Douglas Wilmer (8 January 1920 – 31 March 2016) was an English actor, best known for playing Sherlock Holmes in the 1965 TV series ''Sherlock Holmes''.

Early life

Wilmer was born in

Brentford Brentford is a suburban town in West London, England and part of the London Borough of Hounslow. It lies at the confluence of the River Brent and the Thames, west of Charing Cross. Its economy has diverse company headquarters buildings w ...

Middlesex Middlesex (; abbreviation: Middx) is a historic county in southeast England. Its area is almost entirely within the wider urbanised area of London and mostly within the ceremonial county of Greater London, with small sections in neighbourin ...

, and received his education at King's School,

Canterbury Canterbury (, ) is a cathedral city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, situated in the heart of the City of Canterbury local government district of Kent, England. It lies on the River Stour. The Archbishop of Canterbury is the primate of ...

, and

Stonyhurst College Stonyhurst College is a co-educational Catholic Church, Roman Catholic independent school, adhering to the Society of Jesus, Jesuit tradition, on the Stonyhurst, Stonyhurst Estate, Lancashire, England. It occupies a Grade I listed building. Th ...

. A performance as the Archbishop of Canterbury in a school play at King's School was seen by Dame Sybil Thorndike who afterward told the headmaster "If that boy, playing the Archbishop, were to take to the stage, I think that he could well make a go of it." After completing school, Wilmer applied for a scholarship at

Royal Academy of Dramatic Art The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA; ) is a drama school in London, England, that provides vocational conservatoire training for theatre, film, television, and radio. It is based in the Bloomsbury area of Central London, close to the Sena ...

and was accepted. Whilst in training at RADA, he was conscripted into the

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gur ...

for military service with the

Royal Artillery The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery (RA) and colloquially known as "The Gunners", is one of two regiments that make up the artillery arm of the British Army. The Royal Regiment of Artillery comprises t ...

in the Second World War. After training, he was posted to an anti-tank battery, and saw war service in Africa with the

Royal West African Frontier Force The West African Frontier Force (WAFF) was a multi-battalion field force, formed by the British Colonial Office in 1900 to garrison the West African colonies of Nigeria, Gold Coast, Sierra Leone and Gambia. In 1928, it received royal recognit ...

. He was later invalided out of the Armed Forces, having contracted

tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease usually caused by ''Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body. Most infections show no symptoms, in w ...

Career

Wilmer made his theatre stage debut in 1945 in

repertory A repertory theatre is a theatre in which a resident company presents works from a specified repertoire, usually in alternation or rotation. United Kingdom Annie Horniman founded the first modern repertory theatre in Manchester after withdrawi ...

at Rugby. He appeared frequently on the London stage, mainly in classical and

Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's natio ...

an roles. He made his first major film appearance in

Laurence Olivier Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier (; 22 May 1907 – 11 July 1989) was an English actor and director who, along with his contemporaries Ralph Richardson and John Gielgud, was one of a trio of male actors who dominated the British stage o ...

's ''

Richard III Richard III (2 October 145222 August 1485) was King of England and Lord of Ireland from 26 June 1483 until his death in 1485. He was the last king of the House of York and the last of the Plantagenet dynasty. His defeat and death at the Bat ...

'' (1955); thereafter, he appeared in a large number of films, mostly in supporting roles. They include several epic films: as M. Desmoulins in '' The Battle of the River Plate'' (1956), as Al-Mu'tamin in '' El Cid'' (1961), ''

Cleopatra Cleopatra VII Philopator ( grc-gre, Κλεοπάτρα Φιλοπάτωρ}, "Cleopatra the father-beloved"; 69 BC10 August 30 BC) was Queen of the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Ancient Egypt, Egypt from 51 to 30 BC, and its last active ruler. ...

'' (1963), ''

The Fall of the Roman Empire The fall of the Western Roman Empire (also called the fall of the Roman Empire or the fall of Rome) was the loss of central political control in the Western Roman Empire, a process in which the Empire failed to enforce its rule, and its vas ...

