Dora Bryan

Acting

Born February 7, 1923 — Died July 23, 2014 Parbold, Lancashire, England, UK

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.

Movies(66)

MirrorMask

Aunt Nan

2005

Thora Hird Tribute

Self (archive footage, uncredited)

2003

Absolutely Fabulous: The Last Shout

Millie

1996

Bed

Bosom Lady

1995

Palmer

Monica

1991

Apartment Zero

Margaret McKinney

1989

Screamtime

Emma

1983

Up the Front

Auntie Cora Crumpington

1972

Hands of the Ripper

Mrs. Golding

1971

Two a Penny

Ruby Hopkins

1967

The Sandwich Man

Mrs. De Vere

1966

The Great St Trinian's Train Robbery

Amber Spottiswood

1966

The Dream Machine

Self

1964

A Taste of Honey

Helen

1961

Alice Through the Looking Box

Queen

1960

Hello London

herself

1960

The Night We Got the Bird

Julie Skidmore

1960

Follow That Horse!

1960

Operation Bullshine

Pvt. Cox

1959

Desert Mice

Gay Bennett

1959

Carry On Sergeant

Norah

1958

The Man Who Wouldn't Talk

Telephonist

1958

Small Hotel

(uncredited)

1957

The Green Man

Lily

1956

Child in the House

Cassie

1956

The Cockleshell Heroes

Myrtie

1955

You Lucky People!

Hortense Tipp

1955

As Long as They're Happy

May

1955

Harmony Lane

Comedian

1954

Mad About Men

Berengaria

1954

The Crowded Day

Marge

1954

The Young Lovers

Switchboard Operator (uncredited)

1954

Fast and Loose

Mary Rawlings, the maid

1954

You Know What Sailors Are

1954

The Intruder

Dora Bee

1953

The Fake

Barmaid

1953

Street Corner

Prostitute

1953

Women of Twilight

Olga

1953

The Real Thing

Dora

1953

The Ringer

Mrs. Hackett

1952

Miss Robin Hood

Pearl

1952

Mother Riley Meets the Vampire

Tilly

1952

Time, Gentlemen, Please!

Peggy Stebbins

1952

Gift Horse

Glad Flanagan

1952

13 East Street

Valerie

1952

Whispering Smith vs. Scotland Yard

Miss La Fosse

1952

High Treason

Mrs. Bowers

1951

Lady Godiva Rides Again

Movie Publicist

1951

No Highway in the Sky

1951

Scarlet Thread

Maggie

1951

Circle of Danger

Bubbles Fitzgerald

1951

The Quiet Woman

Elsie Tripp

1951

Traveller's Joy

Eva

1950

No Trace

Maisie

1950

Something in the City

Waitress

1950

The Blue Lamp

Maisie

1950

The Cure for Love

Jenny Jenkins

1949

The Interrupted Journey

the waitress

1949

Don't Ever Leave Me

Talkative Hairdresser (uncredited)

1949

Adam and Evelyne

Blonde Sales Assistant (uncredited)

1949

Now Barabbas

Winnie

1949

The Perfect Woman

Model in Shop

1949

Once Upon a Dream

Barmaid

1949

No Room at the Inn

The Girl

1948

The Fallen Idol

Rose

1948

Odd Man Out

Girl in Telephone Kiosk (uncredited)

1947

Dora Bryan

TV Shows(21)

Movies(66)