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1-50 of 253
- 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.- The son of a car dealer, the British actor Simon Ward was born in London, England, in 1941, and educated there at Alleyn's School, the home of the National Youth Theatre, which he joined at age 13 and stayed with for eight years. After attending the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, he worked in repertory in Northampton, Birmingham and Oxford, and occasionally in London's West End. His big break in theater came in 1967 when he played in Joe Orton's "Loot" which led to a number of small film and television roles. Perhaps his best work is his portrayals of the lead characters in Young Winston (1972) and All Creatures Great and Small (1975).
- 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.- A former telephone engineer who dabbled in amateur dramatics, John Gregson served aboard a minesweeper with the Royal Navy during World War II. After demobilisation, he joined the Liverpool Old Vic, making his stage debut in 'The Knight of the Burning Pestle'. Freshly married, he moved to London and acted alongside Robert Donat and Margaret Leighton in 'A Sleeping Clergyman' at the West End Criterion Theatre in 1947. During the same period, he was also cast in his first movie, the romantic period melodrama Saraband (1948), though his scenes ended up being cut. Undeterred, Gregson established himself as a popular favorite in subsequent Ealing comedies and later as a long term contractee with the Rank Organisation. His screen personae tended to be men of integrity: regular guys who don't necessarily finish on top, introspective, somewhat diffident, and often troubled. His most fondly remembered role was that of vintage car enthusiast Alan McKim, in the idiosyncratic (and typically British) comedy Genevieve (1953). Ironically, while he is featured in almost every scene behind the wheel, Gregson couldn't drive a car when filming began - and proved to be a slow learner.
For the remainder of the decade,he became somewhat typecast in traditional 'stiff upper lip' military roles. As film opportunities began to diminish, he turned more and more towards television, enjoying his greatest popularity as titular star of the police drama series Gideon C.I.D. (1964). Until his untimely death at the age of 55, Gregson alternated television work with acting on stage, as well as doing voice-overs and appearing in commercials for Hamlet cigars. - Actor
- Writer
- Music Department
Trevor Peacock was born on 19 May 1931 in Edmonton, London, England, UK. He was an actor and writer, known for Fred Claus (2007), Neverwhere (1996) and The Trial (1993). He was married to Tilly Tremayne and Iris Jones. He died on 8 March 2021 in Somerset, England, UK.- Molly Peters was a gorgeous and voluptuous British blonde bombshell actress and model who alas only appeared in a handful of films and TV shows during her regrettably fleeting acting career in the mid 60s. Molly was born in 1942 in Walsham-le-Willows, Suffolk, England. Peters started out as a model; among the men's magazines she graced the covers of and/or posed in pictorials for are "Playboy," "Modern Man," "Calvalcade," "Beau," "Ace," "Parade," "Best for Men," "Dapper," and "Escapade." Molly achieved her greatest enduring cult cinema popularity with her memorably sensuous portrayal of Patricia Fearing, the fetching masseuse who gets seduced by James Bond at the Shrubland health club in "Thunderball." She was discovered by director Terence Young and has the distinction of being the first Bond girl to be seen taking her clothes off on screen. In the wake of her 007 stint Peters acted in two more movies and popped up on episodes of the TV shows "Armchair Theatre" and "Baker's Half-Dozen." Molly Peters had her acting career abruptly cut short after reportedly having a falling out with her agent.
- 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. - Actor
- Director
- Writer
Terence Beesley was an actor and writer. He was born in London to Irish parents and attended St Marylebone Grammar School before training at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art from 1981 to 1984. Beesley was married to Ashley Jensen from 2007 until his death in 2017. They met while acting in Tom Courtenay's King Lear at the Royal Exchange theatre in Manchester. They had one son, Francis Jonathan Beesley, born in 2009. Beesley committed suicide by carbon monoxide poisoning at his Somerset home on 30th November, 2017.- Tall, incisive, aquiline-featured British character actor. Born in Fulham, London, Archard won a scholarship to study at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in 1938. The following year, he made his stage debut opposite Jessica Tandy in Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, at the Regent's Park Theatre. A conscientious objector during the war, Archard made the rounds of repertory theatre for several years, with intermittent periods of unemployment. In 1959, he decided to emigrate to Canada for a fresh start. Having already booked his passage, he suddenly received several offers to appear in television dramas. The resulting body of work led to an audition with writer/producer Elwyn Jones for the central role in the projected BBC series Spy-Catcher (1959).
