Renée Houston

About

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 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). Houston married three times, the second was to the actor Pat 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...

Known for

The SaintSeries • 1962ITV PlayhouseSeries • 1967Theatre 625Series • 1964No Hiding PlaceSeries • 1959The Adventures of Robin HoodSeries • 1955Dr. Finlay's CasebookSeries • 1962MaigretSeries • 1960Man of the WorldSeries • 1962RepulsionMovie • 1965Cul-de-sacMovie • 1966Time Without PityMovie • 1957The Flesh and the FiendsMovie • 1960The Phantom of the OperaMovie • 1962A Town Like AliceMovie • 1956The KeyMovie • 1958The Belles of St Trinian'sMovie • 1954Carry On at Your ConvenienceMovie • 1971Carry On SpyingMovie • 1964The Horse's MouthMovie • 1958Legend of the WerewolfMovie • 1975Carry On CabbyMovie • 1963