What a lovely looking girl she was. The other evening I watched one of the Edgar Wallace Mysteries on Talking Pictures – and she was in it – this is what prompted me to write this article having looked a bit further into her life story.
She was actually in THREE of the Edgar Wallace Mystery series – Marriage of Convenience, Clue of the Silver Key and Return to Sender.
She was married to Dinsdale Landen the actor from 1959 until his death in 2003.
Jennifer Daniel
The Pictures above from the TV Series Public Eye – This episode was entitled ‘Unlucky for Some’ from 1975.
The series starred Alfred Burke
Welsh actress Jennifer Daniel, who appeared frequently on British television and in the Hammer Films The Kiss of the Vampire (1963) and The Reptile (1966), died on August 16 2017 at the age of 81.
Jennifer Daniel was born in Pontypool, Wales. When she was young she had an interest in music. She was even a a clarinettist in the Welsh National Youth Orchestra. Then her interests eventually turned to acting.
She studied at the Central School of Speech and Drama in London. She was in a repertory company before making her television debut in an episode of Leave It to Todhunter in 1958. She made her film debut in Marriage of Convenience in 1960. She guest starred on BBC Sunday-Night Theatre, Theatre Night, and Armchair Theatre.
She also appeared in an episode of the 1959 mini-series adaptation of Great Expectations where she played Clara and just a short time later she was in Barnaby Rudge again for the BBC
Above in Kiss of the Vampire 1963 – before The Reptile
In the Sixties Miss Daniel appeared in the feature films Return to Sender (1963), The Kiss of the Vampire (1963), and The Reptile (1966).
It is for her role in The Reptile I mainly remember her – although this is a little unfair as she did so much more
She appeared on the series Rooms and in the mini-series People Like Us. She guest starred on such shows as Barlow at Large, Thriller, Public Eye, and The Boy Merlin.
In the Eighties she had a recurring role on The Collectors. She guest starred on Barriers, I’ll Take Manhattan, Rumpole of the Bailey, and Capital City.
In the Nineties she appeared in the feature films Wuthering Heights (1992) and Love Is All There Is (1996).
She also guest starred on Keeping Up Appearances.
She appeared in the films Run for Your Wife (2012) and Christmas with the Dead (2012).
Jennifer Daniel certainly stood out from other blondes of her era, and even other Hammer actresses.
Her style was quite subtle particularly in the Hammer Films where she appeared to be very cool – this was perhaps because her stock-in-trade was playing serious young women confronted with unusual situations. Jennifer Daniel wasn’t just providing the romantic interest or window dressing, but characters that required a certain amount of intensity in her performance.
What is more, she played them very well. It should be little wonder that she appeared so often on British television.
Return to Sender – Edgar Wallace.
Jennifer Daniel – showing just how beautiful she was ABOVE – in Return To Sender 1963
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