'' (1964), as Khalifa Abdullah in ''

Khartoum Khartoum or Khartum ( ; ar, الخرطوم, Al-Khurṭūm, din, Kaartuɔ̈m) is the capital of Sudan. With a population of 5,274,321, its metropolitan area is the largest in Sudan. It is located at the confluence of the White Nile, flowing n ...

'' (1966), as Maj. Gen. Francis de Guingand in '' Patton'' (1970), as

Sir Thomas Fairfax Thomas Fairfax, 3rd Lord Fairfax of Cameron (17 January 161212 November 1671), also known as Sir Thomas Fairfax, was an English politician, general and Parliamentary commander-in-chief during the English Civil War. An adept and talented comman ...

in ''

Cromwell Oliver Cromwell (25 April 15993 September 1658) was an English politician and military officer who is widely regarded as one of the most important statesmen in English history. He came to prominence during the 1639 to 1651 Wars of the Three Ki ...

'' (1970), and ''

Antony and Cleopatra ''Antony and Cleopatra'' ( First Folio title: ''The Tragedie of Anthonie, and Cleopatra'') is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. The play was first performed, by the King's Men, at either the Blackfriars Theatre or the Globe Theatre in arou ...

'' (1972). Other appearances include '' Jason and the Argonauts'' (1963) as

Pelias Pelias ( ; Ancient Greek: Πελίας) was king of Iolcus in Greek mythology. He was the one who sent Jason on the quest for the Golden Fleece. Family Pelias was the son of Tyro and Poseidon. His wife is recorded as either Anaxibia, daught ...

, the Pink Panther films '' A Shot in the Dark'' (1964) and ''

Revenge of the Pink Panther ''Revenge of the Pink Panther'' is a 1978 comedy film. It is the sixth film in '' The Pink Panther'' comedy film series. Released in 1978, it is the final on-set performance of Peter Sellers in the role of Inspector Jacques Clouseau. It was al ...

'' (1978), '' The Vampire Lovers'' (1970), '' The Golden Voyage of Sinbad'' (1974), and '' Octopussy'' (1983). He is mainly associated with the role of Sherlock Holmes, which he first played in the BBC's 1964 production of " The Speckled Band". Together with co-star Nigel Stock, who played

Doctor Watson John H. Watson, known as Dr. Watson, is a fictional character in the Sherlock Holmes stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Along with Sherlock Holmes, Dr. Watson first appeared in the novel '' A Study in Scarlet'' (1887). The last work by Doyle ...

, Wilmer was brought back for a further twelve episodes of the ''Sherlock Holmes'' series. In 1973, Wilmer played author Jacques Futrelle's Holmesian detective Professor Van Dusen in '' The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes'' for ITV. In 1975, he once again appeared as Holmes (albeit in a supporting role) in

Gene Wilder Jerome Silberman (June 11, 1933 – August 29, 2016), known professionally as Gene Wilder, was an American actor, comedian, writer and filmmaker. He is known mainly for his comedic roles, but also for his portrayal of Willy Wonka in '' Willy W ...

's '' The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother'', with

Thorley Walters Thorley Swinstead Walters (12 May 1913 – 6 July 1991) was an English character actor. He is probably best remembered for his comedy film roles such as in '' Two-Way Stretch'' and ''Carlton-Browne of the FO''. Early life Walters was born in T ...

as Dr. Watson. Wilmer also played Sir Denis Nayland Smith in two of Harry Alan Towers'

Fu Manchu Dr. Fu Manchu () is a supervillain who was introduced in a series of novels by the English author Sax Rohmer beginning shortly before World War I and continuing for another forty years. The character featured in cinema, television, radio, comi ...

films, ''

The Brides of Fu Manchu ''The Brides of Fu Manchu'' is a 1966 British/West German Constantin Film co-production adventure crime film based on the fictional Chinese villain Dr. Fu Manchu, created by Sax Rohmer. It was the second film in a series, and was preceded ...

'' (1966) and '' The Vengeance of Fu Manchu'' (1967). He recorded a series of the stories on audiocassette for Penguin audio books and appeared as a guest at several UK and US events, including the Society's Golden Jubilee Dinner in January 2001. His other television credits include: ''

The Adventures of Robin Hood ''The Adventures of Robin Hood'' is a 1938 American Technicolor swashbuckler film from Warner Bros. Pictures. It was produced by Hal B. Wallis and Henry Blanke, directed by Michael Curtiz and William Keighley, and stars Errol Flynn, Olivia ...

