Yvonne Furneaux. In Memoriam

The Washington Post and others publish the obituary of the actress Yvonne Furneaux (1926-2024). She  had a notable career in film spanning several decades. After studying at Oxford and graduating from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in 1951, she made her film debut in 1952. Furneaux worked with renowned directors such as Peter Brook, Federico Fellini, Roman Polanski, Michelangelo Antonioni, and Claude Chabrol.

Her film career included significant roles in various genres. She starred in Antonioni's "Le Amiche" (1955), which won the Silver Lion at the Venice Film Festival, and played a key role in Fellini's "La Dolce Vita" (1960). Furneaux also appeared in horror films like Hammer's "The Mummy," peplum productions, and psychological thrillers such as Polanski's "Repulsion" (1965). Her work spanned British, Italian, and French cinema, showcasing her versatility as an actress.

She also played Catherine Earnshaw in a CBS 1956 production of Wuthering Heights with Richard Burton.
The Washington Post talks about the moment she knew she was in the production:

After Ms. Furneaux co-starred in Ray Milland’s crime drama “Lisbon” (1956), a Hollywood production shot in Portugal, she returned to the theater for a Shakespeare tour in India. On her return in 1958, she stopped in Rome for a short holiday. A call came from the office of American producer and talk show host David Susskind, who wanted to cast her in a CBS television production of Emily Brontë's novel “Wuthering Heights.”

“I screamed,” she told the Daily News. “I was so excited! America at last … I caught the next plane out, without even seeing the Colosseum.” (Brian Murphy)