Carry On.... Dying
Carry on Actors of Died. Main: Regular cast roles, Recurring actors in main roles & Notable recurring actors
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- Actress
Legendary Australian character actress of the British screen, Miss Cannon was without doubt one of the best scene stealing actresses.
Her pixie like looks and extraordinary facial expressions made her a true favourite of many a British movie.
Without her appearances in many a 'Carry On..' film in the 1960s, her career would have probably been forgotten today. Arguably her most famous performance was as the lonely but happy spinster in Carry on Cruising (1962). The bar scene with Dilys Laye where both their characters get hideously drunk, is as legendary as the movie itself.Died: 18 October 1972 (aged 66)
4/31 Films- In a career sadly cut short by his death at 52 Anthony Sagar shared a screen with many of the greats of British cinema - Alec Guinness, Michael Redgrave, Tom Courtenay, John Mills and Richard Burton to name a few. He also popped up in 7 of the Carry On series, a Norman Wisdom film, a Ronnie Corbett film and the big-screen Dad's Army.
He never rose particularly high up the bill in film but could play pretty much any character, in the Carry Ons he was variously a policeman, ambulanceman, cook and bus conductor. Perhaps his best film appearance was in Richard Burton cult classic Villain (1971) his nervous, bootlicking character has some lovely scenes with Burton's vicious Vic Dakin and Nigel Davenport's intelligent, wily Inspector Matthews.
Sagar started fairly late in film and television, at 36 he made his debut in Dixon of Dock Green as Det. Sgt. Brownrigg, a role he reprised 8 times in the popular police series, though he also played two other characters in it in later years. Police series were somewhat of a staple as he subsequently appeared in Z Cars, Special Branch and New Scotland Yard and his last appearance on film was in The Offence, Sidney Lumet's hard-boiled police drama.
If Sagar didn't quite elevate himself to the ranks of John Le Mesurier, Richard Wattis, Roland Culver or Lionel Jeffries he's still worth noting as a diverse and interesting actor.
Other notable appearances are in classic television series Dad's Army, The Avengers and in film The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner (1962).Died: 24 January 1973 (aged 52)
9/31 Films - Cyril Chamberlain was born on 8 March 1909 in Paddington, London, England, UK. He was an actor, known for A Night to Remember (1958), Boys in Brown (1949) and Hell Below Zero (1954). He was married to Lisa Lee, Stella Smallwood and Barbara Markham. He died on 30 April 1974 in Builth, Wales, UK.Died: 30 April 1974 (aged 65)
9/31 Films - Actor
- Soundtrack
The star of the Carry On series of films, Sid James originally came to prominence as sidekick to the ground breaking British comedy actor Tony Hancock, on both radio and then television. Born in Johannesburg, South Africa and named Solomon Joel Cohen, James arrived in England in 1946, second wife in tow, having served with the South African Army during World War 2. By now an aspiring actor, James claimed to have boxed in his youth, perhaps to explain his craggy features, but was certainly a well respected hairdresser in his native country. Known in the trade as "one take James", he became a very talented and professional actor, constantly in demand for small parts in British post-war cinema. In 1960 James debuted in the fourth of the Carry On films, taking the lead role in Carry on Constable (1960) and went on to appear in a further 18 Carry On films as well as various stage and television spin-offs. Reputed not to have got on with Carry On co-star Kenneth Williams, the two often played adversaries on-screen, notably in the historical parodies Carry on Up the Khyber (1968) and Carry on Don't Lose Your Head (1967). James however was respected and revered by almost everyone he worked with and contrary to popular myth, a true gentleman. An addiction to gambling played a large part in James' workaholic schedule and subsequent heart attack in 1967. He was soon back in action however, playing a hospital patient in Carry on Doctor (1967), able to spend most of the film in bed. He suffered a second and fatal heart attack on stage in Sunderland, England on April 26 1976, leaving behind 3 children and his third wife Valerie who had stuck by him despite his affair with Carry On co-star Barbara Windsor, saying, "He always came home to me".Died: 26 April 1976 (aged 62)
20/31 Films.- 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.Died: 17 January 1979 (aged 63)
17/31 Films - Actress
- Producer
- Soundtrack
Best known for playing Matron--as in "Ooh, Matron!"--in four films: Carry on Nurse (1959), Carry on Doctor (1967), Carry on Again Doctor (1969) and, of course Carry on Matron (1972). Key roles included: Grace Short in Carry on Teacher (1959), Sophie Bliss in Carry on Loving (1970) and Peggy Hawkins in Carry on Cabby (1963). She was married to John Le Mesurier (Sergeant Wilson in Dad's Army (1968)), but left him for another man. They divorced but remained friends. An unexpectedly attractive woman in her time, she played parts which depended upon and mocked her weight. Only in Carry on Cabby (1963) was she allowed to escape her dragon persona and play the romantic lead opposite Sidney James. She died prematurely at the age of 58 from a heart attack.Died: 6 October 1980 (aged 58)
15/31 Films- Lucy Griffiths was born on 24 April 1919 in Birley, Hertfordshire, England, UK. She was an actress, known for The Third Alibi (1961), Sherlock Holmes (1964) and Jack the Ripper (1959). She died on 29 September 1982 in London, England, UK.Died: 29 September 1982 (aged 63)
7/31 Films - Actor
- Writer
- Soundtrack
The acting bug bit Kenneth Williams when, as a student, his English teacher suggested he try out for a school play. He found that he enjoyed it tremendously, but when he raised the possibility at home of becoming an actor, his father forbade it. Williams was eventually sent to art school in London in 1941. In 1944 he was drafted into the army, and although posted to the Royal Engineers, he managed to land a job in the Combined Services Entertainment unit, where he got a chance to act in shows that were put on to entertain the troops, and even designed the posters that advertised the shows.
