- Pat Coombs
Infobox actor
name = Pat Coombs
imagesize = 200px
caption = Coombs playing Marge Green in "EastEnders"
birthdate = birth date|1926|8|27|df=y
birthplace =Camberwell ,London ,England
deathdate = death date and age|2002|5|25|1926|8|27|mf=y
deathplace =Northwood ,Greater London ,England
birthname = Patricia Doreen Coombs
othername =
homepage =Pat Coombs (
August 27 ,1926 –May 25 ,2002 ) was an English actress. Coombs was one of Britain's great character actresses, specialising in the portrayal of the eternal downtrodden female — comically under the thumb of stronger personalities. She was known for many roles on radio,film and televisionsitcom s. She died aged 75 from complications arising fromemphysema atDenville Hall actors' home,Northwood ." [http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4153/is_20020527/ai_n12008297 Pat Coombs dies aged 75] ", "Evening Standard ". URL last accessed on2007-02-15 .]Early life
Born in
Camberwell South London , Coombs was one of three children; her father worked in insurance, for the Employers' Liability, the forerunner of Commercial Union.Coombs attended the County School for Girls in
Beckenham ,Kent . After leaving school she began her working life as a studentkindergarten teacher before her keenness for acting prompted her to take drama lessons during theSecond World War with her friend and neighbourVivien Merchant ." [http://www.guardian.co.uk/obituaries/story/0,3604,723345,00.html Pat Coombs] ", "The Guardian ". URL last accessed on2007-02-15 .] At the age of 19, she won a scholarship to train as an actress atLamda , where she subsequently taughtdialect to students." [http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_20020528/ai_n12618507 Obituary: Pat Coombs] ", "The Independent ". URL last accessed on2007-02-15 .]Career
She first made her name in the post-war era of radio variety as 'Nola', the dim and put-upon daughter of
Irene Handl inArthur Askey 's "Hello Playmates"; their double-act had started as a guest spot onBob Monkhouse 's show. Coombs also gained experience as a comedy stooge in radio shows alongide Ted Ray andCharlie Chester .An early television break came when she appeared with
Tony Hancock in an episode of his series "Hancock's Half Hour " (1957). She followed this with regular appearances in "The Cyril Fletcher Show" (1959) and later she became a regular performer in the 1963 series of "TheDick Emery Show". She also starred in the sitcoms "Barney Is My Darling " (1965-66) alongside Irene Handl and "Wild, Wild Women " (1969) alongsideBarbara Windsor .After a relatively unsuccessful partnership with
Peggy Mount in the television series "Lollipop Loves Mr Mole " (ITV ; 1971), the two found a better platform for their talents when they were reunited in Yorkshire TV's "You're Only Young Twice " (1977-1981), set in a home for the elderly; the two actresses were to become close friends.During her long career, Pat made two memorable contributions to "
Dad's Army ". In 1970, she played Mrs Hall in the "Dad's Army" movie and later in 1975, she played the dual part of Marie / the Clippie in the radio adaptation of "A Soldiers Farewell".Her other television work included "Beggar My Neighbour" (1967); "Don't Drink the Water" (1974-1975); "
Up Pompeii! " (1969); "Till Death Us Do Part " (1966-1975) and its sequel "In Sickness And In Health " (1990; 1992); as well as "The Lady is a Tramp" (1983), in which she co-starred withPatricia Hayes in a series set among 'down-and-outs'. Coombs was also the subject of "This is Your Life " in 1978 and appeared regularly as a guest onNoel Edmonds 's Saturday night entertainment show "Noel's House Party " (1992-1995) and on the game shows "Blankety Blank " and "Celebrity Squares " (1975-79); returning for its revival in 1993-1994.Coombs was a regular on children's television. Hers was one of the voices heard in the children's series "
Ragdolly Anna " (1982-1987), she played policeman Pat in "Mooncat and Co" (1984) and voiced one of the puppets in the children's show "Playbox " (1988) alongsideKeith Chegwin . She was seen in "Rainbow" (1981-1982), "The Basil Brush Show " (1977-1979) "Supergran " and joinedStanley Baxter to play Miss Flavia Jelly in the first two series of "Mr Majeika " (1988-89) among many others. Pat Coombs also appeared in many films, including "Carry On Doctor " (1968); "Carry On Again, Doctor" (1969); "On the Buses " (1971); "Ooh, You Are Awful" (1972), withDick Emery ;Spike Milligan 's "" (1972) as well as a minor role as Henrietta Salt in the 1971 classic, "Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory ".In 1989 she appeared in the popular
BBC soap opera "EastEnders ". For a year she playedMarge Green ,Brown Owl of theWalford Brownies' pack, where she worked closely with "EastEnders" stalwartsJune Brown ,Edna Doré andGretchen Franklin . Coombs's character was introduced as part of a deliberate attempt to bring humour into the programme, which had come under attack for being too depressing. However many viewers felt that the comic storylines stretched the programme's credibility. The character subsequently became one of many to be axed in 1990 following the introduction of new executive producer, Michael Ferguson. Pat Coombs was said to be extremely upset that the character of Marge only lasted for one year, but the producers felt there was no place in the programme's new plan for a character "whose prime function was to be comic relief".cite book |last=Brake|first= Colin|authorlink= Colin Brake|title= |year=1995|publisher=BBC Books|id=ISBN 0-563-37057-2]Following her stint in "EastEnders" Coombs went on to guest in the BBC comedy "
Birds of a Feather ", "Boon" and the BBC medical drama "Doctors" in 2001, which was her last appearance on screen.Personal life
Coombs never married. She has said she came close to it twice, but was not sure enough to proceed. She once remarked: "I've never been wildly ambitious; I think if I'd been married, my career would have gone out of the window."" [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2002/05/28/db2801.xml Pat Coombs] ", "The Telegraph". URL last accessed on
2007-02-15 .]Illness and death
Coombs was diagnosed with
osteoporosis in 1995, and despite being in great pain she nonetheless became an active campaigner for theNational Osteoporosis Society . Her Christmas appeal letter raised £100,000 for the charity's research.She had just completed a role for Radio 4 alongside
June Whitfield in "Like They've Never Been Gone" when she died onMay 25 2002 fromemphysema inDenville Hall actors' home, a west London nursing home to which she had moved to be close to her friendPeggy Mount , who had died six months earlier. Coombs was 75 years old.References
External links
* [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2002/05/28/db2801.xml on-line obit] in telegraph.co.uk
*
*imdb name| id=0177711 | name=Pat Coombs
* [http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/individual/23244?view=credit Pat Coombs:British Film Institute Filmography]
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