Leslie Gilbert Dwyer (28 August 1906 – 26 December 1986) was an English
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 ...
and
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 ...
actor.
Career
He was born in
Catford
Catford is a district in south east London, England, and the administrative centre of the London Borough of Lewisham. It is southwest of Lewisham itself, mostly in the Rushey Green and Catford South wards. The population of Catford, includ ...
, the son of the popular music hall comedian Johnny Dwyer, and acted from the age of ten and appeared in his first film in 1921. He is perhaps best known for his role as the Punch and Judy man Mr Partridge in BBC sitcom ''
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 ...
''. Film roles included ''
In Which We Serve
''In Which We Serve'' is a 1942 British patriotic war film directed by Noël Coward and David Lean. It was made during the Second World War with the assistance of the Ministry of Information (United Kingdom), Ministry of Information.
The scree ...
'' (1942), ''
The Way Ahead
''The Way Ahead'' (also known as ''Immortal Battalion'') (1944) is a British Second World War drama film directed by Carol Reed. The screenplay was written by Eric Ambler and Peter Ustinov. The film stars David Niven, Stanley Holloway and Willi ...
'' (1944), the 1952 remake of ''
Hindle Wakes'', ''
Act of Love'' (1953) in which he played a two hander scene opposite the young
Brigitte Bardot
Brigitte Anne-Marie Bardot ( ; ; born 28 September 1934), often referred to by her initials B.B., is a former French actress, singer and model. Famous for portraying sexually emancipated characters with hedonistic lifestyles, she was one of the ...
, ''
Room in the House
''Room in the House'' is a 1955 comedy-drama film directed by Maurice Elvey. The film's screenplay, by Alfred Shaughnessy, is based on Eynon Evans
Evan Eynon Evans (18 May 1904 – 1989) billed as Eynon Evans and also known as E. Eynon R ...
'' (1955), the
1959 remake of Hitchcock's ''
The 39 Steps'', and ''
Die, Monster, Die!
''Die, Monster, Die!'' (British title: ''Monster of Terror'') is a 1965 science fiction horror film directed by Daniel Haller, and starring Boris Karloff, Nick Adams, Freda Jackson, and Suzan Farmer. Its plot follows an American man who, while ...
'' (1966).
He played Sergeant Dusty Miller in the original 1942 production of
Terence Rattigan
Sir Terence Mervyn Rattigan (10 June 191130 November 1977) was a British dramatist and screenwriter. He was one of England's most popular mid-20th-century dramatists. His plays are typically set in an upper-middle-class background.Geoffrey Wan ...
's play ''
Flare Path
''Flare Path'' is a play by Terence Rattigan, written in 1941 and first staged in 1942.Darlow, Michael"Terence Rattigan, Biography – War", ''Official Terence Rattigan website''. Retrieved 2011-02-22. Set in a hotel near an RAF Bomber Command ...
''.
He played Drinkwater in the 1953 television production of
George Bernard Shaw
George Bernard Shaw (26 July 1856 – 2 November 1950), known at his insistence simply as Bernard Shaw, was an Irish playwright, critic, polemicist and political activist. His influence on Western theatre, culture and politics extended from ...
's 'Captain Brassbound's Conversion'. His most notable television role was as Mr Partridge, the miserable, hard-drinking
Punch and Judy
Punch and Judy is a traditional puppet show featuring Mr. Punch and his wife Judy. The performance consists of a sequence of short scenes, each depicting an interaction between two characters, most typically Mr. Punch and one other character w ...
man with an aversion to children, in the British
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 ne ...
''
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 ...
''. He took roles in ''
Public Eye
Public Eye or The Public Eye may refer to:
* ''Public Eye'' (TV series), a British television series that ran from 1965 to 1975
* ''The Public Eye'' (TV series), a Canadian television public affairs television series which aired on CBC Televisio ...
'' in 1969, ''
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 ...
'' (as Vorg in ''
Carnival of Monsters
''Carnival of Monsters'' is the second serial of the tenth season of the British science fiction television series '' Doctor Who'', which was first broadcast in four weekly parts on BBC1 from 27 January to 17 February 1973.
In the serial, set ...
'' in 1973) and in ''
Steptoe and Son
''Steptoe and Son'' is a British sitcom written by Ray Galton and Alan Simpson about a father-and-son rag-and-bone business in 26a Oil Drum Lane, a fictional street in Shepherd's Bush, London. Four series were broadcast by the BBC in black and w ...
