Olivia Irving
A young white woman with dark hair
Olivia Irving, from a 1955 newspaper photo
Born6 September 1934
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Died29 May 1962 (age 27)
Canary Islands
OccupationActress

Olivia Rose Irving (6 September 1934 – 29 May 1962) was a British actress. Her disappearance while at sea was the subject of a government inquiry and significant press coverage in June 1962.

Early life and education

Irving was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, one of the three daughters of Sir Stanley Gordon Irving and Irene Hazel Maclean Irving. Her father was a British diplomat frequently based in Latin America.[1][2] She trained for a theatrical career at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art,[3] and with actress Ellen Pollock.[4]

Career

Irving was a skilled horsewoman and athlete with a "daring temperament".[1] She toured with the Saville Players,[5][6] and in the musical comedy The Quaker Girl.[7] She was especially well-reviewed in the show No Room at the Inn, in Wales in 1953: "her self-possession and stage technique are amazing when one realises that she is only 19 years of age," commented the newspaper in Pontypridd, adding that "it is evident she has a brilliant future ahead of her".[8] In 1956 she played Phebe in As You Like It in London.[9] She appeared in several BBC television movies in the mid-1950s, including The Olive Jar (1955), The Romantic Young Lady (1955), The Laboratory (1955), The Case of Mr. Pelham (1955),[10] Legend of Pepito (1955),[11] and the series Sailor of Fortune (1958).

Disappearance at sea

Irving had a medical history of "high excitement to deep depression", and was under treatment after a car accident.[12] She went missing at sea near the Equator, while traveling on the transatlantic liner Aragon from Argentina to the Canary Islands in May 1962.[13] She was presumed dead by drowning after her shoes and other items were found on the deck, near a railing.[1] She was 27 years old,[14] and engaged to Nathaniel Mayer Green, a London physician.[11] The Ministry of Transport opened an inquiry into her disappearance,[15][16] and her "profound emotional disturbance" was considered a significant factor.[17]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Holman, Gordon (1962-06-12). "Vanished Actress in Liner Riddle". Evening Standard. pp. 1, 12. Retrieved 2023-10-24 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. ↑ "Missing Actress Ruled Dead". The New York Times. 13 June 1962. p. 47. Retrieved 2023-10-25 – via TimesMachine.
  3. ↑ "Actress lost on liner cruise". Daily Herald. 1962-06-02. p. 1. Retrieved 2023-10-24 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ↑ "Was Coaching Girl Who Vanished". Chelsea News and General Advertiser. 8 June 1962. p. 5. Retrieved October 24, 2023 – via The British Newspaper Archive, via The Wikipedia Library.
  5. ↑ "'The Sacred Flame': Saville Players' Final Performance". Pontypridd Observer and Glamorgan Free Press. 1953-10-31. p. 6. Retrieved 2023-10-24 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ↑ "This Was a Woman; Brilliant Acting at Town Hall". Pontypridd Observer and Glamorgan Free Press. 1953-09-19. p. 3. Retrieved 2023-10-24 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ↑ Shephard, Derek (1955-06-06). "TV Topics". Evening Telegraph. p. 71. Retrieved 2023-10-24 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ↑ "'No Room at the Inn'; Brilliant Performance by Olivia Irving". Pontypridd Observer and Glamorgan Free Press. 1953-10-24. p. 19. Retrieved 2023-10-24 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ↑ Wearing, J. P. (2014-09-16). The London Stage 1950-1959: A Calendar of Productions, Performers, and Personnel. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 433. ISBN 978-0-8108-9308-5.
  10. ↑ "Now it's television from Ireland". Birmingham Evening Mail. 1955-11-17. p. 10. Retrieved 2023-10-24 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. 1 2 "I loved vanished actress--Doctor". Sunday Pictorial. 1962-06-03. p. 28. Retrieved 2023-10-24 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ↑ "Liner Girl 'Did Not Want to Live'". Daily Mail. 1962-06-12. p. 1. Retrieved 2023-10-24 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ↑ "Actress Missing After Voyage". The New York Times. June 3, 1962. p. 73. Retrieved 2023-10-25 – via TimesMachine.
  14. ↑ "Verdict on Actress; Olivia Irving was 'Killed or Drowned', British Decide". The Kansas City Star. 1962-06-12. p. 10. Retrieved 2023-10-24 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. ↑ Sandiford, John (1962-06-09). "Olivia Still Loved Me, Says Doctor". Daily Mirror. p. 7. Retrieved 2023-10-24 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. ↑ "A Bear Hug... And Then She Vanished". Daily Mirror. 1962-06-13. p. 9. Retrieved 2023-10-24 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. ↑ "Actress Lost on Cruise Had 'No Will to Live'; Emotionally Upset, Ship's Doctor Says at Inquiry". The Daily Telegraph. 1962-06-13. p. 17. Retrieved 2023-10-24 – via Newspapers.com.
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