Kathleen Harrison facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Kathleen Harrison
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| Born | 23 February 1892 Blackburn, Lancashire, England
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| Died | 7 December 1995 (aged 103) |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1915–79 |
| Spouse(s) | John Henry Back (1916–61, his death) |
| Children | 3 |
Kathleen Harrison (born February 23, 1892 – died December 7, 1995) was a very busy English actress. She was known for playing many different kinds of characters. People especially remember her as Mrs. Huggett. She played this role in a series of funny British movies after World War II. These films were about a working-class family's adventures.
She also played Mrs. Dilber, a cleaning lady, in the 1951 film Scrooge. Later, she starred in the TV show Mrs Thursday (1966–67). In this show, she played a cleaning lady from London who suddenly inherited a lot of money.
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Kathleen Harrison's Acting Journey
Kathleen Harrison was born in Blackburn, England. She grew up in London because her father worked there as a city engineer. She went to Clapham High School. Then, she studied acting at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art from 1914 to 1915. Before becoming a professional actress in the UK, she lived in Argentina and Madeira for several years.
Early Stage and Film Roles
Kathleen first acted on stage in 1926 in a play called The Constant Flirt. This was at the Pier Theatre in Eastbourne. The next year, she performed in London's famous West End for the first time. She played Winnie in a play called The Cage at the Savoy Theatre.
She appeared in many other West End plays. These included Night Must Fall, Flare Path, and The Winslow Boy. She even acted in the 1937 film version of Night Must Fall.
Kathleen had a small role in a film called Our Boys in 1915. She then appeared in Hobson's Choice in 1931. After that, she acted in about 50 more films. Some of these early films were Gaslight (1940) and Caesar and Cleopatra (1945).
Before and during World War II, she often played small parts. These included roles in The Ghost Train (1941) and Oliver Twist (1948). She had a memorable small role as Mrs. Dilber in the 1951 film Scrooge.
She also played Kaney in The Ghoul (1933). In 1962, she was the main mother figure in Mrs. Gibbons' Boys. Kathleen also appeared in two BBC TV shows based on Charles Dickens's books. These were Martin Chuzzlewit (1964) and Our Mutual Friend (1976). She once said that Dickens was her favorite writer. As she appeared in fewer movies, Kathleen started working more in television.
The Huggett Family Films
The Huggett family first appeared in the film Holiday Camp in 1947. Kathleen Harrison played Mrs. Huggett, a cleaning lady from the East End of London. She continued this role in several other films. These included Here Come the Huggetts (1948), Vote for Huggett, and The Huggetts Abroad (both 1949). In these movies, Jack Warner played her husband.
The Huggett family also had a radio show called Meet the Huggetts. This show ran from 1953 to 1961. Even though some critics didn't like the shows, they quickly became very popular with audiences. Kathleen also starred with Jack Warner in the film Home and Away (1956). This movie was about a working-class family who won the football pools (a type of lottery).
Personal Life
Kathleen Harrison married John Henry Back in 1916. They had three children together: two sons and one daughter. For many years, Kathleen pretended to be six years younger than she actually was. But in 1992, when she turned 100, she finally revealed her true age. She then received a special telegram from the Queen, which is a tradition in the UK for centenarians. Kathleen Harrison passed away in 1995 at the age of 103. Her husband, John, and one of her sons had passed away before her.