After his discharge from the army he began to work as a professional actor, and traveled the country in repertory companies. It was in a production of "Saint Joan", where he played the Dauphin, that a radio producer saw him and hired him to do voice characterizations on a popular radio comedy show, "Hancock's Half Hour". His penchant for wild, off-the-wall characters led to his being hired by the producers of the "Carry On" comedy series, where he performed in 26 entries in the long-running series. When the series ended, Williams returned to radio work, and also made the rounds of the TV talk shows in addition to writing several books, including his autobiography. Later in his life Williams developed a serious ulcer, and was given medication to combat the pain. On April 15th 1988, he was found dead in his bed; it was determined that in addition to his regular pain pills, he had apparently taken some sleeping pills the night before, and the combination of those and his regular medication proved fatal.Died: 15 April 1988 (aged 62)
26/31 Films- Actor
- Director
- Cinematographer
Coming from a theatrical family (although not related to the famous Edwardian actor Sir Charles Hawtrey, he did "borrow" his last name), Charles Hawtrey made his stage debut at age 11 after having spent several years in a prestigious acting school. A string of stage roles followed, and by 1929 his success led him to move into radio. His success in that medium led to his entry into films, often working alongside noted comedian Will Hay. He continued his stage, radio and film work, although he scored more success on stage.
In 1958 he began work in the series for which he would achieve his greatest fame, the "Carry On" comedies. His stringy build, birdlike features, what has been described as his "outrageously posh" voice and his somewhat fey character's eccentricities made him one of the most popular of the "Carry On" gang. However, that very popularity indirectly led to his exit from the series. He believed that his character's prominence, and the fact that he had more experience in the business than most of his co-stars, entitled him to receive a higher billing in the series than he was getting. The producers didn't see it that way, and after Carry on Abroad (1972), he departed the series. Hawtrey was, by most accounts, almost as eccentric in real life as his character in the "Carry On" series was; one of his characteristics was to speak in an unintelligible language of his own making, which was only understood by a few of his closest friends. After he left the series he semi-retired from the business, making an occasional appearance in a movie or TV show. He had suffered from arthritis for a long time, and by 1988 his doctors told him that the condition had become so serious that his legs would have to be amputated in order to save his life. He refused, and died almost a month later. He was 73.Died: 27 October 1988 (aged 73)
24/31 Films- Actor
- Writer
One of the most familiar faces in British comedy, Eric Barker got his start in show business during World War II, when he was part of the armed forces radio show "Merry Go Round". After the war the show continued, though renamed "The Waterlogged Spa", with Barker and his wife, Pearl Hackney. The show's success led to Barker's starring in other radio shows, where he achieved a rather sizable following due to his versatility at doing voices. By the mid-1950s Barker had made the move to films, and found his niche in playing variations on the busybody sticking his nose in everyone's business, or, in the case of the "Carry On" comedies, the gang's boss or some other authority figure who was usually on the receiving end of their shenanigans, most memorably in Carry on Constable (1960).Died: 1 June 1990 (aged 78)
4/31 Films- Actor
- Soundtrack
A RADA scholar who was spotted by Laurence Olivier, Bernard Bresslaw got professional security from the "Carry On" films but was typecast (as TV's The Army Game (1957) had done earlier). He was beginning to extend himself through stage work when, in 1993, just before a performance in "The Taming Of The Shrew" in Regent's Park, London, he had a heart attack and died at the age of 59.Died: 11 June 1993 (aged 59)
15/31 Films- Actor
- Soundtrack
The son of a naval officer who ran what were called "concert parties", Kenneth Connor made his stage debut at age two, and by 11 was performing in both a solo act and a doubles act with his brother in various revue shows. He later decided to become a serious actor rather than just a revue performer, and attended a professional music and drama school. After a six-year stint in the army, he returned to the theater as an actor, and secured quite a few roles on the stage. For all his training, though, he found his greatest success doing voice characterizations on radio comedy shows. His success there led to his being cast in the first "Carry On" film, and he went on to become one of the regulars in the long-running series. After it ended Connor did a lot of television work, and achieved another round of success as the undertaker Alphonse in the popular TV series, 'Allo 'Allo! (1982). He died of cancer in 1993.Died: 28 November 1993 (aged 75)
18/31 Films- Actor
- Writer
- Soundtrack
A brilliant comic actor Terry Scott was one of the most familiar faces on British television in the 1960s and 70s. At the height of his popularity his classic comedy series, Terry and June, (in which he co-starred with June Whitfield) was watched by 15 million viewers weekly.
Born Owen John Scott in Watford he began his theatrical career in his teens at the Watford Amateur Dramatic Society playing small comic roles. During the Second World War he served in the Royal Navy and in 1945 he used his demobilisation gratuity to enter show-business as a manager of seaside shows around Britain.
In 1949 he was contracted by the BBC to appear on a radio show with comic Bob Monkhouse which was not successful. Later he teamed up with another comic Bill Maynard which led to the popular TV series Great Scott, It's Maynard.
On stage in the late 50s he worked in farces with comedians such as Brian Rix before going on to star in another popular TV comedy Hugh and I (with Hugh Lloyd) which regularly topped the ratings during the 60s. In 1969 he joined up with comic actress June Whitfield in the series Happy Ever After which later evolved into Terry and June and ran for a record breaking 14 years. In 1978 the Scott and Whitfield were named by the Variety Club of Great Britain as Join Personalities of the Year.
On the London stage he starred he proved hugely popular in shows such as A Bed Full of Foreigners, The Mating Game and Run For Your Wife which he also toured in the Middle East. He was also one of Britain's most famous pantomime 'dames'.
