Ann A Lancaster (5 May 1920 – 31 October 1970) was a well-known character actress who appeared in many

British films The United Kingdom has had a significant film industry for over a century. While film production reached an all-time high in 1936, the "golden age" of British cinema is usually thought to have occurred in the 1940s, during which the directors D ...

, television shows and in theatre. Lancaster specialised in comic roles and had a talent for voices which she often used on radio to portray children and to do voiceovers for television commercials. Her most high-profile film roles were in ''

The Million Pound Note ''The Million Pound Note'' is a 1954 British comedy film directed by Ronald Neame and starring Gregory Peck, Ronald Squire, Wilfrid Hyde-White and Jane Griffiths. It is based on the 1893 Mark Twain short story '' The Million Pound Bank Note'' ...

'' (1953), '' A Night to Remember'' (1958, uncredited as a woman on a train), ''

The Dirty Dozen ''The Dirty Dozen'' is a 1967 American war film directed by Robert Aldrich and starring Lee Marvin with an ensemble supporting cast including Ernest Borgnine, Charles Bronson, Jim Brown, John Cassavetes, Richard Jaeckel, George Kennedy ...

'' (1967), '' Fathom'' (1967), ''

The Railway Children ''The Railway Children'' is a children's book by Edith Nesbit, originally serialised in ''The London Magazine'' during 1905 and published in book form in the same year. It has been adapted for the screen several times, of which the 1970 fil ...

'' (1970), and in one Carry On Film ''

Carry On Again Doctor ''Carry On Again Doctor'' is a 1969 British comedy film, the 18th release in the series of 31 ''Carry On'' films (1958–1992). It was released in December 1969 and was the third to feature a medical theme. The film features series regulars ...

'' (1969). She was the voice behind the

Ajax Ajax may refer to: Greek mythology and tragedy * Ajax the Great, a Greek mythological hero, son of King Telamon and Periboea * Ajax the Lesser, a Greek mythological hero, son of Oileus, the king of Locris * ''Ajax'' (play), by the ancient Gree ...

'It cleans like a white tornado' advertisements on television. She was in the radio show:

Mrs Dale's Diary ''Mrs Dale's Diary'' was the first significant BBC radio serial drama. It was first broadcast on 5 January 1948 on the BBC Light Programme, later BBC Radio 2; it ran until 25 April 1969. A new episode was broadcast each weekday afternoon, wit ...

, and appeared in many well-known television comedies including

Hancock's Half Hour ''Hancock's Half Hour'' was a BBC radio comedy, and later television comedy series, broadcast from 1954 to 1961 and written by Ray Galton and Alan Simpson. The series starred Tony Hancock, with Sidney James; the radio version also co-starred, ...

Till Death Us Do Part ''Till Death Us Do Part'' is a British television sitcom that aired on BBC1 from 1965 to 1975. The show was first broadcast in 1965 as a ''Comedy Playhouse'' pilot, then as seven series between 1966 and 1975. In 1981, ITV continued the sitcom ...

, Tea at the Ritz, Hughie and

The World of Beachcomber ''The World of Beachcomber'' was a surreal television comedy show produced by the BBC inspired by the Beachcomber column in the ''Daily Express'' newspaper. Description The show, like the column, consisted of a series of unrelated pieces of hum ...

with

Spike Milligan Terence Alan "Spike" Milligan (16 April 1918 – 27 February 2002) was an Irish actor, comedian, writer, musician, poet, and playwright. The son of an English mother and Irish father, he was born in British Colonial India, where he spent his ...

Personal life

Ann was born in 1920 in

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

and died of cancer in 1970 in

Paddington Paddington is an area within the City of Westminster, in Central London. First a medieval parish then a metropolitan borough, it was integrated with Westminster and Greater London in 1965. Three important landmarks of the district are Padd ...

, London at the age of 50, before her last film was released.

Filmography

*''

Cage of Gold ''Cage of Gold'' is a 1950 British drama film directed by Basil Dearden, and starring Jean Simmons, David Farrar, and James Donald.

