
Irene Handl
Actor · 1901 – 1987 · Maida Vale, London, England, UK
Irene Handl (27 December 1901 – 29 November 1987) was a British character actress who appeared in more than 100 British films; she also wrote novels. Irene Handl was born in Maida Vale, London, the younger of two daughters of an Austrian-born father—Friedrich (later Frederick) Handl (1874–1961) and German mother, Marie (née Schiepp or Schuepp; 1875 – before 1924). Both of Handl's parents became naturalised British citizens. Her father came to England via Switzerland and started as a bank clerk, before becoming a stockbroker, then became a private banker. The Handls lived a comfortable middle-class life, with a German cook and housekeeper living in the family home. From 1907 to 1915, Handl attended the Paddington and Maida Vale High School. In the 1920s Handl travelled several times to New York with her father, with the ship's log listing her on each occasion as having no occupation and residing in the family home. Handl studied at an acting school run by a sister of Dame Sybil Thorndike, and then made her stage debut in London in February 1937, at the relatively advanced age of 36. In 1939, and by now an actress, she was living with her widower father in London. She continued to live with her father until his death in 1961. Her elder sister Liane (1898–1977) had married Russian electrical engineer and photographer Victor Kraminsky (born Viktor Azar'evich Kraminskii; later known as Victor Kennett; 1894–1980) in 1920 in Marylebone, Middlesex (now London). They had at least one child, a son, Charles Kennett. Handl appeared in supporting roles in more than 100 British films, mostly comedy character parts such as slightly eccentric mothers, grannies, landladies and servants. She was a passionate lover of rock and roll, especially the work of Elvis Presley, and was president of the Lewisham branch of the Elvis Presley fan club. She was also a fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, and one of Britain's most avid champions of Chihuahuas, being inseparable from the pair that she owned. Handl had minor roles in such landmark films as Night Train to Munich and Brief Encounter. Her other notable roles included the wife of the union activist Fred Kite (played by Peter Sellers) in I'm All Right Jack (1959); Mrs Gammon, the formidable cook, opposite Gordon Harker in Small Hotel (1957); Tony Hancock's landlady in The Rebel (1961); Sherlock Holmes's housekeeper, Mrs Hudson, in The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes (1970); and Morgan's Communist mother, Mrs Delt, in Morgan – A Suitable Case for Treatment (1966). She also had small roles in two of the Carry On films, Carry On Nurse and Carry On Constable), and played Miss Peach in the original version of The Italian Job. She worked until 1987, the year of her death. Her last role was released posthumously the following year. Handl died in her flat in Kensington, West London, on 29 November 1987, aged 85, reportedly from cancer. She never married. She was cremated at Golders Green Crematorium, North London.
Movies24
Movie6.9CrimeComedyCharlie's got a 'job' to do. Having just left prison he finds one of his friends has attempted a high-risk job in Torino, Italy, right under the nose of the mafia. Charlie's friend doesn't get very far, so Charlie takes over the 'job'. Using three Mini Coopers, a couple of Jaguars, and a bus, he hopes to bring Torino to a standstill, steal a fortune in gold and escape in the chaos.
The Italian Job
1969 · 897 votes
Movie6.8ThrillerA struggling actress tries to help a friend prove his innocence when he's accused of murdering the husband of a high-society entertainer.
Stage Fright
1950 · 377 votes
Movie7.7DramaRomanceReturning home from a shopping trip to a nearby town, bored suburban housewife Laura Jesson is thrown by happenstance into an acquaintance with virtuous doctor Alec Harvey. Their casual friendship soon develops during their weekly visits into something more emotionally fulfilling than either expected, and they must wrestle with the potential havoc their deepening relationship would have on their lives and the lives of those they love.
Brief Encounter
1945 · 730 votes
Movie6.4ComedyIn Haven Hospital, a certain men's ward is causing more havoc than the whole hospital altogether. The formidable Matron's debut gives everyone a chill every time she walks past, with only Reckitt standing up to her. There's a colonel who's a constant nuisance, a bumbling nurse, a romance between Ted York and Nurse Denton, and Bell wants his bunion removed straight away, so after a couple of pints, the men decide to remove the bunion themselves!