'', ''
Terry and June
''Terry and June'' is a BBC television sitcom, which was broadcast on BBC1 from 1979 to 1987. The show was largely a reworking of '' Happy Ever After'', and starred Terry Scott and June Whitfield as a middle-aged, middle-class suburban couple, T ...
'', ''
Wodehouse Playhouse
''Wodehouse Playhouse'' is a British television comedy series based on the short stories of P. G. Wodehouse. From 1974 to 1978, a pilot and three series were made, with 21 half-hour episodes altogether in the entire series. The series has been ...
'', ''
Z-Cars
''Z-Cars'' or ''Z Cars'' (pronounced "zed cars") is a British television police procedural series centred on the work of mobile uniformed police in the fictional town of Newtown, based on Kirkby, near Liverpool. Produced by the BBC, it debuted ...
''
and ''
The Sweeney,'' in which he played "old sea dog" Ted Greenhead in the episode ''Trojan Bus''.
Death
Dwyer died on 26 December 1986, aged 80 (respiratory failure due to
pulmonary embolism
Pulmonary embolism (PE) is a blockage of an pulmonary artery, artery in the lungs by a substance that has moved from elsewhere in the body through the bloodstream (embolism). Symptoms of a PE may include dyspnea, shortness of breath, chest pain p ...
). His grave is located in the
East London Cemetery
The East London Cemetery and Crematorium are located in West Ham in the London Borough of Newham. It is owned and operated by the Dignity Funeral Group.
History
The cemetery was founded in 1871 and laid out in 1872 to meet the increasing dema ...
.
NNDB
/ref>
Selected filmography
* '' Cheer Up'' (1936) - Hotel Guest (uncredited)
* ''In Which We Serve
''In Which We Serve'' is a 1942 British patriotic war film directed by Noël Coward and David Lean. It was made during the Second World War with the assistance of the Ministry of Information (United Kingdom), Ministry of Information.
The scree ...
'' (1942) - Lighthouse Keeper (uncredited)
* ''The Goose Steps Out
''The Goose Steps Out'' is a British film released in 1942, starring Will Hay, who also co-directed with Basil Dearden. It is a comedy of mistaken identity, with Hay acting as a German spy and also an Englishman who is his double. It was the fil ...
'' (1942) - German Soldier on Train (uncredited)
* ''Schweik's New Adventures
''Schweik's New Adventures'' is a 1943 British comedy film directed by Karel Lamač and starring Lloyd Pearson, Maggie Rennie, Richard Attenborough and Julien Mitchell. It is also known by the alternative title ''It Started at Midnight''. It was ...
'' (1943) - Prisoner
* ''Yellow Canary
The yellow canary (''Crithagra flaviventris'') is a small passerine bird in the finch family. It is a resident breeder in much of the western and central regions of southern Africa and has been introduced to Ascension and St Helena islands.
Ta ...
'' (1943) - Ship's Steward (uncredited)
* ''The Lamp Still Burns
''The Lamp Still Burns'' is a 1943 British drama film directed by Maurice Elvey and starring Rosamund John, Stewart Granger and Godfrey Tearle. Its plot concerns a woman architect who changes careers to become a nurse.
It was based on the 1942 n ...
'' (1943) - Siddons
* ''The Way Ahead
''The Way Ahead'' (also known as ''Immortal Battalion'') (1944) is a British Second World War drama film directed by Carol Reed. The screenplay was written by Eric Ambler and Peter Ustinov. The film stars David Niven, Stanley Holloway and Willi ...
'' (1944) - Pte. Sid Beck
* '' Great Day'' (1945) - Pub Customer
* '' Perfect Strangers'' (1945) - Stripey
* ''Night Boat to Dublin
''Night Boat to Dublin'' is a 1946 British thriller film directed and co-written by Lawrence Huntington. It stars Robert Newton, Raymond Lovell, Guy Middleton, Muriel Pavlow and Herbert Lom.
Plot
During the Second World War, a captured German ...
'' (1946) - George Leggett
* ''I See a Dark Stranger
''I See a Dark Stranger'' – released as ''The Adventuress'' in the United States – is a 1946 British World War II spy film with touches of light comedy, by the team of Frank Launder and Sidney Gilliat, and starring Deborah Kerr and T ...
