1st Doctor Star That Died
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- Jean Conroy was born in 1934 in Stepney, London, England, UK. She was an actress, known for Doctor Who (1963), Suspense (1962) and The Children of the New Forest (1964). She died on 14 November 1964 in St. Bartholomew's Hospital, London, England, UK.
- Lionel Gadsden was born on 14 August 1879 in Kensington, London, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Strangler's Morgue (1946), It Started at Midnight (1943) and The Small House at Allington (1960). He died on 9 November 1965 in Farnborough, Hampshire, England, UK.
- Jack Cunningham was born on 19 April 1912 in Huddersfield, Yorkshire, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Danger Man (1960), Tolka Row (1959) and Chain of Events (1958). He died on 13 January 1967 in London, England, UK.
- Michael Peake was born on 13 October 1918 in Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Strongroom (1962), Doctor Who (1963) and The Adventures of Robin Hood (1955). He was married to Margaret Jackson. He died on 1 April 1967 in Petersfield, Hampshire, England, UK.
- Jack Bligh was born on 29 November 1889 in Ramsgate, Kent, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Doctor Who (1963), Night of the Big Heat (1967) and Secret Agent (1964). He was married to Mary Holder. He died on 25 September 1967 in St John's Wood, London, England, UK.
- Keith Pyott was born on 9 March 1902 in Blackheath, London, England, UK. He was an actor, known for The Big Pull (1962), Doctor Who (1963) and Chimes at Midnight (1965). He was married to Sheila Raynor. He died on 6 April 1968 in Enfield, Middlesex, England, UK.
- Charles Wade was born on 2 April 1901 in Southwark, London, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Doctor Who (1963), The Green Finger (1946) and The Avengers (1961). He was married to Eulalie Dove. He died on 14 December 1968 in Merton, London, England, UK.
- Martin Miller was born on 2 September 1899 in Kremsier, Moravia, Austria-Hungary [now Kromeriz, Czech Republic]. He was an actor, known for Exodus (1960), Peeping Tom (1960) and The Pink Panther (1963). He was married to Hannah Norbert. He died on 26 August 1969 in Innsbruck, Austria.
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Gaunt, emaciated-looking British character actor who enjoyed a lengthy career on the stage, both as an actor and as a director. By the age of 19, he was already a noted writer and producer of plays. De Marney made his theatrical debut in London in 1923. His first major role was as Jim Hawkins in "Treasure Island". For the next eight years, he went on tour with "The Last of Mrs. Cheyney", "Journey's End" and "The Lady of the Camelias". In 1931, he started to direct plays at the Connaught Theatre in Worthing and in the following year co-founded the Independent Theatre Club (formerly the Kingsway Theatre) with his brother Derrick De Marney, as an outlet for works banned for various reasons by the Lord Chamberlain. His next important part was that of Tybalt in "Romeo and Juliet" at the Open Air Theatre in 1934 which marked the beginning of a tendency towards villainous, or, at least, antagonistic portrayals. In the 1930's, he acted in a variety of thrillers and Victorian mysteries, ranging from Agatha Christie's "Dear Murderer" to Daphne Du Maurier's "Trilby" . He also co-wrote (in conjunction with Percy Robinson) several mystery plays, the most successful of which, "The Crime of Margaret Foley", ran for 210 performances at the Comedy Theatre in 1947 (with De Marney himself in the cast). Another, Wanted for Murder (1946), was later filmed, starring Eric Portman and Dulcie Gray. De Marney was also the very first actor to portray 'the Saint' (Simon Templar) in a radio serial of 1940.
After one of his plays flopped in 1953, De Marney went to Hollywood to try his luck on the screen. By the time he returned to England in 1962, he had notched up an impressive portfolio of credits as a TV guest star. This even included a recurring role in the western series Johnny Ringo (1959). For the better part of his remaining years, De Marney would relish the sinister and the macabre. Several of his outings into the horror genre have not travelled well : they include the abysmal Pharaoh's Curse (1957) and the poorly scripted H.P. Lovecraft adaptation Die, Monster, Die! (1965). On the other side of the ledger is a rather decent B-production, Beast of Morocco (1968), a vampire tale shot on location in Morocco. The film has style and atmosphere to boot (though the sound mixing is of variable quality) and De Marney's performance as the maniacal Omar (henchman to the vampire queen Aliza Gur) is quite memorable.
Terence De Marney died tragically when he fell under a tube train at the High Street Kensington Underground Station in London on May 25th 1971. Though he had always looked considerably older than his years, he was only 63.- Actor
- Director
Peter Stephens was born on 3 January 1920 in Morro Velho, Minas Gerais, Brazil. He was an actor and director, known for The Corridor People (1966), Wolfshead: The Legend of Robin Hood (1973) and Doctor Who (1963). He died on 17 September 1972 in Kensington, London, England, UK.- Jack Melford was born on 5 September 1899 in London, England, UK. He was an actor, known for A Shot in the Dark (1964), Doctor Who (1963) and The Adventures of Robin Hood (1955). He was married to Roberta Huby. He died on 22 October 1972 in Poole, England, UK.
- Rosemary Johnson was born on 18 January 1913 in Wandsworth, Surrey, England, UK. She was an actress, known for Doctor Who (1963), The Common Room (1958) and Starr and Company (1958). She was married to William Sherwood. She died on 10 November 1972 in Muncaster Castle, Ravenglass, Cumbria, England, UK.
- Actor
- Soundtrack
Grandiose Irish stage, film and television character player Max Adrian, a noted classical performer and musical comedy revue star with a highly distinctive voice and "old school" acting style, was born Guy Thornton Bor on November 1, 1903, in Kilkenny, County Kilkenny, Ireland. The son of Edward Norman Cavendish Bor and wife Mabel Lloyd Thornton, Max studied at the Portora Royal School and showed early interest in the performing arts. An intermission singer/dancer at a silent film theatre, he made his stage debut in the chorus in 1925 and proceeded to gain experience on the West End.
Following extensive repertory experience, Adrian (who was occasionally billed as Max Cavendish) enjoyed his first transcontinental stage hit with "First Episode", which toured throughout England and later transferred to Broadway in 1934. He went on to find wide personal success with his roles in "Troilus and Cressida" and "The Doctor's Dilemma" toward the end of the decade. Joining the Old Vic company in 1939, he scored as "The Dauphin" in "Saint Joan", then continued supremely with John Gielgud's company at the Haymarket Theatre in the mid-1940s as "Puck" in "A Midsummer Night's Dream", "Osric" in "Hamlet" and "Tattle" in "Love for Love".
A founding member of both the Royal Shakespeare Company and, much later, Laurence Olivier's National Theatre, Adrian earned widespread admiration for his work on the lighter side as a singer/comedian on the post-WWII musical revue stage. Many were produced by his long-time companion Laurier Lister (1907-1986). He also later performed eloquently, if outrageously, in one-man shows about George Bernard Shaw and the lesser successful "Gilbert and Sullivan".
Following his revue success, the often-bespectacled actor traveled to America in 1956 to appear in Leonard Bernstein's operetta, "Candide", on Broadway. Adrian stayed and pursued a career working in such summer stock productions of "Pygmalion" as Alfred as Doolittle, "Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme" as "Jourdain", "The Merchant of Venice" as "Shylock", and "The School for Scandal" as "Sir Peter Teazle", but never established a strong footing. He returned to London in 1959 to appear in Noël Coward "Look After Lulu!", which later was taken to Broadway.
In the early 1960s, Adrian became a member of Peter Hall's nascent Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) in Stratford-upon-Avon, wherein he appeared in "As You Like It", "Twelfth Night" and "Troilus and Cressida", as well as the non-Bard productions of "The Duchess of Malfi", "The Devils" and "The Hollow Crown". He also was a founding member of Olivier's National Theatre Company at the Old Vic from 1963, wherein he supported Peter O'Toole "Hamlet" as "Polonius". He also went on to appear in "Saint Joan", "Uncle Vanya", "The Recruiting Officer" and "The Master Builder".
