Kay Hammond

Kay Hammond

Born	Dorothy Katherine Standing (1909-02-18)18 February 1909 London, England
Died	4 May 1980(1980-05-04) (aged 71) Brighton, East Sussex, England
Alma mater	Royal Academy of Dramatic Art
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1927–1961
Spouse(s)	Sir Ronald Leon 3rd Bt (m.1932–div.1946) Sir John Clements (m.1946)
Children	2, including John Standing
Parent(s)	Guy Standing Dorothy Hammond
Relatives	Joan Standing (cousin) Wyndham Standing (uncle) Jack Standing (uncle) Percy Standing (uncle) Herbert Standing (grandfather)

Dorothy Katherine Standing, Lady Clements (18 February 1909 – 4 May 1980), known professionally as Kay Hammond, was an English stage and film actress.

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Family

Kay Hammond was born in London, England as Dorothy Katherine Standing, the daughter of Sir Guy Standing and his wife, Dorothy Hammond (Dorothy Plaskitt).^[1] Her grandfather was Herbert Standing (1846–1923) and her uncles were Wyndham, Jack, and Percy Darrell Standing.^[2]^[3]

Career

She studied at RADA and first appeared on the London stage in 1927.^[4] Her most famous role was that of Elvira in Noël Coward's Blithe Spirit, which she played in the original stage production. She reprised her role in the 1945 film version opposite Rex Harrison, Margaret Rutherford and Constance Cummings.

She appeared as a guest of Roy Plomley on Desert Island Discs on 25 February 1951.^[5]

Personal life

Hammond's first husband was baronet Sir Ronald George Leon.^[6] Their sons were John Ronald Leon (the actor John Standing) and Timothy George Leon. Her second husband was the stage actor Sir John Clements.

Death

Kay Hammond died in Brighton, aged 71, from undisclosed causes, on 4 May 1980.^[7] She was cremated and her ashes scattered in the memorial garden at Downs Crematorium, Brighton, East Sussex^[7]

Filmography

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1930	Children of Chance	Joyce
1931	Fascination	Kay
	A Night in Montmartre	Margot
	Almost a Divorce	Maisie
	Carnival	Helen
	Out of the Blue	Angela Tucker
1932	The Third String	Hebe Tucker
	A Night Like This	Mimi - Cocktail Shaker	uncredited
	Nine till Six	Beatrice
	Money Means Nothing	Angel
	Sally Bishop	Janet Hallard
1933	Yes, Madam	Pansy Beresford
	Bitter Sweet	Gussi
	Sleeping Car	Simone
	Britannia of Billingsgate	Pearl Bolton
	The Umbrella	Mabel
1934	Bypass to Happiness	Dinah
1936	Two on a Doorstep	Jill Day
1941	Jeannie	Margaret
1945	Blithe Spirit	Elvira Condomine
1949	Call of the Blood	Dr. Anne Lester
1953	Henry V	Princess Katherine	TV movie
1961	Five Golden Hours	Martha	final film role

Selected stage credits

Can the Leopard...? by Ronald Jeans (1931)
Hollywood Holiday by John Van Druten (1931)

References

^ University of Kent: Theatre collections
^ "SIR GUY STANDING, 63, ENGLISH ACTOR, DIES: Veteran Star of Stage and Screen Drops Dead in Hollywood". The Atlanta Constitution. 25 February 1937. p. 45. ProQuest 502877180. Sir Guy was the eldest son of Herbert Standing, member of a leading English theatrical family. Three other sons also became actors—Wyndham, Darrell [sic] and Jack Standing.
^ "Unusual Modesty". Manchester Evening News. 2 January 1913. p. 7. Retrieved 24 January 2024. "An actor who actually thought he wasn't good enough for his part has won an action against his manager in the Supreme Court of the United States. [...] The actor is Percy Darrell Standing, brother of Guy Standing, who is an Englishman."
^ Morley, Sheridan (1986). The Great Stage Stars : Distinguished Theatrical Careers of the Past and Present. New York: Facts on File Publications. p. 155. ISBN 0816014019.
^ "Desert Island Discs". BBC Radio 4. BBC. 28 February 1951. Retrieved 6 July 2020.
^ TIMES, Wireless to THE NEW YORK (10 November 1932). "KAY HAMMOND MARRIED.; Actress, Daughter of Sir Guy Standing, Wed to Ronald Leon". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 22 July 2023.
^ ^a ^b Wilson, Scott (2016). Resting Places: The Burial Sites of More Than 14,000 Famous Persons, 3d ed. McFarland. p. 313. ISBN 978-1-4766-2599-7.