'' (1946) - Soldier in Cafe (uncredited)
* '' This Man Is Mine'' (1946) - Van Driver (uncredited)
* ''Piccadilly Incident
''Piccadilly Incident'' is a 1946 British drama film directed by Herbert Wilcox and starring Anna Neagle, Michael Wilding, Coral Browne, Edward Rigby and Leslie Dwyer. Wilcox teamed his wife Anna Neagle with Michael Wilding for the first time, e ...
'' (1946) - Sam
* ''Temptation Harbour
''Temptation Harbour'' is a British black and white crime/drama film directed by Lance Comfort, released in 1947 based on the novel ''Newhaven-Dieppe'' (''L'Homme de Londres'') by Georges Simenon. The film was made at Welwyn Studios with sets ...
'' (1947) - Reg
* ''The Little Ballerina
''The Little Ballerina'' is a 1947 British drama film directed by Lewis Gilbert.
Cast
* Yvonne Marsh as Joan
* Marian Chapman as Sally
* Kay Henderson as Pamela
* Doreen Richards as Lydia
* Anita Holland as Carol
* Beatrice Varley as Mr ...
'' (1947) - Barman
* '' When the Bough Breaks'' (1947) - George
* '' The Calendar'' (1948) - Sam Hillcott
* '' Bond Street'' (1948) - Barman
* ''The Bad Lord Byron
''The Bad Lord Byron'' is a 1949 British historical drama film about the life of Lord Byron. It was directed by David MacDonald and starred Dennis Price as Byron with Mai Zetterling, Linden Travers and Joan Greenwood.
Plot
The film sees life ...
'' (1949) - Fletcher
* '' It's Not Cricket'' (1949) - Batman
* ''A Boy, a Girl and a Bike
''A Boy, a Girl and a Bike'' is a 1949 British romantic comedy film directed by Ralph Smart and starring John McCallum, Honor Blackman and Patrick Holt. The film's art direction was by George Provis. The film concerns the romantic escapades an ...
'' (1949) - Steve Hall
* ''Now Barabbas
''Now Barabbas'' is a 1949 British drama film directed by Gordon Parry and starring Richard Greene, Cedric Hardwicke and Kathleen Harrison. It is sometimes known as ''Now Barabbas Was a Robber''. It was based on a 1947 play of the same title by ...
'' (1949) - Brown
* ''Poet's Pub
''Poet's Pub'' is a 1949 British comedy film directed by Frederick Wilson and starring Derek Bond, Rona Anderson and James Robertson Justice. It is based on the 1929 novel of the same title by Eric Linklater. The film was one of four of Dav ...
'' (1949) - Holly
* '' Double Confession'' (1950) - Leonard
* ''Lilli Marlene
''Lilli Marlene'' is a 1950 British war film aimed for the US market and directed by Arthur Crabtree. It stars Lisa Daniely, Hugh McDermott, and Richard Murdoch. Stanley Baker is seen in one of his early support roles.
Plot
A French girl name ...
'' (1950) - Berry
* ''Midnight Episode
''Midnight Episode'' is a 1950 British thriller mystery film directed by Gordon Parry.
It is based on the novel ''Monsieur La Souris'' written by Georges Simenon in the year 1938, and adapted for screen by Rita Barisse. It featured Stanley Ho ...
'' (1950) - Albert
* '' Smart Alec'' (1951) - Gossage
* ''Laughter in Paradise
''Laughter in Paradise'' is a 1951 British comedy film, starring Alastair Sim, Fay Compton, George Cole, and Guy Middleton. The film was remade as ''Some Will, Some Won't'' (1970).
Plot
In his will, notorious practical joker Henry Russell leave ...
'' (1951) - Police Sergeant
* ''There Is Another Sun
''There Is Another Sun'', released in the United States as ''Wall of Death'', is a 1951 British drama film directed by Lewis Gilbert and starring Maxwell Reed, Laurence Harvey and Susan Shaw. It was produced by Ernest G. Roy. The film was shot a ...
'' (1951) - Foley
* ''Judgment Deferred
''Judgment Deferred'' is a 1952 British drama film directed by John Baxter and starring Joan Collins, Hugh Sinclair, Helen Shingler and Abraham Sofaer. The film is a remake of the director's earlier film, '' Doss House'' (1933).
Production
The ...
'' (1952) - Flowers
* ''The Hour of 13
''The Hour of 13'' is a 1952 British historical mystery film directed by Harold French and starring Peter Lawford, Dawn Addams and Roland Culver. It was made at Elstree Studios by the British subsidiary of MGM. The film's sets were designed ...
