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 Dads 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), Quincys Quest (1979), and Ragtime (1981), among others. She is namechecked in The Falls 1990 song Telephone Thing.

All movies available from Gretchen Franklin

Poster movie Twisted Nerve

Twisted Nerve

Movie
Poster movie Subterfuge

Subterfuge

Movie
Poster movie Help!

Help!

Movie

Movies unavailable from Gretchen Franklin

The One and Only Phyllis Dixey

Phyllis's Dresser

Movie 1978

The Murder Game

Landlady

Movie 1965

Before I Wake

Elsie

Movie 1955

The Trouble with Our Ivy

Mrs. Chard

Movie 1961

The Man Who Came to Die

Mrs. Marriot

Movie

Ticket to Paradise

Mrs. Higginbottom

Movie 1961

The Silent Playground

Mrs. Elgin

Movie 1963

The Four Musketeers

D'Artagnan's Mother (archive footage) (uncredited)

Movie 1974

Secrets

Mrs. Pitt

Movie 1973

The Company Man

Tea Lady

Movie 1970

The Three Musketeers

D’Artagnan’s Mother

Movie 1973

Flame in the Streets

Mrs. Bingham

Movie 1961

The Night Visitor

Mrs. Hansen

Movie 1971

The High Terrace

Mrs. Webb

Movie 1956

Return to Waterloo

Woman on Train

Movie 1984

How I Won the War

2nd Old Lady

Movie 1967

Trottie True

Martha (uncredited)

Movie 1949

The Secret Place

Mother (uncredited)

Movie 1957

Cloak Without Dagger

Emmie

Movie 1956

Ragtime

Elderly Woman

Movie 1981

Tv series unavailable from Gretchen Franklin

Keeping Up Appearances

Daddy's Fiance

Tv 1990

The Artful Dodger

Tv 1959

Budgie

Carrie Wetherall

Tv 1971

EastEnders

Tv 1985

Z-Cars

Tv 1962

Gideon's Way

Martha Bray

Tv 1965

The Sweeney

Florence, the Charlady

Tv 1975

The Scales of Justice

Rose Jenkins

Tv 1962

The Protectors

Nelly Baxter

Tv 1972

Dixon of Dock Green

Mrs. Walcott

Tv 1955

Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em

Tv 1973

Hazell

Tv 1978

I Didn't Know You Cared

Auntie Lil

Tv 1975

Black and Blue

Tv 1973

A Slight Case Of...

Tv 1965

Dead Ernest

Tv 1982

George and Mildred

Mother

Tv 1976

Nicholas Nickleby

Miss Knag

Tv 1977

Bowler

Tv 1973

Castle Haven

Tv 1969

EastEnders

Ethel Skinner

Tv 1985

Blackadder

Cordelia

Tv 1983

Rising Damp

Aunt Maud

Tv 1974

Bowler

Mrs Bowler

Tv 1973

Terry and June

Cath

Tv 1979

Danger UXB

Mrs. Flack

Tv 1979

Sykes

Bookstall Assistant

Tv 1972

Quatermass

Edna

Tv 1979