Sabrina (actress)

Template:Short description Template:EngvarB Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox person Norma Ann Sykes (19 May 1936 – 24 November 2016), better known as Sabrina or Sabby, was an English glamour model and actress.<ref name=davenport-hines>Template:Cite book</ref>Template:Rp<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

According to film studies academic Pam Cook writing in British Stars and Stardom, Sabrina was one of "a host of exotic, glamorous (British) starlets ... modelled on the likes of Marilyn Monroe, Jayne Mansfield and Lana Turner."<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Early life and career

Sabrina was born on 19 May 1936 at Stepping Hill Hospital in Stockport, Cheshire,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>Template:Unreliable source? to Walter and Annie Sykes. She lived in Buckingham Street, Heaviley, for about 13 years and attended St George's School there,<ref name="pathefilm.uk">Template:Cite web</ref>Template:Unreliable source? before moving with her mother to Blackpool.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> She spent some time in hospital with rheumatic fever.Template:Citation needed At the age of 16, she moved to London,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> where she worked as a waitress and did some nude modelling, posing for Russell Gay<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> in a photoshoot that led to her appearance on the five of spades in a deck of nude playing cards.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In 1955, she was chosen to play a dumb blonde in Arthur Askey's television series Before Your Very Eyes (BBC 1952–1956, ITV 1956–1958). Her appearances in episodes from 18 February 1955 to 20 April 1956 made her a household name.<ref name=davenport-hines/>Template:Rp<ref name=":0">Template:Cite webTemplate:Dead linkTemplate:Cbignore</ref> She was promoted by the BBC as "the bosomy blonde who didn't talk", but surviving kinescope episodes clearly show that she did.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite webTemplate:Better source needed</ref>

Film career

Around July 1955, James Beney, of Walton Films, released a 100-foot, 9.5mm short glamour film, At Home with Sabrina.<ref name="BFIsearch3">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="pathefilm.uk" /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>Template:Better source needed

In 1955 she made her feature film debut as Trixie in Stock Car, a Wolf Rilla-directed drama. She then appeared in a small role in the 1956 film Ramsbottom Rides Again.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> In her third film, Blue Murder at St Trinian's (1957), she had a non-speaking role in which, despite sharing equal billing with the star Alastair Sim on posters and appearing in many publicity stills in school uniform, she was required only to sit up in bed wearing a nightdress, reading a book, while the action took place around her.<ref name="davenport-hines" />Template:Rp

The short film Goodnight with Sabrina (1959, 3:49 mins) is included with Beat Girl (1960), remastered in 2016 by BFI Flipside.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="BFIsearch">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Sabrina's penultimate film role was in the western The Phantom Gunslinger (1970),<ref name="BFI">Template:Cite web</ref>Template:Efn in which she starred alongside Troy Donahue. Her final film was the horror movie The Ice House (1969), replacing Jayne Mansfield, who had been cast two years previously, shortly before her death in a car crash.

Personal life

In 1958, she was awarded an honorary D.Litt. by the University of Leeds.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> On 27 November 1967, she married Harold Melsheimer (born 11 June 1927 in Germany), a Hollywood gynaecologist and obstetrician. They divorced ten years later.<ref name=manchester>Template:Cite web</ref>

In 2007, there were newspaper reports that Sabrina had become a hermit, "living in squalor" in a Spanish-style house on a street known as 'Smog Central', under the flightpath of Burbank Airport.<ref name=manchester/> Sabrina admitted that she was confined to the house due to back problems, but denied living in squalor.<ref>Template:Cite webTemplate:Nonspecific</ref>

Having suffered from ill health for many years, partly owing to botched back surgery, she died of blood poisoning in 2016, at the age of 80.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Buckingham Street, Heaviley, Stockport, UK. Early home of Sabrina.

Cultural impact

• The comedy series The Goon Show contains numerous references to Sabrina's bosom, such as "By the measurements of Sabrina!" and "By the sweaters of Sabrina!"<ref name="Goons">Template:Cite web</ref>
• In "The Scandal Magazine", an episode of the radio programme Hancock's Half Hour, Sid James plays the editor of a sleazy gossip magazine that has carried an embarrassing story about Tony Hancock.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> James tells Hancock that his readers "will believe anything. ... If I told them that Sabrina was Arthur Askey's mother, they'd believe me." Hancock replies, "Well, I don't", pauses and asks, "She's not, is she?" James says emphatically "No", but Hancock reflects, "Mind you, there is a resemblance ...".

• In another episode, set in a dysfunctional boys school, Sabrina is referenced and the response is "Well, they'll know how to count up to 39 then."
• Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable gives a definition for "Hunchfront of Lime Grove" as "a somewhat unappealing nickname given to the generously endowed starlet known as Sabrina."<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• In the 1950s members of the Royal Air Force dubbed parts of the Hawker Hunter jet fighter plane "Sabrinas" owing to two large cartridge collection pods on the underside of the aircraft.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• In the late 1950s, British lorry builder ERF produced a semi-forward control heavy goods vehicle (HGV) with a short protruding bonnet. These vehicles were nicknamed "Sabrinas" because they had "a little more in front".Template:Citation needed
• The Western Welsh Omnibus Company of Cardiff, South Wales had some coaches with protruding front windscreens which were nicknamed "Sabrinas" by the staff.Template:Citation needed
• The 1959 Triumph TR3S 1985 cc iron-block alloy-headed engine was called "Sabrina" because of its dome-shaped cam covers.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
• In 1974, the British motoring press gave the name "Sabrinas" to the oversized pairs of protruding rubber bumper blocks (see dagmar bumpers) added to the MG MGB, Midget and Triumph TR6 sports cars, when U.S. safety regulations mandated sturdier impact protection. The name stuck and is used around the world.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Television appearances

• Before Your Very Eyes (BBC, 1955–1956, ten episodes)<ref name=":0" />
• Double Your Money (ITV, 1955)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• Tarzan (NBC, one episode, 1967) as Millie
• This Is Your Life (ITV, subject: Arthur Askey, 1974) as guest

Film appearances

• Stock Car (1955) as Trixie
• At Home with Sabrina (short, 1955) as herself<ref name="BFIsearch4">Template:Cite web</ref>
• Ramsbottom Rides Again (1956) as girl
• Blue Murder at St. Trinian's (1957) as Virginia<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• Just My Luck (1957) Template:Citation needed
• Goodnight with Sabrina (short, 1959) as herself<ref name="BFIsearch2">Template:Cite web</ref>
• Make Mine a Million (1959) as herself
• Satan in High Heels (1962) as herself, singer: "I Would If I Could" and "What Have You Done for Me Lately" (Lawrence/Freeman)
• House of the Black Death (1965) as blond belly dancer
• The Ice House (1969) as Venus De Marco
• The Phantom Gunslinger (1970) as Margie

External links

• The Complete Sabrina (Norma Sykes) Encyclopaedia
• Images of Sabrina at the National Portrait Gallery
• Template:IMDb name
• Sabrina at aenigma
• 1959 award of D.Litt. (Hon)
• Goodnight with Sabrina watch online at BFIplayer
• At Home with Sabrina on YouTube