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1-50 of 75
- Actor
- Soundtrack
Gavan O'Herlihy was born on 29 July 1951 in Dublin, County Dublin, Ireland. He was an actor, known for The Descent: Part 2 (2009), Willow (1988) and Never Say Never Again (1983). He was married to Juliette. He died on 15 September 2021 in Bath, England, UK.- Actor
- Director
- Writer
Although he sounded very British, Leo McKern was an Australian. By the time he was 15 years old, he had endured an accident that left him without his left eye. A glass eye replaced it - one might conjecture for the better, as far as making McKern a one-day actor of singular focus (no pun intended; his face had that extremely focused look). He failed to complete Sydney Technical High School, though his interest in engineering prompted him to transfer into the role of engineering apprentice (1935 to 1937). He expanded his horizons in a different direction with a two-year stint (1937-1940) at a commercial art college. By then World War II was escalating toward Australia, and he volunteered for service with the Engineering Corp of the Australian Army (1940 to 1942). But yet one more career move was needed, and that while the war moved northward away from Australia when America joined the fight. He studied acting and debuted on stage in 1944. He also met an Australian stage actress (Jane Holland), and mutual attraction took its course. In 1946 she had acting opportunities in England, and McKern decided that, along with the wish to propose to her, his own future as an actor lay there also.
McKern was short and stout with a great bulbous nose upon an impish face--all the ingredients for great character. His voice was a sharp and vociferous grind upon the back teeth--also perfect for character. After some touring (which included a trip to post-war Germany), he began to appear with regularity on London's premiere stages, particularly the Old Vic (1949-52 and then again 1962-63). These roles meshed with classic English work when he moved on to the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) at Stratford-upon-Avon and the Shakespeare Memorial Theater (later reconstituted as the now Royal Shakespeare Theater) from 1952 to 1954. He also spent a season at the New Nottingham Playhouse. He had weaned himself off his Australian accent long before this with his bid for film roles, the first being as one of the four murderous barons in the Thomas a' Becket story Murder in the Cathedral (1951). And he kept his medieval tights on for his next screen appearances (though the small screen of TV) in some roles for the popular Richard Greene series The Adventures of Robin Hood in 1955, while he continued stage work.
From then on, McKern had roles in two to three movies a year--busy but not too busy--gradually mixing progressively more and more TV work in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s. The films were as varied as a good stage actor could justify moving into a popular medium. Though he was usually police officials, doctors, and authoritative figures, he always made these early parts stand out. Drama comes in various packages; he was not averse to the rise of sci-fi as a vehicle for it. He graced two British sci-fi classics: X the Unknown (1956) and the better The Day the Earth Caught Fire (1961). And there was also TV fantasy work, one of the best known examples being multiple outings as interrogator and chain-yanker Number Two in The Prisoner series. In the late '70s, he condescended to add some weight to two of the Omen movies, as did Gregory Peck and William Holden, putting him in good company. Great drama was McKern's meat. And doing some historically significant on a great scale was an opportunity for a Shakespearean not to miss. He was cast in the screen version of the Robert Bolt hit play A Man for All Seasons (1966). And his visage was perhaps part of the allure. Cast as ruthless political climber and fated chancellor of England Thomas Cromwell, McKern looked like the Hans Holbein court painting of the man who rather nefariously succeeded to Sir Thomas More's position. More was played by McKern's fellow RSC resident Paul Scofield. McKern gave flesh to the commoner Cromwell, making him loud and abrasive with a delightful verve. Later he and Scofield shared another film role, in the sense that the latter turned down the part of Thomas Ryan in the David Lean epic of Ireland Ryan's Daughter (1970), while McKern accepted it and made the role work. (Scofield would have been a miscast, something he probably wisely foresaw.)
McKern, from his early screen roles, could do comedy. He had a fair share of outrageous characters, and he could play them with a glint in his eye and a bit of extra cheek in his performance to show that he must have had fun in the role. In this regard, he showed his stuff supporting Peter Sellers in the endearing The Mouse That Roared (1959) and had the lead in the outlandish They All Died Laughing (1964) as a college professor who decides to snuff out humanity with poison laughing gas. He was a broad country fellow with a Shakespearean twist as Squint in The Amorous Adventures of Moll Flanders (1965). In one of his later comedies, he is rather overlooked because of its clever script; in fact, it is an over-the-top tour de force for McKern. As the infamous nemesis Professor Moriarty in The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother (1975), McKern manages to steal the show from funny man and director/writer Gene Wilder along with Marty Feldman and Roy Kinnear. McKern's Moriarty is devilish but tongue-in-cheek with a vengeance, especially with his nervous tic of suddenly, at any time and out of nowhere, yelling, "YAAA, YAAA!"
