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Photo of Gretchen Franklin

Gretchen Franklin

Actor
Died July 11, 2005 (94 years)
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.
Movies & Shows on Plex
  • The Three Musketeers
  • Twisted Nerve
  • Flame in the Streets
  • The Fenn Street Gang
Known For
  • Twisted Nerve
  • The Night Visitor
  • Ticket to Paradise
  • Bullet from the Past
  • Bowler
  • The Organization

Filmography

1994
Monster Café (TV Series) · as Healthy's Mum
1990
Keeping Up Appearances (TV Series) · as Daddy's Fiance
1985
EastEnders (TV Series) · as Ethel Skinner
1985
Victoria Wood As Seen On TV (TV Series) · as Old Lady In Library
1984
Return to Waterloo · as Woman On Train
1983
Hallelujah! (TV Series) · as Old Lady
1982
Blackadder (TV Series) · as Cordelia
1981
Ragtime · as Elderly Woman
1980
The Dick Emery Hour · as Old Woman On Park Bench
1980
1980
Fox (TV Series) · as Cast
1979
Quincy's Quest · as Witch
1979
Kelly Monteith (TV Series) · as Cast
1979
1979
Quatermass (TV Series) · as Edna
1979
Terry and June (TV Series) · as Cath
1979
Potter (TV Series) · as Lady With Dog
1979
Danger UXB (TV Series) · as Mrs. Flack
1978
The One and Only Phyllis Dixey · as Phyllis's Dresser
1978
The Famous Five (1978) (TV Series) · as Mrs. Janes
1978
The Little and Large Show (TV Series) · as Cast
1978
Hazell (TV Series)
1977
The Other One (TV Series) · as Mrs. Tanner
1977
You're Only Young Twice (TV Series) · as Gipsy Magdalena
1977
Nicholas Nickleby (TV Series) · as Miss Knag
1976
George and Mildred (TV Series) · as Mother
1975
I Didn't Know You Cared (TV Series) · as Auntie Lil
1975
The Sweeney (TV Series) · as Florence, The Charlady
1974
The Four Musketeers: Milady's Revenge · as D'artagnan's Mother (archive Footage) (uncredited)
1974
Rising Damp (TV Series) · as Aunt Maud
1973
The Three Musketeers · as D’artagnan’s Mother
1973
Secrets · as Mrs. Pitt
1973
Black and Blue (TV Series)
1973
Bowler (TV Series) · as Mrs Bowler
1973
1972
The Protectors (TV Series) · as Nelly Baxter
1972
The Adventures of Black Beauty (TV Series) · as Mrs. Rodgers
1972
Sykes (TV Series) · as Bookstall Assistant
1972
The Organization (TV Series) · as Edna
1971
The Fenn Street Gang (TV Series) · as Aunt Harriet
1971
Follyfoot (TV Series) · as Mrs. Porter
1971
Budgie (TV Series)
1971
The Night Visitor · as Mrs. Hansen
1969
Softly Softly Task Force (TV Series) · as Mrs. Walters
1969
In Loving Memory (TV Series) · as Aunt Gertrude
1968
1968
Subterfuge · as Bus Conductress
1968
Journey to the Unknown (TV Series) · as Mrs. Barrett
1968
Gazette (TV Series) · as Mrs. Page
1967
How I Won the War · as 2nd Old Lady
1965
The Murder Game · as Landlady
1965
Die, Monster, Die! · as Miss Bailey
1965
Help! · as Neighbour
1965
Pardon The Expression (TV Series) · as Grandma
1965
Public Eye (TV Series) · as Iris
1964
Gideon C.I.D. (TV Series) · as Martha Bray
1964
Crossroads (1964) (TV Series) · as Myrtle Harvey
1963
Silent Playground · as Mrs. Elgin
1963
The Dick Emery Show (TV Series) · as Auntie
1962
Young and Willing · as Woman
1962
Hugh and I (TV Series) · as Cast
1962
Suspense (1962) (TV Series) · as Clara
1962
The Scales of Justice (TV Series) · as Rose Jenkins
1962
Steptoe and Son (TV Series) · as Aunt Daphne
1962
Z Cars (TV Series)
1961
Comedy Playhouse (TV Series) · as Else Ramsey
1961
1961
Ticket to Paradise · as Mrs. Higginbottom
1960
Citizen James (TV Series) · as Floss
1960
Bootsie and Snudge (TV Series) · as Cast
1960
BBC Sunday-Night Play (TV Series) · as Aunt
1959
Bleak House (1959) (TV Series) · as Mrs. Guppy
1957
The Secret Place · as Mother (uncredited)
1957
A Stranger in Town · as Woman With Package
1957
Emergency-Ward 10 (TV Series) · as Mrs. Parkin
1957
Bullet from the Past · as Mrs. Roper
1956
Armchair Theatre (TV Series) · as Edie Tidy
1956
1955
ITV Play of the Week (TV Series) · as Mabel Dunnock
1955
ITV Television Playhouse (TV Series) · as Mrs. Gravas
1955
Dixon of Dock Green (TV Series) · as Mrs. Walcott
1955
Shadow of Fear · as Elsie
1950
Sunday Night Theatre (TV Series) · as 1st Snail
1949
The Gay Lady · as Martha (uncredited)

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