Alan Brown (23 March 1926 – 7 September 1979), known professionally as Alan Browning, was an English actor.[1] 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).
Alan Browning | |
|---|---|
 Publicity photograph of Alan Browning, 1971 | |
| Born | Alan Brown 23 March 1926 Sunderland, England |
| Died | 7 September 1979 (aged 53) Stockport, England |
| Years active | 1957–1978 |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 2 |
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,[2][3] 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.[4] 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.[5] Phoenix also played his onscreen wife, Elsie Tanner, in Coronation Street.[6]
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.[7]
His film credits included Feet of Clay (1960), Fury at Smugglers' Bay (1961), Cleopatra (1963), Guns at Batasi (1964), and Julius Caesar (1970).[8]
Filmography edit
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1959 | Magna Carta | King John | Britannica Films |
| 1960 | The Two Faces of Dr. Jekyll | Young Blood | Uncredited |
| 1961 | Feet of Clay | Inspector Gill | |
| 1961 | Fury at Smugglers' Bay | 2nd Highwayman | |
| 1961 | The Pursuers | Fritz's Assistant on film set | Uncredited |
| 1961 | Part-Time Wife | Police Sergeant | |
| 1963 | Cleopatra | Senator / Soldier | Uncredited |
| 1964 | The Comedy Man | Auditioning actor | Uncredited |
| 1964 | Guns at Batasi | Adjutant | |
| 1970 | Julius Caesar | Marullus |
References edit
- ^ "Alan Browning - Theatricalia". theatricalia.com.
- ^ "Magna Carta part 1 - The Rise Of English Monarchy". Archive.org.
- ^ "Magna Carta part 2 - Revolt Of The Nobles". Archive.org.
- ^ "Alan Browning". www.corrie.net.
- ^ Norman, Neil (1 July 2010). "The Street's greatest siren". Express.co.uk.
- ^ "BFI Screenonline: Coronation Street - The 1960s". www.screenonline.org.uk.
- ^ "Alan Browning". IMDb.
- ^ "Alan Browning". BFI. Archived from the original on 17 December 2018.
External links edit
- Alan Browning at IMDb
- Alan Browning at Corrie.net
- Come Out, Alan Browning, We Know You're In There 1971 documentary, Tyne Tees Television on YouTube
