Margaret Rutherford: An Autobiography

"To 'Tuft' - my beloved husband Stringer Davis -
without whose presence I should be nothing."

One of the best-loved actresses of the British
stage and screen, Dame Margaret became
a world-wide favourite through her films.
Her career has spanned many years and
many parts: Miss Prism in The Importance of
Being Earnest, Mrs Solness in The Master
Builder, the hilarious headmistress in The
Happiest Days of Your Life, for instance, and
of course her incomparable characterisation
of Agatha Christie’s famous ‘detective’, Miss
Marple.
It is often said that great comedians are
essentially serious people. This book by
Dame Margaret Rutherford is witness to
this truth. As a matter of fact, she had
doubts about the ethics of taking part in a
film about murder—for such thoughts weigh
heavily with her—until she was at last
persuaded that Miss Christie’s detective was
on the side of the angels. Yet she is never too
serious, because of her innate sense of fun
and her ability to laugh at herself—writing,
for example, of her belief in mermaids or
her hard-up days of bicycling around
Wimbledon, giving music lessons.
Her warm love and generous nature are
revealed in her attitude to her adopted son
who became an adopted daughter through a
sex-change operation, and in the story of her
marriage to the distinguished actor Stringer
Davis. Hers is a love story as well as a piece
of stage and screen history; touching, true
and happy-for after years when the path
of true love could not run smooth, Dame
Margaret and Stringer Davis are the living
embodiment of the happy ending. She
mentions in passing: "Although I was very
honoured to be made a Dame of the British
Empire I do enjoy being called Mrs
Stringer Davis."

Her book-in the writing of which she has
been helped by Gwen Robyns-takes the
reader inside the gay, whimsical, and
loving personality who has endeared herself
to so many. They are all here-the
incredibly varied experiences which she has
seized and built into her personality.