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Irene Handl

Cast

Irene Handl

Acting

Cast

Irene Handl

Known for

Acting

Born

1901-12-27

From

Maida Vale, London, England, UK

Died

1987-11-29

Biography

Irene Handl (27 December 1901 – 29 November 1987) was a British character actress who appeared in more than 100 British films; she also wrote novels. Irene Handl was born in Maida Vale, London, the younger of two daughters of an Austrian-born father—Friedrich (later Frederick) Handl (1874–1961) and German mother, Marie (née Schiepp or Schuepp; 1875 – before 1924). Both of Handl's parents became naturalised British citizens. Her father came to England via Switzerland and started as a bank clerk, before becoming a stockbroker, then became a private banker. The Handls lived a comfortable middle-class life, with a German cook and housekeeper living in the family home. From 1907 to 1915, Handl attended the Paddington and Maida Vale High School. In the 1920s Handl travelled several times to New York with her father, with the ship's log listing her on each occasion as having no occupation and residing in the family home. Handl studied at an acting school run by a sister of Dame Sybil Thorndike, and then made her stage debut in London in February 1937, at the relatively advanced age of 36. In 1939, and by now an actress, she was living with her widower father in London. She continued to live with her father until his death in 1961. Her elder sister Liane (1898–1977) had married Russian electrical engineer and photographer Victor Kraminsky (born Viktor Azar'evich Kraminskii; later known as Victor Kennett; 1894–1980) in 1920 in Marylebone, Middlesex (now London). They had at least one child, a son, Charles Kennett. Handl appeared in supporting roles in more than 100 British films, mostly comedy character parts such as slightly eccentric mothers, grannies, landladies and servants. She was a passionate lover of rock and roll, especially the work of Elvis Presley, and was president of the Lewisham branch of the Elvis Presley fan club. She was also a fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, and one of Britain's most avid champions of Chihuahuas, being inseparable from the pair that she owned. Handl had minor roles in such landmark films as Night Train to Munich and Brief Encounter. Her other notable roles included the wife of the union activist Fred Kite (played by Peter Sellers) in I'm All Right Jack (1959); Mrs Gammon, the formidable cook, opposite Gordon Harker in Small Hotel (1957); Tony Hancock's landlady in The Rebel (1961); Sherlock Holmes's housekeeper, Mrs Hudson, in The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes (1970); and Morgan's Communist mother, Mrs Delt, in Morgan – A Suitable Case for Treatment (1966). She also had small roles in two of the Carry On films, Carry On Nurse and Carry On Constable), and played Miss Peach in the original version of The Italian Job. She worked until 1987, the year of her death. Her last role was released posthumously the following year. Handl died in her flat in Kensington, West London, on 29 November 1987, aged 85, reportedly from cancer. She never married. She was cremated at Golders Green Crematorium, North London.

Brief Encounter
★7.7
MOVIE1945

Brief Encounter

as The Cellist and Organist (uncredited)

The Italian Job
★6.9
MOVIE1969

The Italian Job

as Miss Peach

Come Play with Me
★4.7
MOVIE1977

Come Play with Me

as Lady Bovington

Stage Fright
★6.8
MOVIE1950

Stage Fright

as Mrs. Mason (uncredited)

The Wrong Box
★6.4
MOVIE1966

The Wrong Box

as Mrs. Hackett

The Last Remake of Beau Geste
★5.7
MOVIE1977

The Last Remake of Beau Geste

as Miss Wormwood

The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes
★6.8
MOVIE1970

The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes

as Mrs. Hudson

Night Train to Munich
★7.3
MOVIE1940

Night Train to Munich

as Stationmaster (uncredited)

Absolute Beginners
★5.5
MOVIE1986

Absolute Beginners

as Mrs Larkin

Carry On Nurse
★6.4
MOVIE1959

Carry On Nurse

as Marge Hickson

A French Mistress
★6.3
MOVIE1960

A French Mistress

as Staff Sergeant Hodges

On a Clear Day You Can See Forever
★6.7
MOVIE1970

On a Clear Day You Can See Forever

as Winnie Wainwhisle

"Pimpernel" Smith
★7.0
MOVIE1941

"Pimpernel" Smith

as Bit Part

Adventures of a Private Eye
★4.3
MOVIE1977

Adventures of a Private Eye

as Miss Friggin

I'm All Right Jack
★6.6
MOVIE1959

I'm All Right Jack

as Mrs. Kite

The Key
★6.1
MOVIE1958

The Key

as Clerk

The Rebel
★7.8
MOVIE1961

The Rebel

as Mrs. Crevatte

The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle
★6.4
MOVIE1980

The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle

as Cinema Usherette

Watch It, Sailor!
★7.0
MOVIE1961

Watch It, Sailor!