For four seasons (24 episodes), Archard played the role of the real life Lt.Col. Oreste Pinto, who used psychology and guile to unmask foreign spies entering Britain during the Second World War. With the part came recognition and a steady stream of work. Ironically, given his pacifist disposition, Archard was frequently cast as military men or police officers. He performed these to perfection, with his trademark authoritative bearing and icy delivery. He was equally effective as a vicar in Village of the Damned (1960), and a Soviet intelligence operative in The Spy with a Cold Nose (1966). On television, he had a recurring role in Z Cars (1962) and played the ill-fated Egyptologist Marcus Scarman in Doctor Who (1963), 'The Pyramids of Mars'. A frequent face in horror movies, he essayed the vampire hunter Van Helsing in the 'Dracula' instalment of the anthology series Mystery and Imagination (1966). He was also somewhat memorable as Major General Fullard in the film version of Dad's Army (1971), in which he contemptuously referred to Captain Mainwaring as "a damn bank clerk".
On stage he was seen in Terence Rattigan's 'Cause Celebre' at the West End (1977) and in Peter O'Tooles ill-received 'Macbeth' at the Old Vic in 1980. Bernard Archard retired to his home in Somerset after his character in Emmerdale Farm (1972) was killed off. He died in May 2008 at the ripe old age of 91. - 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).
- 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.
- Actor
- Composer
- Music Department
Although best known as the outspoken front man for legendary punk rock group The Clash, Joe Strummer also carved out an interesting niche as an actor once the band broke up. The Clash formed in 1976, and along with the Sex Pistols spearheaded the British punk rock scene. By 1979, The Clash had broadened their musical horizons at a time when most punk bands were painting themselves into a corner. By the early 1980s, The Clash were filling stadiums around the world; ultimately, trying to reconcile punk ethics with stardom took its toll on the band. The original line-up dissolved in 1983, and but with new members, Strummer soldiered on for a couple years longer. Ultimately embarrassed that The Clash had become a strange parody of itself, he split up the band once and for all, and then kept a low profile for a few years. When he returned, he decided to branch out in a new direction: acting.
Strummer first appeared on film playing himself in Rude Boy (1980), a quasi documentary look at The Clash through the misadventures of a young roadie who tours with the band. His first proper role as an actor was as the grimy gangster Simms in Alex Cox's cult classic Straight to Hell (1987). Apparently Strummer employed the method school of acting on the shoot, not changing his clothes for days in the hot Spanish sun.
His next notable appearance was as English Johnny in Jim Jarmusch's excellent Mystery Train (1989), a role clearly written for him by Jarmusch. His last appearance - speaking all of his dialogue in French - was in _Docteur Chance (1997)_ . Although not a professional actor by any means, Strummer's charisma went a long way, and he can be a treat to watch onscreen. Along with his acting work, Strummer also composed several film scores, including the excellent Walker (1987) and the raucous soundtrack to Permanent Record (1988).
After more than 10 years with only sporadic musical output, Strummer returned in a big way with the excellent 1999 album Rock Art & The X-Ray Style. With his new band, The Mescaleros, Strummer enjoyed a strong comeback that put him back in the spotlight. Sadly, just a few months before The Clash were due to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame, Strummer died of a congenital heart condition at the still young age of 50. His death came as a shock to fans around the world.- Actor
- Writer
- Editor
Edward Sinclair was born on 3 February 1914 in Oldham, Greater Manchester, England, UK. He was an actor and writer, known for Dad's Army (1971), The Bells (1931) and Dad's Army (1968). He was married to Gladys Green. He died on 29 August 1977 in Cheddar, 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.
- 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.
- 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.- 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.- A distinguished stage actor, Ernest Clark was best known to British television viewers for his role as the crusty "Sir Geoffrey Loftus" in the long running "Doctor" comedy series during the 1970s.
Born in Maida Vale, Clark was the son of a master builder and was educated at Marylebone Grammar School. His first job was as a reporter on a local newspaper and he was also a keen amateur actor.
He made his first professional appearance at the Festival Theatre, Cambridge in 1937 and, throughout the 1930s and 40s, was rarely off the West End stage. In New York in 1950, he garnered rave reviews for his appearance in T.S. Eliot's "The Cocktail Party".
