Harry Baird (12 May 193113 February 2005) was a Guyanese-born

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

actor who came to prominence in the 1960s, appearing in more than 36 films throughout his career. He is best remembered as the bus driver in the final scene of ''

The Italian Job ''The Italian Job'' is a 1969 British comedy caper film, written by Troy Kennedy Martin, produced by Michael Deeley, directed by Peter Collinson, and starring Michael Caine. The film's plot centres around Cockney criminal Charlie Croker, rece ...

''.

Life and career

Baird was born in Georgetown,

British Guiana British Guiana was a British colony, part of the mainland British West Indies, which resides on the northern coast of South America. Since 1966 it has been known as the independent nation of Guyana. The first European to encounter Guiana was S ...

, and educated in

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

and

Britain Britain most often refers to: * The United Kingdom, a sovereign state in Europe comprising the island of Great Britain, the north-eastern part of the island of Ireland and many smaller islands * Great Britain, the largest island in the United King ...

. He was 17 years old when he joined his brother in London and, driven by an early interest in the cinema, began training at the

YMCA YMCA, sometimes regionally called the Y, is a worldwide youth organization based in Geneva, Switzerland, with more than 64 million beneficiaries in 120 countries. It was founded on 6 June 1844 by George Williams in London, originally ...

. David McGillivray
"Harry Baird" (obituary)
''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...

'', 17 March 2005. He made his first film appearance in 1955 as a boxer called Jamaica in

Carol Reed Sir Carol Reed (30 December 1906 – 25 April 1976) was an English film director and producer, best known for ''Odd Man Out'' (1947), '' The Fallen Idol'' (1948), ''The Third Man'' (1949), and '' Oliver!'' (1968), for which he was awarded the ...

's '' A Kid for Two Farthings''. A year later, he appeared in the play '' Kismet'' at the

Stoll Theatre Stoll is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Barbara J. Stoll, American pediatrician and professor * Cal Stoll, American football coach * Caspar Stoll, entomologist * Clifford Stoll, American astronomer * David Stoll, American a ...

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

, and had a role in

Jean Genet Jean Genet (; – ) was a French novelist, playwright, poet, essayist, and political activist. In his early life he was a vagabond and petty criminal, but he later became a writer and playwright. His major works include the novels ''The Thief's ...

's '' The Blacks'' in 1961 at the

Royal Court Theatre The Royal Court Theatre, at different times known as the Court Theatre, the New Chelsea Theatre, and the Belgravia Theatre, is a non-commercial West End theatre in Sloane Square, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London, Englan ...

. Baird subsequently appeared mostly in film and television, though other stage work included ''

A Wreath for Udomo ''A Wreath for Udomo'' is a 1956 novel by South African novelist Peter Abrahams. The novel follows a London-educated black African, Michael Udomo, who returns to Africa to become a revolutionary leader in the fictional country of Panafrica an ...

'' (

Lyric Hammersmith The Lyric Theatre, also known as the Lyric Hammersmith, is a theatre on Lyric Square, off King Street, Hammersmith, London.

, 1961) and ''Ogodiveleftthegason'' (Royal Court, 1967). Stephen Bourne
"Harry Baird" (obituary)
''

The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...

'', 24 February 2005. His first lead role was as Atimbu, in the TV series ''

White Hunter White hunter is a literary term used for professional big game hunting, big game hunters of European or North American backgrounds who plied their trade in Africa, especially during the first half of the 20th century. The activity continues in t ...

'', in 1958. A series of stereotyped roles followed, in low-budget films featuring generic African or "jungle" themes. Baird's most high-profile role, however, came in

Michael Relph Michael Leighton George Relph (16 February 1915 – 30 September 2004) was an English film producer, art director, screenwriter and film director. He was the son of actor George Relph. Films Relph began his film career in 1933 as an assistant ...

and

Basil Dearden Basil Dearden (born Basil Clive Dear; 1 January 1911 – 23 March 1971) was an English film director. Early life and career Dearden was born at 5, Woodfield Road, Leigh-on-Sea, Essex to Charles James Dear, a steel manufacturer, and his wife, Fl ...

