Alan Lake (24 November 1940 – 10 October 1984) was an English actor, best known as the third and final husband of screen star

Diana Dors Diana Dors (born Diana Mary Fluck; 23 October 19314 May 1984) was an English actress and singer. Dors came to public notice as a blonde bombshell, much in the style of Americans Marilyn Monroe, Jayne Mansfield and Mamie Van Doren. Dors was p ...

Biography

Alan Lake was born in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire on 24 November 1940.Donnelley, Paul (2003) ''Fade to Black: A Book of Movie Obituaries'', Omnibus Press, , p. 221-2 He studied acting at

RADA The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA; ) is a drama school in London, England, that provides vocational conservatoire training for theatre, film, television, and radio. It is based in the Bloomsbury area of Central London, close to the Se ...

, and began to work in television roles in 1964. He is best known as the third husband of the actress

, whom he met on the set of the 1968 television series ''The Inquisitors''. He was initially not keen on Dors; his reaction on finding that he would be working with her was, "Oh no, not Madame Tits and Lips!", but within days, they had fallen in love and were married on 23 November 1968. Their stormy marriage produced a son, Jason David (1969 - 2019). Lake also had a daughter, Catherine Emma, born in 1967 with casting director Pamela Brown. Diana and Alan worked together in the early 1970s, on stage in plays such as ''Three Months Gone'', for which Dors received her best critical reviews since ''

Yield to the Night ''Yield to the Night'' (also titled ''Blonde Sinner'' in the US) is a 1956 British crime drama film directed by J. Lee Thompson and starring Diana Dors. The film is based on the 1954 novel of the same name by Joan Henry. The storyline bears a ...

''.They also received an offer to appear together in a TV sitcom, '' Queenie's Castle''.Upton, Julian (2004) ''Fallen Stars: Tragic Lives and Lost Careers'', Critical Vision, , p. 33-9 In July 1970, Lake was involved in a

pub A pub (short for public house) is a kind of drinking establishment which is licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises. The term ''public house'' first appeared in the United Kingdom in late 17th century, and was ...

brawl for which he was sentenced to 18 months in prison, although he was released after serving a year. His friend, the singer Leapy Lee, was sentenced to three years for unlawfully wounding the pub's relief manager and was released after a year. Lake was a keen horseman, and on his release from prison Dors presented him with a mare named Sapphire. In 1972, Lake was unseated when the horse ran into the bough of a tree. He broke his back, and initially it was thought he might spend the rest of his life in a wheelchair. However, he was walking again within three weeks. After leaving hospital, unable to work while he recovered, and in severe pain, he began drinking heavily. Dors said of him at this time: "alcohol had unleashed a monster, uncontrollable and frightening". Lake began hallucinating and experiencing psychotic episodes, but was diverted from drinking after becoming a

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy * Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD * Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...

, also convincing Dors to follow him in adopting the faith. In 1974, Dors was rushed to hospital suffering from meningitis, and Lake fainted when he was told that she might not survive the night. In 1975, within months of her illness, at the age of 43, Dors became pregnant with their second child and was advised by doctors to have an abortion, but because of her newly-adopted religion, and regret at two previous abortions, she decided to go ahead with the pregnancy. She miscarried, which led Lake to return to heavy drinking. For the remainder of the 1970s, Lake's once promising acting career was reduced to appearances in low-budget comedy films and small parts in television dramas. However, in 1974, he had a significant role as a singer Jack Daniels in the

Slade Slade are an English rock band formed in Wolverhampton in 1966. They rose to prominence during the glam rock era in the early 1970s, achieving 17 consecutive top 20 hits and six number ones on the UK Singles Chart. The ''British Hit Singles ...

vehicle '' Slade In Flame'', and also as John Merrick in the first episode of the hugely popular TV series '' The Sweeney''. Both he and Dors attended the film's premiere at the Metropole Theatre, Victoria, London, on 13 February 1975. In 1980, the pair separated for a time, although they were reconciled when Lake promised to undergo treatment for his alcoholism. Lake's acting work became less frequent in the 1980s, and Dors' health began to deteriorate. She was diagnosed with

ovarian cancer Ovarian cancer is a cancerous tumor of an ovary. It may originate from the ovary itself or more commonly from communicating nearby structures such as fallopian tubes or the inner lining of the abdomen. The ovary is made up of three different c ...

in 1982, and died in May 1984. Lake then burnt all of Dors' clothes, and fell into a depression. On 10 October 1984, five months after Dors' death, and 16 years to the day since they had first met, he took their teenage son Jason to the

railway station Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a prep ...