Scott was dogged by ill-health for many years and in 1979 his life was saved by a four hour brain operation after a haemorrage. By 1985 he was suffering from creeping paralysis and often had to wear a neck brace on stage and TV. When his TV series Terry and June was axed in 1988 he suffered a nervous breakdown partly brought on by his public confession that he had indulged in a series of affairs during his marriage to former dancer Margaret Peden (whom he wed in 1957) and that he was suffering from cancer.Died: 26 July 1994 (aged 67)
9/31 Films- Joan Hickson was born in 1906 at Kingsthorpe, Northampton. Her stage career began with provincial theater in 1927, going on to a long series of West End comedies, usually playing the part of a confused or eccentric middle-age woman. She performed at the Regent's Park Open Air Theatre, at the time London was subject to World War II bombing. Her work gradually included screen roles: The Outsider (1948), The Promoter (1952), The 39 Steps (1959) - over 80 movies in all - but her stage career continued, with parts in three Peter Nichols plays, Noël Coward's "Blithe Spirit" (1976) and and a Tony award supporting actress performance in Alan Ayckbourn's "Bedroom Farce" (1977). Her first Agatha Christie role was "Miss Pryce" in the play, "Appointment With Death" (1946), which prompted Christie, herself, to write "I hope you will play my dear Miss Marple". She began playing this, her best known part, in her late 70s, in a BBC television series which ran from 1984 to 1992. A Miss Marple fan, Queen Elizabeth II, awarded her the Order of the British Empire in 1987. After the series closed, Joan recorded audio books of the Christie mysteries. She died, aged 92, in a hospital at Colchester, Essex, survived by a son and daughter (her physician husband Eric Butler died in 1967).Died: 17 October 1998 (aged 92)
5/31 Films - Michael Nightingale was born on 6 October 1922 in Brighton, Sussex, England, UK. He was an actor, known for The Return of the Pink Panther (1975), The Avengers (1961) and Carry on Dick (1974). He was married to Violet J Coleman. He died on 8 May 1999 in London, England, UK.Died: 8 May 1999 (aged 76)
13/31 Films - Actor
- Writer
- Music Department
This English actor was born of humble, working class beginnings and became well-known for playing the same kind of blokes on both film and TV. Born William Rowbotham, he was the son of a tram driver and laundress. He knew early on that entertaining was the life for him. He worked in odd jobs as a printer's apprentice and band vocalist to make do and, when he became of legal age, started playing drums in London nightclubs and toured music halls with his own cabaret act to pay for acting classes. He entertained at Butlin's holiday camps and performed in repertory, joining the Unity Theatre where he attained respect as a stage producer. His career was interrupted by military service with the Royal Army Ordinance Corps and was injured in an explosion during battle training course.
Returning to acting, he was taken to post-war films after notice in a play. He started making a blue-collar character name for himself in such films as Johnny in the Clouds (1945), Secret Flight (1946), When the Bough Breaks (1947), Maniacs on Wheels (1949), The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men (1952), The Square Ring (1953) and PT Raiders (1955). He continued to perform in the theatre limelight and peaked in roles with Katharine Hepburn in "As You Like It" in 1950, and with "The Threepenny Opera" and "The Mikado", which made sturdy use of his musical talents. A writer at heart, he penned songs, musicals and plays over the years. Partnered with Mike Sammes, he wrote songs recorded by Pat Boone, Harry Secombe, Engelbert Humperdinck, and Sir Cliff Richard, who made a hit of his 1980 song "Marianne". In the 60s, he produced the stage musical, "The Matchgirl", and focused heavily on film slapstick with the "Carry On" series, adding also to the lowbrow fun found in the comedy On the Fiddle (1961). TV stardom and a sense of renewed career came late after landing the role of "Compo" in the BBC's Last of the Summer Wine (1973) series in 1973, his scruffy, mischievous charm endearing audiences for decades.
Bill was awarded the MBE in 1976 for his steadfast work for the National Association of Boys Clubs and for his role as chairman of the Performing Arts Advising Panel. He was also awarded an honorary degree by Bradford University in 1998. For the rest of his life, Bill would be identified with the lovable scamp "Compo", complete with woolly hat and threadbare jacket.
Most fittingly, when he died of pancreatic cancer in 1999, he asked to be buried in the Yorkshire village of Holmfirth, where the TV series was filmed and the townspeople had taken him close to their hearts. Married twice, his actor/son Tom Owen joined the "Last of the Summer Wine" series in 2000.Died: 12 July 1999 (aged 85)
4/31 Films- Actress
- Soundtrack
Joan Sims, the "First Lady of Carry On", was born Irene Joan Marion Sims on 9 May 1930. The daughter of an Essex railway station master, Joan was interested in pursuing show-business, and soon became a familiar face in a growing number of amateur productions. In 1946, Joan first applied to RADA, her audition was unsuccessful. She did succeed in being admitted to the academy's preparatory school, and finally, on her fourth attempt, trained at RADA. She graduated in 1950 at the age of nineteen.
A cameo appearance in Doctor in the House (1954) as the sexually repressed Nurse Rigor Mortis led to Joan being first spotted by Peter Rogers; Rogers' wife Betty E. Box was the producer of the Doctor series, in which Joan herself became a regular.
A few years later, in 1958, Joan received another script from Peter Rogers, it was Carry on Nurse (1959). The film had been a huge success at the box office and in the autumn of that year Rogers and Gerald Thomas began planning a follow up. She went on to appear in 24 of the films, making her the longest serving female member of the team.
She first starred in the following three Carry On films: Carry on Teacher (1959), Carry on Constable (1960) and Carry on Regardless (1961), before taking a break from the next four films to concentrate on stage work. She rejoined the team with Carry on Cleo (1964) and remained all the way through to Carry on Emmannuelle (1978) in 1978.
Ironically, she was never proclaimed Queen of Carry On. This title went to saucy Barbara Windsor, even though she had only appeared in nine Carry On films.
One could argue that her final performances in the Carry On films were rather sentimental, as though she knew that the series was coming to an end and two scenes come to mind. The scene in which she plays cards with Peter Butterworth in Carry on Behind (1975) in his caravan late at night, and also in the launderette where she dances with an early Carry Oner Victor Maddern in Carry on Emmannuelle (1978). Both of these are memorable sentimental film scene stealers.
With the end of the Carry On series in 1978, Joan went on to become a familiar face on TV screens, with ongoing roles in a number of highly successful sitcoms On the Up (1990) and As Time Goes By (1992) and the BBC's prestigious classic drama adaptations such as Martin Chuzzlewit (1994).
Joan's autobiography, High Spirits, was released in 2000. She complains in the last few pages of her book at the lack of information on her on the IMDB trivia page, something that was only significantly expanded after her death.
In her later years she became a cult figure and something of a British National Institution as the only surviving major Carry On star from early days. However, years of heavy drinking took their toll and she suffered in her later years with ill health. She was admitted to Hospital in Chelsea in London in mid 2001 and slipped into a coma. She died on 28 June 2001, with her lifelong friend and Carry On Norah Holland holding her hand.
