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Janice Dinnen
Born
Janice Gail Dinnen[1]

(1945-12-10)10 December 1945
Bondi, New South Wales, Australia
Died26 January 1974(1974-01-26) (aged 28)
St Pancras, London, United Kingdom
Occupation(s)Actress, model
Years active1958–1970
Known forThe Stranger (1964–1965)
The Flying Swan (1965)
The Battlers (1968)
SpouseJohn Weiley
Children2[2]

Janice Dinnen (10 December 1945 – 26 January 1974[3]) was an Australian actor of stage, film, and theatre.

Early life

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Dinnen's parents emigrated to Australia from Finsbury Park, London in 1940. Dinnen was born in Bondi, New South Wales. She was a member of the Great Synagogue Youth Teens and after appearing in a J.Y.C. Drama Festival at the Independent Theatre in Sydney, she became a student of the Independent Theatre Study Group.[4]

Career

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Dinnen started out as a model and a child actor. Her first film role was in comedy-drama Smiley Gets a Gun in 1958 (the sequel to Smiley), before landing the role of Anna Koschek at age eleven, in the American Cinerama documentary film South Seas Adventure. She was hired on the spot after only one audition. By the age of 15, she had already acted in two stage productions at Sydney's Independent Theatre, made two television commercials and completed a modelling course at the June Dally-Watkins School of Deportment.[5] In 1961, she had a part in the children's film Bungala Boys.

In 1963 and 1964, Dinnen acted in several stage productions for Sydney's Old Tote Theatre Company, including The Cherry Orchard, Hamlet, The Importance of Being Earnest and Days of Glory.

Dinnen also appeared in the Australian TV plays Ballad for One Gun (about bushranger Ned Kelly) and A Sound of Trumpets. From 1964 to 1965, she played the role of Jean Welsh in the first season of Australian children's science fiction series The Stranger. In 1965, she played Margaret-Anne Baxter in the British miniseries The Flying Swan, and also appeared in the British television play Auto Stop.

In 1968, Dinnen played the recurring role of Donna McCall in Australian series The Battlers, about an Aboriginal boxer, inspired by the true story of Lionel Rose. From 1969 to 1970, she had guest roles in British series The Troubleshooters and Fraud Squad. Her final role was in the 1970 British folk horror film Tam-Lin (also known as The Ballad of Tam-Lin, The Devil's Widow, and The Devil's Woman) alongside Ava Gardner and Ian McShane.

Personal life and death

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Dinnen married writer, producer and director John Weiley, and they had two children, including a daughter. Dinnen died in a traffic accident in St Pancras, London on 26 January 1974.[6] She was on the bus home to Ladbroke Grove, riding on the back stairs, when she slipped and was thrown onto the road. She was taken to hospital in serious condition, but died a few days later.[7]

Acting credits

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
1958 Smiley Gets a Gun Jean Holt
1958 South Seas Adventure Anne Koschek
1961 Bungala Boys Sylvia[8] [9]
1970 Tam Lin Second Coven

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
1963 Ballad for One Gun Ellen Sherritt TV play
1964 A Sound of Trumpets Pam TV play
1964 Measure for Measure TV for schools[10]
1964–1965 The Stranger Jean Walsh Season 1, 12 episodes[11][12]
1965 The Wednesday Play Moya Season 2, episode 16: "Auto Stop"
1965 The Flying Swan Margaret-Anne Baxter Miniseries, 4 episodes
1968 NET Playhouse Moya Season 2, episode 18: "Auto Stop"
1968 The Battlers Donna McCall 5 episodes
1969 The Troubleshooters Jenny Season 5, episode 20: "And One Wise Man Came Out from the East"
1970 Fraud Squad Nurse Rosalind Season 2, episode 5: "The Hartland Affair"

Radio

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Year Title Role Notes
Step into Deep Waters Del Galvin [13]

Theatre

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Year Title Role Notes
1963 The Cherry Orchard Ania Old Tote, Sydney
1963 Hamlet Ophelia Old Tote, Sydney
1964 The Importance of Being Earnest Old Tote, Sydney
1964 Days of Glory Old Tote, Sydney

[14]

References

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  1. ^ "Janice Dinnen". MyHeritage.
  2. ^ "Janice Dinnen". MyHeritage.
  3. ^ "Family notices". The Sydney Morning Herald. 1 February 1974 – via Ryerson Index.
  4. ^ "Film Chance For G.S.Y. Girl". The Australian Jewish Times. Vol. 65, no. 14. New South Wales, Australia. 4 October 1957. p. 1. Retrieved 3 August 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
  5. ^ "Modelling Plans By Student Actress". The Australian Jewish Times. Vol. 68, no. 12. New South Wales, Australia. 26 August 1960. p. 6. Retrieved 3 August 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
  6. ^ "Young singer's musical future". The Australian Jewish Times. Vol. 92, no. 45. New South Wales, Australia. 13 August 1987. p. 28. Retrieved 3 August 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
  7. ^ Trinca, Helen (2014). Madeleine: A Life of Madeleine St John by Helen Trinca. Text Publishing Company. ISBN 978-1-925773-07-1.
  8. ^ "The Early Years of Bungan Beach Surf Life Saving Club – The Call to Bungan by W.E. Anschutz". Pittwater Online News. 28 April 2024.
  9. ^ "Young stars shine in surf club film". The Australian Women's Weekly. Vol. 29, no. 4. Australia. 28 June 1961. p. 5 (Teenagers' Weekly). Retrieved 3 August 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
  10. ^ "Shakespeare". The Australian Jewish News. Vol. XXX, no. 48. Victoria, Australia. 31 July 1964. p. 18. Retrieved 3 August 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
  11. ^ "No title". The Canberra Times. Vol. 39, no. 11, 181. Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 14 June 1965. p. 1 (Television and radio guide). Retrieved 3 August 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
  12. ^ "Kids!— You can't fool them". The Australian Women's Weekly. Vol. 3, no. 4[?]. Australia, Australia. 29 April 1964. p. 15. Retrieved 3 August 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
  13. ^ "Australian radio series (1930s–1970s)" (PDF). National Film and Sound Archive.
  14. ^ "Janice Dinnen stage credits". AusStage.
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