Carry On Nurse
1959 · 66 votes
Movie5.5DramaMusicA musical adaptation of Colin MacInnes' novel about life in late 1950s London. Nineteen-year-old photographer Colin is hopelessly in love with model Crepe Suzette, but her relationships are strictly connected with her progress in the fashion world. So Colin gets involved with a pop promoter and tries to crack the big time. Meanwhile, racial tension is brewing in Colin's Notting Hill housing estate...
Absolute Beginners
1986 · 72 votes
Movie6.8MysteryCrimeWhen a bored Sherlock eagerly takes the case of Gabrielle Valladon following an attempt on her life, the search for her missing husband leads to Loch Ness and the legendary monster.
The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes
1970 · 348 votes
Movie6.7FantasyRomanceDaisy Gamble, an unusual woman who hears phones before they ring, and does wonders with her flowers, wants to quit smoking to please her fiancé, Warren. She goes to a doctor of hypnosis to do it. But once she's under, her doctor finds out that she can regress into past lives and different personalities, and he finds himself falling in love with one of them.
On a Clear Day You Can See Forever
1970 · 70 votes
Movie6.4ComedyIn Victorian England, a fortune now depends on which of two brothers outlives the other—or can be made to have seemed to do so.
The Wrong Box
1966 · 69 votes
Movie5.7AdventureActionBrothers Beau, John and Digby Geste join the Foreign Legion, where they fall under the rule of tyrannical Sergeant Markoff. Beau and John are assigned to Fort Zinderneuf, where Markoff tries to break their spirit, aware of a dark family secret concerning a fabulous jewel one of them carries. As tensions rise, Arabs attack the fort and rivalries must be thrown aside in a desperate battle for life.
The Last Remake of Beau Geste
1977 · 51 votes
Movie6.1DramaRomanceIn wartime England, circa 1941, poorly-armed tugs are sent into "U-Boat Alley" to rescue damaged Allied ships. An American named David Ross arrives to captain one of these tugs. He's given a key by a fellow tugboat-man -- a key to an apartment and its pretty female resident. Should something happen to the friend, Ross can use the key.
The Key
1958 · 34 votes
Movie7.2DramaThrillerCzechoslovakia, March 1939, on the eve of World War II. As the German invaders occupy Prague, inventor Axel Bomasch manages to flee and reach England; but those who need to put his knowledge at the service of the Nazi war machine, in order to carry out their evil plans of destruction, will stop at nothing to capture him.
Night Train to Munich
1940 · 96 votes
Movie4.8ComedyTwo alluring young ladies live with their beautiful widowed aunt on a secluded wooded estate. The women have earned themselves quite a reputation in the surrounding towns and men from all over the region are frequent visitors to the small countryside home, hoping to encounter one, or preferably both, of the seductive nieces. Of course, the aunt has equally strong desires and refuses to be outdone. Soon all three are offering the many courters the chance to Come Play with Me!
Come Play with Me
1977 · 30 votes
Movie6.6ComedyNaive Stanley Windrush looks for a career in a family business. Much to his dismay, he finds work at a munitions factory where he has to start from the bottom, while both the management and the labor union use him as a tool in their fight for power.
I'm All Right Jack
1959 · 83 votes
Movie4.3ComedyWhile a private detective is away on vacation, his not particularly bright assistant takes it upon himself to "solve" a case that comes in. Complications ensue.
Adventures of a Private Eye
1977 · 23 votes
Movie6.4ComedyDocumentaryA rather incoherent post-breakup Sex Pistols "documentary", told from the point of view of Pistols manager Malcolm McLaren, whose (arguable) position is that the Sex Pistols in particular and punk rock in general were an elaborate scam perpetrated by him in order to make "a million pounds."
The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle
1980 · 58 votes
Movie6.3ComedyA feature-length compilation of the funniest and naughtiest bits from the legendary 1970s 'Adventures of a...' series!
The Best of the Adventures
1981 · 3 votes
Movie7.7ComedyRomanceAn English lord who dislikes women meets a French movie star who dislikes men.
Woman Hater
1948 · 3 votes
Movie6.7ComedyCrimeThree criminals plan to break out of prison the day before their release in order to carry out a daring jewel robbery, intending to establish the perfect alibi by returning to jail afterwards. First however they must get out, a task made more difficult by a new, stricter prison officer.
