While doing some reading up on the 1951 version of A Christmas Carol (which I enjoyed very much on TCM last week), I came across an interesting debate. It seems that ever since the film came out, viewers have been falling in love with the maid who takes Scrooge's coat at Fred's house, near the end. She's onscreen for only a moment and never speaks, but her sweet face and kindly manner are captivating.
The odd thing is, no one seems to know for certain who played her.
There's an urban legend that it's a young Audrey Hepburn. I floated this idea on an Audrey Hepburn LiveJournal community I belong to, but the consensus there was that it's probably not her. I do think it looks a little like her, though. Some say it was an actress called Frances Arden, but she doesn't have an IMDb page and no one seems to know a thing about her.
Perhaps we'll never know who played the maid . . . but isn't she quintessentially, delightfully Dickensian? The mysterious, quiet, self-contained, gentle young woman who blesses the lives of all around her just by showing up -- how Dickens must have smiled over that one in heaven. (If he wasn't kicking himself for not having thought her up in the first place.)
From another blog of those whom she touched, "a poster at IMDB (Internet Movie Data Base) had responded to a similar question with the following information:My Uncle worked for casting director Maude Spector, and while he wasn’t directly involved in this film, he did keep extensive notes on all the projects she worked on. The only thing I could find in the production information was this: Maid (Nephew’s House): Frances Arden".
Posted by: M. Soules | December 24, 2012 at 08:48 PM
The maids name was Theresa Derrington.
Posted by: Paul Tollet | March 19, 2013 at 04:54 PM
Hi, Paul! Thanks for stopping by. Can you tell us how you know that?
Posted by: Gina | March 19, 2013 at 08:25 PM
She is my sisters mother in law. She is alive and well and living in Norfolk England. She was at RADA and went on to play other minor roles in productions around that time. Including a 'Goose girl' in Robin Hood.
Posted by: Paul Tollet | March 20, 2013 at 11:47 AM
Really? That is fascinating! I'd love to know more about her -- will e-mail you.
Posted by: Gina | March 20, 2013 at 12:24 PM
I was looking at The Gap website and came across this model - she totally reminds me of the maid!!
I wonder if there is any relation?
https://www.gapcanada.ca/browse/product.do?cid=1029133&pcid=8792&vid=1&pid=544818083
Posted by: Sherri | February 19, 2020 at 06:26 PM