Following her death, surviving Carry On stars celebrated her achievement in the Carry On films. Barbara Windsor, said at the time of her death, "To me she was the last of the great Carry Ons, she was there at the beginning. Her talent was wonderful, she could do any accent, dialect, she could dance, sing, play dowdy and glam. We laughed all the time and giggled a lot. I will sorely miss her." That quote is so true, throughout her whole Carry On career she alone stands apart as the most versatile actress in the whole series. She was never typecast in the films like the other actors and actresses.
Others also paid tribute, even ex-Government Cabinet Ministers. Her agent Richard Hatton said, "It's wonderful to be able to say that she really did have all the qualities that her many fans would have wished. A great sense of humour, a sympathetic and endearing personality, terrific talent and consideration for others.
"Over and above this, she discovered a new side of herself when she wrote her autobiography last year, which was untypical for the genre - honest, frank and intelligent. Everyone who knew her is going to remember her forever."Died: 27 June 2001 (aged 71)
25/31 Films- Actress
- Soundtrack
Patricia Amy Rowlands was born in Palmer's Green, north London on 19 January 1931 to Albert and Amy. She was educated at the Covent of the Sacred Heart in Whetstone. Her parents encouraged her to have elocution lessons to improve her employment prospects.
It was her elocution tutor who recognized her acting potential and encouraged her to apply to the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. She won a scholarship there at the age of fifteen, coming top in the whole of England.
Patricia's first professional appearance was in the chorus for the touring version of 'Annie Get Your Gun' in 1950, featuring Lionel Blair. Venues included the King's Theatre, Portsmouth in August and the Theatre Royal, Dublin in November.
Now known as Patsy, she made her West End debut in 1958 as Doris Hare's granddaughter in 'Valmouth', Sandy Wilson's musical about a spa town where the aged residents enjoy a prolonged sex life. As Thetis Tooke, the country lass pining for her absent sailor boy, she gave a subtly mischievous performance.
Her persuasive soprano (preserved on the original cast album) indicates that she could have had a flourishing career in musicals, and few who saw the show's first incarnation will forget her underplayed, hilarious performance of her riverside song solo, 'I Loved a Man'. Director Vida Hope had given her some wickedly sly business with a twitching fish, the number ending with Patsy on her back with the fish between her toes, which had most of the audience convulsed, though probably not the critic who asked in his column "has the censor quit?"
Sandy Wilson, who remembers Patsy as "unique, sweet, funny and ridiculous" in the role, recalls that when Princess Margaret attended a performance at the Saville, one newspaper next day complained that she should not have been exposed to such a disgusting number. "It caused the censor to take another look at the show and he decided that she could still sing to the fish, but it had to be dead and not move!"
Patsy went on to combine serious drama with her work at the Players' Theatre in London, where traditional music hall shows had nurtured the careers of so many comic actors. It was at the Players' Theatre that she first worked with Hattie Jacques and also met composer Malcolm Sircom. Patsy married Malcolm in 1962.
As part of the theatre's New Wave of the early Sixties, Patsy appeared as Sylvia Groomkirby (her favorite role) in N.F. Simpson's surreal comedy, One Way Pendulum (1961), and as Avril Hadfield in David Turner's 'Semi- Detached' (1962), directed by Tony Richardson and starring Sir Laurence Olivier. Richardson, a particular champion of Patsy's versatile talents, gave her one of her first important screen roles, as a nubile young miss in his masterly, Oscar-winning version of Tom Jones (1963), scripted by Harold Pinter.
She had made her screen debut in On the Fiddle (1961), alongside Sean Connery, and followed it with an effective performance as the heroine's tenacious girl-friend in John Schlesinger's biting drama A Kind of Loving (1962), starring Alan Bates. The following year, she appeared in the Norman Wisdom film A Stitch in Time (1963) whilst pregnant with her son, Alan Sircom. Patsy and Malcolm were divorced just eighteen months after their son's birth.
Although she regarded herself primarily as a stage performer, when her wacky technique could be in full flower, Patsy was also a familiar face on television. Early television appearances included Tuppence in the Gods (1960) and The Actor (1961) with later credits including Love All (1969), a deliciously witty performance in the television play An Extra Bunch of Daffodils (1969) and starring as Roy Kinnear's wife in the sitcom Inside George Webley (1968). Her television work never dried up.
Directors soon got to know that she was so individual that she had to be cast selectively, but when she was right for a part she was very right, and her range stretched more broadly than some expected. She was part of the theaters "New Wave" of talent that invigorated both stage and screen in the Sixties. Despite prestigious credits and enormous respect within the profession, it is probably true to say that her talents were under-appreciated until she became part of the "Carry On" team.
Between 1969 and 1975 Patsy appeared in nine of the "Carry On" films, usually as the dowdy, put-upon wife - wives do not come much more put-upon than her queen who gets her head chopped off in Carry on Henry VIII (1971) to make way for the King's (Sidney James) latest wife. Or she would be the timid housekeeper or employee quietly lusting after a gloriously insensitive Kenneth Williams, just waiting for the right moment to throw off her drab cocoon and emerge in her true plumage, for example in Carry on Loving (1970). Patsy later confided that she found Kenneth Williams intimidating and it took quite some time for him to accepted her as one of the gang.
She tested the merchandise at Boggs Sanitary Ware in Carry on at Your Convenience (1971), complaining: "I've given my whole life to Boggs," and she was the worm that finally turns in Carry on Girls (1973), as the wife of the boring, self-important mayor (Kenneth Connor). She sabotages his beauty contest by burning her bra and joining Women's Lib. She was proud of the series, stating: "They had good, honest humor, sometimes naughty but never too rude - entertainment for all the family." Her last film in the series was Carry on Behind (1975).
The role of Betty, Sidney James's feckless neighbor in the sitcom Bless This House (1971), consolidated her success as a major comic screen actress. The series ran for six years and Patsy played the long-suffering neighbor with immense gusto. She and her co-stars, Sidney James and Diana Coupland, brought rude energy to the series. Despite the critics thinking it trite, the show won awards, the public loved it and it spawned a film version in 1972. Bless This House (1971) was followed by another hit sitcom The Squirrels (1974), set in the offices of a television rental company.