, returned to his

Sunningdale Sunningdale is a large village with a retail area and a civil parish in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead. It takes up the extreme south-east corner of Berkshire, England. It has a railway station on the (London) Waterloo to Reading ...

home, and took his own life by shooting himself in the mouth in their son's bedroom. His roles included Herrick in the '' Doctor Who'' story ''

Underworld The underworld, also known as the netherworld or hell, is the supernatural world of the dead in various religious traditions and myths, located below the world of the living. Chthonic is the technical adjective for things of the underwor ...

''; and parts in ''Cluff'', ''

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 ...

'', ''

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 ...

'', ''

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 ...

'', ''

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 ...

'', '' The Avengers'', '' Department S'', ''

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 ...

'', ''

The Protectors ''The Protectors'' is a British television series, an action thriller created by Gerry Anderson. It was Anderson's second TV series to exclusively use live actors as opposed to marionettes (following ''UFO''), and his second to be firmly set in ...

'', ''

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 debut ...

'', '' Softly, Softly: Taskforce'', '' Crown Court'', '' The Sweeney'', ''

Angels In various theistic religious traditions an angel is a supernatural spiritual being who serves God. Abrahamic religions often depict angels as benevolent celestial intermediaries between God (or Heaven) and humanity. Other roles incl ...

'', ''

Target Target may refer to: Physical items * Shooting target, used in marksmanship training and various shooting sports ** Bullseye (target), the goal one for which one aims in many of these sports ** Aiming point, in field artillery, f ...

'', '' Hazel'', '' Strangers'', ''

Blake's 7 ''Blake's 7'' (sometimes styled ''Blakes7'') is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. Four 13-episode series were broadcast on BBC1 between 1978 and 1981. It was created by Terry Nation, who also wrote the first ...

'', ''

Juliet Bravo ''Juliet Bravo'' is a British television police procedural drama series, first broadcast on 30 August 1980, that ran for six series and a total of 88 episodes on BBC1. The theme of the series concerned a female police inspector who took over con ...

'', ''

The Gentle Touch ''The Gentle Touch'' is a British police drama television series made by London Weekend Television for ITV which began on 11 April 1980 and ran until 1984. The series is notable for being the first British series to feature a female police of ...

'', ''

Hart to Hart ''Hart to Hart'' is an American mystery television series that premiered on August 25, 1979, on ABC. The show stars Robert Wagner and Stefanie Powers as Jonathan and Jennifer Hart, respectively, a wealthy couple who lead a glamorous jetset life ...

'', and '' Bergerac''. In 1969, he recorded a pop single, "Good Times"/"Got To Have Tenderness" (the former a cover of a song written by

Harry Nilsson Harry Edward Nilsson III (June 15, 1941 – January 15, 1994), sometimes credited as Nilsson, was an American singer-songwriter who reached the peak of his commercial success in the early 1970s. His work is characterized by pioneering vocal ov ...

), which was released by Ember Records (EMBS 278).

Acting roles

Film

* ''

Catch Us If You Can "Catch Us If You Can" is a 1965 song from The Dave Clark Five, written by group's drummer Dave Clark and guitarist Lenny Davidson. It was the title song for the film of the same name, which was retitled ''Having a Wild Weekend'' in the Unite ...

'', aka ''Having a Wild Weekend'' (1965) — Cameraman (uncredited) * ''

Sky West and Crooked ''Sky West and Crooked'' (known in the United States as ''Gypsy Girl'') is a 1966 British romantic drama film starring Hayley Mills. The film was directed by her father, John Mills, and was co-written by her mother, Mary Hayley Bell. The titl ...

'', aka ''Gypsy Girl'' (1966) — Camlo * ''

The Christmas Tree A Christmas tree is a decorated tree, usually an evergreen pinophyta, conifer, such as a spruce, pine or fir, or an artificial tree of similar appearance, associated with the celebration of Christmas. The custom was further developed in earl ...