Two-Way Stretch
1960 · 56 votes
Movie6.3ComedyMorgan, an aggressive and self-admitted dreamer, a fantasist who uses his flights of fancy as refuge from external reality, where his unconventional behavior lands him in a divorce from his wife, Leonie, trouble with the police and, ultimately, incarceration in a lunatic asylum.
Morgan: A Suitable Case for Treatment
1966 · 38 votes
Movie4.4ComedyCrimeWhen a nobleman is threatened by a family curse on his newly inherited estate, detective Sherlock Holmes is hired to investigate.
The Hound of the Baskervilles
1978 · 30 votes
Movie5.4ComedyA motley group of soldiers are set loose on swinging England in an initiative test to collect a selection of esoteric items.
You Must Be Joking
1965 · 12 votes
Movie6.4ComedyThe unruly schoolgirls of St Trinian's are more interested in men and mischief than homework and hockey. But greater trouble than ever beckons when the arrival at the school of Princess Fatima of Makyad coincides with the return of recently expelled Arabella Fritton, who has the kidnap of a prize racehorse on her mind.
The Belles of St Trinian's
1954 · 62 votes
Movie6.7DramaJoe is a young boy who lives with his mother, Joanna, in working-class London. The two reside above the tailor shop of Mr. Kandinsky, who likes to tell Joe stories. When Kandinsky informs Joe that a unicorn can grant wishes, the hopeful lad ends up buying a baby goat with one tiny horn, believing it to be a real unicorn. Undaunted by his rough surroundings, Joe sets about to prove that wishes can come true.
A Kid for Two Farthings
1955 · 30 votes
Movie6.3ComedyWith a flu epidemic running rife, three new bumbling recruits are assigned to Inspector Mills police station. With help from Special Constable Gorse, they manage to totally wreck operations of the police force and let plenty of criminals get away, even before they arrive at the station. They all have to prove themselves or else they'll be out of a job and Sgt. Wilkins will be transferred.
Carry On Constable
1960 · 62 votes
Series20
TV7.2DramaTheatre 625 is a British television drama anthology series, produced by the BBC and transmitted on BBC2 from 1964 to 1968. It was one of the first regular programmes in the line-up of the channel, and the title referred to its production and transmission being in the higher-definition 625-line format, which only BBC2 used at the time.
Theatre 625
1964 · 5 votes
TV6.4Action & AdventureFamilyThe legendary character Robin Hood and his band of merry men in Sherwood Forest and the surrounding vicinity. While some episodes dramatised the traditional Robin Hood tales, most episodes were original dramas created by the show's writers and producers.
The Adventures of Robin Hood
1955 · 19 votes
TV7.3Sci-Fi & FantasyDramaDramarama is the name of a British children's anthology series broadcast on ITV between 1983 and 1989. It tended to feature drama of a science fiction or supernatural bent. The series was created by Anna Home, then head of children's and youth programming at TVS, however production responsibilities were divided amongst most of the regional ITV franchise holders. Thus, each episode was in practice a one-off production with its own cast and crew, up to and including the executive producer. Dramarama was largely a place for new talent to prove themselves and was a launching pad for the likes of Anthony Horowitz, Paul Abbott, Kay Mellor, Janice Hally, Tony Kearney, David Tennant and Ann Marie Di Mambro. It was one of Dennis Spooner's last credits. One of Dramarama's episodes, "Dodger, Bonzo And The Rest", gained so much popularity that it was turned in to its own series the following year. It starred Lee Ross and was based around a large foster home. The episode "Blackbird Singing In The Dead of Night" was developed by Granada into the TV series Children's Ward. It was also repeated for the first time since its original broadcast on 5 January 2013, during CITV's 30th anniversary Old Skool Weekend. The Series 7 episode "Back To Front" – notable for featuring a mirror image of the Yorkshire Television logo card at the end – was repeated on 6 January 2013, again as part of CITV's 30th anniversary Old Skool Weekend.
Dramarama
1983 · 4 votes
TV7.3ComedySketch comedy show starring Kenny Everett.
The Kenny Everett Television Show
1982 · 12 votes
TV8.1ComedyThis final follow-up to 'Till Death Us Do Part' follows an aged Alf Garnett, now dealing with his wife Else's declining health and mobility, as well as the challenges of navigating the social security system and other everyday situations.
