Alison, Dorothy (1925-1992)

Field of activity
Actor
NLA Persistent Identifier
http://nla.gov.au/nla.party-722063

Biographies

Dorothy Dickson left Australia in 1949 and made a career in the British film industry under her stage name, Dorothy Alison. She won two BAFTA awards (1952 and 1956) and one Logie award for her role in the film version of A Town Like Alice (1981).

Dorothy was the daughter of William Edward Dickson and Alice Cogan. William had migrated to Australia from Lancashire, United Kingdom, at the age of 20. He found work at the South Mine in Broken Hill, but left the mine during the 1919 strike. William and Alice were married in 1922 and William worked for a time at the Barrier Daily Truth before moving to Sydney as Advertising Manager for the Daily News. He was elected to the Legislative Council in 1939.

Dorothy was the elder sister of Beth, Wendy and Marion - two other siblings died in infancy. As a child she took dancing lessons in Broken Hill and took part in theatrical productions. Once in Sydney, she trained with Doris Fitton of the Independent Theatre. Finding employment in commercial radio, she changed her name to Dorothy Alison. After working for film producers Charles and Elsa Chauvel, she appeared in two Australian films, Sons of Matthew and Eureka Stockade.

In 1949 she left Australia for London, but found little work until 1952 when she played Miss Stockton in Mandy, earning herself a BAFTA award for Most Promising Newcomer. She won a second BAFTA - for Best British Actress - four years later for her role as Nurse Brace in Reach for the Sky. Subsequently, Dorothy's career encompassed film, television and stage productions. She returned to Australia in 1986 and toured with Lauren Bacall in Sweet Bird of Youth. The link with Australia continued, and Dorothy won the 1982 Logie Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Single Drama or Mini Series for her role as Mrs Frith in A Town Like Alice. In 1988 she starred opposite Meryl Streep as Lindy Chamberlain's mother in Evil Angels (or, A Cry in the Dark).

Dorothy Alison's full filmography can be found on the Internet Movie Database at http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0019704/.

View the full record at Australian Women's Register

Resources for Dorothy Alison

Selected resources (3)

Australian Women's Register

  1. Some Outstanding Women of Broken Hill and District
    Camilleri, Jenny
    [2002]
    Published: Jenny Camilleri (Broken Hill Historical Society/Broken Hill Council)
  2. Unbroken Spirit: Women in Broken Hill
    Australian Women's Archives Project
    [2009]
    Published: Australian Women's Archives Project
    Series: http://www.womenaustralia.info/exhib/bh/bh-home.html
  3. National Library of Australia: Alison, Dorothy: programs and related material
    Folders of programs and miscellaneous pieces. Material in the Australian performing arts collection (PROMPT) consists of programs and related items for Australian performing arts organisations, Australian artists performing overseas, professional productions performed in Australia (including those featuring overseas performers) and overseas performances of Australian plays, music, etc.
    Ephemera (PROMPT)

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  1. Grieve
    Grieve
    Created by alison.calderwood, 10 items.

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  2. Banshee (1989 - )
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  3. Corroboree [Dance work made to the score of John Antill] (1950 - )
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  1. Website: Theatre notes : independent theatre reviewing and discussion by Alison Croggon
    theatrenotes.blogspot.com
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  1. [Biographical cuttings on Dorothy Alison, actress, containing one or more cuttings from newspapers or journals]
    [ Published : 1900-1990 ]
    At National Library
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  2. [Alison, Dorothy (actor) : programs and related material collected by the National Library of Australia]
    [ Published : 1900 ]
    At National Library
    This resource may only be vaguely related to your query: matching terms may only have been found in the full text contents of the resource (score: 0.052)

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  3. Jones, Burton Howard and Angelina Carhart Tallmon
    Charles H. Walker
    [ Unpublished : 1814 ]
    View online (access conditions)
    Jones, Burton Howard and Angelina Carhart Tallmon
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  1. Depression : the way out of your prison / Dorothy Rowe
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  3. Mothering for schooling / Alison I. Griffith, Dorothy E. Smith
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  4. Babies need books / Dorothy Butler ; with drawings by Shirley Hughes
    Butler, Dorothy, 1925-
    [ Book, Audio book : 1976-1995 ]
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  1. WELCOME TO PALS' CORNER
    Advertiser (Hurstbridge, Vic. : 1922 - 1939) Friday 15 February 1935 p 3 Article
    ... WELCOME TO PALS' CORNER We all Welcome Alison Graf, Mernda, to the Pals' Corner. Have you got a little kitten Alison ? We all extend a Welcome to .Doro thy Watson, Research, and I. will bo pleased to hear from you Dorothy. ... 42 words
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  2. ACTRESS MOTHER [coming soon]
    The Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995) Tuesday 21 April 1964 p 9 Article
    ... ACTRESS MOTHER LONDON, A.A.P.-Reuter). /•-Australian film and television vision actress Dorothy Alison, son, 39, gave birth to a daughter at London's Queen Charlotte's hospital today. Miss Alison, wife of club owner Leslie Linder, already hasji son and a daughter. ... 39 words
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  3. Letters Home
    The Sunday Herald (Sydney, NSW : 1949 - 1953) Sunday 13 September 1953 p 42 Article Illustrated
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  1. A Fortunate life
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  3. The five red herrings / Dorothy L. Sayers
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  1. Women in the workforce. -An interview with Alison Crook, NSW State Librarian, by Simons, Dorothy-
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    At 34 libraries
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