Brenda Cowling
Brenda Cowling | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Brenda Rose Cowling 23 April 1925 Islington, London, England |
| Died | 2 October 2010 (aged 85) Northwood, London, England |
| Alma mater | RADA |
| Occupation | Actress |
Brenda Rose Cowling (23 April 1925 – 2 October 2010) was an English actress from London. Cowling wanted to be a film actress from the time she was a child; however, upon leaving school, she trained instead as a shorthand typist.
Biography
After a time she joined the
Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, where she was a member of the same class as Warren Mitchell and Jimmy Perry.[1] While there, she made her film debut in a small role in Alfred Hitchcock's Stage Fright (1950).[2]
Much of her early acting work was in repertory, before she began her television career. She also appeared in films, such as The Legacy of Reginald Perrin.[4] One of her better known roles was as the cook, Mrs. Lipton, in You Rang, M'Lord?.[5]
Later life and death
Cowling retired in 2006 after suffering a stroke. She died on 2 October 2010, at the actors' retirement home, Denville Hall, aged 85.[6]
Selected filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | Stage Fright | Plump RADA Girl (uncredited) | |
| 1956 | The Silken Affair | Minor Role (uncredited) | |
| 1962-1969 | Dixon of Dock Green | Doris Gray, Miss Nicholls | 2 episodes |
| 1962-74 | Z-Cars | Various roles | 3 episodes |
| 1963 | Compact | Mrs. Gregson | 1 episode |
| Maigret | Madame Pardon | 1 episode | |
| The Avengers | Masseuse | 1 episode | |
| 1964 | Sergeant Cork | Sarah Jenkins | 1 episode |
| 1966 | Bindle (One of Them Days) | Martha Hearty | |
| 1967 | The Forsyte Saga | Miss Perren | 5 episodes |
| The Newcomers | Mrs. Bennett | 2 episodes | |
| 1969 | Special Branch | Mrs. Madgwick | 1 episode |
| Up in the Air | Lady Pennyweight | ||
| 1970 | The Railway Children | Mrs. Viney | |
| The Goodies | Lady | 1 episode | |
| 1971 | Budgie | Lady in Supermarket | 1 episode |
| Please Sir! | Mrs. Duffy | ||
| The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes | Maid | 1 episode | |
| 1972 | Dad's Army | Mrs. Prentice | 1 episode |
| Follyfoot | Lady Caroline Beck | 1 episode | |
| Six Days of Justice | Usher | 1 episode | |
| Young Winston | Mrs. Dewsnap (uncredited) | ||
| 1973 | Carry On Girls | Matron | |
| Oh Father! | Mrs. Rourke | 1 episode | |
| Romany Jones | Betty's Mum | 3 episodes | |
| 1974 | Justice | Mrs. Cosgrove | 1 episode |
| No Strings | Mrs. Turner | 1 episode | |
| The Black Windmill | Pleasant Secretary (uncredited) | ||
| The Pallisers | Mrs. Bunce | 5 episodes | |
| 1975 | Carry On Behind | Wife (uncredited) | |
| Fawlty Towers | Sister | 1 episode | |
| 1976 | Angels | Staff Nurse | 2 episodes |
| 1977 | Happy Ever After | Mrs. Robinson | 1 episode |
| Jabberwocky | Mrs. Fishfinger | ||
| Raffles | Mrs. Van Der Berg | 1 episode | |
| The Duchess of Duke Street | Elsie Richards | 2 episodes | |
| The Black Panther | TBC | ||
| 1978 | International Velvet | Alice | |
| The Famous Five | Jenny | 2 episodes | |
| 1979-1983 | Potter | Jane | 18 episodes |
| 1980 | Only When I Laugh | Matron | 1 episode |
| Shoestring | Mrs. Margaret Billington | 1 episode | |
| 1981 | Are You Being Served? | Lady Customer | 1 episode |
| It Ain't Half Hot Mum | WVS Lady | 1 episode | |
| Nanny | Nanny Roberts | 1 episode | |
| You're Only Young Twice | Mrs. Hawkhead | 1 episode | |
| 1982 | Oliver Twist | Mrs. Bedwin | |
| Pink Floyd – The Wall | Teacher | ||
The Agatha Christie Hour
|
Mrs. Draper | 1 episode | |
| 1983 | Octopussy | Schatzi | |
| 1984-1988 | Hi-de-Hi! | Lady Camper, Nora, Station Announcer | 3 episodes |
| 1985 | Lytton's Diary | Customer | 1 episode |
| The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13¾ | Matron | 1 episode | |
| 1985-1987 | In Sickness and in Health | Woman Patient, Home Help, Matron | 3 episodes |
| 1986 | All in Good Faith | Brenda Trail | 1 episode |
| Dream Lover | Hotel Manager | ||
| Grange Hill | Shopkeeper | 1 episode | |
| London's Burning | Man's Wife | TV Movie | |
| T-Bag | Bunty Badshott | 1 episode | |
| 1987 | Dorothy L. Sayers Mystery | Mrs. Lundy | 1 episode |
| The Charmer | Chambermaid | 1 episode | |
| 1988-1993 | You Rang M'Lord? | Mrs. Blanche Lipton | 26 episodes |
| 1989-2002 | The Bill | Various roles | 4 episodes |
| 1991 | Miss Marple | Mrs. Rodgers | 1 episode |
| 1993 | The Upper Hand
|
Nun | 1 episode |
| 1996 | The Legacy of Reginald Perrin
|
Mrs. Wren | 1 episode |
| 1997 | Goodnight Sweetheart | Edith Brown | 1 episode |
| The Detectives | Bride's Grandmother | 1 episode | |
| 1999 | Babes in the Wood | Mourner | 1 episode |
| 2000 | Barbara | Sarah | 1 episode |
| Greenfingers | Book Shop Customer | ||
| Room to Rent | Church Lady | ||
| Where the Heart Is | Martha | 1 episode | |
| 2001 | Bernard's Watch | Mrs. Tatchell | 1 episode |
| 2003 | The Last Detective | Old Lady | 1 episode |
| 2004 | French and Saunders | Older Dawn | 5 episodes |
| Jonathan Creek | Mrs. Thrimpston | 1 episode | |
| Murder in Suburbia | Mrs. Kirkman | 1 episode | |
| The Legend of the Tamworth Two | Mrs. Martin | TV Movie | |
| 2005 | According to Bex | Vox Pops | 2 episodes |
References
- ^ Are You Being Served? A Celebration of Twenty-Five Years. Richard Webber with David Croft and Jeremy Lloyd. New York; Welcome Rain, 1998.
- ^ "Brenda Cowling". BFI. Archived from the original on 21 September 2016.
- ^ "Brenda Cowling - Movies and Filmography". AllMovie.
- ^ "Brenda Cowling". www.aveleyman.com.
- ^ BBC. "You Rang, M'Lord?". www.bbc.co.uk.
- ^ Obituary in The Guardian
External links
- Brenda Cowling at IMDb
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