's racial drama film ''

Sapphire Sapphire is a precious gemstone, a variety of the mineral corundum, consisting of aluminium oxide () with trace amounts of elements such as iron, titanium, chromium, vanadium, or magnesium. The name sapphire is derived via the Latin "sapphir ...

'' (1959). Prominent roles for black actors in Britain remained scarce, although he appeared in supporting roles in the TV series ''

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 ...

'' and ''

UFO An unidentified flying object (UFO), more recently renamed by US officials as a UAP (unidentified aerial phenomenon), is any perceived aerial phenomenon that cannot be immediately identified or explained. On investigation, most UFOs are id ...

'' (1970; as Lieutenant Bradley, a role that he left halfway through the series' run). Baird's only true lead film role was in the 1968

Melvin Van Peebles Melvin Van Peebles (born Melvin Peebles; August 21, 1932 – September 21, 2021) was an American actor, filmmaker, writer, and composer. He worked as an active filmmaker into the 2000s. His feature film debut, ''The Story of a Three-Day Pass'' ( ...

drama ''

The Story of a Three-Day Pass ''The Story of a Three-Day Pass'' (French title: ') is a 1967 film written and directed by Melvin Van Peebles, based on his French-language novel '. It stars Harry Baird as a black American soldier who is demoted for fraternizing with a white sho ...

'', in which he played an American soldier who falls in love with a white

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

ian woman. Other roles included ''

The Whisperers ''The Whisperers'' is a 1967 British drama film directed by Bryan Forbes and starring Edith Evans. It is based on the 1961 novel by Robert Nicolson. Although the fictional setting of the film is not named, it was mainly shot on location in the ...

'' (1967), ''The Touchables'' (1968) (as a gay wrestler named Lillywhite), the horror film '' The Oblong Box'' (1969), and ''

'' (1969) alongside his friend

Michael Caine Sir Michael Caine (born Maurice Joseph Micklewhite; 14 March 1933) is an English actor. Known for his distinctive Cockney accent, he has appeared in more than 160 films in a career spanning seven decades, and is considered a British film ico ...

, whose wife, fellow Guyanese actor

Shakira Baksh Shakira, Lady Caine, (née Baksh; born 23 February 1947) is a Guyanese people, Guyanese former actress and Model (person), fashion model. She is married to English actor Michael Caine. Early life Shakira was born on 23 February 1947 in British ...

, Baird had appeared alongside in ''UFO''. His last appearance on screen was in ''

Four of the Apocalypse ''Four of the Apocalypse'' ( it, I quattro dell'apocalisse) is a 1975 Italian Spaghetti Western film directed by Lucio Fulci and starring Fabio Testi, Tomas Milian, Lynne Frederick and Michael J. Pollard. Plot Set in the year 1873, professio ...

'' (''I quattro dell'apocalisse'') in 1975. In the 1970s, Baird was diagnosed with

glaucoma Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases that result in damage to the optic nerve (or retina) and cause vision loss. The most common type is open-angle (wide angle, chronic simple) glaucoma, in which the drainage angle for fluid within the eye rem ...

, a condition that ultimately left him blind. He died of

cancer Cancer is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Possible signs and symptoms include a lump, abnormal b ...

in 2005.

Selected filmography

*'' A Kid for Two Farthings'' (1955) - Jamaica (uncredited) *''

'' (1959) - Johnnie Fiddle *''

Killers of Kilimanjaro ''Killers of Kilimanjaro'' is a 1959 British CinemaScope adventure film directed by Richard Thorpe and starring Robert Taylor, Anthony Newley, Anne Aubrey and Donald Pleasence for Warwick Films. The film was originally known as ''Adamson of A ...

'' (1959) - Boraga *''

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) - Warrior Leader *'' Offbeat'' (1961) - Gill Hall *'' The Mark'' (1961) - Cole *''

Flame in the Streets ''Flame in the Streets'' is a 1961 film directed by Roy Ward Baker and based on the 1958 play '' Hot Summer Night'' by Ted Willis. It opened at the Odeon Leicester Square in London's West End on 22 June 1961. The film depicts an interracial roma ...

