Hilary Lavender Mason (4 September 1917 – 5 September 2006) was an English character actress who appeared in a wide variety of roles, mainly on UK television.Mason was born in London and trained at the London School of Dramatic Art. She is probably best known internationally for her performance as the blind psychic in Nicolas Roeg's film Don't Look Now. She appeared in Gunfight at the O.K. Laundrette, the pilot episode of ITV's critically acclaimed drama Minder. She also made regular appearances in Z-Cars and Dixon of Dock Green, and made an appearance in Ripping Yarns. In the 1985 TV movie Marple: The Moving Finger, she appeared as Emily Barton, and in 1986 she appeared as Mrs Gummidge in the BBC series David Copperfield.In later years Mason appeared as Gladys in the popular children's TV show Maid Marian and her Merry Men. Her last role was in the children's programme Aquila.
Trained at the London School of Dramatic Art on a scholarship and subsequently acted in repertory in Preston, Southport, York and Guildford. During World War II, entertained troups as part of ENSA. Prolific character actress on British television from the mid-1950's. Her many memorable roles included one as Michael Palin's puritanical mother in the "Curse of the Claw" episode of Ripping Yarns (1976).
2
Started her career on the British stage in repertory.
3
Known for playing sinister roles, she is arguably best remembered for her blind psychic in the film Don't Look Now (1973).
Actress
Title
Year
Status
Character
Casualty
1987-1996
TV Series
Mrs. King / Monica Cornish
Coogan's Run
1995
TV Series
Mum
The Detectives
1995
TV Series
First Old Lady
Haunted
1995
Elderly Lady
One Foot in the Grave
1990-1995
TV Series
Mrs Stewkley / Elspeth
Wycliffe
1994
TV Series
Edith Riddle
Pie in the Sky
1994
TV Series
Mrs. Lonsdale
The Healer
1994
TV Movie
Mary Simpson
Nelson's Column
1994
TV Series
Mrs. Fenwick
ChuckleVision
1994
TV Series
Old Lady
Maid Marian and Her Merry Men
1989-1994
TV Series
Gladys
Health and Efficiency
1994
TV Series
Mrs. Warrington
Lovejoy
1993
TV Series
Mrs. Greenlands
The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes
1993
TV Series
Miss Ruddock
Harry Enfield's Television Programme
1992
TV Series
Love Hurts
1992
TV Series
Mrs. Piggott
Afraid of the Dark
1991
Basement Woman
Great Expectations
1991
TV Mini-Series
Mrs. Fagge
Dizzy Heights Hotel
1991
TV Series
Ivy
Meridian
1990
Video
Martha
The Heat of the Day
1989
TV Movie
Mrs. Tringsby
4 Play
1989
TV Series
Dora
Woof!
1989
TV Series
Mrs. Quilter
Robot Jox
1989
Professor Laplace
Three Up Two Down
1989
TV Series
Joan
Agatha Christie's Poirot
1989
TV Series
Mrs. Hill
Mystery!: Campion
1989
TV Series
Mrs. Munsey
Crossbow
1988-1989
TV Series
Soothsayer / Gessler's Mother
Bergerac
1985-1988
TV Series
Miss Amberton / Aunt Annie
Double First
1988
TV Series
Mrs. Wicks
Wipe Out
1988
TV Mini-Series
Mrs. Fairling
The Face of Trespass
1988
TV Movie
Miss Platt
In Sickness and in Health
1987
TV Series
Dorothy
Executive Stress
1987
TV Series
Erica Gilpin
Dolls
1987
Hilary Hartwicke
All Passion Spent
1986
TV Series
Edith
David Copperfield
1986
TV Mini-Series
Mrs. Gummidge
Worlds Beyond
1986
TV Series
Mrs. Robson
Hideaway
1986
TV Mini-Series
Gwen Hammel
Constant Hot Water
1986
TV Series
Mrs. Berry
Juliet Bravo
1985
TV Series
Mrs. Unwin
Miss Marple: The Moving Finger
1985
TV Movie
Emily Barton
The Mistress
1985
TV Series
Lady in café
Anna of the Five Towns
1985
TV Mini-Series
Sarah Vodrey
The Brief
1984
TV Series
Mrs. Mumford
Moonfleet
1984
TV Mini-Series
Jane Arnold
The Jewel in the Crown
1984
TV Mini-Series
Mrs Roper
Goodbye Mr. Chips
1984
TV Mini-Series
Mrs. Fuller
In Loving Memory
1983
TV Series
Agnes Freeman
Don't Wait Up
1983
TV Series
Mrs. Fleming
Bullshot Crummond
1983
Hotel Guest
Angels
1975-1983
TV Series
Mrs. Rose / Alice Gooch / Mrs. Wilson's Mother
Crown Court
1983
TV Series
Mrs. Stone
The Gentle Touch
1983
TV Series
Audrey Issard
Ghost in the Water
1982
TV Movie
Nan
The Young Ones
1982
TV Series
Old Woman Next Door
Tales of the Unexpected
1982
TV Series
Mrs. Pardoe
The Return of the Soldier
1982
Ward
Goodbye, Mr. Kent
1982
TV Series
Landlady
Muck and Brass
1982
TV Mini-Series
Mrs. Dorothy Craig
That Beryl Marston...!
