- Jackie Forster
Infobox actor
bgcolour =
name = Jackie Forster
birthname = Jacqueline Moir MacKenzie
birthdate = birth date|1926|11|6
salary =
location = flagicon|England Islington,London , UK
height =
deathdate = death date and age|1998|10|10|1926|11|6
deathplace =London
othername =
yearsactive =
spouse =
homepage =
notable role =
academyawards =
emmyawards =
tonyawards =Jackie Forster (née Jacqueline Moir Mackenzie) was born
6 November 1926 and died in London on10 October 1998 . [http://www.knittingcircle.org.uk/jackieforster.html Jackie Forster - The Knitting Circle] ] She married her novelist husband, Peter Forster in 1958 while she worked as a TV presenter and news reporter, but divorced him in 1962 when she realised her true sexual identity. [http://www.knittingcircle.org.uk/jackieforster.html Jackie Forster - The Knitting Circle] ] She is noted for being an Actress, a TV Personality, a Feminist and a Lesbian campaigner.p.270 From the Closet to the Screen - Jill Gardner ISBN 0863584276]Early History
Jackie's father was a colonel in the Army Medical Corps and she spent her early years in India. When she was six, she was sent to boarding school in Britain at
Wycombe Abbey and then to St Leonards School in Fife. During the war, she playedLacrosse and Hockey for Scotland. [http://www.knittingcircle.org.uk/jackieforster.html Jackie Forster - The Knitting Circle] ] [http://www.brightonourstory.co.uk/newsletters/winter98/jackie.htm Brighton Ourstory - Jackie Forster, Winter 1998] ]Jackie became an actress and joined the
Wilson Barrett repertory company in Edinburgh before moving to London in 1950. She attended the London's Arts Theatre Club was in various West End productions and films before developing a successful career as a TV presenter and news reporter under the name of Jacqueline MacKenzie. [http://www.brightonourstory.co.uk/newsletters/winter98/jackie.htm Brighton Ourstory - Jackie Forster, Winter 1998] ] [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0533325/ Jackie MacKenzie - IMDB Entry] ] [http://www.knittingcircle.org.uk/jackieforster.html Jackie Forster - The Knitting Circle] ]From 1957 she was on a lecuture tour in North America for part of the year and was in Savannah, Georgia, when she had her first lesbian affair. Despite this she married the author Peter Forster in 1958, but the marriage was over within two years as she accepted her true sexual identity. They divorced in 1962 and she went to live in Canada. [http://www.knittingcircle.org.uk/jackieforster.html Jackie Forster - The Knitting Circle] ] [http://www.brightonourstory.co.uk/newsletters/winter98/jackie.htm Brighton Ourstory - Jackie Forster, Winter 1998] ]
Quoting Jackie on her early lesbian experiences, she said 'I didn't see myself as being a Lesbian, or her, because I didn't look as I imagined they did, and nor did she. We weren't short back and sides and natty gent's suiting. I got the image from "The Well of Lonliness", like we all did. There were drug stores around the States, with these pulp books, lurid stories about lesbians who smoked cigars and had orgies with young girls. I thought, Where are these women? We never met anyone we knew were lesbians. There were no other books that I found about lesbians, no films that we ever saw: nothing at all'.p.34 From the Closet to the Screen - Jill Gardiner ISBN 0863584276]
In 1964, Jackie returned to Britain to work for
Border Television ; and then eventually moved in with a girlfriend and her children in London. [http://www.brightonourstory.co.uk/newsletters/winter98/jackie.htm Brighton Ourstory - Jackie Forster, Winter 1998] ]Activism
In the 1960s she joined the
Minorities Research Group and wrote for its journal, Arena Three. She would also regularly promote the magazine in theGateways club .p.122 From the Closet to the Screen - Jill Gardiner ISBN 0863584276]Later on, she 'came out' publicly in 1969 when she joined the
Campaign for Homosexual Equality (CHE) and went to serve on its Executive Committee. [http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/individual/623603 PFI Profile - Jackie Forster] ]In 1970, she was a founder member of the
Gay Liberation Front (GLF) in London. She was on the firstGay Pride march in the UK in August 1971.In 1972 she was one of the founders of "Sappho", which was a social group and one of the UK's longest-running lesbian publications ("Sappho" magazine was published from 1972 to 1981, although the group continued to meet regularly for many more years). The Sappho group members used to meet in The Chepstow pub in Notting Hill and had public speakers such as
Maureen Duffy andAnna Raeburn .After Sappho, Jackie became a member of the a member of
Greater London Council 's Women's Committee.From 1992 till her death in 1998 she was an active member of the [http://www.womenslibrary.org.uk/laic/laic.html Lesbian Archive and Information Centre] management Committee. [http://www.womenslibrary.org.uk/laic/laic.html LAIC at the Glasgow Women's Library] ] In 1997 a BBC film crew came to the archive to film Jackie for a programme about her life which was to be part of 'The Day That Changed My Life' series. Her work has made a huge impact on shaping the archive.
