Dora May Bryan OBE was an English actress of stage, film and television. Born Dora May Broadbent, her career began in pantomime as a child actor. In World War II she joined the ENSA in Italy to entertain British troops.
After having established herself as a versatile stage actress, covering everything from drama and comedy to musicals, she started to appear in film in the late 1940s, and in 1968 she even had her own TV series, "According to Dora". At one point in her career she was Britain's highest-paid star.
She was active on stage until the mid 1990s and continued to work in film and television until 2005, when she finally had to give up the acting profession as she could no longer remember her lines.
Her autobiography According To Dora was published in 1987. In 1996, she was awarded an OBE in recognition of her services to acting and the same year she was also awarded the Laurence Olivier Award for her role in the West End production of the Harold Pinter play "The Birthday Party".
She was married to British cricket player Bill Lawton from 1954 to his death in 2008. She lived in a nursing home in Hove, outside Brighton, until her death in 2014.
Ronald Alfred Shiner (8 June 1903 in London – 29 June 1966 in London) was a British stand-up comedian and comedic actor whose career encompassed film, West End theatre and music hall. A former Royal Northwest Mounted Police Officer, farmer, greengrocer, milkman, bookie's clerk, soldier and film extra, Shiner shot to fame appearing in 1,700 performances of the stage hit Worm's Eye View from 1945 to 1947 (he would later top his own record by appearing in the play Seagulls Over Sorrento for 2,000 performances between 1950 and 1954). At the height of his career Shiner insured his nose for £10,000 because he said "it's me beak which made 'em larf." In retirement he owned a pub at Blackboys in Sussex but was plagued by ill health in his final years and retired to Eastbourne. He died there in June 1966 leaving an estate of £30,955.
Elizabeth Joan Winch (14 August 1930 – 6 September 2018), known professionally as Liz Fraser, was an English actress, best known for her comedy roles as a provocative 'dumb blonde' in British films of the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s including the Carry On films and the Confessions Of and Adventures Of movies.
Owen John "Terry" Scott (4 May 1927 - 26 July 1994) was a British comedic actor best known for his role on the popular BBC series Terry and June. Among his other roles, he provided the voice for Penfield in the long-running Danger Mouse series. Scott died in 1994.
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John Le Mesurier (born John Elton Le Mesurier Halliley, 5 April 1912 – 15 November 1983) was a BAFTA Award-winning English actor. He is most famous for his role as Sergeant Arthur Wilson in the popular 1970s BBC comedy Dad's Army.
Description above from the Wikipedia article John Le Mesurier, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Owen John "Terry" Scott (4 May 1927 - 26 July 1994) was a British comedic actor best known for his role on the popular BBC series Terry and June. Among his other roles, he provided the voice for Penfield in the long-running Danger Mouse series. Scott died in 1994.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Kynaston Reeves (29 May 1893, London, England - 5 December 1971, London, England) was christened Philip Arthur Reeves, and was an English character actor who appeared in numerous films and many television plays and series.
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Elspet Jean Gray, Baroness Rix (née Gray; 12 April 1929 – 18 February 2013) was a Scottish actress, who first became known for her partnership with her husband, Brian Rix, and later was cast in many television roles in the 1970s and 1980s. She played Lady Collingford in the television series Catweazle and Mrs. Palmer in the television series Solo, alongside Felicity Kendal.
Gray had a long stage career, particularly known for her appearances in the Whitehall farces, the company being managed by her husband Brian Rix, which were originally performed at the Whitehall Theatre and later at the Garrick.
Gray married Brian Rix in 1949. The couple had four children - two sons and two daughters. Their eldest child, daughter Shelley (born 1951) had Down syndrome. The experience of caring for her led the couple to become active campaigners for the disabled. Rix later became Mencap chairman and president. He became a life peer in 1992.
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