Peter Dyneley (13 April 1921 – 19 August 1977) was a British actor. Although he appeared in many smaller roles in both film and television, he is best remembered for supplying the voice of

Jeff Tracy Jeff Tracy is a fictional character from Gerry and Sylvia Anderson's Supermarionation television show '' Thunderbirds'' and the subsequent films '' Thunderbirds Are GO'' and '' Thunderbird 6''. The voice for the character in these shows was sup ...

for the 1960s "

Supermarionation Supermarionation (a portmanteau of the words "super", "marionette" and " animation")La Rivière 2009, p. 67. is a style of television and film production employed by British company AP Films (later Century 21 Productions) in its puppet T ...

" TV series '' Thunderbirds'' and its two film sequels, '' Thunderbirds Are Go'' (1966) and ''

Thunderbird 6 ''Thunderbird 6'' is a 1968 British Science fiction film, science fiction puppet film based on ''Thunderbirds (TV series), Thunderbirds'', a Supermarionation television series created by Gerry Anderson, Gerry and Sylvia Anderson and filmed by ...

'' (1968), all produced by

Gerry Anderson Gerald Alexander Anderson (; 14 April 1929 – 26 December 2012) was an English television and film producer, director, writer and occasional voice artist. He remains famous for his futuristic television programmes, especially his 1960s produ ...

. Uncredited, Dyneley also provided the voice of the

countdown A countdown is a sequence of backward counting to indicate the time remaining before an event is scheduled to occur. NASA commonly employs the terms "L-minus" and "T-minus" during the preparation for and anticipation of a rocket launch, and eve ...

that introduces the ''Thunderbirds''

title sequence A title sequence (also called an opening sequence or intro) is the method by which films or television programmes present their title and key production and cast members, utilizing conceptual visuals and sound (often a opening theme song with visu ...

.Gerry Anderson: "Ask Anderson" in ''FAB News'', Issue 58 (Vol. 12, No. 2), p. 11.

Life and career

Born in

Hastings Hastings () is a large seaside town and borough in East Sussex on the south coast of England, east to the county town of Lewes and south east of London. The town gives its name to the Battle of Hastings, which took place to the north-west ...

Sussex Sussex (), from the Old English (), is a historic county in South East England that was formerly an independent medieval Anglo-Saxon kingdom. It is bounded to the west by Hampshire, north by Surrey, northeast by Kent, south by the English ...

on 13 April 1921, Peter Dyneley spent his early years 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 ...

but was educated at

Radley College Radley College, formally St Peter's College, Radley, is a public school (independent boarding school for boys) near Radley, Oxfordshire, England, which was founded in 1847. The school covers including playing fields, a golf course, a lake, and ...

Oxfordshire Oxfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the north west of South East England. It is a mainly rural county, with its largest settlement being the city of Oxford. The county is a centre of research and development, primarily ...

, UK. He served in the

Royal Canadian Navy The Royal Canadian Navy (RCN; french: Marine royale canadienne, ''MRC'') is the Navy, naval force of Canada. The RCN is one of three environmental commands within the Canadian Armed Forces. As of 2021, the RCN operates 12 frigates, four attack s ...

during the

Second World War 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 ...

. After the war, he attended the

Guildhall School of Music and Drama The Guildhall School of Music and Drama is a conservatoire and drama school located in the City of London, United Kingdom. Established in 1880, the school offers undergraduate and postgraduate training in all aspects of classical music and jazz ...

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 ...

, where he studied

opera Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a librett ...

and developed his

bass voice Bass or Basses may refer to: Fish * Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species Music * Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in the bass range: ** Bass (instrument), including: ** Acoustic bass gui ...

. It was at this institution that he made the acquaintance of fellow student Christine May, whom he later married. They had two children, Richard and Amanda. Having lived in Canada, Dyneley frequently performed with a

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...

n accent. He acted primarily in stage productions prior to 1954, when he turned his attention to film. On stage and in film, he regularly appeared opposite his second wife, the actress

Jane Hylton Jane Hylton (16 July 1926 – 28 February 1979, born as Audrey Gwendolene Clark) was an English actress who accumulated 30 film credits, mostly in the 1940s and 1950s, before moving into television work in the latter half of her career in the ...

