If there's one thing that British cinema excelled in, it was the strength of its bit players - people who could waltz in for a few lines and waltz back out again safe in the knowledge they've completely stolen the picture. Esma Cannon was one of the greatest picture stealers of all time.
Surprisingly, for someone whose career mainly consisted in portraying Cockney types she was born in Sydney. She was already in her thirties before she arrived on these shores and quickly established herself in stage bits. Inevitably, this lead to small parts in films as the industry trawled the West End for talent.
Like most character actresses, her roles improved as she got older. Despite her increasingly busy filming schedule she still continued to work on stage. Her most famous role was as the nervous spinster dominated by Peggy Mount in Sailor Beware. She recreated this role in the subsequent film.
She retired at the height of her career. Not only had she established herself as a regular in the hot new Carry On film series, she was also starring in the popular sitcom The Rag Trade.
| 1937 | The £5 Man |
| 1937 | The Last Adventurers |
| 1937 | Ladies in Love |
| 1938 | I See Ice |
| 1938 | It's in the Air |
| 1939 | Trouble Brewing |
| 1939 | I Met a Murderer |
| 1939 | The Spy in Black |
| 1939 | Poison Pen |
| 1940 | The Briggs Family |
| 1941 | Asking for Trouble |
| 1941 | Quiet Wedding |
| 1941 | The Big Blockade |
| 1942 | The Young Mr Pitt |
| 1943 | It's in the Bag |
| 1944 | The Way Ahead |
| 1944 | English Without Tears |
| 1944 | Don't Take it to Heart |
| 1944 | A Canterbury Tale |
| 1946 | The Years Between |
| 1947 | Jassy |
| 1947 | Holiday Camp |
| 1948 | Here Come the Huggetts |
| 1948 | Vote for Huggett |
| 1949 | Marry Me |
| 1949 | Helter Skelter |
| 1949 | Fools Rush In |
| 1949 | The Huggetts Abroad |
| 1950 | Guilt is my Shadow |
| 1950 | Last Holiday |
| 1950 | Double Confession |
| 1952 | Crow Holiday |
| 1953 | The Steel Key |
| 1953 | Noose for a Lady |
| 1953 | Trouble in Store |
| 1954 | The Case of Soho Red |
| 1954 | The Sleeping Tiger |
| 1955 | Out of the Clouds |
| 1955 | Dam Busters |
| 1956 | Sailor Beware |
| 1956 | A Touch of the Sun |
| 1956 | Three Men in a Boat |
| 1958 | Further Up the Creek |
| 1959 | I'm All Right, Jack |
| 1959 | Jack the Ripper |
| 1959 | Expresso Bongo |
| 1960 | Inn for Trouble |
| 1960 | Carry on Constable |
| 1960 | Flesh and the Fiends |
| 1960 | Doctor in Love |
| 1960 | No Kidding |
| 1961 | Carry On Regardless |
| 1961 | What a Carve Up! |
| 1961 | Over the Odds |
| 1961 | Raising the Wind |
| 1961 | In the Doghouse |
| 1962 | We Joined the Navy |
| 1962 | The Fast Lady |
| 1962 | On the Beat |
| 1962 | Carry On Cruising |
| 1963 | Nurse on Wheels |
| 1963 | Hide and Seek |
| 1963 | Carry On Cabby |
