Renée Houston
Renée Houston (24 July 1902 - 9 February 1980) was a Scottish comedy actress and revue artist who appeared in television and film roles.
Born in Johnstone, Renfrewshire, as Katherina Houston Gribbin she toured music halls and revues with her sister Billie Houston as the "Houston Sisters".
In 1926, the sisters made a short musical film, the script of which Renée 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 the actor Pat Aherne, 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.
Houston was also in the early episodes of radio's The Clitheroe Kid and a regular guest on radio panel show The Petticoat Line chaired by Anona Winn.
She died in London at the age of 77 on 9 February 1980.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Acted in
Legend of the Werewolf
1975
as Chou-Chou
Carry On at Your Convenience
1971
as Agatha Spanner
The Comic
1969
as Olive
Doctor in the House
1969
River Rivals
1967
as Mrs. Fredericks
The Spy with a Cold Nose
1966
as Lady Blanchflower
Cul-de-sac
1966
as Christopher's Mother
The Idol
1966
as 1st Woman at Party
Secrets of a Windmill Girl
1966
Repulsion
1965
as Mme Balch
Carry On Spying
1964
as Funhouse Madame
Carry On Cabby
1963
as Molly
Nurse on Wheels
1963
as Mrs. Beacon
The Rescue Squad
1963
The Saint
1962
as Ida Warshed
The Saint
1962
as Mrs. McAlister
Out of the Fog
1962
as Ma
Tomorrow at Ten
1962
as Masie Maddox
Dr. Finlay's Casebook
1962
The Phantom of the Opera
1962
as Mrs. Tucker
Twice Round the Daffodils
1962
as Matron
No, My Darling Daughter
1961
as Miss Yardley
Watch It, Sailor!
1961
as Mrs. Mottram
Three on a Spree
1961
as Mrs. Gray
Maigret
1960
as Ja-Ja
The Flesh and the Fiends
1960
as Helen Burke
And the Same to You
1960
as Mildred Pomphret
No Hiding Place
1959
The Horse's Mouth
1958
as Sara Monday
The Big Money
1958
as Bobbie
The Key
1958
as Canteen Worker (uncredited)
The Nice Americans
1958
as Mrs. Adams
Time Without Pity
1957
as Mrs. Harker
A Town Like Alice
1956
as Ebbey
Track the Man Down
1955
as Pat Sherwood
The Belles of St. Trinian's
1954
as Miss Brimmer
Lady Godiva Rides Again
1951
as Beattie
Two Thousand Women
1944
as Maud Wright
The Peterville Diamond
1943
as Lady Margaret
Down Melody Lane
1943
as Self
Old Bill and Son
1941
as Stella Malloy
A Girl Must Live
1939
as Gloria Lind
Fine Feathers
1937
as Teenie McPherson
Happy Days Are Here Again
1936
as Kitty Seymour
Lost In The Legion
1934
as Mary McFee
Mister Cinders
1934
as Mrs. Phipps
Radio Parade
1933
Their Night Out
1933
as Maggie Oliphant
Come Into My Parlour
1932
as Jenny MacDonald