Television and Film Appearances
Caesar's Wife, 1951, television acting role. [http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/title/553175 BFI - Ceasar's Wife] ]
You're Only Young Twice, 1952, film acting role as Nellie. [http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/title/559845 BFI - You're Only young Twice] ] [http://www.knittingcircle.org.uk/jackieforster.html Jackie Forster - The Knitting Circle] ] [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0030998/ IMDB - You're Only Young Twice] ]
Love and Mr Lewisham, 1953, television acting role. [http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/title/559845 BFI - Love and Mr Lewisham] ]
The Wedding of Lili Marlene, 1953, film acting role as Theatre Barmaid. [http://www.knittingcircle.org.uk/jackieforster.html Jackie Forster - The Knitting Circle] ] [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0046536/ IMDB - The Wedding of Lili Marlene] ]
Serious Charge, 1953, repertory theatre acting role. [http://www.knittingcircle.org.uk/jackieforster.html Jackie Forster - The Knitting Circle] ]
The Broken Jug, 1953, television acting role as Grete. [http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/title/824717 BFI - The Broken Jug] ]
Gilbert Harding Finds Out, 1954, as straight-to-camera television reporter. [http://www.knittingcircle.org.uk/jackieforster.html Jackie Forster - The Knitting Circle] ]
Lilacs in the Spring, 1954, film acting role. [http://www.knittingcircle.org.uk/jackieforster.html Jackie Forster - The Knitting Circle] ]
The Dam Busters, 1955, film acting role as Canteen Waitress. [http://www.knittingcircle.org.uk/jackieforster.html Jackie Forster - The Knitting Circle] ]
You Can't Escape, 1955, television acting role as Mrs Baggerley. [http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/title/58852?view=cast BFI - You can't Escape] ] [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0221722/ IMDB - You Can't Escape] ]
Grace Kelly's Monaco wedding to Prince Rainier, 1956, as straight-to-camera television reporter. Won a Prix D'Italia. [http://www.knittingcircle.org.uk/jackieforster.html Jackie Forster - The Knitting Circle] ]
Pantomania or Dick Wittington, 1956, television comedy acting role. [http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/title/673823?view=cast BFI - Pantomainia] ] [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0396794/ IMDB - Pantomania or Dick Wittington] ]
Tonight, as straight-to-camera television reporter. [http://www.knittingcircle.org.uk/jackieforster.html Jackie Forster - The Knitting Circle] ]
Hotfoot and Highlight, as straight-to-camera television reporter. [http://www.knittingcircle.org.uk/jackieforster.html Jackie Forster - The Knitting Circle] ]
Panorama, as straight-to-camera television reporter. [http://www.knittingcircle.org.uk/jackieforster.html Jackie Forster - The Knitting Circle] ]
Late Night Extra, as straight-to-camera television reporter. [http://www.knittingcircle.org.uk/jackieforster.html Jackie Forster - The Knitting Circle] ]
[http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/guide/talent/m/mackenzie_jacqueline.shtml Trouble for Two] , 1958, television acting role in a sitcom. [http://www.knittingcircle.org.uk/jackieforster.html Jackie Forster - The Knitting Circle] ]
Discovering America, 1958-1960, as straight-to-camera television reporter. [http://www.knittingcircle.org.uk/jackieforster.html Jackie Forster - The Knitting Circle] ]
Jacqueline Mackenzie In America, as straight-to-camera television reporter. [http://www.knittingcircle.org.uk/jackieforster.html Jackie Forster - The Knitting Circle] ]
Speak for Yourself, 1974 as television co-scriptwriter. [http://www.knittingcircle.org.uk/jackieforster.html Jackie Forster - The Knitting Circle] ]
We Recruit, 1995, appearance in a Channel 4 television documentary about the
Lesbian Avengers . [http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/title/534823 BFI - We Recruit] ] [http://www.knittingcircle.org.uk/jackieforster.html Jackie Forster - The Knitting Circle] ]From High Heels to Sensible Shoes, 1997, contributor to the BBC television series The Day That Changed My Life. [http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/title/575244 BFI - From High Heels to Sensible Shoes] ] [http://www.knittingcircle.org.uk/jackieforster.html Jackie Forster - The Knitting Circle] ]
Trivia
* The
Glasgow LGBT Centre have a meeting room named the Jackie Forster Memorial Room.
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