Ruth Ellis

[Jeff Leahy]

The film is Lady Godiva Rides Again made in 1951 and retitled Bikini Baby in the USA. Obviously that is DD in 3rd place when she would have been 19 and very nice too. She wrote several autobiograhical books in later years and given the notoriety of Ruth Ellis may have mentioned her if they had appeared in a film together. I read one of the books ages ago but only remember some salacious stuff about 2 way mirrors. There may be other stuff mentioned in passing in these books that might assist you in your research. I don't see Joan Collins at all in that lineup and don't think the young lady at the front is Ruth Ellis because she is pretty and RE wasn't. In 4th or 6th place is the beautiful French/Italian 1950s starlet Simone Silva.

Some nice photos of her here...

http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=sim...w=1280&bih=764

Hi Stephen thanks for that information. Can you confirm which one in the line-up is Simone Silva?

The above photo is from the film Lady Godiva rides again. I can only tell you that Ruth Ellis, Jones Collins and Jane Hart appear in the Film, not wheterh they appear in the photograph.

The Woman at the front is obviously the shortest and I know Ruth Ellis was very petite...hence my speculation.

I'm interested in Jane Hart as she was going out with Steven Ward... I'm interested in Ward because I think I've found some links with Hannah Tailford

Yours Jeff

[Graham]

The cast-list for "Lady Godiva Rides Again" includes at least 20 uncredited 'beauty queen contestants'. No way is the girl at the front Ruth Ellis. The only one I can recognise in the publicity photo is Diana Dors, third from the front. Also uncredited in the film were Jimmy Young and (I think) Sydney James.

Not that it really matters.....

Graham

[Jeff Leahy]

Syd James was definately in the film. But I've not come accross a conection between Syd and Stephen Ward as yet .

But Ruth Ellis and Jane Hart are definately in the film and if someone can find out where? that would be much appreciated.

YOurs Jeff

[Graham]

I never suggested there was any connection between Syd James and Stephen Ward. What are you on about???

Graham

[Jeff Leahy]

I never suggested there was any connection between Syd James and Stephen Ward. What are you on about???

Graham

A bit of a carry on by the use of the smiley..

But I'm fairly certain that Jane Hart and Ruth Ellis were both in the film. I'm certain hart was linked to Ward and Ellis also but thats more speculative

Yours Jeff

[Inquisitio]

I know polanski's film well , saw it at the cinema when it was first released..

But I'm not quite sure were your girlfriend fits into Ruth Ellis's murder? or Vicki Martins come to that..

Yours Jeff

I spotted this thread and thought you might be interested in some info I have come across in my own research...

1. Ruth Ellis was best friends with Vicki Martin
2. One of Vicki Martin's sisters was a 'glamour' model (appearing in Kamera, Parade etc...)
3. This model married Harrison Marks in the 60's
4. Harrison Marks was a photographer and producer of 'nudist' films

I am sure there are other interesting coincidences if there is any interest in this area, although I appreciate it is a slight digression from the main thread...

[Inquisitio]

I dont know if anyone can help me wit some person spotting?

I think the first person is Ruth Ellis, the third is Diana Dors.

My guess would be Jone Collins on the end. Though could be behind Dianna?

I'm interested in knowing which one was Jane Hart?

Yours Jeff

Hello,

This is a fairly old post but it's probably worth pointing out that the first person in the photograph is not Ruth Ellis, and Joan Collins is not at the end (or behind Diana Dors). However, Diana Dors is third from the front.

There is a still from the film which does show all three on the BFI website

Kay Kendall (a friend of Stephen Ward) was also in this film as was Gina Egan (another interesting coincidence).

[Inquisitio]

I spotted this thread and thought you might be interested in some info I have come across in my own research...

1. Ruth Ellis was best friends with Vicki Martin
2. One of Vicki Martin's sisters was a 'glamour' model (appearing in Kamera, Parade etc...)
3. This model married Harrison Marks in the 60's
4. Harrison Marks was a photographer and producer of 'nudist' films

I am sure there are other interesting coincidences if there is any interest in this area, although I appreciate it is a slight digression from the main thread...

Sorry, forgot to mention that a certain CK of Profumo fame was at school with Vicki Martin's sister. Small world...

[Bridewell]

Sorry, forgot to mention that a certain CK of Profumo fame was at school with Vicki Martin's sister. Small world...

Interesting stuff, Inquisitio. Thank-you & welcome to Casebook.

Regards, Bridewell.

[Inquisitio]

Interesting stuff, Inquisitio. Thank-you & welcome to Casebook.

Regards, Bridewell.

Thank you for the kind welcome Bridewell.

