Quick Facts
Biography
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 Renee 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 Patrick 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.
Selected filmography
Films
- Blighty (1927) - Typist
- Come Into My Parlour (1932) - Jenny MacDonald
- Their Night Out (1933) - Maggie Oliphant
- Radio Parade (1933)
- Lost in the Legion (1934) - Mary McFee
- Mister Cinders (1934) - Mrs. Phipps
- No Monkey Business (1935) - Jessie
- Happy Days are Here Again (1936) - Kitty Seymour
- Fine Feathers (1937) - Teenie McPherson
- A Girl Must Live (1939) - Gloria Lind
- Old Bill & Son (1941) - Stella Malloy
- The Peterville Diamond (1942) - Lady Margaret
- Two Thousand Women (1944) - Maud Wright
- Lady Godiva Rides Again (1951) - Beattie
- The Belles of St Trinian's (1954) - Miss Brimmer
- Track the Man Down (1955) - Pat Sherwood
- A Town Like Alice (1956) - Ebbey
- It's a Wonderful World - New Neighbour (uncredited)
- Time Without Pity (1956) - Mrs. Harker
- The Adventures of Robin Hood (1958) - Little John's Mother
- The Big Money (1958) - Bobbie
- The Horse's Mouth (1958) - Sara Monday
- Them Nice Americans (1958) - Mrs. Adams
- And the Same to You (1960) - Mildred Pomphret
- The Flesh and the Fiends (1960) - Helen Burke
- Three on a Spree (1961) - Mrs. Gray
- Watch it, Sailor! (1961) - Mrs. Mottram
- No My Darling Daughter (1961) - Miss Yarldey
- Twice Round the Daffodils (1962) - Matron
- The Phantom of the Opera (1962) - Mrs. Tucker
- Out ot the Fog (1962) - Ma Johnson
- Nurse on Wheels (1963) - Mrs. Beacon
- Carry On Cabby (1963) - Molly
- Carry On Spying (1964) - Madame
- Repulsion (1965) - Miss Balch
- Tomorrow at Ten (1965) - Mrs. Maddock
- The Idol (1966) - 1st Woman at Party
- Secrets of a Windmill Girl (1966) - Molly - Dresser
- Cul-de-sac (1966) - Christopher's Mother
- The Spy with a Cold Nose (1966) - Lady Blanchflower (uncredited)
- Carry On at Your Convenience (1971) - Agatha Spanner
- Legend of the Werewolf (1975) - Chou-Chou (Last appearance)
Television
- Maigret (1960) - Madame Ja Ja
- Z-Cars (1963) - Big Rosie
- The Saint (1964) - Ida Warshed / Mrs. McAlister
- Dixon of Dock Green (1966) - Mrs. Loman
- Doctor in the House (1969) - Mrs. Muir
- Special Branch (1973) - Scotswoman