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Frank John Williams (2 July 1931 – 26 June 2022) was an English actor, best known for playing Reverend Timothy Farthing in the

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television

sitcom A sitcom, a portmanteau of situation comedy, or situational comedy, is a genre of comedy centered on a fixed set of characters who mostly carry over from episode to episode. Sitcoms can be contrasted with sketch comedy, where a troupe may use ...

Dad's Army ''Dad's Army'' is a British television sitcom about the United Kingdom's Home Guard during the Second World War. It was written by Jimmy Perry and David Croft, and originally broadcast on BBC1 from 31 July 1968 to 13 November 1977. It ran fo ...

'' (1969–1977). Often cast as a member of the

clergy Clergy are formal leaders within established religions. Their roles and functions vary in different religious traditions, but usually involve presiding over specific rituals and teaching their religion's doctrines and practices. Some of the ter ...

, Williams appeared in similar roles in '' You Rang, M'Lord?'', ''

Hi-de-Hi! ''Hi-de-Hi!'' is a BBC television sitcom shown on BBC1 from 1 January 1980 to 30 January 1988. Set in 1959 and 1960 in Maplins, a fictional holiday camp, the show was written by Jimmy Perry and David Croft, who also wrote '' Dad's Army'' an ...

'', '' 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 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 Cros ...

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 neighbour ...

, on 2 July 1931, to William Williams, a Welsh

nonconformist Nonconformity or nonconformism may refer to: Culture and society * Insubordination, the act of willfully disobeying an order of one's superior *Dissent, a sentiment or philosophy of non-agreement or opposition to a prevailing idea or entity ** ...

, 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 Hendon School is a mixed secondary school in Golders Rise, Hendon, with academy status since November 2011 (previously a comprehensive) in the London Borough of Barnet. It specialises in languages, offering lessons amongst others to its student ...

(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

Watford Palace Theatre Watford Palace Theatre, opened in 1908, is an Edwardian Grade II listed building in Watford, Hertfordshire. The 600-seat theatre on Clarendon Road was refurbished in 2004. It houses its own rehearsal room, wardrobe, cafe and bar. History The ...

, which was being run by

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 Engli ...

, the creator of ''

'' some years later. Williams also met many of his future co-stars including Michael Knowles,

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 Wig ...

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 Mavis Pugh. At the time, television was in its infancy and it was this sector of the industry that Williams wished to enter. He made several television appearances throughout the 1950s, during series one of ''

The Army Game ''The Army Game'' is a British television sitcom that aired on ITV from 19 June 1957 to 20 June 1961. It was the very first ITV sitcom and was made by Granada, and created by Sid Colin. It follows the exploits of Hut 29, a dysfunctional gro ...

'' he made various small appearances and in 1957 was invited back as a regular character, the commanding officer Captain Pocket. Williams continued to play the role until the series ended in 1960. In total, he appeared in 116 episodes of ''The Army Game'' which were transmitted weekly. His first film appearance was as an uncredited extra in ''

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 a ...

'' in 1953, his first larger role came in 1956 with the film ''

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 ca ...

'' in which he played the role of Sid. Williams went on to appear in three films with

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 ...

including: ''

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 W ...

'' (1958), ''

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 b ...

'' (1960) and '' A Stitch In Time'' (1963). He then appeared in films such as: ''

Inn for Trouble ''Inn for Trouble'' is a 1960 black and white British comedy film intended as a low budget filler to support a main feature in the days of cinema double features. it was a spin-off of the 1950s sitcom ''The Larkins'' - starring Peggy Mount, Davi ...

'' (1960), '' Just for Fun'' (1963), ''

Hide and Seek Hide-and-seek (sometimes known as hide-and-go-seek) is a popular children's game in which at least two players (usually at least three) conceal themselves in a set environment, to be found by one or more seekers. The game is played by one chose ...

'' (1964), '' Headline Hunters'' (1968), ''

One of Our Dinosaurs Is Missing ''One of Our Dinosaurs is Missing'' is a 1975 comedy film set in the early 1920s, about the theft of a dinosaur skeleton from the Natural History Museum. The film was produced by Walt Disney Productions and released by Buena Vista Distributio ...

