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1-44 of 44
- John Barry Foster's acting career began and ended on the stage. At the age of 20 he won a scholarship to the Central School of Speech and Drama where he befriended future playwright Harold Pinter. After two years training, Barry went on tour with Andrew McMaster and fellow actors Patrick Magee and Kenneth Haigh through the Republic of Ireland. Their repertoire included thirteen plays (mostly Shakespearean but also included J.B. Priestley's 'An Inspector Calls'). Barry's first role was as Lorenzo in 'The Merchant of Venice'.
In 1955, he hit the lights of London with 'The Night of the Ball' at the New Theatre and six years later had his first starring role as Cornelius Christian in 'Fairy Tales of New York'. During the remainder of the decade, Barry played through an immensely varied array of characters ranging from Adhemar in the French comedy 'Let's Get a Divorce' to King John and Macbeth at the Nottingham Playhouse. He appeared with Dame Wendy Hiller in 'Driving Miss Daisy' and with Lotte Lenya in 'Brecht on Brecht' at The Royal Court. His portfolio also included two Pinter plays, 'The Basement' and 'The Tea Party'. In 1963, he also acted on Broadway, San Francisco and Los Angeles in a double bill: 'The Private Ear' and 'The Public Eye' by Peter Shaffer. Time Magazine (October 18,1963) described his performance as Cristoforou as "a remarkable and indefinable creation" and "the most antic and mythic embodiment of Life Force since Zorba the Greek danced off the pages of Nikos Kazantzakis novel".
While he had appeared in film roles since the mid-1950's, it was on the small screen where Barry Foster had his greatest success, specifically as the trench-coated Dutch detective Van der Valk (1972). Introduced by the catchy theme song 'Eye Level' (a British chart topper in 1973), this 1970s TV series was filmed on location in Amsterdam and featured a rather off-beat type of detective: introspective, often rash and moody, at times anti-establishmentarian, yet with great compassion, wit and intelligence. Barry Foster himself remarked about the popular Van der Valk: "He is understanding and does not disapprove. That isn't his job, anyway. He's a lovely guy to play, a thoughtful, unorthodox cop with a touch of the private eye" (The Independent, 13/2/2002).
Other notable television roles followed. Among the best of them was as Kaiser Wilhelm in BBC's excellent miniseries Fall of Eagles (1974). He was again perfectly cast as eccentric spook Saul Enderby, one of Smiley's People (1982), played with typical aplomb and dry humour. In 1978, Barry lent his voice to an impersonation of the great detective Sherlock Holmes in a 13-part BBC radio series. In films, Barry will be best remembered as the serial killing grocer Bob Rusk in Hitchcock's thriller Frenzy (1972). From the 1980s, Barry Foster concentrated once again on the theatre. In 1995, he toured Australia with Priestley's 'An Inspector Calls' (playing the part of Inspector Goole), directed by Stephen Daldry. Five years later, he starred as Prospero in 'The Tempest' and, just prior to his untimely death, appeared with Nigel Havers and Roger Lloyd Pack in the play 'Art' at the London Whitehall theatre. Barry Foster was a singularly accomplished and likeable actor who once explained his versatility thus: "I'm neither very tall nor very short. You can't look at my face and say 'he's the killer', or 'the guy next door' or 'the mad scientist'. All I've got is my curly hair - which everyone thinks is a wig anyway" (The Telegraph, 12/2/2002). - Actress
- Soundtrack
Best remembered as 'Mrs. Slocombe' on the British comedy "Are You Being Served?" Mollie Sugden was born in Keighley, Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. She attended Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London. Her first television role came in 1962 with the series "Hugh and I," which ran for four seasons. In 1972, she won the role of the head of the ladies department at Grace Brothers Department Store, 'Mrs. Betty Slocombe,' on "Are You Being Served." Her character was known for her change in hair color, as well as her affection for her cat. The series ran between 1972 and 1985. She reprised the role in the 1990s for the short live revival, "Grace & Favour." After the initial run of "Are You Being Served" ended in 1985 she continued to work on television including the series "My Husband and I," in which she starred with real-life husband, William Moore. In 2002, she was honoured on her 80th birthday with the "Celebrating Mollie Sugden: An Are You Being Served? Special" Mollie Sugden died after a long illness at age 86, just months after her "Are You Being Served? co-star Wendy Richard.- Actor
