{{Short description|British actor and comedian (1919–1998)}} {{Use British English|date=February 2014}} {{Use dmy dates|date=July 2021}} {{Infobox person | name = Betty Marsden | image = Betty_Marsden 1969.jpg | imagesize = | caption = In ''Carry On Camping'' (1969) | birth_name = Betty Marsden | birth_date = 24 February 1919 | birth_place = West Derby, Lancashire, England | death_date = {{death date and age|1998|7|18|1919|02|24|df=yes}} | death_place = Northwood, Middlesex, England | othername = | occupation = actress | alma_mater = Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts | years_active = 1937–1994 | spouse = James Wilson Muggoch<br>(1945–1975) | domesticpartner = | website = }} '''Betty Marsden''' (24 February 1919 – 18 July 1998) was an English comedy actress. She is particularly remembered as a cast member of the radio series ''Beyond Our Ken'' and ''Round the Horne''. Marsden appeared in two Carry On films, ''Carry On Regardless'' (1961) and ''Carry On Camping'' (1969).
==Early life== Marsden was born in West Derby, Liverpool,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://search.findmypast.co.uk/results/world-records/england-and-wales-births-1837-2006?firstname=betty&lastname=marsden&eventyear=1919&eventyear_offset=0&county=lancashire|title=Search Results for England & Wales Births 1837-2006 - findmypast.co.uk|website=Search.findmypast.co.uk|access-date=26 October 2018}}</ref> and grew up in near poverty in Somerset. Her music teacher recognised her talent at the age of six, and became her guardian.<ref name="Stevens">{{cite book |last= Stevens |first= Christopher |title=Born Brilliant: The Life of Kenneth Williams |publisher= John Murray |year= 2010 |isbn = 978-1-84854-195-5 |page=370 }}</ref> She attended the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts and during the Second World War she entertained the troops as a member of ENSA.<ref>{{cite book |title=The Best of Round The Horne |last=Took |first=Barry |author-link=Barry Took |year=1989 |publisher=Equation |isbn=1-85336-162-3 }}</ref>
==Career== From 1958 to 1968, Marsden was a cast member of the radio series ''Beyond Our Ken'' and ''Round the Horne'', where she played most of the female characters. Perhaps her most famous catchphrase was "many, many, many times", delivered in the dry, reedy tones of Bea Clissold, the ancient actress who was renowned for having given pleasure to many, particularly in "The Little Hut" on Shaftesbury Avenue. This long outlasted the Clissold character and was deployed to much audience appreciation on a few occasions in later series, possibly as an ad lib. Another was " 'allo, cheeky face!", shouted into the microphone in the less-than-couth London tones of Buttercup Gruntfuttock. Marsden's vocal range was impressive and also included the husky Daphne Whitethigh, the strident stereotypical Aussie tones of the ultra feminist (but conflicted) Judy Coolibar, and the cut-glass Received Pronunciation of Dame Celia Molestrangler (in a series of loose pastiches of the stilted dialogue in 1930s and 1940s romances and melodramas – for example, ''The Astonished Heart'' became ''The Hasty Nose'', and ''Brief Encounter'' became ''Brief Ecstasy'' – partnered with Hugh Paddick's 'ageing juvenile Binkie Huckaback', with the denouement inevitably bringing the lovers crashing back to earth).
In 1958, Marsden played the Fairy Godmother, in Rodgers and Hammerstein's ''Cinderella'' at the London Coliseum with Tommy Steele, Kenneth Williams, Yana and Jimmy Edwards.
Her two Carry On films were ''Carry On Regardless'' (1961), as Mata Hari, and ''Carry On Camping'' (1969), as Terry Scott's wife Harriet, with a braying laugh and jolly bossiness.<ref name="Stevens" />
Her other film roles included ''Ramsbottom Rides Again'' (1956), ''The Big Day'' (1960), ''The Boys'' (1962), ''The Wild Affair'' (1964), ''The Leather Boys'' (1964), ''The Best House in London'' (1969), and ''Eyewitness'' (1970). She later played Hermione in ''Britannia Hospital'' (1982),<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0083694/fullcredits?ref_=tt_cl_sm#cast|title=Britannia Hospital (1982) : Full Cast & Crew|publisher=IMDb|access-date=2015-11-18}}</ref> Violet Manning in ''The Dresser'' (1983),<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0085461/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_16|title=The Dresser (1983)|publisher=IMDb|access-date=2015-11-18}}</ref> Princess Troubetskaya in ''Anastasia: The Mystery of Anna'' (1986 TV movie), and Mrs. Barnacle in ''Little Dorrit'' (1987).
Her theatre roles included Mrs. Prentice in ''What the Butler Saw'' at the Royal Court Theatre in 1975, and Mrs. Hardcastle in ''She Stoops to Conquer'' at the Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith, in 1982. Her role of Aunt Dahlia was removed from Andrew Lloyd Webber's flop musical ''Jeeves'' (1975) before opening night.<ref>Andrew Lloyd Webber: His Life and Works – Walsh, Michael (1989, revised and expanded, 1997), P.85, Abrams: New York</ref>
Her television appearances included ''Blake's 7'' (Series 4, 1981), ''The Bill'' (Series 5, 1989) and ''Inspector Morse'' (1990).
==Personal life and death== During the Second World War, Marsden met and married Dr Jimmy Wilson Muggoch, an army doctor from Edinburgh.<ref name=BBC>{{cite news |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/135786.stm|title=Comic actress Betty Marsden dies |work=BBC News |date=20 July 1998 |access-date=26 October 2018}}</ref> From 1963 the couple lived in Brentford on their houseboat ''Chilham'', a converted Thames lighter.<ref>{{cite web |title=Brentford: The Hollows, Victoria Steps, Watermans Park and Lot's Ait |url=https://thamesfestivaltrust.org/programme-archive/life-afloat/life-afloat-brentford/ |website=Life Afloat |publisher=Thames Festival Trust |access-date=25 February 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230128170716/https://thamesfestivaltrust.org/programme-archive/life-afloat/life-afloat-brentford/ |archive-date=28 January 2023 |location=London |url-status=live}}</ref>
Prior to her death, Marsden had been suffering from heart problems and pneumonia. She was believed to be recovering, but died suddenly while socialising with friends in the bar of Denville Hall, a retirement home for actors, in Northwood in London.<ref name=BBC/>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *[https://web.archive.org/web/20180311233041/http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2ba2edd543 Betty Marsden] at the British Film Institute *{{IMDb name|id=0550429|name=Betty Marsden}} *[https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/135786.stm Betty Marsden's Obituary] on the BBC News web site.
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Marsden, Betty}} Category:1919 births Category:1998 deaths Category:Actresses from Liverpool Category:Alumni of the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts Category:Comedians from Liverpool Category:English film actresses Category:English radio actresses Category:English stage actresses Category:20th-century English actresses Category:20th-century English comedians Category:English women comedians Category:English sketch comedians Category:Actresses from Somerset Category:Comedians from Somerset