Renée Houston
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Renée Houston (24 July 1902 - 9 February 1980) was a Scottish comedy actor and revue artist who appeared in television and film roles.
Born in Johnstone, Renfrewshire, as Katherina Houston Gibbin, she toured music halls and revue with her sister Billie Houston as the Houston Sisters.
In 1926, the sisters made a short musical film, the script of which Reneé had written. It was produced by Lee de Forest, whose process, Phonofilm, enabled a soundtrack to be played alongside the film (a year before The Jazz Singer).
Houston married three times, the second was to Patrick Ahearne, the brother of Brian Aherne. Her third husband was the actor Donald Stewart.
In her later years she specialised in battleaxe roles, notably as shop steward Vic Spanner's (Kenneth Cope) formidable mother in Carry On At Your Convenience (1971). She published her autobiography in 1974 which was entitled Don't Fence Me In.
She died in London at the age of 77 on 9th February 1980.
[edit] Appearances
Major Films
- Blighty - 1927
- Happy Days are Here Again - 1936
- Old Bill & Son - 1941
- Lady Godiva Rides Again - 1951
- The Belles of St Trinian's - 1954
- A Town Like Alice - 1956
- The Adventures of Robin Hood - 1958
- No My Darling Daughter - 1961
- Phantom of the Opera - 1962
- Nurse on Wheels - 1963
- Carry On At Your Convenience - 1971
- Legend of the Werewolf - 1975
Television
- Doctor in the House
- Watch it Sailor
- The Saint
- Maigret
- Z Cars
- Dixon of Dock Green
[edit] References
- Halliwell's Who's Who in the Movies HarperCollins ISBN 0-06093507-3