Less renowned for his work on film, Adrian's made his debut in 1934 with two films: The Primrose Path (1934) and Eight Cylinder Love (1934). Film highlights during this earlier period came with his roles in the historical pieces The Remarkable Mr. Kipps (1941) and Courageous Mr. Penn (1942) and as "The Dauphin" in Olivier's classical masterpiece, Henry V (1944) (aka Henry V). Post-war films included lesser parts in The Taming of Dorothy (1950), Pool of London (1951) and The Pickwick Papers (1952). In later years, he showed some minor flash in Dr. Terror's House of Horrors (1965) and The Deadly Affair (1967), and capped his cinematic career as a favorite actor of visionary director Ken Russell and his mesmerizingly bizarre films The Music Lovers (1971), The Boy Friend (1971) and The Devils (1971). He fared much better on TV with several Shakespearean and other classical roles, notably as a delightful "Fagin" in "Oliver Twist", impressive Benjamin Disraeli in "Victoria Regina", and as composer "Fredrick Delius" in "Song of Summer".
Dying of a heart attack in 1973, the prolific stage actor, survived by his partner, was paid tribute by such luminaries as Laurence Olivier, Alec Guinness and revue co-star Joyce Grenfell.- Going through old copies of the Radio Times and scanning the cast lists of vintage television productions, some names keep turning up, over and over again. Peter Cushing and Donald Pleasence, prior to their horror stardom; Yvonne Mitchell, Andre Morell, Roger Delgado, Barry Letts, Patrick Troughton, John Robinson; and Paul Whitsun-Jones was another example of this breed. Corpulent, with thick black hair and often seen as appropriately solid authority figures, whether comically pompous or threatening in an oily manner, Whitsun-Jones facially resembled a heftier and rather bad-tempered version of Peter Bowles; his Avengers appearances are pretty representative of his work, respectively taking in Government man, fat villain and eccentric innocent bystander. Given the bluff, very old-school image he often projected, it's slightly surprising to find he was actually born in Wales, in 1923, though less surprisingly this was in Monmouthshire, near the border with England.
One of his early TV credits was a ground-breaking one for the medium; The Quatermass Experiment (1953) (BBC), the first adventure for Nigel Kneale's scientist hero, who after masterminding an early space mission has to take action when one of the astronauts (played by Duncan Lamont from "Stay Tuned") comes under the control of an alien, mutating creature. In typical 50s gear of trilby and trenchcoat, Whitsun-Jones was a regular in the series (or serial as it would have been called then), playing James Fullalove, an ironically named, cynical newspaper columnist who complicates matters by attempting to get to the unfortunate astronaut. (In Kneale's work, journalists are always bad news.) Only the first two episodes of this - "Contact Has Been Established" and "Persons Reported Missing" - exist today, the BBC at the time deciding against recording the last four; whether this was because they were not satisfied with the poorly lit, distinctly indistinct picture quality of the first two, or if the still-new process of telerecording was simply too expensive, is debatable. Famously, its prefacing continuity announcement contained the warning that the programme was not suitable for "those of you who may have a nervous disposition", or children. By contrast, The Gordon Honour (BBC, 1956), was a children's series, hovering somewhere between drama and comedy, about two feuding families called the Gordons and the Fitzwilliams, their rivalry centring around a candlestick, with the Fitzwilliams generally on the losing side. It ran for two series, from which no episodes exist now; each episode took place at a different point in history, but with the same actors playing the various family members, among them Roger Delgado, in a tailor-made role as a sword-wielding Spaniard, and Whitsun-Jones as a family butler. Occasional guest stars included the great Arthur Lowe from "Dead Man's Treasure" and Dad's Army.
In the first of several roles opposite Roger Moore, Ivanhoe, "The Gentle Jester" (Screen Gems, 1958) saw Whitsun-Jones as Sir Maverick, a fellow supporter of King Richard who seeks a replacement jester, after which it was a real switch for a deeply unusual entry in Sydney Newman's normally realistic Armchair Theatre, "Death of Satan" (ABC, 1958), set in Hell, in which he played Oscar Wilde, who along with Lord Byron was found to be rather enjoying himself there.
In the theatre, Whitsun-Jones was in the original West End production of Oliver!, by Lionel Bart out of Charles Dickens, in 1960, with Ron Moody (seen in "Honey for the Prince" and "The Bird Who Knew Too Much") giving it 100% as Fagin, as he would in the film, which Whitsun-Jones wasn't in. The latter's next TV series was Bonehead (1957) (BBC), a children's sitcom which went out in the same early Saturday evening slot (around 5.30) later filled by Doctor Who. Colin Douglas, a heavily built actor who later starred on the early 70s WW2 series A Family At War, had the title role of a dim Cockney villain in a bowler hat, Whitsun-Jones was The Boss, and each week their gang's criminal plottings ended in slapstick disaster. Unlike the career of its writer-producer, Shaun Sutton, who ended up becoming Head of Drama at the BBC, then oversaw the Corporation's 80s televising of all Shakespeare's plays.
Getting into the ITC series, where he was more often than not cast as foreigners of some kind, Whitsun-Jones was in the now obscure Man Of The World, "A Family Affair" (ATV/ITC, 1962), set in Paris, in which he was some way down the cast list as "A Midwesterner"; then, again with Roger Moore, he had three turns alone in the first batch of (black and white) episodes of The Saint. "The Golden Journey" (ATV/ITC, 1962), also with Roger Delgado (again) and Richard Montez, had Whitsun-Jones as a stereotyped lumberjack in a check shirt, who in one, deeply non-PC scene gives spoilt heroine Erica Rogers (seen in "The Bird Who Knew Too Much") a spanking; "Starring the Saint", which kept the budget down by involving Templar with the film industry, and had two Avengers spymasters-cum-villains, Whitsun-Jones and Ronald Radd, in similar roles as showbiz chancers; and "Teresa", which like the previous episode featured Alexander Davion, who with Whitsun-Jones, Richard Montez (again) and Coronation Street regular Alan Browning (seen in "Intercrime" and "Who Was That Man I Saw You With?"), here had to pretend to be Mexican. Paul Whitsun-Jones' film appearances were generally minor, and as easily defined types like policemen, stuffy gents, and pub customers (one suspects he probably liked a glass in real life).
The Moonraker (1958) was a costume swashbuckler set in the English Civil War and decidedly on the side of the Royalists, with Peter Arne doing well as a villain, although John LeMesurier as Oliver Cromwell required some suspension of disbelief. Whitsun-Jones was in both the minor classic Room at the Top (1958), detailing the climb of Laurence Harvey and his phoney Northern accent, with Ian Hendry also among the bit-parters, and its less well remembered sequel Life at the Top (1965), which featured Honor Blackman as a journalist; intriguingly, as this was just after Goldfinger, Harvey and director Ted Kotcheff were compelled to cast Honor with the box office in mind, when they had actually wanted Vanessa Redgrave. The intense, Scottish-set military drama Tunes of Glory (1960), starring Alec Guinness and 'John Mills', had strong support from 'Dennis Price', Gordon Jackson, Duncan Macrae, Gerald Harper, and Whitsun-Jones as the Mess President. The latter also did a couple of the fondly recalled, British series of Edgar Wallace B-movies; Candidate for Murder (1962), with the splendid Michael Gough from "The Cybernauts" and "The Correct Way to Kill," and The £20,000 Kiss (1963), plus that king of the American B-movie Roger Corman's The Masque of the Red Death (1964), with Vincent Price and Nigel Green. The Wild Affair (1965), a forgotten comedy-drama written and directed by Season Five director John Krish, with Whitsun-Jones as a party guest, is perhaps noteworthy as the only film in which the great Terry-Thomas appeared without his trademark moustache.
Whitsun-Jones was also a stooge for the annoying, later bewilderingly knighted Norman Wisdom in There Was a Crooked Man (1960), having the bad luck to turn up later in What's Good for the Goose (1969), which killed off Wisdom's film career by having him leching after girls a third his age; strangely, the director was the notorious Menahem Golan, who with his lowest common denominator Cannon Group would try to take over Hollywood in the 80s (after pretty well destroying what was left of the industry in Britain). Remaining very busy on television, Whitsun-Jones guested in the highly successful Maigret, "The Crime At Lock 14" (BBC, 1963), with Rupert Davies as the French detective, plus Isa Miranda from "Epic"; and in The Odd Man, "A Pattern Of Little Silver Devils" (Granada, 1963), a moody, noir-ish crime series, here also guest-starring Donald Sutherland as a drummer in a jazz band, and secret drug addict. He was next one of a regular repertory company, also including former stand-up Alfred Marks and Welsh loon Kenneth Griffith, in Paris 1900 (Granada, 1964), vigorously performing six stage farces from that time by Georges Feydeau, adapted and produced by Philip Mackie, an unfairly overlooked TV hero of the 60s whose literary adaptations were always good value.
