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Frank Williams (actor)
Frank John Williams (2 July 1931 – 26 June 2022) was an English actor, best known for playing Reverend Timothy Farthing in the BBC television sitcom ''Dad's Army'' (1969–1977). Often cast as a member of the clergy, Williams appeared in similar roles in '' You Rang, M'Lord?'', ''Hi-de-Hi!'', '' What’s Up Nurse'', '' The Worker'', and '' Vanity Fair''. He reprised the role of Farthing in the 2016 film adaptation of ''Dad's Army''. Early life Williams was born in Edgware, Middlesex, on 2 July 1931, to William Williams, a Welsh nonconformist, and his wife Alice (née Myles). He was educated at a school which temporarily functioned in St Andrew’s Church, Edgware, and two private schools before attending Ardingly College, West Sussex, and Hendon School (then Hendon County School). Williams was an only child and in 1956 bought a house one and a half miles away from his parents' house. Career Williams started his acting career in repertory theatre and worked with the Watfo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Edgware
Edgware () is a suburban town in northern Greater London, mostly in the London Borough of Barnet but with small parts falling in the London Borough of Harrow and in the London Borough of Brent. Edgware is centred north-northwest of Charing Cross and has its own commercial centre. Edgware has a generally suburban character, typical of the rural-urban fringe. It was an ancient parish in the county of Middlesex directly east of the ancient Watling Street, and gives its name to the present day Edgware Road that runs from central London towards the town. The community benefits from some elevated woodland on a high ridge marking the Hertfordshire border of gravel and sand. It includes the areas of Burnt Oak, The Hale, Edgwarebury, Canons Park, and parts of Queensbury, London, Queensbury. Edgware is principally a shopping and residential area, identified in the London Plan as one of the capital's 35 major centres, and one of the northern termini of the Northern line. It has a Edgware b ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ardingly College
Ardingly College () is an independent boarding and day school in the English public school tradition located near Ardingly, West Sussex, England. The school is a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference and of the Woodard Corporation of independent schools and as such has a strong Anglo-Catholic tradition. It was originally a boarding school for boys, and became fully co-educational in 1982. For the academic year 2015/16, Ardingly charged day pupils up to £7,710 per term, making it the 29th most expensive Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference (HMC) day school. It is a public school in the British sense of the term (i.e. fee-paying). As of 2017, there are about 416 pupils enrolled at the school, aged between 13 and 18. Additionally, there are about 520 pupils aged from 2½ to 13 at the Ardingly College Preparatory school, with which it shares some grounds. The school is regularly positioned amongst the top ten International Baccalaureate (IB) schools in t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Bulldog Breed
''The Bulldog Breed'' is a 1960 British comedy film starring Norman Wisdom and directed by Robert Asher. Plot Norman Puckle (Norman Wisdom), a well-meaning but clumsy grocer's assistant, cannot seem to do anything right. After being rejected by Marlene, the love of his life, he attempts suicide, but cannot even do that. He is saved from jumping off a cliff at "Lover's Leap" by a Royal Navy petty officer. He persuades Puckle to join the Royal Navy, where he will meet "lots of girls". Life in the Navy proves not to be as rosy as described, and Puckle fails at every task during basic training. But despite this, he is regarded by the Admiral in charge of a rocket project to be a "typical average British sailor", and chosen to be the first man to fly into outer space in an experimental rocket. Puckle fails at every stage of his training and is court-martialled, but successfully pleads for a final chance to prove himself. By accident, he takes the place of an astronaut and leaves Ea ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Square Peg
''The Square Peg'' is a 1959 British war comedy film directed by John Paddy Carstairs and starring Norman Wisdom. Norman Wisdom plays two different characters: a man who digs and repairs roads, and a Nazi general. Plot During the Second World War, Norman Pitkin, a roadmender with the St Godric's Borough Council, enjoys annoying the soldiers of the nearby British Army camp, even a general. Despite the efforts of his boss, Borough Engineer Mr Grimsdale, Colonel Layton (the camp commander) has both of them called up for service in the Pioneer Corps to exact retribution. They begin training at the same camp under the supervision of one of Pitkin's former victims, Sergeant Loder. The only bright spot for Pitkin is falling in love at first sight with the beautiful ATS officer Lesley Cartland, who is preparing to go behind enemy lines in Nazi-occupied France. Pitkin and Grimsdale board the wrong lorry and end up parachuting into France, where they are put to work on road repairs. They ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Norman Wisdom
Sir Norman Joseph Wisdom, (4 February 1915 – 4 October 2010) was an English actor, comedian, musician and singer best known for a series of comedy films produced between 1953 and 1966 featuring a hapless onscreen character often called Norman Pitkin. He was awarded the 1953 BAFTA Award for Most Promising Newcomer to Leading Film Roles following the release of ''Trouble in Store'', his first film in a lead role. Wisdom gained celebrity status in lands as far apart as South America, Iran and many Eastern Bloc countries, particularly in Albania where his films were the only ones with Western actors permitted to be shown by dictator Enver Hoxha. Charlie Chaplin once referred to Wisdom as his "favourite clown". Wisdom later forged a career on Broadway in New York City and as a television actor, winning critical acclaim for his dramatic role of a dying cancer patient in the television play ''Going Gently'' in 1981. He toured Australia and South Africa. After the 1986 Chernobyl dis ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Extra Day