'' (1966) — Truck driver (uncredited) * ''

Charlie Bubbles ''Charlie Bubbles'' is a 1968 British comedy-drama film directed by Albert Finney in his feature directorial debut. The film stars Finney alongside Billie Whitelaw and Liza Minnelli. It was screened at the 1968 Cannes Film Festival on the 11t ...

'' (1967) — Airman * '' Freelance'' (1971) — Dean * ''Swedish Wildcats'' (1972) — Bodyguard * ''

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 ...

'' (1972) — Lorrimer * ''

Layout for 5 Models Layout may refer to: * Page layout, the arrangement of visual elements on a page ** Comprehensive layout (comp), a proposed page layout presented by a designer to their client * Layout (computing), the process of calculating the position of obje ...

'' (1972) — Andy * ''

Percy's Progress ''Percy's Progress'' is a 1974 British comedy film directed by Ralph Thomas. It was written by Sid Colin, Harry H. Corbett and Ian La Frenais. It was released in the United States under the title ''It's Not the Size That Counts''. The US ...

'' (1974) — Derry Hogan * '' The Swordsman'' (1974) — Reynaud Duval * ''

The Amorous Milkman ''The Amorous Milkman'' is a 1975 British comedy film directed by Derren Nesbitt and starring Julie Ege, Diana Dors and Brendan Price. The plot is about a young milkman who enjoys a number of adventures with bored women on his round. One versi ...

'' (1975) — Sandy * '' Slade In Flame'' (1975) — Jack Daniels * ''

The Office Party ''The Office Party'' is a 1976 British sex comedy directed by David Grant and starring Alan Lake, Johnny Briggs, Pamela Grafton, Ellie Reece-Knight and Theresa Wood. It depicts the sexual misadventures of staff enjoying an office party where ...

'' (1976) — Mr Barnes * ''

The Playbirds ''The Playbirds'' is a 1978 British sexploitation film, made by Irish-born director Willy Roe and starring 1970s pin-up Mary Millington alongside Glynn Edwards, Suzy Mandel and Windsor Davies. It was the official follow-up to '' Come Play with ...

'' (1978) — Harry Dougan * ''

Confessions from the David Galaxy Affair ''Confessions from the David Galaxy Affair'' (UK re-release title: ''Star Sex'') is a 1979 British sexploitation comedy film directed by Willy Roe and starring Alan Lake, Glynn Edwards, Mary Millington, Bernie Winters, Diana Dors and Anton ...

'' (1979) — David Galaxy * ''

Yesterday's Hero ''Yesterday's Hero'' is a 1979 British drama film directed by Neil Leifer and starring Ian McShane, Suzanne Somers, Adam Faith, Paul Nicholas and Cary Elwes (in his film debut). It also features Glynis Barber and Emma Samms in their early ...

'' (1979) — Georgie Moore * ''

Don't Open Till Christmas ''Don't Open Till Christmas'' is a 1984 British slasher film directed by Edmund Purdom, and starring Purdom, Alan Lake, Belinda Mayne, and Gerry Sundquist. Written by Derek Ford and Alan Birkinshaw, the film follows a mysterious killer murde ...

'' (1984) — Giles Harrison

Television

* '' Catch Hand'', episode "Fifteen-Bob-An-Hour Men" (1964) — Charlie * ''

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) ...

'', episode "Real Class" (1964) — Third Player * ''

The Wednesday Play ''The Wednesday Play'' is an anthology series of British television plays which ran on BBC1 for six seasons from October 1964 to May 1970. The plays were usually original works written for television, although dramatic adaptations of fiction ...

: Wear a Very Big Hat'' (1965) — Harry Atkins * '' Cluff'', episode "The Village Constable" (1965) — Tod Meller * ''

Mary Barton ''Mary Barton: A Tale of Manchester Life'' is the first novel by English author Elizabeth Gaskell, published in 1848. The story is set in the English city of Manchester between 1839 and 1842, and deals with the difficulties faced by the Victor ...

'' (1964), 1 episode — Knobstick * ''

: Stand Up, Nigel Barton'' (1965) (TV) * ''

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 ...

