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When Mary Hilton, a young salesgirl, sets her eyes on Jim Lancaster, she is helplessly smitten. However, upon discovering a certain truth about Jim, she takes drastic measures.

Swingin' Dors" is a 1960 pop-jazz album and matching autobiography by British actress and icon Diana Dors. Recorded with the Wally Stott Orchestra, the album is celebrated as a competent, saucy, and unironic lounge record that showcased her unexpected talents as a vocalist.

The Swindon-born actress, Diana Fluck known as Diana Dors was famously dubbed Britain’s answer to Marilyn Monroe. Her career and personal life suffered from several overlapping factors.

Diana set off on her London adventure at the age of fourteen to join the London Academy of Music & Dramatic Art, it was with the financial backing of her parents. Despite her father begrudgingly accepting Diana’s desire to take acting lessons. She was under a heavy burden of expectation. It was expected she would fail and return home to teach elocution lessons or become a secretary. Her father had in mind for her to marry a ‘decent sort of chap’ for his daughter.

Diana’s father kept his daughter under control by giving her just enough money for her accommodation at the YWCA, lunches, travel to and from the Academy each day, and weekly train fare home at the weekend.

She defied everyone’s expectations especially her father’s and signed her first contract with the Rank Organisation. At this point she professed little interest in her income, and she allowed her father to take care of her finances. Diana said, ‘money was the last thing I cared about. My real concern was acting and making films’.

Diana earned extra money modelling for the Camera Club and she was often handed cash after completing acting assignments. It would be true to say she lived for the day, spending money on parties and the young men in her life. This was soon to change. Rank were having financial difficulties making Diana redundant. Diana, unable to put the brakes on her spending, resorted to writing post dated cheques and borrowing money.

Around this time she met the man who would alter the direction of her career and change everything. Dennis Hamilton breezed into her life with devastating charm. Later she denied that she had ever been in love with him, but she clearly was under his influence. In 1951, within weeks of meeting him, he convinced her they should get married. It was here that Diana’s financial turmoil began.

Dennis control of Diana’s life and career, making decisions on which jobs she could accept, disregarding her art, chasing the money, and turning down roles that would further Diana’s reputation as an actress.

Their marriage was never built to last, but even after they separated Dennis managed her financial and business affairs. He purchased property, cars without consulting Diana in the decision making process.

When Dennis died in 1959 he left no assets to Diana. Although living separately, they had still been married, which resulted in Diana having to pick up the debts he had left behind. Diana carried the financial burden of Dennis’s debts over to her second marriage,claiming in her bankruptcy.

Diana continued the pattern of giving financial and career control to husband number two, British-American actor Richard ‘Dickie’ Dawson. Mother of two young sons, Mark and Gary. Diana’s work ethic was beyond reproach – she would do whatever it took to keep her children in the lifestyle they had become accustomed to whilst living in California.

Sadly, the marriage to Dickie was doomed and Diana returned to London, leaving her children with their father. Consequently, on her return Diana had to face the British taxman, as tax bills had been avoided by the men in charge of her finances over the years. Everything Diana had worked for had been left behind in California and her finances were a mess. However, she felt that she needed a home for her sons to stay when they were visiting.

A deal was struck. Diana would allow Dickie to divorce her, and he would keep custody of the children and the family home in America. In return, Diana would have open visitation rights and would buy Orchard Manor, in Sunningdale, Berkshire, with money from the boy’s trust fund.

In 1968, Diana married her third and final husband, the actor Alan Lake. Still broke, and despite difficult times, Diana took control of her finances. She insisted on being paid in cash, negotiated her own prices.

Years after Diana’s death in 1984, her son Mark took part in a documentary called Who Got Diana Dors’ Millions. Diana had allegedly stashed cash in secret bank accounts. Before she died she gave Mark a piece of paper with what appeared to be one half of a code Alan held the key to but sadly he died before the code could be fully unlocked. Making this a huge mystery about the millions Diana left hidden.

By letting men take control of financial decisions Diana lived much of her life like many women of her era. However, she did break from these norms by eventually taking complete control of her money and her career.

Has anyone read these books ?? What do they think of them ?

When Mary Hilton, a young salesgirl, sets her eyes on Jim Lancaster, she is helplessly smitten. However, upon discovering a certain truth about Jim, she takes drastic measures.

Diana Dors may be remembered first as an actress, entertainer and television personality, sometimes even a singer, but what is often overlooked is just how much she loved to write.

Her first autobiography, Swingin’ Dors, was published back in 1960, although it was ghostwritten, and even then she made it clear that one day she wanted to write entirely in her own words. She would regularly contribute articles to newspapers and magazines, and even toyed with the idea of writing a novel; she already had the title, "Mink and Millions." Sadly, her early death at just 52 meant the dream of fiction was never realised, and you can’t help but wonder what might have been had she been given more time.

But in the 1970s and early 80s, Diana finally began to write in earnest, producing four books entirely on her own. These books reveal a side of her that went beyond the glamour and the stardom, sharp, witty, honest, and full of insight. They show that writing wasn’t just a sideline for her, it was another real passion, and through those words she left behind, we get to hear Diana’s true voice, unfiltered and completely her own.

Diana Dors authored five autobiographical books detailing her life as an actress. Numerous biographies have also been written about her.

Swingin' Dors (1960)
For Adults Only (1978)
Behind Closed Dors (1979)
Dors by Diana (1981)
A. to Z. of Men (1984)

British film A Kid for Two Farthings.

Living in a lower-class London community, Joe, a small boy buys a goat believing it to be unicorn, which would bring good fortune to him. Will his wishes come true with his subsequent efforts?

Diana was said to be absolutely thrilled to work with director Carol Reed on 'A Kid for Two Farthings' For the young actress, it was a dream come true to be wanted for one of his films.

Have you seen A Kid For Two Farthings?

The Diana Dors Show was a show where Diana Dors shows off her talents as comedian, sketch artist, impersonator, singer and dancer.

"the English were a bit frightened of sex in those days, and my name tended to be mentioned in a hushed voice.
But the sex symbol image gave me fame and fortune and I have never regretted it."- Diana Dors

Diana never disowned the image that made her famous. Instead, she embraced it, recognising that it had brought her opportunities and success.And perhaps that's one of the things I admire most about her. She never apologised for being herself.