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Alan Browning

Actor · 1926 – 1979 · Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, England, UK

Alan Brown (23 March 1926 – 7 September 1979), known professionally as Alan Browning, was an English actor. Whilst working by day as a reporter for a local paper in Newcastle in the 1950s, he began acting as an amateur at the People's Theatre. He then moved to London to work for a news agency and was sent abroad to Cairo, where he met his first wife (Anne) who was serving in the Women's Royal Naval Service (Wrens). On their return to the UK, and following encouragement from Anne, he began to seek work as an actor. Very soon he was cast as King John in a pair of educational films made for Encyclopedia Britannica, and then became a regular 'extra' playing bit parts in TV series such as Z-Cars, The Saint, and The Avengers. He also starred as Chief Officer Steve Rettar in the ABC series Jezebel in 1963. He became a household name in the UK when he was cast as Ellis Cooper in The Newcomers (1965-1968), but is best remembered for portraying Alan Howard in the television series Coronation Street, a role he played from 1969 to 1973. He was married to his Coronation Street co-star Pat Phoenix from 23 December 1972, until his 1979 death from liver failure as a result of his heavy alcohol intake. Phoenix also played his onscreen wife, Elsie Tanner, in Coronation Street. The pair left The Street in 1973 and toured the UK and New Zealand with theatrical productions of Gaslight and Night Must Fall, both directed by Browning, before Phoenix rejoined the cast of The Street. Browning also recorded an LP of jazz standards called "Whisky & Milk" (a reference to his preferred drink, being easier on the stomach than neat whisky) with the Tony Hayes Quartet in 1975. Browning's other television appearances included Interpol Calling (1960), Dr. Finlay's Casebook (1962), Maigret (1963), The Plane Makers (1964), The War of Darkie Pilbeam (1968), Big Breadwinner Hog (1969), The Onedin Line (1971), The Fear Is Spreading (an episode of the TV series Thriller, 1975), When the Boat Comes In (1976), and a leading role in The Cedar Tree (1976-77). His final credit was in a 1978 episode of Return of the Saint. His film credits included Feet of Clay (1960), Fury at Smugglers' Bay (1961), Cleopatra (1963), Guns at Batasi (1964), and Julius Caesar (1970).

Series16

  • TV7.8

    The Avengers

    1961 · 157 votes

  • TV5.7

    Crown Court

    1972 · 6 votes

  • TV7.4

    The Saint

    1962 · 136 votes

  • TV5.2

    The Wednesday Play

    1964 · 5 votes

  • TV7.3

    Z-Cars

    1962 · 7 votes

  • TV4.8

    No Hiding Place

    1959 · 4 votes

  • TV6.7

    Dr. Finlay's Casebook

    1962 · 3 votes

  • TV7.1

    Maigret

    1960 · 15 votes

  • TV7.0

    Thriller

    1973 · 12 votes

  • TV7.0

    Gideon's Way

    1965 · 5 votes

  • TV7.0

    Return of the Saint

    1978 · 10 votes

  • TV8.2

    The Main Chance

    1969 · 4 votes

  • TV6.7

    Suspense

    1962 · 3 votes

  • TV8.0

    Story Parade

    1964 · 1 votes

  • TV
  • TV7.5

    Big Breadwinner Hog

    1969 · 2 votes

Movies8

  • Movie5.9

    Fury at Smugglers' Bay

    1961 · 9 votes

  • Movie7.0

    Guns at Batasi

    1964 · 33 votes

  • Movie5.6

    The Pursuers

    1961 · 5 votes

  • Movie8.0

    The Crazy Kill

    1975 · 1 votes

  • Movie6.3

    Part-Time Wife

    1961 · 3 votes

  • Movie7.0

    Gang War

    1962 · 1 votes

  • Movie6.4

    Jazz Boat

    1960 · 5 votes

  • Movie