Alan Browning

Born: 1926-03-23

Alan Brown (23 March 1926 – 7 September 1979), known professionally as Alan Browning, was an English actor. Whilst working by day as a reporter for a local paper in Newcastle in the 1950s, he began acting as an amateur at the People's Theatre. He then moved to London to work for a news agency and was sent abroad to Cairo, where he met his first wife (Anne) who was serving in the Women's Royal Naval Service (Wrens). On their return to the UK, and following encouragement from Anne, he began to seek work as an actor. Very soon he was cast as King John in a pair of educational films made for Encyclopedia Britannica, and then became a regular 'extra' playing bit parts in TV series such as Z-Cars, The Saint, and The Avengers. He also starred as Chief Officer Steve Rettar in the ABC series Jezebel in 1963. He became a household name in the UK when he was cast as Ellis Cooper in The Newcomers (1965-1968), but is best remembered for portraying Alan Howard in the television series Coronation Street, a role he played from 1969 to 1973. He was married to his Coronation Street co-star Pat Phoenix from 23 December 1972, until his 1979 death from liver failure as a result of his heavy alcohol intake. Phoenix also played his onscreen wife, Elsie Tanner, in Coronation Street. The pair left The Street in 1973 and toured the UK and New Zealand with theatrical productions of Gaslight and Night Must Fall, both directed by Browning, before Phoenix rejoined the cast of The Street. Browning also recorded an LP of jazz standards called "Whisky & Milk" (a reference to his preferred drink, being easier on the stomach than neat whisky) with the Tony Hayes Quartet in 1975. Browning's other television appearances included Interpol Calling (1960), Dr. Finlay's Casebook (1962), Maigret (1963), The Plane Makers (1964), The War of Darkie Pilbeam (1968), Big Breadwinner Hog (1969), The Onedin Line (1971), The Fear Is Spreading (an episode of the TV series Thriller, 1975), When the Boat Comes In (1976), and a leading role in The Cedar Tree (1976-77). His final credit was in a 1978 episode of Return of the Saint. His film credits included Feet of Clay (1960), Fury at Smugglers' Bay (1961), Cleopatra (1963), Guns at Batasi (1964), and Julius Caesar (1970).


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Guns at Batasi

as uncredited
Released: 1964-10-30

An anachronistic martinet RSM on a remote Colonial African army caught in a local coup d'etat...

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Fury at Smugglers' Bay

as 2nd Highwayman
Released: 1961-01-01

It is the end of the 18th century and smuggling is considered to be a legitimate spare-time...

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Part-Time Wife

as Police Sergeant
Released: 1961-12-05

Insurance salesman Tom and his wife Jenny are struggling through the first years of marriage in...

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The Crazy Kill

as Supt. Brook
Released: 1975-02-25

A doctor and his wife are held hostage in their country home by an escaped convict and his...

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The Avengers

as Moss
First aired: 1961-01-07

The Avengers is a British television series created in the 1960s. It initially focused on Dr....

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The Avengers

as Zaroff
First aired: 1961-01-07

The Avengers is a British television series created in the 1960s. It initially focused on Dr....

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The Saint

as Cafe Proprietor
First aired: 1962-10-04

Simon Templar is The Saint, a handsome, sophisticated, debonair, modern-day Robin Hood who...

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Crown Court

as uncredited
First aired: 1972-10-11

Crown Court is an afternoon television courtroom drama produced by Granada Television for the...

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No Hiding Place

as uncredited
First aired: 1959-09-16

No Hiding Place is a British television series that was produced at Wembley Studios by...

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Z-Cars

as uncredited
First aired: 1962-01-02

Z-Cars or Z Cars is a British television drama series centred on the work of mobile uniformed...

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The Main Chance

as Montero
First aired: 1969-06-18

The Main Chance was a British television series which first aired on ITV between 1969,1970,1972...

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Maigret

as uncredited
First aired: 1960-10-31

BBC series based on the novels by Georges Simenon which starred Rupert Davies as Inspector...

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Thriller

as Supt. Brook
First aired: 1973-04-14

Thriller is a British television series, originally broadcast in the UK from 1973 to 1976. It is...

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Return of the Saint

as Henry
First aired: 1978-09-10

Follow the swashbuckling exploits of Simon Templar, a modern-day Robin Hood of sorts.

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Gideon's Way

as Wilson
First aired: 1965-03-18

Gideon's Way is a British television crime series made by ITC Entertainment in 1964/65, based on...

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Dr. Finlay's Casebook

as uncredited
First aired: 1962-08-16

Dr Finlay's Casebook is a television series that was broadcast on the BBC from 1962 until 1971....

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Suspense

as uncredited
First aired: 1962-04-30

Anthology series telling suspenseful tales.

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