'' (1975), ''

Jabberwocky "Jabberwocky" is a nonsense poem written by Lewis Carroll about the killing of a creature named "the Jabberwock". It was included in his 1871 novel ''Through the Looking-Glass'', the sequel to '' Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'' (1865). The ...

'' (1977), ''

What's Up Nurse! ''What's Up Nurse!'' is a 1977 British sex comedy film directed by Derek Ford and starring Nicholas Field, Felicity Devonshire and John Le Mesurier. It tells the story of the adventures of a young doctor in a hospital. A sequel ''What's Up ...

'' (1977), '' The Human Factor'' (1979) and ''

Oh! Heavenly Dog ''Oh! Heavenly Dog'' is a 1980 American fantasy comedy film written by Rod Browning and stars Benjean, billed here as Benji (she was the daughter of Higgins, who originated the role of Benji), Chevy Chase, Jane Seymour, and Omar Sharif. The fil ...

'' (1980). He had a leading role in the BBC TV series ''Diary of a Young Man'' (1964), which was partly directed by

Ken Loach Kenneth Charles Loach (born 17 June 1936) is a British film director and screenwriter. His socially critical directing style and socialist ideals are evident in his film treatment of social issues such as poverty ('' Poor Cow'', 1967), homelessn ...

, in addition to small parts in numerous TV series of the 1950s and 1960s. His best-known role was in ''

'' as the vicar. His first appearance on the show was in the episode " The Armoured Might of Lance Corporal Jones", which was the first episode of series three. He had worked with David Croft before on ''

Hugh and I ''Hugh and I'' is a black-and-white British sitcom that aired from 1962 to 1967. It starred Terry Scott and Hugh Lloyd as two friends who shared lodgings with Terry's mother and was followed by a sequel called '' Hugh and I Spy''. The two actor ...

'' and had also worked with

at the

. He thought he had come to make a one-off appearance and did not realise that he would become a regular fixture of the show. He would go on to appear in half of the 80 episodes and both feature films. In 2021, Williams said of his time working on ''

'' that "it was the happiest period of my professional life." Coincidentally, while at Hendon County, Williams wrote in his memoir, he had played the lead in the school play of his final year, '' The Ghost Train'', written nearly thirty years earlier by

Arnold Ridley William Arnold Ridley, OBE (7 January 1896 – 12 March 1984) was an English playwright and actor, earlier in his career known for writing the play '' The Ghost Train'' and later in life in the British TV sitcom ''Dad's Army'' (1968–1977) as ...

, who would also appear in ''Dad's Army''. Williams featured with

Tessie O'Shea Teresa Mary "Tessie" O'Shea (13 March 1913 – 21 April 1995) was a Welsh entertainer and actress. Early life O'Shea was born in Plantagenet Street in Riverside, Cardiff to newspaper wholesaler James Peter O'Shea, who had been a soldier and ...

in the short-lived sitcom '' As Good Cooks Go'' (1970). He appeared in an episode of ''

All Gas and Gaiters ''All Gas and Gaiters'' is a British television ecclesiastical sitcom which aired on BBC1 from 1966 to 1971. It was written by Pauline Devaney and Edwin Apps, a husband-and-wife team who used the pseudonym of John Wraith when writing the pilot ...

'' as one of the vicars choral in episodes broadcast in 1967 and 1971. At the height of his ''Dad's Army'' fame, he had a cameo role in '' Monty Python's Flying Circus'' (1972), and later appeared as a record producer in the

Rutles The Rutles () were a rock band that performed visual and aural pastiches and parodies of the Beatles. This originally fictional band, created by Eric Idle and Neil Innes for a sketch in Idle's mid-1970s BBC television comedy series ''Rutland We ...

movie ''

All You Need Is Cash ''All You Need Is Cash'' (also known as ''The Rutles'') is a 1978 television film that traces (in mockumentary style) the career of a fictitious English rock group called the Rutles. As '' TV Guide'' described it, the group's resemblance to ...

