 diana wynyard, cbe (16 january 1906 &ndash; 13 may 1964), whose birth name was dorothy isobel cox, was an english stage and film actress. ==life and career== born in london, wynyard began her career on the stage. after success in liverpool and london, she performed on broadway, appearing first in rasputin and the empress in 1932, with ethel, john, and lionel barrymore. she appeared in the film version, beginning her brief hollywood career. fox film corporation then borrowed her for their lavish film version of noÃ«l coward's stage spectacle cavalcade (1933). as the noble wife and mother she aged gracefully against a background of the boer war, the sinking of the titanic, the first world war, and the arrival of the jazz age. with this performance, she became the first british actress to be nominated for the academy award for best actress. after a handful of film roles, including playing john barrymore's old flame in reunion in vienna, she returned to britain, but concentrated on theatre work, including roles as charlotte brontÃ« in clemence dane's wild decembers, in sweet aloes, and as gilda in the british premiere of noÃ«l coward's design for living. she was tempted to return to the screen to play opposite ralph richardson in on the night of the fire (1939), a film directed by brian desmond hurst. her best remembered success was as the frightened heroine of gaslight (1940), the first film version of patrick hamilton's play gas light. this was followed by roles opposite clive brook in freedom radio, john gielgud in the prime minister and michael redgrave in kipps (all 1941), directed by carol reed, later her first husband. ==after world war ii==  her stage career flourished after the war, and as a shakespearean leading lady at stratford, in london's west end and on tour in australia, she had 
1906_births 1964_deaths 20th-century_English_actresses Actresses_from_London Commanders_of_the_Order_of_the_British_Empire Deaths_from_renal_failure English_film_actresses English_stage_actresses English_television_actresses Royal_National_Theatre_Company_members Shakespearean_actresses