The next two guest shots both saw Whitsun-Jones working with Patrick Macnee's then wife Catherine Woodville, killed off in "Hot Snow," and stuntman-director Ray Austin; G.S.5, "Scorpion Rock" (ATV, 1964) starred Ray Barrett and Neil Hallett as agents, with Whitsun-Jones (as a Mediterranean dictator called Emilio Zafra) and Woodville guesting, Austin as stunt arranger and Brian Clemens as script editor, while yet another episode of The Saint, "The Damsel in Distress" (ATV/ITC, 1964), directed by Peter Yates, had Whitsun-Jones and John Bluthal as members of a slightly dodgy Italian family, with Woodville and Austin also in the cast, again. Miss Adventure, "Journey to Copenhagen" (ABC, 1964) was, as the title suggests, a light comedy thriller which starred, of all people, Hattie Jacques (Eric Sykes' sister on TV, and a Carry On-er in films), and the producer was Ernest Maxin, later noted for his work with Morecambe and Wise; Whitsun-Jones guested here as a Russian, along with Eric Flynn, who died recently and was in "Murdersville."
Whitsun-Jones occasionally turned up on the successful P.G . Wodehouse adaptation The World of Wooster (1965) (BBC), as the fearsome Sir Roderick Glossop, father of the drippy Honoria, and generally causing complications for Ian Carmichael as Bertie, to be sorted out by Dennis Price as Jeeves. Going back to children's programmes, he was in Doctor Who, "The Smugglers" (BBC, 1966), a Tale of Old Dartmoor with Whitsun-Jones as a local squire, later revealed to be in league with the nominal ruffians. It was the penultimate story of the visibly ailing (and frankly, having trouble with his lines) William Hartnell; later, in "The Mutants" (1972) with Jon Pertwee, Whitsun-Jones' character of the Marshal, treating the inhabitants of an Earth colony shabbily, was intended by writers Bob Baker and Dave Martin as a critique of British imperialism, although this rather got lost in the usual juvenile runaround. Returning to successful stage musicals, he was in the West End production of Fiddler On The Roof, in 1967, with Topol (and later, Alfie Bass) taking centre stage as Tevye; Whitsun-Jones would, again, miss out on the later film version. On TV, Mr. Rose, "The Jolly Swagman" (Granada, 1967), a spin-off from the aforementioned The Odd Man, starred bald-domed comedy actor William Mervyn as the retired Scotland Yard man of the title, here taking a cruise on which Whitsun-Jones, John LeMesurier, and Derek Farr (seen in "Man-Eater of Surrey Green" and "The Eagle's Nest") were also present.
The first week of 1969 saw Whitsun-Jones as a regular in Wild, Wild Women (1968) (BBC), a vehicle for Barbara Windsor in between Carry Ons; it was written by Ronnie Wolfe and Ronald Chesney, who had earlier created The Rag Trade, and similarly this was set in a clothing factory with a truculent female workforce, the difference being it was set in 1902. Despite Windsor's (continuing) popularity, it only ran for one season; Whitsun-Jones played her pompous and somewhat lascivious employer, while his gormless assistant was forgotten stand-up Ken Platt, whose allegedly hilarious catchphrase was "I won't take me coat off, I'm not stopping". The pilot in 1968, unsurprisingly an episode of Comedy Playhouse, had Derek Francis (later in "House of Cards") in Whitsun-Jones' eventual role, similarly Penelope Keith (a very different type of comic actress from Windsor!) had been in this, but not the series. Then, two episodes, as different characters, of Department S; "A Cellar Full of Silence" (ATV/ITC, 1969), directed by former Hammer man John Gilling, with Peter Wyngarde and chums delving into the case of four corpses in fancy dress turning up in a cellar, and the later "Death on Reflection", involving killings somehow connected to a much sought-after mirror. The latter featured 40s leading man Guy Rolfe (who'd actually been in Dennis Spooner's mind when he created Jason King) as chief villain, and Whitsun-Jones, just as "Fog" did at around the same time. In a busy year, The Incredible Adventures of Professor Branestawm (1969) (Thames) was another children's series, from a series of books, published for over half a century, by one-time magician Norman Hunter. Jack Woolgar, seen in "The Living Dead" and a specialist in old codgers, played the other-worldly, multiple-spectacle-wearing professor, with Whitsun-Jones in what seems like a perfect bit of casting as his militaristic chum Colonel Dedshott.
Next, he was in the then hugely popular, now deeply rickety Up Pompeii!, "Exodus" (BBC, 1970), with Frankie Howerd as slave Lurcio here put up for auction, and Whitsun-Jones and Gainsborough film star Jean Kent among the bidders; this was actually the last episode in the series, although Frankie carried on Up in three films and two belated TV specials (decades apart and for different networks, but both called Further Up Pompeii). Staying in comedy, Whitsun-Jones was in an early episode of another success of the 70s that many feel has not aged well, The Goodies, "Give Police A Chance" (BBC, 1970); its defenders point out it had some anti-Establishment elements, notably portraying the police as thuggish and corrupt, and certainly Whitsun-Jones, in an unrestrained performance as Commissioner Butcher, did much yelling and threatening towards the trio (especially Tim Brooke-Taylor), after being unamused by their attempts to give the force a "nice" image. He was then one of a team of regular performers, including the much-mourned young comedy actor Richard Beckinsale, in Elephant's Eggs In A Rhubarb Tree (Thames, 1971), yet another children's series and the kind of charmingly old-fashioned amalgam of poetry, prose and songs that sadly just isn't done any more.
On the big screen, Simon Simon (1970) was a short oddity directed by character actor Graham Stark in which various names, including Michael Caine, Peter Sellers and David Hemmings, put in unbilled cameos for free, as favours to Stark (in Sellers' case, shot during his lunch break); Whitsun-Jones, along with John Junkin, was among the credited (and presumably paid) cast members. One review, in the Monthly Film Bulletin, commented that the next time Stark tried to make a film, he must realise it involves more than just sticking a load of well-known people in front of the camera; however, he clearly hadn't learned this by the time of the sketch-film The Magnificent Seven Deadly Sins (1971), with Whitsun-Jones in the segment on Avarice. He was a police sergeant in the intriguing but rather disappointing Dr Jekyll & Sister Hyde (1971), written by Brian Clemens and produced by him and Albert Fennell for Hammer. Then he had the colossal misfortune of being in the very smutty Keep It Up, Jack (1974), described by Verina Glaessner in Time Out as "defining a whole new low in British comedy", and with detachable naughty bits filmed for the continental version, without the knowledge of some of the cast; Whitsun-Jones and Frank Thornton (who deserved better than this, or Are You Being Served) played lawyers.
His last film was Assassin (1973), a routine spy effort benefiting from Ian Hendry in the title role, plus various familiar faces including Frank Windsor; it was written by Michael Sloan, whose later revivals of old shows on American TV usually found space for Patrick Macnee, i.e. The Return Of The Man From Uncle (1983). Returning to TV episodes, Whitsun-Jones was a French police inspector in The Persuaders!, "Powerswitch" (ATV/ITC, 1971), yet again with Roger Moore, plus Annette Andre as a showgirl in trouble and, unbelievably, a cameo from deeply camp dancer and professional celebrity Lionel Blair; this episode was later stuck together with another, "The Gold Napoleon" and released in cinemas (and later on video) in some countries as Mission: Monte Carlo. And Whitsun-Jones' role was virtually identical in Jason King, "Chapter One: The Company I Keep" (ATV/ITC, 1972), his investigator was Italian this time but in a similar scenario, seen quizzing Ronald Radd in another teaming, with Stephanie Beacham as, yes, a showgirl in trouble. He was an innkeeper in The Adventures Of Don Quixote (BBC/Universal, 1972), filmed in Spain and shown in the prestige Play Of The Month strand, with a very rare TV role for Rex Harrison as Quixote, accompanied by Frank Finlay as Sancho Panza; Alexander Walker's biography of Harrison (Fatal Charm) claims this is one of the best things the star ever did, in which he really did act rather than just play himself (or Professor Higgins), and regrets how it remains virtually unseen since its premiere.
