Dora Bryan
Personal Info
Known for
Acting
Gender
Female
Birthday
1923-02-07
Day of Death
2014-07-23 (91 years old)
Place of Birth
Parbold, Lancashire, England, UK
Dora Bryan
Biography
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.
Acting
(2005)
MirrorMask
as Aunt Nan
(2003)
Thora Hird Tribute
as Self (archive footage, uncredited)
(1996)
Absolutely Fabulous: The Last Shout
as Millie
(1995)
Bed
as Bosom Lady
(1991)
Palmer
as Monica
(1989)
Apartment Zero
as Margaret McKinney
(1983)
Screamtime
as Emma
(1972)
Up the Front
as Cora Crumpington
(1971)
Hands of the Ripper
as Mrs. Golding
(1967)
Two A Penny
as Ruby Hopkins
(1966)
The Great St. Trinian's Train Robbery
as Amber Spottiswood
(1966)
The Sandwich Man
as Mrs. De Vere
(1964)
The Dream Machine
as Self
(1961)
A Taste of Honey
as Helen
(1960)
Hello London
as herself
(1960)
The Night We Got the Bird
as Julie Skidmore
(1960)
Alice Through the Looking Box
as Queen
(1960)
(1959)
Operation Bullshine
as Pvt. Cox
(1959)
Desert Mice
as Gay Bennett
(1958)
Carry On Sergeant
as Norah
(1958)
The Man Who Wouldn't Talk
as Telephonist
(1957)
Small Hotel
as (uncredited)
(1956)
The Green Man
as Lily
(1956)
Child in the House
as Cassie
(1955)
The Cockleshell Heroes
as Myrtie
(1955)
You Lucky People!
as Hortense Tipp
(1955)
As Long as They're Happy
as May
(1954)
Mad About Men
as Berengaria
(1954)
The Crowded Day
as Marge
(1954)
The Young Lovers
as Switchboard Operator (uncredited)
(1954)
(1954)
Harmony Lane
as Comedian
(1954)
Fast and Loose
as Mary Rawlings, the maid
(1953)
The Fake
as Barmaid
(1953)
The Intruder
as Dora Bee
(1953)
Women of Twilight
as Olga
(1953)
Street Corner
as Prostitute
(1953)
The Real Thing
as Dora
(1952)
Gift Horse
as Glad Flanagan
(1952)
The Ringer
as Mrs. Hackett
(1952)
Miss Robin Hood
as Pearl
(1952)
13 East Street
as Valerie
(1952)
Mother Riley Meets the Vampire
as Tilly
(1952)
Whispering Smith Vs. Scotland Yard
as Miss La Fosse
(1952)
Time, Gentlemen, Please!
as Peggy Stebbins
(1951)
Lady Godiva Rides Again
as Movie Publicist
(1951)
(1951)
High Treason
as Mrs. Bowers
(1951)
Circle of Danger
as Bubbles Fitzgerald
(1951)
The Quiet Woman
as Elsie Tripp
(1951)
Scarlet Thread
as Maggie
(1950)
The Blue Lamp
as Maisie
(1950)
Something in the City
as Waitress
(1950)
No Trace
as Maisie
(1950)
Traveller's Joy
as Eva
(1949)
Adam and Evelyne
as Blonde Sales Assistant (uncredited)
(1949)
The Interrupted Journey
as the waitress
(1949)
Once Upon a Dream
as Barmaid
(1949)
The Perfect Woman
as Model in Shop
(1949)
The Cure for Love
as Jenny Jenkins
(1949)
Don't Ever Leave Me
as Talkative Hairdresser (uncredited)
(1949)
Now Barabbas
as Winnie
(1948)
The Fallen Idol
as Rose
(1948)
No Room at the Inn
as The Girl
(1947)
Odd Man Out
as Girl in Telephone Kiosk (uncredited)