''The Extra Day'' is a 1956 British comedy-drama film directed by William Fairchild and starring Richard Basehart, Simone Simon and George Baker. Plot After the final scene of a film is lost by the driver taking it to the printing lab, the cast and extras have to be rounded up for it to be re-shot. This proves to be quite an endeavour. The director, German exile Kurt Vorn sends several people out to gather the required actors, who are mainly in theatres. Meanwhile Ronnie, a new Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Nicknamed the "Chairman of the Board" and later called "Ol' Blue Eyes", Sinatra was one of the most popular entertainers of the 1940s, 1950s, and ...-style crooner sings to crowds of adoring girls while his girlfriend Toni struggles to cope with this, until he announces to his adoring fans that he is going to marry her. The public proposal pushes Joe into also proposing which is met with a slap ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Story Of Gilbert And Sullivan
''The Story of Gilbert and Sullivan'' (also known as ''Gilbert & Sullivan'' and ''The Great Gilbert and Sullivan'') is a 1953 British musical drama film dramatisation of the collaboration between Gilbert and Sullivan. Librettist W. S. Gilbert and composer Arthur Sullivan, portrayed by Robert Morley and Maurice Evans, co-wrote fourteen extraordinarily successful comic operas, later referred to as the Savoy Operas, which continue to be popular today. The film, directed by Sidney Gilliat, is based on Leslie Baily's ''The Gilbert and Sullivan Book'', and Baily co-wrote the screenplay with Gilliat. Shot in Technicolor, it was produced by Gilliat and Frank Launder for London Films in time to mark the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. The film was a box-office failure. Description In addition to describing the ups and downs of the partnership between Gilbert and Sullivan, and their relationships with their producer, Richard D'Oyly Carte, the movie depicts many of the people who perfor ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mavis Pugh
Mavis Gladys Fox Pugh (25 June 1914 – 6 December 2006) was a British actress who made many appearances (typically playing upper-class women) in several sitcoms including ''Dad's Army'', ''Are You Being Served?'' and ''Fawlty Towers''. Her best known role was as Lady Lavender Southwick in all four series of ''You Rang, M'Lord?''. Before appearing on television, she had a long and successful career in repertory theatre, including with the Arthur Brough Players. Early life Pugh was born in Croydon, Surrey in 1914. Her father was a London solicitor, and her acting talent was first noticed while performing in school plays at Downs College in Folkestone, Kent. Pugh won a scholarship to the International School of Acting. Having worked in rep in Amersham, Buckinghamshire, Pugh toured in 1939 with ''My Wife's Family'' and in 1943 made her West End debut in ''Junior Miss''. As well as doing several years in rep, Pugh toured music halls and clubs with Hugh Paddick with the pair trying to ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Donald Hewlett
Donald Marland Hewlett (30 August 1920 – 4 June 2011) was a British actor who was best known for his sitcom roles as Colonel Charles Reynolds in ''It Ain't Half Hot Mum'' and Lord Meldrum in '' You Rang, M'Lord?'', both written by Jimmy Perry and David Croft. He also had other roles in British film and television productions.It Ain't Half Hot Mum's Donald Hewlett dies at 90 ''BBC News'', 5 June 2011 Early life Hewlett was born into a wealthy family; his father was Conservative MP for[...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Colin Bean
Colin Bean (15 April 1926 – 20 June 2009) was an English actor. He was best known for his role as Private Sponge in the BBC comedy series ''Dad's Army''. Early life Born in Wigan, Lancashire, Bean's father played football for local side Wigan Borough F.C., Wigan Borough, and he attended Wigan Grammar School. Bean's first appearance had been as a shepherd in a school play, and much against paternal intentions, he took up acting professionally until being called up for national service. He served for four years in the British Army after World War II, spending some time in Japan, and taking the opportunity to continue his acting by joining the British Commonwealth Occupation Force (BCOF). After graduating from drama school in 1952, he joined the Sheffield Rep as assistant stage manager; regular theatre work followed. Career His work in ''Dad's Army'' came as a result of working at Watford Rep in 1962 under series co-writer Jimmy Perry as the company's actor-manager, in addition to ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Michael Knowles (actor)
Michael Sydney Knowles (born 26 April 1937) is a British actor and scriptwriter who is best known for his roles in BBC sitcoms written by Jimmy Perry and David Croft. He often starred alongside Donald Hewlett with whom he first appeared in ''It Ain't Half Hot Mum''. They later appeared together in '' Rogue's Rock, Come Back Mrs. Noah'' and '' You Rang, M'Lord?'' In Knowles' writing career, he co-adapted (with Harold Snoad) the radio version of ''Dad's Army'' and writing with Snoad the ''Dad's Army'' spinoff series '' It Sticks Out Half a Mile'' for radio, which became the television series ''High and Dry''. Early life Knowles attended Bemrose Grammar School for Boys, Derby (now Bemrose School), where he stayed on into the 6th form and played the lead role in the school's production of Shakespeare's ''Henry V.'' [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jimmy Perry
James Perry, (20 September 1923 – 23 October 2016)Simon Morgan-Russell, "Perry, James (Jimmy) (1923–2016)", ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, Jan 202available online Retrieved 25 August 2020. was an English script writer and actor. He devised and co-wrote the BBC sitcoms ''Dad's Army'' (1968–77), ''It Ain't Half Hot Mum'' (1974–81), ''Hi-De-Hi'' (1980–88) and '' You Rang, M'Lord?'' (1988–93), all with David Croft. Perry co-wrote the theme tune of ''Dad's Army'', "Who Do You Think You Are Kidding, Mr. Hitler?" along with Derek Taverner, for which Perry received an Ivor Novello Award from the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors in 1971. Early life Perry was born in Barnes, Surrey. His father, Arthur, was an antiques dealer, whose shop was in South Kensington, London. He was a founder of the British Antique Dealers' Association. His son was educated at two independent schools, Colet Court and St Paul's School, whi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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