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.
Filmography
Return to Waterloo
as Woman on Train
Return to Waterloo
as Woman on Train
Ragtime
as Elderly Woman
Ragtime
as Elderly Woman
Quincy's Quest
as Witch
Quincy's Quest
as Witch
The One and Only Phyllis Dixey
as Phyllis's Dresser
The One and Only Phyllis Dixey
as Phyllis's Dresser
The Four Musketeers
as D'Artagnan's Mother (archive footage) (uncredited)
The Four Musketeers
as D'Artagnan's Mother (archive footage) (uncredited)
The Three Musketeers
as D’Artagnan’s Mother
The Three Musketeers
as D’Artagnan’s Mother
Secrets
as Mrs. Pitt
Secrets
as Mrs. Pitt
The Night Visitor
as Mrs. Hansen
The Night Visitor
as Mrs. Hansen
The Company Man
as Tea Lady
The Company Man
as Tea Lady
Twisted Nerve
as Clarkie
Twisted Nerve
as Clarkie
Subterfuge
as Bus Conductress
Subterfuge
as Bus Conductress
How I Won the War
as 2nd Old Lady
How I Won the War
as 2nd Old Lady
The Murder Game
as Landlady
The Murder Game
as Landlady
Help!
as Neighbour
Help!
as Neighbour
The Man Who Came to Die
as Mrs. Marriott
The Man Who Came to Die
as Mrs. Marriott
The Silent Playground
as Mrs. Elgin
The Silent Playground
as Mrs. Elgin
The Trouble with Our Ivy
as Mrs. Chard
The Trouble with Our Ivy
as Mrs. Chard
Flame in the Streets
as Mrs. Bingham
Flame in the Streets
as Mrs. Bingham
Ticket to Paradise
as Mrs. Higginbottom
Ticket to Paradise
as Mrs. Higginbottom
The Poet
as Erminia
The Poet
as Erminia
The Secret Place
as Mother (uncredited)
The Secret Place
as Mother (uncredited)
The High Terrace
as Mrs. Webb
The High Terrace
as Mrs. Webb
Cloak Without Dagger
as Emmie
Cloak Without Dagger
as Emmie
Before I Wake
as Elsie
Before I Wake
as Elsie
Trottie True
as Martha (uncredited)
Trottie True
as Martha (uncredited)