Susan Shaw, a celebrated British actress who rose to fame in the 1940s and 1950s, passed away destitute and isolated in 1978 after a prolonged struggle with alcohol dependency and depression, which took hold after her husband's death in a car crash. Born Patricia Gwendoline Sloots in West Norwood, London, Shaw had become one of Britain's most beloved actresses, with a poll of 2,000 Daily Mail readers in April 1951 ranking her among the country's most popular stars.
Early Life and Rise to Stardom
Shaw grew up in modest circumstances at No 6 Hamilton Road in West Norwood, living above a hairdresser's shop, according to the Norwood Society. From an early age, she aspired to act, as she recalled in Picture Parade, Film Annual 1950: "As I travelled up to London (to work) every day from my home in West Norwood, I used to read every film magazine I could lay my hands on. I was mad about cinema, but not about my work. I wanted something romantic, something glamorous, but had to comfort myself reading the success stories of others who'd risen from humble beginnings like me. Little did I realize that, within a year or two, I myself would become a star of British pictures! It all seems like a dream."
Her career began after World War II with roles in musicals like Walking on Air and London Town, and minor parts in Holiday Camp and The Upturned Glass. Stardom came with her contract at The Rank Organisation, which later paid for her funeral. Her most memorable performance was in the 1948 hit It Always Rains on Sunday, one of the biggest box-office successes that year. She went on to star in To the Public Danger, It's Not Cricket, Marry Me, and Train of Events, and appeared in Carry On Nurse.
Tragic Turn After Husband's Death
Shaw's personal life took a tragic turn after her marriage to actor Bonar Colleano, whom she met while filming Pool of London. They wed in 1954 and had a son, Mark. In May 1958, Colleano admitted to an 'extravagant' lifestyle with debts of nearly £10,000. On August 17, 1958, he died in a high-speed car crash. Devastated, Shaw turned to alcohol and sank into depression, eventually unable to care for her son, who was entrusted to his paternal grandmother.
She married television producer Ronald Rowson in November 1959, but the marriage ended in November 1960. Left destitute and living alone in Soho, Shaw died on November 27, 1978, aged 49, in Middlesex, from cirrhosis of the liver. She was cremated at Golders Green Crematorium.
Legacy and Final Tribute
After her death, friends planned to cover funeral costs, but The Rank Organisation paid instead. A spokesperson said: "When we heard of the circumstances of her death, we felt it was the least we could do." Charlie Stevenson, landlord of the Swiss Tavern in Old Compton Street, said: "She came in here every day. They say she died of cirrhosis of the liver and she lived next door to prostitutes in Soho. But this is Soho. We all live next door to prostitutes. We loved her and we weren't going to see her buried in a pauper's grave. Now we shall give the money to medical charities." Her journey from humble beginnings to stardom and tragic end remains a poignant chapter in British film history.
