Ella Retford

She was born in Sunderland (not Ireland, as some sources suggest), and around 1900 moved to London where she performed in music hall shows, initially as a dancer.

[1] The Sheffield Evening Telegraph said of her: "Miss Ella Retford’s powers as a comedienne are well-known to patrons of halls.

Possessing a fine voice, with certain peculiarities which impart a kind of naivete to her singing, she dances most gracefully, and displays capital elocutionary training".

She also made film appearances as a character actress in Darby and Joan (1937), Poison Pen (1939), I'll Be Your Sweetheart (1945), Paper Orchid (1949), and Shadow of the Past (1950).

She continued to perform on stage in pantomimes until 1949, and appeared in 1954 on BBC television as a judge in the contest Top Town.