Gilly Flower

From The Goon Show Depository

Gilly Flower
Actress Gilly Flower.webp
Portrait from 8 February 1930
Born
Gertrude Adele Jacobs

(1908-08-26)26 August 1908
London, England
Died17 February 2001(2001-02-17) (aged 92)
Surrey, England
OccupationActress
Years active1932–1991

Gilly Flower (26 August 1908 – 17 February 2001) was an English actress and model, best remembered as the elderly Miss Abitha Tibbs in the BBC sitcom Fawlty Towers.[1][2]

Flower played Miss Tibbs in all twelve episodes of the show, which was produced in two six-episode series separated by a three-and-a-half-year interval.[3]

A Londoner, Flower had her first film role in 1932 and, with the advent of television in Britain, she found a new outlet for her talents, continuing to appear in such programmes as Z-Cars, Steptoe and Son and The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin.[2][4] Early in her career, Flower was also a model and seven portrait photographs taken by Bassano, in which she is modelling hats from Kembray, may today be found in the collection of the National Portrait Gallery.[1]

Flower retired from acting in 1991.

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1932 The New Hotel
1968 Work Is a Four-Letter Word Auntie Winnie

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1962 Six More Faces of Jim 2 episodes
1965 The Wednesday Play The Unconfident Episode: "The Confidence Course"
1965–1966 Crossroads King's Oak Mrs. Templeton 4 episodes
1966 Seven Deadly Sins Group B Member (uncredited) Episode: "The Erpingham Camp"
1968 Beggar My Neighbour Civil Defence volunteer Episode: "Whiter Shade of Yellow"
1968 The Root of All Evil? Party guest Episode: "Money for Change"
1969 Wink to Me Only 1st Woman Episode: "The Vacuum Affair"
1969 Not in Front of the Children Housekeeper Episode: "Stand on Ceremony"
1970 Morning Story Mrs. Johnson Television film
1970 The Culture Vultures Secretary Episode: #1.1
1971 Doomwatch Woman (uncredited) 2 episodes
1971 Comedy Playhouse Miss Travers Episode: "The Importance of Being Hairy"
1971 Bachelor Father Housewife Episode: "Economy Class"
1972 Emma Mini Series
1972 My Wife Next Door The Maid Episode: "Joint Assignment"
1972 Upstairs, Downstairs Woman at Courtroom (uncredited) Episode: "A Special Mischief"
1973 Softly, Softly: Task Force Landlady (uncredited) Episode: "Time-Table"
1973 Z Cars Customer (uncredited) Episode: "Skin Game"
1973 Pardon My Genie Cousin Edna (uncredited) Episode: "Commercial Success"
1973 Oh, Father! Draper's Assistant Episode: "A Little Law"
1970–1974 Play for Today Mary (The Maid)

Non-speaking extra

2 episodes
1973–1974 Thriller Miss Cardiff

Pub guest

2 episodes
1974 Happy Ever After Hotel guest Episode: "The Hotel"
1972–1974 Steptoe and Son Alice

Mrs. Sheldon

2 episodes
1975 Second Time Around Marjorie Episode: "Father to Be (or Not to Be)
1975 My Honourable Mrs Miss Birdwood Episode: "While the Cat's Away"
1975 The Growing Pains of P.C. Penrose Lady Magistrate Episode: "Among Those Appearing"
1975 The Dick Emery Show Episode: #14.11
1974–1975 Within These Walls Woman (uncredited) 2 episodes
1977 Beryl's Lot Mrs. Norris 4 episodes
1977 General Hospital Woman patient Episode: "Sons and Daughters"
1977 Ripping Yarns Jehovah's Witnesses Episode: "Murder at Moorstones Manor"
1977 The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin The woman with fur Episode: "The Unusual Shop"
1978 Angels Mrs. Black Episode: "The Visitor"
1975–1979 Fawlty Towers Miss Agatha Tibbs 12 episodes
1980 Heartland Mrs. Barnes Episode: "Last Knockings"
1980 How's Your Father? Old Lady Episode: "Fantasy Time"
1971–1980 The Two Ronnies Mrs. B

Woman

2 episodes
1981 Blood Money Molly Irons 2 episodes
1982 Terry and June Mrs. Good Episode: "The Auction"
1980–1983 Potter Lady Motorist

Lily

2 episodes
1983 Juliet Bravo Old Lady Episode: "Doors"
1983 Only Fools and Horses First old lady Episode: "Homesick"
1984 The Fainthearted Feminist Woman in supermarket Episode: #1.2
1984 That's My Boy Lady White Episode: "Unfair Dismissal"
1984 Ever Decreasing Circles Old Lady Episode: "The Tea Party"
1985 Relative Strangers Customer Episode: #1.9
1986 Lenny Henry Tonite Episode: "Pratt Outta Hell"
1985–1987 The Mistress Customer

Elderly woman Lady in shop

3 episodes
1987 Hello Mum Episode: #1.2

References

  1. ^ a b "Gilly Flower – Person – National Portrait Gallery". www.npg.org.uk. Retrieved 24 December 2017.
  2. ^ a b "Gilly Flower". BFI. Archived from the original on 9 October 2019.
  3. ^ "BFI Screenonline: Fawlty Towers (1975, 79) Credits". www.screenonline.org.uk.
  4. ^ "Gilly Flower". www.aveleyman.com.

External links