Diana DORS (1931-1984)

Diana Dors This Is Your Life

programme details...

  • Edition No: 601
  • Subject No: second timer
  • Broadcast date: Wed 27 Oct 1982
  • Broadcast time: 7.00-7.30pm
  • Recorded: Tue 28 Sep 1982
  • Venue: Royalty Theatre
  • Series: 23
  • Edition: 2
  • Code name: Diamond

on the guest list...

  • Alan Lake - husband
  • Jason - son
  • Anne - aunt
  • Roger - cousin
  • Garry - cousin
  • Cyril - father-in-law
  • Vilma - sister-in-law
  • Ken - brother-in-law
  • Irene Sutcliffe
  • Peter Hearne
  • Margaret Stallard
  • John Wills
  • Cynthia Hicklin
  • Norman Wright
  • Jean Holness
  • Paul Chepasonie
  • Kathleen Cunningham
  • Pat Coombs
  • John Blythe
  • Megs Jenkins
  • Maurice Denham
  • Patrick Holt
  • Olive Dodds
  • Desmond Morris
  • Lionel Jeffries
  • Alfred Marks
  • Richard O'Sullivan
  • Gary - son
  • Mark - son
  • Filmed tributes:
  • Cathy - daughter-in-law
  • Bob Hope
  • Liberace

production team...

  • Researcher: Tom Wettengel
  • Writers: Tom Brennand, Roy Bottomley
  • Directors: Paul Stewart Laing, Terry Yarwood
  • Producer: Malcolm Morris
  • names above in bold indicate subjects of This Is Your Life
related pages...

Diana Dors

first tribute


An Actor's Life For Me

spotlight on the stars


Life Second Time Around

surprised again!


Timeline

the show's fifty year history


Pat Coombs


Bob Hope


Lionel Jeffries


Alfred Marks


Richard O'Sullivan

Diana Dors This Is Your Life Diana Dors This Is Your Life Diana Dors This Is Your Life Diana Dors This Is Your Life Diana Dors This Is Your Life Diana Dors This Is Your Life Diana Dors This Is Your Life Diana Dors This Is Your Life Diana Dors This Is Your Life Diana Dors This Is Your Life Diana Dors This Is Your Life Diana Dors This Is Your Life

Screenshots of Diana Dors This Is Your Life

Diana Dors biography

Joan Flory and Damien Walne recall this edition of This Is Your Life in their book, Only A Whisper Away...


In October 1982 Diana received the accolade of a second appearance on This Is Your Life. There were tributes from, among others, Bob Hope, Liberace and Richard O'Sullivan. Old friend Lionel Jeffries called her a "totally exclusive and brilliant actress."


A recorded message from America from her son was also a great joy to Diana.


"Hi, Mom," Mark greeted her, "I hope you're having a great night, and I hope you're recording it all for when you come out to California again."


Gary broke in, "It's three months since I saw you and Alan and Jason. I really miss you all and love you all. When I talked to you last it was great to hear you were back to your old self again. When you were taken ill you really gave us such a big scare. I've been thinking of all the things I kept meaning to put in all those letters I kept meaning to write!"


Diana smiled at that, but then her mouth opened wide, and she burst into tears when at the end of the show her two boys and Mark's wife Kathy walked onto the stage. It had been four years since she had seen Mark, and she was more than a little annoyed with him and with Kathy, because until her cancer operation they had not bothered to write or telephone. Diana was, of course, glad to find out that Mark was doing well with his rock band 'Midnight Eyes', and that Dickie's show 'Family Feud' was still top of the ratings, but the few days at Orchard Manor were not as cordial or indeed as 'easy' as she would have liked. Diana had to remind herself that Mark was a grown man, with his own life to lead.

Diana Dors biography

David Bret recalls this edition of This Is Your Life in his book, Hurricane in Mink...


Between hospital appointments, Diana spent much of the next few months resting at home. Only her closest friends knew the exact nature of her illness, and a sterling effort was made to keep the news from Jason. So far as is known, Gary and Mark - and the public at large - first found out on 7 October, when she was interviewed at Orchard Manor by breakfast television's Nick Owen. Looking radiant in a pale-blue kaftan, and seated next to her fabulous swimming pool, she tried to respond to Owen's questions honestly, the smile rarely fading from her face. Her expression clouded over, however, when he asked, 'Are you scared of cancer?' It was an insensitive if not stupid question, but she gave Owen her reply, 'Of course I'm scared. But I shall fight it all the way. It's chosen the wrong person in choosing me!'


Such bravado when facing the toughest fight of her life could only be admired. Just one week later, Eamonn Andrews 'nabbed' Diana for her second This Is Your Life. This time there were tributes from Liberace, who knew about her illness, and Bob Hope, who did not. The one which thrilled her the most, however, was the satellite-link message from Mark - she had not seen her eldest son for four years - and Gary, who told her, 'When you were taken ill, you really gave us a big scare, Mom. I've been thinking of all the things I kept meaning to put in all those letters I kept meaning to write!' And in time-honoured This Is Your Life fashion, this was the programme's big surprise - for the boys were not in Los Angeles, but right there in the studio, along with Mark's wife, Cathy. Hugging them all as the credits rolled, Diana burst into tears.

