Renée Houston
Also Known As: Renee Houston, Katherina Rita Murphy Gribbin
Biography: 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 entitled Don't Fence Me In. Houston was also in the early episodes of radio's The Clitheroe Kid and a regular guest on radio panel show The Petticoat Line chaired by Anona Winn. She died in London at the age of 77 on 9 February 1980. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Department: Acting
Place of Birth: Johnstone, Renfrewshire, Scotland, UK
Birthday: July 24, 1902
Deathday: February 09, 1980
Adult: No
Gender: Female
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Known For:
Cul-de-sac
Overview: On the run and in search of help, two wounded gangsters find refuge in the secluded castle of a feeble man and his wife; however, under the point of a gun, nothing is what it seems.
Genres: Thriller Comedy Crime
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1966-06-17
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Repulsion
Overview: Beautiful young manicurist Carole suffers from androphobia (the pathological fear of interaction with men). When her sister and roommate, Helen, leaves their London flat to go on an Italian holiday with her married boyfriend, Carole withdraws into her apartment. She begins to experience frightful hallucinations, her fear gradually mutating into madness.
Genres: Drama Thriller Horror
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1965-06-01
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Carry On Spying
Overview: Carry On favourite Barbara Windsor makes her debut in this outrageous send-up of the James Bond movies. Fearless agent Desmond Simpkins and Charlie Bind, aided and abetted by the comely Agent Honeybutt and Agent Crump, battle against the evil powers of international bad guys STENCH and their three cronies.
Genres: Comedy
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1964-06-01
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Two Thousand Women
Overview: During the Second World War, three downed English airmen hide out with women's internment camp in France.
Genres: War Comedy Drama
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1944-11-06
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Legend of the Werewolf
Overview: A travelling circus in 19th century France adopts and showcases a feral "wolf boy", who grows into adulthood only to kill the one-man band. He runs off to Paris, where he develops a jealous, overprotective crush on a prostitute, leading him to attack her client, incurring a pursuit by a determined police surgeon.
Genres: Horror
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1975-08-06
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Time Without Pity
Overview: Alec Graham is sentenced to death for the murder of his girlfriend Jennie, with whom he spent a weekend at the English country home of the parents of his friend Brian Stanford. Alec’s father, David Graham, a not-so-successful writer and alcoholic who has neglected his son in the past, flies in from Canada to visit his son on death row. David then goes on a quest to try and clear his son’s name while battling “the bottle.”
Genres: Crime Thriller Mystery Drama
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1957-03-21
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The Horse's Mouth
Overview: Gulley Jimson is a boorish aging artist recently released from prison. A swindler in search of his next art project, he hunkers down in the penthouse of would-be patrons the Beeders while they go on an extended vacation; he paints a mural on their wall, pawns their valuables and, along with the sculptor Abel, inadvertently smashes a large hole in their floor. Jimson's next project is an even larger wall in an abandoned church.
Genres: Comedy
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1958-11-11
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The Phantom of the Opera
Overview: A London opera house is haunted by tragic events on its opening night, but when its star is kidnapped, a producer tracks down the Phantom who is intent on seeking his revenge.
Genres: Horror
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1962-06-25
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Carry On Cabby
Overview: Speedee Taxis is a great success, which means its workaholic owner Charlie starts neglecting Peggy, his wife. Suddenly a fleet of rival taxis appears from nowhere and start pinching all the fares. The rivals are Glamcabs, and they have a secret weapon. All their drivers are very attractive women! Who's behind Glamcabs? It's open warfare and only one fleet can survive!
Genres: Comedy
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1963-06-01
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Carry On at Your Convenience
Overview: At WC Boggs' Lavatory factory, Vic Spanner is the union representative who calls a strike at the drop of a hat. However, eventually everyone gets fed up with him.
Genres: Comedy
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1971-12-10
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The Flesh and the Fiends
Overview: Edinburgh surgeon Dr. Robert Knox requires cadavers for his research into the functioning of the human body; local ne'er-do-wells Burke and Hare find ways to provide him with fresh specimens...
Genres: Horror
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1960-02-02
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A Town Like Alice
Overview: In 1941 Malaysia, the advancing Japanese army captures a lot of British territory very quickly. The men are sent off to labor camps, but they have no plan on what to do with the women and children of the British.
Genres: War Drama Romance
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1956-03-01
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The Nice Americans
Overview: American airman loves English girl whose father refuses permission for their marriage out of hatred for all Yankees.
Genres: Comedy Romance
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1958-01-01
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Watch It, Sailor!
Overview: Sailor Albert gets a message from the Navy saying he can't marry for certain unexplained legal reasons. Everyone, including his domineering mother-in-law to be, jumps to the conclusion that there must be another woman involved.
Genres: Comedy
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1961-08-14
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The Peterville Diamond
Overview: Frantic farce involving a neglected wife, a stolen diamond and four identical briefcases.
Genres: Comedy
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1943-01-11
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Track the Man Down
Overview: A newspaper reporter finds himself drawn into the aftermath of a racetrack robbery.
Genres: Crime Drama
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1955-06-06
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The Spy with a Cold Nose
Overview: A dog with a spying device under its skin is sent to the Russian government as a present. When the Russians send the dog to a veterinary, British intelligence must get to the dog first and retrieve the spying device.
Genres: Comedy
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1966-12-19
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Out of the Fog
Overview: Scotland Yard is thrown into an uproar when a mad killer begins knocking off beautiful young blondes.
Genres: Crime Drama
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1962-09-01
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No, My Darling Daughter
Overview: A British business tycoon is surprised to discover his teenage daughter is being courted by a mysterious young man.