- Soundtrack
Anthony Valentine was born on 17 August 1939 in Blackburn, Lancashire, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Scobie in September (1969), The Fifth Corner (1992) and Callan (1967). He was married to Susan Valentine. He died on 2 December 2015 in Guildford, Surrey, England, UK.- Actor
- Writer
- Music Department
Harry Secombe was one of Britain's best loved comic entertainers. Born in Swansea, South Wales he began singing as a child in local church choirs. His first job was as a clerk although he had considered a career in opera. During World War Two he served in the Army in North Africa and Italy. He met the comedian Spike Milligan while on duty in the Western desert and their common bond was a unique brand of humour. Secombe appeared in many troop concerts where he was known for his trademark high pitched laugh and blowing raspberries. After the war he appeared as a comic at London's famous Windmill Theatre and in 1945 became one of the stalwarts of the hugely successful radio series Educating Archie. His greatest popularity began in 1951 with the birth of radio's Crazy People, later to be renamed The Goon Show. One of the most famous radio comedy programmes of all time it helped launch the careers of Secombe, Spike Milligan, Peter Sellers and Michael Bentine.
Whilst the Goon Show was in its prime the comedy team made several films associated with the series including Down Among the Z Men (1952) and in 1955 Secombe had his own TV show, The Harry Secombe Show. His other popular TV shows, often written by Marty Feldman and Barry Cryer, included Secombe and Friends (1966) and Have a Harry Christmas (1977). On stage he had a long running success with Leslie Bricusse's Pickwick (1963) and he revived the show in the 1980s.
His most notable film work began with Davy (1957) in which he played a music hall performer who auditions for an opera at Convent Garden. It was meant as a star vehicle for him but was not a box office success. International audiences became familiar with him when he played Mr Bumble, the beadle in Oliver! (1968) and films such as The Magnificent Seven Deadly Sins (1971) and Starstruck (1972).
Knighted in 1981 and much slimmed down after a serious attack of peritonitis, he continued to appear in concerts and on television as well as writing several volumes of autobiography. He toured Australia and in 1983 became the host of Highway, a weekly TV religious programme. This was Secombe toned down, far from his rollicking past and with no jokes, but it gave him a chance to sing seriously. The show ran for nearly ten years.
Ill health continually dogged the comedian in his final years and he battled with cancer and a severe stroke. He continued to appear on television, notably narrating D Day - The Official Story (1994) and presenting Top Ten Comedy Records (2000).- Writer
- Additional Crew
- Soundtrack
Lewis Carroll was the pen name of Charles L. Dodgson, author of the children's classics "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" and "Through the Looking-Glass."
Born on January 27, 1832 in Daresbury, Cheshire, England, Charles Dodgson wrote and created games as a child. At age 20 he received a studentship at Christ Church and was appointed a lecturer in mathematics. Dodgson was shy but enjoyed creating stories for children. His books including "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" were published under the pen name Lewis Carroll. Dodgson died in 1898.
Early Life, Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, best known by his pseudonym, Lewis Carroll, was born in the village of Daresbury, England, on January 27, 1832. The eldest boy in a family of 11 children, Carroll was rather adept at entertaining himself and his siblings. His father, a clergyman, raised them in the rectory. As a boy, Carroll excelled in mathematics and won many academic prizes. At age 20, he was awarded a studentship (called a scholarship in other colleges) to Christ College. Apart from serving as a lecturer in mathematics, he was an avid photographer and wrote essays, political pamphlets and poetry. "The Hunting of the Snark" displays his wonderful ability in the genre of literary nonsense.