, whom he met on the set of ''Ett kunglit aventyr'' (

Laughing in the Sunshine ''Laughing in the Sunshine'' (Swedish: ''Ett kungligt äventyr'') is a 1956 British-Swedish romance film directed by Daniel Birt and starring Jane Hylton, Bengt Logardt and Adolf Jahr. It was Birt's final film. It is sometimes alternatively desc ...

), made in 1956. They also co-starred together in ''

The Manster is an American science-fiction horror film. Shot in Japan, it was produced by George P. Breakston and directed by Breakston and Kenneth G. Crane from a screenplay by Walter J. Sheldon. Sheldon's script was based on Breakston's story which he o ...

'' in 1959. He also appeared as a guest star in many television series. He spoke fluent French,

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

and

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Can ...

. Dyneley died of cancer in

on 19 August 1977, at age 56. His wife Jane died of a

heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which may tr ...

18 months later, on 28 February 1979.

''Thunderbirds'' voice-over

English actor

Brian Cobby Brian Cobby (12 October 192931 October 2012) was an English actor and telephone exchange worker who, in 1985, became the first male voice of the British speaking clock. Early life Cobby was born in Gravesend, Kent, the son of Amy and Sydney ...

claimed he had provided the voice-over for the opening sequence countdown of '' Thunderbirds'' in 1964. This was refuted by ''Thunderbirds'' producer

, who confirmed countdown was indeed recorded by Dyneley. Dyneley's countdown was reused in the first trailer for the series' 2015 reboot '' Thunderbirds Are Go!'', as well as its opening sequence, and also for the launch countdown for the various Thunderbirds in the episodes.

Filmography

Film

*''

Hell Below Zero ''Hell Below Zero'' is a 1954 British-American adventure film directed by Mark Robson and starring Alan Ladd, Joan Tetzel, Basil Sydney and Stanley Baker. It was written by Alec Coppel and Max Trell based on the 1949 novel '' The White South'' ...

'' (1954) as Miller *'' You Know What Sailors Are'' (1954) as Lieutenant Andrews *'' The Young Lovers'' (1954) as Regan (uncredited) *''

Beau Brummell George Bryan "Beau" Brummell (7 June 1778 – 30 March 1840) was an important figure in Regency England and, for many years, the arbiter of men's fashion. At one time, he was a close friend of the Prince Regent, the future King George IV, but ...

'' (1954) as Midger *'' Third Party Risk'' (1954) as Tony Roscoe *''

The Stolen Airliner ''The Stolen Airliner'' is a 1955 British Children's Film Foundation production, directed by Don Sharp and starring Fella Edmonds, Diana Day, and Michael Maguire. It was based on John Pudney's adventure story for boys, ''Thursday Adventure'' (1 ...

'' (1955) as Uncle George * ''

'' (1956) as Greg Preston *''

The Battle of the River Plate The Battle of the River Plate was fought in the South Atlantic on 13 December 1939 as the first naval battle of the Second World War. The Kriegsmarine heavy cruiser , commanded by Captain Hans Langsdorff, engaged a Royal Navy squadron, command ...

'' (1956) as Captain, Newton Beach, Prisoner on Graf Spee (uncredited) *'' The Golden Disc'' (1958) as Mr Washington *''

The Strange Awakening ''The Strange Awakening'' is a 1958 British film directed by Montgomery Tully and starring Lex Barker. It was released in the United States as ''Female Fiends''.

'' (1958) as Dr Rene Normand *'' The Whole Truth'' (1958) as Willy Reichel *''

Deadly Record ''Deadly Record'' is a 1959 'B' feature British crime drama directed by Lawrence Huntington, and based on a novel by Nina Warner Hooke. It aired in the US as part of the ''Kraft Mystery Theatre''. ''Plot'': When airline pilot Trevor Hamilton's wi ...

