Shani Wallis

Shani Wallis' (born 14 April 1933) is an English actress and singer. She is perhaps best known for her roles in the West End, and for the role of Nancy in the 1968 Oscar-winning film musical Oliver!. She is one of the last surviving actors who played an adult in the film, along with Sheila White, following the death of Ron Moody in June 2015.

Wallis was born in Tottenham, London and made her first stage appearance at the age of four and later studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) on a scholarship and resumed her theatrical career appearing in many London and provincial productions. She made her theatrical debut in Call Me Madam at the London Coliseum (as "Princess Marie") with Anton Walbrook.

Wallis is a naturalized citizen of the United States, where she has lived for more than forty years. She married her agent Bernie Rich on 13 September 1968, and they have one child and two granddaughters. Wallis is a patron of the theatre charity the Music Hall Guild of Great Britain and America.

Selected credits

Theatre

• Call Me Madam, London Coliseum (as "Princess Marie") with Anton Walbrook.
• Wish You Were Here (London Casino) with Elizabeth Larner and Dickie Henderson.
• Happy As A King, at the Princes Theatre, London (as "Juliet") with Warren Mitchell.
• Wonderful Town, (1953) London Casino (as "Fay Tomkin") with Pat Kirkwood and Dickie Henderson
• Irma La Douce, (1961) Lyric Theatre (title role) with Denis Quilley.
• Fine Fettle, (1959) Palace Theatre with Benny Hill and Robertson Hare.
• Green Room Rags, Princes Theatre (1954) with Beryl Reid and Larry Adler
• The Dave King Show, London Hippodrome.
• Aladdin, (pantomime) Streatham Hill Theatre (as "Aladdin") with Hughie Green and Lauri Lupino Lane
• King Cole (pantomime) - Palace Manchester (played "Miranda") with Alfred Marks, Tommy Cooper and Gary Miller
• Bus Stop, Golders Green Hippodrome (1958) (as "Cherie"). Dir: Sam Wanamaker.
• You'll Be Lucky, Adelphi Theatre with Lauri Lupino Lane
• Cowardy Custard, (1989) Theatre Royal Bath.
• A Time for Singing, (1966) Broadway Theater, NYC - Opened May 12 and closed after 41 performances with Tessie O'Shea.
• Finian's Rainbow, (1958) Liverpool, New Shakespeare Theatre - (as "Sharon") with Bobby Howes
• 42nd Street, Drury Lane Theatre, London (as "Dorothy Brock") with Frankie Vaughan and Maxine Audley.
• Always, (1996) Victoria Palace Theatre in London (as "Aunt Bessie") with Sheila Ferguson.

Film

• Ramsbottom Rides Again (1956) with Arthur Askey, Sid James and Frankie Vaughan
• The Extra Day (1956) with George Baker, Beryl Reid and Richard Basehart
• A King in New York (1957) (as cabaret singer) with Charles Chaplin, Dawn Addams, Maxine Audley and Sid James
• Oliver! (1968) with Ron Moody, Harry Secombe, Sheila White, Oliver Reed and Jack Wild
• Arnold (1973) with Roddy McDowall
• Terror in the Wax Museum (1973) with Ray Milland and Broderick Crawford
• Mayday at 40,000 Feet (1976) with David Janssen and Jane Powell
• Walt Disney's Basil The Great Mouse Detective (1986) (Voice of "Lady Mouse")
• Round Numbers (1992) with Kate Mulgrew
• The Pebble and the Penguin (1995) (Narrator)
• Mojave Phone Booth (2006) (Voice of "Greta")

TV

• Gunsmoke (as Stella in the "Women For Sale" episodes)
• The Young and the Restless (as "Frances the Governess")
• Charlie's Angels (Guest appearance as "Ellen Jason") with Gene Barry
• Columbo
• Murder, She Wrote
• Night Gallery
• Mickie Finn's
• On The Move with Jack Jones
• The Ed Sullivan Show - Where she was spotted and subsequently auditioned and won the part of Nancy in the 1968 film Oliver
• The Red Skelton Hour 1965 episode singing "I'm Old Fashioned" and singing/dancing "Pass Me By" (episode also included boxing champion Archie Moore)
• The Dean Martin Show singing "I'm A Girl" & "How Are Things In Glocca Morra?"
• The Garry Moore Show - many appearances

She also appeared in the first television version of "Once Upon A Mattress" as Lady Larkin, with most of the original Broadway cast.

British TV

• The Tom Jones Show
• Give Us a Clue
• Highway
• The Morecambe and Wise Show
• Oliver! (the reunion; as herself)

Recordings

• "Look To Love" (1967) Kapp 8388
• Oliver! (1968) - Original film cast recording
• Call Me Madam - Original London stage recording
• Wish You Were Here - Original London stage recording
• The Girl From Oliver
• I'm a Girl!, Kapp Records Stereo KS-3472
• Personality, Please Don't Say No, Don't Take Your Love Away From Me, There Goes My Heart, with Wally Stott
• From Atlanta To Goodbye (Richard Ahlert-Leon Carr) and Another Monday (Stanley Jay Gelber): both KAPP K-2044 (produced by Hy Grill; with musical direction by Jimmy Dale)

External links

• Shani Wallis at the Internet Movie Database