Serious films included Tony Richardson's Joseph Andrews (1977) and Roman Polanski's Tess (1979), and on stage she was directed by Lindsay Anderson in 'The Seagull' (1975) and as the archetypal housewife in 'Shut Your Eyes And Think Of England' (1977) alongside Donald Sinden. Other plays included Ronald Eyre's acclaimed production of J.B. Priestley's When We Are Married (1987) alongside Timothy West, Prunella Scales and Patricia Routledge. Anderson also directed her in 'The March On Russia' (1989) at the National Theatre, where she appeared in 'The Pied Piper' (1987) as a very idiosyncratic Lady Mayoress, and in 'The Wind In The Willows' (1990).
Her musicals included the West End premiere of Stephen Sondheim's 'Into The Woods', at the Phoenix Theatre (1990), 'Me And My Girl' (1993), Sam Mendes' long-running revival of 'Oliver!' (1994) at the London Palladium and a delightful performance as Mrs. Pearce in Cameron Mackintosh's revival of 'My Fair Lady' (2001) at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. She took Eliza Doolittle off to the bath and danced through 'I Think She's Got It' for a year and then was asked to return to the role when the show was recast for its third year.
By the eighties, she was well-established in television sitcom. She starred in Nigel Kneale's cult sci-fi comedy Kinvig (1981) and teamed up with Thora Hird in Hallelujah! (1983). They played an aunt and niece in the Salvation Army. Patsy also appeared alongside Thora in two episodes of the sitcom In Loving Memory (1969). In the nineties, she appeared as Mrs. Clapham in Get Well Soon (1997), set in a National Health Service hospital during the post-war period.
In sitcoms, Patsy was an ideal sparring partner, never hogging the limelight and generous to colleagues. Such stars as Les Dawson, Dick Emery and, in particular, Billy Connolly in Supergran and the Course of True Love (1985). All asked for her to play with them in important sketches. Les Dawson telephoned Patsy when she was in hospital after breaking her ankle on stage, in May 1993, asking her to be in a new show playing his wife. Tragically, he died of a heart attack just a couple of weeks later.
In addition to sitcoms, Patsy appeared children's shows, such as Rainbow (1972), and numerous television dramas. Her plump, rustic features were put to effective use in classic serials such as Vanity Fair (1998) and The Cazalets (2001), which narrated the problems of a wealthy family just before the Second World War. She played Miss Millament with relish.
Patsy completed three audio commentaries for the launch of the Carlton-distributed later "Carry On" DVDs in 2003, appearing alongside Jacki Piper, Valerie Leon, June Whitfield, Jack Douglas and Larry Dann. From the second half of the nineties onward, she had also appeared in numerous television documentaries about her late "Carry On" co-stars Kenneth Williams, Hattie Jacques and Sidney James as well as Norman Wisdom.
Breast cancer was diagnosed while she was appearing as Mrs. Pearce in 'My Fair Lady' at Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. But she carried on without telling any of her fellow actors. It was typical of the droll and hard-working actor that she still tried to convince her friends that she was about to "go back to the gym" and would soon be ready for work. She did it to spare their feelings.
While ill, she had continued to work until she abandoned plans to become a teacher of acting and publicly retired soon after 'My Fair Lady' closed on 30 August 2003. The following year, she moved to Martlets Hospice, Hove, East Sussex - just over a mile from her flat - where she spent her final days.
Her son, Alan Sircom, announced: "I think you should all know that my mother, Patsy Rowlands, passed away at 6:20 am, Saturday 22 January 2005. She was never very good with mornings. She died peacefully in her sleep." She died at Martlets Hospice at the age of 74 and three days (although newspapers mistakenly reported her age as 71).
Agent Simon Beresford said: "She was just an absolutely favorite client. She never complained about anything, particularly when she was ill, she was an old trouper. She was of the old school - she had skills from musical theatre and high drama, that is why she worked with the great and the good of directors. She didn't mind always being recognized for the "Carry On" films because she thoroughly enjoyed making them. She was a really lovely person and she will be much missed."
'My Fair Lady' director, Eleanor Fazan, remembered her with affection: "Patsy was always very unselfish and a delight to work with: full of energy and keen to try anything new. She was a joy."
One obituary summarized Patsy as "a character actress of much style and blessed with superb timing and charismatic charm. She was a refined comedienne who could switch from the bawdy to the subtle. Rowlands did put-upon characters wonderfully, but never overdid the comedy: it was always kept within the bounds of the role. She was expert at delivering a tag line."
Another obituary revealed she was an admirer of Claude Monet and an accomplished watercolor and pastel artist. She once had her work appear the Royal Academy summer show.
Following her private, family funeral, a public memorial service was held at midday on Friday 29 April 2005 at St Paul's Church, Covent Garden, known more commonly as The Actors' Church. Attendees to the public service included Anna Wing, Carol Cleveland and Simon Beresford. Donations were collected for the Martlets Hospice charity, who cared for Patsy in her last days, with £350 raised.Died: 22 January 2005 (aged 74)
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Coming from a theatrical family, Jack Douglas' entry into show business was as a producer, however, not as a performer. His father was a theatrical producer, and Jack followed in his footsteps at an early age--he produced his first show at 15. Douglas showed no interest in the performing end of the business until one night when one of his actors took ill and, there being no replacement, Douglas put on the character's costume and did it himself. He enjoyed it so much that he soon gave up producing comedies and began performing in them. It wasn't long before he became one of the more recognizable character actors in British films, especially in the "Carry On" series, where he played a variation on his most famous character, a nervous, terrified and perpetually fidgety little man.Died: 18 December 2008 (aged 81)
8/31 Films- Actress
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A raven-haired, sometimes blonde (particularly in the earlier years) pretty actress, Dilys Laye was capable of a wide range of roles, from straight drama to comedy. She began in the 1950s, like most other British screen actresses of the era, in studio-system-style films. One of her first films was Paper Gallows (1950) and she continued in popular movies like Blue Murder at St. Trinian's (1957) and Doctor at Large (1957).
