Betty Marsden (24 February 1919 â€" 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 also appeared
in two Carry On films, Carry On Regardless (1961) and Carry On Camping
(1969).Marsden was born in West Derby, Liverpool, and grew up in near
poverty in Somerset. Her music teacher recognised her talent at the
age of six, and became her guardian. She attended the Italia Conti
Academy of Theatre Arts and during World War II she entertained the
troops as a member of ENSA. It was at this time that she met and
married her husband, Dr Jimmy Wilson Muggoch, an army doctor from
Edinburgh.From 1958 to 1968, Marsden was among the cast 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 - partnered with Hugh Paddick's 'ageing juvenile Binkie
Huckaback', with the denouement inevitably bringing the lovers
crashing back to earth).
comedy actress. She is particularly remembered as a cast member of the
radio series Beyond Our Ken and Round the Horne. Marsden also appeared
in two Carry On films, Carry On Regardless (1961) and Carry On Camping
(1969).Marsden was born in West Derby, Liverpool, and grew up in near
poverty in Somerset. Her music teacher recognised her talent at the
age of six, and became her guardian. She attended the Italia Conti
Academy of Theatre Arts and during World War II she entertained the
troops as a member of ENSA. It was at this time that she met and
married her husband, Dr Jimmy Wilson Muggoch, an army doctor from
Edinburgh.From 1958 to 1968, Marsden was among the cast 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 - partnered with Hugh Paddick's 'ageing juvenile Binkie
Huckaback', with the denouement inevitably bringing the lovers
crashing back to earth).
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