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1-50 of 284
- Actor
- Soundtrack
Joss Ackland, the distinguished English actor who has appeared in over 100 movies, scores of plays and a plethora of television programs in his six-decade career, was born Sidney Edmond Jocelyn Ackland on February 29, 1928, in North Kensington, London. After attending London's Central School of Speech and Drama, the 17-year-old Ackland made his professional stage debut in "The Hasty Heart" in 1945.
Although he first appeared on film in John Boulting's and Roy Boulting's Oscar-winning thriller Seven Days to Noon (1950) in an uncredited bit role, he made his credited debut in a supporting role in Vernon Sewell's Ghost Ship (1952). He would not again grace the big screen until the end of the decade. Instead, Ackland spent the latter half of the 1940s and the first half of the 1950s honing his craft in regional theatrical companies.
In 1955 he left the English stage behind and moved to Africa to manage a tea plantation, an experience that likely informed his heralded performance 20 years later in White Mischief (1987). In his two years in Africa he wrote plays and did service as a radio disc jockey. Upon his return to England in 1957, he joined the Old Vic company.
From 1962-64 he served as associate director of the Mermaid Theatre. Subsequently, his stage acting career primarily was in London's commercial West End theater, where he made a name for himself in musicals. He was distinguished as Captain Hook in the musical version of "Peter Pan" and as Juan Peron in "Evita". In the straight theater he was a memorable Falstaff in William Shakespeare's "Henry IV Parts 1 & 2" and as Captain Shotover in George Bernard Shaw's "Heartbreak House". In the 1960s Ackland began appearing more regularly in films, and his career as a movie character actor picked up rapidly in the 1970s and began to flourish in the 1980s. It has shown little sign of abating in the 21st century, even though he's well into his 70s.
In addition to his performance in "White Mischief", among his more notable turns as an actor before the camera came in the BBC-TV production of Shadowlands (1986), in which he played 'C.S. Lewis', and in Lethal Weapon 2 (1989) as the ruthless South African heavy, Arjen Rudd.
He is the father of seven children, whom he listed as his "hobby" in a 1981 interview. On December 31, 2000, Joss Ackland was named a Commander of the British Empire on the New Year's Honours List for his 50 years of service to the English stage, cinema and television.- Actress
- Soundtrack
Cathryn Harrison was born on 25 May 1959 in London, England, UK. She was an actress, known for Black Moon (1975), Images (1972) and The Dresser (1983). She was married to Paul Laing. She died on 1 October 2018 in Plymouth, Devon, England, UK.- Jane Barrett was born on 7 May 1922 in Highgate, London, England, UK. She was an actress, known for The Avengers (1961), BBC Sunday-Night Theatre (1950) and Eureka Stockade (1949). She was married to Hans Heinrich Helweg and Derek Glynne. She died on 20 July 1969 in Torbay, Devon, England, UK.
- Actor
- Director
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Drewe Henley was born in 1940 in Malvern, Worcestershire, England, UK. He was an actor and director, known for Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977), Wuthering Heights (1967) and Space: 1999 (1975). He was married to Linda Lee Henley, Felicity Kendal and Jacqueline Pearce. He died on 14 February 2016 in Exeter, Devon, England, UK.- Actor
- Additional Crew
- Soundtrack
Noel Harrison was born on 29 January 1934 in London, England, UK. He was an actor, known for The Girl from U.N.C.L.E. (1966), The Thomas Crown Affair (1968) and The Citadel (1960). He was married to Margaret Benson, Sara Lee Eberts Tufnell and Lori Chapman. He died on 19 October 2013 in Devon, England, UK.- Actress
- Writer
- Soundtrack
Denise trained at the College of Dramatic Art and the Royal Scottish Academy of Music. She began her career in rep. at the Gateway Theatre in Edinburgh and then transferred to the Palladium Theatre, also in Edinburgh, where she appeared in various variety shows. She worked as an interviewer for BBC radio before finding work as an actress on the West End stage. Her theatre credits include West End productions of 'High Spirits', 'The Beggars Opera' and 'Let's Get a Divorce' and numerous productions at the Mermaid Theatre. Denise appeared in the feature films "Waltz of the Toreadors", "Georgy Girl" and "Far From the Madding Crowd" and made many television appearances, most notably the "Stanley Baxter" series, "Do Not Adjust Your Set", "Captain Fantastic" and "Girls About Town". Denise's pastime interests include sea angling and playing the flute.- Actor
- Writer
Reg Varney was born on 11 July 1916 in Canning Town, London, England, UK. He was an actor and writer, known for Holiday on the Buses (1973), Down the 'Gate (1975) and The Best Pair of Legs in the Business (1973). He was married to Lilian Emma Flavell. He died on 16 November 2008 in Budleigh Salterton, Devon, England, UK.- Martin Wyldeck was born on 11 January 1914 in Warwickshire, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Swizzlewick (1964), Night Must Fall (1964) and Rob Roy (1961). He was married to Betty Clayton. He died on 29 April 1988 in Exeter, Devon, England, UK.
