Mary Weir (17 March 1910 – 28 November 2004), known as Molly Weir, was a Scottish actress.[2] She appeared as the character Hazel the McWitch in the BBC TV series Rentaghost.[3]
She was the sister of naturalist and broadcaster Tom Weir.[4]
Biography
Born in Glasgow and brought up in the Springburn area of the city, Weir began in amateur dramatics. In her early professional career, she was a well-known radio actress, featuring in many comedy shows, such as ITMA.[5] Her greatest theatrical success came in The Happiest Days of Your Life.
She made her film debut in 1949, and had a regular role as the housekeeper, Aggie McDonald, in the radio and television sitcomLife With The Lyons.[3] During the 1970s and early 1980s she became famous as a writer, with several volumes of best-selling memoirs, notably, Shoes Were For Sunday. She also appeared in a series of television advertisements for Flash the household cleaning agent.[6] In 1969, she appeared in The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie starring Dame Maggie Smith.[7] She and Helena Gloag played the Kerr sisters, the sewing mistresses of Marcia Blaine School for Girls.[8] In 1970 Weir and Gloag reprised their collaboration in Scrooge, playing old sisters in debt to Ebenezer Scrooge, played by Albert Finney.[6]
In the 1970s she was one of the presenters of Teatime Tales, a television series broadcast by STV in which she recalled her childhood. The series also featured Lavinia Derwent and Cliff Hanley.[9] In the 1980s, she lampooned this homely image in the comedy series Victoria Wood As Seen On TV and appeared in a pop video for The Bluebells 1983 hit "Young At Heart".[10]
Following her death, Molly Weir's ashes were scattered on the banks of Loch Lomond, a favourite holiday location; and almost all her estate (of nearly £1.9 million), was bequeathed to charities.[1]
