sorts of demons" whilst growing up that she didn't want her children becoming actors. She said she gave up her own career when she was asked as a teenager to appear topless on screen.
(1964)
(Actress)
Source : Wikidata
Karen Dotrice
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In 1984, Dotrice retired from show business to focus on motherhood—she has three children from two marriages—though she has provided commentary for various Disney projects and has resumed making public appearances. She was named a Disney Legend in 2004.
Biography
Early lifeBorn into a theatre family, Dotrice is the daughter of Roy and Kay Dotrice, two Shakespearean actors who met and married while performing in repertory productions in England. Her father also was born in the Channel Islands. She has two sisters, Michele and Yvette, both of whom are actresses. Her godfather was actor Charles Laughton, who was married to Elsa Lanchester, one of the co-stars of Mary Poppins.
Dotrice was a toddler when her father joined the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre (later the Royal Shakespeare Company) in 1957. By age four, she was ready to perform, making her début in an RSC production of The Caucasian Chalk Circle by Bertolt Brecht. There, a Disney scout saw Dotrice and brought her to Burbank, California, to meet Walt Disney.
Film
At age eight, Dotrice was hired in 1964 to appear in The Three Lives of Thomasina as a girl whose relationship with her father is mended by the magical reappearance of her cat. While Dotrice was in California, her father stayed in England—where he was portraying King Lear—and Walt Disney personally took care of her family, often hosting them in his Palm Springs home. Dotrice took quickly to Disney as a father figure, calling him "Uncle Walt". She said the admiration was mutual: "I think he really liked English kids. He was tickled pink by the accent and the etiquette. And when I was being very English and polite, he would look proudly at this little charge who had such good manners."
Film historian Leonard Maltin said Dotrice "won over everyone" with her performance in The Three Lives of Thomasina, and she was signed to play Jane Banks (along with once and future co-star Matthew Garber as her brother, Michael Banks) in Mary Poppins. Disney's part-live-action, part-animation musical adaptation of the Poppins children's books by P. L. Travers starred David Tomlinson as a workaholic father and Glynis Johns as a suffragette mother who are too busy to spend much time with their children. Instead, they hire a nanny (Julie Andrews) who takes Jane and Michael on magical adventures designed to teach them—and their parents—about the importance of family. Poppins was Disney's biggest commercial success at the time and won five Academy Awards, making its stars world-famous. Dotrice and Garber were praised for their natural screen presence; critic Bosley Crowther wrote, "the kids ... are just as they should be," while author Brian Sibley said, "these charming, delightful young people provided a wonderful centre for the film."
Dotrice and Garber paired up a third time in The Gnome-Mobile (1967) as the grandchildren of a rich lumber mogul who stumble across a gnome forest and help to stop the gnomes from dying off. Starring Walter Brennan in a dual role, The Gnome-Mobile failed to perform on a par with Poppins at the box office, and Dotrice did not make another film appearance as a child.
After The Gnome-Mobile, "the kids" no longer kept in contact with each other. In an interview for the 40th Anniversary Edition DVD release of Mary Poppins, Dotrice recalled how she learned of Garber's 1977 death:"I remember his mum, Margot, calling [...] to let us know that Matthew had died. That was—so unexpected. [...] I wished I had picked up the phone over the years, I wished I had treated him more like a brother; but he's indelibly printed in all of our minds, he's eternal. An amazing little soul."
Dotrice appeared as Alex Mackenzie in The Thirty Nine Steps (1978) with Robert Powell and John Mills. The third film based on the John Buchan novel, this was her only feature film as an adult. In the film, Alex accompanies Hannay (Powell) while on the run from "both the spies and the police".
Television
Dotrice appeared as Désirée Clary in the Thames Television serial Napoleon and Love. The nine-hour, dramatised account of Napoleon I of France starred Ian Holm and Tim Curry.
In 1974, she appeared alongside Helen Mirren and Clive Revill in Bellamira. The following year, Dotrice played housemaid Lily Hawkins in six episodes of Upstairs, Downstairs during its fifth and final season. The series—a narrative of the upper class Bellamy family and their servants in Edwardian England, early in the 20th century—was one of the most popular programmes produced by London Weekend Television for ITV. It also proved popular when shown in the United States on Masterpiece Theatre, and was "beloved throughout much of the world."
