Gilly Flower

For the flower, see Gilliflower.

Gilly Flower
Flower as Miss Tibbs in Fawlty Towers
Born
Gertrude Adele Jacobs

26 August 1908
London, England
Died17 February 2001 (aged 92)
Surrey, England
OccupationActress
Years active1932–1991

Gilly Flower (26 August 1908 – 17 February 2001) was an English actress and model, best remembered as the elderly Miss Abitha Tibbs in the BBC sitcom Fawlty Towers.

Flower played Miss Tibbs in all twelve episodes of the show, which was produced in two six-episode series separated by a three-and-a-half-year interval.

A Londoner, Flower had her first film role in 1932 and, with the advent of television in Britain, she found a new outlet for her talents, continuing to appear in such programmes as Z-Cars, Steptoe and Son and The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin. Early in her career, Flower was also a model and seven portrait photographs taken by Bassano, in which she is modelling hats from Kembray, may today be found in the collection of the National Portrait Gallery.

Flower retired from acting in 1991.

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1932 The New Hotel
1968 Work Is a Four-Letter Word Auntie Winnie

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1962 Six More Faces of Jim 2 episodes
1965 The Wednesday Play The Unconfident Episode: "The Confidence Course"
1965–1966 Crossroads King's Oak Mrs. Templeton 4 episodes
1966 Seven Deadly Sins Group B Member (uncredited) Episode: "The Erpingham Camp"
1968 Beggar My Neighbour Civil Defence volunteer Episode: "Whiter Shade of Yellow"
1968 The Root of All Evil? Party guest Episode: "Money for Change"
1969 Wink to Me Only 1st Woman Episode: "The Vacuum Affair"
1969 Not in Front of the Children Housekeeper Episode: "Stand on Ceremony"
1970 Morning Story Mrs. Johnson Television film
1970 The Culture Vultures Secretary Episode: #1.1
1971 Doomwatch Woman (uncredited) 2 episodes
1971 Comedy Playhouse Miss Travers Episode: "The Importance of Being Hairy"
1971 Bachelor Father Housewife Episode: "Economy Class"
1972 Emma Mini Series
1972 My Wife Next Door The Maid Episode: "Joint Assignment"
1972 Upstairs, Downstairs Woman at Courtroom (uncredited) Episode: "A Special Mischief"
1973 Softly, Softly: Task Force Landlady (uncredited) Episode: "Time-Table"
1973 Z Cars Customer (uncredited) Episode: "Skin Game"
1973 Pardon My Genie Cousin Edna (uncredited) Episode: "Commercial Success"
1973 Oh, Father! Draper's Assistant Episode: "A Little Law"
1970–1974 Play for Today Mary (The Maid)

Non-speaking extra

2 episodes
1973–1974 Thriller Miss Cardiff

Pub guest

2 episodes
1974 Happy Ever After Hotel guest Episode: "The Hotel"
1972–1974 Steptoe and Son Alice

Mrs. Sheldon

2 episodes
1975 Second Time Around Marjorie Episode: "Father to Be (or Not to Be)
1975 My Honourable Mrs Miss Birdwood Episode: "While the Cat's Away"
1975 The Growing Pains of P.C. Penrose Lady Magistrate Episode: "Among Those Appearing"
1975 The Dick Emery Show Episode: #14.11
1974–1975 Within These Walls Woman (uncredited) 2 episodes
1977 Beryl's Lot Mrs. Norris 4 episodes
1977 General Hospital Woman patient Episode: "Sons and Daughters"
1977 Ripping Yarns Jehovah's Witnesses Episode: "Murder at Moorstones Manor"
1977 The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin The woman with fur Episode: "The Unusual Shop"
1978 Angels Mrs. Black Episode: "The Visitor"
1975–1979 Fawlty Towers Miss Agatha Tibbs 12 episodes
1980 Heartland Mrs. Barnes Episode: "Last Knockings"
1980 How's Your Father? Old Lady Episode: "Fantasy Time"
1971–1980 The Two Ronnies Mrs. B

Woman

2 episodes
1981 Blood Money Molly Irons 2 episodes
1982 Terry and June Mrs. Good Episode: "The Auction"
1980–1983 Potter Lady Motorist

Lily

2 episodes
1983 Juliet Bravo Old Lady Episode: "Doors"
1983 Only Fools and Horses First old lady Episode: "Homesick"
1984 The Fainthearted Feminist Woman in supermarket Episode: #1.2
1984 That's My Boy Lady White Episode: "Unfair Dismissal"
1984 Ever Decreasing Circles Old Lady Episode: "The Tea Party"
1985 Relative Strangers Customer Episode: #1.9
1986 Lenny Henry Tonite Episode: "Pratt Outta Hell"
1985–1987 The Mistress Customer

Elderly woman Lady in shop

3 episodes
1987 Hello Mum Episode: #1.2

References

  1. ^ a b "Gilly Flower – Person – National Portrait Gallery". www.npg.org.uk. Retrieved 24 December 2017.
  2. ^ a b "Gilly Flower". BFI. Archived from the original on 9 October 2019.
  3. ^ "BFI Screenonline: Fawlty Towers (1975, 79) Credits". www.screenonline.org.uk.
  4. ^ "Gilly Flower". www.aveleyman.com.