Pat Coombs 2573690 225812565 2008-07-15T14:58:01Z Rrsmac 1260629 {{About|the character actress, Pat Coombs|the writer|Patricia Coombs}} {{Infobox actor | name = Pat Coombs | image = MargeGreenCoombs.jpg | imagesize = 200px | caption = Coombs playing Marge Green in ''EastEnders'' | birthdate = {{birth date|1926|8|27|df=y}} | birthplace = {{flagicon|England}} [[Camberwell]], [[London]], [[England]] | deathdate = {{death date and age|2002|5|25|1926|8|27|mf=y}} | deathplace = [[Northwood]], [[Greater London]], [[England]] | birthname = Patricia Doreen Coombs | othername = | homepage = }} '''Pat Coombs''' ([[August 27]], [[1926]] &ndash; [[May 25]], [[2002]]) was an [[England|English]] [[actor|actress]]. Coombs was one of [[United Kingdom|Britain's]] great [[character actor|character actresses]], specialising in the portrayal of the eternal downtrodden female — comically under the thumb of stronger personalities. She was known for many roles on radio, [[film]] and television [[sitcom]]s. She died aged 75 from complications arising from [[emphysema]] at [[Denville Hall]] actors' home, [[Northwood]].<ref name="pat1">"[http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4153/is_20020527/ai_n12008297 Pat Coombs dies aged 75]", ''[[Evening Standard]]''. URL last accessed on [[2007-02-15]].</ref> == Early life == Born in [[Camberwell]] [[South London]], Coombs was one of three children; her father worked in insurance, for the Employers' Liability, the forerunner of Commercial Union. Coombs attended the County School for Girls in [[Beckenham]], [[Kent]]. After leaving school she began her working life as a student [[kindergarten]] teacher before her keenness for acting prompted her to take drama lessons during the [[Second World War]] with her friend and neighbour [[Vivien Merchant]].<ref name="pat4">"[http://www.guardian.co.uk/obituaries/story/0,3604,723345,00.html Pat Coombs]", ''[[The Guardian]]''. URL last accessed on [[2007-02-15]].</ref> At the age of 19, she won a scholarship to train as an actress at [[Lamda]], where she subsequently taught [[dialect]] to students.<ref name="pat2">"[http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_20020528/ai_n12618507 Obituary: Pat Coombs]", ''[[The Independent]]''. URL last accessed on [[2007-02-15]].</ref> == Career == She first made her name in the post-war era of radio variety as 'Nola', the dim and put-upon daughter of [[Irene Handl]] in [[Arthur Askey]]'s ''Hello Playmates''; their double-act had started as a guest spot on [[Bob Monkhouse]]'s show. Coombs also gained experience as a comedy stooge in radio shows alongide [[Ted Ray (comedian)|Ted Ray]] and [[Charlie Chester]]. An early television break came when she appeared with [[Tony Hancock]] in an episode of his series ''[[Hancock's Half Hour]]'' (1957). She followed this with regular appearances in ''[[Cyril Fletcher|The Cyril Fletcher Show]]'' (1959) and later she became a regular performer in the 1963 series of ''The [[Dick Emery]] Show''. She also starred in the sitcoms ''[[Barney Is My Darling]]'' (1965-66) alongside Irene Handl and ''[[Wild, Wild Women]]'' (1969) alongside [[Barbara Windsor]]. After a relatively unsuccessful partnership with [[Peggy Mount]] in the television series ''[[Lollipop Loves Mr Mole]]'' ([[ITV]]; 1971), the two found a better platform for their talents when they were reunited in [[Yorkshire Television|Yorkshire TV]]'s ''[[You're Only Young Twice]]'' (1977-1981), set in a home for the elderly; the two actresses were to become close friends. During her long career, Pat made two memorable contributions to ''[[Dad's Army]]''. In 1970, she played Mrs Hall in the ''Dad's Army'' movie and later in 1975, she played the dual part of Marie / the Clippie in the radio adaptation of ''A Soldiers Farewell''. Her other television work included ''[[Beggar My Neighbour (TV series)|Beggar My Neighbour]]'' (1967); ''Don't Drink the Water'' (1974-1975); ''[[Up Pompeii!]]'' (1969); ''[[Till Death Us Do Part]]'' (1966-1975) and its sequel ''[[In Sickness And In Health]]'' (1990; 1992); as well as ''The Lady is a Tramp'' (1983), in which she co-starred with [[Patricia Hayes]] in a series set among 'down-and-outs'. Coombs was also the subject of ''[[This is Your Life]]'' in 1978 and appeared regularly as a guest on [[Noel Edmonds]]'s Saturday night entertainment show ''[[Noel's House Party]]'' (1992-1995) and on the