Renee was born in Italy.

She appeared in eleven films, under her maiden name, Renee Clama. She was under contract to the Gaumont-British Picture Corporation.

Adventurous Youth (1928),

Taxi for Two (1929),

The Devil's Maze (1929),

Greek Street (1930),

Symphony in Two Flats (1930) with Ivor Novello (directed by Michael Balcon),

The Great Game (1930) with Rex Harrison,

The Stronger Sex (1931) with Gordon Harker and Elsa Lanchester (directed by Michael Balcon),

The Sport of Kings (1931) with Gordon Harker (directed by Michael Balcon and Victor Saville),

No Lady (1931, reissued 1943) with Lupino Lane,

Never Trouble Trouble (1931) with Lupino Lane,

and The Man They Could Not Arrest (1931) with Gordon Harker (directed by Michael Balcon).

She gave up her film career when she got married. Later, in the 1960s, she converted a pigeon loft on two acres into her dream house in Denham, where she lived with her mother, my gran. In particular, she loved gardening.

Isidore appointed Michael Balcon to be general manager of film production at both studios (Lime Grove and Islington) in the early 1930s. Over the years he did an outstanding job and proved to be perfect for this position. However, Maurice wanted the job for himself and so resented Balcon's appointment. And he threw a bit of a tantrum and cleared off to Hollywood taking Renee with him. In those days you did not just jump on an aeroplane and arrive the next day, you spent five days on an ocean liner to get to New York and a few more days in a train to get to Los Angeles. And when he got there, they were not falling over themselves to offer him a job, so eventually he returned to England with his tail between his legs.

My sister told me that years later in the 1970s she mentioned Balcon's name and Maurice's eyes closed to a slit and his mouth contorted to one side and he breathed with venom the word "bastard". And so in one word he summarised his 40-year hatred for Balcon and ended the conversation with my sister.

Renee thought most of the films produced by Balcon were really good, whereas she did not think much of those produced by Maurice. Some years later my mother was at a premiere of a film produced by Maurice, and afterward a collection of sycophants were hanging around Maurice saying what a great film it was. Renee did not say a word, and someone asked her what she thought of the film, she replied "I don't like costume films." There was complete silence, you could have heard a pin drop.