'' (1959) as Dr. Morrow *''

'' (1959) as Larry Stanford *''

Sink the Bismarck! ''Sink the Bismarck!'' is a 1960 black-and-white CinemaScope British war film based on the 1959 book ''The Last Nine Days of the Bismarck'' by C. S. Forester. It stars Kenneth More and Dana Wynter and was directed by Lewis Gilbert.Weiler, A.H ...

'' (1960) as Commander Jenkins (uncredited) *'' October Moth'' (1960) as Tom *''

House of Mystery ''The House of Mystery'' is the name of several horror, fantasy, and mystery Comics anthologies published by DC Comics. It had a companion series, ''The House of Secrets''. It is also the name of the titular setting of the series. First serie ...

'' (1961) as Mark Lemming *'' The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone'' (1961) as Lloyd Greener *''

The Day of the Triffids ''The Day of the Triffids'' is a 1951 post-apocalyptic novel by the English science fiction author John Wyndham. After most people in the world are blinded by an apparent meteor shower, an aggressive species of plant starts killing people. Al ...

'' (1962) Narrator, Parisian Radio Operator (voice, uncredited) *''

Call Me Bwana ''Call Me Bwana'' is a 1963 British Technicolor farce film starring Bob Hope and Anita Ekberg and directed by Gordon Douglas. Largely set in Africa, it was the only film made by Eon Productions not about the fictional MI6 agent James Bond un ...

'' (1963) as Williams *'' Thunderbirds Are Go'' (1966) as

(voice) *''

'' (1968) as

(voice) *'' The Executioner'' (1970) as Balkov *''

Chato's Land ''Chato's Land'' is a 1972 Western Technicolor film directed by Michael Winner, starring Charles Bronson and Jack Palance. In Apache country, the half-native Chato shoots the local sheriff in self-defense, and finds himself hunted by a posse of ...

'' (1972) as Ezra Meade *'' Royal Sovereign Light'' (1972) Documentary Narrator *'' Death of a Snowman'' (1976) as Captain

Television

*''

Fabian of the Yard ''Fabian of the Yard'' is a British police procedural television series based on the real-life memoirs of Scotland Yard detective Robert Fabian, made by the BBC and broadcast between November 1954 and February 1956. It is considered the earlies ...

'' (1954, 1 episode) as Captain Pool *''

Colonel March of Scotland Yard Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge o ...

'' (1954) (1 episode) as Red *''

The Vise ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...

'' (1955, 1 episode) *''

Portrait of Alison ''Portrait of Alison'' is a 1956 British atmospheric crime film directed by Guy Green. It was based on a BBC television series '' Portrait of Alison'' which aired the same year. In the United States the film was released as ''Postmark for Dang ...

'' (1955, 5 episodes) as Henry Carmichael *'' Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., Presents'' (1955, 2 episodes) as Bill Stevens/Mitch *''

London Playhouse ''London Playhouse'' is a UK television anthology series that aired from 1955–56. There were a total of twenty-five episodes. Among its writing credits include Tad Mosel, N. Richard Nash, Henry James, Robert Lowell, and Robert Alan Aurthur ...

'' (1955, 1 episode) as John Bell *''

The Adventures of Aggie ''The Adventures of Aggie'' is a black-and-white sitcom starring Joan Shawlee that was made by ME Films and broadcast on ITV.Sailor of Fortune'' (1956, 1 episode) as Darren *''

The New Adventures of Charlie Chan ''The New Adventures of Charlie Chan'' is a crime drama series that aired in the United States in syndicated television from June 1957, to 1958. The first five episodes were made by Vision Productions in the United States, before production sw ...

'' (1957, 2 episodes) as Dr Paul Liggat/John Robey *'' The Adventures of a Jungle Boy'' (1957, 1 episode) as Harold Gayland *''

Assignment Foreign Legion ''Assignment Foreign Legion'' is an American TV series made in Britain that ran for 26 episodes from 1956 to 1957. It was hosted by Merle Oberon and financed by CBS. Directors included Don Chaffey, Michael McCarthy and Lance Comfort. Premise A fe ...