'' (1950) .... Minor Role (uncredited) *'' The Magic Box'' (1951) .... Bridesmaid in wedding group *''

Judgment Deferred ''Judgment Deferred'' is a 1952 British drama film directed by John Baxter and starring Joan Collins, Hugh Sinclair, Helen Shingler and Abraham Sofaer. The film is a remake of the director's earlier film, '' Doss House'' (1933). Production The ...

'' (1952) .... girl in shop. (uncredited) *'' The Secret People'' (1952) .... Manicurist Secret People *''

The Card ''The Card'' is a comic novel written by Arnold Bennett in 1911 (entitled ''Denry the Audacious'' in the American edition). It was later made into a 1952 movie, starring Alec Guinness and Petula Clark. Like much of Bennett's best work, it i ...

'' (1952) .... Miriam (uncredited) *'' Angels One Five'' (1952) .... W.A.A.F. *''

'' (1953) .... Doris (uncredited) *'' A Night to Remember'' (1958) .... Mrs. Bull – Woman on Train (uncredited) *''

The Flesh and the Fiends ''The Flesh and the Fiends'' (US title ''Mania'') is a 1960 British horror film directed by John Gilling. It stars Peter Cushing as 19th-century medical doctor Robert Knox, who purchases human corpses for research from a murderous pair named Bu ...

'' (1960) .... Minuet Dancer (uncredited) *''

The Durant Affair ''The Durant Affair'' is a 1962 British drama film directed by Godfrey Grayson and starring Jane Griffiths, Conrad Phillips and Nigel Green. Plot A will is contested in court after a fortune is granted to an unexpected heiress. Cast * Jane Gr ...

'' (1962) *'' The Lamp in Assassin Mews'' (1962) .... Mrs. Dowling *''

I've Gotta Horse ''I've Gotta Horse'' is Billy Fury's second hit feature film, a semi-autobiographical musical comedy that also features Amanda Barrie, Michael Medwin and Jon Pertwee and pop bands The Gamblers and The Bachelors. It also features Fury's own ra ...

'' (1965) .... Woman Shopkeeper a.k.a. Wonderful Day *'' The Secret of My Success'' (1965) .... Angela Pringle *''

Bunny Lake Is Missing ''Bunny Lake Is Missing'' is a 1965 British-American psychological drama film, directed and produced by Otto Preminger. Filmed in black-and-white widescreen format in London, it was based on the 1957 novel '' Bunny Lake Is Missing'' by Merriam ...

'' (1965) .... Grocer's Assistant *''

Three Bites of the Apple ''Three Bites of the Apple'' is a 1967 American romantic comedy film directed by Alvin Ganzer. Plot Stanley Thrumm is a British tour guide. An unlikely night of successful casino gambling on the Italian Riviera leaves him wealthy but in a quan ...

'' (1967) .... Winnifred Batterfly *''

'' (1967) .... chief prostitute (uncredited) *'' Fathom'' (1967) .... Mrs. Trivers *''

The Window Cleaner "When I'm Cleaning Windows" is a comedy song performed by Lancastrian comic, actor and ukulele player George Formby. It first appeared in the 1936 film '' Keep Your Seats, Please''. The song was credited as written by Formby, Harry Gifford and ...

'' (1968) .... Mother *'' Inadmissible Evidence'' (1968) .... Drinking Club Hostess *''

Hot Millions ''Hot Millions'' is a 1968 British caper story feature film made by MGM. It was directed by Eric Till and produced by Mildred Freed Alberg, from a collaborative screenplay by Ira Wallach and star Peter Ustinov. The music score was composed by ...

'' (1968) .... Pendleton's Landlady (uncredited) *'' Decline and Fall... of a Birdwatcher'' (1968) .... Mrs. Grimes *''

'' (1968) .... Woman at Block of Flats *'' Journey to Midnight'' (1968) .... Red Queen (episode 'Poor Butterfly') *''

A Nice Girl Like Me ''A Nice Girl Like Me'' is a 1969 British comedy film directed by Desmond Davis. Plot The plot revolves around a girl who lives with her shrewd aunts, goes on a trip, gets pregnant, and must lie to her aunts that the baby is not hers. Cast * B ...

'' (1969) .... Miss Garland *''

'' (1969) .... Miss Armitage *'' Rhubarb'' (1969) .... Mrs. Rhubarb *''

'' (1970) .... Ruth

TV

*''

The Vise ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...