One of the last sightings of Whitsun-Jones was in Bowler, "Members Only" (LWT, 1973), a forgotten sitcom about a would-be refined Cockney gangster, played by the normally serious and upright George Baker. Whitsun-Jones died, shamefully young, very early in 1974, a small obituary of him appearing in The Times on the 18th January of that year. - Stephanie Bidmead was born on 29 January 1929 in Birmingham, England, UK. She was an actress, known for Doctor Who (1963), Theatre 625 (1964) and BBC Play of the Month (1965). She died on 22 September 1974 in Richmond upon Thames, Surrey, England, UK.
- William Hartnell was born on 8 January 1908, just south of St. Pancras railway station in London. In press materials in the 1940s he claimed that his father was a farmer and later a stockbroker; it turns out that he had actually been born out of wedlock, as his biography "Who's There?" states.
At age 16 he was adopted by Hugh Blaker, a well-known art connoisseur, who helped him to get a job with Sir Frank Benson's Shakespearean Company. He started as a general dogsbody--call-boy, assistant stage manager, property master and assistant lighting director--but was occasionally allowed to play small walk-on parts. Two years later he left Benson's group and went off on tour, working for a number of different theatre companies about Britain. He became known as an actor of farce and understudied renowned performers such as Lawrence Grossmith, Ernest Truex, Bud Flanagan and Charles Heslop. He played repertory in Richmond, Harrogate, Leeds and Sheffield and had a successful run as the lead in a touring production of "Charley's Aunt." He also toured Canada in 1928-29, acquiring much valuable experience.
On his return to England, Hartnell married actress Heather McIntyre. He starred in such films as I'm an Explosive (1933), The Way Ahead (1944), Strawberry Roan (1944), The Agitator (1945), Query (1945) and Appointment with Crime (1946).
His memorable performance on the television series The Army Game (1957) and the movie This Sporting Life (1963) led to him being cast as the Doctor on Doctor Who (1963), for which he is best remembered. His son-in-law is agent Terry Carney. His granddaughter is Jessica Carney (real name Judith Carney), who authored a biography of her grandfather, "Who's There?", in 1996. - Raf De La Torre was born on 15 February 1908 in Paris, France. He was an actor, known for The Trollenberg Terror (1956), There's a Girl in My Soup (1970) and Billy Bunter of Greyfriars School (1952). He died on 15 July 1975 in London, England, UK.
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Campbell Singer was born on 16 March 1909 in London, England, UK. He was an actor and writer, known for The Saint (1962), Take a Pair of Private Eyes (1966) and Someone at the Door (1950). He was married to Gillian Maude. He died on 16 February 1976 in London, England, UK.- Alethea Charlton was born on 9 August 1931 in Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire, England, UK. She was an actress, known for Doctor Who (1963), The Woman in White (1966) and Sam (1973). She died on 6 May 1976 in Chelsea, London, England, UK.
- Reginald Barratt was born on 25 January 1920 in West Bromwich, West Midlands, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Department S (1969), Open All Hours (1976) and The Three Musketeers (1954). He died on 10 June 1977 in Lambeth, London, England, UK.
- Erik Chitty was born on 8 July 1907 in Dover, Kent, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Doctor Zhivago (1965), Please Sir! (1971) and A Bridge Too Far (1977). He was married to Hester Bevan (actress). He died on 22 July 1977 in London, England, UK.
- Michael Godley was born in April 1925 in Sheffield, England, UK. He is an actor, known for The Avengers (1998), Gandhi (1982) and A Very British Coup (1988).
- Angelo Muscat was born on 24 September 1930 in Malta. He was an actor, known for The Prisoner (1967) and Doctor Who (1963). He died on 10 October 1977 in England, UK.
- Fred Ferris was born on 13 July 1905 in West Derby, Liverpool, England, UK. He was an actor, known for The Big Pull (1962), The World of Tim Frazer (1960) and The Avengers (1961). He was married to Phyllis Ross Laurie. He died on 25 January 1978 in Westminster, London, England, UK.
- Bart Allison was born on 1 December 1890 in Hockley, Birmingham, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Doctor Who (1963), The Forsyte Saga (1967) and Cinderella (1947). He died on 29 June 1978 in Morden, Surrey, England, UK.
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Catherine Fleming is known for Doctor Who (1963), Tess (1979) and The Mystery of Edwin Drood (1993).- May Warden was born on 9 May 1891 in Leeds, England, UK. She was an actress, known for Dinner for One (1963), The Donati Conspiracy (1973) and Coronation Street (1960). She was married to Silvester Stuart. She died on 5 October 1978 in London, England, UK.
- Vivienne Bennett was born on 29 July 1905 in Poole, Dorset, England, UK. She was an actress, known for Doctor Who (1963), BBC Sunday-Night Theatre (1950) and Le secret du cargo (1929). She was married to Godfrey Kenton. She died on 11 November 1978 in Surrey, England, UK.
- André Morell was born on 20 August 1909 in St. Pancras, London, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Ben-Hur (1959), The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957) and The Message (1976). He was married to Joan Greenwood. He died on 28 November 1978 in London, England, UK.
- Peter Butterworth's promising career in the British Navy Fleet Air Arm ended when the plane which he was flying was shot down by the Germans in WW II and he was placed in a POW camp. There he became close friends with Talbot Rothwell (later a writer on the "Carry On" series, on which Butterworth often worked) and the two began writing and performing sketches for camp shows to entertain the prisoners (and to cover up the noise of other prisoners digging escape tunnels). Never having performed in public he was petrified but gamely sang a duet with Talbot. This sparked his enthusiasm to enter show business after the war and Talbot helped and encouraged him and he soon became a familiar character actor in both films and television. He specialized in playing gentle, well-meaning but somewhat eccentric characters (which, by most accounts, is what he was in real life). He was married to impressionist Janet Brown, who he met while doing a Summer show at Scarborough and their son, Tyler Butterworth, also became an actor. Butterworth died suddenly in 1979, as he was waiting in the wings to go onstage in a pantomime show.
- Heron Carvic was born on 21 January 1913 in London, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Doctor Who (1963), A Tale of Two Cities (1957) and The Avengers (1961). He was married to Phyllis Neilson-Terry. He died on 9 February 1980 in Kent, England, UK.
- Barry Justice was born on 18 August 1940 in Lucknow, India. He was an actor, known for Doctor Who (1963), The Pallisers (1974) and Conflict (1966). He died on 6 August 1980 in London, England, UK.
- Actor
- Script and Continuity Department
- Writer
Victor Carin was born in 1932 in Stonehaven, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, UK. He was an actor and writer, known for Doctor Who (1963), Take the High Road (1980) and The Eagle of the Ninth (1977). He died on 2 January 1981 in Stirlingshire, Scotland, UK.- John Bay was born on 30 November 1928 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. He was an actor, known for The Persuaders! (1971), Doctor Who (1963) and Richard the Lionheart (1962). He was married to Elaine Stritch. He died on 7 November 1982 in London, England, UK.
- Actor
- Writer
- Director
Eric Thompson was born on 9 November 1929 in Sleaford, Lincolnshire, England, UK. He was an actor and writer, known for Dougal and the Blue Cat (1970), Serjeant Musgrave's Dance (1965) and One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich (1970). He was married to Phyllida Law. He died on 30 November 1982 in Camden, London, England, UK.- Reg Cranfield was born in 1902 in North Wales, Wales, United Kingdom. He was an actor, known for The Informer (1966), Melissa (1974) and Them (1972). He died in 1983 in Lancashire, North West England, England, United Kingdom.
- Peter Glaze was born on 17 September 1924 in London, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Doctor Who (1963), Whack-O! (1956) and Together Again (1957). He was married to April Ellen Jermy Young. He died on 20 February 1983 in Dartford, England, UK.
- Gábor Baraker was born on 10 June 1926 in Budapest, Hungary. He was an actor, known for The Saint (1962), Doctor Who (1963) and ITV Television Playhouse (1955). He died on 30 April 1983 in Algeria.