- Director
- Producer
- Additional Crew
Bob Spiers was born on 27 September 1945 in Glasgow, Scotland, UK. He was a director and producer, known for Spice World (1997), Fawlty Towers (1975) and Absolutely Fabulous (1992). He was married to Sophie Richardson and Anne Spiers. He died on 8 December 2008 in Widecombe, Devon, England, UK.- David Ellison was born in 1939 in Stalybridge, Lancashire, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Juliet Bravo (1980), The Franchise Affair (1988) and Stanley's Dragon (1994). He died on 10 June 2010 in Beer, Devon, England, UK.
- Gwenllian Davies was born in 1914 in Bedlinog, Glamorgan, Wales, UK. She was an actress, known for Kinky Boots (2005), Onegin (1999) and According to Bex (2005). She died on 24 July 2007 in Torbay, Devon, England, UK.
- Cinematographer
- Camera and Electrical Department
- Director
Dick Bush was born on 2 December 1931. He was a cinematographer and director, known for Sorcerer (1977), Victor/Victoria (1982) and The Philadelphia Experiment (1984). He died on 4 August 1997 in Devon, England, UK.- Writer
- Script and Continuity Department
Leigh Jackson was born on 15 July 1950 in Shortlands, Kent, England, UK. He was a writer, known for Warriors (1999), To the Ends of the Earth (2005) and Grange Hill (1978). He died on 27 March 2003 in Bampton, Devon, England, UK.- Herbert Lomas was born on 17 January 1887 in Burnley, Lancashire, England, UK. He was an actor, known for The Sign of Four: Sherlock Holmes' Greatest Case (1932), Lorna Doone (1934) and Hobson's Choice (1931). He died on 11 April 1961 in Bovey Tracey, Devon, England, UK.
- Ian Wilson was born on 2 July 1901 in Hampstead, London, England, UK. He was an actor, known for The Wicker Man (1973), The Good Companions (1957) and The Day of the Triffids (1963). He died in December 1987 in Exeter, Devon, England, UK.
- Roger Gage was born in November 1928 in Bath, Somerset, England, UK. He was an actor, known for World Theatre (1959), BBC Sunday-Night Theatre (1950) and Villette (1957). He was married to Burda Cann and Joan Plowright. He died on 13 March 2018 in Devon, England, UK.
- Actor
- Composer
Hugh Sinclair was born on 19 May 1903 in St George Hanover Square, London, England, UK. He was an actor and composer, known for The Saint's Vacation (1941), The Saint Meets the Tiger (1941) and The Secret Four (1939). He was married to Mary Rosalie Williams and Valerie Taylor. He died on 29 December 1962 in Slapton, Devon, England, UK.- Danny Schiller was born on 29 April 1935 in Hendon, London, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Erik the Viking (1989), Revenge of the Pink Panther (1978) and Lorna Doone (1976). He died on 8 May 2003 in Devon, England, UK.
- Writer
- Actor
- Additional Crew
Ted Hughes was born on 17 August 1930 in Mytholmroyd, Yorkshire, England, UK. He was a writer and actor, known for The Iron Giant (1999), MultiVersus (2022) and Jackanory (1965). He was married to Carol Orchard and Sylvia Plath. He died on 28 October 1998 in Devon, England, UK.- Freda Bamford was born on 11 February 1909 in Ashford, Middlesex, England, UK. She was an actress, known for The Avengers (1961), North and South (1966) and BBC Sunday-Night Theatre (1950). She was married to Ian Atkins. She died on 15 May 1986 in Torbay, Devon, England, UK.
