This Is Your Life: Marjorie Proops

Marjorie PROOPS OBE (1911-1996)

THIS IS YOUR LIFE - Marjorie Proops, journalist and agony aunt, was surprised by Eamonn Andrews during a staff meeting at the newsroom of the Daily Mirror newspaper in central London.

Marjorie, who was born in Woking but grew up in London, won an All England Singing Competition at the age of 14 and sang regularly in amateur operatics. She had a talent for drawing, and after attending art school in Hackney, she got her first job at 17 at the City Design Studios sketching clothes for catalogues.

Later, as a freelance fashion artist, she caught the eye of Hugh Cudlipp, features editor of the Daily Mirror, who, in 1939, offered her the job of fashion correspondent on the newspaper. In 1945 she went to the Daily Herald as Fashion Editor, then became Women's Editor in 1950. She returned to the Daily Mirror in 1954, where she was best known for her problem page Dear Marje. She later became a familiar face on television with her distinctive glasses and cigarette holder.

"You're joking? Eamonn, I thought you were my friend! Oh, I hate you all!"

programme details...

Edition No: 299
Subject No: 301
Broadcast live: Wed 10 Mar 1971
Broadcast time: 7.00-7.30pm
Venue: Euston Road Studios
Series: 11
Edition: 17

on the guest list...

Sacha Distel
Sidney - husband
Josephine - sister
May Rose
Robert - son
Vicki Childs
Ailsa Garland
Leo Abse
Olivia - daughter-in-law
Dr Olumade Okubadeju
Hugh Cudlipp - live link
Tony Miles - live link
Danny La Rue
Eustace Chesser
Daniel - grandson
Anya - granddaughter

production team...

Researcher: Mary McAnally
Writer: Phil McDonnell
Director: Steve Minchin
Producer: Robert Tyrrell

names above in bold indicate subjects of This Is Your Life

related pages...

Stop Press

headlining Fleet Street's finest

Sacha Distel

Danny La Rue

Screenshots of Marjorie Proops This Is Your Life

Angela Patmore recalls this edition of This Is Your Life in her book, Marge...

In March 1971, Marje was urged to have her hair done for the evening editorial meeting, 'as it was being filmed for a television documentary'. This would explain the cameras, thought Marje, who never doubts the sincerity of friends and colleagues. Mirror Group ex-chairman Ernie Burrington was at the time night-editing: 'I went into the conference in the editor's room and there was a funny sort of air about. We knew the Queen wasn't dead or war about to be declared but there was an expectant hush about the place, and lots of tittering and whispering. In fact most of us knew that there was going to be a bit of a surprise. We all settled down, and Dan Ferrari, the old news editor with a bristling moustache, began to pipe out his song about what were the best stories of the day, when the door opened and in burst Eamonn Andrews.

Eamonn announced, 'Sorry about the interruption but I've got a news flash. Marjorie Proops, star journalist and confidante to millions, THIS IS YOUR LIFE!' Marje let out a squeal and threatened new Mirror editor Anthony Miles: 'I'll see you later, Tony!' Eamonn was quite shocked when he set eyes on Marje's lookalike sister Jo-jo at the studios, and asked if she was often mistaken for Marje (the two had grown more and more alike as they got older). Jo replied that she was, and that the fishmonger charged her double.

Proopsie had also acted as mole for the programme researchers. He himself was asked which person in all the world he would like to have on the show, and replied that he would like best to see Made, their black 'son'. So Made was the final guest, with Marje quite overcome at the sight of him, giggling and howling at the same time. Danny La Rue did a Marje impersonation, MP Leo Abse said Marje was worth 'a hundred MPs' and one of Marje's long-standing letter-writers, a little dumpy pensioner called Vicki Childs, came out to say what it had meant to her life to have Marje as a pen-pal for years and years (they had long since forgotten what her original problem was). Best of all, there were Marje's grandchildren, Daniel and Anya ('We saw Anya actually walk for the first time on that programme'), and Hugh Cudlipp paid Marje a startling tribute. He had always said that if by some misfortune Marje should be snapped in half like a stick of Blackpool rock, you would see the word 'genuine' printed all the way through. He told twenty million viewers, 'People feel, I guess, that they can warm their hands on your heart.'

Series 11 subjects