Today she is often remembered for her appearances in the "Carry On.." films. Her first "Carry On..." appearance was in Carry on Cruising (1962), where along with Esma Cannon she stole many of the best comedy scenes from the regular cast; the bar scene is an example of this. She took over the role at four days' notice when Joan Sims was unable to appear because of ill health. Her next 'Carry On...' appearance saw her take on a sinister and darker role in Carry on Spying (1964) as Lila. She even sang, in a café-bar scene. In Carry on Doctor (1967) she played patient Mavis Winkle, who is searching for love and finds it in the unusual place of the hospital ward, and in Carry on Camping (1969) she appeared alongside "Carry On..." legend Joan Sims. They were perfectly cast together and complement each other's performances throughout the movie.
After that time her work was mainly on the stage with some television and film appearances. She made appearances in soaps such as Coronation Street (1960) and EastEnders (1985). Other character parts included Holby City (1999) and Doctors (2000).
She played Queen Elizabeth II in The Amazing Mrs Pritchard (2006).Died: 13 February 2009 (aged 74)
4/31 Films- Actress
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She was one British character player who seemed to show up everywhere on post-war film, stage and TV, although, more times than not, could barely be glimpsed. A most efficient actress, Marianne Stone's career spanned four decades and was primarily enjoyed in bawdy, ribald comedy playing lowbrow or working-class ladies about town (waitresses, barmaids, clerks, shrews, landladies, secretaries, receptionists, etc.)
Born in King's Cross, London, on August 23, 1922, the dark-haired Marianne was raised by her grandparents who were furniture owners. Her grandmother also ran her own music school and Marianne benefited from that. Winning a music scholarship to the Camden School for Girls, she instead studied at the Royal College of Music, then earned an acting scholarship to the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in 1940. Following her graduation she initially made ends meet by working as secretary types in offices, and also found work as an assistant manager for various stock companies. She made her on-stage West End debut in 1945 with a role in "The King Maker" at age 23. A high point for her, as for her stage work, was winning the Gertrude Lawrence Award for "Character Acting".
Marianne moved quickly into films following WWII with minuscule roles in such films as Brighton Rock (1948) and Escape Dangerous (1947). During the latter film's shoot, she met her future husband, actor/producer, Peter Noble, who went on to become a noted London show business columnist, theatre critic and film historian. They married in 1947 and had two daughters Katina Noble and Kara Noble . Of the hundreds of films she appeared in, some "A" but primarily "B" pictures, Marianne was given the chance to shine in only a few.
Producing/directing brothers Roy Boulting and/or John Boulting utilized her presence in several of their films, albeit minor, including Seven Days to Noon (1950), High Treason (1951), Brothers in Law (1957), I'm All Right Jack (1959), Man in a Cocked Hat (1959) and Heavens Above! (1963). Marianne also became a steadfast player (nine total) in the highly popular "Carry On..." slapstick movie series beginning with Carry on Nurse (1959) and finishing a decade and a half later with Carry on Behind (1975). Her most engaging cameo in the series came with her old hag role in Carry on Dick (1974). In what would have been her tenth film in the series, she was deleted from the final print of Carry on Matron (1972).
While Marianne enjoyed a more visible part in Passport to Treason (1956), her most sharply-defined roles on celluloid was arguably that of co-writer Vivian Darkbloom in Lolita (1962) starring James Mason, Shelley Winters, Peter Sellers and nubile Sue Lyon in the title role. Supposedly it was Winters (who wound up staying with Stone during the film's shooting) who helped Marianne get the part. Ironically, one of Stone's last film, Déjà Vu (1985) also happened to feature Winters. A few of the character lady's bawdier 70s film work included Au Pair Girls (1972), the similarly-styled "Carry On" film Bless This House (1972), The Love Ban (1973), Mistress Pamela (1973), The Cherry Picker (1974) and Confessions of a Window Cleaner (1974).
On TV Marianne was seen in such colorful productions as Eccentricities of a Nightingale (1976), Little Lord Fauntleroy (1976) and the mini-series A Man Called Intrepid (1979). Marianne's husband Peter predeceased her (1997) and she herself died on December 21, 2009, at the age of 87. Survived by her children, one of her daughters, Kara Noble appeared with her mother in the film Funny Money (1983).Died: 21 December 2009 (aged 87)
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Terence Longdon appeared in four early black and white Carry Ons. His main roles were in the first two films in the series. In 1958, he had a significant supporting turn as Miles Heywood, an upper crust chap who although doing National Service and coming from a military background, did not want to make his career the army. This came as a great disappointment to Eric Barker! Terence then graduated to the role of romantic lead in Carry On Nurse, mainly due to the absence of Bob Monkhouse from this film. In Nurse, Terence played journalist Ted York, holed up in the men's ward at Haven Hospital. Originally he was set the task of writing about what the NHS was really like, however that is soon forgotten when he falls for the charms of Shirley Eaton's Nurse Dorothy Denton.
Longdon missed Carry On Teacher, the next film in the series, but returned to Pinewood for a cameo role as a dodgy confidence trickster who nearly cons Police Constable Kenneth Williams out of his Post Office savings in Carry On Constable. This one scene is a marked change for Terence and this role together with his part in the next film jar slightly. It feels like he is simply being included as a familiar face while being given little to do. In Carry On Regardless, Terence is limited to just a few scenes as one of Sid James' Helping Hands. He barely gets a look in as Kenneths Williams and Connor get the majority of the screen time.
And that was it for Terence and the Carry Ons. Terence recorded audio commentaries for two of his Carry Ons in 2006 and according to him, he was asked to become a series regular after Regardless but turned it down as he wanted to do other things. That would explain why he did not appear in any other series entries. So what else did Terence Longdon get up to in his career?
Terence made his first screen appearance in 1951, playing the role of Metellus in a television play entitled Androcles and the Lion. This was followed by several other roles in the 1950s and early 1960s. He appeared in the following films: Simon and Laura (starring Kay Kendall); Helen Of Troy (with Nora Swinburne and Stanley Baker); Jumping For Joy (with Frankie Howerd); Doctor At Large (with Dirk Bogarde); Another Time, Another Place (with Sean Connery, Lana Turner and a certain Sidney James); What A Wopper (again with Sid James) and perhaps most famously in Ben Hur, playing Drusus.
