The Biggest Movies and TV Coming in September

See which big screen releases you can watch from the comfort of your couch.

Theatrical Releases Coming to Streaming

Get a closer look at these actors from their many TV and streaming series roles.

Streaming Stars, Then and Now

June Whitfield had a long and successful career that has included musical theatre, films and numerous radio and television performances. Her mother was into amateur dramatics and June had elocution and dancing lessons from an early age. She attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and worked in theatre. One of her earliest experiences was working with Wilfred Pickles, whose great comic talent and gift for timing made quite an impression on her.

She became a household name on the radio comedy "Take It From Here" in 1953, a time when radio was far more popular than television. When television overtook radio in popularity, June made a successful transition. Over the next few years she worked with most of the biggest names in comedy, including Arthur Askey, Tony Hancock, Frankie Howerd, Benny Hill, Harry H. Corbett, Wilfrid Brambell, Ronnie Barker, Richard Briers, Eric Morecambe and Dick Emery.

She became a television double-act with Terry Scott on Happy Ever After (1974) and Terry and June (1979). She also appeared in three installments of the popular Carry On film series, Carry on Nurse (1959), Carry on Abroad (1972) and Carry on Girls (1973).

By the 1980s, June Whitfield was viewed by some members of the alternative comedy scene as representing the kind of traditional, safe comedy they were reacting against. However, she still had her talent of perfect comic timing and her range of voices, which enabled her to continue working. She moved back to more theatre and radio, including The News Huddlines, a satirical radio show fronted by Roy Hudd. In 1992 she appeared in Carry on Columbus (1992), a failed attempt to resurrect the Carry On series. The same year she started a more successful venture, Absolutely Fabulous (1992), which became one of the most popular sitcoms of the decade and put her back into the spotlight.

The Carry Ons were a nudging sort of humour, like seaside postcards, not at all politically correct which was always a good thing. They were a sort of innocent kind of humour. I think today&#39;s kind of humour is far less innocent and sometimes very vulgar.

In the past few years I&#39;ve probably worked more than in any of the years since Terry and June finished in 1988 - as Joanna Lumley says, Ab Fab made us born-again actresses.

When you&#39;re invited to take such a part, you don&#39;t really ask too
much - you just say &#39;yes&#39;. [on her role in drama film <a class="ipc-md-link ipc-md-link--entity" href="/title/tt0220608/?ref_=nmqu_qu">The Last of the Blonde Bombshells (2000)</a>]

[on the Carry On Films] <a class="ipc-md-link ipc-md-link--entity" href="/title/tt0069847/?ref_=nmqu_qu">Carry on Abroad (1972)</a> was my favourite. I was usually paired with Ken Connor who was a joy to work with.

[on daughter <a class="ipc-md-link ipc-md-link--entity" href="/name/nm0014858/?ref_=nmqu_qu">Suzy Aitchison</a>]: By far my proudest and greatest achievement.

[about her damehood] It&#39;s amazing and a great honour and the icing on the cake of life.

[about her damehood] I never in a million years thought I would become a dame. I&#39;ve met some of the other dames and it&#39;s absolutely wonderful to join the club.

Quotes

June Whitfield

Contribute to this page

More from this person

More to explore

Recently viewed