Angela Lansbury/Stephanie Cole a comparison

[stuart.uk]

I realize that most folk in American won't have heard of Stephanie Cole, but some might have seen her as Martin Clunes auntie Joan in Doc Martin and again as an aunt to Pierce Brosnam in Grey Owl.

However, I'm interested in the fact both actresses, though young and attractive played older women. Angela played Elvis' mum in Blue Hawaii, even though IMHO she was more attractive than both the stars leading lady and the other young actresses in the film. IMO she could easily have played Elvis' romantic interest in the film. Again in the remake of The Lady Vanishes, where Angela plays an elderly secret agent, she's up against Sybil Shepherd. Again IMO Angela was the more attractive of the 2. She was brilliant as Miss. Marple in The Mirror Cracked, but was just about 20-yrs to young for the part. Interesting enough when Angela did play her own age in Dear Heart, Glenn Ford prefered Geraldine Paige. Angela also looked great in the Disney film Bedknobs And Bromsticks. Though she was near 60 when Angela first made Murder She Wrote, she was at last able to play slueth Jessica Fletcher as a modern day attractive woman.

I've recently been watching repeats of the woman's Japanese POW series Tenko where Stephanie Cole played the relatively young Doctor Beatrice Mason, though the character was rather plain, I can see potential in the actress to suggest she could have played more glamorous role. However, at age 39 Stephanie played aging battle axe Mrs. Featherstone with an eye for middle aged grocer Ronnie Barker in the sit com Open All Hours. What a pity she didn't glam up, for at least one episode, and give Barker's true love Nurse Gladys, as played by Lynda Barron, a run for her money as a serious rival for his affections LOL. Funnily enough Stephanie was allowed to be glamorous, even though she played pensioner Diana Trent in the sit com Waiting For God, which I believe aired in America. Diana was very much a modern day woman. Though as Stephanie says she's now old enough to play such roles without to much make up, she's now joined the cast of the Manchester set soap Coronation Street. Her character Sylvia, though an aging battleaxe in the show, she still has a twinkle in her eye for Dennis Tanner, who also seems to like her.

[srowley75]

Hi Stuart,

I'm a great fan of Stephanie Cole's work on the television series Waiting for God, one of the most intelligent TV series ever produced about the aged and a show I can't imagine ever being produced in the States. I believe this is the only program I've ever seen her in, but I'd love to see more of her in whatever she's doing these days.

[stuart.uk]

Here's Stephanie in Coronation Street as Roy Croppers mum, who at this moment is unaware his wife is transexual



I also forgot to mention she was in a brilliant tv movie Housewife 49 with the outstanding Victoria Wood



And in Tenko Reunion, in the role that made her in what was the last one made as a tv movie. She's fab in this