Diana Coupland - 16357

Great British character actress who provided the singing voice of Ursula Andress in Dr No (singing Under the Mango Tree, 1962). Coupland was a leading singer of the 1940s and 1950s, working at the Dorchester Hotel and the Savoy Hotel. This gave her a first taste of an acting career – she was offered the part of a nightclub singer in the 1953 film Flannelfoot. She was first seen on television in 1961 in an episode of Emergency - Ward 10 , following this with appearances in a large number of series, including No Hiding Place, Magnolia Street, Dixon of Dock Green, Softly Softly and Z Cars, finally hitting the jackpot when she was cast as Jean Abbott, the long-suffering wife of Sid James, in Bless This House, which began its run in February 1971 and ended in 1976 with his death. Coupland's films include The Family Way (1966), Charlie Bubbles (1968), Spring and Port Wine (1970), The Rise and Rise of Michael Rimmer (1970), Bless This House (1972) and Operation Daybreak (1975). She was first married to composer Monty Norman and in 2001 gave evidence in a High Court case in which her former husband sued The Sunday Times following a 1997 article suggesting that Norman had falsely taken credit and royalties for the James Bond theme music, which was claimed actually to have been written by John Barry. Coupland described the article as "blatantly untrue"; Norman was awarded £30,000. This is a very fine black and white photograph (5.5" x 3.5"), boldly signed and inscribed ("To John. kindest regards, Diana Coupland) in dark blue ink. In mint condition.