'' (1961) - Billy *''

The Road to Hong Kong ''The Road to Hong Kong'' is a 1962 British semi-musical comedy film directed by Norman Panama and starring Bing Crosby and Bob Hope, as well as Joan Collins, with an extended cameo featuring Dorothy Lamour in the setting of Hong Kong under B ...

'' (1962) - Nubian at Lamasary (uncredited) *''

Station Six-Sahara ''Station Six-Sahara'' is a 1963 British-West German drama film directed by Seth Holt and starring Carroll Baker, Peter van Eyck and Ian Bannen. It is a remake of the 1938 film '' S.O.S. Sahara'', which had been based on a play by Jean Martet. ...

'' (1963) - Sailor *''

The Small World of Sammy Lee ''The Small World of Sammy Lee'' is a 1963 British crime film written and directed by Ken Hughes and starring Anthony Newley, Julia Foster and Robert Stephens. A striptease-show compere is hunted across the seedy London underworld of Soho by de ...

'' (1963) - Buddy Shine *''Taur the Mighty'' (1963) - Ubaratutu *''

Thor and the Amazon Women ''Thor and the Amazon Women'' (Italian: ''Le gladiatrici'', lit. "The female gladiators") is a 1963 Italian / Yugoslavian sword and sandal film directed by Antonio Leonviola. The film is also known as ''The Amazon Women'' (United Kingdom censored ...

'' (1963) -Ubaratutu *''

Goliath and the Rebel Slave ''Goliath and the Rebel Slave'' ( it, Goliath e la schiava ribelle), also known as ''The Tyrant of Lydia Against the Son of Hercules'', is a 1963 Eastmancolor adventure peplum film directed by Mario Caiano. Plot Cast * Gordon Scott as Goliath ...

'' (1963) - Slave (uncredited) *'' Traitor's Gate'' (1964) - Mate on Tramp Steamer *''

He Who Rides a Tiger ''He Who Rides a Tiger'' is a 1965 British crime drama directed by Charles Crichton, and starring Tom Bell and Judi Dench. Background The film was based on the real-life cat-burglar Peter Scott Sir Peter Markham Scott, (14 September 190 ...

'' (1965) - Stan (uncredited) *''

'' (1967) - The Man Upstairs *''

'' (1968) - Turner *'' The Touchables'' (1968) - Lillywhite *''

'' (1969) - Big William *'' The Oblong Box'' (1969) - N'Galo *''

Castle Keep ''Castle Keep'' is a 1969 American comedy-drama war film combining surrealism with tragic realism. It was directed by Sydney Pollack and starred Burt Lancaster, Patrick O'Neal, Jean-Pierre Aumont, Bruce Dern, and Peter Falk. The film app ...

'' (1969) - Dancing Soldier (uncredited) *''

Cool It Carol! ''Cool it Carol!'' is a 1970 British sex comedy-drama film directed and produced by Pete Walker, starring Robin Askwith and Janet Lynn. It was released in the US as ''Dirtiest Girl I Ever Met''. Plot The cautionary tale of Joe and Carol, a ...

'' (1970) - Benny Gray *'' Fun and Games'' (1971) - Carl *''Trinity and Sartana Are Coming'' (1972) - Trinità *''

Those Dirty Dogs ''Those Dirty Dogs'' ( it, Campa carogna... la taglia cresce, es, Los cuatro de Fort Apache, also known as ''Charge!'') is a 1973 Italian-Spanish Spaghetti Western film written and directed by Giuseppe Rosati and starring Gianni Garko and Steph ...

'' (1973) - Corp. Washington Smith *''

The Count of Monte Cristo ''The Count of Monte Cristo'' (french: Le Comte de Monte-Cristo) is an adventure novel written by French author Alexandre Dumas (''père'') completed in 1844. It is one of the author's more popular works, along with ''The Three Musketeers''. Li ...

'' (1975) - Ali *''

'' (1975) - Bud (final film role)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Baird, Harry 1931 births 2005 deaths 20th-century British male actors Black British male actors Blind people from the United Kingdom British male film actors British male stage actors British male television actors Deaths from cancer in England 20th-century Guyanese male actors British Guiana people Guyanese emigrants to England People from Georgetown, Guyana