Reply With QuoteBetty Driver's film career was brief but distinguished - it's not everyone who gets to do a song with Basil Radford
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3VwCKkJpP0
This thread is for actors and actresses who made their mark in the Soap - creating memorable characters we've associated them with ever since - but whose Other Roles aren't acknowledged as much.
For example, Pat Phoenix was in The L-Shaped Room, one of my favourite films, not long after she started playing Elsie Tanner. And Julie Goodyear appeared in TV's Nearest and Dearest and Family at War in 1970, the same year she established herself as Bet Lynch.
One of her co-stars in the latter series' episode, The Night They Hit No. 8, was Bryan Mosley (alias Alf Roberts). He has also had parts in some favourite films: A Kind of Loving, Charlie Bubbles and, most notably, Get Carter, where he was beaten up and thrown to his death from the top of a multi-storey car park:
Another notable joint credit featuring two of our Coronation Street Legends is that wonderful Jack Rosenthal play Another Sunday and Sweet F.A.. Representing the past was Lynne Carol, who played Martha Longhurst until 1964, with Anne Kirkbride, before she found fame as Deirdre Langton, as one of the supporters.
The performance I've most admired, however, is by Kenneth Farrington, probably still best known as Annie Walker's son Billy (although I liked him better as Tom King in Emmerdale). He was outstanding as Major Francis in the last of his four appearances in Danger UXB, unable to cope with Anthony Andrews' affair with Judy Geeson as it reminds him of his wife's betrayal, with a fellow-officer. I managed to capture his brief look to the camera during one scene:
From the episode Bad Company (1979)
Much more on Kenneth's career away from 'Corrie' in my next post here, including a Good News, Bad News.
As fans will know, Betty Driver (Turpin and later Williams in the Soap) had a career as a singer when she was young and appeared with George Formby in the film Boots! Boots!. Just before her arrival in the Street, she co-starred with Arthur Lowe, himself a Coronation Street Legend (as Leonard Swindley), in two series of sitcom Pardon the Expression.
This is what complicates matters slightly. Dad's Army made Arthur Lowe an even bigger star than he was in the Soap. And Kenneth Cope, despite his recent return, is better remembered now for playing a ghost in Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased). So we can write about them at either their own or other Coronation Street threads.
Similarly, actors who undoubtedly went on to better things as they didn't quite achieve 'legendary' status. Someone like Susan Jameson (who I hope to start a thread for soon), Jerry Booth's wife Myra in the 1960s, but perhaps better known for subsequent roles in Take Three Girls and When the Boat Comes In.
The classic example of what this thread is all about would be Ivan Beavis, alias Harry Hewitt. He's turned up a few times in other things I've watched on DVD and will certainly be a future subject.
EDIT - Just been reminded, in the Similar Threads section below, that bhowells created a thread called 'Coronation Street actors in film roles'. I completely forgot about it and was even the last person to post there. In that case, can the title be changed from Coronation Street Legends in Other Roles to 'TV'?
Last edited by cornershop15; 01-01-11 at 04:55 AM.
Betty Driver's film career was brief but distinguished - it's not everyone who gets to do a song with Basil Radford
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3VwCKkJpP0
What a great idea for a thread! Must get my thinking cap on for some examples. A little bit of trivia in the meantime. My grandad used to frequent the same drinking establishment as the amazing Miss Doris Speed and was astounded that in real life 'Annie' swore like a trooper!
The much missed Maggie Jones who played the wonderful Blanche appeared in several other roles, I remember her in an episode of Nearest and Dearest where Nellie and Eli went on blind dates.
Doris Speed (Annie Walker) played a Hospital sister in 'Hell is a city', and Jean Alexander (Hilda Ogden) played Christine Keeler's mother in 'Scandal'.
Amanda Barrie (Alma Sedgwick) is best known as Cleopatra in 'Carry on Cleo' and she played a driver of a glamcab in 'Carry on cabby' "what was it now, a cup of char and a wad" is what she says at the cabbies cafe, then Renee Houston throws a cup of tea at her.
William Roach (ken Barlow) had a tiny speaking role I believe in 'The Queen's guards', maybe one day I'll actually see this unobtainable film.
Mark Eden who played evil Alan Bradley has been several films, Barbara Knox (Rita) was a dancer in white lace on stage in the 1969 version of 'Goodbye Mr Chips'.
Lynne Carol (Martha Longhurst) was in 'Yanks'.
Mark Eden presented A Little of What You Fancy, about British musical halls, in 1968. Lynne Carol popped up in lots of films as she had that kind of face to blend in but also remain memorable.
Johnny Briggs (Mike Baldwin) was in a few films in his pre Coronation St days. I'm sure I remember him in HMS Defiant. And his dad in Corrie was played by Sam Kydd.