'' (1957, 1 episode) as Richard Harding *''

ITV Playhouse ''Playhouse'' is a British television anthology series that ran from 1967 to 1983, which featured contributions from playwrights such as Dennis Potter, Rhys Adrian and Alan Sharp. The series began in black and white, but was later shot in colour ...

'' (1957, 1 episode) as Arthur Hayes *''

Ivanhoe ''Ivanhoe: A Romance'' () by Walter Scott is a historical novel published in three volumes, in 1819, as one of the Waverley novels. Set in England in the Middle Ages, this novel marked a shift away from Scott’s prior practice of setting st ...

'' (1958, 1 episode) as Baron Mauray *''

African Patrol ''African Patrol'' is a 39-episode syndicated adventure television series created, directed and produced by George Breakston in conjunction with Jack J. Gross and Philip N. Krasne. It was filmed on location in Kenya for a period of 15 months b ...

'' (1958–1959, 3 episodes) as Landray/Robert Gibson *''

Armchair Theatre ''Armchair Theatre'' is a British television drama anthology series of single plays that ran on the ITV network from 1956 to 1974. It was originally produced by ABC Weekend TV. Its successor Thames Television took over from mid-1968. The Canadi ...

'' (1958–1959, 4 episodes) as Lew Myrick *''

The Flying Doctor ''The Flying Doctor'' is a 1936 Australian-British drama film directed by Miles Mander and starring Charles Farrell, Mary Maguire and James Raglan. The Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia operate in the Australian Outback. Noted as Austr ...

'' (1959, 1 episode) as Jeff Ferguson *'' Dial 999'' (1959, 1 episode) as Harry Killian *'' The Four Just Men'' (1959–1960, 2 episodes) as Dougan/Police Chief *''

Interpol Calling ''Interpol Calling'' was a 1959 Rank Organisation and Jack Wrather Productions British television crime drama series for ITC Entertainment. The programme, which ran for one series of 39 half-hour monochrome episodes, followed the adventures of ...

'' (1960, 1 episode) as LeRoy *'' Golden Girl'' (1960) as Joe Francis *'' Alcoa Presents: One Step Beyond'' (1961, 1 episode) as Hadley *''

International Detective ''International Detective'' is a 1959 British TV series.INTRIGUED BY TRIVIA ART FLEMING -- THE ORIGINAL HOST OF TV'S JEOPARDY!' -- FINDS HAPPINESS NEAR THE OCEAN IN LIGHTHOUSE POINT.: EWS/SUN-SENTINEL EditionRODRIGUEZ-FLORIDO, LOURDES. Sun Sentin ...

'' (1961, 1 episode) as Len Rickman *''

Drama 61-67 ''Drama 61-67'' is a British anthology drama series which took a different title, based on year of transmission, each year.British Television, An Illustrated Guide, Oxford University Press, 1994, p.100 It alternated with ''Armchair Theatre ...

'' (1961–1964, 1 episode) as Frank Ellinger *'' Ghost Squad'' (1961–1963, 2 episodes) as Arnell/Phil Slade *''

ITV Play of the Week ''Play of the Week'' is a 90-minute British television anthology series produced by a variety of companies including Granada Television, Associated-Rediffusion, ATV and Anglia Television. Synopsis From 1955 to 1967 approximately 500 episodes a ...

'' (1961–1964, 3 episodes) as Major Ritter/Pyotr Kirpichov/Sir Basil Fleming *'' Out of This World'' (1962, 1 episode) as Inspector Slinn *'' Man of the World'' (1962, 1 episode) as Tony Gardner *''

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 ...

'' (1962, 1 episode) as Jackey Simmons *''

No Hiding Place ''No Hiding Place'' is a British television series that was produced at Wembley Studios by Associated-Rediffusion for the ITV network between 16 September 1959 and 22 June 1967. It was the sequel to the series ''Murder Bag'' (1957–1958) an ...

