Noeline Mabel Brown (sometimes credited as Noelene Brown) (born 3 October 1938) is an Australian actress and comedian. She has appeared in numerous films, television shows, theatrical productions and radio programs dating back to 1959.
Early life Brown grew up in Stanmore, a working-class suburb of Sydney, Australia. She was raised alongside her two brothers, by a mother suffering from tuberculosis. Her father, Leo, rarely home, worked with the travelling post office and was a unionist, influencing her own politics. As a young child, Brown was hospitalised for several months with Scarlet fever.
Brown was school captain in her last year at Stanmore Homescience School, but left school at age 15, as she struggled to conform with the subservient behaviour expected of her. Her first job at 15 was as a library assistant at the Marrickville Library where, through colleagues, she was introduced to a theatre group and began to learn her craft in revues and theatre restaurants.
Career
Theatre and revue By 19, Brown was appearing in small theatre productions, first performing in a Petersham Musical Society revue, before working for the New Theatre at the Waterside Workers’ Federation. She then auditioned for Sydenham's Pocket Playhouse, where she was discovered in 1962, playing a showgirl in The Sleeping Prince. She gained local notoriety in Sydney as a cast member of the Phillip Street Revues and the popular melodrama productions at The Music Hall, a Sydney theatre-restaurant, in the early 1960s.
Brown frequently appeared alongside Barry Creyton, in productions including What's New? (1962), The Face at the Window (1963), Beauty and the Beast (1963), How The West Was Lost (1964) and Double Act (1987), the latter of which, Creyton wrote in order to collaborate once again with Brown. The pair specialised in comedy improvisation, with some of their sketches being aired on radio station 2SM. From there, they were offered a contract with Festival Records, making two comedy albums. Their first album, "The Front and Backside of Barry Creyton and Noeline Brown" outsold The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and Elvis Presley, in its first week of release, but was banned on every radio station in Australia.
From 2004 to 2006, Brown was in an extended Australian touring production of Wallflowering with HIT Productions playing the part of Peg. In 2007, she appeared in Bruce Venables' and Richard Fidler's play Flying Solo, directed by Judy Nunn, starring alongside Barry Quin, Paula Duncan, Enda Markey and Jacinta John. The same year, she played Florence Foster Jenkins in Glorious!. In 2009, she co-starred once again with Barry Creyton in Peter Quilter's play Duets at the Ensemble Theatre in Sydney.
From 2014 to 2015, Brown played the role of Maggie (originated by Ruth Cracknell) in a stage reimagining of the classic Australian television sitcom Mother and Son. In 2022, Brown appeared in a production of Mono opposite Max Gillies and John Wood.
Television and film Brown, however came to national prominence after joining the cast of the pioneering Australian satirical TV sketch comedy series The Mavis Bramston Show (1964–1968). After a stint in the UK she secured a regular role in the hit TV sitcom My Name's McGooley, What's Yours?, starring alongside Gordon Chater, John Meillon and Judi Farr.
Throughout the 1970s, Brown enjoyed great popularity in Australia as a co-star of the satirical television and radio series The Naked Vicar Show and with regular appearances as a panelist on the quiz show Blankety Blanks.
She was a regular panelist in the ABC game show Would You Believe? (1970–1974). In 1978 she won a Logie Award for the most popular NSW female personality.
In 2006, she was a competitor in the fourth season of Dancing with the Stars, hoping to win money for her chosen charity 'Starting Points', which provides early intervention for children with special needs. She had previously won a sizeable amount of money on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? for the same charity. Together with professional dance partner Carmello, she placed fourth.
Brown has also appeared in feature films and TV movies. Her earlier career included roles in 1971 adventure survival film Walkabout alongside Jenny Agutter and David Gulpilil, and 1987 drama film Emma's War opposite Miranda Otto and Lee Remick. She played the role of Leonara Biviano in the Australian film Razzle Dazzle: A Journey into Dance in 2007.
Brown was portrayed by Jane Allsop in the 2007 television movie The King, about the life of Graham Kennedy.
Recognition and awards Brown was appointed Australia's first Ambassador for Ageing by the Rudd government.
She won the 2007 Norman Kessell Award for best performance for her portrayal of Florence Foster Jenkins in Peter Quilter's play Glorious!
In April 2020, Brown was honoured with a stamp in the Australia Post Legends of Comedy issue.
Personal life At the age of 18, Brown was engaged to "Ron", a "much older gorgeous boyfriend", with whom she is still friends. However, when she began acting at 19, she gave the ring back, as she felt she was not yet ready to settle down. Brown attracted the interest of many other admirers, including filmmaker Bruce Beresford and broadcaster Clive James, the latter admitting to envying her romance with art critic and author Robert Hughes.
Brown met writer Tony Sattler on a radio show called Chuck Chunder of the Space Patrol. They married in 1976, before working together on mid-1970s comedy sketch hit The Naked Vicar Show on which he was a writer and producer. The couple were close friends of Graham Kennedy – Brown was present when Kennedy died in 2005. She and Sattler have lived in Bowral for many years, and Kennedy moved there to be closer to them. When Kennedy's health began to fail, Sattler and Brown reportedly contacted former Nine network boss Kerry Packer to appeal for financial support to care for the ailing star (Kennedy having earned many millions of dollars for Packer and the Nine network in his heyday). Packer declined to assist Kennedy financially but, after the story became public, an anonymous benefactor (later revealed as former Nine Network chief Sam Chisholm) came forward and donated a substantial sum (reportedly AU$150,000) for Kennedy's ongoing support and care.
