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As time has gone on, William Brown and David Hawkins have been able to pretty much verify the names and identities of many of the women who appeared in the series as Hill's Angels. This section is divided into five pages for now, but could very well expand to many more as time goes on. See if your favorite Angel is here!
Actress, singer, dancer, and fan favorite Samantha Spencer-Lane, as seen in: (top) the "Runaway" dance routine of Jan. 7, 1981, and (bottom) the "Mimed Striptease" number from Feb. 10, 1982. A charter member of the Hill's Angels from its inception in 1980, Sam (as she is affectionately known to many fans) appeared in all but one of the shows within the first three series of the Angels' existence within the Hill show. Her electric smile and magnetic personality lit up many an Angels routine she appeared in (or, as quoted elsewhere on this site, "she was always giving 110%"). After the 1982 series wrapped up production, Ms. Spencer-Lane became part of a vocal trio, 'Girls Can't Help It,' which also consisted of Billie Adams and Jacqueline Bucknell; they put out an EP in 1983 on the Sire label, Pure Wild, and invited comparisons to another female group starting out around the same time, Bananarama; unfortunately, 'Girls Can't Help It' were never commercially successful, and disbanded in 1984. She would have one more go-round on TBHS in 1986, two of the shows of which had her as a supporting player in filmed sketches, but on the April 16, 1986 edition she figured prominently as one of the dancers in the "Funny Old World" number. In recent years, she has made a name as a choreographer in Britain. Ms. Spencer-Lane and Sue Upton accompanied Benny to see former Angel (and Hill protegée) Louise English in her first major West End (London) stage show, Me and My Girl, a few days before his death in 1992.
Two shots of Hill's Angel Alison Thomas from the "Wondergran Meets Dr. Jackal and Mr. Hide" sketch from Jan. 7, 1981 which was her only credited TBHS appearance. She also was on the next show (Feb. 11, 1981, as the girl on the stretcher with Jackie Wright in the "Lower Tidmarsh Volunteer Fire Brigade" remake), as well as in 1985 (most notably, as the uniformed police officer in the opening "Costa Coco" musical number of May 27) and 1986. In addition, she was in the dance troupe Zoo in 1982, and was probably a dancer at one point on the long-running BBC music program Top of the Pops Bottom: Another shot of Alison Thomas, this one from the April 8, 1985 "Dance and Shake Your Tambourine" number.
Hill's Angel Jo Thomas as seen in the Feb. 10, 1982 "firing squad" quickie. Jo (short for Joanna) is a model today. You can see her at www.modelplan.co.uk. Just click 'classics women' and look for her in A-Z under 'J' for Joanna (clicking the first one as there are two 'Joannas').
Sara Throssell, one of the 1989 Hill's Angels. From the "Seven Foolish Virgins" segment, April 5, 1989.
This is a shot of Helen Tozer, from the "Dance and Shake Your Tambourine" number of April 8, 1985. She had also been credited in TV Times (UK) listings for the Jan. 2, 1985 show, but though she appeared there as well, she was not in the actual closing credits. Prior to her Angels stint, Ms. Tozer had been in another Libby Roberts-choreographed dance troupe, Lipstick.
Benny Hill's favorite Angel (and many others', too), Sue Upton, seen in two ways: (top) as herself, from the Feb. 10, 1982 "Mimed Striptease" routine, and (bottom) as "Wondergran," in the Jan. 7, 1981 "Wondergran Meets Dr. Jackal and Mr. Hide" installment. She first joined the show during the 1977 series, among her highlights there being as the Bionic Boy's first crush. By her third appearance on Dec. 26, 1978 (she would be in every remaining Hill show from then on), Benny noticed her upturned face lent itself to an old lady character, which she first played in the "Grand Wheelchair Rally" sketch; this led not only to the "Wondergran" sketches, but a recurring characterization as a feisty old lady - the archetype once played in the show's early Thames years by such genuine old ladies as Connie Georges. On the next-to-last Thames show in 1989, she even played Stan Laurel to Mr. Hill's Oliver Hardy in a silent sketch. Ms. Upton also figured very prominently in the Hill's Angels routines in their early years, indeed is regarded as one of the unofficial leaders of the troupe (the other being Louise English); in the show's final years, she also had a hand in the selection of future Angels. Her children, Richard and Louise Whatling (qv's), were among the "Hill's Little Angels" in the fading years of TBHS; she and her family have been widely cited as being like a "second family" to Benny outside the confines of his show. There is a website, SueUpton.net, which can give more about her illustrious career, as well as film and TV credits other than the Hill show, and several photos (in one of which she posed with Mr. Hill, Suzy Mandel, Jenny Westbrook, Anne Bruzac, and the then-current members of Love Machine of which she had been a part before either they or she first appeared on the show), than can be put in so short a space here.
Susie Waring, part of the 1989 lineup of Hill's Angels. Top: from the April 5, 1989 "Seven Foolish Virgins" segment and bottom: from the February 5, 1989 "Sport" sequence.
A headshot of Vivienne Warman, taken sometime in the early 1980's and featured in an edition of The Spotlight from the same time. Ms. Warman was amongst the charter Hill's Angels, appearing in the first two shows (Feb. 6, 1980 and March 5, 1980) to feature that troupe.
Two stills of Frances Wingate, both from within the "Sport" musical number of Feb. 5, 1989. Ms. Wingate was one of a handful of Angels who'd danced in the "Hot Gossip" troupe in its last years prior to their breakup in 1986 (others included Lindsey Cole, qv, and Susie Waring, qv). She's still modeling today. Ms. Wingate is listed at www.modelplan.co.uk. She is also listed on www.motmodels.com.
Two screencaps of Lesley Woods of the 1984 group of Hill's Angels: (top) from the Aerobatics (a.k.a. Workout) opening, and (bottom) towards the end of "The Boys Are Back in Town" number.
Two pics of Laura Wynne, from: (top) the May 27, 1985 "Costa Coco" number, and (bottom) the April 8, 1985 "Oddball's Club Cabaret" routine. She was one of the Angels in the 1985 series, and participated in publicity photos with Mr. Hill and other key Angels (including Sue Upton, Louise English, Lorraine Doyle and Emma Bryant) in connection with the unveiling of his wax likeness as 'Fred Scuttle' at Madame Tussaud's that same year. Also appeared as the redheaded girl whom Bob Todd turns into during Benny's drunken stupor in the "Hullo Sailor" sketch. Her other known credit was as a dancer in the 1986 flick Whoops Apocalypse, which also included TBHS-connected performers Ms. Doyle, Ms. Bryant, and Tracy Smith.
Lesley Young, a Hill's Angel from the 1982 series, as seen in the Feb. 10, 1982 "Strip Tease" number (top) and the "Hotel Splendide" number of Jan. 6, 1982. During that year, she and Cheryl Mortimer (qv) performed as a cabaret duo outside of TBHS.
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