Peter Ewen Solon (7 September 1917 – 7 July 1985) was a

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

-born actor, who worked extensively in both the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

and

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

. At the outbreak of

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, Solon became a member of the First Echelon, 2nd NZEF that saw service in the

Middle East The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabian Peninsula, Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Anatolia, Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Pro ...

. Later appointed as a

commissioned officer An officer is a person who holds a position of authority as a member of an armed force or uniformed service. Broadly speaking, "officer" means a commissioned officer, a non-commissioned officer, or a warrant officer. However, absent context ...

, he married Frances Gwendolyne Hughes, a New Zealander; also serving in

Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...

during the War. After training as a primary school teacher he travelled overseas to pursue an acting career.

Film A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...

credits include: ''

Rob Roy, the Highland Rogue ''Rob Roy: The Highland Rogue'' is a 1953 adventure film produced by RKO-Walt Disney British Productions which is about Rob Roy MacGregor. It was the last Disney film released through RKO Radio Pictures. Plot The film begins in the early 18th ...

'', '' The Dam Busters'', ''

Murder Anonymous ''Murder Anonymous'' is a 1955 British crime short film directed by Ken Hughes and featuring Edgar Lustgarten, Peter Arne and Jill Bennett. It was made by Anglo-Amalgamated as support for feature film screenings in cinemas as part of the '' S ...

'' 1955 (part of the Scotland Yard film series), ''

The Hound of the Baskervilles ''The Hound of the Baskervilles'' is the third of the four crime novels by British writer Arthur Conan Doyle featuring the detective Sherlock Holmes. Originally serialised in ''The Strand Magazine'' from August 1901 to April 1902, it is set i ...

'', ''

The Terror of the Tongs ''The Terror of the Tongs'' is a 1961 British adventure film directed by Anthony Bushell and starring Geoffrey Toone, Christopher Lee and Yvonne Monlaur. Plot In the year of 1910, Hong Kong members of the secret Red Dragon Tong crime family pr ...

'', ''

The Curse of the Werewolf ''The Curse of the Werewolf'' is a 1961 British horror film based on the novel ''The Werewolf of Paris'' by Guy Endore. The film was made by the British company Hammer Film Productions and was shot at Bray Studios on sets that were constructed ...

'', '' The Message'', ''

Unidentified Flying Oddball ''Unidentified Flying Oddball'' is a 1979 science fiction comedy film. It is based on Mark Twain's 1889 novel ''A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court'', directed by Russ Mayberry and produced by Walt Disney Productions. Released in the Un ...

'' and ''

The Wicked Lady ''The Wicked Lady'' is a 1945 British costume drama film directed by Leslie Arliss and starring Margaret Lockwood in the title role as a nobleman's wife who becomes a highwayman for the excitement. The film had one of the top audiences for a f ...

''. On

television Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of television transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertisin ...

, he was a series regular on ''

Maigret Jules Maigret (), or simply Maigret, is a fictional French police detective, a '' commissaire'' ("commissioner") of the Paris ''Brigade Criminelle'' ('' Direction Régionale de la Police Judiciaire de Paris:36, Quai des Orfèvres''), created b ...

''; playing Sergeant Lucas, the eponymous commissaire's right-hand man, in 50 of the series' 52 episodes. His other appearances include: '' The Four Just Men'', ''

A Mask for Alexis ''A Mask for Alexis'' is a British television series which originally aired on BBC in 6 episodes between 21 September and 26 October 1959.Baskin p.41 Main cast * David Knight as Christopher March * Harriette Johns as Elaine Brant * Edward Cast ...

'', '' Man of the World'', ''

Danger Man ''Danger Man'' (retitled ''Secret Agent'' in the United States for the revived series, and ''Destination Danger'' and ''John Drake'' in other overseas markets) is a British television series that was broadcast between 1960 and 1962, and again b ...

'', ''

Dixon of Dock Green ''Dixon of Dock Green'' was a BBC police procedural television series about daily life at a fictional London police station, with the emphasis on petty crime, successfully controlled through common sense and human understanding. It ran from 19 ...

'', ''

Doctor Who ''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series depicts the adventures of a Time Lord called the Doctor, an extraterrestrial being who appears to be human. The Doctor explores the u ...

