Dora Bryan

Biography

Dora Bryan was an English stage, film and television performer. Born in Southport, Lancashire, she first appeared on stage as a child in a Manchester pantomime, then joined the Oldham Coliseum as a teenager before moving to London and becoming a regular in the West End. Noël Coward encouraged her to adopt a stage name during his Private Lives. On screen she usually played supporting roles, often women of easy virtue, in films including The Fallen Idol (1948), The Blue Lamp (1950), Gift Horse (1952), The Cockleshell Heroes (1955) and Carry On Sergeant (1958). A Taste of Honey (1961) earned her a BAFTA Award for Best British Actress, and she received a Laurence Olivier Award for her supporting work in The Birthday Party. She also recorded a Christmas single, All I Want for Christmas Is a Beatle, which reached number 20 in the UK charts, and starred in her own BBC series, According to Dora. She died in 2014.

91years old at death

Born February 7, 1923Parbold
Died July 23, 2014Royal Sussex County Hospital
Star sign: AquariusThe sign runs January 20 to February 18
Dora May Broadbent (birth name)Also credited as Dora Lawton

Movie Career

Films: 16
Career span: 57 years1948 to 2005

Genres

Drama44%, 7 films
Comedy31%, 5 films
Thriller31%, 5 films
Crime19%, 3 films
War19%, 3 films

First and latest

Did you know?!

About the name
Noël Coward urged her to take a stage name while she was cast in his Private Lives. She picked Dora Bryant, often saying a box of Bryant and May matches on the table gave her the idea, but the theater credits dropped the last letter.
A first
Bryan made her West End musical comedy debut in 1955 as Lily Bell in The Water Gipsies, and her success was such that the theater billing was changed after the first night to put her name above the title.
Beyond film
Bryan recorded the Christmas song "All I Want for Christmas Is a Beatle" in 1963, and it reached number 20 on the UK charts.

Dora Bryan movies on Netflix

Mirrormask2005IMDb rating 6.7as Aunt Nan
Apartment Zero1988IMDb rating 6.8as Margaret McKinney
Up the Front1972IMDb rating 4.6as Cora Crumpington
Hands of the Ripper1971IMDb rating 6.2as Mrs. Golding
The Great St Trinian's Train Robbery1966IMDb rating 5.8as Amber Spottiswood
A Taste of Honey1961IMDb rating 7.4as Helen
Carry On Sergeant1958IMDb rating 6.3as Norah
The Cockleshell Heroes1955IMDb rating 6.5as Myrtie
Mad About Men1954IMDb rating 6.3as Berengaria
Gift Horse1952IMDb rating 6.3as Glad Flanagan
Circle of Danger1951IMDb rating 6.5as Bubbles Fitzgerald
No Highway in the Sky1951IMDb rating 7.1
The Quiet Woman1951IMDb rating 6.0as Elsie
The Blue Lamp1950IMDb rating 6.8as Maisie
The Perfect Woman1949IMDb rating 6.0as Model in shop
The Fallen Idol1948IMDb rating 7.6as Rose

Best known for

The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.

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Mirrormask2005 Adventure, Fantasyas Aunt Nan
IMDb rating 6.724K votes
A Taste of Honey1961 Dramaas Helen
IMDb rating 7.47.1K votes
Apartment Zero1988as Margaret McKinney
IMDb rating 6.84.4K votes
The Great St Trinian's Train Robbery1966as Amber Spottiswood
IMDb rating 5.81.3K votes
Carry On Sergeant1958as Norah
IMDb rating 6.33.4K votes
Hands of the Ripper1971as Mrs. Golding
IMDb rating 6.23.4K votes
No Highway in the Sky1951
IMDb rating 7.15.1K votes
Gift Horse1952as Glad Flanagan
IMDb rating 6.3923 votes

Most often with

Bernard Lee appears in three of them, more than any other actor. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.

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Bernard Lee

Trevor Howard

Percy Herbert

Jack Hawkins

Glynis Johns

Irene Handl

Films together

Bernard Lee3 films together, 1948 to 1952
Bernard Lee's page
- Gift Horse1952IMDb rating 6.3Bryan as Glad FlanaganLee as A.S. 'Stripey' Wood
- The Blue Lamp1950IMDb rating 6.8Bryan as MaisieLee as Inspector Cherry
- The Fallen Idol1948IMDb rating 7.6Bryan as RoseLee as Detective Hart
Trevor Howard2 films together, 1952 to 1955
Trevor Howard's page
- The Cockleshell Heroes1955IMDb rating 6.5Bryan as MyrtieHoward as Captain Thompson
- Gift Horse1952IMDb rating 6.3Bryan as Glad FlanaganHoward as Lt. Cmdr Hugh Alginon Fraser
Percy Herbert2 films together, 1955 to 1972
Percy Herbert's page
- Up the Front1972IMDb rating 4.6Bryan as Cora CrumpingtonHerbert as Corporal Lovechild
- The Cockleshell Heroes1955IMDb rating 6.5Bryan as MyrtieHerbert as Marine Lomas
Jack Hawkins2 films together, 1948 to 1951
Jack Hawkins's page
- No Highway in the Sky1951IMDb rating 7.1Hawkins as Dennis Scott
- The Fallen Idol1948IMDb rating 7.6Bryan as RoseHawkins as Detective Ames
Glynis Johns2 films together, 1951 to 1954
Glynis Johns's page
- Mad About Men1954IMDb rating 6.3Bryan as BerengariaJohns as Caroline Trewella / Miranda Trewella
- No Highway in the Sky1951IMDb rating 7.1Johns as Marjorie Corder
Irene Handl2 films together, 1949 to 1954
Irene Handl's page
- Mad About Men1954IMDb rating 6.3Bryan as BerengariaHandl as Mme. Blanche
- The Perfect Woman1949IMDb rating 6.0Bryan as Model in shopHandl as Mrs. Butters
Also two films together10 more actors
- Colin GordonThe Great St Trinian's Train Robbery (1966) and Circle of Danger (1951)
- Stanley HollowayUp the Front (1972) and The Perfect Woman (1949)
- Walter FitzgeraldThe Cockleshell Heroes (1955) and The Fallen Idol (1948)
- Cyril ChamberlainThe Great St Trinian's Train Robbery (1966) and Carry On Sergeant (1958)
- Karel StepanekThe Cockleshell Heroes (1955) and The Fallen Idol (1948)
- Eric BarkerThe Great St Trinian's Train Robbery (1966) and Carry On Sergeant (1958)
- Meredith EdwardsGift Horse (1952) and The Blue Lamp (1950)
- David HurstMad About Men (1954) and The Perfect Woman (1949)
- Patricia RocCircle of Danger (1951) and The Perfect Woman (1949)
- Patric DoonanGift Horse (1952) and The Blue Lamp (1950)
When several people share the same number of films, the ones with the most films on Netflix are in the chart.

Awards

Two awards and honors.

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Dora Bryan's awards and nominations, grouped by award
Year	Award	Result
Other honors
1996	Officer of the Order of the British Empire	Won
	Laurence Olivier Awards	Won

Online

Official profiles and reference pages.

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