Alice and Literary Success, Carroll suffered from a bad stammer, but he found himself vocally fluent when speaking with children. The relationships he had with young people in his adult years are of great interest, as they undoubtedly inspired his best-known writings and have been a point of disturbed speculation over the years. Carroll loved to entertain children, and it was Alice, the daughter of Henry George Liddell, who can be credited with his pinnacle inspiration. Alice Liddell remembers spending many hours with Carroll, sitting on his couch while he told fantastic tales of dream worlds. During an afternoon picnic with Alice and her two sisters, Carroll told the first iteration of what would later become Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. When Alice arrived home, she exclaimed that he must write the story down for her.
He fulfilled the small girl's request, and through a series of coincidences, the story fell into the hands of the novelist Henry Kingsley, who urged Carroll to publish it. The book Alice's Adventures in Wonderland was released in 1865. It gained steady popularity, and as a result, Carroll wrote the sequel, Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There (1871). By the time of his death, Alice had become the most popular children's book in England, and by 1932 it was one of the most popular in the world.
Photography and Legacy, besides writing, Carroll created a number of fine photographs. His notable portraits include those of the actress Ellen Terry and the poet Alfred Tennyson. He also photographed children in every possible costume and situation, eventually making nude studies of them. Despite conjecture, little real evidence of child abuse can be brought against him. Shortly before his 66th birthday, Lewis Carroll caught a severe case of influenza, which led to pneumonia. He died on January 14, 1898, leaving an enigma behind him.- Director
- Producer
- Actor
Christopher Morahan was born on 9 July 1929 in London, England, UK. He was a director and producer, known for The Jewel in the Crown (1984), Screen One (1985) and W. Somerset Maugham (1969). He was married to Anna Carteret and Joan Lucie E. Murray. He died on 7 April 2017 in Guildford, Surrey, England, UK.- Vivian Neves was born on 20 November 1947 in Brighton, Sussex, England, UK. She was an actress, known for Whirlpool (1970), The Persuaders! (1971) and The Hound of the Baskervilles (1978). She died on 29 December 2002 in Guildford, Surrey, England, UK.
- Christine Finn was born in 1929 in Wellington, Tamil Nadu, India. She was an actress, known for Thunderbirds Are GO (1966), Thunderbirds (1965) and Thunderbird 6 (1968). She died on 5 December 2007 in Guildford, Surrey, England, UK.
- Actress
- Soundtrack
Florence Desmond was born on 31 May 1905 in Islington, London, England, UK. She was an actress, known for Some Girls Do (1969), Three Came Home (1950) and Gay Love (1934). She was married to Charles Hughesdon and Tom Campbell Black. She died on 16 January 1993 in Guildford, Surrey, England, UK.- Writer
- Producer
Harry Driver was born on 13 May 1931 in Manchester, England, UK. He was a writer and producer, known for Nearest and Dearest (1968), Pardon the Expression (1965) and For the Love of Ada (1970). He died on 25 November 1973 in Guildford, Surrey, England, UK.- Actor
- Casting Director
- Soundtrack
Gary Hope was born on 20 May 1933 in Essex, England, UK. He was an actor and casting director, known for The 2nd Best Secret Agent in the Whole Wide World (1965), The Count of Monte Cristo (1964) and Number One Gun (1990). He died on 13 May 2012 in Guildford, Surrey, England, UK.- Actor
- Producer
- Writer
Often thought to be Canadian or Egyptian, Walton was in fact born Kenneth Walton Beckett in England in 1917. Shortening his name to Kent Walton when he became a disc jockey on Radio Luxembourg, he soon found himself in demand on TV particularly as a voice-over man. Whilst acting as a compere on the pop show Cool for Cats, Walton developed an interest in wrestling through Mick McManus and subsequently became ITV's 'voice of wrestling' from 1955 till the sight of burly men throwing each other around a ring was put out to pasture by the network in 1988. In 1970 Walton had formed Pyramid Films with Crossroads creator Hazel Adair and the pair jointly and anonymously produced Elton Hawke's films 'Can You Keep It Up For a Week' and 'Clinic Xclusive' (aka With These Hands). After the pair came clean about their sex film work in the 1975 BBC2 documentary Man Alive: Exploitation, a solo Adair was then free to produce the big budget 'Keep It Up Downstairs' under her real name. In an earlier incarnation as 'Ralph Solomans', Adair and Walton had also produced the sex/horror film 'Virgin Witch'. Upon his death in 2003, most of Walton's obituaries chose to ignore his film work.- Olive Milbourne was born on 16 June 1909 in Pancras, London, England, UK. She was an actress, known for The Likely Lads (1964), The Avengers (1961) and New Scotland Yard (1972). She was married to Cary Ellison. She died on 23 June 1994 in Guildford, Surrey, England, UK.