Yet McKern's chief legacy has been and probably will continue to be his long-running TV role in more mystery (he had done his fair share in film and TV already) as Horace Rumpole in "Rumpole of the Bailey" (1978-1992), a role originally introduced by him in the teleplay "Rumpole of the Bailey" in 1975. The role had been specifically created for him by writer John Mortimer, and though every actor can appreciate the security of a long-running role, McKern feared that it was subsuming his more than considerable body of work. Along with that, McKern became increasingly self-conscious of his acting, and mixed in was the idea that his physical appearance was not appealing to the public. As a result, he had to deal with a progressively increasing stage fright. He need not have worried; he was working in diverse TV and movie roles nearly to the time of his passing, and he was beloved by movie and TV fans alike. Along with receiving the award of Officer of the Order of Australia from his home country, in 1983 McKern's memoir "Just Resting" was published.- Actor
- Producer
London-born character actor Derek Fowlds came to the fore on television as 'Mr. Derek', straight man to the children's puppet Basil Brush (succeeding Rodney Bewes in that capacity), then as private secretary and political advisor Bernard Woolley, diligently keeping the reins on obtuse British Cabinet Minister Jim Hacker (Paul Eddington) in Yes Minister (1980), and, finally, as retired police sergeant -- turned pub proprietor -- Oscar Blaketon during the entire 18-year run of Heartbeat (1992). Having done his national service in the RAF, Fowlds based the Blaketon character on a drill instructor, commenting "I just cut my hair shorter, slicked it back and shouted a lot and Oscar was born."
In his youth, Fowlds aspired to becoming a footballer. He first tried acting in school plays as a bit of a lark. "Just for kicks" he later decided to pursue the profession more seriously, trained at RADA and debuted on stage in a 1961 production of "The Miracle Worker" at London's Wyndham Theatre. Thereafter, he popped up in the occasional motion picture but was considerably more prolific on the small screen where he regularly alternated between comedy and drama. Early on, he played the lead in his own short-lived detective series, Take a Pair of Private Eyes (1966). His autobiography "A Part Worth Playing" was released in 2015.- Tall, rugged, red-haired character actor whose heavily lined face suggested a hard life. Started in show biz with his father, Nosmo King (real name Vernon Watson), as half of a music hall double act. Later worked as a monologuist and impersonator in radio. During the Second World War, he served as petty officer in the Royal Navy. An unlikely comedian during the first half of his career, he became a stalwart character actor in films of the 1960's and 70's, generally utilised as by-the-book police inspectors (Peeping Tom (1960), Konga (1961), or gruff, laconic soldiers (The Hill (1965), Tobruk (1967)). An avid sportsman in real life, he was effectively cast as Len Miller, captain of a Rugby League team, in Lindsay Anderson's This Sporting Life (1963). He also impressed in the villainous role of corrupt police officer Quince in The Strange Affair (1968).
Watson's career was rejuvenated in the 1970's, with strong parts in television, particularly as the star of The Rebellious Red Gauntlets (1970) and as Llud, right hand man to Oliver Tobias, in Arthur of the Britons (1972). He also made sporadic appearances on Coronation Street (1960) and Z Cars (1962). A man of few pretensions, Watson rejected offers from Hollywood, and remained firmly rooted to British screens. - Bill Wallis was born on 20 November 1936 in Guildford, Surrey, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Brazil (1985), The Other Boleyn Girl (2008) and The Bourne Identity (1988). He was married to Karen Mills and Jean Spalding. He died on 6 September 2013 in Bath, Somerset, England, UK.
- Peter Birrel married actress Stephanie Cole only a few years before he died. They appeared together in a play early in both of their careers and met up by chance some 40 or so years later. Peter is widely celebrated for his role as the Draconian Prince in Frontier in Space: Episode One (1973)-Frontier in Space: Episode Two (1973) and Frontier in Space: Episode Five (1973)-Frontier in Space: Episode Six (1973).
- Clare Kelly was born on 25 February 1922 in Manchester, Lancashire, England, UK. She was an actress, known for The Cuckoo Waltz (1975), A Kind of Loving (1982) and Five to One (1963). She died on 18 February 2001 in Bath, Somerset, England, UK.
- While doing his national service he ran three theatres helping to rehabilitate servicemen then joined The Old Vic Theatre School for acting training and after completion accepted an invitation from Tyrone Guthrie to join the theatre's company headed by Donald Wolfit. Spending a season there he appeared in King Lear and Tamburlaine then moved into London's West End appearing in such as Pay the Piper, The Burning Boat, The Devils Disciple, the Rule of Three and The Happiest Millionaire. Moving into films he appeared in such as Funeral in Berlin, Diamonds Are Forever and Pope Joan. Being fluent in German he was cast as a German in such as Operation Crossbow. and Attack on the 'iron Coast. On television he played Chingachgook in the serial of The Last of the Mohicans which won him an Emmy nomination as Best Actor, Over 10 years he took four roles in the series Dr Who and guest starred in such series as Blakes Seven and Red Dwarf and the second and third series of The Survivors. Other roles include parts in Redcap, Minder, Bergerac, The Bill and Casualty. His two sons Sebastian and Daniel are also actors.
- Christopher Rozycki was born on 15 October 1943 in Rozprza, Lódzkie, Poland. He was an actor, known for Local Hero (1983), The Saint (1997) and Downton Abbey (2010). He was married to Joanna Hole and Maria Ficenes. He died on 10 April 2015 in Bath, Somerset, England, UK.
