Actress. A versatile performer, she is perhaps best remembered for sharing the stage with comedic actor Sid James on the night he died. The child of the maestro of the Johannesburg Symphony Orchestra, she was raised under conditions of privilege, studied dance early, moved to England in 1935, at 17 journeyed to Brazil where she was part of Carmen Miranda's stage troupe, danced with the Folies Bergere in Paris and on tour in America, and spent the World War II years in South Africa. Back in England after the war, Olga gradually gained experience, in 1949 appearing at the London Palladium in an act headlined by Harpo and Chico Marx, and that same year making her silver screen bow in "Tattie True". Her major break came when she was cast in a 1954 production of Rodgers and Hart's "Pal Joey" at the Coliseum, then the next year she earned good reviews in "The Pajama Game", also at the Coliseum. Over the years she was seen in a number of feature films including 1968's war movie "Where Eagles Dare", the 1972 "Carry on Abroad", the comedy "Steptoe and Son Ride Again" (1973) and 1980's "Nijinsky"; a regular on the small screen throughout her career, her many credits included "Armchair Theatre", "The Doctors", "Don't Drink the Water", Agatha Christie's "Poirot", and the long running classic "EastEnders". On April 26, 1976, Olga was appearing at the Empire Theatre of Sunderland in "The Mating Season" when Sid James, her old friend from her South Africa days, suffered a fatal heart attack onstage. Continuing to perform into advanced years, she earned her final credit with the 1996 movie "Cous-Cous", then remained in London where she died in a nursing facility of Alzheimer's Disease.
Actress. A versatile performer, she is perhaps best remembered for sharing the stage with comedic actor Sid James on the night he died. The child of the maestro of the Johannesburg Symphony Orchestra, she was raised under conditions of privilege, studied dance early, moved to England in 1935, at 17 journeyed to Brazil where she was part of Carmen Miranda's stage troupe, danced with the Folies Bergere in Paris and on tour in America, and spent the World War II years in South Africa. Back in England after the war, Olga gradually gained experience, in 1949 appearing at the London Palladium in an act headlined by Harpo and Chico Marx, and that same year making her silver screen bow in "Tattie True". Her major break came when she was cast in a 1954 production of Rodgers and Hart's "Pal Joey" at the Coliseum, then the next year she earned good reviews in "The Pajama Game", also at the Coliseum. Over the years she was seen in a number of feature films including 1968's war movie "Where Eagles Dare", the 1972 "Carry on Abroad", the comedy "Steptoe and Son Ride Again" (1973) and 1980's "Nijinsky"; a regular on the small screen throughout her career, her many credits included "Armchair Theatre", "The Doctors", "Don't Drink the Water", Agatha Christie's "Poirot", and the long running classic "EastEnders". On April 26, 1976, Olga was appearing at the Empire Theatre of Sunderland in "The Mating Season" when Sid James, her old friend from her South Africa days, suffered a fatal heart attack onstage. Continuing to perform into advanced years, she earned her final credit with the 1996 movie "Cous-Cous", then remained in London where she died in a nursing facility of Alzheimer's Disease.
Bio by: Bob Hufford
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