Gordon, Noele (1922-1985)

English actor. Following a successful career on the London stage, most notably in Diamond Lil (1948) and Brigadoon (1949-51), she turned to television, hosting the series Lunch Box (1955) and Fancy That (1956), and becoming a household name as a motel owner in the long-running soap-opera Crossroads (1964-81).

Dismissed from the series, she returned to the stage and appeared in the barnstorming musicals Gypsy (1981), Call Me Madam (1982-83), and No, No Nanette (1983).

Gordon was born in East Ham, London, and made her first stage appearance at the age of two in a concert staged by the Maud Wells Dancing Academy. After studying at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) she worked in repertory and pantomime. She assisted John Logie Baird with his early experiments in colour television, and first appeared in the medium in Ah, Wilderness (1938). She later studied television techniques in the USA, returning to the UK as an adviser to Associated Television (ATV).