'' (1952) - Ernie Perker
* ''My Wife's Lodger
''My Wife's Lodger'' is a 1952 British comedy film directed by Maurice Elvey and starring Dominic Roche, Olive Sloane and Leslie Dwyer. The screenplay concerns a who soldier returns home after the Second World War only to find a spiv lodger has e ...
'' (1952) - Roger the Lodger
* '' Hindle Wakes'' (1952) - Chris Hawthorn
* '' Marilyn'' (1953) - George Saunders
* '' Act of Love'' (1953) - Le sergent anglais
* ''The Good Die Young
''The Good Die Young'' is a 1954 British crime film directed by Lewis Gilbert and starring Laurence Harvey, Gloria Grahame, Joan Collins, Stanley Baker, Richard Basehart and John Ireland. It was made by Remus Films from a screenplay bas ...
'' (1954) - Stookey
* ''The Black Rider
''The Black Rider: The Casting of the Magic Bullets'' is a self-billed "musical fable" in the avant-garde tradition created through the collaboration of theatre director Robert Wilson, musician Tom Waits, and writer William S. Burroughs. Wi ...
'' (1954) - Robert Plack
* '' Where There's a Will'' (1955) - Alfie Brewer
* ''Room in the House
''Room in the House'' is a 1955 comedy-drama film directed by Maurice Elvey. The film's screenplay, by Alfred Shaughnessy, is based on Eynon Evans
Evan Eynon Evans (18 May 1904 – 1989) billed as Eynon Evans and also known as E. Eynon R ...
'' (1955) - Benji Pugh
* '' Not So Dusty'' (1956) - Nobby
* ''Cloak Without Dagger
''Cloak Without Dagger'' is a 1956 British thriller film directed by Joseph Sterling and starring Philip Friend, Mary Mackenzie and Leslie Dwyer. It was released in the USA as ''Operation Conspiracy''
Plot
A fashion reporter is united with a fo ...
'' (1956) - Fred Borcombe
* '' Eyewitness'' (1956) - Henry Cammon
* ''Face in the Night
''Face in the Night'' is a 1957 British crime film directed by Lance Comfort and starring Griffith Jones, Lisa Gastoni and Vincent Ball. It was based on the novel ''Suspense'' by prolific crime writer Bruce Graeme. The film was released in th ...
'' (1957) - Toby
* '' Stormy Crossing'' (1958) - Bill Harris
* '' The 39 Steps'' (1959) - Milkman
* '' Left Right and Centre'' (1959) - Left - Alf Stoker
* ''Seventy Deadly Pills'' (1964) - Police Constable Robinson
* ''I've Gotta Horse
''I've Gotta Horse'' is Billy Fury's second hit feature film, a semi-autobiographical musical comedy that also features Amanda Barrie, Michael Medwin and Jon Pertwee and pop bands The Gamblers and The Bachelors. It also features Fury's own ra ...
'' (1965) - Bert
* ''Die, Monster, Die!
''Die, Monster, Die!'' (British title: ''Monster of Terror'') is a 1965 science fiction horror film directed by Daniel Haller, and starring Boris Karloff, Nick Adams, Freda Jackson, and Suzan Farmer. Its plot follows an American man who, while ...
'' (1965) (UK title: ''Monster of Terror'') - Potter
* '' The Bliss of Mrs. Blossom'' (1968) - Bookshop assistant
* ''Lionheart'' (1968) - Carpenter
* ''Crooks and Coronets
''Crooks and Coronets'' is a 1969 British crime comedy film and/or heist movie written and directed by Jim O'Connolly. It starred Telly Savalas, Edith Evans, Warren Oates, Cesar Romero and Harry H. Corbett. The film was renamed as ''Sophie's Plac ...
'' (1969) - Henry
* ''Up in the Air'' (1969) - Driver
* ''Dominique
"Dominique" is a 1963 French language popular song, written and performed by the Belgian female singer Jeannine Deckers, better known as Sœur Sourire ("Sister Smile" in French) or The Singing Nun. The song is about Saint Dominic, a Spanish-bo ...
'' (1978) - Cemetery Supervisor
References
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dwyer, Leslie
1906 births
1986 deaths
People from Catford
English male film actors
English male television actors
20th-century English male actors
Male actors from London
English male stage actors
Male actors from Kent