Name
Gretchen Franklin
Known For
Acting
Birthday
1911-07-07
Deathday
2005-07-11 (94 years old)
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.
Known For
6.7
In 17th century France, young D'Artagnan wants to join the King's Musketeers, but instead ...
6.8
Martin Durnley is a young man with an infantilizing mother, resentful stepfather and an in...
5.6
An inept British WWII commander leads his troops to a series of misadventures in North Afr...
6.273
Domestic difficulties develop in a working-class family when their daughter falls in love ...
6.474
An insane Swedish farmer escapes from an asylum to get revenge on his sister, her husband ...
6.813
A man taking the train to work one morning is overcome by melancholy memories and morbid f...
5.2
A woman travels to England to attend her parents' funeral. She is told by officials that t...
- 1978 The One and Only Phyllis Dixey as Phyllis's Dresser
- 1965 The Murder Game as Landlady
- 1955 Before I Wake as Elsie
- 1961 The Trouble with Our Ivy as Mrs. Chard
- 1961 Ticket to Paradise as Mrs. Higginbottom
- 1963 The Silent Playground as Mrs. Elgin
- 1974 The Four Musketeers as D'Artagnan's Mother (archive footage) (uncredited)
- 1973 Secrets as Mrs. Pitt
- 1968 Twisted Nerve as Clarkie
- 1970 The Company Man as Tea Lady
- 1973 The Three Musketeers as D’Artagnan’s Mother
- 1961 Flame in the Streets as Mrs. Bingham
- 1971 The Night Visitor as Mrs. Hansen
- 1956 The High Terrace as Mrs. Webb
- 1984 Return to Waterloo as Woman on Train
- 1965 Help! as Neighbour (uncredited)
- 1967 How I Won the War as 2nd Old Lady
- 1968 Subterfuge as Bus Conductress
- 1949 Trottie True as Martha (uncredited)
- 1957 The Secret Place as Mother (uncredited)
- 1956 Cloak Without Dagger as Emmie
- 1981 Ragtime as Elderly Woman
- 1960 The Poet as Erminia
- 1965 The Man Who Came to Die as Mrs. Marriott
- 1979 Quincy's Quest as Witch
- 1990 Keeping Up Appearances ( 1 episode ) as Daddy's Fiance
- 1959 The Artful Dodger ( 6 episodes )
- 1971 Budgie ( 1 episode ) as Carrie Wetherall
- 1985 EastEnders ( 670 episodes )
- 1962 Z-Cars ( 1 episode )
- 1965 Gideon's Way ( 1 episode ) as Martha Bray
- 1975 The Sweeney ( 1 episode ) as Florence, the Charlady
- 1962 The Scales of Justice ( 1 episode ) as Rose Jenkins
- 1972 The Protectors ( 1 episode ) as Nelly Baxter
- 1955 Dixon of Dock Green ( 1 episode ) as Mrs. Walcott
- 1975 I Didn't Know You Cared ( 7 episodes ) as Auntie Lil
- 1965 A Slight Case Of... ( 1 episode )
- 1982 Dead Ernest ( 7 episodes )
- 1976 George and Mildred ( 1 episode ) as Mother
- 1973 Bowler ( 13 episodes )
- 1969 Castle Haven ( 100 episodes )
- 1985 EastEnders ( 570 episodes ) as Ethel Skinner
- 1983 Blackadder ( 1 episode ) as Cordelia
- 1974 Rising Damp ( 1 episode ) as Aunt Maud
- 1973 Bowler ( 13 episodes ) as Mrs Bowler
- 1979 Terry and June ( 1 episode ) as Cath
- 1979 Danger UXB ( 1 episode ) as Mrs. Flack
- 1972 Sykes ( 1 episode ) as Bookstall Assistant
- 1979 Quatermass ( 2 episodes ) as Edna
- 1958 Saturday Playhouse ( 1 episode ) as Susan Sillsby
- 1958 Saturday Playhouse ( 1 episode ) as Mrs. Wilson
- 1958 Saturday Playhouse ( 1 episode ) as Mrs. Catt
- 1965 Londoners ( 1 episode ) as Mrs. Hincastle
- 1977 Nicholas Nickleby ( 1 episode ) as Miss Knag
- 1964 Story Parade ( 1 episode ) as Mrs. Huxtable
- 1973 Black and Blue ( 1 episode ) as Mrs. Pitt
- 1974 Churchill's People ( 1 episode ) as Mrs Baxter
- 1978 Hazell ( 1 episode ) as Pearl
- 1972 The Organization ( 3 episodes ) as Edna
- 1956 Armchair Theatre ( 1 episode ) as Miss Julia
- 1956 Armchair Theatre ( 1 episode ) as Mrs. Chard
- 1956 Armchair Theatre ( 1 episode ) as Else
- 1956 Armchair Theatre ( 1 episode ) as Edie Tidy
- 1956 Armchair Theatre ( 1 episode ) as Mrs. Marriott
- 1956 Armchair Theatre ( 1 episode ) as Tea Lady
- 1968 Journey to the Unknown ( 1 episode ) as Mrs. Barrett
- 1972 Six Days of Justice ( 1 episode ) as Annie
- 1962 Steptoe and Son ( 1 episode ) as Aunt Daphne
- 1964 The Protectors ( 1 episode ) as Mrs Bolland
- 1964 The Four Seasons of Rosie Carr ( 1 episode ) as Amy Bennett