- Actor
- Additional Crew
- Writer
Maurice Browning was born on 11 May 1919 in West Ham, London, England, UK. He was an actor and writer, known for Doctor Who (1963), The Cool Mikado (1963) and The Granville Melodramas (1955). He died on 4 December 1983 in Denville Hall, Northwood, London, England, UK.- Derek Francis was born on 7 November 1923 in Brighton, East Sussex, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Scrooge (1970), Carry on Abroad (1972) and The Six Proud Walkers (1962). He was married to Penelope Elsden Smith. He died on 27 March 1984 in Wimbledon, London, England, UK.
- Francis De Wolff was born on 7 January 1913 in Essex, England, UK. He was an actor, known for From Russia with Love (1963), Moby Dick (1956) and The Hound of the Baskervilles (1959). He was married to Linda Finch, Melissa Dundas and Jean Fairlie. He died on 18 April 1984 in Sussex, England, UK.
- Actress
- Producer
Joan Young was born on 1 February 1900 in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Tyne and Wear, England, UK. She was an actress and producer, known for Suddenly, Last Summer (1959), The Fallen Idol (1948) and Doctor Who (1963). She died on 9 October 1984 in Hammersmith, London, England, UK.- Reg Lever was born on 4 September 1903 in Chasetown, Burntwood, Staffordshire, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Scrooge (1970), Doomwatch (1972) and The Beast in the Cellar (1971). He was married to Elsie Winsor. He died on 18 August 1985 in Fulham, London, England, UK.
- Actor
- Writer
- Additional Crew
Reed De Rouen was born on 10 June 1921 in Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA. He was an actor and writer, known for The Avengers (1961), John Paul Jones (1959) and Doctor Who (1963). He was married to Laila Stranahan. He died on 11 June 1986 in Kensington, London, England, UK.- Patrick Troughton was born in Mill Hill, London and was educated at Mill Hill School. He trained as an actor at the Embassy School of Acting in the UK and at Leighton Rollin's Studio for for Actors at Long Island, New York in the USA. During World War II he served in the Royal Navy and after the war ended he joined the Old Vic and became a Shakespearean actor. He won his most famous role as the second Doctor in Doctor Who (1963), in 1966 and played the role for three years. His hobbies included golf, sailing and fishing. He was a father of six (David, Jane, Joanna, Mark, Michael and Peter), a stepfather to Gill and Graham and a grandfather to Harry Melling, Jamie and Sam Troughton.
- John Flint was born on 1 August 1929 in Paddington, London, England, UK. He was an actor, known for A House Called Bell Tower (1960), Doctor Who (1963) and The Old Wives' Tale (1964). He died on 9 September 1987 in Kensington, London, England, UK.
- Alan Judd was born on 10 October 1909 in Ingatestone, Essex, England, UK. He was an actor, known for The Golden Spur (1959), The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1950) and Doctor Who (1963). He died on 23 April 1988 in Camden, London, England, UK.
- Roy Herrick was born on 22 July 1936 in Stepney, London, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Survivors (1975), Macbeth (1970) and Doctor Who (1963). He died on 11 October 1988 in Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, Chelsea, London, England, UK.
- Paul Carson is known for You Only Live Twice (1967), The 6th Day (2000) and Along Came a Spider (2001).
- John Bailey was born on 26 June 1912 in Lewisham, London, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Celia (1949), Doctor Who (1963) and The Forsyte Saga (1967). He died on 11 February 1989 in Chelsea, London, England, UK.
- Actor
- Additional Crew
- Soundtrack
The son of a Greek immigrant father (merchant) and an English mother, George Coulouris was educated at England's Manchester Grammar School. As an actor he was quite adept at playing villains, particularly wealthy businessmen, but he was just as suitable at playing nobler roles. A member of Orson Welles' famed Mercury Theater players, he appeared in such films as Citizen Kane (1941), For Whom the Bell Tolls (1943), Papillon (1973) and Murder on the Orient Express (1974). The film that established him as an interesting and reliable heavy, with his massive shoulders and hooded eyes, was Watch on the Rhine (1943).
Coulouris studied with Elsie Fogerty at London's Central School of Speech and Drama. His London stage debut came in 1925 with "Henry V" at the Old Vic. He was soon playing the Yank at the first British staging of Eugene O'Neill's "The Hairy Ape". By 1929 he had reached Broadway, via a modern dress version of "Measure for Measure". His role as Tallant in "The Late Christopher Bean" took him to Hollywood in 1933 for MGM's film of the play. The next milestone in his burgeoning career occurred when he was playing in "Ten Million Ghosts" and met Orson Welles. They got on well and Coulouris joined Welles' Mercury Theatre, playing Mark Antony in the famous modern dress production of "Julius Caesar" (1937). When Welles went to Hollywood to make "Citizen Kane", Coulouris climbed into movie history in the part of Walter Parks Thatcher, the Kane family's crotchety lawyer and business manager. By that time his future as a cinema actor was assured and he went on to play character parts in a long string of Hollywood productions throughout the 1940s. At the end of the 1940s Coulouris returned to England, joining the Bristol Old Vic where he was notable as Tartuffe, transferring to London. In the '50s and '60s he remained a stalwart stage actor in spite of his movie reputation. He liked nothing better than to grapple with Henrik Ibsen, George Bernard Shaw, August Strindberg, Molière or William Shakespeare. During these years he tackled Dr. Stockman in Ibsen's "An Enemy of the People", Patrick Flynn in Sean O'Casey's "The Plough and the Stars", the father in Jean-Paul Sartre's "Altona", Edgar in Strindberg's "The Dance of Death" and Big Daddy in Tennessee Williams' "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof". All of these are parts to swell a scene and Coulouris had the flourish to fill them, sometimes to overflowing, always compellingly. In Britain his film parts tended towards the mundane, though he rose to the occasion as the native Babalatchi in Carol Reed's Outcast of the Islands (1951) and seized rare chances to play comedy in Doctor in the House (1954), Doctor at Sea (1955) and the Frankie Howerd vehicle The Runaway Bus (1954). Towards the end of his life he tried his hand at writing and produced some charming memoirs describing his early life in Manchester and his early stage experiences. A vivid excerpt was published in the Guardian newspaper in February 1986 and the memoirs are available in full on the official website maintained by his son.- Actor
- Soundtrack
Howard Lang was born on 20 March 1911 in Marylebone, London, England, UK. He was an actor, known for The Onedin Line (1971), The Crime of the Century (1956) and Doctor Who (1963). He died on 11 December 1989 in West Hampstead, London, England, UK.- Edmond Warwick was born in 1907 in the UK. He was an actor, known for Doctor Who (1963), Potts in Parovia (1956) and R3 (1964). He died in December 1989 in the UK.
- John Maxim was born on 20 July 1925 in Sydney, Australia. He was an actor, known for Doctor Who (1963), The Big Spender (1965) and Dracula: Prince of Darkness (1966). He died on 20 January 1990 in Brighton, East Sussex, England, UK.
- Actor
- Director
- Producer
Leonard Sachs was born on 26 September 1909 in Roodeport, Transvaal, South Africa. He was an actor and director, known for Thunderball (1965), The Men of Sherwood Forest (1954) and John Wesley (1954). He was married to Eleanor Summerfield. He died on 15 June 1990 in Westminster, London, England, UK.- Actor
- Soundtrack
Edward Brayshaw was born on 18 October 1933 in Central Coast, New South Wales, Australia. He was an actor, known for The Three Musketeers (1966), The Further Adventures of the Musketeers (1967) and Doctor Who (1963). He died on 28 December 1990 in London, England, UK.- Ivor Salter was born on 22 August 1925 in Taunton, Somerset, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Einer frisst den anderen (1964), The Black Arrow (1958) and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1960). He died on 21 June 1991 in Warwickshire, England, UK.
- Sharp-featured, incisive Surrey-born actor whose chief trademark was a memorably mellifluous voice. This, he used to maximum effect as a tool for impersonating a gallery of suave, urbane - usually rather likeable - villains, rogues and assorted shady types. He often imbued these characters with an air of smugly superior disdain.
