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Patsy Rowlands




  Name Patsy Rowlands
  Birthname Patricia Rowlands
  Location Palmers Green , London , England
  Deathplace Hove , East Sussex , England
  Notable Role Betty Lewis<br> in ''''' Bless This House '''''<br>Various<br> in the '''''Carry On''''' '''films'''


Patsy Rowlands ( 19 January 193422 January , 2005 ) was an English Actress who is best remembered for the ''Carry On'' Films and '' Bless This House ''.


EARLY YEARS

She was born Patricia Rowlands in Palmers Green , London , she attended a succession of Convent schools throughout her childhood. At one an Elocution teacher spotted her potential and encouraged her to pursue a career in acting. She applied for the Guildhall School Of Music And Drama , and won a scholarship aged fifteen.


CAREER

Rowlands began her career at the Saville Theatre in Sandy Wilson 's play ''Valmouth'' and then spent several years working in London as a regular member of the Players' Theatre. Other West End Theatre credits include ''Semi-Detached'' with Laurence Olivier and directed by Tony Richardson (with whom she was to work often), ''Shut Your Eyes and Think of England'', with Donald Sinden , '' The Seagull '' directed by Lindsay Anderson and ''When We Are Married'' for Ronald Eyre . She made a name for herself as a character actress in a range of stage and screen roles throughout the 1950s and 1960s. Patsy appeared in a total of ten Carry On Films , all directed by Gerald Thomas . Initially a supporting player, her ''Carry On'' roles increased in size as she took the place of departing regulars in the later films of the series in the early and mid 1970s. Around this time she also played a recurring role in the long running sitcom, '' Bless This House '', in which she appeared alongside ''Carry On'' regular Sid James . Rowlands's last Carry On film was '' Carry On Behind ''. She was also originally cast in the new film '' Carry On London '', however funding problems caused the film to be delayed. She often said that her favourite Carry On film was '' Carry On At Your Convenience ''.


LATER YEARS

Towards the end of her life, Rowlands appeared in several revivals of major Musicals such as '' Oliver! '' and '' My Fair Lady '', and later television credits include ''The Cazalet Chronicles'', '' The Canterbury Tales '', ''The Cater Street Hangman'', ''Get Well Soon'', and '' Vanity Fair '' for the BBC .Rowlands completed several audio commentaries along with other stars of the ''Carry On'' films in 2003.

She developed Breast Cancer and had to retire from acting to become an acting teacher. She died of the disease in a Sussex Hospice at the age of 71. She had one son, Alan. Patsy was described as a 'stalwart' of the'' Carry On'' films by national newspaper obituaries.


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