Brown is a longtime member of the Australian Labor Party and appeared in the "It's Time" advertisements for the party before the 1972 election. She has twice (1999 and 2003) run for New South Wales Parliament as an endorsed Labor Party candidate.
In 2008, she was appointed as the Commonwealth's first Ambassador for Ageing, then reappointed for a second three-year term in 2011.
Brown was a member of the Arts and Culture Board and a Patron of the Southern Highlands Regional Gallery. She worked with alcoholics and drug addicts at the Langton Clinic. She also spent two years with the NSW Premier's Council for Women.
Brown wrote an autobiography in 2005, called Noeline – Longterm Memoir. In 2017 she published a second memoir, Living the 1960s, about her life during that decade when living in Marrickville in Sydney.
Brown and Sattler run their own production company, Wintergreen Productions, in Bowral. They also built the Mary Mackillop Museum in North Sydney and the Slim Dusty Museum in Kempsey.
Filmography
Film Year Title Role Type 1971 Walkabout German Scientist Feature film 1976 Kazzam International Short film 1985 Emma's War Mrs. Mortimer Feature film 2001 Bowl Me Over Eunice Short film 2007 Razzle Dazzle: A Journey into Dance Leonara Biviano Feature film
Television Year Title Role Type Ref. 1962 Jonah Dorothea Styles Episode: "The Coal Mutiny" 1963 The Right Thing Shirley Teleplay 1964–1966 The Mavis Bramston Show Mavis / various characters 1965 The Recruiting Officer Melinda Teleplay 1967 The Barry Creyton Show Various characters 1967–1968 My Name's McGooley, What's Yours? Rosemary 'Possum' Urkens 60 episodes 1968 Rita and Wally Rosemary 'Possum' Urkens 8 episodes 1969 Homicide Lois Davison Season 6, episode 44: "An Unwelcome Guest" 1969; 1973 Division 4 Betty Taylor / Julie Burns 2 episodes1970 The Long Arm Mrs. Burton Episode 1: "The Lion Was First to Know" Phoenix 5 5 episodes Mrs. Finnegan1971 The Group Pamela Season 1, episode 3: "This Week She's on a Diet." The Godfathers Dina Jackson Episode 20: "The Star" 1971–1975 Matlock Police Kathleen Kirby / Judy Austin / Dolly / Dawn Elders 4 episodes1972 Spyforce Mrs. Vermaar Episode 22: "The Doctor" Number 96 Trixie 3 episodes The Spoiler Sandra Episode 6: "Deadline Sunday"1973 Boney Mrs. Sawyer Season 2, episode 6: "Boney and the Emu Man" Certain Women 1974 Silent Number Mrs. Dalton Episode 25: "The Carrier" The Fourth Wish Connie Miniseries The Last of the Australians Jan Season 1, Episode 2: "Double Disillusion" 1975 Tully Valerie Teleplay1976 Alvin Purple Iris Temple Episode 10: "Footy Widow" King's Men Mirabel Episode 13: "Contract for King" Day of Attrician Teleplay 1977–1978 The Naked Vicar Show Various characters 1979 Tickled Pink 1 episode 1981 Daily at Dawn Phil Maguire 13 episodes 1981; 1984 Kingswood Country Janet Green / Elizabeth Windsor 2 episodes1984 Carson's Law Isabelle McRae 2 episodes The Girl From Moonooloo TV film 1987 Rafferty's Rules Toni Howard Season 1, episode 5: "The Women" 1989 In Sickness and in Health Railene 3 episodes 1992 Late for School 1 episode1997 Fallen Angels Sister Bernadette Episode 5: "Snow on the Rock" Big Sky Patricia Episode 12: "Great Expectations" The Adventures of Sam Voice Episode 2: "Moon Daughter" Ketchup Voice 1999 The Toothbrush Family Countess de Comb (voice) Episode: "Pegs" 2000 Pizza 1 episode
As self Year Title Role Type Ref. 1966–1973; 1982–1983; 2000–2001 Beauty and the Beast Panelist 1970–1974 Would You Believe? Guest panellist 1975 Celebrity Squares Contestant 3 episodes 1977–1978 Graham Kennedy's Blankety Blanks Panelist 16 episodea 1980 Celebrity Tattletales Herself 2 episodes 1983 Flashback Panelist 1984 The Love Game Herself 1 episode 1985 Daryl Somers’ Blankety Blanks Panelist 2 episodes 1987 Have a Go Guest Judge 3 episodes 1989 Celebrity Family Feud Contestant 1 episode 1992 English at Work Herself 1 episode 1996 40 Years of Australian Comedy Herself TV special 1999 Funny By George: The George Wallace Story Herself TV documentary 2000 From Vaudeville to Video – A Salute to Australian Comedy Herself TV special 2001 Who Wants to Be a Millionaire Contestant 1 episode2002 This Is Your Life Herself 1 episode Whose House Is It Anyway? Herself 1 episode 2005 The Price Is Right Contestant 1 episode 2005–2006 Dancing with the Stars Contestant 11 episodes 2006 Deal or No Deal Contestant 1 episode TV Turns 50: The Events That Stopped A Nation Herself TV special Where Are They Now Guest (with Kingswood Country cast) 1 episode2007 Bert's Family Feud Contestant 1 episode Spicks and Specks Guest 1 episode 2011; 2013 Tractor Monkeys Herself 2 episodes 2015 Stop Laughing...This Is Serious Herself 5 episodes 2022 Pushing The Boundaries: The Mavis Bramston Show Herself Film documentary
Theatre