- Art Department
- Production Designer
- Producer
Barry Learoyd was born on 24 May 1915 in Folkestone, Kent, England, UK. He was a production designer and producer, known for BBC Sunday-Night Theatre (1950), BBC Sunday-Night Play (1960) and Fantastic Summer (1955). He died in September 2003 in Guildford, Surrey, England, UK.- Music Department
- Composer
- Actor
Wilfred Burns was born on 28 June 1917 in Kington, Herefordshire, England, UK. He was a composer and actor, known for The Shape of Water (2017), Frankenweenie (2012) and Stock Car (1955). He died on 25 September 1990 in Guildford, Surrey, England, UK.- John Ruddock was born on 20 May 1897 in Lima, Peru. He was an actor, known for Quo Vadis (1951), The Way Ahead (1944) and Dancers in Mourning (1959). He was married to Avril Voules. He died on 24 September 1981 in Guildford, Surrey, England, UK.
- Mike Hawthorn was born on 10 April 1929 in Mexborough, Yorkshire, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Glück und Liebe in Monaco (1959), Formula 1 (1950) and After Hours (1958). He died on 22 January 1959 in Guildford, Surrey, England, UK.
- Edward Childs Carpenter was born on 13 December 1872 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. Edward Childs was a writer, known for The Major and the Minor (1942), Captain Courtesy (1915) and The Perfect Gentleman (1935). Edward Childs was married to Helen Alden Knipe. Edward Childs died on 28 June 1950 in Guildford, Surrey, England, UK.
- Actor
- Writer
- Composer
Joseph Cooper was born on 7 October 1912 in Westbury-on-Trym, Bristol, England, UK. He was an actor and writer, known for Humoresque (1920), Spring on the Farm (1933) and A Midsummer Day's Work (1939). He was married to Carol Borg and Jean Greig. He died on 4 August 2001 in Guildford, Surrey, England, UK.- Wendy MacAdam was born on 13 May 1942 in Totnes, Devon, England, UK. She was an actress, known for Rebecca (1997), Star Cops (1987) and Home Tonight (1961). She was married to Michael Carter. She died on 10 January 2009 in Guildford, Surrey, England, UK.
- Walter Winterbottom was born on 31 March 1913 in Oldham, England, UK. He died on 16 February 2002 in Guildford, England, UK.
- Charles Wylie was born on 24 December 1919 in Bakloh, Himachal Pradesh, India. He died on 18 July 2007 in Guildford, Surrey, England, UK.
- Alaric Cotter was born in 1937 in Hailsham, Sussex, England, UK. He was an actor, known for The Children of the New Forest (1955), BBC Sunday-Night Theatre (1950) and Armchair Theatre (1956). He died on 9 July 2012 in Guildford, Surrey, England, UK.
- Producer
- Actor
- Director
Will Hammer was born on 21 November 1887 in Hammersmith, London, England, UK. He was a producer and actor, known for The Bank Messenger Mystery (1936), Polly's Two Fathers (1936) and Song of Freedom (1936). He was married to Theresa Veronica Drummond. He died on 1 June 1957 in Guildford, Surrey, England, UK.- Beresford Lovett was born on 4 April 1880 in Newton Abbot, Devon, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Heartbound (1925). He was married to Ruby Muriel Ory Crute. He died on 15 February 1954 in Guildford, Surrey, England, UK.