Noele Gordon
Joan Noele Gordon (25 December 1919 – 14 April 1985) was an English stage, film, television actress and presenter.
Early life
Gordon's father was an engineer in the Merchant Navy and she was born in East Ham, London. She was given the middle name of Noele because she was born on Christmas Day. After attending convent school at Forest Gate, she was taught to dance by Maude Wells and later spent several years living in Southend. Gordon made her first public appearance at the East Ham Palace, and shortly afterwards, sung "Dear Little Jammy Face" at a restaurant in London. After this event, her mother and her aunt were keen for her to begin a stage career. The family later moved to Westcliff-on-Sea in Essex. She attended RADA, and appeared in repertory theatres, including 1,000 performances in Brigadoon. Her mother, to whom Gordon was close, died of cancer in 1978.
Early television and film career
She was credited as the first woman to be seen on colour television sets, as she took part in the BBC's early colour tests in the 1940s.
