Gretchen Franklin
Born in Covent Garden, West London in 1911, Gretchen Franklin was an English actress and dancer whose showbusiness career spanned over 70 years. She was best known for her role as Ethel Skinner in the long-running BBC 1 soap opera EastEnders. She appeared in the very first episode in 1985 and was a regular in the series until 1988. After this she returned to the show intermittently until 2000 when her character was killed off, allowing Franklin to retire from acting at the age of 89. Born into a theatrical family (her father had a song and dance act, her grandfather was a famous music hall entertainer at the turn of the century and her cousin was Dad's Army star Clive Dunn) Gretchen Franklin made her theatre debut as a teenage chorus girl. She toured with comedians such as Gracie Fields before making the switch to serious acting. Her film appearances included Cloak Without Dagger (1956), Flame in the Streets (1961), The Murder Game (1965), Help! (1965), How I Won The War (1967), Twisted Nerve (1968), The Night Visitor (1971), The Three Musketeers (1973), Quincy's Quest (1979), and Ragtime (1981), among others. She is namechecked in The Fall's 1990 song Telephone Thing.
Known For
Credits
- 1990 · Keeping Up Appearances as Daddy's Fiance
- 1985 · EastEnders as
- 1985 · EastEnders as Ethel Skinner
- 1984 · Return to Waterloo as Woman on Train
- 1983 · Blackadder as Cordelia
- 1982 · Dead Ernest as
- 1981 · Ragtime as Elderly Woman
- 1979 · Terry and June as Cath
- 1979 · Quatermass as Edna
- 1979 · Danger UXB as Mrs. Flack
- 1978 · The One and Only Phyllis Dixey as Phyllis's Dresser
- 1978 · Hazell as
- 1977 · Nicholas Nickleby as Miss Knag
- 1976 · George and Mildred as Mother
- 1975 · I Didn't Know You Cared as Auntie Lil
- 1975 · The Sweeney as Florence, the Charlady
- 1974 · The Four Musketeers as D'Artagnan's Mother (archive footage) (uncredited)
- 1974 · Rising Damp as Aunt Maud
- 1973 · The Three Musketeers as D’Artagnan’s Mother
- 1973 · Black and Blue as
- 1973 · Secrets as Mrs. Pitt
- 1973 · Bowler as
- 1973 · Bowler as Mrs Bowler
- 1973 · Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em as
- 1972 · The Protectors as Nelly Baxter
- 1972 · Sykes as Bookstall Assistant
- 1971 · Budgie as
- 1971 · The Night Visitor as Mrs. Hansen
- 1970 · The Company Man as Tea Lady
- 1969 · Castle Haven as
- 1968 · Twisted Nerve as Clarkie
- 1968 · Subterfuge as Bus Conductress
- 1967 · How I Won the War as 2nd Old Lady
- 1965 · The Murder Game as Landlady
- 1965 · A Slight Case Of... as
- 1965 · Help! as Neighbour
- 1965 · Gideon's Way as Martha Bray
- 1963 · The Silent Playground as Mrs. Elgin
- 1962 · The Scales of Justice as Rose Jenkins
- 1962 · Z-Cars as
- 1961 · The Trouble with Our Ivy as Mrs. Chard
- 1961 · Flame in the Streets as Mrs. Bingham
- 1961 · Ticket to Paradise as Mrs. Higginbottom
- 1959 · The Artful Dodger as
- 1957 · The Secret Place as Mother (uncredited)
- 1956 · The High Terrace as Mrs. Webb
- 1956 · Cloak Without Dagger as Emmie
- 1955 · Dixon of Dock Green as Mrs. Walcott
- 1955 · Before I Wake as Elsie
- 1949 · Trottie True as Martha (uncredited)
- Future · The Man Who Came to Die as Mrs. Marriot