- R.F. Delderfield was born on 12 February 1912 in New Cross, London, England, UK. He was a writer, known for Now and Forever (1956), All Over the Town (1949) and Glad Tidings! (1953). He was married to May ("Marnie") Evans. He died on 24 June 1972 in Sidmouth, Devon, England, UK.
- Writer
- Actor
- Producer
Jethro was born on 8 March 1948 in St Buryan, Cornwall, England, UK. He was a writer and actor, known for Mick Miller: In the Club (2005), Jethro: The Beast of Bodmin Moor (1997) and Let It Be All Right on the Night (1987). He died on 14 December 2021 in Plymouth, Devon, England, UK.- Writer
- Actor
- Director
Bill Douglas was born on 17 April 1934 in Newcraighall, Scotland, UK. He was a writer and actor, known for My Childhood (1972), Comrades (1986) and My Way Home (1978). He died on 18 June 1991 in Barnstaple, Devon, England, UK.- Peter Draper was born on 28 April 1925 in Wales, UK. He was a writer, known for I'll Never Forget What's'isname (1967), The Buttercup Chain (1970) and Dead of Night (1972). He died on 11 February 2004 in Exeter, Devon, England, UK.
- Dorothy Bramhall was born on 14 July 1911 in Liverpool, England, UK. She was an actress, known for A Run for Your Money (1949), Take My Life (1947) and Blackmailed (1951). She was married to Daniel Cevat, Denis Moonan and Frank Humphrey Fearn. She died in August 2004 in Budleigh Salterton, Devon, England, UK.
- Actress
- Soundtrack
Myrtle Devenish (29 July 1912 - 21 January 2007) was a Welsh-born, film and television actress whose career spanned more than four decades.
She appeared in Terry Gilliam's 1985 cult film Brazil as well as several other films.
She also made a number of appearances on British television including in Victoria Wood: As Seen on TV and later in her career in One Foot in the Grave.- John Dunbar was born on 10 July 1914 in Liverpool, England, UK. He was an actor, known for The Saint (1962), Kidnapped (1963) and BBC Sunday-Night Theatre (1950). He died on 24 April 2001 in Torquay, Devon, England, UK.
- Actress
- Additional Crew
Margo was an accomplished and vivacious actress who trained as a dancer. She worked steadily,mainly on stage and television until her retirement. She began her career in Stars in Battledress at the end of World War 2. Her first big break was as Noelle Gordon's understudy in Brigadoon, in London in the late 1940s. Other musicals included Wedding in Paris, The Water Gypsies, Maggie May and Showboat. She was a member of the National Theatre from 1965-9 and toured with the company led by Sir Lawrence Oliver when they went to Canada. For many years she was in panto, often as a fairy, and worked with Ricki Fulton. She played Caribosse the wicked witch in Sleeping Beauty at Glasgow. Margo appeared in Z Cars, Take Three Girls, Crossroads and Scotch and Rye. She was the murder victim in the long running 'Mousetrap'. She once told me that she had a longer career because believed she was a character actress. She retired to Devon, and a later marriage to John, who had been a love of her youth. She was still able to do the splits and cartwheels on her seventieth birthday. Unfortunately, she passed away due to cancer. Margo remarked that of her movies, she never realised one was so raunchy until it was released, as she missed that part!- Hilary Mantel was born on 6 July 1952 in Glossop, Derbyshire, England, UK. She was a writer, known for Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light (2024), Comma and Wolf Hall (2015). She was married to Gerald McEwen. She died on 22 September 2022 in Exeter, Devon, England, UK.
- Mary Norton was born on 10 December 1903 in Highbury, London, England, UK. She was a writer, known for Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971), The Secret World of Arrietty (2010) and The Borrowers Reboot. She was married to Lionel Boncey and Robert Norton. She died on 29 August 1992 in Hartland, Bideford, Devon, England, UK.