A prolific screen character actor, he was usually cast in cold, tight-lipped roles in British war films.
He was vice-president of Equity, the British actor's union, from 1964-69 and president from 1970-73. An articulate, outspoken and often witty commentator for the acting profession, he always argued on the side of regulated entry into what he described as "an overcrowded industry".
Clark's first two marriages were dissolved. His third wife was 'Julia Lockwood', the daughter of the British film star Margaret Lockwood. - Actor
- Soundtrack
Michael Sharvell-Martin was born on 2 February 1944 in Herne Bay, Kent, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Are You Being Served? (1972), Space: 1999 (1975) and Dave Allen at Large (1971). He was married to Linda Hind. He died on 28 October 2010 in Wincanton, Somerset, England, UK.- Christine Pollon was born in 1927 in Cardiff, Wales, UK. She was an actress, known for The Avengers (1961), Romeo and Juliet (1962) and Boyd Q.C. (1956). She was married to Donald Hewlett. She died on 29 August 2012 in Bath, Somerset, England, UK.
- Dan van Husen had a certain look about him back then in the 1970s and all the last 40 years have done is add a sage, aged, mature wisened aura to him. He has appeared in twenty-three Italo Westerns in six or seven years and then he branched out and tackled more challenging roles and genres. Not that many from the Spaghetti Western days ever studied or hit acting with the tenacity that he has done up until the present.
- Alison Seebohm was born on 5 May 1939 in Luton, Bedfordshire, England, UK. She was an actress, known for A Hard Day's Night (1964), The Avengers (1961) and The Servant (1963). She was married to Frank Cvitanovich and Ray Austin. She died on 22 February 2015 in Taunton, Somerset, England, UK.
- Actress
- Additional Crew
Kirsten Hughes was born on 11 November 1962 in Cheshire, England. She was an actress, known for Jane and the Lost City (1987), The Enid Blyton Adventure Series (1996) and FMI: Service Reception Training (1986). She died on 27 May 2022 in Ilminster, Somerset, England, UK.- 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.
- Mary Yeomans was born on 19 August 1927 in Birmingham, England, UK. She was an actress, known for The Human Jungle (1963), Secret Agent (1964) and Adam Adamant Lives! (1966). She died on 11 December 2000 in Yeovil, Somerset, England, UK.
- Michael J. Reynolds was born on 15 August 1939 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He was an actor, known for The Descent: Part 2 (2009), Leap Year (2010) and Blown Away (1994). He was married to Katherine Reynolds. He died on 22 March 2018 in Milverton, Somerset, England, UK.
- Christy Brown was born on 5 June 1932 in Dublin, Ireland. He was a writer, known for My Left Foot (1989). He was married to Mary Carr. He died on 6 September 1981 in Parbrook, Somerset, England, UK.
- Writer
- Actor
Evelyn Waugh was an English writer from London. He had a successful career as a novelist, a biographer, a travel writer, a journalist, and a book reviewer. He is primarily remembered for the satirical novel "Decline and Fall" (1928), the autobiographical novel "A Handful of Dust" (1934), the nostalgia-themed family saga "Brideshead Revisited" (1945), and the war-themed trilogy "Sword of Honour" (1952-1961). Waugh converted to Roman Catholicism in the early 1930s, and his works after that point tended to feature Catholic characters.
In 1903, Waugh was born in West Hampstead, London. His father was the professional writer and literary critic Arthur Waugh (1866-1943). Through his father's side of the family, Waugh was a descendant of the nonconformist preacher Alexander Waugh (1754-1827). His ancestor had co-founded the London Missionary Society, an interdenominational evangelical missionary society. Waugh's known ancestry included English, Scottish, Welsh, Irish and French Huguenot people.
Waugh was home-schooled by his mother until the age of 7. In September 1910, Waugh began life as a day pupil at the Heath Mount preparatory school. By that time, he had started writing short stories as a hobby. At school, Waugh was a notorious school bully. One of his victims was Cecil Beaton, later a professional photographer who recorded his memories of Waugh's bullying. In his free time from school, Waugh wrote theatrical plays and convinced his neighborhood friends to perform them with him.
