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1-31 of 31
- Actress
- Writer
- Producer
Legendary EastEnders actress and Carry On star Barbara Windsor was born Barbara Ann Deeks in Stepney, London, the daughter of Rose (Ellis), a dressmaker, and John Deeks, a costermonger. She was a bright pupil at school and her parents wanted her to go to university, but after her first taste of show business, when her grandmother took her backstage at a theatre, she decided acting was what she wanted to do.
Her mother spent all her savings on a place at the Aida Foster Acting School, where Barbara made her stage debut in Aida's 1950s pantomime at the Golders Green Hippodrome. Aida's tutors tried to iron out her Cockney accent but luckily they didn't succeed. In 1952, she was cast as one of the orphans in the musical "Love from Judy", which opened at London's Saville Theatre. With the show's star, she made her television debut in "Variety Parade". Two years later in 1954, she made her film debut as a school girl extra in "The Belles of St. Trinians", and by 1957, she was performing at London's Winston's Club with Amanda Barrie. The producer Joan Littlewood, who was committed to working class theatre, spotted her at an audition and in 1960 gave her the role which changed her life - Rose in "Fings Ain't What They Used to Be" at London's Garrick Theatre where it ran for two and a half years, during which she appeared in the sitcom The Rag Trade (1961).
As a result of the success of "Fings", Littlewood cast her in the film Sparrows Can't Sing (1963), which was seen by producer Peter Rogers who offered her roles in "Carry On" films, the first of which was Carry on Spying (1964). In 1964, She appeared in Joan's stage version of 'Oh! What a Lovely War' on Broadway and toured America with it. On her return, she was cast in the West End production of Lionel Bart's ill fated musical "Twang", which closed after a short run allowing her to take a role in "Come Spy with Me" with Danny La Rue at London's Whitehall Theatre. During the run, she had a complete change in playing one of the Ripper's victims in the film A Study in Terror (1965), then it was back to lighthearted roles in such films as Carry on Doctor (1967) and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968), and in 1968, a British tour with Frankie Howerd in "The Wind in the Sasafras Tree". In late 1969, Ned Sherrin cast her as the music hall legend Marie Lloyd in "Sing a Rude Song" which opened at the Greenwich Theatre before transferring to the West End's Garrick Theatre.
Windsor did become well known in the London theatrical scene, but it was the "Carry On" comedies that made her a star. Although she appeared in only nine films in the long-running series (she left because she thought they were getting too risqué), she made such an impression as the basically good-hearted but dizzy sexpot that many of the series' fans believe she was in many more than she actually was. She almost didn't get the role originally, as she and series regular Kenneth Williams took an instant dislike to each other, but that was soon overcome and they became lifelong friends.
After she left the series, she continued her stage and film work, and became a regular in a long-running British soap opera, EastEnders (1985) as the matriarch of The Queen Victoria - Peggy Mitchell, which she played in over 1,500 episodes. She wrote two autobiographies, "Barbara - the Laughter and Tears of a Cockney Sparrow" and "All of Me - My Extraordinary Life". She was awarded Member of the Order of the British Empire in the 2000 Queen's New Years Honours for her services to entertainment. She was awarded Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the 2016 Queen's New Years Honours for her services to entertainment and to charity.
Dame Barbara Windsor died of Alzheimer's disease on December 10, 2020, in London. She is survived by husband Scott Mitchell.- Gemma McCluskie was born on 5 February 1983 in Shoreditch, London, England, UK. She was an actress, known for EastEnders (1985) and No Sweat (1997). She died on 1 March 2012 in Bethnal Green, London, England, UK.
- Hannah Jones was born on 15 October 1872 in Shoreditch, London, England, UK. She was an actress, known for Blackmail (1929), Downhill (1927) and Murder! (1930). She died in 1949 in Wood Green, London, England, UK.
- John Scott was born on 25 September 1913 in Shoreditch, London, England, UK. He was an actor, known for The Avengers (1961), Theatre Night (1957) and Probation Officer (1959). He was married to Neena Harvey. He died on 14 June 1991 in Wandsworth, London, England, UK.
- Camera and Electrical Department
Brad Larner was born in 1962 in Shoreditch, London, England, UK. He is known for V for Vendetta (2005), Morbius (2022) and The Northman (2022).- Bryan Magee was born on 12 April 1930 in Shoreditch, London, England, UK. He was an actor, known for The Power Game (1965), Thinking Aloud (1984) and Viewpoint (1959). He was married to Ingrid Soderlund. He died on 26 July 2019 in Oxford, Oxfordshire, England, UK.