Genres: Comedy
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1961-08-22
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Secrets of a Windmill Girl
Overview: One Windmill girl tells the tragic history of another who took to drink and, finally, killed herself after working in strip clubs.
Genres: Drama
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1966-01-02
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Mister Cinders
Overview: The Cinderella story is reversed in this light-hearted adaptation, with Cinders a young man who eventually wins the 'princess' – in this case, an oil millionaire's daughter!
Genres: No genres available
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1934-01-01
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The Key
Overview: In 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.
Genres: Drama Romance War
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1958-05-28
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A Girl Must Live
Overview: A run-away school-girl falls among chorus girls planning to marry into the nobility.
Genres: Comedy Drama
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1939-09-24
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And the Same to You
Overview: Dickie Dreadnought is the boxing-mad nephew of pious clergyman Reverend Sydney Mullet. To mollify his disapproving uncle, Dickie embarks on an elaborate plan to keep his budding boxing career a secret, with he and his tough-talking promoter Wally Burton both pretending to be devout 'men of the cloth'.
Genres: Comedy
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1960-02-01
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Lady Godiva Rides Again
Overview: Marjory Clark wins a competition in her Midland town and finds herself in a Festival of Britain procession as Lady Godiva - though not in the buff. This leads by way of a suspect beauty competition to the show-business world of London. But it could be a slippery slope for simple home-town Marge.
Genres: Comedy
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1951-10-25
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Radio Parade
Overview: Radio Parade (1933) is a variety film featuring such stars of the time as Clapham and Dwyer, Gert and Daisy, Reginald Gardiner, Florence Desmond, and Roy Fox.
Genres: No genres available
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1933-10-01
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Their Night Out
Overview: An evening of cocktails and frolicking lands a chap in hot water when he's suspected of masterminding a criminal gang!
Genres: Comedy
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1933-03-01
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Old Bill and Son
Overview: Old Bill has grumbled his way through the trenches of the First World War. Now it is the Second and, envious of his son, Young Bill, he decides to enlist. He finally enters the Pioneer Corps, which is based near his son. When Young Bill goes missing during a raid, Old Bill shows that there's still life in the old dog yet!
Genres: Comedy War
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1941-03-01
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Three on a Spree
Overview: A young man will inherit a huge fortune--8 million pounds--but to qualify, he must spend a million pounds in just two months. Easy to do? That's what you think!
Genres: Comedy
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1961-06-28
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The Comic
Overview: The story of a comedian with a talent close to genius but with an insecurity problem.
Genres: Drama TV Movie
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1969-11-29
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The Rescue Squad
Overview: A party of children playing on a moor lose their toy aeroplane which flies through the window of a lonely tower. A multitude of objects found in the town to help rescue the aeroplane prove very difficult to get out to the moor, involving them with barrows, traffic and the local hunt. At last they succeed in entering the tower only to get trapped themselves. Finally Neddy, the donkey, shows them the way out.
Genres: Family
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1963-01-01
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River Rivals
Overview: Two families and their children are rivals in a forthcoming race for do-it-yourself boat builders. (7 episodes, each 14-21 minutes.)
Genres: No genres available
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1967-01-01
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Lost In The Legion
Overview: Two ship's cooks get lost in the desert and unwittingly enroll in the Foreign Legion!
Genres: Comedy
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1934-07-13
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Down Melody Lane
Overview: The story of a Variety Theatre, illustrated by performers from its past.
Genres: Music Comedy
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1943-01-01
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The Idol
Overview: A rebellious student embarks on an affair with the mother of his best friend, leading to disastrous consequences.
Genres: Drama
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1966-02-01
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Come Into My Parlour
Overview: A British crime film directed by John Longden
Genres: Crime Mystery
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1932-03-01
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Happy Days Are Here Again
Overview: A pair of sisters have ambitions to take to the stage when they realize that their parent's act is finished.
Genres: Drama Music
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1936-08-10
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The Belles of St. Trinian's
Overview: The 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 first film in the classic comedy series.
Genres: Comedy
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1954-09-28
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Twice Round the Daffodils
Overview: Twice Round the Daffodils is a 1962 British comedy drama film directed by Gerald Thomas and starring Juliet Mills, Donald Sinden, Donald Houston, Kenneth Williams, Ronald Lewis, Andrew Ray, Joan Sims and Jill Ireland. A new group of patients arrive at a hospital to be treated for tuberculosis where they all take a fancy to one of the nurses. The film was adapted from the play Ring for Catty by Patrick Cargill and Jack Beale. Carry on Nurse from 1959 was based on the same play. The cast and production team of Twice Round the Daffodils create a noticeable similarity with the Carry On films, but the film is not an official member of the Carry On series.
Genres: Comedy
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1962-04-02
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Nurse on Wheels
Overview: Quietly competent young Joanna moves with her scatterbrain mother to a country village to take up her first job as District Nurse. She soon overcomes the suspicion of her patients used to someone rather older, while becoming romantically involved with a local farmer - at least until he tries to evict a newly-arrived expectant couple who park their caravan on his land.
Genres: Comedy Romance
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1963-01-03
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Tomorrow at Ten
Overview: A British policeman (John Gregson) tries to find a rich man's (Alec Clunes) son before a kidnapper's (Robert Shaw) time bomb blows.
Genres: Thriller
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1963-06-23
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The Big Money
Overview: Petty thief Willie Frith steals a suitcase full of bank notes, only to find out that they have been given all the same serial number. But this is only the start of his troubles, now he has to find a way of changing the notes, so he can impress the barmaid of his local pub.
Genres: Comedy
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1958-06-09
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Fine Feathers
Overview: A Scottish shop-girl gets mixed up with crooks then has to pose as the mistress of the Crown Prince of Boravia.
Genres: Music
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1937-12-26
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