During the early years of World War I, Waugh and several of his schoolmates from Heath Mount served as messengers for the War Office. In his final year at Heath Mount, Waugh served as the editor of the school magazine "The Cynic". Waugh aspired to attend the boarding school Sherborne School, which his father had once attended. But after his older brother Alec was expelled from Sherborne due to his homosexuality, Waugh learned that the school would not even consider him as a candidate student. In 1917, Waugh instead became a student of the Lancing College, which he considered to be inferior to Sherborne.
During his time at Lancing, Waugh published an essay about Cubism in an art magazine. It was his first published work. His teacher J. F. Roxburgh (1888-1954) encouraged Waugh's aspirations for a writing career. Another teacher, Francis Crease, trained Waugh in the arts of calligraphy and decorative design. Waugh won several prized for art and literature during his student years at Lancing. He left Lancing in December 1921, after winning a scholarship to read Modern History at Hertford College, Oxford.
During his early years in Oxford, Waugh worked as a reporter for two rival student publications: "Cherwell" and "Isis". He also worked as a film reviewer "Isis". Waugh soon joined the "Hypocrites' Club" (1921-1925), a student club for heavy drinkers and homosexuals. Waugh had his first homosexual relationships with some of the club's fellow members. Waugh devoted part of his time to writing reviews and short stories for publication, part of his time to improving his skills as a graphic artist, and part of his time partying with the club members. He neglected his formal studies, and was frequently arguing with his history tutor C. R. M. F. Cruttwell (1887-1941). Their adversarial relationship turned into mutual hatred, and Waugh continued mocking Crutwell in his literary works for decades.
Waugh left Oxford in 1924, without earning a degree. He started work on a novel, and enrolled at the art school Heatherley School of Fine Art. He soon quit his studies due to boredom, and started looking for a job. In January 1925, Waugh started working as a teacher at Arnold House, a boys' preparatory school in North Wales. Used to hanging out with large groups of friends, Waugh had trouble adjusting to the social isolation of his new position.
Waugh quit his teaching job in the summer of 1925, as he was promised a secretarial job by the experienced writer C. K. Scott Moncrieff (1889-1930). Moncrief decided against hiring him, but Waugh learned this after his resignation. At about the same time, a completed novel by Waugh was rejected by a publisher. Waugh felt desperate, and he experienced a failed suicide attempt. He spend the following couple of years as a school teacher at the village of Aston Clinton in Buckinghamshire and at Notting Hill in London.
Waugh started writing commercially-published fiction in 1926. In 1927, he secured a contract to write a full-length biography of the painter Dante Gabriel Rossetti (1882-1882). This biography was published in April 1928, and won critical praise. His first novel "Decline and Fall" was published in September 1928, and was also met with praise and decent sales. By December 1928, the novel was in its third printing and the rights for an American reprint had already been sold. Waugh had found success in his literary career, but his personal life was still unsteady. He had a brief, failed marriage to the socialite Evelyn Gardner (1903-1994), daughter of Herbert Gardner, 1st Baron Burghclere. Gardner did not tolerate her husband's infidelities and Waugh himself filed for a divorce. The marriage had lasted less than a year.
Following his separation for his wife in 1929, Waugh had no settled home for the next eight years. Despite working steadily as a writer and journalist, he relied on the hospitality of his friends instead of buying or renting a house. His novel "Vile Bodies" (1930) , was a major commercial success. It was a rather bitter satire on the Bright Young Things, a group of Bohemian aristocrats and socialites who had grained prominence in the 1920s.
In 1930, Waugh traveled to Abyssinia as a journalist, to cover the coronation of the new emperor Haile Selassie. He subsequently traveled through the British East Africa colonies and the Belgian Congo. He recorded his travel in both a travel book and an autobiographical novel. Waugh spend the winter of 1932-1933 traveling through British Guiana and Brazil. In 1934, Waugh joined an expedition to Spitsbergen in the Arctic. He returned to Ethiopia in 1935, as a war correspondent in the Second Italo-Ethiopian War (1935-1937).
In April 1937, Waugh married his second wife Laura Herbert. She was a cousin of his first wife. As a wedding present, the couple received the country house Piers Court, located in Gloucestershire. He continued publishing new books in the late 1930s, though they primarily expressed his increasingly conservative political views. In September 1939, Waugh let his wife and young children move to Pixton Park in Somerset, the Herbert family's country seat. It was considered a safer location in wartime conditions. he was commissioned into the Royal Marines in December 1939.