Dotrice took on the role of Maria Beadnell in two episodes of the serial Dickens of London (1976), starring her father as both Charles and John Dickens. In 1977, credited as Karen Dotrice Nalle, she appeared with Ann-Margret in Joseph Andrews, a German telefilm based on the Henry Fielding novel Joseph Andrews; and as Princess Ozyliza in the Jackanory episode "The Princess and the Hedgehog".
In 1978, Dotrice made her final screen appearance as an actress, playing Jenny in the BBC2 Play of the Week, She Fell Among Thieves. Starring Malcolm McDowell and Eileen Atkins, Thieves made its U.S. début on 5 February 1980—the first film screened as part of the PBS Mystery! series.
Later life
In 1981, Dotrice took the role of Desdemona in the Warner Theatre production of Othello opposite James Earl Jones and Christopher Plummer. Reviewers were less than kind; calling her "the only serious let-down" in the cast, David Richards of The Washington Post wrote, "Dotrice is not Desdemona. She is a Desdemona doll, reciting her lines in a thin, reedy voice and moving through the tragedy with a rare somnolence." Dianne Wiest took the role in the 1982 Broadway production and received similar reviews.
Dotrice virtually disappeared from public life following her retirement. She was married to English actor Alex Hyde-White from 1986 to 1992; they have a son, Garrick. In 1994, Dotrice married then-Universal Studios executive Edwin "Ned" Nalle and later gave birth to two children, Isabella and Griffin.
Her voice work includes spoken-word adaptations of Disney's The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast and Pocahontas; a sing-along release of Mary Poppins; an interview for the ABC television special Walt: The Man Behind the Myth; and narration for the audiobook adaptation of Dangerous Women by George R. R. Martin. She appeared as herself in the 2009 film The Boys: The Sherman Brothers' Story. As for acting, however, "I'll never go back," she told Hello! magazine in 1995, "because you don't have to put on any make-up."
Dotrice was coaxed back into the spotlight twice in 2004: she was named a Disney Legend at a ceremony in Burbank (at which Matthew Garber was honoured posthumously), and she was interviewed and provided audio commentary for the 40th Anniversary Edition Mary Poppins DVD release. Dotrice also provided audio commentary for the Acorn Media DVD release of Upstairs, Downstairs Series 5, discussing Episode 7 ("Disillusion"), the final episode in which she appears.
Despite having retired from acting, Dotrice's official Web site announced in 2014 that she will be making public appearances "for the first time in 50 years". The list includes memorabilia shows, signings and corporate events.
Looking back
Almost a half-century after Poppins, and just in time for its 50th anniversary Blu-Ray re-release and the theatrical release of Saving Mr. Banks, Dotrice, who had since moved to Brentwood, California, told the Los Angeles Times that it wasn't until seeing Banks that she truly understood why Walt Disney was the father figure she remembered. "I didn't know P. L. Travers' history" with Disney and his many years spent trying to convince Travers to let him tell the Poppins story on film. Dotrice noted a common thread; Travers was eight years old when her father died, and Walt Disney's father put him to work when he was eight. "I was eight when I did the film. I think P. L. Travers was trying to fix families [with the Poppins books, and Disney] wanted to heal people through his movies. Here I am 50 years later looking at this—I was crying when I was watching the film."
That experience stood in stark contrast to her memories of working on Poppins. "The joy that you see on the screen is the joy we felt." Dotrice recalled having a difficult time staying in character whenever Dick Van Dyke would do one of his "goofy dances". She also thought it odd that Julie Andrews was a smoker. "Everybody smoked back then. I have memories of Mary Poppins smoking a cigarette".
Still, in hindsight, Dotrice said she'd never have done Poppins or any of her other films if she had it to do over again. She said children "should be learning and growing at their own pace" rather than "living in a Justin Bieberesque-type world surrounded by a bunch of yes people". Dotrice had seen so many of her peers struggling with "all sorts of demons" whilst growing up that she didn't want her children becoming actors. She said she gave up her own career when she was asked as a teenager to appear topless on screen.