1981
TV Series
Auntie Vera
Brendon Chase
1980-1981
TV Series
Beatrix Holcome / Beatrix Holcombe
BBC2 Playhouse
1981
TV Series
Mother / Kidderminster
Sink or Swim
1980
TV Series
Mrs. O'Day
Worzel Gummidge
1980
TV Series
Miss Fogg
An Honourable Retirement
1979
TV Movie
Mrs. Langton
Minder
1979
TV Series
Mrs. Mayhew
Penmarric
1979
TV Series
Landlady
The Legend of King Arthur
1979
TV Series
Midwife
The Deep Concern
1979
TV Series
Mrs. Kaye
The Other One
1977-1979
TV Series
Mrs. Flensing
Thomas and Sarah
1979
TV Series
Mrs. Sedley
Absolution
1978
Miss Froggatt
The One and Only Phyllis Dixey
1978
TV Movie
Medium
Wilde Alliance
1978
TV Series
Rachel
The Three Hostages
1977
TV Movie
Mrs. Medina
Just William
1977
TV Series
Infant Helper
Ripping Yarns
1977
TV Series
Kevin's mother
Nicholas Nickleby
1977
TV Mini-Series
Mrs. Nickleby
Holding On
1977
TV Series
Mrs Finlay
The Phoenix and the Carpet
1977
TV Series
Mrs. Biddle
The Duchess of Duke Street
1976
TV Series
Miss Hayward
The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin
1976
TV Series
Mrs. Deacon
Rooms
1974-1976
TV Series
Mrs. Anstey
Coronation Street
1965-1976
TV Series
Mrs. Ainsworth / Amy Wilton
Play for Today
1975-1976
TV Series
Prudencia / Mum / Voice of Joan Todd
My Brother's Keeper
1975-1976
TV Series
Mrs. Booth
2nd House
1975
TV Series
Poldark
1975
TV Series
Mrs. Carne
Edward the King
1975
TV Series
Mrs. Roberts
Sharon's Baby
1975
Mrs. Hyde
Affairs of the Heart
1974
TV Series
Lavinia Penniman
The Case of Eliza Armstrong
1974
TV Series
Mrs. Broughton
Justice
1974
TV Series
Mrs. Garside
Within These Walls
1974
TV Series
Reba Jowett
BBC Play of the Month
1970-1974
TV Series
Mrs. Elton / Witch
Don't Look Now
1973
Heather
Thirty-Minute Theatre
1967-1973
TV Series
Martha Fallon / Lilian Lovell / Mrs. Evans
Love and Mr Lewisham
1972
TV Series
Mrs. Chaffery
Mistress of Hardwick
1972
TV Series
Bess
Bachelor Father
1971
TV Series
Olive
Owen, M.D.
1971
TV Series
Mrs. Frith
ITV Saturday Night Theatre
1969-1971
TV Series
Mrs. Blessing / Martha
Out of the Unknown
1971
TV Series
Jessica Ramsay
Z Cars
1962-1971
TV Series
Agnes Drysdale / Jenny Rogers / Mrs. Manley / ...
