Dora Bryan

Dora Bryan

Acting
Born 1923-02-07 - Died 2014-07-23Parbold, Lancashire, England, UK

Biography

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. 

Movies (66)

Absolutely Fabulous: The Last Shout
7.3

Absolutely Fabulous: The Last Shout

1996Movie7.3
MirrorMask
6.4

MirrorMask

2005Movie6.4
The Great St Trinian's Train Robbery
6.2

The Great St Trinian's Train Robbery

1966Movie6.2
Mad About Men
6.5

Mad About Men

1954Movie6.5
Thora Hird Tribute

Thora Hird Tribute

2003Movie
The Green Man
7.0

The Green Man

1956Movie7.0
Scarlet Thread
5.2

Scarlet Thread

1951Movie5.2
The Fallen Idol
7.2

The Fallen Idol

1948Movie7.2
Carry On Sergeant
6.4

Carry On Sergeant

1958Movie6.4
Once Upon a Dream
6.8

Once Upon a Dream

1949Movie6.8
Hello London
7.0

Hello London

1960Movie7.0
Odd Man Out
7.3

Odd Man Out

1947Movie7.3
Hands of the Ripper
6.2

Hands of the Ripper

1971Movie6.2
High Treason
5.7

High Treason

1951Movie5.7
Apartment Zero
6.7

Apartment Zero

1989Movie6.7
A Taste of Honey
7.1

A Taste of Honey

1961Movie7.1
No Highway in the Sky
7.0

No Highway in the Sky

1951Movie7.0
The Intruder
7.6

The Intruder

1953Movie7.6
The Blue Lamp
6.6

The Blue Lamp

1950Movie6.6
The Fake
5.9

The Fake

1953Movie5.9
Now Barabbas
6.5

Now Barabbas

1949Movie6.5
Street Corner
5.5

Street Corner

1953Movie5.5
The Cockleshell Heroes
5.9

The Cockleshell Heroes

1955Movie5.9
Gift Horse
6.6

Gift Horse

1952Movie6.6
Miss Robin Hood
8.1

Miss Robin Hood

1952Movie8.1
As Long as They're Happy
7.5

As Long as They're Happy

1955Movie7.5
Time, Gentlemen, Please!
8.0

Time, Gentlemen, Please!

1952Movie8.0
Lady Godiva Rides Again
5.9

Lady Godiva Rides Again

1951Movie5.9
Circle of Danger
6.5

Circle of Danger

1951Movie6.5
Palmer
4.0

Palmer

1991Movie4.0
The Interrupted Journey
5.8

The Interrupted Journey

1949Movie5.8
Bed
7.0

Bed

1995Movie7.0
The Crowded Day
5.8

The Crowded Day

1954Movie5.8
Up the Front
4.4

Up the Front

1972Movie4.4
The Man Who Wouldn't Talk
6.3

The Man Who Wouldn't Talk

1958Movie6.3
Screamtime
4.0

Screamtime

1983Movie4.0
Mother Riley Meets the Vampire
4.3

Mother Riley Meets the Vampire

1952Movie4.3
The Sandwich Man
6.5

The Sandwich Man

1966Movie6.5
Adam and Evelyne
7.0

Adam and Evelyne

1949Movie7.0
Women of Twilight
6.0

Women of Twilight

1953Movie6.0
Desert Mice
6.2

Desert Mice

1959Movie6.2
Fast and Loose
6.6

Fast and Loose

1954Movie6.6
The Ringer
6.0

The Ringer

1952Movie6.0
Traveller's Joy
6.3

Traveller's Joy

1950Movie6.3
Whispering Smith vs. Scotland Yard
6.2

Whispering Smith vs. Scotland Yard

1952Movie6.2
You Know What Sailors Are
5.2

You Know What Sailors Are

1954Movie5.2
Alice Through the Looking Box

Alice Through the Looking Box

1960Movie
The Dream Machine
7.0

The Dream Machine

1964Movie7.0
Follow That Horse!
10.0

Follow That Horse!

1960Movie10.0
The Young Lovers
6.1

The Young Lovers

1954Movie6.1
No Room at the Inn
8.5

No Room at the Inn

1948Movie8.5
Child in the House
6.6

Child in the House

1956Movie6.6
The Perfect Woman
6.4

The Perfect Woman

1949Movie6.4
The Quiet Woman
6.2

The Quiet Woman

1951Movie6.2
The Cure for Love
7.0

The Cure for Love

1949Movie7.0
Operation Bullshine
5.5

Operation Bullshine

1959Movie5.5
Small Hotel
7.0

Small Hotel

1957Movie7.0
13 East Street
6.0

13 East Street

1952Movie6.0
Two a Penny
3.5

Two a Penny

1967Movie3.5
No Trace
7.2

No Trace

1950Movie7.2
Something in the City
6.0

Something in the City

1950Movie6.0
You Lucky People!
5.4

You Lucky People!

1955Movie5.4
Don't Ever Leave Me
7.7

Don't Ever Leave Me

1949Movie7.7
The Night We Got the Bird
6.3

The Night We Got the Bird

1960Movie6.3
Harmony Lane

Harmony Lane

1954Movie
The Real Thing

The Real Thing

1953Movie

TV Shows (21)

Casualty
6.2

Casualty

1986Series6.2
Last of the Summer Wine
7.2

Last of the Summer Wine

1973Series7.2
Doctors
4.8

Doctors

2000Series4.8
Heartbeat
7.2

Heartbeat

1992Series7.2
World in Action
7.0

World in Action

1963Series7.0
Absolutely Fabulous
7.6

Absolutely Fabulous

1992Series7.6
The Sooty Show
6.4

The Sooty Show

1955Series6.4
Performance
6.3

Performance

1991Series6.3
An Audience with...
5.3

An Audience with...

1978Series5.3
dinnerladies
7.5

dinnerladies

1998Series7.5
Hippies
7.4

Hippies

1999Series7.4
Theatre Night

Theatre Night

1957Series
On the Up
6.8

On the Up

1990Series6.8
Frank Stubbs Promotes
7.5

Frank Stubbs Promotes

1993Series7.5
Virtual Murder
7.0

Virtual Murder

1992Series7.0
Educating Archie

Educating Archie

1958Series
Both Ends Meet
8.0

Both Ends Meet

1972Series8.0
Before The Fringe

Before The Fringe

1967Series
Happily Ever After

Happily Ever After

1961Series
According To Dora

According To Dora

Series
Mother's Ruin
7.0

Mother's Ruin

1994Series7.0