Acting · Parbold, Lancashire, England, UK · Born February 7, 1923
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.
MovieMirrorMask
2005
as Aunt Nan
MovieThora Hird Tribute
2003
as Self (archive footage, uncredited)
TVDoctors
2000
as Lily Anderson
TVHippies
1999
as Dame Nelly Fletcher
TVdinnerladies
1998
as Connie
MovieAbsolutely Fabulous: The Last Shout
1996
as Millie
MovieBed
1995
as Bosom Lady
Mother's Ruin
1994
TVFrank Stubbs Promotes
1993
as Molly Bramley
TVAbsolutely Fabulous
1992
as Dolly
TVVirtual Murder
1992
as Mrs Mim
TVHeartbeat
1992
as Jane Thompson
TVPerformance
1991
as Bosom Lady
MoviePalmer
1991
as Monica
TVOn the Up
1990
MovieApartment Zero
1989
as Margaret McKinney
TVCasualty
1986
as Hester Blewett
MovieScreamtime
1983
as Emma
TVAn Audience with...
1978
as Self
TVLast of the Summer Wine
1973
as Roz
MovieUp the Front
1972
as Auntie Cora Crumpington
Both Ends Meet
1972
as Dora Page
MovieHands of the Ripper
1971
as Mrs. Golding
MovieTwo a Penny
1967
as Ruby Hopkins
Before The Fringe
1967
MovieThe Sandwich Man
1966
as Mrs. De Vere
MovieThe Great St Trinian's Train Robbery
1966
as Amber Spottiswood
The Dream Machine
1964
as Self
TVWorld in Action
1963
MovieA Taste of Honey
1961
as Helen
Happily Ever After
1961
as Dora Morgan
MovieAlice Through the Looking Box
1960
as Queen
Hello London
1960
as herself
MovieThe Night We Got the Bird
1960
as Julie Skidmore
Follow That Horse!
1960
MovieOperation Bullshine
1959
as Pvt. Cox
MovieDesert Mice
1959
as Gay Bennett
Educating Archie
1958
MovieCarry On Sergeant
1958
as Norah
MovieThe Man Who Wouldn't Talk
1958
as Telephonist
MovieSmall Hotel
1957
as (uncredited)
TVTheatre Night
1957
as Julie Skidmore
MovieThe Green Man
1956
as Lily
MovieChild in the House
1956
as Cassie
MovieThe Cockleshell Heroes
1955
as Myrtie
MovieYou Lucky People!
1955
as Hortense Tipp
MovieAs Long as They're Happy
1955
as May
TVThe Sooty Show
1955
as Herself
MovieHarmony Lane
1954
as Comedian
MovieMad About Men
1954
as Berengaria
MovieThe Crowded Day
1954
as Marge
MovieThe Young Lovers
1954
as Switchboard Operator (uncredited)
MovieFast and Loose
1954
as Mary Rawlings, the maid
MovieYou Know What Sailors Are
1954
MovieThe Intruder
1953
as Dora Bee
MovieThe Fake
1953
as Barmaid
MovieStreet Corner
1953
as Prostitute
MovieWomen of Twilight
1953
as Olga
The Real Thing
1953
as Dora
MovieThe Ringer
1952
as Mrs. Hackett
MovieMiss Robin Hood
1952
as Pearl
MovieMother Riley Meets the Vampire
1952
as Tilly
MovieTime, Gentlemen, Please!
1952
as Peggy Stebbins
MovieGift Horse
1952
as Glad Flanagan
Movie13 East Street
1952
as Valerie
MovieWhispering Smith vs. Scotland Yard
1952
as Miss La Fosse
MovieHigh Treason
1951
as Mrs. Bowers
MovieLady Godiva Rides Again
1951
as Movie Publicist
MovieNo Highway in the Sky
1951
MovieScarlet Thread
1951
as Maggie
MovieCircle of Danger
1951
as Bubbles Fitzgerald
MovieThe Quiet Woman
1951
as Elsie Tripp
MovieTraveller's Joy
1950
as Eva
MovieNo Trace
1950
as Maisie
MovieSomething in the City
1950
as Waitress
MovieThe Blue Lamp
1950
as Maisie
MovieThe Cure for Love
1949
as Jenny Jenkins
MovieThe Interrupted Journey
1949
as the waitress
MovieDon't Ever Leave Me
1949
as Talkative Hairdresser (uncredited)
MovieAdam and Evelyne
1949
as Blonde Sales Assistant (uncredited)
MovieNow Barabbas
1949
as Winnie
MovieThe Perfect Woman
1949
as Model in Shop
MovieOnce Upon a Dream
1949
as Barmaid
MovieNo Room at the Inn
1948
as The Girl
MovieThe Fallen Idol
1948
as Rose
MovieOdd Man Out
1947
as Girl in Telephone Kiosk (uncredited)
According To Dora
