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

(1926-03-23)23 March 1926
Sunderland, England
Died7 September 1979(1979-09-07) (aged 53)
Stockport, England
Years active1957–1978
Spouses
Anne Bishop
(m. 1954; div. 1972)
(m. 1972)
Children2

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

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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

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  1. ^ "Alan Browning - Theatricalia". theatricalia.com.
  2. ^ "Magna Carta part 1 - The Rise Of English Monarchy". Archive.org.
  3. ^ "Magna Carta part 2 - Revolt Of The Nobles". Archive.org.
  4. ^ "Alan Browning". www.corrie.net.
  5. ^ Norman, Neil (1 July 2010). "The Street's greatest siren". Express.co.uk.
  6. ^ "BFI Screenonline: Coronation Street - The 1960s". www.screenonline.org.uk.
  7. ^ "Alan Browning". IMDb.
  8. ^ "Alan Browning". BFI. Archived from the original on 17 December 2018.
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