Although she was famed for her often colourful roles on stage and TV, it was in black and white that Prunella Scales made an early impression, in David Lean’s 1954 film of Hobson’s Choice, as Vicky, one of Charles Laughton’s unruly daughters.

She recalled the experience in Kevin Brownlow’s doorstop-sized biography of the great director: “When I tested for the part, David sat behind the camera and interviewed me in character. He was always extremely kind during the shoot and one day he said, ‘Make sure your next film is in colour. It’ll suit you better than black and white.’ I’m afraid I didn’t fulfil his hopes, having had a rather sketchy career in films.”