as Edie Hornett

Doctor in Trouble
★5.0
MOVIE1970

Doctor in Trouble

as Mrs. Dailey

The Belles of St Trinian's
★6.4
MOVIE1954

The Belles of St Trinian's

as Miss Gale

Smashing Time
★6.3
MOVIE1967

Smashing Time

as Mrs Gimble

The Light Princess
★7.0
MOVIE1978

The Light Princess

as Nanny

The Shop at Sly Corner
★6.6
MOVIE1947

The Shop at Sly Corner

as Ruby Towser

Girl in the News
★6.5
MOVIE1940

Girl in the News

as Gertrude Mary Blaker

School for Scoundrels
★7.0
MOVIE1960

School for Scoundrels

as Mrs Stringer

Upstairs and Downstairs
★5.8
MOVIE1959

Upstairs and Downstairs

as Large Woman

Confessions of a Driving Instructor
★4.7
MOVIE1976

Confessions of a Driving Instructor

as Miss Slenderparts

Morgan: A Suitable Case for Treatment
★6.3
MOVIE1966

Morgan: A Suitable Case for Treatment

as Mrs. Delt

Adam and Evelyne
★7.0
MOVIE1949

Adam and Evelyne

as Mrs. Crouch, Manageress (uncredited)

On the Night of the Fire
★5.4
MOVIE1939

On the Night of the Fire

as Neighbour

Two-Way Stretch
★6.8
MOVIE1960

Two-Way Stretch

as Mrs. Price

The Silken Affair
★3.3
MOVIE1956

The Silken Affair

as Receptionist

The Weak and the Wicked
★6.5
MOVIE1954

The Weak and the Wicked

as Waitress

Happy Is the Bride
★7.0
MOVIE1958

Happy Is the Bride

as Madame Edna

The Hound of the Baskervilles
★4.4
MOVIE1978

The Hound of the Baskervilles

as Mrs. Barrymore

Temptation Harbour
★5.4
MOVIE1947

Temptation Harbour

as Ethel Gowshall

The Pure Hell of St Trinian's
★6.5
MOVIE1960

The Pure Hell of St Trinian's

as Miss Harker-Parker

No Kidding
★6.1
MOVIE1960

No Kidding

as Mrs. Spicer

Millions Like Us
★5.6
MOVIE1943

Millions Like Us

as Landlady

Cardboard Cavalier
★6.0
MOVIE1949

Cardboard Cavalier

as Lady Agnes

Doctor in Love
★5.5
MOVIE1960

Doctor in Love

as Professor MacRitchie

English Without Tears
★6.3
MOVIE1944

English Without Tears

as (uncredited)

A Weekend with Lulu
★5.5
MOVIE1961

A Weekend with Lulu

as Florence Bell

It's Your Move
★7.9
MOVIE1982

It's Your Move

as Grand Old Lady

Stand up, Virgin Soldiers
★4.6
MOVIE1977

Stand up, Virgin Soldiers

as Mrs. Phillimore

For Them That Trespass
★5.3
MOVIE1949

For Them That Trespass

as Inn Proprietress

Mad About Men
★6.5
MOVIE1954

Mad About Men

as Mme. Blanche

Who Done It?
★5.5
MOVIE1956

Who Done It?

as Customer (uncredited)

You Must Be Joking
★5.4
MOVIE1965

You Must Be Joking

as Elderly Woman

The Perfect Woman
★6.4
MOVIE1949

The Perfect Woman

as Mrs. Butters

Brothers in Law
★7.1
MOVIE1957

Brothers in Law

as Mrs. Potter

A Kid for Two Farthings
★6.7
MOVIE1955

A Kid for Two Farthings

as Mrs. Abramowitz

Carry On Constable
★6.3
MOVIE1960

Carry On Constable

as Willie's Mother

Make Mine Mink
★6.9
MOVIE1960

Make Mine Mink

as Madame Spolinski

Meet Mr. Lucifer
★5.2
MOVIE1953

Meet Mr. Lucifer

as Lady with the Dog

Double Bunk
★6.1
MOVIE1961

Double Bunk

as Mrs. Harper

Top Secret
★8.0
MOVIE1952

Top Secret

as Mrs. Tidmarsh

Law and Disorder
★6.4
MOVIE1958

Law and Disorder

as Woman in Train

The Importance of Being Earnest
MOVIE1964

The Importance of Being Earnest

Young Wives' Tale
★5.3
MOVIE1951

Young Wives' Tale

as Nanny (uncredited)

