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Yvonne Adelaide "Evie" Romain (née Warren; 17 February 1938) is a British former film and television actress of the late 1950s and 1960s.

Early career

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Romain was born in London of Maltese descent and is a graduate of the Italia Conti Academy. From the age of twelve she appeared in children's shows and repertory. She started appearing in British films in her late teens. Her exotic, dark looks and 38-22-36 figure saw her often cast in supporting roles as Italian or Spanish maidens in war films and comedies.

She is perhaps most remembered for her roles in numerous British horror films. She appeared in Corridors of Blood (1958), where she starred alongside Boris Karloff and Christopher Lee, and in Circus of Horrors (1960). She also starred in the later Devil Doll (1964).

Romain is probably best known for The Curse of the Werewolf (1961) where she starred with Oliver Reed in his first major role. Romain plays a mute servant girl who spurns the advances of the sadistic marqués. Hammer Films' publicity stills for the movie capitalised on Romain's appearance by having her photographed in typical 'scream queen' poses alongside a made-up Reed, despite she and Reed sharing no actual screen time.

Her probable biggest role was in another Hammer production, Captain Clegg (1962), aka Night Creatures (US title), playing alongside Peter Cushing and Oliver Reed again, this time as his fiancée. She also appeared alongside Sean Connery twice, in Action of the Tiger (1957), and the gangster film The Frightened City (1961), where she shared equal billing with the pre-Bond star. Romain also co-starred in the Danger Man episode titled Sabotage in 1961, and in the 1964 mystery film Smokescreen alongside Peter Vaughan.

Oliver Reed was Romain's most frequent co-star. The two appeared together again in an episode of The Saint (Season 2, Episode 9 'The King of the Beggars'), and for a fourth and final time in The Brigand of Kandahar (1965). Credited as 'Yvonne Warren', she played the second sister in the episode 'Sir Bliant' in the TV series The Adventures of Sir Lancelot.

Later career

Romain moved to Los Angeles and starred alongside Ann-Margret in The Swinger (1966), and Elvis Presley in Double Trouble (1967), which she herself calls a 'dreadful film', though she enjoyed the experience.

After a break from the screen, Romain emerged from semi-retirement as the title character in the Anthony Perkins/Stephen Sondheim-scripted mystery thriller The Last of Sheila (1973), her final screen role.

Personal life

Romain married Leslie Bricusse in 1958. He composed musicals (including Stop the World I Want to Get Off, Scrooge, and Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory) and was also the lyricist for the titular James Bond film songs Goldfinger and You Only Live Twice.

She later turned down a seven-year contract with Federico Fellini because it meant working away from her Hollywood-based husband and young son Adam.

Filmography

References

1. Yvonne Romain profile, bitememagazine.com; accessed June 4, 2017.

External links

• Yvonne Romain at IMDb
• Yvonne Romain at HorrorStars
• Brief interview with Yvonne Romain
• Yvonne Romain Fans on MySpace
• Ultimate Yvonne Romain Yahoo Group

• 1938 births
• Living people
• English emigrants to the United States
• English people of Maltese descent
• Actresses from London
• English film actresses
• English television actresses
• Alumni of the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts