Patricia Hayes

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Patricia Hayes bigraphy, stories - Film

Patricia Hayes : biography

22 December 1909 – 19 September 1998

Patricia Lawlor Hayes, OBE (22 December 1909 – 19 September 1998) was an English comedy actress.

Hayes was born in Streatham, London.GRO Register of Births: Mar 1910 1d 623 WANDSWORTH – Patricia Lawlor HAYES As a child Hayes attended the Sacred Heart School in Wandsworth.

She was featured in many radio and television comedy shows between 1940 and 1996, including Hancock’s Half Hour, Ray’s a Laugh, The Arthur Askey Show, The Benny Hill Show, and Till Death Us Do Part. She was cast in support roles for films including The Bargee (1964), The NeverEnding Story (1984), A Fish Called Wanda (1988) and featured as Fin Raziel in the Ron Howard film Willow (also 1988). She also played the part of Henry Bones in the BBC Children’s Hour radio programme "Norman and Henry Bones – The Boy Detectives" during the late 1940s.

Her most substantial television appearance was in the title role of Edna, the Inebriate Woman (Play for Today, 1971) for which she won a BAFTA award. She provided the character voice for comedy puppet performances for television and DVDs – e.g. Gran (Woodland Animations, 1982).

She is the mother of British actor Richard O’Callaghan (born Richard Brook) by her marriage to the late Valentine Brook, whom she divorced. She never remarried. She was formerly the head of the (British) Catholic Stage Guild, which her son, Richard, now chairs.

Patricia Hayes died in September 1998 in SurreyGRO Register of Deaths: SEP 1998 A5B 70 WEST SURREY – Patricia Lawlor Brook, DoB 22 Dec 1909 aged 88 but went on to appear posthumously in Crime and Punishment (2002).

Television roles

Year Title Role
1938 When We Are Married Ruby Birtle
1957 to 1958 Educated Evans Joe’s Mother
1958 to 1960 Hancock Mrs. Cravatte
1962 to 1966 Hugh and I Griselda Wormold
1967 to 1969 The Very Merry Widow Katie
1968 to 1969 According To Dora Various
1968 to 1969 The World Of Beachcomber Various
1969 Catweazle (The wisdom of Solomon) Mrs. Skinner
1970 Grasshopper Island Lupus
1971 Edna, the Inebriate Woman Edna
1971 The Trouble With Lilian Lilian
1971 to 1972 The Last of the Baskets Mrs Basket
1972 The Goodies ‘That Old Black Magic’ (ep 3.4) Hazel, or "Hecate, Queen of Necromancy"
1974 Holiday With Strings Air Hostess
1977 London Belongs To Me Connie Coke
1980 to 1982 Spooner’s Patch Mrs Cantaford
1981 Till Death… Min Reed
1983 to 1984 The Lady Is A Tramp Old Pat
1985 Marjorie & Men Alice Tripp

Selected filmography

  • Went the Day Well? (1942)
  • When We Are Married (1943)
  • Candles at Nine (1944)
  • Hotel Reserve (1944)
  • Great Day (1945)
  • The Love Match (1955)
  • The Battle of the Sexes (1959)
  • Kill or Cure (1962)
  • Saturday Night Out (1964)
  • Carry On Again Doctor (1969)
  • Fragment of Fear (1970)
  • Raising the Roof (1972)
  • Super Bitch (1973)
  • Love Thy Neighbour (1973)
  • The Neverending Story (1984)
  • A Fish Called Wanda (1988)
  • Willow (1988)