'' (1978). He appeared in the short-lived television sitcom '' High & Dry'' (1987) as a bank clerk, and he made a cameo appearance in 'Minder', playing a tobacconist. He had a recurring role in '' You Rang, M'Lord?'',a later series written by Jimmy Perry and David Croft. Williams played Lord Bishop Charles appearing in 14 out of a total of 26 episodes. He was a guest on '' This Morning'' on Thursday 31 July 2008, talking about ''Dad's Army'' with fellow cast members,

Ian Lavender Arthur Ian Lavender (born 16 February 1946) is an English stage, film and television actor. He is best known for his role as Private Pike in the BBC sitcom '' Dad's Army'', and is the last surviving major cast member of the series following t ...

and

Bill Pertwee William Desmond Anthony Pertwee, (21 July 1926 – 27 May 2013) was a British comedy actor. He played the role of Chief ARP Warden Hodges in the sitcom '' Dad's Army''. Early life Pertwee was born in Amersham, Buckinghamshire, on 21 July 192 ...

. He also appeared on BBC1's ''Jonathan Ross Salutes Dad's Army'' show on Sunday 3 August 2008. With other surviving members of the ''Dad's Army'' cast he walked in the 100th Birthday parade for Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, because ''Dad's Army'' was her favourite programme. He was the author of several plays, including ''The Playing Fields'' and ''Murder Weekend'', some of which have been performed in the pro-amateur theatre. His autobiography, ''Vicar to Dad's Army: the Frank Williams story'', was published in 2002. In 1993, Williams co-founded with

the

Dad's Army Appreciation Society The Dad's Army Appreciation Society is an organisation dedicated to the British television show ''Dad's Army''. It is run by a small group of individuals and has over 1,700 members. History The society was founded in 1993 by Bill Pertwee (who pl ...

. He was the society's vice president until the death of Bill Pertwee in 2013 when he became the President, attending many society events until his death. Williams reprised his role of the vicar for the 2016 reboot of ''

''. He recalled his time on set of the new film: "It meant four days work, which I thoroughly enjoyed. The film was pretty successful but received a mixed reaction from ''Dad's Army'' fans because seeing other people playing roles made famous by the likes of Arthur and John wasn’t easy to accept."

Personal life

Williams lived in his hometown of

, Greater London. A lifetime Christian, he was until 2000 a member of the

House of Laity The House of Laity is the lower house in the tricameral General Synod of the Church of England legislature. They are responsible for representing the laity of the Church of England in the legislature. They are indirectly elected every 5 years by m ...

in the

General Synod The General Synod is the title of the governing body of some church organizations. Anglican Communion The General Synod of the Church of England, which was established in 1970 replacing the Church Assembly, is the legislative body of the Church of ...

of the

Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britai ...

. He opposed the ordination of women and attacks on gay people. Williams was the patron of Veneratio, a charity established to prevent the social isolation of the elderly. In 2020, during the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...

, Williams reported that "I share the house with my good friend Ronald Grainge, who I met on the ''Dad's Army'' stage show way back in 1975, so the two of us have been self-isolating and watching TV. We enjoy good dramas, and catch up with an old film occasionally." He then went on to say that the programmes which he enjoyed the most are "older comedies, but programmes like '' Would I Lie to You?'' are great fun. And chat programmes where comedy people get together." In a 2017 ''Daily Telegraph'' interview, he answered a question on his best financial decision with "buying a house. ... Initially, I rented out the downstairs rooms and it produced some money but there were problems, like tenants not paying the rent. So, about 10 years ago, my great friend Ronnie Grainge, who was in the ''Dad's Army'' stage show, moved in."

Death

Williams died on 26 June 2022, aged 90. A statement was released on

Facebook Facebook is an online social media and social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. Founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with fellow Harvard College students and roommates Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin Mosk ...

saying "so sorry to say that our beloved friend, colleague and actor Frank Williams, passed away this morning."

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Williams, Frank 1931 births 2022 deaths 20th-century English male actors 21st-century English male actors British male comedy actors English Anglicans English male radio actors English male stage actors English male television actors English people of Welsh descent Male actors from London Members of the General Synod of the Church of England People educated at Ardingly College People from Edgware