Alan had reinvented himself as an actor after abandoning his first profession as industrial psychologist. He made his theatrical debut in 1928 in "Heartbreak House" by by George Bernard Shaw and appeared on the London stage two years later. For the remainder of the decade, he made a living as a supporting player (with a penchant for period costume) in works by Shakespeare, John Galsworthy, J.M. Barrie, and Oscar Wilde. While preferring the intimacy offered by provincial theatre, he also shone on the grander stage of the Old Vic, and, in 1936, appeared in "St. Helena" on Broadway. That same year, he made his feature film debut in The Conquest of the Air (1931).
During World War II, Alan's voice was heard regularly as announcer and newsreader for the BBC European Service. This led to a constant stream of work as a radio actor and reader of English literature and poetry. In the course of the next three decades, he impersonated the good (detective Lord Peter Wimsey) and the bad (Othello, Judas, Richard III) with equal verve. His television career -- beginning in 1938 -- went along a similar path. Alan was the very first 'BBC Sherlock Holmes' in 1951, taking his cue for the role from the drawings of Sidney Paget and the characterisations by Arthur Conan Doyle. The six instalments (all live transmissions) were well-received but did Alan no favour: the resulting publicity led his agent to ask for higher salaries and this, in turn, led to fewer job offers.
On the big screen, Alan was best served by being the ill-fated Fred Hale in Brighton Rock (1948); the duplicitous traveller on the Sleeping Car to Trieste (1948); and the corrupt financier Mark Cruden in Delayed Action (1954). On television, he will remain the definitive incarnation of the Sheriff of Nottingham in The Adventures of Robin Hood (1955). Alan's sheriff is devious and cunning, a sophisticated arch villain of great clarity, an equal to the hero -- if it were not, of course, for the ineptitude of his minions. After the end of his tenure as Richard Greene's nemesis, Alan popped up as assorted police inspectors, professional types, legal eagles and men of the cloth, in many a popular series, including Danger Man (1960) and Department S (1969). He retired from the screen in 1970, and died in August 1991 in London at the age of 84. - Actor
- Soundtrack
Gerald Taylor was born on 11 October 1940 in the UK. He was an actor, known for Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968), Dr. Who and the Daleks (1965) and Out of the Unknown (1965). He died on 4 December 1991 in the UK.- Robert Beatty graduated with a B.A. from the University of Toronto and started in amateur dramatics with the Hamilton Player's Guild. For a while, he made a living as a cashier for a gas and fuel company. In order to further hone his acting skills, he made his way to London in 1936 (on the advice of Leslie Howard) to train for acting at RADA. He made his theatrical debut in "Idiot's Delight" at the Apollo, and from there obtained regular work on both stage and screen in bit parts and walk-ons, eventually making his breakthrough on radio as a broadcaster for the BBC. He was famously on hand, reporting eyewitness accounts of the London Blitz for the Overseas News Service during the war years.
On the strength of this, Beatty was promoted to more substantial film roles, beginning with San Demetrio London (1943), in which he played a brash, alcoholic American sailor mellowed by his good-natured British crewmates in the best 'stiff-upper-lip' tradition. This seemed to set the tone for his future screen personae, for he was henceforth typecast as tough, down-to-earth Canadians or Americans, many of them cops or gumshoes in low budget potboilers. That notwithstanding, he had his share of quality assignments as well, notably as loyal friend to IRA fugitive James Mason in Odd Man Out (1947); as a plausible Lord Beaverbrook in The Magic Box (1951); as Lieutenant William Bush, best friend and second-in-command to Gregory Peck's Captain Horatio Hornblower (1951); and as a washed-out heavyweight prizefighter in The Square Ring (1953). Throughout his career, Beatty's stock-in-trade was masculinity, dependability and forthrightness.
Immensely popular on radio, Beatty provided the voice for private eye Philip Odell in a long-running series for the BBC "Light Programme" between 1947 and 1961. From the late 1950's, he also became increasingly prolific on television and as a narrator of documentaries. If his face was not yet recognisable enough, he appeared in commercials for a hair care product. For two years, Beatty starred in his own half-hour series, Dial 999 (1958), as a Canadian mountie seconded to Scotland Yard. On the big screen he was cast as Dr. Ralph Halvorsen in Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968). Towards the end of his lengthy career, he gave one of his finest performances, a thoroughly convincing impersonation of President Ronald Reagan in the documentary-drama Breakthrough at Reykjavik (1987). - Bartlett Mullins was born on 13 August 1904 in Crosby, Lancashire, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Nicholas Nickleby (1957), Half a Sixpence (1967) and The Likely Lads (1964). He died on 15 May 1992 in Devon, England, UK.
- David Blake Kelly was born on 17 February 1916 in Dublin, Ireland. He was an actor, known for Doctor Who (1963), All Aboard (1958) and The Mail Van Murder (1957). He was married to Jill Gregory. He died on 21 January 1993 in Fulham, London, England, UK.
- Dallas Cavell was born on 19 September 1925 in the UK. He was an actor, known for Doctor Who (1963), Studio 4 (1962) and The Avengers (1961). He was married to Kay Clayton. He died on 15 February 1993 in London, England, UK.
- Born in 17 December 1929, Jacqueline Hill was orphaned as a toddler and raised by her grandparents. She was taken out of school at the age of 14 to enable her younger brother to continue. She then worked at Cadbury's, which had an amateur dramatics society. She was encouraged to apply for, and was awarded, a scholarship at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, and entered RADA at the age of 16. She made her stage debut in London's West End in "The Shrike." Many more roles followed, including, on TV, Shop Window, Patrol Car (1954) and An Enemy of the People. It was around this time that she married top director Alvin Rakoff, who cast her opposite Sean Connery in one of ABC TV's Armchair Theatre plays. She was asked to play Barbara Wright in Doctor Who (1963) after she and producer Verity Lambert, whom she knew socially, discussed the role at a party. Soon after leaving the series in 1965 she gave up acting to raise a family. However, she resumed her career in 1979 and gained further TV credits on, amongst other programmes, Romeo & Juliet (1978), Tales of the Unexpected (1979), and the 1980 Doctor Who (1963) story "Meglos" (as a character called Lexa).
- Anthony Jacobs was born on 23 March 1918 in Weymouth, England, UK. He was an actor, known for The Mill on the Floss (1965), Madame Bovary (1964) and The Black Tulip (1956). He was married to Ann Felicity Jameson and Katharine Blake. He died in August 1993 in Hertfordshire, England, UK.
- Actor
- Soundtrack
Michael Bilton (14 December 1919 - 5 November 1993) was an English actor best known for his roles in the British television sitcoms To the Manor Born (playing the gardener and sometime butler Ned) and Waiting for God (playing Basil, a septuagenarian satyr).
He attended Hymers College, Hull. In the Second World War he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant and was wounded at the Battle of El Alamein. After his recovery he began his acting career in repertory theatre.
He had a strong comedic bent and featured in Keeping Up Appearances, One Foot in the Grave and Grace and Favour (1992). He also appeared in Pennies From Heaven, The Saint, The Avengers, The Prisoner, Quatermass II and The Champions, He also appeared as the doorman at a hotel in Terry and June. He also featured in the Doctor Who stories The Massacre of St Bartholomew's Eve, Pyramids of Mars and The Deadly Assassin. He also appeared as the butler Stevens in "The Adventure of Shoscombe Olde Place" episode of The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes; also notable in the cast was Jude Law as an aspiring jockey. Bilton's film appearances included A Taste of Honey (1961), The Thirty Nine Steps (1978) and The Fourth Protocol (1987), as Kim Philby.
But his most successful television work was as the woman-chasing Basil in three series of Waiting for God, the sitcom set in a retirement home, and as the gardener in a Yellow Pages commercial, going about his tasks with a battered lawn-mower and being called over by his employers to be told of its new replacement just when he thought he himself was about to be pensioned off.
Bilton died on 5 November 1993 in Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire, aged 73.- Robert Lankesheer was born on 28 April 1914 in Southampton, Hampshire, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Doctor Who (1963), Lilli Palmer Theatre (1955) and The Avengers (1961). He died on 29 December 1993 in London, England, UK.
