GF
Gretchen Franklin
Actor
Born July 7, 1911Died 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.
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 | Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde · as Cook |
| 1980 | Fox (TV Series) · as Cast |
| 1979 | Quincy's Quest · as Witch |
| 1979 | Kelly Monteith (TV Series) · as Cast |
| 1979 | The Quatermass Conclusion · as Edna |
| 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 (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 | Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em (TV Series) |
| 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) · as Carrie Wetherall |
| 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 | Twisted Nerve · as Clarkie |
| 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 | Flame in the Streets · as Mrs. Bingham |
| 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 | The High Terrace · as Mrs. Webb |
| 1956 | Armchair Theatre (TV Series) · as Edie Tidy |
| 1956 | Operation Conspiracy · as Emmie |
| 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) |