One Wild Oat
★5.2
MOVIE1951

One Wild Oat

as Emily Pepys

Medal for the General
★7.7
MOVIE1944

Medal for the General

as Mrs. Farnsworth

Hotel du Lac
★4.3
MOVIE1986

Hotel du Lac

as Madame de Bonneuil

Left Right and Centre
★6.1
MOVIE1959

Left Right and Centre

as Mrs. Maggs

Treasure Hunt
★5.7
MOVIE1952

Treasure Hunt

as Nanny

Wonderwall
★5.2
MOVIE1969

Wonderwall

as Mrs. Peurofoy

The Night We Got the Bird
★6.3
MOVIE1960

The Night We Got the Bird

as Ma

The Night We Dropped a Clanger
★5.8
MOVIE1959

The Night We Dropped a Clanger

as Mrs Billingsgate

The Flemish Farm
★5.9
MOVIE1943

The Flemish Farm

as Frau

Uncensored
★9.0
MOVIE1942

Uncensored

as Frau Von Koerner

Get Cracking
★6.3
MOVIE1943

Get Cracking

as Maggie Turner

Desert Mice
★6.2
MOVIE1959

Desert Mice

as Miss Maud Patch

Carlton-Browne of the F.O.
★6.2
MOVIE1959

Carlton-Browne of the F.O.

as Mrs. Carter

Gasbags
★6.1
MOVIE1941

Gasbags

as Burgomaster's wife

The Wedding of Lilli Marlene
★7.0
MOVIE1953

The Wedding of Lilli Marlene

as Rosie

Heavens Above!
★6.6
MOVIE1963

Heavens Above!

as Rene Smith

Mrs Pym of Scotland Yard
★6.9
MOVIE1940

Mrs Pym of Scotland Yard

as Miss Bell

Great Day
★7.4
MOVIE1945

Great Day

as Lady serving Tea in Tea Stall.

It's Never Too Late
★7.3
MOVIE1956

It's Never Too Late

as Neighbour

The Mini-Affair
★9.0
MOVIE1967

The Mini-Affair

as Cook

Woman Hater
★7.7
MOVIE1948

Woman Hater

as Mrs. Fletcher

Nothing Barred
★7.0
MOVIE1961

Nothing Barred

as Elsie

Burnt Evidence
★6.0
MOVIE1954

Burnt Evidence

as Mrs. Raymond

Next to No Time
★7.7
MOVIE1958

Next to No Time

as Mrs. Crowley, Greengrocer

Mr. Emmanuel
★7.5
MOVIE1944

Mr. Emmanuel

as Trude

Just for Fun
★5.3
MOVIE1963

Just for Fun

as Housewife

The Terror
★6.5
MOVIE1938

The Terror

as Kitchen Maid

I'll Walk Beside You
★6.0
MOVIE1943

I'll Walk Beside You

as Ma Perkins

Inn for Trouble
★6.9
MOVIE1960

Inn for Trouble

as Lily

Look at Life: Saturday Special
MOVIE1969

Look at Life: Saturday Special

as Self

Riding High
★5.1
MOVIE1981

Riding High

as Gran

Dark Secret
★8.0
MOVIE1949

Dark Secret

as 'Woody' Woodman

Strange Boarders
★8.0
MOVIE1938

Strange Boarders

as Mrs. Dewar

Mr. Proudfoot Shows a Light
★9.0
MOVIE1941

Mr. Proudfoot Shows a Light

as Councillor

The Spell of Amy Nugent
★6.0
MOVIE1941

The Spell of Amy Nugent

as Mrs. Nugent

The Best of the Adventures
★6.3
MOVIE1981

The Best of the Adventures

as Miss Friggin (archive footage) (uncredited)

Small Hotel
★7.0
MOVIE1957

Small Hotel

as Mrs. Gammon

Room to Let
MOVIE1976

Room to Let

as Lady on crossing

Give Us the Moon
★6.9
MOVIE1944

Give Us the Moon

as Miss Haddock

Kiss the Bride Goodbye
★5.4
MOVIE1945

Kiss the Bride Goodbye

as Mrs. Victory

I'll Turn to You
★6.0
MOVIE1946

I'll Turn to You

as Mrs. Gammon

The Crowning Touch
★8.0
MOVIE1959

The Crowning Touch

as Bebe

Silent Dust
★7.4
MOVIE1949

Silent Dust

as Cook

The Hills of Donegal
★4.5
MOVIE1947

The Hills of Donegal

as Mrs. Mactavish

Lionheart
★6.5
MOVIE1968

Lionheart

as Lil

It's in the Bag
★5.7
MOVIE1944

It's in the Bag

as Mrs. Beam

For the Love of Ada
★7.3
MOVIE1972

For the Love of Ada

as Ada Bingley

Partners in Crime
★10.0
MOVIE1942

Partners in Crime

as Mrs. Wilson

George and Margaret
★7.0
MOVIE1940

George and Margaret

as Beer

Rhythm Serenade
★7.7
MOVIE1943

Rhythm Serenade

For You Alone
★7.0
MOVIE1945

For You Alone

as Miss Trotter