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IMDbPro

Esma Cannon(1905-1972)

  • Actress
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
Esma Cannon
Legendary Australian-born character actress of the British screen, Miss Cannon was without doubt one of the best scene-stealing actresses.

Her pixie-like looks and extraordinary facial expressions made her a true favourite of many a British movie.

Without her appearances in many a 'Carry On' film in the 1960s, her career would have probably been forgotten today. Arguably, her most famous performance was as the lonely but happy spinster in Carry on Cruising (1962). The bar scene with Dilys Laye where both of their characters get hideously drunk, is as legendary as the movie itself.
BornDecember 27, 1905
DiedOctober 18, 1972(66)
BornDecember 27, 1905
DiedOctober 18, 1972(66)
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank

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Known for

Patricia Roc and Dermot Walsh in Jassy (1947)
Jassy
6.4
  • Lindy
  • 1947
Peter Jones and Miriam Karlin in The Rag Trade (1961)
The Rag Trade
7.2
TV Series
  • Lily Swann
Carry on Cabby (1963)
Carry on Cabby
6.4
  • Flo Sims
  • 1963
Carry on Cruising (1962)
Carry on Cruising
6.1
  • Bridget Madderley
  • 1962

Credits

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IMDbPro

Actress



  • Ian Carmichael, Curd Jürgens, and Janet Munro in Hide and Seek (1964)
    Hide and Seek
    5.9
    • Tea Lady
    • 1964
  • Carry on Cabby (1963)
    Carry on Cabby
    6.4
    • Flo Sims
    • 1963
  • Dr. Finlay's Casebook (1962)
    Dr. Finlay's Casebook
    7.6
    TV Series
    • Harriet Matlock
    • 1963
  • Nurse on Wheels (1963)
    Nurse on Wheels
    6.2
    • Mrs. Jones
    • 1963
  • The Fast Lady (1962)
    The Fast Lady
    6.1
    • Lady on Zebra Crossing
    • 1962
  • Benny Hill in A Christmas Night with the Stars (1958)
    A Christmas Night with the Stars
    6.2
    TV Series
    • Lily Swann - The Rag Trade segment
    • 1962
  • Jennifer Jayne and Norman Wisdom in On the Beat (1962)
    On the Beat
    6.8
    • Mrs. Timms
    • 1962
  • We Joined the Navy (1962)
    We Joined the Navy
    5.5
    • Consul's Wife
    • 1962
  • Peter Jones and Miriam Karlin in The Rag Trade (1961)
    The Rag Trade
    7.2
    TV Series
    • Lily Swann
    • 1961–1962
  • Carry on Cruising (1962)
    Carry on Cruising
    6.1
    • Bridget Madderley
    • 1962
  • Stryker of the Yard (1957)
    Stryker of the Yard
    7.3
    TV Series
    • Miss Drysdale
    • 1962
  • Rupert Davies in Maigret (1960)
    Maigret
    7.8
    TV Series
    • Mademoiselle Doncoeur
    • 1961
  • In the Doghouse (1961)
    In the Doghouse
    6.1
    • Mrs. Raikes
    • 1961
  • Over the Odds (1961)
    Over the Odds
    • Alice
    • 1961
  • Roommates (1961)
    Roommates
    5.9
    • Mrs. Deevens
    • 1961

Personal details

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  • Alternative name
    • Esme Cannon
  • Height
    • 4′ 7″ (1.40 m)
  • Born
    • December 27, 1905
    • Randwick, New South Wales, Australia
  • Died
    • October 18, 1972
    • Saint-Benoît-la-Forêt, Indre-et-Loire, France
  • Spouse
    • Ernst Otto LittmanSeptember 5, 1945 - October 18, 1972 (her death, 1 child)
  • Other works
    She acted in Frank Vosper's play, "Love from a Stranger", at the New Theatre in London, England with Frank Vosper, Marie Ney, Muriel Aked and Norah Howard in the cast.
  • Publicity listings
    • 1 Portrayal

Did you know

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  • Trivia
    Her death was only discovered by her former colleagues and friends after a 'Where are they now?' feature in 'Films and Filming' a number of years after her passing.

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