Waugh's first experience of combat service in World War II was the Battle of Dakar (September 1940) in French West Africa. In November 1940, Waugh was posted to a commando unit. In May 1941, Waugh and his unit helped in the evacuation of Crete. In May 1942, Waugh was transferred to the Royal Horse Guards. In 1943, Waugh started parachute training. He fractured a fibula during an exercise, and he applied for three months' unpaid leave. He started working on the novel "Brideshead Revisited" during his recovery. Waugh's extended leave lasted until June 1944. He then served as a liaison to Partisan forces in Yugoslavia. He returned to London in March 1945.
"Brideshead Revisited" was published in May 1945, and was more popular than any of his previous works. Waugh was released by the army in September 1945. He continued traveling as a journalist in various European locations. He expressed his frustrations about postwar European travel in the novella "Scott-King's Modern Europe" (1947). In the early 1950s, he started working on war novels. He also completed the dystopian novel "Love Among the Ruins. A Romance of the Near Future" (1953), which displayed his contempt for the post-war world. He seemed to be prematurely aged at the time. By the time Waugh completed his 50th year, he was partially deaf, rheumatic, and suffering from recurring insomnia and depression. He used alcohol for self-medication.
In 1954, Waugh's doctors were concerned about his deteriorating health and advised him to travel again. He took a ship for Sri Lanka, but displayed signs of paranoia during the journey. He thought that the other passengers were whispering about him, and complained about hearing voices even when he was alone. A subsequent medical examination revealed that Waugh was suffering from bromide poisoning from his drugs regimen. When his medication was changed, his hallucinations disappeared. He recorded his experience in the autobiographical novel "The Ordeal of Gilbert Pinfold" (1957).
In 1955, Waugh was visited at home by an overly aggressive journalist who demanded an interview. No longer feeling safe at Piers Court, Waugh decided to sell his long-time residence. In 1956, Waugh and his family moved to the Combe Florey House in Somerset. In the late 1950s, he ceased publishing new works while working on the biography of a Catholic theologian. Due to facing money shortages, Waugh agreed to be interviewed by the BBC in 1960. It was his first interview in years, as he had been systematically avoiding journalists.
Waugh published his last major work in 1961, the war novel "Unconditional Surrender". He started work on his autobiography in 1962. Its first volume was published in 1964, under the title "A Little Learning". He changed the names of several of the individuals mentioned in the book, in order to avoid scandal. The book attracted little attention. In desperate need of funds in 1965, Waugh signed contracts to write several non-fiction books. His physical and mental deterioration prevented him from working on any of these books, and his only literal activity at the time was editing work in the combined edition of his war novels.
Waugh died of heart failure in April 1966, while attending the Easter Mass with members of his family. He was 62-years-old at the time of his death. He was buried in the churchyard of the Church of St Peter & St Paul, located in Combe Florey. A Requiem Mass in his honor was celebrated in Westminster Cathedral. His novels have received several adaptations since his death, and their popularity has endured into the 21st century.- Additional Crew
Mick Aston was born on 1 July 1946 in Oldbury, West Midlands, England, UK. He is known for Seven Ages of Britain (2003), Time Team (1994) and Time Signs (1991). He died on 24 June 2013 in Winscombe, 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.
- The daughter of glamorous British film star Margaret Lockwood was destined for an acting career by the age of five when she was enrolled in a theatrical school. Around this time her parents separated and then divorced three years later. Young Julia was often left in the care of a nanny, though her mother remained on hand to provide gentle prodding into the world of entertainment. Julia's film debut duly followed in 1947 with a tiny role in Daphne Du Maurier's Hungry Hill (1947). Mother and daughter also shared the stage on several occasions. In 1953, Julia returned to the screen as the juvenile lead in a television adaptation of Johanna Spyri's Swiss classic novel Heidi (1953). 'Toots', as she was affectionately called, went on to reprise her role in a BBC children's serial in 1954. By decade's end, she had moved from standard teenage family fare (including The Flying Eye (1955), which is possibly the first film to presage the development of drones) to bawdy comedy (Please Turn Over (1959), directed by the regular helmsman of the Carry On franchise, Gerald Thomas). Julia spent most of the 60s alternating between stage ('Peter Pan', 'Arsenic and Old Lace') and TV work. She twice more co-starred with her mother in The Royalty (1957) and its sequel The Flying Swan (1965), about the daily goings on at a posh London hotel. Her last recurring role was in a short-lived sitcom with Richard Briers, Birds on the Wing (1971), which ran to just six episodes. Julia married the character actor Ernest Clark (best known as the bluff Sir Geoffrey Loftus in the 1970s "Doctor" comedies) in December 1972. With her husband, she retired to her 14th century Somerset farmhouse in 1976 where she devoted herself to raising a family.
