Stylish pop art of Rachel Roberts, part of the Welsh Ffilm collection by Art & Hue, looking wild & resplendent in a leopard coat & hat during production of “Valley of Song“.

Based on Cliff Gordon’s radio play “Choir Practice”, “Valley of Song” marks the first film appearance of Rachel Roberts and the first film credit of Kenneth Williams, both of whom worked together in Swansea repertory theatre in 1950 under the directorship of Clifford Evans, who also stars in the film along with Glynis Johns‘ father Mervyn.

As well as Kenneth Williams, Rachel Roberts was performing at The Grand Theatre in Swansea during the same season as Richard Burton and Wilfrid Brambell.

Llanelli-born Roberts went on to star in “Saturday Night & Sunday Morning” and “This Sporting Life”, winning Best British Actress BAFTA awards for both performances, and was also Oscar-nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress for “This Sporting Life” with Richard Harris. She won a third BAFTA award in 1979 for Best Supporting Actress in “Yanks” with Vanessa Redgrave.

Her other film credits include the Agatha Christie adaptation of “Murder on the Orient Express” with Sean Connery & Lauren Bacall, “The Weak & the Wicked” with Diana Dors & Glynis Johns, “Picnic at Hanging Rock”, “Our Man in Havana” with Alec Guinness & Maureen O’Hara, and “The Good Companions” with Janette Scott, John Fraser, Carole Lesley, Joyce Grenfell, & Hugh Griffith.