On television, Terence starred in a children's series called Garry Halliday between 1959 and 1962, playing a Biggles type character who was always off on thrilling missions. He also took roles in such series as The Army Game, Danger Man, Ivanhoe and Emergency Ward 10.
Later in the 1960s, Terence Longdon returned to the theatre and played in several long theatrical runs, both in the West End and further afield. He even spent six months on a tour of the United States with the Old Vic. This meant screen roles became few and far between, although he did appear in an episode of The New Avengers in 1977 alongside Joanna Lumley, Martin Shaw and Lewis Collins. He also popped in films such as The Wild Geese and The Sea Wolves, both in the late 1970s.
On stage, Terence worked in the West End with the likes of Peter Cushing, Stanley Baker, John Gielgud and he even understudied the great Paul Schofield. In the early 1950s he spent three years at Stratford, playing roles that included Cassio in Othello, Prince Hal in Henry IV, Part 1 and Oliver in As You Like It. He later completed over 1000 performances in the West End in the comedy The Secretary Bird.
In 1982 he turned up in the cobbled streets of Weatherfield, playing Wilf Stockwell, a client at Mike Baldwin's denim factory. This brought Wilf into contact with the legendary Elsie Tanner and the pair became rather friendly, much to the dismay of Wilf's wife Dot, played by Barbara Young. Terence then made only rare appearances on the small screen, most notably alongside Victoria Wood in her As Seen On TV series in the late 1980s and also in an episode of The Return of Sherlock Holmes. Terence Longdon more or less retired from acting in 2003.
Terence was born Hubert Tuelly Longdon in Newark-On-Trent, Nottinghamshire, in May 1922. He originally planned to sit exams to enter the Civil Service, however the Second World War broke out and he joined the Fleet Air Arm. It was while in the Air Force that he first became involved in amateur dramatics and encouraged by this experience, he enrolled at RADA after the war ended. Stage work at the Lyceum in Sheffield soon followed.
Terence Longdon married the actress Barbara Jefford in 1953. This union ended in divorce in 1960. He much later married again, this time to Gillian Conyers, in 2004. They were married until his death from cancer in April 2011 at the age of 88.Died: 23 April 2011 (aged 88)
4/31 Films- German-born Peter Gilmore came to the UK at the age of six, to be raised by relatives. He quit school at age 14, and pursuing his dream of becoming an actor, attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts for a short time, before being expelled. A stint in the army led to the discovery that he had a talent for singing, and after his discharge from the army he joined a singing group, The George Mitchell Singers. He also appeared in a number of stage plays, but they didn't lead to the success he was looking for.
He soon gave up singing and concentrated on his acting career, and began achieving a degree of success in Europe and the U.S. in TV commercials. As a result of these, he started to receive roles in comedies, notably the "Carry On" series. In the early 1970s he finally achieved a great degree of success as star of the long-running British serial, The Onedin Line (1971).Died: 3 February 2013 (aged 81)
11/31 Films. - Actor
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Actor and comedian fondly remembered as the curmudgeonly reprobate Claude Jeremiah Greengrass in the long-running nostalgic police drama Heartbeat (1992). Greengrass had been written as a minor background character, but -- given a fair amount of latitude for interpreting his part -- Maynard was able to infuse the old rascal with outsize personality and humour which resulted into his becoming a popular mainstay. The son of a gardener and a laundry worker, Maynard (born Walter Frederick George Williams, he later adopted his nom de plume from Charles Gordon Maynard, creator of 'Maynard's Wine Gums') came from relatively humble beginnings. Displaying an early aptitude for music, he learned to sing and dance, play ukulele, mandolin and guitar.
By the age of nine he began performing in local clubs and music halls. From there, he progressed to repertory theatre, touring army camps with Jon Pertwee, making a few recordings for Decca and EMI, even managing a gig as a stand-up comic -- in between a strip show -- at The Windmill in London. In the 50s Maynard emerged as a proper TV star (sharing top billing with Terry Scott) in Great Scott, It's Maynard (1955). Having suddenly become a household name, he was now earning £ 1000 a week. Ironically, his ambition of becoming 'a serious actor' backfired and a return to repertory led to much reduced circumstances and a hiatus in his career. Though he eventually appeared in more than 30 films, he regarded none of them as particularly worthwhile and declared in a 2013 interview: "I enjoyed doing them. It was a laugh, but they weren't great. They damaged my reputation".
In the mid-70s, having very wisely returned to his forte with consecutive hits in TV sitcoms: as a roving-eyed widower in The Life of Riley (1975), as the hapless, klutzy protagonist of Oh No, It's Selwyn Froggitt (1974), and as grouchy, relentlessly misanthropic Fred Moffatt, forever evading and outwitting his creditors in The Gaffer (1981). In between, he also had diverse guest roles, including in, among others, Worzel Gummidge (1979), Minder (1979) and Dalziel and Pascoe (1996). Between 2003 and 2008, he also hosted his own -- sometimes controversial -- radio chat show on BBC Leicester, Maynard's Bill of Fare.
Having suffered a stroke in 2000 and forced to leave Heartbeat after season ten, Maynard eventually resurfaced in occasional guest appearances for the 2003 spin-off, The Royal (2003). Subsequently confined to wheelchairs and mobility scooters he latterly gave lectures at universities on humour and acting.
Bill Maynard passed away in a Leicestershire hospital on 30 March 2018 at the age of 89.Died: 30 March 2018 (aged 89)
6/31 Films- Actress
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Best known for playing the perpetually-ditzy blonde bimbo in several installments of the "Carry On" franchise, buxom Liz Fraser (born Elizabeth Joan Winch above a corner shop in south London) studied at RADA on a scholarship and first acted in repertory theatre and television before breaking into films. Her first role of note was Cynthia, the daughter of radical left-wing shop steward Fred Kite in The Boulting Brothers comedy I'm All Right Jack (1959) (the film which made Peter Sellers a star). In a second outing with Sellers, (Two Way Stretch (1960), she played his girlfriend Ethel; up next were eight guest appearances on Hancock's Half Hour (1956). By that time, her screen personae were firmly established as scatterbrained blondes or feisty gum-chewing working-class Cockneys. Though she often managed to rise above her material, the typecasting sadly continued through a series of dreadful low-brow '70s sex comedies in the 'Adventures' and 'Confessions' series, which represented a significant step-down from the "Carry Ons" and did nothing for her reputation.
