Renée Houston

Renée Houston (born Katherina Rita Murphy Gribbin;^[1] 24 July 1902 – 9 February 1980) was a Scottish comedy actress and revue artist who appeared in television and film roles.^[2]

Renée Houston
Born	Katherina Rita Murphy Gribbin (1902-07-24)24 July 1902 Johnstone, Renfrewshire, Scotland
Died	9 February 1980(1980-02-09) (aged 77) Brinsworth House, Twickenham, England
Nationality	Scottish
Occupation(s)	Actress, comedian
Years active	1910s–1980

Biography

Born in Johnstone, Renfrewshire, into a theatrical family who performed as James Houston and Company,^[3] she toured music halls and revues with her sister Billie Houston (born Sarah McMahon Gribbin; 1906–1972) as the "Houston Sisters".^[4] They became a leading variety act in the 1920s, sometimes performing as two children in over-sized furniture; Billie played the part of a boy.^[3]

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).^[5][6][7] The sisters ended their working partnership in 1936, when Billie reportedly became ill,^[3] although it is suggested that the split may have been due to the sisters' frequent disagreements.^[1]

Renee Houston continued as a solo comedienne and actress, appearing in the Noel Gay revue Love Laughs!. She eventually revived her double act, this time with her third husband, the actor Donald Stewart, until his death in 1966.^[3]

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).^[8] She also worked for director Roman Polanski in Repulsion (1965) and Cul-de-sac (1966).^[9][10] She published her autobiography in 1974 which was entitled Don't Fence Me In.^[11]

Houston was also in early episodes of radio's The Clitheroe Kid, playing his Scottish mother in half a dozen 1958 broadcasts (but the role was quickly recast to use an English actress instead), and was a regular guest on radio panel show Petticoat Line chaired by Anona Winn.^[12][13] According to entertainment historian Richard Anthony Baker: "So many listeners found her forthright language unacceptable that she was eventually limited to two swear words per show."^[1]

She died in London at the age of 77 on 9 February 1980. Houston was married three times. The second was to the actor Pat Aherne, the brother of Brian Aherne.^[14] Her third husband was the actor Donald Stewart.^[15]

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1932	Come Into My Parlour	Jenny MacDonald
1933	Their Night Out	Maggie Oliphant
1933	Radio Parade	Herself
1934	Lost in the Legion	Mary McFee
1934	Mr. Cinders	Mrs. Phipps
1935	No Monkey Business	Jessie
1936	Happy Days Revue	Kitty Seymour
1937	Fine Feathers	Teenie McPherson
1939	A Girl Must Live	Gloria Lind
1941	Old Bill and Son	Stella Malloy
1943	The Peterville Diamond	Lady Margaret
1944	Two Thousand Women	Maud Wright
1951	Lady Godiva Rides Again	Beattie	AKA, Bikini Baby
1954	The Belles of St. Trinian's	Miss Brimmer
1955	Track the Man Down	Pat Sherwood
1956	A Town Like Alice	Ebbey
1956	The Big Money	Bobbie
1957	Time Without Pity	Mrs. Harker
1958	The Horse's Mouth	Sara Monday
1958	Them Nice Americans	Mrs. Adams
1960	The Flesh and the Fiends	Helen Burke
1960	And the Same to You	Mildred Pomphret
1961	Three on a Spree	Mrs. Gray
1961	Watch It, Sailor!	Mrs. Mottram
1961	No My Darling Daughter	Miss Yardley
1962	The Phantom of the Opera	Mrs. Tucker
1962	Fog for the Killer	Ma Johnson
1963	Nurse on Wheels	Mrs. Beacon
1963	The Rescue Squad	Mrs. Manse
1963	Tomorrow at Ten	Masie Maddox
1963	Carry On Cabby	Molly
1964	Carry On Spying	Madame
1965	Repulsion	Miss Balch
1966	Cul-de-sac	Christopher's Mother
1966	Secrets of a Windmill Girl	Molly
1966	The Spy with a Cold Nose	Lady Blanchflower
1971	Carry On at Your Convenience	Agatha Spanner
1975	Legend of the Werewolf	Chou-Chou