- Actor
- Director
- Writer
Stephen Dartnell was born on 30 April 1931 in West Ham, London, England, UK. He was an actor and director, known for Second Best (1972), Doctor Who (1963) and A Tale of Two Cities (1965). He died in 1994.- Eileen Way was born on 2 September 1911 in New Malden, Surrey, England, UK. She was an actress, known for The Vikings (1958), Kidnapped (1960) and Sean's Show (1992). She was married to Felix Warden Brown. She died on 16 June 1994 in Canterbury, Kent, England, UK.
- Edwin Finn was born on 18 November 1910 in New South Wales, Australia. He was an actor, known for Time Bandits (1981), Oliver! (1968) and Mystery and Imagination (1966). He died on 2 February 1995 in London, England, UK.
- Pete was a comedian & did multiple stage shows with many of the UK's well known TV comedians of the 70's like Jimmy Tarbuck etc. He was as well known for his comedy as he was his acting.
- David Dodimead was born on 8 April 1919 in Shepton Mallet, Somerset, England, UK. He was an actor, known for The Honey Pot (1967), Doctor Who (1963) and The DuPont Show of the Month (1957). He died on 1 November 1996 in Kensington, London, England, UK.
- Meriel Hobson was born on 22 September 1905 in Playhatch, Oxfordshire, England, UK. She was an actress, known for Doctor Who (1963), Scotland Yard (1960) and Charlesworth (1959). She was married to Rodney Hobson. She died in 1997 in Surrey, England, UK.
- Elroy Josephs was born on 20 February 1939. He was an actor, known for Doctor Who (1963), Adam Adamant Lives! (1966) and A Private Enterprise (1974). He died on 8 February 1997 in the UK.
- Royston Tickner (8 September 1922 - 7 July 1997) was a British actor.
Born Roy A. Tickner in Leicester, a tailor's son, he trained as an actor at Scarborough repertory theatre. He served in the Royal Navy in World War II: however in 1942 he was touring in the southern English counties, principally in H. F. Maltby's The Rotters with Frank Crawshaw and Preston Lockwood. In the winter of 1942-43 he was stage manager, and took the role of Robert, in the presentation of du Maurier's Rebecca at the Ambassadors Theatre in which Eileen Herlie made her London début and then toured with the show. In that spring he married Gwendoline Bonde at Leicester. From 1947 he took a break from the theatre to work as a lighthouse keeper, miner, fireman and publican, before returning to acting in 1958.
His television credits include: The Avengers, Z-Cars, Doctor Who (in the serials The Daleks' Master Plan and The Sea Devils), Gideon's Way, The Baron, King of the River, The Troubleshooters, Dixon of Dock Green, Timeslip, The Flaxton Boys, Out of the Unknown, Emmerdale Farm, Porridge, Last of the Summer Wine, Angels, Return of the Saint, Rogue's Rock, Secret Army, Danger UXB, George and Mildred, The Enigma Files, Kessler, Minder, Reilly, Ace of Spies, Just Good Friends and One by One.
Film roles include Tomescu in Michael Mann's The Keep (1983), and first Colonel in Jim Goddard's Hitler's SS: Portrait in Evil (1985). - Plymouth-born Adrienne Hill trained in acting at the Bristol Old Vic, then spent some time with the Old Vic Company in London, followed by eight years' work in repertory theatre. Having been spotted by Doctor Who production assistant Viktors Ritelis while understudying for Maggie Smith in a play called "Mary, Mary", she was invited to audition for the role of Princess Joanna in "The Crusade." Although she did not win that part, director Douglas Camfield remembered her and cast her as Katarina. In the late sixties she had continued success, particularly in radio, and landed a regular role in the BBC's "Waggoner's Walk." She then moved abroad with her husband when his work took him first to Holland and later to the USA. In the late seventies, after her marriage broke up, she returned to England and studied for a degree. During the eighties she launched a new career as a drama teacher, while continuing to do occasional acting work.
- Robert Jewell was born in 1920. He was an actor, known for Dr. Who and the Daleks (1965), Daleks' Invasion Earth 2150 A.D. (1966) and Doctor Who (1963). He died on 10 May 1998 in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
- Actor
- Soundtrack
Derek Newark was born on 8 June 1933 in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, England, UK. He was an actor, known for The Blue Max (1966), Bellman and True (1987) and A Taste for Death (1988). He died on 11 August 1998 in London, England, UK.- Actor
- Producer
Michael Craze was born on 29 November 1942 in Cornwall and got into acting quite by chance as, at the age of twelve, he discovered through Boy Scout Gang Shows that he had a perfect boy soprano voice. This led him to win parts in "The King and I" and "Plain and Fancy", both at Drury Lane, and "Damn Yankees" at the Coliseum. Once he had left school, he went into repertory and got into TV through his agent. His first televison was a show called "Family Solicitor" for Granada which was followed for Granada which was followed, amongst others, by a part in ABC TV's 1960 series "Target Luna" (written by Malcolm Hulke and Eric Price and produced by Sydney Newman). When he was twenty Michael wrote, directed and acted in a film called "The Golden Head" which won an award at the Commonwealth Film Festival in Cardiff. Following Doctor Who, Michael worked on several ITV productions, including one episode (The Last Visitor) of Hammer Films' first TV series "Journey to the Unknown" in 1968. In the eighties Michael acted only occasionally and also managed a pub.- Roger Avon was born on 23 November 1914 in Jarrow, Tyne and Wear, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Au Pair Girls (1972), Daleks' Invasion Earth 2150 A.D. (1966) and Doctor Who (1963). He was married to Rhoda Oatway. He died on 21 December 1998 in London, England, UK.
- After leaving the RAF he trained for the theatre with Esme Church of the Northern Theatre School between 1951 -52, He became an expert swordsman to such an extent that he arranges fights for stage, film and television and is a founder member of the British Fight Arrangers, He was the first actor to be given a special citation as a performer by American TV Radio Commercials Festival (1969) He first played Alf Roberts in Coronation Street in 1961. Married to Norma he had 3 sons and 3 daughters Jonathan ,Bernard and Leonard and Jacqueline, Simone and Helen,
- Donald Morley was born on 9 June 1923 in Fulham, London, England, UK. He was an actor, known for The Railway Children (1957), Westway (1976) and The Crime of the Century (1956). He was married to Marianne Morley and Enid Irvin. He died on 27 May 1999 in Richmond, Surrey, England, UK.
- Cavan Kendall was born on 22 May 1942 in Edinburgh, Scotland, UK. He was an actor, known for Sexy Beast (2000), St. Ives (1967) and Jo's Boys (1959). He died on 29 October 1999 in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England, UK.
- Derek Sydney was awarded an Alexander Korda Scholarship to the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts. He went on to perform in hundreds of theater, film and video dramas. He retired in 1990 from the British Actors Equity. Mr. Sydney was a part-time resident of San Marcos and part-time resident of London. He was recently nominated as "Volunteer of the Year" by the Actors Alliance of San Diego and honored at the ATAR Awards 2000 by the San Diego Performing Arts League.
- Actor
- Soundtrack
John Lee was born on 31 March 1928 in Launceston, Tasmania, Australia. He was an actor, known for Return to Eden (1983), Warship (1973) and Doctor Who (1963). He died on 21 December 2000 in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.- Lorne Cossette was born on 21 July 1925 in Assiniboia, Saskatchewan, Canada. He was an actor, known for Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future (1987), The Twilight Zone (1985) and Doctor Who (1963). He died on 7 January 2001 in Toronto, Canada.
- Inigo Jackson was born on 19 July 1933 in Kidderminster, Worcestershire, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Ivanhoe (1970), Doctor Who (1963) and Department S (1969). He died on 25 August 2001 in Tipton, West Midlands, England, UK.
- Claire Davenport was born on 24 April 1933 in Sale, Cheshire, England, UK. She was an actress, known for The Elephant Man (1980), Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983) and The Return of the Pink Panther (1975). She died on 25 February 2002 in London, England, UK.
- Actress
- Soundtrack
Carmen Silvera was a British comic actress of Spanish descent, primarily known for television roles. Her most memorable role was playing Edith Artois in the hit sitcom "'Allo 'Allo!" (1982-1992), which depicted multiple ongoing conspiracies in German-occupied France during World War II.