- Director
- Producer
- Writer
Alastair Reid was born on 21 July 1939 in Edinburgh, Scotland, UK. He was a director and producer, known for Traffik (1989), Something to Hide (1972) and Baby Love (1969). He died on 17 August 2011 in Stoke St Gregory, Somerset, UK.- 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.
- Richard Beale was born on 13 May 1920 in Hackney, London, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Emmerdale Farm (1972), Madame Bovary (1964) and Treasure Island (1977). He died on 27 March 2017 in 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.
- John du Pont was born on 22 November 1938 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. He died on 9 December 2010 in Somerset, Pennsylvania, USA.
- Richard Mathews was born on 11 December 1914 in Romford, Essex, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Children of the Stones (1977), Doctor Who (1963) and Armchair Theatre (1956). He was married to Elizabeth Ashley. He died on 15 October 1992 in Ilminster, Somerset, England, UK.
- Elizabeth Ashley was born on 18 March 1920 in London, England, UK. She was an actress, known for Theatre Night (1957), Secret Agent (1964) and Six Shades of Black (1965). She was married to Richard Mathews. She died on 30 January 2001 in Merriott, Somerset, England, UK.
- Robert Cawdron was born on 29 December 1921 in Garches, Hauts-de-Seine, France. He was an actor, known for Triton (1968), Treasure Island (1951) and The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes (1970). He was married to Tessa Bird and Sonia King. He died in September 1997 in Somerset, England, UK.
- William Devlin was born on 5 December 1911 in Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, UK. He was an actor, known for Mutiny on the Elsinore (1937), Solomon and Sheba (1959) and The Mill on the Floss (1936). He was married to Meriel Moore (actress) and Mary Casson (actress/musician). He died on 25 January 1987 in 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.- Terry Taplin was born on 5 February 1942 in Leeds, Yorkshire, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Sherlock Holmes (2009), Les Misérables (1998) and Rowing with the Wind (1988). He was married to Daryl Webster. He died on 25 June 2013 in Bridgwater, 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.- Phyllis Konstam was born on 14 April 1907 in London, England, UK. She was an actress, known for The Skin Game (1931), Tilly of Bloomsbury (1931) and Murder! (1930). She was married to Bunny Austin. She died on 20 August 1976 in 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.- John Garrie was born on 18 May 1923 in England, UK. He was an actor, known for The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes (1970), The Avengers (1961) and Timeslip (1970). He died on 22 September 1998 in Taunton, Somerset, England, UK.
- Music Department
- Composer
- Soundtrack
Trevor Duncan was born on 27 February 1924 in Camberwell, London, England, UK. He was a composer, known for Cashback (2006), Ed Wood (1994) and Fido (2006). He died on 17 December 2005 in Taunton, Somerset, England, UK.- Composer
- Music Department
- Actor
Simon Brint was born on 26 September 1950 in High Ham, Somerset, England, UK. He was a composer and actor, known for French and Saunders (1987), What Happens in Vegas (2008) and Eat the Rich (1987). He was married to Amanda Cockerton. He died on 29 May 2011 in Langport, Somerset, England, UK.- Actress
- Soundtrack
Karen Tungay was born in 1962 in Durban, South Africa. She was an actress, known for The Hitchhiker (1983), Sharpe (1993) and Mon père, ce héros. (1991). She died on 20 May 2019 in Radstock, Somerset, England.- Camera and Electrical Department
- Cinematographer
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Ronnie Maasz was born on 2 February 1926 in Hampstead, London, England, UK. Ronnie was a cinematographer and assistant director, known for The Italian Job (1969), Little Shop of Horrors (1986) and Highlander (1986). Ronnie died on 19 September 2007 in Taunton, Somerset, England, UK.