Editing John Osborne (section)

==== Mary Ure (1957–1963) ====
Osborne began a relationship with Ure shortly after meeting her when she was cast as Alison in ''[[Look Back in Anger]]'' in 1956, while he was married to Pamela Lane. The affair swiftly progressed; and the two moved in together in Woodfall Road, [[Chelsea, London]]. He wrote later:

{{quote| Mary was one of those unguarded souls who can make themselves understood by penguins or the wildest dervishes .. I was not in love. There was fondness and pleasure, but no groping expectations, just a feeling of fleeting heart's ease. For the present we were both content enough.}}

Eventually, Osborne became jealous and somewhat contemptuous of Ure's stable family background and her relationship with them. He also began to lose regard for her acting abilities.

{{quote|I had stopped concealing from myself, if I ever had, that Mary was not much of an actress. She had a rather harsh voice and a tiny range. }}

There was infidelity on both sides; and, after an affair with [[Robert Webber]], Ure eventually left Osborne for the actor and novelist [[Robert Shaw (actor)|Robert Shaw]].

Osborne described visiting her after she had left him and having sex with her while she was pregnant with the first of four children she would bear to Shaw. Of their divorce, Osborne wrote of being surprised that she repeatedly refused to return to him treasured postcards drawn for him by his father,<ref>{{harvnb|Osborne|1981|p=90}}.</ref> but is circumspect about her early death in 1975: "Destiny dragged her so pointlessly from a life better contained by the softly lapping waters of the [[River Clyde|Clyde]]."<ref>{{harvnb|Osborne|1991|p=174}}.</ref>