Joan Sims: 1930-2001
A Tribute to the Co-Star of As Time Goes By
Joan Sims first came to the attention of most American television viewers as Madge, the lively companion of Lionel's father, Rocky, on As Time Goes By. With a twinkle in her eye and a bounce in her step, Madge, along with Rocky (played by Frank Middlemass), symbolized the fact that youth is a state of mind and that life should be savored and lived every day as an adventure.
The life of Joan Sims, who passed away in June 2001, certainly was an adventure, but not all of it was happy. She was born Irene Joan Marion Sims in Laindon, Essex, on May 9, 1930. Her father was a stationmaster and since the family lived in such a rural area there weren't many children around to provide companionship. She was an only child and her parent's marriage was not a happy one, so the young Joan escaped into the world of her imagination. This helped fuel her sense of humor as well as her love of performing.
Sims was not an academic standout at school, but during her teens belonged to her local drama and operatic societies. One of her teachers saw a talent for acting and persuaded her to audition for the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.
Her tenure at RADA was not an easy one and she once received a letter saying that she was "unsuitable for the profession." She finally graduated, however, and from then on had little trouble finding stage work, appearing with such luminaries as Noel Coward and Bob Hope. She also did cameo roles in films and on television.
In 1958, Sims found the job that would dominate her professional life for the next twenty years when she began appearing in the Carry On films.
The Carry On films were a wildly successful series of movies known for their energetic, lowbrow, broad farce and use of sexual innuendo. Sims was just one of the numerous Carry On regulars, playing everything from the stereotypical flirtatious blonde to a niggling wife. The scripts may not have been Shakespeare, but she showed a great range, able to carry off everything from high class to cockney. Thirty films were made (Sims appeared in 24 of them) and she also appeared in television shows based on the films.
Sims also guest starred on such classic television programs as Till Death Do Us Part, The Goodies, and Only Fools and Horses. Like most comics, she wanted to prove that there was more to her than just getting laughs, so she tried her hand at drama. She proved most adept at this, playing a Victorian child murderess in the 1980s series The Lady Killers and Betsy Prig in a production of Martin Chuzzlewit.
Her professional life was a full one, but her personal life did not run as smoothly. She was prone to self-doubt and a lack of confidence, once commenting that she couldn't believe she became an actress because she didn't think she was good enough. She also suffered from bouts of depression and battled alcoholism. She was devastated by the loss of many of the other Carry On regulars, especially comedienne Hattie Jacques and Kenneth Williams, who once proposed to her. She refused his offer and never married - perhaps due to the unhappiness she witnessed between her own parents.
By the mid 1990s she was working on As Time Goes By, but her health began to deteriorate. She had hip-replacement surgery, a fractured rib, a fractured spine and a bout of Bell's Palsy. This was not good news for someone who was once known for her ability to do pratfalls. Her agent gave no exact cause of death, but these factors no doubt contributed to it. She was 71 years old.
One of her directors once remarked that she was better suited for comedy than drama because she had "far too happy a face." Even though it masked a lot of personal sadness, that happy face and vibrant personality will be sorely missed.
The Insider, August 2001
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