Diana Dors biography

Niema Ash recalls this edition of This Is Your Life in her book, Connecting Dors...


Several months after the operation she received a great honour. For the second time she was asked to appear on the popular television show This Is Your Life, featuring celebrities who are suddenly surprised with people from their past.


The previous time she had been on the show some twenty-five years earlier, Stewart Sawyer, the man who had ruined her Hollywood career had been flown in from California. On this occasion, Desmond Morris, the renowned zoologist and Diana's first love, who she hadn't seen since they were teenagers, made a surprise appearance.


There were tributes from friends including Bob Hope and Liberace. But the surprise of surprises climaxed the show. Thinking she was on the phone to Gary and Mark in Los Angeles, they suddenly appeared on the set. Diana couldn't hold back the tears.

Diana Dors' biography

Huw Prall recalls this edition of This Is Your Life in his book, Passport to Fame, The Diana Dors Story...


In October 1982 Diana received an unexpected surprise, when she was chosen as a subject for television's This Is Your Life for the second time. When she entered the darkened auditorium of the Royalty Theatre in London's Kingsway, her first words to presenter Eamonn Andrews, as he led her down the stairs to the stage to tumultuous applause, were "Oh Eamonn, Oh you can't do this to me again."


As always Diana was very humble about her success, and when a still was shown of her as Mildred in her first film The Shop at Sly Corner she retorted "oh how awful!", and when a clip from her second film Holiday Camp was shown, Eamonn said "you went on to make many more films" her reply was "I don't know why!"


Alan was of course seated beside her and other members of both their families were present. Son Jason sat beside his father and there was a recorded message from Mark, Gary and Mark's wife Kathy. Some film had been made outside Paramount Studios but due to technical problems only the sound was able to be played. Mark said "Hi Mom, I hope you're having a great night, and I hope you're recording it all for when you come out to California again." Gary continued "its three months since I saw you and Alan and Jason. I really miss you and love you all. When I talked to you last it was great to hear you were back to your old self again. When you were taken ill you really gave us such a big scare. I've been thinking of all the things I kept meaning to put in all those letters I kept meaning to write." A small piece of film followed with Mark, Gary and Kathy waving goodbye. Diana wiped back the tears.


She was soon full of happiness again as members of the 1946 London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art class appeared on stage finishing with comedy actress Pat Coombs who said "Ere Di do you remember at LAMDA" to which she replied "I never forget! You were the comedienne and I was the bad girl." Memories of her Rank School days came flooding back with those she had worked with arriving. John Blythe from the Huggetts films and A Boy a Girl and a Bike, followed by Megs Jenkins and Maurice Denham who had both featured in the latter, along with Patrick Holt who had also played her husband in Miss Tulip stays the Night. Finally there was Olive Dodds who had run the charm school, and who Diana had not seen for twenty two years.


There was also Dr Desmond Morris from her Swindon days who thanked her for the pin up pictures she had sent him when he was a young subaltern, and close friend and fellow actor Lionel Jeffries who had directed her in the film The Amazing Mr Blunden. Talking about her performance in this he said "She received national and international acclaim for that performance as she proved once more as she's always doing, what a marvellous exclusive actress she is. She's not just a good actress, she's a totally exclusive and brilliant actress, and I love her very much."


Comedy legend Bob Hope re-iterated this thought saying "I love you a lot, and these days there's quite a lot more of you to love. In fact you're the only bit of the British Film industry that's expanded!" Fellow actor Alfred Marks, who had appeared with her in Oedipus at Chichester, said of the production "this was probably the biggest tragedy in Greek theatre and we had more laughs on that than any comedy I've ever done in my life." Diana replied with a beaming smile "thanks to you!"


World famous entertainer Liberace was also full of praise for her saying "I have such fond memories of you Diana when you first came to California, back in the days when we were both sex symbols" and went on to recall the wonderful memories of those times concluding with "I am so proud of the fact that you have become such an accomplished actress." The biggest surprise of the evening was saved until the actual appearance of Mark and Gary along with Mark's wife Kathy. Diana quite naturally broke down in tears.

Diana Dors' biography

Anna Cale recalls this edition of This Is Your Life in her book, The Real Diana Dors...


That year, she also appeared on This Is Your Life for a second time, almost thirty years since her first appearance on the show. This time, Eamonn Andrews introduced her by saying she had had 'a life that's had more cliffhanging moments than the plot of any movie'.

Series 23 subjects

Ranulph Fiennes | Diana Dors | Joan Collins | Katie Boyle | Diane Keen | Brian Johnston | Leslie Mitchell | Lewis Collins
Marty Wilde | Catherine Cookson | Allan Wells | Stan Stennett | Gloria Hunniford | Robert Carrier | Johnny Briggs 
John P Spencer | Eva Turner | Kenny Dalglish | Gerald Durrell | Jo Grimond | Anna Neagle | Kitty Wilson
Charlie Magri | Sandy Gall | Arthur Marshall | Jimmy Tarbuck