Liz attempted to change her image by playing straight dramatic roles in The Family Way (1966) and Up the Junction (1968) (as the mother) and her later career prospered as a fine character actress with guest spots on The Professionals (1977), Minder (1979), Foyle's War (2002), and Midsomer Murders (1997), along with a string of successes on the West End stage. In her private life, she was known to be fond of animals, and she loved to play bridge and ladies' bowls at the exclusive Hurlingham club in Fulham. Her financial astuteness brought substantial gains at the stock market, which she in turn developed into a healthy property portfolio. She always spoke fondly of her co-stars, many of whom she regarded as her close 'mates' during the sixties, in particular Sidney James, Joan Sims, Tony Hancock and Tommy Cooper.Died: 6 September 2018 (aged 88)
4/31 Films- Born in 1943 in Hampstead, London, Margaret Nolan had a career as a glamour model under the name of Vicky Kennedy, even posing for Playboy magazine. Entering films in 1963 in Saturday Night Out (1964) saw her catapulted into Goldfinger (1964). Often cast mainly for her fabulous buxom figure and good looks, Margaret was perfectly cast in Carry on Girls (1973), made six "Carry On..." performances in all and was very successful in all of her roles, displaying good comedy acting skills. Nolan is probably best remembered for her role as 'Dink' in Goldfinger (1964), and for her "Carry On..." film roles. Margaret Nolan died on October 5, 2020, aged 76, in London from cancer.Died: 5 October 2020 (aged 76)
6/31 Films - Actress
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Legendary EastEnders actress and Carry On star Barbara Windsor was born Barbara Ann Deeks in Stepney, London, the daughter of Rose (Ellis), a dressmaker, and John Deeks, a costermonger. She was a bright pupil at school and her parents wanted her to go to university, but after her first taste of show business, when her grandmother took her backstage at a theatre, she decided acting was what she wanted to do.
Her mother spent all her savings on a place at the Aida Foster Acting School, where Barbara made her stage debut in Aida's 1950s pantomime at the Golders Green Hippodrome. Aida's tutors tried to iron out her Cockney accent but luckily they didn't succeed. In 1952, she was cast as one of the orphans in the musical "Love from Judy", which opened at London's Saville Theatre. With the show's star, she made her television debut in "Variety Parade". Two years later in 1954, she made her film debut as a school girl extra in "The Belles of St. Trinians", and by 1957, she was performing at London's Winston's Club with Amanda Barrie. The producer Joan Littlewood, who was committed to working class theatre, spotted her at an audition and in 1960 gave her the role which changed her life - Rose in "Fings Ain't What They Used to Be" at London's Garrick Theatre where it ran for two and a half years, during which she appeared in the sitcom The Rag Trade (1961).
As a result of the success of "Fings", Littlewood cast her in the film Sparrows Can't Sing (1963), which was seen by producer Peter Rogers who offered her roles in "Carry On" films, the first of which was Carry on Spying (1964). In 1964, She appeared in Joan's stage version of 'Oh! What a Lovely War' on Broadway and toured America with it. On her return, she was cast in the West End production of Lionel Bart's ill fated musical "Twang", which closed after a short run allowing her to take a role in "Come Spy with Me" with Danny La Rue at London's Whitehall Theatre. During the run, she had a complete change in playing one of the Ripper's victims in the film A Study in Terror (1965), then it was back to lighthearted roles in such films as Carry on Doctor (1967) and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968), and in 1968, a British tour with Frankie Howerd in "The Wind in the Sasafras Tree". In late 1969, Ned Sherrin cast her as the music hall legend Marie Lloyd in "Sing a Rude Song" which opened at the Greenwich Theatre before transferring to the West End's Garrick Theatre.
Windsor did become well known in the London theatrical scene, but it was the "Carry On" comedies that made her a star. Although she appeared in only nine films in the long-running series (she left because she thought they were getting too risqué), she made such an impression as the basically good-hearted but dizzy sexpot that many of the series' fans believe she was in many more than she actually was. She almost didn't get the role originally, as she and series regular Kenneth Williams took an instant dislike to each other, but that was soon overcome and they became lifelong friends.
After she left the series, she continued her stage and film work, and became a regular in a long-running British soap opera, EastEnders (1985) as the matriarch of The Queen Victoria - Peggy Mitchell, which she played in over 1,500 episodes. She wrote two autobiographies, "Barbara - the Laughter and Tears of a Cockney Sparrow" and "All of Me - My Extraordinary Life". She was awarded Member of the Order of the British Empire in the 2000 Queen's New Years Honours for her services to entertainment. She was awarded Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the 2016 Queen's New Years Honours for her services to entertainment and to charity.
Dame Barbara Windsor died of Alzheimer's disease on December 10, 2020, in London. She is survived by husband Scott Mitchell.Died: 10 December 2020 (aged 83)
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An actor since the age of 14, Bernard Cribbins had become a major star on the London stage by his mid-20s, but it was another ten years before he became a national star by his success in film comedies and with a string of hit records. He appeared in several of the "Carry On" series, and also achieved a great degree of success doing voiceovers for cartoons and TV commercials.Died: 27 July 2022 (aged 93)
3/31 Films- Actor
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A much-loved comic actor who has specialized in playing plummy, quintessentially English stereotypes, Leslie Phillips' heart was in acting from a very young age. He received elocution lessons as a child in order to lose his natural cockney accent (at that time a regional British accent was a major impediment to an aspiring actor) and he attended the Italia Conti School.
During the Second World War he served with the Durham Light Infantry (1942-45), but was invalided out, suffering from shell shock. He returned to acting and it was during the 1950s that he established himself as a notable player in British movies. His greatest claim to fame to this day is the "Doctor" series of movies, which he inherited from Dirk Bogarde. He also worked on radio, most notably 'The Navy Lark' for the BBC.
In later life he returned to playing supporting roles and even appeared in Steven Spielberg's Empire of the Sun (1987). He continued to make cameo appearances in films and television, and became a regular guest on British chat shows.Died: 7 November 2022 (aged 98)
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