Barbara Mitchell

Barbara Mitchell (4 October 1929 – 9 December 1977) was an English actress who was a familiar face on British television in the 1960s and 1970s, best known for her work in many classic sitcoms of the period.

Career

Mitchell started out as a stage actress, and gained a foothold in television with a number of appearances in popular shows in the 1960s. In 1970, she got her first leading TV role, as Ruth, the daughter of the title character (Irene Handl) in the comedy For the Love of Ada, which ran for four series and 27 episodes, followed in 1972 by a spin-off film of the same title. At the same time, she was appearing periodically as Mrs. Abbott, the absurdly over-protective mother of would-be tough guy Frankie ("Mummy's little soldier"), in Please Sir! and its sequel The Fenn Street Gang.

She appeared as Isabel Chintz, a tough Australian pop agent, in Superstar, a 1973 episode of The Goodies. In Lizzie Dripping, a BBC children's programme which ran for two series in 1973 and 1975, Mitchell played Patty Arbuckle, the often harassed mother of Penelope (Tina Heath), while her longest-running role came in the Yorkshire Television production Beryl's Lot, 52 episodes over three series between 1973 and 1977, in which she played Vi Tonks, married to Trevor (Tony Caunter) and neighbour and friend to the titular Beryl (Carmel McSharry).

She acted in a series of late 1960s / early 1970s UK TV commercials for dish-washing product Palmolive Liquid, where she played blonde beehived Madge, the beauty salon employee who encouraged customers to dip their fingers into a small bowl of the product to demonstrate how kind it was to hands.

Appearances Films 1960: Inn for Trouble – Hetty Prout 1963: Ladies Who Do – Rose 1971: Please Sir! – Mrs Abbott 1972: For the Love of Ada – Ruth Pollitt 1976: The Twelve Tasks of Asterix – (English version, voice) 1977: What's Up Nurse! – neighbour (final film role)

Television 1958-1964: The Larkins – Hetty Prout 1959: Emergency Ward 10 – Mrs Garland 1960: The Secret Garden – nurse 1963: Z-Cars – Mrs Evans 1963: Bud – Mrs Chanyne 1965–1966: Dixon of Dock Green – Mrs Rudd / Amy Ashton 1966: Play of the Week – Tessa Lucas 1969: Ours Is a Nice House – Stella Barrington 1969: Dombey and Son – MrsmMacStinger 1970: Please Sir! – Mrs Abbott 1970–1971: For the Love of Ada – Ruth Pollitt 1970–1971: The Doctors – Connie Higson 1971: Doctor at Large – schoolmistress 1971–1973 The Fenn Street Gang – Mrs Abbott 1973: The Gordon Peters Show – Mrs M 1973: The Goodies – Isabel Chintz 1973–1975: Lizzie Dripping – Patty Arbuckle 1973–1977: Beryl's Lot – Vi Tonks 1974: Funny Ha-Ha – Kate Carter 1974: My Name is Harry Worth – Miss Sugget 1977: Yanks Go Home – Lady Gertrude

Radio 1970: Nude With Violin - Cherry-May Waterton