Skip to content
MovieCove
Fay Compton

Fay Compton

Actor · Died December 12, 1978, aged 84 · Fulham, London, England, UK

From Wikipedia Fay Compton CBE (18 September 1894 – 12 December 1978) was an English actress from a notable acting lineage; her father was actor/manager Edward Compton; her mother, Virginia Bateman, was a distinguished member of the profession, as were her elder sister, the actress Viola Compton, and her uncles and aunts. Her grandfather was the 19th-century theatrical luminary Henry Compton. Author Compton Mackenzie was her elder brother. Compton's film work is not as well known as her stage appearances. She appeared in more than forty films between 1914 and 1970. Her most popular performances in films are Odd Man Out (1947), Laughter in Paradise (1951), Orson Welles' Othello (1952), The Haunting (1963) and I Start Counting (1969). Among her television performances, she appeared in 1965 with Michael Hordern in the television play, Land of My Dreams by Clive Exton. One of her last major roles was as Aunt Ann in the BBC's 1967 television adaptation of The Forsyte Saga. She had a successful career in the radio, television and gramophone recordings.

Read more

Biography from TMDB.

Born
September 18, 1894
Died
December 12, 1978 (aged 84)
From
Fulham, London, England, UK
Works as
Actor
Titles
10 on MovieCove · 51 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Up 6% in 30 days

What are Fay Compton's films like?

Across their 8 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Society.

Themes

share of theme weight
Self
29%
Society
26%
Morality
17%
Survival
16%
Bonds
12%
Isolation4 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity2 titles, browse their movies with this themeObsession2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 8 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 3 · Serious 0 · Dark 5

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 2 · Stylized 3 · Heightened 3

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 1 · Charged 4 · Intense 3

Steady: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their steady movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 5 · Shifting 3 · Whiplash 0

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 6 · Some laughs 1 · Funny 1

Slow burn: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their slow burn movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 5 · Even-paced 3 · Relentless 0

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 3 · Engaged 3 · Full focus 2

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 5 · Open-ended 2 · Ambiguous 1

Roles they play

1 analyzed role

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
6
Dread
4
Warm
2
Contemplative
3
Melancholic
2
Other
5

How their films linger

Haunting4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteDevastating2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end

  • Happy2
  • Bittersweet3
  • Tragic3

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Fay Compton's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 5 of their 10 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (3).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Fay Compton's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

51 credits, 10 with a MovieCove page.

  • I Start Counting (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1970)

    as Mrs. Bennett

  • The Virgin and the Gypsy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1970)

    as Grandma

  • Dombey and Son (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)

    Show 13 episodes · as Mrs. Brown

  • Journey to the Unknown (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1968)

    Show 1 episode · as Queen Victoria

  • Cold Comfort Farm (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1968)

    Show 3 episodes · as Aunt Ada Doom (Starkadder)

  • Sanctuary (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    Show 26 episodes · as Sister Juliana

  • The Forsyte Saga (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    Show 5 episodes · as 'Aunt Ann' Forsyte

  • Knock on Any Door (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

    Show 1 episode · as Hester Warren

  • Story Parade (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)

    Show 1 episode · as Miss Babbage

  • Uncle Vanya (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    as Marya, the mother

  • The Haunting(1963)

    as Mrs. Sanderson

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • Maigret(1960)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all shows

  • No Hiding Place (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    Show 3 episodes · Actor

  • The Story of Esther Costello (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    as Mother Superior

  • Nicholas Nickleby (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    Show 2 episodes · Actor

  • Town on Trial (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    as Mrs. Crowley

  • Armchair Theatre (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

    Show 1 episode · as Angelica · as Victoria

  • Doublecross (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

    as Alice Pascoe

  • Aunt Clara (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    as Gladys Smith

  • The Vanquished(1953)

    as Mrs. Pinkerton

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films

  • Lady Possessed(1952)

    as Mme. Brune

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Othello(1951)

    as Emilia

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • Laughter in Paradise(1951)

    as Agnes Russell

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • Blackmailed (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    as Mrs. Christopher

  • The Forbidden Street (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1949)

    as Mrs. Culver

  • Dulcimer Street(1948)

    as Mrs. Josser

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • Esther Waters (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)

    as Mrs. Barfield

  • The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby(1947)

    as Mme. Mantalini

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • Odd Man Out(1947)

    as Rosie

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • The Prime Minister (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

    as Queen Victoria

  • So This Is London (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    as Lady Worthing

  • The Mill on the Floss (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    as Mrs. Tulliver

  • Waltzes from Vienna (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    as Countess Helga von Stahl

  • Autumn Crocus (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    as Jenny Grey

  • Tell England (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)

    as Mrs. Doe

  • Uneasy Virtue (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)

    as Dorothy Rendell

  • Cape Forlorn (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)

    as Eileen Kell

  • Fashions in Love (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1929)

    as Marie de Remy

  • Somehow Good (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1927)

    as Rosalind Nightingale

  • Robinson Crusoe(1927)

    as Sophie

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • London Love (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1927)

    as Sally Hope

  • Settled Out of Court (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1925)

    as The Woman

  • The Happy Ending (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1925)

    as Mildred Craddock

  • The Eleventh Commandment (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1924)

    as Ruth Barchester

  • Claude Duval (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1924)

    as Duchess Frances

  • The Loves of Mary, Queen of Scots (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1924)

    as Mary Stuart

  • A Bill of Divorcement (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1922)

    as Margaret Fairfield

  • Diana of the Crossways (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1922)

    as Diana

  • The House of Peril (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1922)

    as Sylvia Bailey

  • A Woman of No Importance (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1921)

    as Rachel Arbuthnot

  • The Old Wives' Tale (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1921)

    as Sophie Barnes

Career shape

Star power in the 89th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 51 titles from 1921 to 1970; peak year 1963.

Biggest box office

Odd Man Out (1947)

$66K worldwide

Highest rated

Odd Man Out (1947)

Midcredits 95th

Most popular right now

The Haunting (1963)

Film career

19211970

Peak 1963 · fewer prominent film roles lately. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

  • 1934Screen debut· Waltzes from Vienna
  • 1963Career best· The Haunting

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting51 of 51: 51 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score80th

By decade

1920s14 · acting1930s7 · acting1940s6 · acting1950s12 · acting1960s10 · acting1970s2 · acting

Billing

usually 6th · top billed in 0% of 8 roles

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30.

How do Fay Compton's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 80th percentile, the median of all 9; across their 8 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 79th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

79thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 8

Approval · how many liked their films

80thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 8

Reach · how many have seen their films

48thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 8

Midcredits score across 10 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up7
  • 50th to 74th1
  • 25th to 49th2

Shape of the crowd

None of their 10 titles divides audiences: 5 are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved3
  • Crowd Pleaser5
  • Mixed2

Most loved · actor

Odd Man Out (1947)

Midcredits 95th · 82% liked

Reviewers score the acting 80/100 in their films, across 5 reviewed titles; fans 84, detractors 66. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Who does Fay Compton work with?

People who share at least 2 of Fay Compton's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; James Mason shares the most, 2.

Actors