Elsie Tanner (Nee Grimshaw, Nee Howard, Nee Gregory)
Played by: Pat Phoenix
Born: 5th March 1923
Died: 2004
Family:
Dennis Tanner: Son
Linda Cheveski: Daughter
Ivan Cheveski: Son in Law
Jenny Sutton: Daughter in Law
Rita Sullivan: Daughter in Law
Arnold Tanner: Ex Husband
Steven Tanner: Ex Husband
Alan Howard: Ex Husband
William Gregory: Ex Husband
Paul Cheveski: Grandson
Martin Cheveski: Grandson
First Appearance: 9th December 1960
Last Appearance: 4th January 1984
Elsie Tanner was one of the original characters from episode one of Coronation Street. In the first episode she can be seen arguing with her son, Dennis. She accuses him of taking money from her purse but it turns out her daughter, Linda, took the money. In these early years, she longed for her family to be more like the Barlows who were perceived to be normal.
Her adult children brought a lot of the drama for her in the 1960s, but it is her feuds with the formidable Ena Sharples that are most memorable.
In 1962, the two women argued in the street when Ena Sharples demanded that Elsie moved out of number 11. Ena had found herself without a home and owned the house. Elsie had moved into the house as her marital abode and brought up her kids there. As the two brawled, Ena smashed the front room window with her handbag. Elsie won the battle, stating that Ena pay for the broken window as she was the landlord.
Elsie and Ena came to blows when Elsie received a poison pen letter, it distressed her greatly and she began to grow suspicious of her friends and neighbours. Coming to the conclusion it was Ena, an argument brewed. Ena stated that if she had written it, she would have signed it, winning that battle.
Elsie wouldn’t be shy from sticking up for herself, further arguments would include Bet Lynch, Annie Walker, Ray Langton, and Hilda Ogden.
In the late 1960's, Elsie found love with an ex-lover from the Second World War. It was well known that she had enjoyed the company of the American soldiers in the past and her rekindling relationship with Steve Tanner blossomed, resulting in her marriage to him. The pair moved to America and the street had lost its siren of the 1960's. The Marriage wouldn’t last long and she returned home. After a heated conversation with close friend, Len Fairclough, she revealed her marriage to Steve Tanner was over.
Following his wife, Steve traveled to the UK. Shortly after his arrival, he was found dead at the bottom of a stairway. Various different suspects, including Len and Elsie, were questioned but eventually it was revealed that his former serviceman Joe Donelli had committed the crime.
Elsie continued to live in the street until 1973, during this time she married businessman Alan Howard. He eventually went bankrupt but the two worked on their marriage and moved to Newcastle. Elsie would return in 1976, alone. Her third marriage was over.
Through her time on the street, Len Fairclough, a friend and local builder, had shown great interest in Elsie. She valued their friendship too much to take the relationship further.
The late 1970's-early 1980's would see Elsie become a more motherly figure. She took in two lodgers, Suzie Birchall and Gail Potter. She enjoyed the company of the young women but she continued to enjoy the company of men. The lovers in this era of her life were sleazy and resulted in little more than one night stands. Her working life was also stunted.
In 1983, Bill Gregory, a man she had an affair with in 1970, returned into her life. He had especially come back for her, asking for her hand in marriage. He also asked her to run a wine bar with him in Portugal. She agonised over whether to go or not, unsure that being with Bill would work. Finally she made her decision and on 4th January 1984 she called for a cab. With a photo of each of her children in her hands, she took a walk down the street. She reminisced about her arguments with Annie Walker, Ena Sharples and Dennis Tanner. Eventually it was time to get in the cab and start a new life. When asked how long she was going for she simply replied ‘Ah, now there’s a question.’ After a lifetime of failed marriages, she was pessimistic over this new relationship.
Her worries would be proved wrong. Shortly after, her daughter, Linda, returned to the street to sort out her mother’s belongings and the sale of the house. There would be no update of Elsie until 2011 when her son, Dennis, returned to Coronation Street. He brought the news that his mother and Bill had died in a car crash in 2004, they were holding hands.
Pat Phoenix was late to her audition for Elsie Tanner. Portrayed by Jessie Wallace in ‘The Road to Coronation Street’, Phoenix walked in the essence of Elsie. In Real life, Phoenix was running late and convinced she had missed the opportunity, presented herself in what could have been a troublesome manor. Creator, Tony Warren, saw the character of Elsie in her and the part was hers.
Her personal life was almost as eventful as her onscreen character. Born into a bigamous marriage, her childhood wasn’t straight forward. She married in 1953 but it only lasted a year and they divorced during the first year of her time in Coronation Street.
Her second marriage was to fellow street actor and on-screen husband Alan Browning. Browning Died in 1979 from liver failure.
Her third and final marriage would be to actor Tony Booth. Booth is best known as playing the son in law of bigot Alf Garnett. He would also appear in Coronation Street.
Although she has a fine career before the Street, this was her big break. When leaving the show in 1973, she hoped to find substantial work elsewhere but it never happened. She tried again in 1983 but the sitcom she starred in was not a hit.
She hid the disease that would kill her from everyone just before her death, even her husband was unaware. At the age of 62, Pat Phoenix died of lung cancer. She smoked 60 cigarettes a day.
The Character would become synonymous with the Street during the 1960's and 1970's. Her sexy appeal to the male audience, also exciting Prime Minister James Callaghan who stated she was the sexiest thing on Television.
When her marriage to Steve Tanner was being devised, the popularity of the character was so great that they gave Steve the same surname so Elsie would have to change hers. The Times released a souvenir magazine to celebrate the wedding. It featured pictures of the happy couple at the wedding and at the airport. It also had Dennis Tanner’s speech, although this didn’t appear in the program. The magazine had two runs and sold around 1 million copies. Due to schedules, the photos are not actually from the episodes. Instead they are specially taken as the cast and crew were assembled specifically. This became one of the few pieces of Coronation Street merchandise from the era. It also sparked a series of special magazines related to the program, including a tenth anniversary special and a commemorative for Len and Rita’s wedding.
At the time, most Street Stars would open venues and supermarkets. Due to her popularity, at one supermarket opening, her appearance attracted 10’000 people.
During the characters partnership with Alan Howard it was deemed that her character dressed too well and her link as the everyday woman was lost. When she returned, her wardrobe suffered and Elsie was once again dressed like an everyday woman.
“What have I done to deserve you, Dennis? I’ve got gorillas in my sink, chorus girls in my bed, and I go out for five minutes and you let the flaming bailiffs in.”
“I’ve left home so many times; my suitcases pack themselves when I whistle.”
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