Anne Hart

**Anne Maud Corbett** (née **Hart**; 26 April 1933 – 5 November 2023) was an English actress, dancer, singer, and comedienne. She was the widow of Ronnie Corbett, a member of the Corbett family.

Hart, as an actress, was often referred to as Britain's answer to both Hollywood's Jane Russell and Broadway's Ethel Merman.

## Early life

Anne Maud Hart was born at St Thomas' Hospital in Lambeth, London, England on 26 April 1933, as the third of six children to Doris Emily (née Davis), a housewife, and Marvin Hart, a former light heavyweight boxer. She grew up in South London.

Hart was trained at the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts in London. She later graduated with her Bachelor of Arts degree.

## Career

Hart made her West End debut as a child in the Christmas show _Where The Rainbow Ends_. She also performed in child roles in operas at Covent Garden.

Hart made her television debut in 1955, at the age of 22, as a regular on _Saturday Night at the London Palladium_ with Tommy Trinder. She made her final television appearance during an episode of _The Many Faces of..._ on 1 January 2016.

Hart made her theatre debut as the leading lady in _Clown Jewels_ in 1959. She also appeared with the comedy troupe The Crazy Gang in _Young at Hart_ in 1962.

Hart made her debut as an actress with the role of a music hall singer during an episode of the 1965 series _Sherlock Holmes_. She made her final appearance as an actress portraying Stooge during the 1975 production of _Max Wall: Funny Man_.

Hart retired to look after her family.

## Personal life

Hart married the Four Jones Boys singer John H Padley at the Holy Trinity Church in Wallington, Surrey on 15 October 1957. The couple divorced in 1965. Hart later said: "John was a nice guy and he was never unkind to me. He was just never there. He would come back from touring, I would iron his shirts and he would leave again. In the end, he moved out of my house and we separated."

Hart married the comedian and actor Ronnie Corbett, a member of the Corbett family, at Brixton registry office on 30 May 1966. The couple had two daughters, Emma and Sophie. Their first child, Andrew, had a heart defect and died when he was six weeks old, at St Thomas' Hospital, in London. Hart said in 2013: "I don't think either of us ever quite got over it. We still think of him all the time." She had four grandchildren, including Dylan Corbett-Bader. Hart and Corbett first met in the late 1950s, while she was working as a dancer at Winston's, Hanover Square, a club owned by Danny La Rue, and he was an up-and-coming comedian. The couple were married for 49 years until her husband's death on 31 March 2016. Hart later told the Daily Mail: "There has been an empty feeling since Ron has gone ... An emptiness, yes, that's what it is. But I think and hope that I am slowly emerging from the mist."

Hart and Corbett lived in a seven bedroom property named Fairways located in Addington, London from 1970 to 2003. The couple also owned a Scottish home named Muirfield Wood located in Gullane, East Lothian.

Hart was dyslexic.

### Health

Hart suffered with double pneumonia between January and February 2012. She was taken into hospital after suffering a health scare on 18 April 2016, the day of her husband's funeral. She was treated for a hip fracture in the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh following a fall at Muirfield Wood in the months leading up to her death.

### Death

Hart died at Muirfield Wood during the early hours of 5 November 2023. She was 90. Her death was announced to the public the following day in a statement by her youngest daughter Sophie: "We lost my darling Mum at one o'clock in the morning. She was an amazing woman, and my sister Emma and I, and all four of her grandchildren, Tom, Tilly, Dylan and Billy, will love and miss her for ever. We will be bringing her home to Abingdon, near Croydon, which is where the family lived when my Dad was alive."

### As herself

|Year|Title|Notes|
| --- | --- | --- |
|1955|_Saturday Night at the London Palladium_|Regular|
|1958|_Seaside Stars_|1 episode|
|1964|_Showstoppers_|1 episode|
|1965, 1971|_The Good Old Days_|2 episodes|
|1977|_Seaside Special_|1 episode|
|1978|_Ronnie Corbett's Sunday Special_|1 episode|
|1983|_The Crazy Gang: A Celebration_||
|1984|_This Is Your Life_|1 episode|
|2002|_Heroes of Comedy_|1 episode|
|2004|_The Keith Barret Show_|1 episode|
|2008|_Great British Menu_|1 episode|
|2013|_ME1 TV... Danny La Rue tribute_||
|2013|_Ronnie's Animal Crackers_|6 episodes|
|2016|_The Many Faces of..._|1 episode|

### Theatre

|Year|Title|Venue|
| --- | --- | --- |
|1959|_Clown Jewels_|Victoria Palace, London|
|1961|_Young In Hart_|Victoria Palace, London|

### As an actress

|Year|Title|Role|Notes|
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
|1965|_Sherlock Holmes_|Music Hall Singer|1 episode|
|1965|_Z Cars_|Doreen|1 episode|
|1965|_ITV Play of the Week_|Miss. Popolka|1 episode|
|1965|_Hope and Keen_||1 episode|
|1967|_Stranger in the House_|Barmaid|Uncredited|
|1969|_The Corbett Follies_||1 episode|
|1972|_The Two Ronnies_|Singing Finale Dancer|1 episode|
|1975|_Max Wall: Funny Man_|Stooge||
Source:

## Discography

- Music Maestro Please.

## Infobox (person)

- **name**: Anne Hart
- **caption**: Hart in 2022
- **birth name**: Anne Maud Hart
- **birth place**: London Borough of Lambeth, Lambeth, London, England
- **death place**: Gullane, East Lothian, Scotland
- **nationality**: English people, English
- **alma mater**: Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts (Bachelor of Arts, BA)
- **occupation**: Actress • dancer • singer • comedienne
- **years active**: 1955–2017
- **height cm**: 172
- **children**: Andrew • Emma Corbett, Emma • Sophie Corbett, Sophie
- **relatives**: Dylan Corbett-Bader (grandson)
- **family**: Corbett (by marriage)