Christine Norden Biography (1924-)

Born Mary Lydia Thornton, December 28, 1924, in Sunderland, England; daughterof Charles Hunter and Catherine (McAloon) Thornton; married Norman Cole (a musician and orchestra leader), May 6, 1944 (divorced, 1947); married Jack Clayton (a film director), December 13, 1947 (divorced, 1953); married MitchellDodge (a master sergeant in the United States Air Force), July 4, 1953 (divorced, 1955); married Herbert Hecht (a musical stage director), November 21, 1956 (divorced, 1961); married George Heselden (a mathematician), March 20, 1980; children: Michael Glenn (first marriage). Addresses: AGENT--VincentShaw, Vincent Shaw Associates, 20 Jay Mews, London SW7 2EP, England.

Nationality
English
Gender
Female
Birth Details
December 28, 1924
Sunderland, England

Famous Works

  • Credits
  • LONDON STAGE DEBUT--(As Molly Thornton) Tell the World, Theatre Royal, 1942.
  • BROADWAY DEBUT--Liz, Tenderloin, 46th Street Theatre, 1960.
  • Credits; PRINCIPAL STAGE APPEARANCES
  • Prince Charming, Cinderella, Gaumont State Theatre, London, 1950, then Prince's Theatre, London, 1951.
  • Lalume, Kismet, Valley Forge Music Fair, Devon, PA, 1956.
  • Ruth Winters, Plain and Fancy, Westbury Music Fair, Westbury, Long Island, NY, 1957.
  • Janice Dayton, Silk Stockings, Memorial Theatre, Columbus, OH, 1958.
  • Lorelei Lee, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, and Appassionata von Climax, Li'lAbner, both Sacandaga Theatre, Saratoga Springs, NY, 1959.
  • Annie Oakley, Annie Get Your Gun, Memorial Theatre, Dayton, OH, 1962.
  • Liz Livingstone, Happy Hunting, Meadowbrook Theatre, Cedar Grove, NJ, 1963.
  • Reno Sweeney, Anything Goes, Rainbow Stage, Winnipeg, MB, Canada, 1964.
  • Frenchie, Destry Rides Again, Meadowbrook Theatre, 1964.
  • Lalume, Kismet, Domina, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Elsa Schraeder, The Sound of Music, and Nancy, Oliver!, all Lambertville MusicCircus, Lambertville, NJ, 1965.
  • Mary Marvin, The Butter and Egg Man, Cherry Lane Theatre, New York City,1966.
  • Rossignol, The Persecution and Assassination of Jean-Paul Marat as Performed by the Inmates of the Asylum of Charenton under the Direction of the Marquis de Sade, National Players Company, Majestic Theatre, New York City, 1967.
  • Cheyenne, Scuba Duba, New Theatre, New York City, 1967.
  • Content Lowell, The Marriage-Go-Round, King's Theatre, Edinburgh, Scotland, 1979.
  • Also appeared in Swing Session, Palladium Theatre, London, 1950; and Tenderloin, Meadowbrook Theatre, Cedar Grove, NJ, 1963.
  • Credits; MAJOR TOURS
  • (As Molly Thornton) Tell the World, U.K. cities, 1942-44.
  • (as Molly Thornton) Take It Easy, U.K. cities and Normandy, 1944.
  • Swing Session, U.K. cities, 1950-51.
  • Prince Charming, Cinderella, U.K. cities, 1951.
  • Kate Fothergill, Girl Crazy, U.S. cities, 1960.
  • Mrs. Mullin, Carousel, U.S. cities, 1966.
  • Content Lowell, The Marriage-Go-Round, U.K. cities and Northern Ireland,1979-80.
  • FILM DEBUT--Jackie, Night Beat, British Lion, 1948.
  • Credits; PRINCIPAL FILM APPEARANCES
  • Mrs. Marchmont, An Ideal Husband, British Lion, 1948.
  • Barbara Edge, Mine Own Executioner, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1948.
  • the young wife, A G.I. Returns (also known as A Yank Comes Back), Crown Film Unit, 1947.
  • Cora Pearl, The Idol of Paris, Warner Brothers, 1948.
  • Blanche, Saints and Sinners, Lopert, 1949.
  • Susan Wilding, The Interrupted Journey, British Lion, 1949.
  • Christine Sherwin, The Black Widow, Hammer, 1951.
  • Della Dainton, A Case for P.C. 49, Hammer, 1951.
  • Captain Gloria Dennis, Reluctant Heroes, Associated British Films, 1951.
  • downtown deadbeat, Little Shop of Horrors, Warner Brothers, 1986.
  • Laura Poindexter, The Wolvercote Tongue, Zenith Productions, 1987.
  • Credits; PRINCIPAL TELEVISION APPEARANCES; EPISODIC
  • Playhouse 90, CBS, 1959.
  • The Virginia Graham Show, syndicated, 1960.
  • "Goodbye Mr. Henstridge," Chance in a Million, Thames, 1986.
  • Also appeared in Picture Page, BBC, 1947; Angel's Ransom, CBS, 1958; Friday Live, Tyne Tees, 1979; Game for a Laugh, London Weekend Television, 1985;and Inspector Morse, Central Independent Television, 1987.
  • Credits; RADIO DEBUT; SERIES
  • (As Molly Thornton) Floor Show, BBC, 1939.
  • Credits; ALBUMS
  • Tenderloin (original cast recording), Capitol, 1960.
  • Credits; SINGLES
  • "When You Smile" and "I'm Not in Love" (both from the film Night Beat), Columbia, 1947.