'', '' The Saint'', ''

The Troubleshooters ''The Troubleshooters'' (titled ''Mogul'' for the first series) is a British television series made by the BBC between 1965 and 1972, created by John Elliot. It recounted events in an international oil company – the "Mogul" of the title. T ...

'', ''

The Avengers Avenger, Avengers, The Avenger, or The Avengers may refer to: Arts and entertainment In the Marvel Comics universe * Avengers (comics), a team of superheroes ** Avengers (Marvel Cinematic Universe), a central team of protagonist superheroes o ...

'', ''

The Baron Baron is a title of nobility. Baron, The Baron or Barons may also refer to: Places * Barons, Alberta, Canada * Baron, Gard, France * Baron, Gironde, France * Baron, Oise, France * Baron, Saône-et-Loire, France * Baron-sur-Odon, France * Bar ...

'', '' UFO'', and '' Space: 1999''. He made a cameo appearance in "

The Reichenbach Fall "The Reichenbach Fall" is the third and final episode of the second series of the BBC television series '' Sherlock''. It was written by Stephen Thompson and stars Benedict Cumberbatch as Sherlock Holmes, Martin Freeman as Dr John Watson, and ...

" episode of '' Sherlock'' as an irate old man in the

Diogenes Club The Diogenes Club is a fictional gentlemen's club created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and featured in several Sherlock Holmes stories, such as 1893's " The Adventure of the Greek Interpreter". It seems to have been named after Diogenes the Cynic ...

Honours and awards

Wilmer was an honorary member of the Sherlock Holmes Society of London, which considered Wilmer "the definitive Holmes". On 24 March 2009 Wilmer was guest of honour at a launch party for his book, held at the

National Liberal Club The National Liberal Club (NLC) is a London private members' club, open to both men and women. It was established by William Ewart Gladstone in 1882 to provide club facilities for Liberal Party campaigners among the newly enlarged electorate ...

in Whitehall Place, London.

Personal life and death

Douglas Wilmer was married three times. In 1946, he married Elizabeth Melville, a fellow RADA student, their marriage was annulled after 25 years. His second marriage in 1973 to wife Barbara ended in a divorce. He married his third wife, Anne (née Harding) in 1985. He lived in

Woodbridge, Suffolk Woodbridge is a port and market town in the East Suffolk district of Suffolk, England. It is up the River Deben from the sea. It lies north-east of Ipswich and forms part of the wider Ipswich built-up area. The town is close to some major ar ...

in later life, where he ran a wine bar called Sherlock's. Wilmer's autobiography ''Stage Whispers'' (Porter Press, ) was published in 2010. On 31 March 2016, after a short bout of pneumonia, Wilmer died aged 96 at Ipswich Hospital in Suffolk, England.

Roger Moore Sir Roger George Moore (14 October 192723 May 2017) was an English actor. He was the third actor to portray fictional British secret agent James Bond in the Eon Productions film series, playing the character in seven feature films between 1 ...

posted a tribute on social media the same day that Wilmer had died; the actors had worked together in the

James Bond The ''James Bond'' series focuses on a fictional Secret Intelligence Service, British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short-story collections. Since Fleming's death in 19 ...

feature film ''Octopussy'' (1983) and on the television show '' The Saint'' (a 1963 episode).

Filmography

* ''It is Midnight, Doctor Schweitzer'' (1953, TV Movie) as Father Charles * ''Sacrifice to the Wind'' (1954, TV Movie) as Menelaus * '' The Men of Sherwood Forest'' (1954) as Sir Nigel Saltire * ''

'' (1955) as The Lord Dorset * ''

Passport to Treason ''Passport to Treason'' is a 1956 British mystery thriller. It stars Rod Cameron, Lois Maxwell, and Clifford Evans. It was directed by Robert S. Baker and written by Kenneth R. Hayles and Norman Hudis, based on the Manning O'Brine novel of ...