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1956–57	ITV Television Playhouse	Mrs. MacDonald, Marthy	Episodes: "The Blood Is Strong", "Anna Christie"
1957	The Errol Flynn Theatre	Mrs. Bridie	Episode: "Take the High Road"
1957	Armchair Theatre	Ethel Watts	Episode: "Rappaport Always Pays"
1957	Anna Christie	Marthy	TV film
1957–58	Sunday Night Theatre	Vi Vining, Bessie	Episodes: "The Day's Mischief", "A Nest of Robins"
1960	Maigret	Madame Ja Ja	Episode: "Liberty Bar"
1960–61	No Hiding Place	Grannie Wheedon, Mrs. Lacey	Episodes: "Footsteps on the Ceiling", "Fever"
1961	Doctor Knock	Madame Remy	Episode: "Act 3"
1962	Dinner with the Family	Madame de Montrachet	TV film
1962	A Matter of Conscience	Korableva	TV film
1962	Man of the World	Mrs. Van Kempson	Episode: "The Runaways"
1963	Z-Cars	Big Rosie	Episode: "Scare"
1963	Taxi!	Gig Lambert	Episode: "Barricades in Bailey Street"
1963–64	The Saint	Ida Warshed, Mrs. McAlister	Episodes: "The Gentle Ladies", "The Wonderful War"
1964, 1967	Dr. Finlay's Casebook	Mrs. Bright, Mrs. Johnston	Episodes: "My Late Dear Husband", "Over My Dead Body"
1966	Dixon of Dock Green	Mrs. Loman	Episode: "Death of a Donkeyman"
1966	ITV Play of the Week	Mother Brinicombe	Episode: "The First Thunder"
1966	Knock on Any Door	Marion Scoullar	Episode: "The Dear Ones"
1967	Trapped	Ivy	Episode: "Goodnight Mrs Dill"
1967	River Rivals	Mrs. Fredericks	TV series
1969	W. Somerset Maugham	"Frank" Hickson	Episode: "The Three Fat Women of Antibes"
1969	Doctor in the House	Mrs. Muir	Episodes: "Peace and Quiet", "If In Doubt - Cut It Out!"
1969	ITV Sunday Night Theatre	Olive	Episode: "The Comic"
1973	Special Branch	Scotswoman	Episode: "You Won't Remember Me"

References

1. Richard Anthony Baker, Old Time Variety: an illustrated history, Pen & Sword, 2011, ISBN 978-1-78340-066-9, pp.28-30
2. "Renée Houston". Ftvdb.bfi.org.uk. Archived from the original on 26 April 2008. Retrieved 26 October 2018.
3. Roy Hudd and Philip Hindin, Roy Hudd's Cavalcade of Variety Acts, Robson Books, 1998, ISBN 1-86105-206-5, pp.84-85
4. clairemckendrick (18 May 2015). "The Houston Sisters: Back in the Spotlight".
5. Pathé, British. "A Match Or Two - Two Little Tricks By The Houston Sisters". www.britishpathe.com.
6. "Film Career". 23 February 2017.
7. Mundy, John (15 July 2007). The British Musical Film. Manchester University Press. ISBN 9780719063213 – via Google Books.
8. "Carry On at Your Convenience (1971) - Gerald Thomas - Cast and Crew". AllMovie.
9. "Repulsion (1965)". BFI. Archived from the original on 19 April 2016.
10. "Cul-de-sac (1966)". BFI. Archived from the original on 11 August 2016.
11. McFarlane, Brian (16 May 2016). The Encyclopedia of British Film: Fourth edition. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9781526111975 – via Google Books.
12. "Jimmy Clitheroe as 'THE CLITHEROE KID'". 2 May 1958. p. 31 – via BBC Genome.
13. "Petticoat Line". 28 September 1967. p. 68 – via BBC Genome.
14. McFarlane, Brian (16 May 2016). The Encyclopedia of British Film: Fourth edition. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9781526111975 – via Google Books.
15. "Houston, Renée [real name Caterina Rita Murphy Gribbin] (1902–1980), actress". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. 2004. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/49223. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)

Bibliography

• Halliwell's Who's Who in the Movies HarperCollins ISBN 0-06-093507-3
• Renée Houston: Spirit of the Irresistibles by Miranda Brooke Tempest Time ISBN 978-1-5262-0636-7

External links

• Renée Houston at IMDb