'' (in the serials '' The Savages'' and ''

Planet of Evil ''Planet of Evil'' is the second serial of the 13th season of the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. It was first broadcast in four weekly parts on BBC1 from 27 September to 18 October 1975. The serial is set on and ab ...

''), ''

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. Th ...

'', ''

Redcap The redcap (or powrie) is a type of malevolent, murderous goblin found in Border folklore. He is said to inhabit ruined castles along the Anglo-Scottish border, especially those that were the scenes of tyranny or wicked deeds and is known for soa ...

'', ''

The Revenue Men ''The Revenue Men'' is a British television series, produced and transmitted by the BBC between 1967 and 1968. The series dealt with cases handled by the Investigation Branch of Customs and Excise such as the illegal import of goods, illegal imm ...

'', '' Bellbird'', ''

Virgin of the Secret Service ''Virgin of the Secret Service'' is a British television series which ran for one season in 1968, produced by the ITV franchise, Associated Television. The series was created by Ted Willis. The show was a tongue-in-cheek adventure series set in ...

'', ''

Journey to the Unknown ''Journey to the Unknown'' is a British anthology television series, produced by Hammer Film Productions and 20th Century Fox Television. It aired on ABC from September 26, 1968, to January 30, 1969.Matlock Police ''Matlock Police'' is an Australian television police drama series made by Crawford Productions for the 0-10 Network (now known as the 10 Network) between 1971 and 1976. The series focused on the police station and crime in the Victorian town o ...

'', ''

Spyforce ''Spyforce'' is an Australian television series that aired from 1971 to 1973 on Nine Network. The series was based upon the adventures of Australian Military Intelligence operatives in the South West Pacific during World War II. It was produced ...

'', ''

Division 4 ''Division 4'' is an Australian television police drama series made by Crawford Productions for the Nine Network between 1969 and 1975 for 301 episodes. Synopsis The series was one of the first dramas to follow up on the enormous success o ...

'' and '' Into the Labyrinth''. Solon married a second time in 1965, to an English actress,

Vicki Woolf Vicki Woolf (born 1942) is a British actress known mostly for her roles in television. She appeared in fourteen episodes of '' Honey Lane'' during the 1960s. In the 1980s she featured in the sitcom ''Three Up, Two Down''. She guest starred on va ...

Selected filmography

* ''

London Belongs to Me ''London Belongs to Me'' (also known as ''Dulcimer Street'') is a British film released in 1948, directed by Sidney Gilliat, and starring Richard Attenborough and Alastair Sim. It was based on the novel ''London Belongs to Me'' by Norman Collins, ...

'' (1948) - Clerk (uncredited) * ''

The Naked Heart ''The Naked Heart'' (French title: ''Maria Chapdelaine'') is a 1950 British-French historical drama film directed by Marc Allégret, based on the novel ''Maria Chapdelaine'' by Louis Hémon. The film stars Michèle Morgan, Kieron Moore and Fran� ...

'' (1950) * ''

The Clouded Yellow ''The Clouded Yellow'' is a 1950 British mystery film directed by Ralph Thomas and produced by Betty E. Box for Carillon Films. A dismissed secret service agent falls in love with a disturbed young woman who is wrongly accused of murder and t ...

'' (1950) - Coniston police sergeant (uncredited) * ''

Highly Dangerous ''Highly Dangerous'' is a 1950 British spy film starring Margaret Lockwood. The screenplay was written by Eric Ambler. It was released in the US by Lippert Pictures as ''Time Running Out''. Plot Frances Gray is as a British entomologist trying t ...

'' (1950) - Enemy scientist (uncredited) * ''

The Rossiter Case ''The Rossiter Case'' is a 1951 British crime film directed by Francis Searle and starring Helen Shingler, Clement McCallin, Sheila Burrell and Stanley Baker in a small role. A man has an affair with his disabled wife's sister - and when the si ...

'' (1951) - Inspector * '' The Dark Man'' (1951) - Police driver * ''

Assassin for Hire ''Assassin for Hire'' is a 1951 British crime film directed by Michael McCarthy and starring Sydney Tafler, Ronald Howard and Katharine Blake. Its plot follows a contract killer who becomes stricken with remorse when he is led to believe he ...

