Renée Houston

Renée Houston 24 July 1902 9 February 1980 was a Scottish comedy actress and revue artist who appeared in television and film roles Born in Johnstone Renfrewshire as Katherina Houston Gribbin she toured music halls and revues with her sister Billie Houston as the Houston Sisters In 1926 the sisters made a short musical film the script of which Renée had written It was produced by Lee De Forest whose process Phonofilm enabled a soundtrack to be played alongside the film a year before The Jazz Singer Houston married three times the second was to the actor Pat Aherne the brother of Brian Aherne Her third husband was the actor Donald Stewart In her later years she specialised in battleaxe roles notably as shop steward Vic Spanners Kenneth Cope formidable mother in Carry On at Your Convenience 1971 She published her autobiography in 1974 which was entitled Dont Fence Me In Houston was also in the early episodes of radios The Clitheroe Kid and a regular guest on radio panel show The Petticoat Line chaired by Anona Winn She died in London at the age of 77 on 9 February 1980 From Wikipedia the free encyclopedia