Margaret Nolan

Margaret Nolan:

† Oct 29 1943 - Oct 5 2020 


Prodigiously busty blonde actress and glamour model who features prominently in some classic and not-so-classic British cinema of the '60s and '70s. The iconic opening titles of 'Goldfinger' (1964) feature scenes from the film projected on to her gold-painted body and lamé bikini, and she appears early in the film as Bond's Miami masseuse, and at the other end of the spectrum she is imprinted on the collective psyche as Dawn Brakes in 'Carry On Girls' (1973), wrestling with Miss Fircombe beauty contest rival Barbara Windsor, but wearing a silver bikini this time.        

 'Carry On Girls' (1973)

With Wilfrid Brambell in 'A Hard Day's Night' (1963)

Despite all the cheesecake and Carry Ons, she definitely proved comfortable with speaking roles and gave creditable performances in more serious TV favourites like the tough gangster serial 'Fox' and things like 'The Sweeney', 'The Persuaders' and 'Budgie'. More often than not, though, it was cheeky dollybird roles that beckoned, such as 'Q9', 'Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads', 'Steptoe & Son' and even the third-ever episode of 'Last of the Summer Wine' from 1973.     

As old flame Jackie in 'Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads'

With Valerie Leon in 'No Sex Please, We're British' (1975)

In recent years, she has taken up photo-montage, mainly working with glamour images of herself, which is an intriguingly empowering twist on a career defined by the male gaze. 

 

'Yeah Yeah Yeah (On White)'.
Photo-montage by Margaret Nolan, 2013

  


Margaret Nolan-imdb

Valerie Leon

Valerie Leon: 

Glamorous, sultry and well-spoken actress, probably still best-known as the Hai Karate aftershave girl even after 40 years. She was in a few decent films, including two Bond movies, as well as cult classics 'Smashing Time' and 'The Rise & Rise Of Michael Rimmer', but was often just cast for her cleavage, as in several 'Carry On' films and some dire farces. 

Played the reincarnated Egyptian queen in 'Blood From the Mummy's Tomb' but never quite made it as a leading lady. An icon of her era, nevertheless.

Motoring bonus:

Presumably her own Austin 1300GT, with personalised
plate, I'm guessing it's orange, as most were

Pretty certain this is Valerie Leon at the Motor Show,
or at least a motor show.

And here's a gratuitous treat for, er, Ronnie Corbett fans. 

Valerie Leon -imdb profile

Madeline Smith

Madeline Smith: 

Biba salesgirl turned actress who played endless dollybird, saucepot, and vamp roles from the late '60s to the early '80s. Cartoonishly busty and cute, she features briefly in 'Live & Let Die' (1973) - it's her zip and Roger Moore's magnetic watch - and more prominently (ahem) in 'Up Pompeii' (1971), 'Theatre Of Blood' (1973), 'The Magnificent Seven Deadly Sins' (1971), 'Taste The Blood Of Dracula' (1970), 'Carry On Matron' (1972) etc. Her television CV covers 'Jason King', 'The Two Ronnies', 'Steptoe & Son', and so on, until she retired from acting in the '80s.

In the mildly saucy Hammer horror 'The Vampire Lovers' (1970)

Madeline Smith - imdb profile