More pleasing scraps of information:

• Gina Egan was friends with Vicki Martin
• Egan married the Maharaja of Cooch Behar the year after Martin's death.
• The Maharaja of Cooch Behar paid for Martin's headstone.

I'm sure someone will join all the dots one day...

[Inquisitio]

Hi Stephen thanks for that information. Can you confirm which one in the line-up is Simone Silva?

The above photo is from the film Lady Godiva rides again. I can only tell you that Ruth Ellis, Jones Collins and Jane Hart appear in the Film, not wheterh they appear in the photograph.

The Woman at the front is obviously the shortest and I know Ruth Ellis was very petite...hence my speculation.

I'm interested in Jane Hart as she was going out with Steven Ward... I'm interested in Ward because I think I've found some links with Hannah Tailford

Yours Jeff

Does anyone have any information (no matter how seemingly obvious) about Jane Hart?

Of all the 'actresses' in this film connected with Ward, the least is known about her?

[Inquisitio]

Unnatural Causes

I thought there may have been more interest in the Ruth Ellis story, particularly the Ward connection. Perhaps this will spark some:

• Stephen Ward was 'connected' with a number of the 'starlets' in two films from the fifties, Lady Godiva Rides Again and It Started in Paradise:
  
  
• Ruth Ellis, Kay Kendall, June Hart, Diana Dors, Gina Egan and Vicki Martin + some notable others (not appropriate to name here) were all 'friends' with Ward.
  
  
• Ruth Ellis and Vicki Martin were best friends, they worked together, lived together and 'partied' together.
  
  
• Vicki Martin died in a car crash in January 1955. Ruth Ellis was arrested 4 months after this and executed 3 months later.
  
  
• Interesting mourners at Vicki Martin's funeral; Bandleader Paul Adam, the Marquess of Milford Haven and Kenneth Harper (who would unbelievably go on to produce Yield to the Night) but not best friend Ruth Ellis?
  
  
• The man driving the car in which Vicki Martin died claimed amnesia at the inquest into her death, as did the only other witness. (Other aspects of the inquest are scarcely believable).
  
  
• The man driving was Terence Robertson, 'inventor' of Fairy Fay, who commited suicide (overdose) in January 1970, almost 15 years to the day after Vicki Martin died. If this seems to be stretching the coincidences, consider that Vicki Martin's sister died in a 'fire' in February 1985.
  
  
• Ward committed suicide, as did his friends Anthony Beauchamp, Pat Marlowe and Yvonne Brooks. Seriously?

This is just the tip of the iceberg...

[Inquisitio]

I dont know if anyone can help me wit some person spotting?

I think the first person is Ruth Ellis, the third is Diana Dors.

My guess would be Jone Collins on the end. Though could be behind Dianna?

I'm interested in knowing which one was Jane Hart?

Yours Jeff

I only discovered today that Pat Marlowe was also in this film (she is not listed in the credits).

[EddieX]

I came across this article at www.copperknob.wordpress.com - it's a synopsis of a book by Monica Weller purporting to prove that Ruth Ellis was mixed up with Stephen Ward and the Profumo Scandal, and didn't actually fire the shot(s) that killed David Blakely. I don't know whether to look into this a little more deeply or just laugh out loud.

Anyone else come across this theory?

Cheers,

Graham

I read this book a few years ago and considered it a waste of time. The thing that struck me most was the animosity that Ellis's sister, Muriel, harboured for Albert Pierrepoint. It was hardly his fault that Ellis was hanged.

[richardnunweek]

Hi.
I have never read the book, but know the plot[ so to speak].
It is beyond the realms of realism, to suggest that Ellis never fired the shots, there were witnesses , which included a off duty policeman who removed the smoking gun from her hand, not to mention a young couple in a doorway, and of course Mrs Yule, who received a wound to her hand.
One would assume, that the revolver had six empty cases in its chamber, recently fired, and the suggestion that she was not the shooter is absurd,
It would have taken the lab a very short time [ even in 1955] to ascertain. that the bullets in the victim matched the gun found in Ruth's hand.
As for the plot involving all sorts of public figures, I would doubt existed, albeit she may have met some of them during her work, and the playgirl live style.
Having said all that Desmond Curzon[?] should have been investigated further, and in my opinion is not without blame.
I remember the case as a eight year old, my father had a newsagents at the time, and I used to glance at the press, I remember being somewhat saddened when the report ''Ellis hanged '' finally came, as I had only months before lost my mother to pneumonia aged 32, and here was another young woman dead, it was sad , even though she was guilty of murder , albeit diminished responsibility...if only that plea was allowed , she would not have been hanged.
I can appreciate Muriel's animosity towards Pierrepoint , he after all hanged her sister, even if it was lawful.
Regards Richard.