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Celebrating television's This Is Your Life

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THIS IS YOUR LIFE - Dinah Sheridan, actress, was surprised by Eamonn Andrews - with the help of her daughter, television presenter Jenny Hanley - at London Airport, having been led to believe she was there to take part in a television documentary about what women pack in their luggage.

Dinah, who was born in London, trained at the Italia Conti School and made her professional stage debut at the age of 11 at the Holborn Empire. Having made her first feature film, Give My Heart, in 1935, she became one of the first actresses to appear on television the following year.

She appeared in several films with her first husband, the actor Jimmy Hanley, before receiving wider recognition for her screen acting in films such as Where No Vultures Fly, The Sound Barrier, and, most notably, the 1953 comedy Genevieve, as well as the 1970 classic The Railway Children.

"This is the biggest con I ever knew!"

programme details...

• Edition No: 517
• Subject No: 514
• Broadcast date: Wed 28 Mar 1979
• Broadcast time: 7.00-7.30pm
• Recorded: Wed 14 Mar 1979
• Venue: New London Theatre
• Series: 19
• Edition: 23
• Code name: Song

on the guest list...

• Jenny Hanley - daughter
• Jeremy Hanley - son
• Verna - daughter-in-law
• Jack Merivale - partner
• Wilmae Legrise
• Germaine Redwood
• Margaret Molineux
• Dr Nicholas Warr
• Graham Payn
• Charles Hawtrey
• Ruth Conti
• Betty Marsden
• Evelyn Laye
• Sally Thomsett
• Joel - grandson
• Sophie - granddaughter
• Jason - grandson
• John Gielgud
Filmed tributes:
• Dirk Bogarde
• William Simons
• Tony Britton

related appearances...

• Lionel Jeffries - Apr 1971
• John Gregson - Apr 1973
• Gerald Harper - Jan 1980
• Bernard Cribbins - Feb 1981
• Leslie Mitchell - Dec 1982
• Gerald Durrell - Feb 1983
• Sheila Mercier - Nov 1985
• Richard Todd - Nov 1988
• Douglas Fairbanks Jr - Dec 1989
• Lord Brabourne - Oct 1990
• Evelyn Laye - Dec 1990
• Nigel Havers - Jan 1992

production team...

• Researchers: Maurice Leonard, Tony Lee
• Writers: Tom Brennand, Roy Bottomley
• Directors: Royston Mayoh, Terry Yarwood
• Producer: Jack Crawshaw

• names above in bold indicate subjects of This Is Your Life

An Actor's Life For Me

spotlight on the stars

Venues and Sets

the studio look and locations

This was his life

Maurice Leonard recalls Eamonn Andrews

Tony Britton

Evelyn Laye

Interviews

Dinah Sheridan recalls her experience of This Is Your Life in an exclusive interview recorded in October 2009

Screenshots of Dinah Sheridan This Is Your Life