- Actor
- Writer
Alexander Von Giannini was born on 6 June 1958 in Northamptonshire to an English mother and an Italian father and was educated in England and Luxembourg, where his father worked for the European Commission. In fact he reckoned that he changed schools thirteen times in line with his father's work. Prior to acting he was the lead singer - as Sandy Fontaine - of rockabilly group Coast To Coast, with whom he appeared on TV's 'Top of the Pops' but got into acting after meeting Steven Berkoff and trained at the East 15 school in Essex. On television he appeared in many populist series such as 'The Bill' and 'Inspector Morse' and also wrote two short films 'The other Side of My Sleep' and 'Strawberries'. A prolific stage performer, frequently in musicals including 'Oklahoma!' and 'Oh What a Lovely War' Alex was appearing in a revival of 'Mack and Mabel' in Plymouth, Devon, when he died unexpectedly on October 2nd 2015. He leaves a widow, Jennifer Secombe, daughter of comic actor and singer Harry Secombe, whom he married in 1998.- 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.
- Actress
- Writer
Maddy Anholt was an actress and writer, known for Kelly (2020), The Emily Atack Show (2020) and Sunny D (2016). She was married to Ben. She died on 13 September 2023 in Colyton, Devon, England, UK.- Shirley Watts was born on 11 September 1938 in London, England, UK. She was an actress, known for Digital Dreams (1983) and Rock Wives (1996). She was married to Charlie Watts. She died on 16 December 2022 in Devon, England, UK.
- James Walker was born on 31 March 1940 in Bournemouth, Hampshire, England, UK. He was an actor, known for 1984 (1984), Empire of the Sun (1987) and Twelfth Night (1996). He was married to Sandra Walker. He died on 27 December 2016 in Devon, England, UK.
- Actress
- Music Department
- Soundtrack
Ruby Murray was born on 29 March 1935 in Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK. She was an actress, known for Saint Maud (2019), Belfast (2021) and A Touch of the Sun (1956). She was married to Ray Lamar and Bernie Burgess. She died on 17 December 1996 in Torquay, Devon, England, UK.- Jean Rhys is one of the major female novelists of the 20th century. She was born in Dominica and moved to England. When she was around 30 years old she traveled around Europe as a Bohemian artist and became a lifetime alcoholic, but her career started as well. Her writing was often focused on women and she often used modernist techniques. The extraordinary novel and Jane Eyre-prequel Wide Sargasso Sea brought Rhys to public attention.
- Producer
- Script and Continuity Department
- Writer
Graham Williams joined the BBC in 1966 and worked as a script editor for several years on series such as The View from Daniel Pike (1971), Sutherland's Law (1973), Barlow at Large (1971) and Z Cars (1962).
In 1977 he was made producer of Doctor Who (1963). On taking over the series, Williams was ordered by BBC bosses to lighten the tone and reduce the violence and horror content following Philip Hinchcliffe's highly successful but controversial period producing the series. Williams duly did this, introducing more humour to take the place of the more violent and horrific material.
During his three seasons producing the series, Williams had to face budget cuts and regular industrial action. It was the late 1970s, a time of economic turmoil, and this had unfortunate consequences on the production of many Doctor Who (1963) serials. He also found the series' star, Tom Baker, increasingly difficult to work with. Tom Baker had been working on the series since 1974 and was well established as one of the biggest stars on BBC television. When Williams arrived, Baker's relationship with his co-star, Louise Jameson, was not good and this occasionally led to tensions. She left at the end of Williams' first season.
During Williams' second season, tensions arose between Baker and Williams regarding the direction of the series. Baker made it known that he wanted more input into the series, which would include the right to approve scripts, casting of actors and directors. Williams resisted this, leading to a dispute that eventually involved the BBC One Controller, Bill Cotton, the Head of Drama, Shaun Sutton, and the Head of BBC Serials, Graeme MacDonald. Fortunately, this dispute was settled amicably, with both men agreeing to continue the status quo. The second season also saw the introduction of a replacement for Louise Jameson, Mary Tamm, although she only lasted for this season.
Williams' third and final season was notable for the involvement of Douglas Adams, a young Cambridge University graduate whom Williams appointed as script editor on the series following his script for the previous season, The Pirate Planet: Part One (1978). Adams had already gained acclaim for his radio series, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, which had been broadcast the previous year, and this season of Doctor Who (1963) was notable for containing much of Adams' trademark humour. The series also saw the introduction of Lalla Ward as Mary Tamm's replacement.
Williams left Doctor Who (1963) after producing three seasons in 1979. Despite the troubles, he had made his mark. His era saw the introduction of K-9, the robot dog, which became a popular hit, as well as the Black and White Guardians (characters that re-appeared several years later) and his second season in charge was based around an ambitious story arc called The Key to Time, something quite unprecedented in the history of the series.