Best films
(1964)(Actress)
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Filmography of Karen Dotrice (7 films)
Actress
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Mary Poppins Returns (2018)
, 2h10Directed by Rob Marshall
Origin USA
Genres Fantastic, Comedy, Fantasy, Musical
Themes Films about children, Films about music and musicians, Musical films, Children's films
Actors Emily Blunt, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Meryl Streep, Ben Whishaw, Emily Mortimer, Colin Firth
Roles Elegant Woman
Rating66%
L'histoire se déroule à Londres dans les années 1930. Michaël Banks vit toujours dans sa maison d'enfance, allée des Cerisiers, avec ses trois enfants, Annabel, John et Georgie, et avec sa sœur Jeanne depuis le décès de sa femme l'année précédente. Michaël a fait un emprunt au directeur de la banque, William Weatherall Wilkins, qui envoie ses associés pour dire à Michaël qu'ils prendront possession de sa maison si l'emprunt n'est pas remboursé d'ici le vendredi qui vient. Michaël et Jeanne se rappellent que leur père leur a laissé des actions à la banque qui leur permettraient de couvrir l'emprunt. Ils commencent alors à chercher dans toute la maison le certificat d'actions. Pendant la recherche, Michaël trouve le cerf-volant de son enfance mais décide de s'en débarrasser.
, 1h41Origin USA
Genres Documentary, Musical
Themes Films about films, Films about music and musicians, Documentary films about music and musicians, Documentaire sur une personnalité, Musical films, Children's films
Actors Richard Morton Sherman, Robert Bernard Sherman, Roy E. Disney, Julie Andrews, Dick Van Dyke, John Williams
Roles Herself
Rating76%
The Boys: The Sherman Brothers' Story est un fascinant documentaire sur les frères Sherman, le duo extraordinairement prolifique oscarisé à qui l'on doit tant de chansons, et dont la grande réussite professionnelle dans le divertissement familial cachait des différences de vues de plus en plus grandes au cours de leurs soixante années de partenariat.
The Thirty Nine Steps (1978)
, 1h42Directed by Don Sharp
Origin United-kingdom
Genres Thriller, Action, Spy, Crime
Themes Spy films, Transport films, Rail transport films
Actors Robert Powell, David Warner, Eric Porter, Karen Dotrice, John Mills, Miles Anderson
Roles Alex Mackenzie
Rating65%
In 1914, German spies are everywhere in London. After a spate of assassinations of important British politicians, a retired British intelligence officer, Colonel Scudder, realises his life and his mysterious black notebook are in danger. He turns to Richard Hannay, a mining engineer who is visiting Britain for a short time before returning to South Africa, who happens to be staying in a flat in the same building. Scudder tells Hannay of a plot by Prussian 'sleeper' agents, who are planning to pre-empt a war against the Triple Entente powers by assassinating a foreign minister of state visiting the UK.
Joseph Andrews (1977)
, 1h44Directed by Tony Richardson
Origin United-kingdom
Genres Drama, Thriller, Comedy, Comedy-drama, Action, Adventure, Romance
Actors Ann-Margret, Peter Firth, Michael Hordern, Beryl Reid, Jim Dale, Peter C. Bull
Roles Pamela
Rating56%
Lady Booby alias "Belle", the lively wife of the fat landed squire Sir Thomas Booby, has a lusty eye on the attractive, intelligent villager Joseph Andrews, a Latin pupil and protégé of parson Adams, and makes him their footman. Joseph's heart belongs to a country girl, foundling Fanny Goodwill, but his masters take him on a fashionable trip to Bath, where the spoiled society comes mainly to see and be seen, yet Sir Thomas really seeks relief for his sick foot, but drowns in the famous Roman baths. When the all but grieving lady finds Joseph's Christian virtue and true love resist her lusting passes just as well as the many ladies who fancy her footman, she fires the boy. On his way back on foot, he falls prey to highwaymen who rob him of everything, even the clothes on his back. He is found and nursed by an innkeeper's maid, which stirs lusts there, again besides his honorable conduct, but is found by the good parson. Meanwhile the lady consents to her cousin marrying below their station when learning the fiancée is Joseph's sister, Pamela. The parson barely escapes a wicked gentleman's totally unjust, all but gentle justice after being accused of the attempted rape committed by a squire he actually prevented and comes to learn ever more about a relevant child-theft by gypsies, but meanwhile he, Joseph and Fanny fall prey again to the rapist's utter debauchery.