'' (1955) as Dr. Randolf * '' The Battle of the River Plate'' (1956) as M. Desmoulins - French Minister, Montevideo * '' Dial 999 (TV series)'', ('Ghost Squad', episode) (1959) as Burton * ''

An Honourable Murder ''An Honourable Murder'' is a 1960 British drama film directed by Godfrey Grayson and starring Norman Wooland, Margaretta Scott and Lisa Daniely. It is a modern reworking of William Shakespeare's ''Julius Caesar'' set in the corporate world of t ...

'' (1960) as R. Cassius * '' El Cid'' (1961) as Moutamin * ''Marco Polo'' (1962) * ''

'' (1963) as Decimus * '' Jason and the Argonauts'' (1963) as

* ''

'' (1964) as

Pescennius Niger Gaius Pescennius Niger (c. 135 – 194) was Roman Emperor from 193 to 194 during the Year of the Five Emperors. He claimed the imperial throne in response to the murder of Pertinax and the elevation of Didius Julianus, but was defeated by a ri ...

* '' Woman of Straw'' (1964) as Dr. Murray (scenes deleted) * '' A Shot in the Dark'' (1964) as Henri LaFarge * ''

The Golden Head ''The Golden Head'' is a 1964 American- Hungarian comedy film directed by Richard Thorpe and James Hill and starring George Sanders, Buddy Hackett, Jess Conrad, Lorraine Power and Robert Coote. Plot The children of a British policeman holidayi ...

'' (1964) as Detective Inspector Stevenson * '' One Way Pendulum'' (1964) as Judge / Maintenance Man * ''

'' (1966) as Khalifa Abdullah * ''

'' (1966) as Nayland Smith * '' The Vengeance of Fu Manchu'' (1967) as Nayland Smith * ''

Hammerhead Hammerhead may refer to: * The head of a hammer Fiction * Hammerhead (comics), a Marvel Comics foe of Spider-Man * ''Hammerhead'' (film), a 1968 film based on the novel by James Mayo * '' Hammerhead: Shark Frenzy'' a 2005 TV movie starring ...

'' (1968) as Pietro Vendriani * '' A Nice Girl Like Me'' (1969) as Postnatal Clinic Doctor * ''

The Reckoning The Reckoning may refer to: Literature * ''The Reckoning'' (Armstrong novel), a 2010 novel by Kelley Armstrong * ''The Reckoning'' (Grisham novel), a 2018 novel by John Grisham * ''The Reckoning'' (Long novel), a 2004 novel by Jeff Long * ' ...

'' (1969) as Moyle * '' Patton'' (1970) as Major General Freddie de Guingand * ''

'' (1970) as Sir Thomas Fairfax * '' The Vampire Lovers'' (1970) as Baron Joachim Von Hartog * ''Journey to Murder'' (1971) as Harry Vaneste (Do Me a Favor and Kill Me) * '' Unman, Wittering and Zigo'' (1971) as Headmaster * ''

'' (1972) as Agrippa * '' The Golden Voyage of Sinbad'' (1973) as Vizier * '' The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother'' (1975) as Sherlock Holmes * ''

The Incredible Sarah ''The Incredible Sarah'' is a 1976 British drama film directed by Richard Fleischer and starring Glenda Jackson. It presents a dramatization of the acting career of Sarah Bernhardt. Cast * Glenda Jackson as Sarah Bernhardt * Daniel Massey a ...

'' (1976) as Montigny * ''

'' (1978) as Police Commissioner * ''

Rough Cut In filmmaking, the rough cut is the second of three stages of offline editing. The term originates from the early days of filmmaking when film stock was physically cut and reassembled, but is still used to describe projects that are recorded and ...

'' (1980) as Maxwell Levy * '' Octopussy'' (1983) as Jim Fanning * '' Sword of the Valiant'' (1984) as The Black Knight

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Wilmer, Douglas 1920 births 2016 deaths English male film actors English male television actors English male stage actors English male Shakespearean actors People educated at The King's School, Canterbury People educated at Stonyhurst College Royal Artillery soldiers British colonial army soldiers British Army personnel of World War II Alumni of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art People from Brentford 20th-century English male actors Deaths from pneumonia in England