Person Details

Birthday: 1911-07-07 12:34:10

Death: 2005-07-11 12:34:10

Aliases: No known aliases

Gender: Female

Place of birth: Covent Garden, London, England, UK

Homepage:

Movie Involvements: 16

TV Involvements: 9


Most Famous Work

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.

Most Famous Work

Gideon's Way
Average
7

Gideon's Way

(1965) Martha Bray
EastEnders
Average
4

EastEnders

(1985) Ethel Skinner
The Protectors
Average
5

The Protectors

(1972) Nelly Baxter
The Sweeney
Average
8

The Sweeney

(1975) Florence, the Charlady
The Scales of Justice
Average
7

The Scales of Justice

(1962) Rose Jenkins
Dixon of Dock Green
Average
5

Dixon of Dock Green

(1955) Mrs. Walcott
Quatermass
Average
6

Quatermass

(1979) Edna
Danger UXB
Average
8

Danger UXB

(1979) Mrs. Flack

Acting

Year Character Movie/Tv
1990 Daddy's Fiance
1985 N/A
Ethel Skinner
1984 Woman on Train
1983 Cordelia
1982 N/A
1981 Elderly Woman
1979 Edna
Mrs. Flack
1978 Phyllis's Dresser
N/A
1977 Miss Knag
1976 Mother
1975 Auntie Lil
Florence, the Charlady
1974 D'Artagnan's Mother (archive footage) (uncredited)
1973 D’Artagnan’s Mother
N/A
Mrs. Pitt
N/A
N/A
1972 Nelly Baxter
1971 N/A
Mrs. Hansen
1969 N/A
1968 Clarkie
Bus Conductress
1967 2nd Old Lady
1965 Landlady
N/A
Neighbour
Martha Bray
1963 Mrs. Elgin
1962 Rose Jenkins
N/A
1961 Mrs. Chard
Mrs. Bingham
Mrs. Higginbottom
1959 N/A
1957 Mother (uncredited)
1956 Mrs. Webb
Emmie
1955 Mrs. Walcott
Elsie
1949 Martha (uncredited)
Mrs. Marriot
Year Character Movie/Tv

Join the discussion

Please Log in to comment