The Gnome-Mobile (1967)
, 1h30Directed by Robert Stevenson, Paul Cameron, Arthur J. Vitarelli
Origin USA
Genres Science fiction, Comedy, Fantasy
Themes Transport films, Films about automobiles, Road movies, Children's films
Actors Walter Brennan, Matthew Garber, Karen Dotrice, Ed Wynn, Richard Deacon, Charles Lane
Roles Elizabeth
Rating63%
The story opens with the children's grandfather, D.J. Mulrooney (Walter Brennan), a well-known executive officer of a vast timber-trading company. D.J. is an eccentric and passionate man with a distinctive snore, as well as vast dedication and determination. D.J. is going to Seattle to sell 50,000 acres of timberland. D.J. takes his personal, customized 1930 Rolls-Royce Phantom II on the trip. In a brief conversation with his Company Head of Security, Ralph Yarby (Richard Deacon), we learn that the car was purchased after D.J. earned his first US$1 million. His first stop is The Airport where he picks up his grandchildren Elizabeth (Karen Dotrice) and Rodney (Matthew Garber) who are to accompany D.J. on his trip to Seattle. The children ask about the Rolls, to them an unusual car, and D.J. compares the Rolls with his first car back in Ireland, a one horsepower "Jaunty Car".
Mary Poppins (1964)
, 2h19Directed by Robert Stevenson, Joseph L. McEveety, Tom Leetch, Arthur J. Vitarelli
Origin USA
Genres Comedy, Fantasy, Musical
Themes Films about animals, Films about children, Films about families, Films about music and musicians, Films about birds, Musical films, Films about penguins, Children's films
Actors Julie Andrews, Dick Van Dyke, David Tomlinson, Glynis Johns, Karen Dotrice, Matthew Garber
Roles Jane Banks
Rating77%
In Edwardian London, 1910, Cockney one-man band Bert is entertaining a crowd when he senses a change in the wind. Afterwards, he directly addresses the audience and gives them a tour of Cherry Tree Lane, stopping outside the home of the Banks'. George Banks returns home from his job at the bank to learn from his wife Winifred that their hired nanny, Katie Nanna, has left their service after his children, Jane and Michael, ran away again. They are returned shortly after by the local constable, who reveals that the children were dragged away by their kite. The children ask their father to help build a better kite, but he dismisses them. Taking it upon himself to hire a nanny, George advertises for a stern, no-nonsense nanny. Jane and Michael present their own advertisement for a kinder, sweeter nanny, but George rips up the letter and throws the scraps in the fireplace, which magically float up and out into the air.
The Three Lives of Thomasina (1963)
, 1h37Directed by Don Chaffey
Origin USA
Genres Drama, Science fiction, Thriller, Fantasy
Themes Films about animals, Films about religion, Films about cats, Children's films
Actors Patrick McGoohan, Karen Dotrice, Susan Hampshire, Laurence Naismith, Jean Anderson, Vincent Winter
Roles Mary McDhui
Rating71%
En 1912 en Écosse, dans une petite ville, le vétérinaire Andrew MacDhui vit seul avec sa fille Mary et leur chat Thomasina depuis la mort de sa femme. Ce décès a brisé la foi de MacDhui en Dieu et sa préférence pour les animaux de compagnie « utiles » comme les animaux de ferme ou les chiens d'aveugle comme Bruce. L’histoire est racontée par Thomasina qui explique que son nom était Thomas avant que ses maîtres s'aperçoivent de leur erreur.