Dora Bryan

Bryan broke into films in a small role in "Odd Man Out" (1946) and went on to play a number of what has been termed "jaunty little tarts whose bubbling vulgarity is rendered the more appealing by [Bryan's] aspiration to gentility. ' characters in such films as "The Fallen Idol" (1948), "The Blue Lamp" (1950) and "Carry On Sergeant" (1959). Her best screen performance undoubtedly was as Rita Tushingham's boozy, blowzy mother in Tony Richardson's "A Taste of Honey" (1961), for which she received the British Academy Award as Best Actress. By the 70s and 80s, however, Bryan was making only rare appearances, often in projects unworthy of her talents. An exception was her teaming with British actress Liz Smith as denizens of the building in "Apartment Zero" (1988), her last screen role to date.