Gretchen Franklin
25 movies · 40 TV shows
- Known for
- Acting
- Born
- Jul 7, 1911
- Died
- Jul 11, 2005 (age 94)
- Place of birth
- Covent Garden, London, England, UK
Biography
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.
Profiles IMDb
Known for
Gretchen Franklin: movies and TV shows
Acting (65)
- 1990
- 1985
- 1984 Return to Waterloo
as Woman on Train
- 1983
- 1982
- 1981 Ragtime
as Elderly Woman
- 1979 Quincy's Quest
as Witch
- 1979
- 1979
- 1979
- 1978 The One and Only Phyllis Dixey
as Phyllis's Dresser
- 1978
- 1978
- 1977
- 1976
- 1975
- 1975
- 1974
- 1974 The Four Musketeers
as D'Artagnan's Mother (archive footage) (uncredited)
- 1974
- 1973 The Three Musketeers
as D’Artagnan’s Mother
- 1973 Secrets
as Mrs. Pitt
- 1973
- 1973
- 1973
- 1972
- 1972
- 1972
- 1972
- 1971
- 1971 The Night Visitor
as Mrs. Hansen
- 1970 The Company Man
as Tea Lady
- 1969
- 1968 Twisted Nerve
as Clarkie
- 1968 Subterfuge
as Bus Conductress
- 1968
- 1967 How I Won the War
as 2nd Old Lady
- 1965 The Murder Game
as Landlady
- 1965
- 1965 Help!
as Neighbour (uncredited)
- 1965
- 1965 The Man Who Came to Die
as Mrs. Marriott
- 1965
- 1964
- 1964
- 1964
- 1963 The Silent Playground
as Mrs. Elgin
- 1962
- 1962
- 1962
- 1962
- 1961 The Trouble with Our Ivy
as Mrs. Chard
- 1961 Flame in the Streets
as Mrs. Bingham
- 1961 Ticket to Paradise
as Mrs. Higginbottom
- 1960 The Poet
as Erminia
- 1959
- 1959
- 1958
- 1957 The Secret Place
as Mother (uncredited)
- 1956 The High Terrace
as Mrs. Webb
- 1956 Armchair Theatre · TV
as Miss Julia / Mrs. Chard / Else / Edie Tidy / Mrs. Marriott / Tea Lady · 6 episodes
- 1956 Cloak Without Dagger
as Emmie
- 1955
- 1955 Before I Wake
as Elsie
- 1949 Trottie True
as Martha (uncredited)