Dora Bryan
Dora May Bryan OBE was an English actress of stage, film and television. Born Dora May Broadbent, her career began in pantomime as a child actor. In World War II she joined the ENSA in Italy to entertain British troops. After having established herself as a versatile stage actress, covering everything from drama and comedy to musicals, she started to appear in film in the late 1940s, and in 1968 she even had her own TV series, "According to Dora". At one point in her career she was Britain's highest-paid star. She was active on stage until the mid 1990s and continued to work in film and television until 2005, when she finally had to give up the acting profession as she could no longer remember her lines. Her autobiography According To Dora was published in 1987. In 1996, she was awarded an OBE in recognition of her services to acting and the same year she was also awarded the Laurence Olivier Award for her role in the West End production of the Harold Pinter play "The Birthday Party". She was married to British cricket player Bill Lawton from 1954 to his death in 2008. She lived in a nursing home in Hove, outside Brighton, until her death in 2014.
Filmography
MirrorMask
as Aunt Nan
MirrorMask
as Aunt Nan
Thora Hird Tribute
as Self (archive footage, uncredited)
Thora Hird Tribute
as Self (archive footage, uncredited)
Absolutely Fabulous: The Last Shout
as Millie
Absolutely Fabulous: The Last Shout
as Millie
Bed
as Bosom Lady
Bed
as Bosom Lady
Palmer
as Monica
Palmer
as Monica
Apartment Zero
as Margaret McKinney
Apartment Zero
as Margaret McKinney
Screamtime
as Emma
Screamtime
as Emma
Up the Front
as Auntie Cora Crumpington
Up the Front
as Auntie Cora Crumpington
Hands of the Ripper
as Mrs. Golding
Hands of the Ripper
as Mrs. Golding
Two a Penny
as Ruby Hopkins
Two a Penny
as Ruby Hopkins
The Sandwich Man
as Mrs. De Vere
The Sandwich Man
as Mrs. De Vere
The Great St Trinian's Train Robbery
as Amber Spottiswood
The Great St Trinian's Train Robbery
as Amber Spottiswood
The Dream Machine
as Self
The Dream Machine
as Self
A Taste of Honey
as Helen
A Taste of Honey
as Helen
Alice Through the Looking Box
as Queen
Alice Through the Looking Box
as Queen
Hello London
as herself
Hello London
as herself
The Night We Got the Bird
as Julie Skidmore
The Night We Got the Bird
as Julie Skidmore
Follow That Horse!
Follow That Horse!
Operation Bullshine
as Pvt. Cox
Operation Bullshine
as Pvt. Cox
Desert Mice
as Gay Bennett
Desert Mice
as Gay Bennett
Carry On Sergeant
as Norah
Carry On Sergeant
as Norah
The Man Who Wouldn't Talk
as Telephonist
The Man Who Wouldn't Talk
as Telephonist
Small Hotel
as (uncredited)
Small Hotel
as (uncredited)
The Green Man
as Lily
The Green Man
as Lily
Child in the House
as Cassie
Child in the House
as Cassie
The Cockleshell Heroes
as Myrtie
The Cockleshell Heroes
as Myrtie
You Lucky People!
as Hortense Tipp
You Lucky People!
as Hortense Tipp
As Long as They're Happy
as May
As Long as They're Happy
as May
Harmony Lane
as Comedian
Harmony Lane
as Comedian
Mad About Men
as Berengaria
Mad About Men
as Berengaria
The Crowded Day
as Marge
The Crowded Day
as Marge
The Young Lovers
as Switchboard Operator (uncredited)
The Young Lovers
as Switchboard Operator (uncredited)
Fast and Loose
as Mary Rawlings, the maid
Fast and Loose
as Mary Rawlings, the maid
You Know What Sailors Are
You Know What Sailors Are
The Intruder
as Dora Bee
The Intruder
as Dora Bee
The Fake
as Barmaid
The Fake
as Barmaid
Street Corner
as Prostitute
Street Corner
as Prostitute
Women of Twilight
as Olga
Women of Twilight
as Olga
The Real Thing
as Dora
The Real Thing
as Dora
The Ringer
as Mrs. Hackett
The Ringer
as Mrs. Hackett
Miss Robin Hood
as Pearl
Miss Robin Hood
as Pearl
Mother Riley Meets the Vampire
as Tilly
Mother Riley Meets the Vampire
as Tilly
Time, Gentlemen, Please!
as Peggy Stebbins
Time, Gentlemen, Please!
as Peggy Stebbins
Gift Horse
as Glad Flanagan
Gift Horse
as Glad Flanagan
13 East Street
as Valerie
13 East Street
as Valerie
Whispering Smith vs. Scotland Yard
as Miss La Fosse
Whispering Smith vs. Scotland Yard
as Miss La Fosse
High Treason
as Mrs. Bowers
High Treason
as Mrs. Bowers
Lady Godiva Rides Again
as Movie Publicist
Lady Godiva Rides Again
as Movie Publicist
No Highway in the Sky
No Highway in the Sky
Scarlet Thread
as Maggie
Scarlet Thread
as Maggie
Circle of Danger
as Bubbles Fitzgerald
Circle of Danger
as Bubbles Fitzgerald
The Quiet Woman
as Elsie Tripp
The Quiet Woman
as Elsie Tripp
Traveller's Joy
as Eva
Traveller's Joy
as Eva
No Trace
as Maisie
No Trace
as Maisie
Something in the City
as Waitress
Something in the City
as Waitress
The Blue Lamp
as Maisie
The Blue Lamp
as Maisie
The Cure for Love
as Jenny Jenkins
The Cure for Love
as Jenny Jenkins
The Interrupted Journey
as the waitress
The Interrupted Journey
as the waitress
Don't Ever Leave Me
as Talkative Hairdresser (uncredited)
Don't Ever Leave Me
as Talkative Hairdresser (uncredited)
Adam and Evelyne
as Blonde Sales Assistant (uncredited)
Adam and Evelyne
as Blonde Sales Assistant (uncredited)
Now Barabbas
as Winnie
Now Barabbas
as Winnie
The Perfect Woman
as Model in Shop
The Perfect Woman
as Model in Shop
Once Upon a Dream
as Barmaid
Once Upon a Dream
as Barmaid
No Room at the Inn
as The Girl
No Room at the Inn
as The Girl
The Fallen Idol
as Rose
The Fallen Idol
as Rose
Odd Man Out
as Girl in Telephone Kiosk (uncredited)
Odd Man Out
as Girl in Telephone Kiosk (uncredited)