Philippa Baker, credited also as Phillippa Baker (born 1932)[3][1])note: not related to Australian actress Lesley Baker). is an Australian retired actress of radio, theatre and television in series and teleplays and telefilms (although appeared in a couple of features)
Baker started her career in theatre and radio in the early 1950s and appeared in cameos in a few TV soap operas, primarily for Crawford Productions, but is better known for her numerous roles in made-for-television features and mini-series.
However, she is best known for playing deli worker Roma Lubinski, later Godolfus in the soap opera Number 96, and reprising the role in the film version.
Baker had a small ro;le in the film Young Einstein starring Yahoo Serious in 1988 and left the acting industry the following year in 1989, after more than 35 years of performing, returning to her regular day work as a librarian until retiring.[1][2]
Baker however became best known for playing Roma in top-rated soap opera Number 96. She joined as Russian emigrant Roma Lubinski early in the show's run in 1972, becoming a comedy double-act with Johnny Lockwood, who played her character's soon-to-be husband Aldo, the deli proprietor. They reprised their roles in the 1974 feature film version of Number 96. They were written out of the serial in late 1974 with all the attached publicity, but returned several weeks later: it was always planned as a temporary absence and the media stories a publicity stunt.
By August 1975 the program's ratings had entered a slump and a drastic revamp of the show was planned. The writers decided to write out several high-profile characters, so in early September 1975 the show's famous bomb blast killed four residents including Roma and Aldo. In 1976 Baker and co-star Lockwood appeared in ...And They Said It Wouldn't Last, a retrospective celebrating the 1000th episode of Number 96.
In 1977, she appeared in the guest role of Mrs. Jamieson (Dennis Jameison's mother) in the soap opera The Young Doctors.
Through the 1980s Baker made various appearances in theatre, television and film. She had small roles in the films Annie's Coming Out (1984) and Young Einstein (1988).
Number 96 is an Australian primetime soap opera that aired on 0-10 Network from 13 March 1972 to 11 August 1977, originally broadcast in the primetime slot of 8:30 pm for half-hour episodes every weeknight, later 2 1-hour episodes screened per week.
Gerda Maureen Nicolson was an Australian actress, who worked across all major forms of media, including theatre and television actress and films, she was best known for several long-running television roles, including in rural series Bellbird police detective series Bluey and as Governor Ann Reynolds of the Wentworth Detention Centre in soap opera Prisoner and briefly as Robyn Taylor in Neighbours
Anne Charleston is an Australian actress, notable for her career locally and in the United Kingdom and Ireland in theatre and television. Charleston started her career in theatre in the mid 1950's, and has been a staple of the small screen since the early 1960s, starting with roles in telemovies, before making appearance's in the various Crawford Productions series starting from the latter 1960s and 1970s, before becoming known for her three different recurring roles in cult classic series Prisoner
Abigail Rogan is an English-born retired actress particularly of television soap operas and film and was also briefly a vocalist.
Tom Oliver is a British-born Australian retired actor who started his career in theatre in his native country, before emigrating to Australia.
Rowena Wallace is an English-born Australian stage and screen actress, most especially in the genre of television soap opera. She is best known for her Gold Logie-winning role as conniving Patricia "Pat the Rat" Hamilton/Morrell/Palmer in Sons and Daughters, being the first soap star to win the Gold Logie. After leaving the series and being replaced in the role by Belinda Giblin, Wallace returned in the final season as Patricia's sister Pamela Hudson.
Anne-Louise Lambert, also credited as Anne Lambert, is an Australian actress. She is best known for her role as Miranda in the 1975 film Picnic at Hanging Rock.
John Sidney Lockwood was a British variety entertainer, comedian and actor, who also became notable in Australia after emigrating to that country.
Mike Dorsey was an English-born Australian theatre and television actor and publicity officer and tour manager.
Judith Mary Stuart Farr, also credited as Judy Farr, was an Australian actress of theatre, film and television, with a career spanning some seven decades, she was best known for several situation comedy roles on Australian television. Farr also appeared in Australian films such as December Boys and Walking on Water which she won an AFI award for.
Bunney Brooke, born as Dorothy Cronin, was an Australian actress, creator, producer, director, designer, playwright and casting agent, best known for her being one of the early faces of Australian television. Known for her television, movie, theatre acting and comedy roles including the long-running role of Flo Patterson in the soap opera and movie release version of Number 96 in the 1970s, and in her later years to a new generation of viewers in her role as Helen "Nell" Rickards in children's series Round the Twist and her role as Violet "Vi" Patchett in E Street (1990).
Candida Raymond is an Australian actress of film and television during the 1970s and early 1980s.
Joanna Lockwood is an Australian actress who has played regular roles in various television series.
Dina Mann, also credited as Diana Mann, is an Australian actress and casting director recognised for several television soap opera and film roles from 1970 until 1985, after which she worked as a casting director until 2014. She is probably best known for her role as Debbie Chester in the latter years of TV serial Number 96 in which she featured from 1975 until 1977, in 137 episodes.
Vivienne Garrett is an Australian-based theatre, film and television actress. She is a theatre director, acting and voice coach and also a qualified yoga instructor and therapist. She was born in Sydney, NSW and now lives in Western Australia. Garrett graduated from the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) in 1970.
Lynn Carol Rainbow-Reid credited also as Lynne Rainbow, is an Australian-based former theatre and television actor and voice artist, who was educated at Ascham School, The Sorbonne and Dante Alighieri in Italy. Lynn was the daughter of Judge Alfred Rainbow and the granddaughter of Sir Benjamin Fuller a theatrical entrepreneur. During the 1970s she was married to actor Tom Oliver.
Thelma Marjorie Scott was an Australian character actress whose six-decade career in theatre, radio, film and Australian made her one of her country's most recognisable and beloved personalities. Having started her career in the early 1930s in theatre and film productions, she became one of the nation's biggest radio performers, during the 1940s featuring in productions such as Big Sister and Blue Hills. She returned to make TV films in the early late 1950s and then became a star on television after it was launched in Australia. She became best known for roles in soap operas including Number 96 as Claire Houghton and Mrs. Jennings in Richmond Hill.
Chantal Contouri is a Greek Australian television and film actress and former dancer, best known for her role in the 1970s soap opera Number 96, as nurse Tracy Wilson, later revealed to be the serial killer known as the infamous "pantyhose strangler".
Mary Ann Severne is a New Zealand-born Australian actress active in Australian made films and television programs from the 1970s.
Number 96: The Movie is an Australian drama film, released in 1974 and based on the television soap opera of the same title that was then running on the 0-10 network. The film features nearly all the show's regular cast, and was created by the show's creative team, Cash Harmon Productions with the screenplay by David Sale and Johnny Whyte and directed by Peter Benardos and Brian Phillis.
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