Penelope Dudley-Ward

Dudley-Ward was born in London in 1914. She was the elder of the two daughters of William Dudley Ward, the Liberal Member of Parliament for Southampton,^[2] and the leading socialite Freda Dudley Ward (née Birkin).^[3] Her mother was a member of the wealthy Birkin family and is best remembered for being the long-time mistress of the Prince of Wales, the future King Edward VIII, from 1918 to 1934.^[4]

Dudley-Ward was a leading lady who typically played strong yet feminine characters, in several British films during the 1930s and 1940s.^[5] She was a contract player at Korda's London Films and collaborator of director Anthony Asquith.^[6]

Her notable roles include as Natasha Kovrin opposite Laurence Olivier in Asquith's Moscow Nights (1935),^[6] as Maureen Fenwick in Noël Coward's In Which We Serve (1942),^[7] and Ann Tisdall in Asquith's The Demi-Paradise (1943).^[8][9] She retired from the screen following her second marriage, with her last film role playing as Joan Heseltine opposite Michael Wilding in Harold French's romantic comedy film English without Tears (1944).^[10]

Dudley-Ward was courted by Brendan Bracken, who "liked it to be thought that he was single because she turned him down."^[11]

Dudley-Ward's first marriage, to Anthony Pelissier, lasted from 29 December 1939, until their divorce in 1944.^[12] The couple had one daughter, the actress Tracy Reed, most known for starring in Dr. Strangelove (1964).^[13]

Dudley-Ward married film director Carol Reed on 24 January 1948.^[12][14][15] They had one son, Max Reed, born 14 September 1948.^[16] Dudley-Ward and Reed remained married until he died in 1976.^[17]

Dudley-Ward died from a brain tumour on 22 January 1982 at the age of 67,^[18] fourteen months before her mother also died.^[19]

• List of notable brain tumour patients