His involvement with the series was not over, however. In 1984 he was commissioned to write a story for Doctor Who (1963) called "The Nightmare Fair". This was never made, but Williams was able to write a novel based on his story for the Target Doctor Who (1963) book range.
After producing Doctor Who (1963), Williams left the BBC but stayed in television to produce Super Gran (1985).
By the end of the 1980s, Graham Williams had left television and ran a hotel in Devon. He died in 1990 from a shooting accident.- Writer
- Soundtrack
Sean O'Casey was born on 30 March 1880 in Dublin, Ireland. He was a writer, known for Juno and the Paycock (1929), Pension pro svobodné pány (1968) and The Plough and the Stars (1936). He was married to Eileen Reynolds. He died on 18 September 1964 in Torquay, Devon, England, UK.- Actress
- Soundtrack
Gwyneth Vaughan was born on 4 June 1924 in Hadleigh, Essex, England, UK. She was an actress, known for Melody Club (1949), Brass Monkey (1948) and Temptations (1949). She was married to Norman Hugh Ashmore. She died on 23 August 2009 in Exeter, Devon, England, UK.- Kitty Kirwan was born on 11 March 1875 in Dublin, Ireland. She was an actress, known for Odd Man Out (1947), The Edge of the World (1937) and Floodtide (1949). She died in April 1954 in Honiton, Devon, England, UK.
- Kathleen St. John was born on 15 January 1908 in Sutton Coldfield, Warwickshire, England, UK. She was an actress, known for The Quatermass Conclusion (1979), Trail of the Pink Panther (1982) and Wilderness Road (1986). She died on 27 June 1996 in Barnstaple, Devon, England, UK.
- Actor
- Writer
- Director
Jacques B. Brunius was born on 16 September 1906 in Paris, France. He was an actor and writer, known for Sea Devils (1953), Life Is Ours (1936) and Violons d'Ingres (1939). He was married to Cecile Chevreau and Colette Hulmann. He died on 24 April 1967 in Exeter, Devon, England, UK.- Stuart Hutchison was born on 27 June 1929 in Chesterfield, Derbyshire, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Kenilworth (1957), The Secret Garden (1960) and Paul of Tarsus (1960). He was married to Jennifer Flood, Thelma Davies and Maureen O'Reilly. He died on 31 October 2003 in Plymouth, Devon, England, UK.
- Annette Benson was born in 1897 in St. Albans, Hertfordshire, England, UK. She was an actress, known for Downhill (1927), Shooting Stars (1928) and Le berceau de dieu (1926). She was married to George Clarke Torry and Norman Mosley Penzer. She died on 27 January 1979 in Torquay, Devon, England, UK.
- Actor
- Writer
C. Denier Warren was born on 29 July 1889 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. He was an actor and writer, known for Lolita (1962), She Shall Have Music (1935) and The Big Noise (1936). He died on 27 August 1971 in Torquay, Devon, England, UK.- Director
- Actor
- Producer
Herkomer was a painter who founded an art school in Bushey, Hertfordshire, in the 1880s. His film company produced only a handful of films, of which not a single can appears to have survived. He was widely credited with pushing cinema to new artistic heights, with bringing down the pace of the action to a more realistic speed and with taking more care than most with his period costumes and settings. He commissioned scripts from literary sources, notably the novels of Marie Corelli and Thomas Hardy, but none of these seem to have made it on to the screen.- Actor
- Writer
- Director
Paul England was born on 17 June 1892 in Streatham, London, England, UK. He was an actor and writer, known for She Shall Have Music (1935), I Adore You (1933) and The Trial of Madame X (1948). He died on 21 November 1968 in Devon, England, UK.- Romark was born on 31 July 1926 in England, UK. He was an actor, known for Mannix (1967), Flip (1970) and The Merv Griffin Show (1962). He died in December 1982 in Torbay, Devon, England, UK.
- Writer
- Additional Crew
- Actor
Daniel Farson was born on 8 January 1927 in Kensington, London, England, UK. He was a writer and actor, known for Gallery (1984), Sparrows Can't Sing (1963) and Londoners (1965). He died on 27 November 1997 in Barnstaple, Devon, England, UK.