Edith was the antagonistic wife of the series' main character, the opportunist café owner Rene Artois. Husband and wife were reluctant members of the French Resistance, while also collaborating with corrupt German officers and being involved in several other conspiratorial schemes. Ongoing plot-lines involving Edith included her suspicions that Rene was cheating on her (while she appeared unaware that he was having extramarital affairs with all of their waitresses, and that he had an unrequited love for resistance leader Michelle Dubois), her regular attempts to perform as a cabaret singer (despite having an awful singing voice), her romantic relationships with undertaker Monsieur Alfonse and the Italian Captain Alberto Bertorelli, and Edith being far more patriotic and idealistic than her husband.
In 1922, Silvera was born in Toronto, Ontario to British expatriate parents. Her father was Roland Silvera (1895-1986), a well-known bowls player, and a member of the Stoke Bowling Club, Coventry. In the 1970s, Roland served as a president of the Warwickshire County Bowls Association. During his term, the association won the English Bowling Association Middleton Cup for the first time in its history.
The Silvera family emigrated back to England in 1924. They settled in Warwickshire, a county in the West Midlands region of England. Carmen was evacuated to Montreal, Canada during World War II. She originally aspired to follow a dancing career, taking lessons from a ballet company that served as one of several rival successors to the famed "Ballets Russes" (1909-1929). She appeared with the ballet company on stage, but only for a small number of performances.
Following the end of World War II, Silvera returned to England and decided to follow an acting career. She was trained at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, and then started appearing repertory theatre. She had a brief marriage to theatrical actor John Cunliffe. In 1948, they were divorced after Silvera suffered a miscarriage. She never remarried, instead focusing o her career.
In the late 1950s, Silvera started appearing in television roles. Her first recurring role in a series was playing Camilla Hope in the soap opera "Compact" (1962-1965). The opera depicted the personal and professional lives of the employees of a magazine. It reportedly enjoyed high ratings throughout its run. Its demise was attributed to the dislike of its premise by BBC executives.
In 1966, Silvera played three different roles in the story arc "The Celestial Toymaker" of the hit science fiction series "Doctor Who" (1963-1989). One of her three roles was the Queen of Hearts in a set of living playing cards. The episodes were considered offbeat for featuring strong fantasy elements in a series that typically focused on science fiction and historical fiction. Silvera later returned to the series in the story arc "Invasion of the Dinosaurs", which featured dinosaurs transported to modern-age London. This story arc was noted for featuring villains who were well-intentioned extremists, firmly believing that the ends justify the means (in other words, that their crimes were justified by their righteous goal).
In 1970, Silvera had a guest star role in an episode of the World War II-themed sitcom "Dad's Army" (1968-1977), which featured the misadventures of the Home Guard. She portrayed Fiona Gray, a middle-aged woman who wants to join the war effort. Her character served as a new love interest for the main character, the aging Captain George Mainwaring. The episode was unusual in having a tragic theme, and emphasizing Mainwaring's loneliness. It was directed by David Croft, who would later cast Silvera in "'Allo 'Allo!".
Silvera made her film debut in the erotic film "Clinic Exclusive" (1971), at the age of 49. She played the role of Elsa Farson, an aging, lonely lesbian who is in love with Julie Mason (played by Georgina Ward), not caring that Mason is a ruthless businesswoman with a side career as a blackmailer. The film was scripted and produced by Hazel Adair, who had previously worked with Silvera in "Compact". Most of the film's actors were veterans from Adair's television productions.
Throughout the 1970s, Silvera had a few more film roles in British productions. Her last film role in this decade was playing Lady Bottomley in the sex comedy "Keep It Up Downstairs" (1976). The film's plot focused on the efforts of two aging aristocrats to find a rich wife for their son, despite the young man's disinterest in anything outside his career as an inventor.
Silvera found success late in life, when cast in the role of Edith Artois in the sitcom "'Allo 'Allo!" (1982-1992). Initially conceived as a parody of the wartime drama series "Secret Army" (1977-1979), it became a much more popular and long-running series than the one it parodied. Unusual for a sitcom, "'Allo 'Allo!" had overarching plot-lines, rather than featuring simple stand-alone stories. Nearly every character took part in conspiracies and had agendas of his/her own, but their schemes often clashed and backfired. Besides the ongoing scheming, the film placed emphasis on the characters' romantic and sexual lives, with a large amount of sexual innuendo in each episode. The series lasted for 9 seasons, and 85 episodes. Much of the main cast of series gained enduring popularity with the British public.
During the 1990s, Silvera enjoyed a revival of her theatrical career. She appeared in stage musicals, such as "That's Showbiz" (1997) by Jimmy Perry. Her last film role was a small part in the drama film "La Passione" (1996). The film was partly based on the childhood experiences of screenwriter Chris Rea as a son of immigrants in the United Kingdom.
Silvera was a heavy smoker for much of her life, and she was eventually diagnosed with lung cancer. She spend her last years as a resident of Denville Hall, a retirement home for professional actors and their spouses. In August 2002, Silvera died there due to cancer. She was 80-years-old. Her popularity endures primarily due to her appearances in classic sitcoms.- Katherine Schofield was born on 16 March 1939 in Yorkshire, England, UK. She was an actress, known for Lifeforce (1985), The Deep Concern (1979) and Doctor Who (1963). She died on 6 August 2002 in Glamorgan, Wales, UK.
- Frederick Rawlings was born on 19 August 1915 in Bristol, England, UK. He was an actor and writer, known for Journey to Murder (1971), Journey to the Unknown (1968) and The Escape of R.D.7 (1961). He was married to Mary Vallange. He died in 2003 in Worcester, Worcestershire, England, UK.
- Ann Tirard was born on 5 June 1917 in Marylebone, London, England, UK. She was an actress, known for The Witches (1990), Doctor Who (1963) and Moonlighting (1982). She was married to William Lyon Brown. She died on 12 August 2003 in Bromley, Kent, England, UK.
- Actor
- Director
- Soundtrack
Alan Tilvern was born on 5 November 1918 in London, England, UK. He was an actor and director, known for Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988), Love and Death (1975) and Firefox (1982). He was married to Diane Elliott. He died on 17 December 2003 in London, England, UK.- Sheila Dunn was born on 11 April 1940 in Wandsworth, Surrey, England, UK. She was an actress, known for Doctor Who (1963), R3 (1964) and The Fast Kill (1972). She was married to Douglas Camfield. She died on 3 March 2004 in Twickenham, Middlesex, England, UK.
- Stunts
- Actor
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Peter Diamond was one of the finest British stuntmen, with a career spanning over fifty years worth of television and film work. He originally trained as an actor at RADA and went on to become a stuntman, fight arranger and director. He is best known internationally for his work on the Star Wars films, as well as his contributions to Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), Superman II (1980), and Highlander (1992) and Highlander (1986). Peter also toured the UK giving demonstrations of his craft at theatres and events for schools.- Michael Sheard was born on 18 June 1938 in Aberdeen, Grampian, Scotland, UK. He was an actor, known for Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980), The Outsider (1983) and Mind Your Language (1977). He was married to Rosalind Allaway. He died on 31 August 2005 in Newport, Isle of Wight, England, UK.
- Actor
- Writer
- Additional Crew
Peter Hawkins was born on 3 April 1924 in London, England, UK. He was an actor and writer, known for The Big Spender (1965), Doctor Who (1963) and The Storyteller (1987). He was married to Rosemary Miller. He died on 8 July 2006 in London, England, UK.- Actor
- Soundtrack
John Alderson led a colorful life considering his origins in a mining village in the north of England. After spending all of two weeks as a miner, he lied about his age, joined the British Army and attained the rank of Major. Leaving for the US, he married a General's secretary and got into the movies, often playing villains. He played (uncredited) the Gum Chewer in Blazing Saddles (1974).- Tony Lambden was born on 10 December 1933 in Guildford, Surrey, England, UK. He was an actor, known for The Avengers (1961), Doctor Who (1963) and Reluctant Bandit (1965). He died on 21 September 2006 in London, England, UK.
- Robert Marsden was born on 22 August 1921 in West Hampstead, London, England, UK. He was an actor, known for The 2nd Best Secret Agent in the Whole Wide World (1965), Doctor Who (1963) and Treasure Island (1957). He died on 5 April 2007 in Elstree, England, UK.