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Celia Johnson

A distinguished stage actress, Celia Johnson graced films only occasionally, and the results made one wish she had acted in the cinema far more often. She made her film debut in Noel Coward's memorable wartime drama, "In Which We Serve" (1942) and did well in one of the leading roles in David Lean's "This Happy Breed" (1944). Johnson is most cherished, though, for her uniquely beautiful performance opposite an equally fine Trevor Howard in Lean's delicate, highly romantic classic, "Brief Encounter" (1945), the poignant story of an accidental love affair between two people both comfortably married to others. Over the years Johnson continued to perform admirably in films such as "The Captain's Paradise" (1953), a comedy co-starring Alec Guinness and Yvonne DeCarlo, and Carol Reed's gentle whimsy, "A Kid for Two Farthings" (1955). Her last feature film role came as Maggie Smith's memorable nemesis in "The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie" (1969), but Johnson appeared on TV until shortly before her death.