- Additional Crew
- Actor
John William Ault was born on May 2, 1911 in Shoreditch, London, England. Ault worked as a taxi driver in London, England for some twenty-five years before deciding to embark on a career as a film extra in the mid-1970's. A husky man with a highly distinctive homegrown handlebar mustache, John was picked out of hundreds in a line-up to portray Rebel Alliance Commander Bob Hudsol who can be seen in both the War Room during the Battle of Yavin and at the climactic awards ceremony in Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977). Ault died at age 78 in April, 1990 in Newham, London, England. He was survived by a son.- Additional Crew
Charlie Kray was born on 9 July 1926 in Shoreditch, London, England, UK. He is known for The Krays (1990), Gangsters (1994) and The London Programme (1975). He was married to Dorothy Moore. He died on 4 April 2000 in Newport, Isle of Wight, England, UK.- Bert Simms was born on 29 October 1884 in Shoreditch, London, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Room in the House (1955), Oh Brother! (1968) and The End of the Road (1954). He died on 18 April 1972 in St. Pancras, London, England, UK.
- Charlie Smithers was born on 25 November 1927 in Shoreditch, London, England, UK. He died on 8 May 2007 in London, England, UK.
- Johnny Butt was born on 3 April 1878 in Shoreditch, London, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Trelawny of the Wells (1916), David Copperfield (1913) and Three Men in a Boat (1920). He died in June 1931 in Lambeth, London, England, UK.
- Composer
- Music Department
- Producer
William Orbit (born William Wainwright in 1956) is a legendary producer of electronic music. Since starting out in the early 1980s as the producer and principal instrumentalist in the group Torch Song, he has gone on to release several solo albums and remix / produce hits for other recording artists.
In recent years he has been best known for his work with artists such as Madonna, Blur, All Saints, U2, No Doubt, Melanie C, Pink and many more besides.- John Carol was born on 23 July 1910 in Shoreditch, London, England, UK. He was an actor, known for The Dark Stairway (1938), Boys in Brown (1947) and The Spider and the Fly (1949). He died on 18 October 1968 in Pancras, London, England, UK.
- Actor
- Soundtrack
Harry Champion was born on 16 April 1865 in Shoreditch, London, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Blue Juice (1995), On the Air (1934) and The Arthur Haynes Show (1956). He was married to Sarah Potteweld. He died on 14 January 1942 in Marylebone, London, England, UK.- Walter Pfeffer Dando was born on 1 February 1852 in Shoreditch, Middlesex, London, England, UK. Walter Pfeffer was a director, known for King John (1899). Walter Pfeffer was married to Daisy Paver and Letitia Barry. Walter Pfeffer died on 11 November 1944 in St Pancras, Middlesex, London, England, UK.
- Actress
- Composer
- Soundtrack
Marie Lloyd was born on 19 May 1888 in Shoreditch, London, England, UK. She was an actress and composer, known for Variety Jubilee (1943), Pal O'Mine (1936) and The Final Finale (1968). She was married to Harry Aylin. She died in November 1967 in Hove, East Sussex, England, UK.- Agnes Imlay was born on 29 July 1868 in Shoreditch, London, England, UK. She was an actress, known for I Lived with You (1933), The Rocks of Valpre (1935) and The Admiral's Secret (1934). She died on 18 January 1945 in Greenwich, London, England, UK.
- Alice Lloyd was born on 20 October 1873 in Shoreditch, London, England, UK. She was married to Tom McNaughton. She died on 17 November 1949 in Banstead, Surrey, England, UK.
- Mark Lupino was born on 23 January 1889 in Shoreditch, London, England, UK. He was an actor, known for The King's Highway (1927), The Tallyman (1928) and Pop (1927). He was married to Mildred [Gordon] Coles (actress). He died on 4 April 1930 in London, England, UK.
- Adele England was born on 25 May 1898 in Shoreditch, London, England, UK. She died in 1979 in Lambeth, London, England, UK.
- Director
- Producer
Maurice Sandground was born in 1874 in Shoreditch, London, England, UK. He was a director and producer, known for Russia: Land of Tomorrow (1919), How Could You, Uncle? (1918) and Kilties Three (1918). He died on 19 September 1939 in Brighton, Sussex, England, UK.- Special Effects
- Art Department
Arthur Beavis was born on 2 June 1925 in Shoreditch, London, England, UK. He is known for Victor/Victoria (1982), Lassiter (1984) and Sweeney 2 (1978). He was married to Marie Lillian Cohen. He died on 8 June 2016 in Bolivia, North Carolina, USA.- Lily Smith was born on 18 September 1889 in Shoreditch, London, England, UK. She died in 1980 in Bromley, Kent, England, UK.
- Dave Kaye performed with Ivor Moreton in a British piano double act who were prolific from the 1930s to the 1950s. Originally part of Harry Roy's Tiger Ragamuffins, they found success in their own right, making many recordings for EMI's Parlophone label. Kaye worked in a timber merchant's office. His parents, Leah (née Kalisky) and Reuben Keigel, were born in Warsaw, then part of the Russian Empire. Moreton and Kaye also toured extensively.
- Art Department
Peter Toman was born in 1940 in Shoreditch, London, England, UK. Peter is known for Secrets (1971).