Dora Bryan
Acting • Born 1923-02-07 – Died 2014-07-23
Biography
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.
Filmography
86 credits
Apartment Zero
Movie • 1989
Margaret McKinney
A Taste of Honey
Movie • 1961
Helen
Carry On Sergeant
Movie • 1958
Norah
The Great St Trinian's Train Robbery
Movie • 1966
Amber Spottiswood
MirrorMask
Movie • 2005
Aunt Nan
The Cockleshell Heroes
Movie • 1955
Myrtie
Up the Front
Movie • 1972
Auntie Cora Crumpington
No Trace
Movie • 1950
Maisie
Hands of the Ripper
Movie • 1971
Mrs. Golding
The Blue Lamp
Movie • 1950
Maisie
The Sandwich Man
Movie • 1966
Mrs. De Vere
The Man Who Wouldn't Talk
Movie • 1958
Telephonist
The Fake
Movie • 1953
Barmaid
Mad About Men
Movie • 1954
Berengaria
Now Barabbas
Movie • 1949
Winnie
Fast and Loose
Movie • 1954
Mary Rawlings, the maid
You Lucky People!
Movie • 1955
Hortense Tipp
Two a Penny
Movie • 1967
Ruby Hopkins
Miss Robin Hood
Movie • 1952
Pearl
Bed
Movie • 1995
Bosom Lady
The Night We Got the Bird
Movie • 1960
Julie Skidmore
Traveller's Joy
Movie • 1950
Eva
Absolutely Fabulous: The Last Shout
Movie • 1996
Millie
The Ringer
Movie • 1952
Mrs. Hackett
Operation Bullshine
Movie • 1959
Pvt. Cox
You Know What Sailors Are
Movie • 1954
The Interrupted Journey
Movie • 1949
the waitress
High Treason
Movie • 1951
Mrs. Bowers
Once Upon a Dream
Movie • 1949
Barmaid
Desert Mice
Movie • 1959
Gay Bennett
Scarlet Thread
Movie • 1951
Maggie
Mother Riley Meets the Vampire
Movie • 1952
Tilly
Something in the City
Movie • 1950
Waitress
The Real Thing
Movie • 1953
Dora
Alice Through the Looking Box
Movie • 1960
Queen
Follow That Horse!
Movie • 1960
The Quiet Woman
Movie • 1951
Elsie Tripp
Gift Horse
Movie • 1952
Glad Flanagan
Palmer
Movie • 1991
Monica
Child in the House
Movie • 1956
Cassie
13 East Street
Movie • 1952
Valerie
Hello London
Movie • 1960
herself
Street Corner
Movie • 1953
Prostitute
The Green Man
Movie • 1956
Lily
Whispering Smith vs. Scotland Yard
Movie • 1952
Miss La Fosse
Women of Twilight
Movie • 1953
Olga
Harmony Lane
Movie • 1954
Comedian
The Young Lovers
Movie • 1954
Switchboard Operator (uncredited)
Lady Godiva Rides Again
Movie • 1951
Movie Publicist
The Intruder
Movie • 1953
Dora Bee
The Fallen Idol
Movie • 1948
Rose
Screamtime
Movie • 1983
Emma
Circle of Danger
Movie • 1951
Bubbles Fitzgerald
The Cure for Love
Movie • 1949
Jenny Jenkins
Time, Gentlemen, Please!
Movie • 1952
Peggy Stebbins
The Crowded Day
Movie • 1954
Marge
As Long as They're Happy
Movie • 1955
May
No Highway in the Sky
Movie • 1951
No Room at the Inn
Movie • 1948
The Girl
Small Hotel
Movie • 1957
(uncredited)
Odd Man Out
Movie • 1947
Girl in Telephone Kiosk (uncredited)
Adam and Evelyne
Movie • 1949
Blonde Sales Assistant (uncredited)
The Perfect Woman
Movie • 1949
Model in Shop
Don't Ever Leave Me
Movie • 1949
Talkative Hairdresser (uncredited)
The Dream Machine
Movie • 1964
Self
Thora Hird Tribute
Movie • 2003
Self (archive footage, uncredited)
On the Up
TV • 1990
Heartbeat
TV • 1992
Jane Thompson
Last of the Summer Wine
TV • 1973
Roz
Virtual Murder
TV • 1992
dinnerladies
TV • 1998
Connie
Before The Fringe
TV • 1967
According To Dora
TV
Performance
TV • 1991
Bosom Lady
Casualty
TV • 1986
Hester Blewett
An Audience with...
TV • 1978
Self
The Sooty Show
TV • 1955
Herself
Mother's Ruin
TV • 1994
Frank Stubbs Promotes
TV • 1993
Molly Bramley
Doctors
TV • 2000
Lily Anderson
Both Ends Meet
TV • 1972
Dora Page
Educating Archie
TV • 1958
Happily Ever After
TV • 1961
Dora Morgan
Theatre Night
TV • 1957
Julie Skidmore
Hippies
TV • 1999
Dame Nelly Fletcher
Absolutely Fabulous
TV • 1992
Dolly