Gretchen Franklin

Gretchen Franklin

Born in Covent Garden, West London in 1911, Gretchen Franklin was an English actress and dancer whose showbusiness career spanned over 70 years. She was best known for her role as Ethel Skinner in the long-running BBC 1 soap opera EastEnders. She appeared in the very first episode in 1985 and was a regular in the series until 1988. After this she returned to the show intermittently until 2000 when her character was killed off, allowing Franklin to retire from acting at the age of 89. Born into a theatrical family (her father had a song and dance act, her grandfather was a famous music hall entertainer at the turn of the century and her cousin was Dad's Army star Clive Dunn) Gretchen Franklin made her theatre debut as a teenage chorus girl. She toured with comedians such as Gracie Fields before making the switch to serious acting. Her film appearances included Cloak Without Dagger (1956), Flame in the Streets (1961), The Murder Game (1965), Help! (1965), How I Won The War (1967), Twisted Nerve (1968), The Night Visitor (1971), The Three Musketeers (1973), Quincy's Quest (1979), and Ragtime (1981), among others. She is namechecked in The Fall's 1990 song Telephone Thing.

KNOWN FOR
CREDITS
PHOTOS

TV Series

Keeping Up Appearances

Keeping Up Appearances

7.6
The Artful Dodger

The Artful Dodger

0
Budgie

Budgie

7
EastEnders

EastEnders

4.118
Z-Cars

Z-Cars

7
Gideon's Way

Gideon's Way

6.8
The Scales of Justice

The Scales of Justice

6.7
The Sweeney

The Sweeney

7.739
The Protectors

The Protectors

5.6
Dixon of Dock Green

Dixon of Dock Green

5.3
Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em

Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em

7.6
Hazell

Hazell

5.3
I Didn't Know You Cared

I Didn't Know You Cared

6.8
Black and Blue

Black and Blue

6
A Slight Case Of...

A Slight Case Of...

6
Dead Ernest

Dead Ernest

0
George and Mildred

George and Mildred

6.8
Nicholas Nickleby

Nicholas Nickleby

5.5
Bowler

Bowler

5
Castle Haven

Castle Haven

0
EastEnders

EastEnders

4.118
Blackadder

Blackadder

8
Rising Damp

Rising Damp

7.5
Bowler

Bowler

6
Terry and June

Terry and June

6.2
Danger UXB

Danger UXB

8
Sykes

Sykes

6.4
Quatermass

Quatermass

6.6

Movies

The One and Only Phyllis Dixey

The One and Only Phyllis Dixey

0
The Murder Game

The Murder Game

0
Before I Wake

Before I Wake

4.6
The Trouble with Our Ivy

The Trouble with Our Ivy

0
Ticket to Paradise

Ticket to Paradise

5.2
The Silent Playground

The Silent Playground

4.7
The Four Musketeers

The Four Musketeers

6.381
Secrets

Secrets

6
Twisted Nerve

Twisted Nerve

6.8
The Company Man

The Company Man

0
The Three Musketeers

The Three Musketeers

6.785
Flame in the Streets

Flame in the Streets

5.857
The Night Visitor

The Night Visitor

6.292
The High Terrace

The High Terrace

6
Return to Waterloo

Return to Waterloo

6.7
Help!

Help!

6.8
How I Won the War

How I Won the War

5.5
Subterfuge

Subterfuge

4.7
Trottie True

Trottie True

7
The Secret Place

The Secret Place

6.2
Cloak Without Dagger

Cloak Without Dagger

7.25
Ragtime

Ragtime

7
The Poet

The Poet

0