Brenda Rose Cowling (23 April 1925 – 2 October 2010) was an English actress from London.
Biography Cowling wanted to be a film actress from the time she was a child; however, upon leaving school, she trained instead as a shorthand typist.
After a time she joined the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, where she was a member of the same class as Warren Mitchell and Jimmy Perry.Are You Being Served? A Celebration of Twenty-Five Years. Richard Webber with David Croft and Jeremy Lloyd. New York; Welcome Rain, 1998. While there, she made her film debut in a small role in Alfred Hitchcock's Stage Fright (1950).
Much of her early acting work was in repertory, before she began her television career. She also appeared in films, such as The Railway Children (1970), Please Sir! (1971), Carry On Girls (1973), Carry On Behind (1975). International Velvet (1978), Oliver Twist (1982) and Octopussy (1983). Television serials in which she appeared include Follyfoot, Miss Marple in They Do It With Mirrors as Mrs. Rodgers in 1991, Fawlty Towers as a nurse in "The Germans", Only When I Laugh as the matron nurse in "Last Tango" in 1980, Are You Being Served? as a customer in "The Erotic Dreams of Mrs Slocombe", Jonathan Creek in "Gorgons Wood" as Mrs. Thrimpson (2004), Dad's Army as Mrs. Prentice in "All is Safely Gathered In", It Ain't Half Hot Mum in "The Last Roll Call" as the WVS Lady, The Famous Five, three episodes of Hi-de-Hi!, notably as a (voice only role) station announcer in "Together Again", a camper in "Raffles", and a maid in "Wedding Bells", and Mrs. Wren in The Legacy of Reginald Perrin. One of her better known roles was as the cook, Mrs. Lipton, in four series' of You Rang, M'Lord?.
Cowling retired in 2006 after suffering a stroke. She died on 2 October 2010, at the actors' retirement home, Denville Hall, aged 85.
Selected filmography +YearTitleRoleNotes1950Stage Fright Plump RADA Girl (uncredited)1956The Silken AffairMinor Role (uncredited)1966Bindle (One of Them Days)Martha Hearty1969Up in the AirLady Pennyweight1970The Railway ChildrenMrs. Viney1971Please Sir!Mrs. Duffy1972Young WinstonMrs. Dewsnap (uncredited)1973Carry On GirlsMatron1974The Black WindmillPleasant Secretary (uncredited)1975Carry On BehindWife (uncredited)1977JabberwockyMrs. FishfingerThe Black Panther TBC1978International VelvetAlice1982Pink Floyd – The WallTeacher1983Never Say Never AgainScene deletedOctopussySchatzi1986Dream LoverHotel Manager2000GreenfingersBook Shop CustomerRoom to RentChurch Lady
Television +YearTitleRoleNotes1959-1961Emergency Ward 10Mrs. Reid/Mrs. Smith3 episodes1962-1969Dixon of Dock GreenDoris Gray, Miss Nicholls2 episodes1962-74Z-CarsVarious3 episodes1963Maigret Madame PardonEpisode: "A Man Condemned"The AvengersMasseuseEpisode: "The Medicine Men"CompactMrs. GregsonEpisode: "No Promises - I'll Take Cash"1964Sergeant CorkSarah JenkinsEpisode: "The Case of the Bristol Mail"1967The Forsyte SagaMiss Perren5 episodesThe NewcomersMrs. Bennett2 episodes1969Special BranchMrs. MadwickEpisode: "A Date With Leonidas"1970The GoodiesLadyEpisode: "Radio Goodies"1971BudgieCustomer in SupermarketEpisode: "Brains"The Rivals of Sherlock HolmesMaidEpisode: "Madame Sara"1972Dad's ArmyMrs. PrenticeEpisode: "All is Safely Gathered In"FollyfootLady Caroline BeckEpisode: "The Awakening"1973Oh Father!Mrs. RourkeEpisode: "Angels and Ministers"Romany JonesBetty's Mother3 episodes1974The PallisersMrs. Bunce5 episodesJusticeMrs. CosgroveEpisode: "The Price of Innocence"No StringsMrs. Bunce5 episodes1975Fawlty TowersSisterEpisode: "The Germans"1976AngelsStaff Nurse2 episodes1977RafflesMrs. Van Der BergEpisode: "A Bad Night"Happy Ever AfterMrs. RobinsonEpisode: "He Who Excavates is Last"The Duchess of Duke StreetElsie Richards2 episodes1978The Famous FiveJennyEpisode: "Five Are Together Again"1979-1983PotterJane18 episodes1980Only When I LaughMatronEpisode: "Last Tango"ShoestringMrs. Margaret BillingtonEpisode: "The Mayfly Dance"1981NannyNanny RobertsEpisode: "Innocent Party"Are You Being Served?Lady CustomerEpisode: "The Erotic Dreams of Mrs. Slocombe"You're Only Young TwiceMrs. HawkheadEpisode: "Desirable Residence"It Ain't Half Hot MumWVS LadyEpisode: "The Last Roll Call"1982Oliver TwistMrs. BedwinTV filmThe Agatha Christie HourMiss DraperEpisode: "The Case of the Middle-Aged Wife"1984-1988Hi-de-Hi!Lady Camper/Nora/Station Announcer3 episodes1985The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13¾MatronLytton's DiaryCustomerEpisode: "Come uppance"1985-1987In Sickness and in HealthWoman Patient/Home Help/Matron3 episodes1986All in Good FaithBrenda TrailEpisode: "An Eye for an Eye"Grange HillShopkeeper1 episodeLondon's BurningMan's WifeTV filmT-BagBunty BadshottEpisode: "Ben and Bunty Badshott"1987Dorothy L. Sayers MysteryMrs. LundyEpisode: "Have His Carcass: Episode Three"The CharmerChambermaidEpisode: "Gorse at the End"1988-1993You Rang M'Lord?Mrs. Blanche Lipton26 episodes1989-2002The BillVarious4 episodes1991Miss MarpleMrs. RogersEpisode: "They Do It With Mirrors"1993The Upper HandNunEpisode: "Tunnel of Love"1996The Legacy of Reginald PerrinMrs. Wren1 episode1997The DetectivesBride's GrandmotherEpisode: "Best Man"Goodnight SweetheartMiss WeatherellEpisode: "The Bells are Ringing"1999Babes in the WoodMourner1 episode2000Where the Heart IsMarthaEpisode: "Friend in Need"BarbaraSarahEpisode: "Massage"2001Bernard's WatchMrs. TatchellEpisode: "Alien Times"2003The Last DetectiveOld LadyEpisode: "Lofty"2004Jonathan CreekMrs. ThrimpstonEpisode: "Gorgon's Wood"Murder in SuburbiaMrs. KirkmanEpisode: "Sanctuary"The Legend of the Tamworth TwoMrs. MartinTV filmFrench and SaundersOlder Dawn5 episodes2005According to BexVox Pops2 episodes
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