widow
BRIDE
Played by Marian Collins
Celebrates her honeymoon with a cruise on the Happy Wanderer. Seen in Cruising, occupying room 309.
BRIDE
Played by Marian Collins
Seen in Cabby, Charlie Hawkins takes newlyweds to the airport; by the time he arrives, they’re hugging and kissing in the back seat.
BRIDEGROOM
Played by Evan David
In Cruising, he’s seen celebrating his honeymoon with a cruise on the Happy Wanderer. Occupies room 309.
BRIDEGROOM
Played by Peter Byrne
Seen in Cabby, Charlie Hawkins takes newlyweds to the airport; by the time he arrives, they’re hugging and kissing in the back seat.
BRIDGET
Played by Gloria Best
One of the saloon girls seen at Rumpo’s Place in Cowboy.
BRIGADIER
Played by Peter Jones
The wisecracking brigadier is seen in England. After assigning Captain Melly the task of trying to instil some discipline into the experimental 1313 anti-aircraft battery, he later heads down to the base to see how Melly is managing.
BRIGGS, JOHNNY
Roles: Sporran Soldier in Up The Khyber, Plasterer in Behind and Melly’s Driver in England
TV: The Case of the Coughing Parrot
Johnny Briggs, born in London in 1935, is best known as Mike Baldwin in Coronation Street, a role he’s been playing since 1976, but his career stretches back to 1947 when, as a boy soprano, he was engaged at the Cambridge Theatre.
Aged twelve, he won a scholarship to the Italia Conti Stage School and, four years later, began working in rep before completing National Service. Returning to civvy street, his career took off and he became a regular screen actor, whose films have included Quartet, Helter Skelter, The Bulldog Breed, A Stitch in Time, 633 Squadron, Au Pair Girls and The Office Party.
Other television roles include playing Detective Sergeant Russell for two years in the long-running series, No Hiding Place.
BRINTON, TIM
Role: BBC Newscaster in Emmannuelle
Tim Brinton, born in London in 1929, left school and completed National Service in the army before training for the stage at the Central School of Drama where he gained the London University Diploma of Dramatic Art. Before finishing his course he was offered a post at the BBC as a general trainee, starting as a radio news reader/announcer but, later, progressing to become a television director/producer.
In the late 1950s he was seconded by the BBC to Radio Hong Kong as head of English programmes, followed by a spell as one of the early BBC television newsreaders at Alexandra Palace in 1959. He later transferred to ITN as a senior newscaster/reporter and presented other ITV shows, including the sports programme Let’s Go and ITN’s Roving Report.
He’s presented many commercials and was also the voice of short cinema films, such as Pathé Pictorial and Look At Life. Other work saw him host BBC Radio 2’s Roundabout and he was, briefly, a DJ on Radio Luxembourg. He’s coached executives of business and industry for TV and radio, and during the 1970s was media consultant to Conservative Central Office.
In 1979 he was elected MP for Gravesend, Kent, and became a member of the House of Commons Select Committee for Education, Science and the Arts. He left Parliament in 1987 to return to presentation and media coaching for business executives.
During the 1960s and ’70s he played newsreaders and interviewers in several films and television programmes, including The Avengers, Doctor in Charge and Dixon of Dock Green for the small screen and Information Received, Bunny Lake Is Missing and Man At The Top in films.
He retired from full-time work in 1998.
MEMORIES
‘I was but a small-bit player in Carry On Emmannuelle, going to the studios for an hour or so to film a piece of about twenty seconds in the role of a TV newscaster, which in reality I’d been between 1959 and 1962. To save on the budget, the director, Gerald Thomas, filmed me looking through the frame of a TV screen. Nowadays they do it electronically – or should I write digitally?’
TIM BRINTON
BRISTOL’S BOUNCING BABY FOOD
The model Goldie Locks was filming a commercial for the baby food company when she slipped at the Advertising Film Studios and badly bruised herself. Mentioned in Again Doctor.
BRODY, RONNIE
Roles: Little Man in Don’t Lose Your Head and Henry in Loving. (Note: was also cast to play the pier photographer in At Your Convenience but released from his contract. Alec Bregonzi was his replacement but scene eventually cut.)
TV: The Prisoner of Spenda and Under the Round Table
Bristolian Ronnie Brody, born in 1918, was the son of music hall artistes Bourne and Lester. He joined the Merchant Navy at fifteen before serving with the RAF in North Africa during the Second World War.
After demob he spent several years in Variety and rep but by the 1950s, his career was dominated by both the big and small screen. Over the years he became one of the most instantly recognisable comedy character actors in the business.
During his career he worked with many top comedians in shows such as Dave Allen at Large, The Dick Emery Show, Rising Damp, Bless This House, Home James, The Lenny Henry Show and The 19th Hole. Among the films he appeared in were Help!, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum and Superman III. Although often cast in comedy roles, he did occasionally appear in television dramas.
He died of a heart attack in 1991.
BROMLEY, SYDNEY
Role: Sam Houston in Cowboy
The bearded Sydney Bromley was a character actor who ran the gamut of roles on stage and screen for decades without ever being the leading man. He played over one hundred Shakespearian roles for numerous companies, and performed in venues around the world, including Broadway.
Born in London in 1909, he was only twelve when he appeared in Quality Street. Three years later, he was part of the original production of St Joan, with Sybil Thorndike, the beginning of a fruitful stage career.
He was cast in many top television shows, usually one-off roles, including Z Cars, The Pallisers, No Hiding Place, Dixon of Dock Green, as well as films such as Brief Encounter, Dark Road, A Date With A Dream, Operation Third Form, Half a Sixpence and Crystalstone.
He died in 1987, aged seventy-eight.
BROOK, OLGA
Continuity on Cleo
Olga Brook began working in continuity from the mid-1930s and was assigned to some memorable films. During a career lasting more than three decades, her film credits included Sleeping Car to Trieste, Morning Departure, Private’s Progress, The Green Man, I’m All Right Jack and Smokescreen.
BROOKING, JOHN
Role: 3rd Sealord in Jack
Supporting artist John Brooking, born in London in 1911, began a steady film and television career in the 1950s, appearing in such pictures as Innocents in Paris, The Gift Horse, The Two-Headed