Gretchen Franklin

Person

Gretchen Franklin

Acting July 7, 1911

Covent Garden, London, England, UK

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…

IMDb

Known for

Popular titles

EastEnders

EastEnders

4.2 1985 TV Show
Blackadder

Blackadder

8.0 1983 TV Show
The Three Musketeers

The Three Musketeers

6.7 1973 Movie
Help!

Help!

6.9 1965 Movie
Keeping Up Appearances

Keeping Up Appearances

7.7 1990 TV Show
Z-Cars

Z-Cars

7.3 1962 TV Show
The Sweeney

The Sweeney

8.1 1975 TV Show
The Four Musketeers

The Four Musketeers

6.5 1974 Movie
Ragtime

Ragtime

7.0 1981 Movie
Dixon of Dock Green

Dixon of Dock Green

6.0 1955 TV Show
The Protectors

The Protectors

6.1 1972 TV Show
Sykes

Sykes

6.7 1972 TV Show

Biography

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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.

Filmography

Movies and shows, newest first

  1. 1990
    Keeping Up Appearances

    TV show Daddy's Fiance

  2. 1985
    EastEnders

    TV show

  3. 1984
    Return to Waterloo

    Movie Woman on Train

  4. 1983
    Blackadder

    TV show Cordelia

  5. 1982
    Dead Ernest

    TV show

  6. 1981
    Ragtime

    Movie Elderly Woman

  7. 1979
    Quincy's Quest

    Movie Witch

  8. 1979
    Terry and June

    TV show Cath

  9. 1979
    Quatermass

    TV show Edna

  10. 1979
    Danger UXB

    TV show Mrs. Flack

  11. 1978
    The One and Only Phyllis Dixey

    Movie Phyllis's Dresser

  12. 1978
    The Famous Five

    TV show Mrs Janes

  13. 1978
    Hazell

    TV show Pearl

  14. 1977
    Nicholas Nickleby

    TV show Miss Knag

  15. 1976
    George and Mildred

    TV show Mother

  16. 1975
    I Didn't Know You Cared

    TV show Auntie Lil

More credits
  1. 1975
    The Sweeney

    TV show Florence, the Charlady

  2. 1974
    Churchill's People

    TV show Mrs Baxter

  3. 1974
    The Four Musketeers

    Movie D'Artagnan's Mother (archive footage) (uncredited)

  4. 1974
    Rising Damp

    TV show Aunt Maud

  5. 1973
    The Three Musketeers

    Movie D’Artagnan’s Mother

  6. 1973
    Black and Blue

    TV show Mrs. Pitt

  7. 1973
    Secrets

    Movie Mrs. Pitt

  8. 1973
    Bowler

    TV show Mrs Bowler

  9. 1973
    Bowler

    TV show

  10. 1972
    The Protectors

    TV show Nelly Baxter

  11. 1972
    Sykes

    TV show Bookstall Assistant

  12. 1972
    The Organization

    TV show Edna

  13. 1972
    Six Days of Justice

    TV show Annie

  14. 1971
    Budgie

    TV show Carrie Wetherall

  15. 1971
    The Night Visitor

    Movie Mrs. Hansen

  16. 1970
    The Company Man

    Movie Tea Lady

  17. 1969
    Castle Haven

    TV show

  18. 1968
    Twisted Nerve

    Movie Clarkie

  19. 1968
    Subterfuge

    Movie Bus Conductress

  20. 1968
    Journey to the Unknown

    TV show Mrs. Barrett

  21. 1967
    How I Won the War

    Movie 2nd Old Lady

  22. 1965
    The Murder Game

    Movie Landlady

  23. 1965
    A Slight Case Of...

    TV show

  24. 1965
    Help!

    Movie Neighbour (uncredited)