Passion Potion
1971
Jackie's mum
The Main Chance
1970
TV Series
Agnes McLaren
Ryan International
1970
TV Series
Fraud Squad
1970
TV Series
Mrs. Hill
Paul Temple
1970
TV Series
Mrs. Nelson
The Six Wives of Henry VIII
1970
TV Mini-Series
Lady Boleyn
Morning Story
1970
TV Movie
Take Three Girls
1969
TV Series
Mrs. Nolan
Counterstrike
1969
TV Series
Hannah Webley
Boy Meets Girl
1967-1969
TV Series
Mrs. Last / Matron
Gazette
1968
TV Series
Mrs. Miller
Castors Away!
1968
TV Series
Susan Henchman
The Revenue Men
1968
TV Series
Jessie
Public Eye
1968
TV Series
Jessica Hinckman
Sexton Blake
1967
TV Series
Mrs. Abbot
Dixon of Dock Green
1965-1967
TV Series
Mrs. Webster / Mrs. Sands / Hilda Rogers
Mystery Hall
1967
TV Series
Mrs. Thompson
United!
1966
TV Series
Mrs. Timothy
It's Not Me: It's Them!
1965
TV Mini-Series
Cluff
1965
TV Series
Alice Cluff
Story Parade
1965
TV Series
Edith Coppard
The Valiant Varneys
1965
TV Series
The Sullavan Brothers
1965
TV Series
Alice Saunders
Swizzlewick
1964
TV Series
Mrs. Yapp
Detective
1964
TV Series
Belinda
First Night
1964
TV Series
Anne Leach / Baloo
Festival
1964
TV Series
Chorus of Women of Canterbury / Nanine
Suspense
1962-1963
TV Series
Annie Jones / Mrs. Giddy
Gutter Girls
1963
Miss Fletch
Compact
1962-1963
TV Series
Sister / Miss Wagstaffe
Playbox
1963
TV Series
Flora McPhail
Maigret
1961-1962
TV Series
Madame L'Epine / Nurse
Gamble for a Throne
1961
TV Series
Phoebe
You Can't Win
1961
TV Series
Lillian Pritchard
A Wedding
1961
TV Short
The Bride's Mother
Rockets in the Dunes
1960
Mrs. Allen
Who Pays the Piper?
1960
TV Movie
Scotland Yard
1960
TV Series
Landlady
The Secret Garden
1960
TV Series
Mrs. Medlock
BBC Sunday-Night Theatre
1957-1959
TV Series
Nurse / Night Sister
Champion Road
1958
TV Series
Nurse
Charles and Mary
1958
TV Movie
Mrs. Godwin
Thunder in the West
1957
TV Series
Mrs. Drummond
Potts and the Phantom Piper
1957
TV Series
Mrs. Flint
The Malory Secret
1955
TV Movie
Miss Fortescue
Benbow and the Angels
1955
TV Series
Miss Furzechat
The Last Salute
1999
TV Series
Lady Gilbert
Where the Heart Is
1999
TV Series
Martha Bainbridge
Aquila
1997-1998
TV Series
Mrs. Murray
Mrs Murray
The Bill
1988-1996
TV Series
Mrs. Barker / Mrs. Lomax
Soundtrack
Title
Year
Status
Character
Maid Marian and Her Merry Men
1989-1994
TV Series performer - 5 episodes
Self
Title
Year
Status
Character
The Importance of Being E.R.N.I.E.
1964
Documentary short
Omnibus for All
1963
Documentary short
Herself - Commentator
The Caucasian Chalk Circle
1962
TV Mini-Series
Herself
...All That Mighty Heart...
1962
Documentary short
Mrs. Mason (uncredited)
Signpost
1961
TV Series documentary
Archive Footage
Title
Year
Status
Character
I Don't Believe It
2016
Video short
Elspeth / Mrs Stewkley (uncredited)
Britain's Best Sitcom
2004
TV Series
Elspeth
I Don't Believe It! The 'One Foot in the Grave' Story