Brenda Cowling
Born
Brenda Rose Cowling

(1925-04-23)23 April 1925
Died2 October 2010(2010-10-02) (aged 85)
Alma materRADA
OccupationActress

Brenda Rose Cowling (23 April 1925 – 2 October 2010) was an English actress from London. Cowling wanted to be a film actress from the time she was a child; however, upon leaving school, she trained instead as a shorthand typist.

Biography

After a time she joined the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, where she was a member of the same class as Warren Mitchell and Jimmy Perry.[1] While there, she made her film debut in a small role in Alfred Hitchcock's Stage Fright (1950).[2]

Much of her early acting work was in repertory, before she began her television career. She also appeared in films, such as The Railway Children (1970), Please Sir! (1971), Carry On Girls (1973), Carry On Behind (1975). International Velvet (1978), Oliver Twist (1982) and Octopussy (1983).[3] Television serials in which she appeared include Follyfoot, Miss Marple in They Do It With Mirrors as Mrs. Rodgers in 1991, Fawlty Towers as a nurse in "The Germans", Only When I Laugh as the matron nurse in "Last Tango" in 1980, Are You Being Served? as a customer in "The Erotic Dreams of Mrs Slocombe", Jonathan Creek in "Gorgons Wood" as Mrs. Thrimpson (2004), Dad's Army as Mrs. Prentice in "All is Safely Gathered In", It Ain't Half Hot Mum in "The Last Roll Call" as the WVS Lady, The Famous Five, three episodes of Hi-De-Hi, notably as a (voice only role) station announcer in "Together Again", a camper in "Raffles", and a maid in "Wedding Bells", and Mrs. Wren in The Legacy of Reginald Perrin.[4] One of her better known roles was as the cook, Mrs. Lipton, in You Rang, M'Lord?.[5]

Later life and death

Cowling retired in 2006 after suffering a stroke. She died on 2 October 2010, at the actors' retirement home, Denville Hall, aged 85.[6]

Selected filmography

Year Title Role Notes
1950 Stage Fright Plump RADA Girl (uncredited)
1956 The Silken Affair Minor Role (uncredited)
1962-1969 Dixon of Dock Green Doris Gray, Miss Nicholls 2 episodes
1962-74 Z-Cars Various roles 3 episodes
1963 Compact Mrs. Gregson 1 episode
Maigret Madame Pardon 1 episode
The Avengers Masseuse 1 episode
1964 Sergeant Cork Sarah Jenkins 1 episode
1966 Bindle (One of Them Days) Martha Hearty
1967 The Forsyte Saga Miss Perren 5 episodes
The Newcomers Mrs. Bennett 2 episodes
1969 Special Branch Mrs. Madgwick 1 episode
Up in the Air Lady Pennyweight
1970 The Railway Children Mrs. Viney
The Goodies Lady 1 episode
1971 Budgie Lady in Supermarket 1 episode
Please Sir! Mrs. Duffy
The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes Maid 1 episode
1972 Dad's Army Mrs. Prentice 1 episode
Follyfoot Lady Caroline Beck 1 episode
Six Days of Justice Usher 1 episode
Young Winston Mrs. Dewsnap (uncredited)
1973 Carry On Girls Matron
Oh Father! Mrs. Rourke 1 episode
Romany Jones Betty's Mum 3 episodes
1974 Justice Mrs. Cosgrove 1 episode
No Strings Mrs. Turner 1 episode
The Black Windmill Pleasant Secretary (uncredited)
The Pallisers Mrs. Bunce 5 episodes
1975 Carry On Behind Wife (uncredited)
Fawlty Towers Sister 1 episode
1976 Angels Staff Nurse 2 episodes
1977 Happy Ever After Mrs. Robinson 1 episode
Jabberwocky Mrs. Fishfinger
Raffles Mrs. Van Der Berg 1 episode
The Duchess of Duke Street Elsie Richards 2 episodes
The Black Panther TBC
1978 International Velvet Alice
The Famous Five Jenny 2 episodes
1979-1983 Potter Jane 18 episodes
1980 Only When I Laugh Matron 1 episode
Shoestring Mrs. Margaret Billington 1 episode
1981 Are You Being Served? Lady Customer 1 episode
It Ain't Half Hot Mum WVS Lady 1 episode
Nanny Nanny Roberts 1 episode
You're Only Young Twice Mrs. Hawkhead 1 episode
1982 Oliver Twist Mrs. Bedwin
Pink Floyd – The Wall Teacher
The Agatha Christie Hour Mrs. Draper 1 episode
1983 Octopussy Schatzi
1984-1988 Hi-de-Hi! Lady Camper, Nora, Station Announcer 3 episodes
1985 Lytton's Diary Customer 1 episode
The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13¾ Matron 1 episode
1985-1987 In Sickness and in Health Woman Patient, Home Help, Matron 3 episodes
1986 All in Good Faith Brenda Trail 1 episode
Dream Lover Hotel Manager
Grange Hill Shopkeeper 1 episode
London's Burning Man's Wife TV Movie
T-Bag Bunty Badshott 1 episode
1987 Dorothy L. Sayers Mystery Mrs. Lundy 1 episode
The Charmer Chambermaid 1 episode
1988-1993 You Rang M'Lord? Mrs. Blanche Lipton 26 episodes
1989-2002 The Bill Various roles 4 episodes
1991 Miss Marple Mrs. Rodgers 1 episode
1993 The Upper Hand Nun 1 episode
1996 The Legacy of Reginald Perrin Mrs. Wren 1 episode
1997 Goodnight Sweetheart Edith Brown 1 episode
The Detectives Bride's Grandmother 1 episode
1999 Babes in the Wood Mourner 1 episode
2000 Barbara Sarah 1 episode
Greenfingers Book Shop Customer
Room to Rent Church Lady
Where the Heart Is Martha 1 episode
2001 Bernard's Watch Mrs. Tatchell 1 episode
2003 The Last Detective Old Lady 1 episode
2004 French and Saunders Older Dawn 5 episodes
Jonathan Creek Mrs. Thrimpston 1 episode
Murder in Suburbia Mrs. Kirkman 1 episode
The Legend of the Tamworth Two Mrs. Martin TV Movie
2005 According to Bex Vox Pops 2 episodes

References

  1. Are You Being Served? A Celebration of Twenty-Five Years. Richard Webber with David Croft and Jeremy Lloyd. New York; Welcome Rain, 1998.
  2. "Brenda Cowling". BFI. Archived from the original on 21 September 2016.
  3. "Brenda Cowling - Movies and Filmography". AllMovie.
  4. "Brenda Cowling". www.aveleyman.com.
  5. BBC. "You Rang, M'Lord?". www.bbc.co.uk.
  6. Obituary in The Guardian
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