'' (1 episode, 1959) .... Fat Lady ::... a.k.a. Detective's Diary (USA: rerun title) ::... a.k.a.

Saber of London ''The Vise'' (later known as ''Saber of London'', also known as ''Mark Saber'') is an American detective drama that was broadcast on ABC (1955-1957) and then moved to NBC (1957-1960). The series is a reboot of the ''ABC Mystery Theater'' radio a ...

(UK) ::... a.k.a. The Vise: Mark Saber (USA: third and fourth season title) ::... a.k.a. Uncovered (syndication title) *''It's Only Mink'' (1959) TV Episode .... Fat Lady *''

'' (3 episodes, 1957–1959) The Big Night (1959) TV Episode *"The Russian Prince" (1957) TV Episode (as Anne Lancaster) .... Russian Aristocrat *"Lady Chatterley's Revenge" (1957) TV Episode .... Cynthia – Actress *"Tea at the Ritz" (1963) (TV) .... Rene Barnes ... a.k.a. Comedy Four: Tea at the Ritz (UK: series title) *''

Comedy Playhouse ''Comedy Playhouse'' is a long-running British anthology series of one-off unrelated sitcoms that aired for 120 episodes from 1961 to 1975. Many episodes later graduated to their own series, including ''Steptoe and Son'', '' Meet the Wife'', ' ...

'' ....(1 episode, 1963) *"The Chars" (1963) TV Episode .... Amanda *'' An Enemy of the State'' (1965) (mini) TV Series .... Grusha *'' The Wednesday Play Up the Junction'' (1965) TV Episode .... Winnie *''

Out of the Unknown ''Out of the Unknown'' is a British television science fiction anthology drama series, produced by the BBC and broadcast on BBC2 in four series between 1965 and 1971. Most episodes of the first three series were a dramatisation of a science f ...

'' ....(1 episode, 1965) *"Come Buttercup, Come Daisy, Come...?" (1965) TV Episode .... Mrs. Bryant *'' The Spies'' .... (1 episode, 1966) .... Dora *''No Strings'' (1967) (TV) *''

Z-Cars ''Z-Cars'' or ''Z Cars'' (pronounced "zed cars") is a British television police procedural series centred on the work of mobile uniformed police in the fictional town of Newtown, based on Kirkby, near Liverpool. Produced by the BBC, it debut ...

'' .... (3 episodes, 1963–1967) *"Family Affair: Part 2" (1967) TV Episode .... Annie Ramsbottom *"Running Milligan" (1963) TV Episode .... Milly *"Train of Events" (1963) TV Episode .... Geraldine *''

'' (1 episode, 'Aunt Maud', 1968) .... Maud *''

Please Sir! ''Please Sir!'' is a British television sitcom created by John Esmonde and Bob Larbey and featuring actors John Alderton, Deryck Guyler, Penny Spencer, Joan Sanderson, Noel Howlett, Erik Chitty and Richard Davies. Produced by London Week ...

'' (2 episodes, 1968) .... Mrs. Pearce * '' Best of Enemies'' (1 episode, 1968) .... Mrs. Ewing *''

Thirty-Minute Theatre ''Thirty-Minute Theatre'' was a British anthology drama series of short plays shown on BBC Television between 1965 and 1973, which was used in part at least as a training ground for new writers, on account of its short running length, and which t ...

'' (1 episode, 1969) *Someone's Knocking at Me Door (1969) TV Episode .... Mollie Thompson *''

'' (unknown episodes, 1969) TV Series .... Various *''Barry Humphries' Scandals'' (1 episode, 1970) *''

Father, Dear Father ''Father, Dear Father'' is a British television sitcom produced by Thames Television for ITV from 1968 to 1973 starring Patrick Cargill. It was subsequently made into a spin-off film of the same title released in 1973. An Australian sequel s ...

'' .... Bookshop Customer (1 episode, 1970) *"The Suitable Suitor" (1970) TV Episode .... Bookshop Customer

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Lancaster, Ann 1920 births 1970 deaths English television actresses English film actresses 20th-century English actresses Deaths from cancer in England 20th-century British businesspeople