'' (1951) - Fred * ''

Mystery Junction ''Mystery Junction'' is a 1951 British crime film directed by Michael McCarthy (film director), Michael McCarthy and starring Sydney Tafler and Barbara Murray.Valley of Eagles ''Valley of Eagles'' (US release title ''Valley of the Eagles'') is a 1951 British thriller film written and directed by Terence Young and starring Jack Warner, Nadia Gray and John McCallum.The Card ''The Card'' is a comic novel written by Arnold Bennett in 1911 (entitled ''Denry the Audacious'' in the American edition). It was later made into a 1952 movie, starring Alec Guinness and Petula Clark. Like much of Bennett's best work, it is ...

'' (1952) - Bookstall attendant at Llandudno (uncredited) * ''

The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men ''The Story of Robin Hood'' is a 1952 action-adventure film produced by RKO- Walt Disney British Productions, based on the Robin Hood legend, made in Technicolor and filmed in Buckinghamshire, England. It was written by Lawrence Edward Watkin and ...

'' (1952) - Merrie man * '' Hunted'' (1952) - Radio operator * ''

Crow Hollow ''Crow Hollow'' is a 1952 British mystery film directed by Michael McCarthy and starring Donald Houston, Natasha Parry and Patricia Owens. It is based on the 1950 novel ''Crow Hollow'' by Dorothy Eden. In the film, newlywed Ann Amour survives ...

'' (1952) - Sgt. Jenkins * ''

Ghost Ship A ghost ship, also known as a phantom ship, is a ship, vessel with no living crew aboard; it may be a fictional ghostly vessel, such as the ''Flying Dutchman'', or a physical Flotsam, jetsam, lagan and derelict, derelict found adrift with its cre ...

'' (1952) - Plain clothes man * ''

The Sword and the Rose ''The Sword and the Rose'' is a family/adventure film produced by Perce Pearce and Walt Disney and directed by Ken Annakin. The film features the story of Mary Tudor, a younger sister of Henry VIII of England. Based on the 1898 novel '' When Kn ...

'' (1953) - Guardsman * ''

'' (1953) - Maj. Gen. Wightman * ''

The End of the Road (1954 film) ''The End of the Road'' is a 1954 British drama film directed by Wolf Rilla and starring Finlay Currie, Duncan Lamont and Naomi Chance.Chibnall & McFarlane p.249 It was produced by Group Three Films as a second feature with funding from the NFF ...

'' (1954) - Policeman * ''

As Long as They're Happy ''As Long as They're Happy'' is a 1955 British musical comedy film directed by J. Lee Thompson and starring Jack Buchanan, Susan Stephen and Diana Dors. It is based on the 1953 play of the same name by Vernon Sylvaine. It was shot at Pinewoo ...

'' (1955) - Reporter (uncredited) * ''

The Dark Avenger ''The Dark Avenger'' is a 1955 British historical action adventure film directed by Henry Levin. The screenplay was written by Daniel B. Ullman (and an uncredited Phil Park). The film stars Errol Flynn, Joanne Dru and Peter Finch. The music ...

'' (1955) - D'Estell * '' The Dam Busters'' (1955) - Flight Sergeant G. E. Powell * ''

Lost Lost may refer to getting lost, or to: Geography *Lost, Aberdeenshire, a hamlet in Scotland * Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail, or LOST, a hiking and cycling trail in Florida, US History *Abbreviation of lost work, any work which is known to have bee ...

'' (1956) - Bus inspector (uncredited) * ''

Jumping for Joy ''Jumping for Joy'' is a 1956 British comedy film directed by John Paddy Carstairs and starring Frankie Howerd, Stanley Holloway, Joan Hickson and Lionel Jeffries. Plot Willie Joy (Frankie Howerd) works at a greyhound track as a cleaner, whic ...

'' (1956) - Haines * ''

1984 Events January * January 1 – The Bornean Sultanate of Brunei gains full independence from the United Kingdom, having become a British protectorate in 1888. * January 7 – Brunei becomes the sixth member of the Association of Southeast A ...

'' (1956) - Outer Party orator * '' Who Done It?'' (1956) - Police radio announcer (uncredited) * '' Behind the Headlines'' (1956) - Superintendent Faro * ''

There's Always a Thursday ''There's Always a Thursday'' is a 1957 British crime film directed by Charles Saunders and starring Charles Victor, Jill Ireland, Lloyd Lamble and Robert Raglan. Much of the film was shot at Southall Studios. Premise Comedy about a down-trod ...

