Elisabeth Croft

Actress
The basics

Quick Facts

IntroActress
PlacesUnited Kingdom
wasActor
Work fieldFilm, TV, Stage & Radio
Gender
Female
Birth22 September 1907, Windermere
Death13 January 2003London (aged 95 years)
The details

Biography

Not to be confused with the other English actress, Elizabeth Croft
Elisabeth Croft (22 September 1907 – 13 January 2003) was an English actress, known for playing Edith Tatum in the ITV soap opera Crossroads.

Personal life

Croft was born on 22 September 1907 in Windermere. Withdrawn as a child, she nonetheless chose to be an actress. In the 1930s she landed roles in repertory theatre and co-starred with Seymour Hicks in Vintage Wine in the Daly's Theatre, 1934. She was married and had a son and a daughter. Croft died on 13 January 2003; on that day a new version of Crossroads was released.

Career

In 1966, Croft landed her first television role, a part in the ITV soap opera Crossroads, playing Miss Tatum. The soap originally featured actress Beryl Johnstone as postmistress Kitty Jarvis, sister of the series lead, motel owner Meg Richardson (Noele Gordon). Following Johnstone's death in 1969, the role of Miss Tatum was increased and she was coaxed from her life as a recluse and took over the running of the shop from Kitty, becoming one of the show's leading peripheral characters as the location increasingly became a focal point in stories. Croft later summed up her character: "Miss Tatum didn't suffer fools gladly and was a bit sharp at times, but she was a wonderful character". The role of Miss Tatum was quietly phased out following producer Reg Watson's departure. Croft left the series by 1979. Croft said of the show, "I suppose you would call it a quiet, humdrum show".

In 1940, Croft began working for Royal Shakespeare Company, Stratford-upon-Avon. She apepared in many plays whilst there, such as Romeo and Juliet and The Merry Wives of Windsor. She appeared in the Armchair Thriller production The Limbo Connection. Her last appearance in television was in the BAFTA award winning The Dress in 1984, her last role before a long retirement. Whilst in the cast for The Dress, it won a BAFTA award in 1984.

Filmography

Television
YearTitleRoleNotes
1965The Wars of the RosesRichard III, Edward IV, Henry VI3 episodes
1966–79, 1983CrossroadsMiss TatumSeries regular
1971Crossroads: A CelebrationHerself
1976Within These WallsAgatha Mason1 episode
1978Armchair ThrillerMrs. Sangster
1981BBC2 PlayhouseNeighbour
1985Crossroads RevisitedHerselfTV Documentary
1994Crossroads: 30 Years On
Film
YearTitleRole
1984The DressOld Lady
Stage/Theatre
YearTitleRole
1934Vintage WineMinor Role
1940Romeo and JulietNurse
The Merry Wives of WindsorMistress Quickly
1964Henry IV Part 1Various Roles

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