- Actor
- Soundtrack
Jerold Wells was born on 8 August 1908 in Wallington, Surrey, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Time Bandits (1981), Great Expectations (1959) and Curry & Chips (1969). He died on 19 July 1999 in Bath, Somerset, England, UK.- Actor
- Writer
- Soundtrack
Born in Nottingham to a mother who was one of the first women stage directors in Britain and a father who was a revue actor. He later moved to London to study at the Royal Academy of Music then went to drama school during which time he appeared in many school broadcasts for the BBC. After winning the Drama Cup he joined the Regents Park Open Air Theatre where he spent 3 seasons during which time he was also doing a great deal of broadcasting. and it was on the radio show 'Accent on Youth' which led him into revue. The writers Peter Myers and Alec Grahame gave him a chance in their Theatre Club Revues when he replaced Michael Medwin.Following this he did 'High Spirts' at the London Hippodrome and subsequently 6 seasons of Fol-de-Rols. While doing the show in Edinburgh he was spotted by George Innes who booked him for BBC television's 'High Summer' He has 4 daughters including twins.- Stacy Moskowitz was born on 6 June 1957 in Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA. She died on 1 August 1977 in Bath Beach, Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA.
- Steven Hicks was born on 22 June 1959 in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, USA. He died on 18 June 1978 in Bath, Ohio, USA.
- Dick King-Smith was born on 27 March 1922 in Bitton, Gloucestershire, England, UK. He was a writer, known for Babe (1995), The Water Horse (2007) and Babe: Pig in the City (1998). He was married to Zona Bedding and Myrle King-Smith. He died on 4 January 2011 in Bath, Somerset, England, UK.
- Howard Goorney was born on 11 May 1921 in Manchester, Lancashire, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Fiddler on the Roof (1971), The Last Days of Pompeii (1984) and Crucible of Horror (1971). He was married to Stella Riley. He died on 29 March 2007 in Bath, Somerset, England, UK.
- Camera and Electrical Department
Mike Roberts was born on 20 July 1939 in Woking, Surrey, England, UK. Mike is known for Lost in Space (1998), Mississippi Burning (1988) and Angel Heart (1987). Mike was married to Eileen Bellson. Mike died on 24 May 2000 in Bath, Somerset, England, UK.- Producer
- Writer
Seafield Head was born in 1919 in Surrey, England, UK. Seafield was a producer and writer, known for Feature Story (1949), New Minds for a New Firm (1960) and Divertimento (1968). Seafield was married to Helen Shingler. Seafield died on 22 March 2009 in Bath, Somerset, England, UK.- Of all the films that Graham Moffatt worked on, about half were with Will Hay, in his Billy-Bunter style persona. After being dropped by Will Hay, Moffatt (and Moore Marriott) went on to support Edmund Gwenn in Cheer Boys Cheer (1939) and Arthur Askey in Band Waggon (1940). The last film he made with Moore Marriott was in 1943, after which the pair went their separate ways. He left show business to run a pub, but appeared in many more films, up to the age of 44.
- Christine Pollon was born in 1927 in Cardiff, Wales, UK. She was an actress, known for Romeo and Juliet (1962), The Avengers (1961) and Boyd Q.C. (1956). She was married to Donald Hewlett. She died on 29 August 2012 in Bath, Somerset, England, UK.
- Valerie Gearon was born on 27 September 1937 in Newport, Monmouthshire, Wales, UK. She was an actress, known for Anne of the Thousand Days (1969), Persuasion (1971) and Thursday Theatre (1964). She was married to Kip Gowans. She died on 9 July 2003 in Bath, Somerset, England, UK.
- Producer
- Writer
- Additional Crew
John Grierson was born on 26 April 1898 in Kilmadock, Stirlingshire, Scotland, UK. He was a producer and writer, known for Drifters (1929), Child's Play (1954) and Brandy for the Parson (1952). He was married to Margaret Grierson. He died on 19 February 1972 in Bath, Somerset, England, UK.- Composer
- Music Department
- Actor
Acker Bilk was born on 28 January 1929 in Pensford, Somerset, England, UK. He was a composer and actor, known for Red Heat (1988), There's Something About Mary (1998) and The Courier (2020). He was married to Jean Hawkins. He died on 2 November 2014 in Bath, Somerset, England, UK.- E.J. Osborne was married to Anne-Marie. He died on 21 September 2020 in Bath, UK.
- Anne Iddon was born on 9 September 1935 in Croydon, Surrey, England, UK. She was an actress, known for Little Women (1958), Z Cars (1962) and Probation Officer (1959). She was married to Edward Hardwicke. She died on 4 August 2000 in Bath, Somerset, England, UK.
- Actor
- Writer
- Soundtrack
Alexander Thynne was born on 6 May 1932 in London, England, UK. He was an actor and writer, known for Blueblood (1974), Pet Shop Boys: Rent (1987) and Trigger Happy TV (2000). He was married to Anna Gaël. He died on 4 April 2020 in Bath, Somerset, England, UK.