In Classics Brit films Jack Howarth (Albert Tatlock) plays Tubby in Hobson's Choice,Arthur Lowe(Mr Swindley) was the newspaperman in Kind Hearts and Coronets
Apparently Corrie Legend Sarah lancashire, who moved on from the soap to become almost as ubiquitous as Mr. Lovegrove on TV (especially the BBC oddly enough) for a while, is going to be back on the street soon.... I have read.
Whatever happened to Curly Watts the binman who gave her the story-line that made her so popular?
sorry,i misread the thread title and was about to agree that anyone from corrie is a 'leg-end' in other roles! seriously though,john savident springs to mind in his many tv roles in (usually) period drama such as 'raffles' and 'the rivals of sherlock holmes' prior to his unfortunate drop in fortune playing the 'i say i say ashleigh' butcher bloke in satans favourite programme! my mum tells me that mike baldwins (or is it ken barlows?) electrocuted wife was the cook in the recent 'upstairs downstairs'-is that so?
Ken Barlow's first wife Val aka Anne Reid who had also been in dinnerladies and getting raunchy with none other than Daniel Craig in The Mother.Originally Posted by jaycad
John Savident - now he's an odd fish. Met him at the Covent Garden fair a couple of years ago and he is certainly nothing like Fred the butcher! But you're right, he's turned up in lots of things over the years. He was creepy in Moll Flanders, oily in Yes Minister, and even made an appearance in the Battle of Britain (which really threw me!).
sounds like a interesting meeting with mr savident didi? care to elaborate? ha ha! he would have made a good 'frankensteins monster' IMO
Anne Cunningham who played Linda Cheveski appeared in films such as This Sporting Life, Bitter Harvest and Doctor In Clover. She also had an appearence in an episode of The Avengers called How To Succeed .... At Murder.
http://www.corrie.net/profiles/actor...gham_anne.html
Watching the 1960's boxset of Coronation Street I've developed a crush on Anne all over again!
wec
Last edited by wellendcanons; 01-01-11 at 11:47 PM.
Christine Hargreaves who played Christine Hardman later appeared in films such as An American Werewolf In London and Pink Floyd - The Wall.
http://www.corrie.net/profiles/actor...christine.html
Tragically she died much too young at the age of 45.
wec
Last edited by wellendcanons; 01-01-11 at 11:49 PM.
I remember seeing a young Johhny Briggs at the premiere of Light Up the Sky at the Plaza, Piccadilly Circus in 1960, where he played the role of the tragic young soldier.
The first time I remember him was as a teenager called Skinny Johnson in Cosh Boy.
She did Dave, her last small role was in the 1984 version of '1984', she's serving (inedible) food in the staff canteen.
Not a TV role, but an interesting movie link theatre role for Thelma Barlow (Mavis Riley). In an unusual and inspired piece of casting she played screen legend Louise Brooks in old age in the play Smoking with Lulu round about 2000. Excellent she was too.
Of course, she was also in Dinnerladies.
On the subject of great theatrical performers, Tracie Bennett (Sharon Gaskell, Rita's adopted daughter in the late 70s and again in the late 90s), is now one of the major players on the musical theatre scene with Olivier Awards under her belt, notably for her creation of the role of Velma von Tussle in the British premiere of Hairspray. She's also a damn fine dramatic stage actress though opportuniities there have been fewer - anyone who saw her magnificent performance as Florence Bravo in the premiere of Bedevilled in the late 90s at the Crucible in Sheffield will vouch for that.
On film she played Malandra in Shirley Valentine and on TV was very funny in Stephen Moffat's comedy series Joking Apart in the early 90s.
She has recently been packing them in and getting great reviews as Judy Garland in the final days of her life at the Trafalgar Theatre, London, a role which she cameoed memorably on TV in the East End gangster series The Long Firm in 2004.
Lynne Perry from Corrie - Ivy Tildesley - was in Yanks
i was also never sure if Geoff Hinchcliffe who played her husband (i think) was in Brass - as one of the cap-tuggers who loved Timothy West who played the Mill Owner
she also played the Mother of Billy Casper in Kes
Lynne Perrie and Bryan Mosely were regulars on Diana Dors sitcom "Queenie's Castle" in the early 1970's. The show, Queenies Castle also featured Jill Summers (Phyllis Pearce) and Roy Barraclough (Alec Gilroy).
Another Diana Dors connection with Coronation Street, saw John Savident (Fred) make an appearance in LWT untransmitted TV show "The Inquisitors in the episode "The Peeling of Sweet Pea", Sweet Pea was Diana's character in the show.
Last edited by seanflynn76; 07-01-11 at 02:26 PM.
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