game shows ''[[Blankety Blank]]'' and ''[[Celebrity Squares]]'' (1975-79); returning for its revival in 1993-1994. Coombs was a regular on children's television. Hers was one of the voices heard in the children's series ''[[Ragdolly Anna]]'' (1982-1987), she played policeman Pat in ''[[Mooncat (Childrens TV character)|Mooncat and Co]]'' (1984) and voiced one of the puppets in the children's show ''[[Playbox]]'' (1988) alongside [[Keith Chegwin]]. She was seen in ''[[Rainbow (TV series)|Rainbow]]'' (1981-1982), ''[[The Basil Brush Show]]'' (1977-1979) ''[[Supergran]]'' and joined [[Stanley Baxter]] to play Miss Flavia Jelly in the first two series of ''[[Mr Majeika]]'' (1988-89) among many others. Pat Coombs also appeared in many films, including ''[[Carry On Doctor]]'' (1968); ''Carry On Again, Doctor'' (1969); ''[[On the Buses]]'' (1971); ''Ooh, You Are Awful'' (1972), with [[Dick Emery]]; [[Spike Milligan]]'s ''[[Adolf Hitler: My Part in his Downfall (film)|Adolf Hitler: My Part in His Downfall]]'' (1972) as well as a minor role as Henrietta Salt in the 1971 classic, ''[[Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory]]''. In 1989 she appeared in the popular [[BBC]] [[soap opera]] ''[[EastEnders]]''. For a year she played [[Marge Green]], [[Brown Owl]] of the [[Walford]] [[Brownies (Girl Guides)|Brownies]]' pack, where she worked closely with ''EastEnders'' stalwarts [[June Brown]], [[Edna Doré]] and [[Gretchen Franklin]]. Coombs's character was introduced as part of a deliberate attempt to bring humour into the programme, which had come under attack for being too depressing. However many viewers felt that the comic storylines stretched the programme's credibility. The character subsequently became one of many to be axed in 1990 following the introduction of new executive producer, [[Michael Ferguson (director)|Michael Ferguson]]. Pat Coombs was said to be extremely upset that the character of Marge only lasted for one year, but the producers felt there was no place in the programme's new plan for a character "whose prime function was to be comic relief".<ref name="first10years">{{cite book |last=Brake|first= Colin|authorlink= Colin Brake|title= [[EastEnders books#Non-fiction books|EastEnders: The First 10 Years: A Celebration]] |year=1995|publisher=BBC Books|id=ISBN 0-563-37057-2}}</ref> Following her stint in ''EastEnders'' Coombs went on to guest in the BBC comedy ''[[Birds of a Feather]]'', ''[[Boon (TV series)|Boon]]'' and the BBC medical drama ''[[Doctors (BBC soap opera)|Doctors]]'' in 2001, which was her last appearance on screen. ==Personal life== Coombs never married. She has said she came close to it twice, but was not sure enough to proceed.<ref name="pat4"/> She once remarked: "I've never been wildly ambitious; I think if I'd been married, my career would have gone out of the window."<ref name="pat3">"[http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2002/05/28/db2801.xml Pat Coombs]", ''[[The Daily Telegraph|The Telegraph]]''. URL last accessed on [[2007-02-15]].</ref> ==Illness and death== Coombs was diagnosed with [[osteoporosis]] in 1995, and despite being in great pain she nonetheless became an active campaigner for the [[National Osteoporosis Society]]. Her Christmas appeal letter raised £100,000 for the charity's research. She had just completed a role for [[BBC Radio 4|Radio 4]] alongside [[June Whitfield]] in ''Like They've Never Been Gone'' when she died on [[May 25]] [[2002]] from [[emphysema]] in [[Denville Hall]] actors' home, a west London nursing home to which she had moved to be close to her friend [[Peggy Mount]], who had died six months earlier.<ref name="pat4"/> Coombs was 75 years old. ==References== {{reflist}} ==External links== *[http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2002/05/28/db2801.xml on-line obit] in [[The Daily Telegraph|telegraph.co.uk]] * {{Find A Grave|id=8746377}} *{{imdb name| id=0177711 | name=Pat Coombs}} *[http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/individual/23244?view=credit Pat Coombs:British Film Institute Filmography] {{DEFAULTSORT:Coombs, Pat}} [[Category:1926 births]] [[Category:2002 deaths]] [[Category:Deaths from emphysema]] [[Category:English film actors]] [[Category:English radio actors]] [[Category:English soap opera actors]] [[Category:English television actors]] [[Category:People from Camberwell]] [[fr:Pat Coombs]]