strange cousin susan

Okay, so I’m two episodes into “The Stones of Blood” and there was something really bugging me about the woman playing Professor Emelia Rumford…I mean really bugging me. Honor Blackman kept popping into my head, although they are absolutely worlds apart from each other, but I couldn’t figure out why.

After a bit of wiki research, I found the following information:

Beatrix Lehmann (1 July 1903, Bourne End, Buckinghamshire - 31 July 1979, London) was a British actress, theatre director and author.

Lehmannn trained at RADA and made her stage debut as Peggy in a 1924 production The Way of the World at the Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith. As well as her extensive theatrical career she appeared in films, on television, and wrote short stories and two novels including Rumour of Heaven first published in 1934 (ISBN 014016166X).

In 1946 Lehmann became director and producer of the Arts Council Midland Theatre Company.

In 1978 she gave a memorable performance in the Doctor Who serial The Stones of Blood as Professor Emilia Rumford. She also played Susan Calvin in two episodes of British science fiction series Out of the Unknown. In 1979 she played Mrs Pleasant in a film version of The Cat and The Canary. Other roles include parts in Z-Cars, The Spy Who Came In from the Cold, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, War and Peace, Love for Lydia, Staircase, and Crime and Punishment.

She came from a family of notable achievers: she was a daughter of humourist Rudolph Chambers Lehmann, and her great-uncle was the Henri Lehmann the artist. Her brother was writer John Lehmann and her sister was novelist Rosamond Lehmann.

There are 12 portraits of Lehmann in the British National Portrait Gallery Collection.

It hit me like a ton of bricks: In 1979 she played Mrs Pleasant in a film version of The Cat and The Canary. Well, of course that’s why Honor Blackman was popping into my head; they both were in the movie. I won’t even touch the bit about Honor Blackman’s connections to Wilfred Hyde-White, who was also in the 1979 movie…at least not now.

And then a bit more wiki research lead me to this bit of fun:

Director Darrol Blake originally offered the role of Vivien to Honor Blackman, who declined the part as she felt Beatrix Lehmann had all the best material. Blake then asked Maria Aitken, who wasn’t interested. Susan Engel was finally hired for the part. Blackman would later appear in the Sixth Doctor serial Terror of the Vervoids (1986).

Ohh, this type of trivia is one of favorite things in the world!!