Dora Bryan
- Known for
- Acting
- Born
- Feb 7, 1923
- Died
- Jul 23, 2014 (aged 91)
- Place of birth
- Parbold, Lancashire, England, UK
- Credits
- 87
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.
Known for
Filmography
MirrorMask
2005Movie
Aunt Nan
Thora Hird Tribute
2003Movie
Self (archive footage, uncredited)
Doctors
2000TV
Lily Anderson
Hippies
1999TV
Dame Nelly Fletcher
dinnerladies
1998TV
Connie
Absolutely Fabulous: The Last Shout
1996Movie
Millie
Bed
1995Movie
Bosom Lady
Mother's Ruin
1994TV
Frank Stubbs Promotes
1993TV
Molly Bramley
Absolutely Fabulous
1992TV
Dolly
Virtual Murder
1992TV
Mrs Mim
Heartbeat
1992TV
Jane Thompson
Performance
1991TV
Bosom Lady
Palmer
1991Movie
Monica
On the Up
1990TV
Apartment Zero
1989Movie
Margaret McKinney
Casualty
1986TV
Hester Blewett
Screamtime
1983Movie
Emma
An Audience with...
1978TV
Self
Last of the Summer Wine
1973TV
Roz
Up the Front
1972Movie
Auntie Cora Crumpington
Both Ends Meet
1972TV
Dora Page
Hands of the Ripper
1971Movie
Mrs. Golding
Two a Penny
1967Movie
Ruby Hopkins
Before The Fringe
1967TV
The Sandwich Man
1966Movie
Mrs. De Vere
The Great St Trinian's Train Robbery
1966Movie
Amber Spottiswood
The Dream Machine
1964Movie
Self
World in Action
1963TV
A Taste of Honey
1961Movie
Helen
Happily Ever After
1961TV
Dora Morgan
Alice Through the Looking Box
1960Movie
Queen
Hello London
1960Movie
herself
The Night We Got the Bird
1960Movie
Julie Skidmore
Follow That Horse!
1960Movie
Operation Bullshine
1959Movie
Pvt. Cox
Desert Mice
1959Movie
Gay Bennett
Educating Archie
1958TV
Carry On Sergeant
1958Movie
Norah
The Man Who Wouldn't Talk
1958Movie
Telephonist
Small Hotel
1957Movie
(uncredited)
Theatre Night
1957TV
Julie Skidmore
The Green Man
1956Movie
Lily
Child in the House
1956Movie
Cassie
The Cockleshell Heroes
1955Movie
Myrtie
You Lucky People!
1955Movie
Hortense Tipp
As Long as They're Happy
1955Movie
May
The Sooty Show
1955TV
Herself
Harmony Lane
1954Movie
Comedian
Mad About Men
1954Movie
Berengaria
The Crowded Day
1954Movie
Marge
The Young Lovers
1954Movie
Switchboard Operator (uncredited)
Fast and Loose
1954Movie
Mary Rawlings, the maid
You Know What Sailors Are
1954Movie
The Intruder
1953Movie
Dora Bee
The Fake
1953Movie
Barmaid
Street Corner
1953Movie
Prostitute
Women of Twilight
1953Movie
Olga
The Real Thing
1953Movie
Dora
The Ringer
1952Movie
Mrs. Hackett
Miss Robin Hood
1952Movie
Pearl
Mother Riley Meets the Vampire
1952Movie
Tilly
Time, Gentlemen, Please!
1952Movie
Peggy Stebbins
Gift Horse
1952Movie
Glad Flanagan
13 East Street
1952Movie
Valerie
Whispering Smith vs. Scotland Yard
1952Movie
Miss La Fosse
High Treason
1951Movie
Mrs. Bowers
Lady Godiva Rides Again
1951Movie
Movie Publicist
No Highway in the Sky
1951Movie
Scarlet Thread
1951Movie
Maggie
Circle of Danger
1951Movie
Bubbles Fitzgerald
The Quiet Woman
1951Movie
Elsie Tripp
Traveller's Joy
1950Movie
Eva
No Trace
1950Movie
Maisie
Something in the City
1950Movie
Waitress
The Blue Lamp
1950Movie
Maisie
The Cure for Love
1949Movie
Jenny Jenkins
The Interrupted Journey
1949Movie
the waitress
Don't Ever Leave Me
1949Movie
Talkative Hairdresser (uncredited)
Adam and Evelyne
1949Movie
Blonde Sales Assistant (uncredited)
Now Barabbas
1949Movie
Winnie
The Perfect Woman
1949Movie
Model in Shop
Once Upon a Dream
1949Movie
Barmaid
No Room at the Inn
1948Movie
The Girl
The Fallen Idol
1948Movie
Rose
Odd Man Out
1947Movie
Girl in Telephone Kiosk (uncredited)
According To Dora
TV