'' (1957) - Inspector Bradley * '' Yangtse Incident: The Story of H.M.S. Amethyst '' (1957) - ERA Williams RN * '' Account Rendered'' (1957) - Detective Inspector Marshall * ''

The Story of Esther Costello ''The Story of Esther Costello'' is a 1957 British drama film starring Joan Crawford, Rossano Brazzi, and Heather Sears. The film is an exposé of large-scale fundraising. ''The Story of Esther Costello'' was produced by David Miller and Ja ...

'' (1957) - Christine Brown's father (uncredited) * '' The Long Haul'' (1957) - Minor role * ''

Robbery Under Arms ''Robbery Under Arms'' is a bushranger novel by Thomas Alexander Browne, published under his pen name Rolf Boldrewood. It was first published in serialised form by ''The Sydney Mail'' between July 1882 and August 1883, then in three volumes in ...

'' (1957) - Sergeant Arthur * ''

The Mark of the Hawk ''The Mark of the Hawk'' (also called ''Accused'') is a 1957 drama film, directed by Michael Audley with a screenplay by Lloyd Young (better known for his sound work on other films) and H. Kenn Carmichael. The film stars Eartha Kitt and Sidney ...

'' (1957) - Inspector * '' The Devil's Pass'' (1957) - Job Jolly * '' The Silent Enemy'' (1958) - Willowdale captain * ''

The Big Money "The Big Money" is a song by Canadian rock band Rush, originally released on their 1985 album ''Power Windows''. It peaked at #45 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and #4 on the Mainstream Rock chart, and has been included on several compilation album ...

'' (1958) - Detective in Pub (uncredited) * ''

'' (1959) - Stapleton * ''

Jack the Ripper Jack the Ripper was an unidentified serial killer active in and around the impoverished Whitechapel district of London, England, in the autumn of 1888. In both criminal case files and the contemporaneous journalistic accounts, the killer wa ...

'' (1959) - Sir David Rogers * ''

The Stranglers of Bombay ''The Stranglers of Bombay'' is a 1959 British adventure horror film directed by Terence Fisher for Hammer Films dealing with the British East India Company's investigation of the cult of Thuggee stranglers in the 1830s. The film stars Guy Rolf ...

'' (1959) - Camel vendor (uncredited) * ''

Tarzan the Magnificent ''Tarzan the Magnificent'' is a 1960 British Eastmancolor film, the follow-up to ''Tarzan's Greatest Adventure'' (1959). Its plot bears no relation to that of the 1939 Edgar Rice Burroughs novel of the same name. The film was directed by R ...

'' (1960) - Dexter * '' The Sundowners'' (1960) - Halstead * ''

'' (1961) - Tang How - Tong leader's aide * ''

'' (1961) - Don Fernando * '' Mystery Submarine'' (1963) - Lt. Cmdr. Kirklees * '' The Sandwich Man'' (1966) - Blind man * ''Infamous Conduct'' (1966) - Dixon * '' The Message'' (1977) - Yasser * ''

'' (1979) - Watkins * ''

A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square "A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square" is a British romantic popular song written in 1939 and published in 1940, with lyrics by Eric Maschwitz and music by Manning Sherwin. Setting Berkeley Square is a large leafy square in Mayfair, a part ...

'' (1979) - Commander Ford * ''

Lion of the Desert ''Lion of the Desert'' is a 1980 epic historical war film about the Second Italo-Senussi War, starring Anthony Quinn as Libyan tribal leader Omar Mukhtar, a Bedouin leader fighting the ''Regio Esercito'' ( Royal Italian Army) and Oliver Reed as ...

'' (1980) * ''

'' (1983) - Clergyman at Tyburn * ''

Nutcracker A nutcracker is a tool designed to open nuts by cracking their shells. There are many designs, including levers, screws, and ratchets. The lever version is also used for cracking lobster and crab shells. A decorative version portrays a person w ...

'' (1983) - Monsieur Demaurault (final film role)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Solon, Ewen 1917 births 1985 deaths New Zealand male film actors New Zealand male television actors 20th-century New Zealand male actors New Zealand emigrants to the United Kingdom New Zealand expatriates in Australia