In Sickness and in Health
1985 · 18 votes
TV7.4ComedyHancock's Half Hour is a BBC television comedy series of the 1950s and 60s written by Ray Galton and Alan Simpson. The series starred Tony Hancock with Sid James. The final series, renamed simply Hancock, starred Hancock alone. Comedian Tony Hancock starred in the show, playing an exaggerated and much poorer version of his own character and lifestyle, Anthony Aloysius St John Hancock, a down-at-heel comedian living at the dilapidated 23 Railway Cuttings in East Cheam. The series was influential in the development of the situation comedy, with its move away from radio variety towards a focus on character development.
Hancock's Half Hour
1956 · 9 votes
TV5.2ComedyFamilyScientific whizkid Ken Wilberforce thought a robot would be a help around the house, so he built Metal Mickey. But someone interferes - and deep within Mickey's electronic innards, something stirs...
Metal Mickey
1980 · 5 votes
TV6.4ComedyFamilyAdapted from Forrest Wilson's books, the children's programme revolves around a grandmother with super powers and her arch nemesis, The Scunner Campbell.
Super Gran
1985 · 16 votes
TV5.8ComedyThe Fosters is a British sitcom created and written by Jon Watkins and Eric Monte. It showcases the early work of Lenny Henry as the budding artist son of easygoing family man Samuel Foster (Norman Beaton). The series follows the day-to-day trials of Samuel, his lively wife Pearl (both immigrants from Guyana) and their three children on a South London housing estate.
The Fosters
1976 · 8 votes
TV6.3ComedyMapp & Lucia is a British television comedy, based on E. F. Benson's novels, beginning with the eponymous 1931 entry for series 1, with Lucia's Progress and Trouble for Lucia for series 2. Mrs Emmeline Lucas (nicknamed Lucia) has just moved to the small English town of Tilling where she comes into conflict with the social ambitions of Miss Elizabeth Mapp. Until now, Miss Mapp has led (and controlled) the social life of Tilling, but that was before they met Lucia.
Mapp & Lucia
1985 · 8 votes
TVDramaA series of dramas featuring staged theatre plays.
Theatre Night
1985
- TVComedy
Ben Travers' Farces is a British comedy television series which originally aired on BBC 1. It ran for a single series of seven episodes between 19 September and 31 October 1970. Each was a stand-alone adaptation of a farce by Ben Travers. The first six episodes were adaptations of Aldwych Farces beginning with Rookery Nook while the seventh She Follows Me About was based on his wartime play of the same title.
- TV7.0Comedy
A court that is frequently presided over by the increasingly amused Mr Justice Swallow and Mr Haddock's long-suffering adversary Sir Joshua Hoot QC.
Misleading Cases
1967 · 2 votes
TVCrimeDramaA series of three minute strange tales narrated by Peter Williams.
TV6.0DramaArmchair Theatre is a British television drama anthology series of single plays that ran on the ITV network from 1956 to 1974. It was originally produced by Associated British Corporation, and later by Thames Television from mid-1968.
Armchair Theatre
1956 · 6 votes
TV8.0ComedyFor the Love of Ada is an ITV sitcom broadcast from April 1970 to December 1971. Created by Vince Powell and Harry Driver, the series stars Irene Handl and Wilfred Pickles as senior citizens Ada Cresswell and Walter Bingley, who find that as romance blossoms, so does emotional turmoil.
For the Love of Ada
1970 · 4 votes
- TV7.5Comedy
Legacy of Murder (aka Emery Presents: Legacy of Murder) is a British comedy television series which originally aired on BBC One in six half-hour episodes between 16 February and 23 March 1982. A struggling London private detective and his assistant are hired by a lawyer to locate six people concerned with the inheritance of an eccentric aristocrat. As on The Dick Emery Show, Emery portrays several different characters.
Legacy of Murder
1982 · 2 votes
- TV7.5Comedy
Maggie and Her
1976 · 2 votes
- TV10.0
A British send-up of news magazine programmes, celebrities, and broadcasters that proudly declared “no matter where in the world news is being made, we will be somewhere else – poised to bring you the facts without fear or favour about something totally different and to bring them to you late, wrong, and garbled.”
World in Ferment
1969 · 1 votes
- TV
Mum's Boys
1968