'' (1962–1965, 2 episodes) as Cliff Davidson/Mr Brome *''

The Saint The Saint may refer to: Fiction * Simon Templar, also known as "The Saint", the protagonist of a book series by Leslie Charteris and subsequent adaptations: ** ''The Saint'' (film series) (1938–43), starring Louis Hayward, George Sanders an ...

'' (1962–1967, 3 episodes) as Nat Grindel/Paul Verrier/Richard Eade *''Sunday-Night Play'' (1963, 1 episode) as Mr Wright *''

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 ...

'' (1963, 1 episode) as Clark *''

Espionage Espionage, spying, or intelligence gathering is the act of obtaining secret or confidential information (intelligence) from non-disclosed sources or divulging of the same without the permission of the holder of the information for a tangibl ...

'' (1963, 1 episode) as Parrott *''

Sergeant Cork ''Sergeant Cork'' is a British detective television series which first aired between 1963 and 1968 on ITV. It was a police procedural show that followed the efforts of two police officers and their battle against crime in Victorian London. In a ...

'' (1964, 1 episode) as Field Marshal *'' Catch Hand'' (1964, 1 episode) as Mr Niel *'' Crane'' (1965, 1 episode) as Peter Garvey *'' Thunderbirds'' (1965–1966, 32 episodes) as

(voice) *''

Kraft Mystery Theatre ''Kraft Television Theatre'' is an American anthology drama television series running from 1947 to 1958. It began May 7, 1947 on NBC, airing at 7:30pm on Wednesday evenings until December of that year. It first promoted MacLaren's Imperial Chees ...

'' (2 episodes) as Dr Morrow/Mark Lemming *''

Theatre 625 ''Theatre 625'' is a British television drama anthology series, produced by the BBC and transmitted on BBC2 from 1964 to 1968. It was one of the first regular programmes in the line-up of the channel, and the title referred to its production a ...

'' (1 episode) as Grantley Lewis *''

Hereward the Wake Hereward the Wake (Traditional pronunciation /ˈhɛ.rɛ.ward/, modern pronunciation /ˈhɛ.rɪ.wəd/) (1035 – 1072) (also known as Hereward the Outlaw or Hereward the Exile) was an Anglo-Saxon nobleman and a leader of local resista ...

'' (1965) *''

The Mask of Janus ''The Mask of Janus'' is a British 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 transmis ...

'' (1965, 1 episode) as Commander Charles Hastings *'' The Spies'' (1966, 1 episode) as Charles Hastings *''

Graf Yoster ''Graf Yoster gibt sich die Ehre'' (French title: ''Le comte Yoster a bien l'honneur'') – which translates to English as ''Count Yoster has the Honour'' – was a television series produced between 1967 and 1976. Starring Lukas Ammann and Wolf ...

'' (1970, 1 episode) as Lord Alistair Abdington *'' Thriller'' (1974, 1 episode) as David Garrick *''

The Goodies The Goodies were a trio of British comedians: Tim Brooke-Taylor (17 July 1940–12 April 2020), Graeme Garden (b. 18 February 1943) and Bill Oddie (b. 7 July 1941). The trio created, wrote for and performed in their eponymous television comed ...

'' (1974, 1 episode – Clown Virus) as General *''

The Sweeney ''The Sweeney'' is a 1970s British television police drama focusing on two members of the Flying Squad, a branch of the Metropolitan Police specialising in tackling armed robbery and violent crime in London. It stars John Thaw as Detective Ins ...

'' (1977, 1 episode) as Tarley

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Dyneley, Peter 1921 births 1977 deaths Military personnel from Sussex 20th-century English male actors Male actors from Sussex Alumni of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama Deaths from cancer in England English basses English expatriates in Canada English male film actors English male stage actors English male television actors English male voice actors Operatic basses People educated at Radley College People from Hastings Royal Canadian Navy personnel of World War II 20th-century British male opera singers