'': four episodes (1965) — Edwin * ''

'', episode "The Moneylenders" (1966) — Lance Corporal Farrington * ''

'', episode "Locate and Destroy" (1966) — Jacob * ''

Thirteen Against Fate ''Thirteen Against Fate'' is a British mystery thriller series, comprising thirteen individual stories by the Belgian writer, Georges Simenon. There are no links between each story, other than the original author, and no story features Simenon' ...

'', episode "The Traveller" (1966) — Robert Eloi * '' The Avengers'', episode "The House That Jack Built" (1966) — prison officer (uncredited) * ''

Thirty-Minute Theatre ''Thirty-Minute Theatre'' was a British anthology drama series of short plays shown on BBC Television between 1965 and 1973, which was used in part at least as a training ground for new writers, on account of its short running length, and which t ...

'', episode "The Wake" (1967) * ''

: Dial Rudolph Valentino One One'' (1967) — Con * ''

'', episode "She's Not Yours, She's Mine: Part 2" (1967) — Speedy * ''

'', episode "It Must Be the Architecture – Can't Be the Climate" (1968) — Murchinson * ''Thief'' (1968) * '' The Avengers'', episode "The Forget-Me-Knot" (1968) — Karl * '' A Bit of Crucifixion, Father'' (1968) — Gilbert * ''

'', episode "A Quiet Sunday" (1968) — Kimber * ''

'', episode "No Love Lost" (1969) — Keith Proctor * ''

The Contenders ''The Contenders'' is a 14-program series that was produced and aired by C-SPAN in the fall of 2011. It looked at the lives and careers of 14 candidates for the presidency of the United States who were determined to have made significant impacts ...

'' (miniseries, 1969) — Tom Stocker * '' Department S'', episode "Dead Men Die Twice" (1969) — The Dandy * ''

'', episode "The Informant" (1972) — Dennis Brown * ''

'', episode "See No Evil" (1972) — — Thug * '' The Adventurer'', episode "Icons Are Forever" (1973) — Carlo * ''

'', episode "Hi-Jack" (1973) — Brian Peake * ''

'', episode "Knocker" (1974) — Jimmy Goddard * '' Softly, Softly: Task Force'', episode "See What You've Done" (1974) — Richard Spencer * '' The Sweeney'', episode "The Ringer" (1975) — Merrick * '' Crown Court'', episode "Two in the Mind of One" (1975) * ''

'', episode "Tonight and Every Night" (1975) — Danny * ''

'', episode "Domino" (1976) — Ron Mason * ''

'', episode "Celebration" (1976) — Tony * ''

'', episode "Lady Luck" (1977) — Swain * ''

'', episode "Error of Judgement" (1977) — Stan * '' Doctor Who'', episode "Underworld" (1978) — Herrick * '' Play for Today'': "Destiny" (1978) — Monty Goodman * '' Hazell'', episode "Hazell Settles the Accounts" (1978) — Creasey * ''

'', episode "Driver" (1978) — George Armstrong * '' The Black Stuff'' (1980) — Dominic * ''

'', episode "Aftermath" (1980) — Chel * ''

Rumpole of the Bailey ''Rumpole of the Bailey'' is a British television series created and written by the British writer and barrister John Mortimer. It starred Leo McKern as Horace Rumpole, a middle-aged London barrister who defended a broad variety of clients, oft ...

'': "Rumpole's Return" (1980) — Meacher * ''

'', episode "Trouble at T'Mill" (1980) — Ted Galway * '' The Olympian Way'' (1981) * ''

Dick Turpin Richard Turpin (bapt. 21 September 1705 – 7 April 1739) was an English highwayman whose exploits were romanticised following his execution in York for horse theft. Turpin may have followed his father's trade as a butcher ea ...

'', episode "The Secret Folk" (1982) — Zsika * ''

'', episode "Joker" (1982) — Malcolm Webster * ''

'', episode "A Breach of the Peace" (1982) — Tom Tully * ''

'', episode "Passing Chance" (1983) — Nick * '' Bergerac'', episode "Tug of War" (1984) — Jack Broughton * ''

'', episode "Work Force" (1984) — Grogan * ''

Hammer House of Mystery and Suspense ''Hammer House of Mystery and Suspense'' is a short-lived (one season) anthology television series produced in Britain in 1984/85 by Hammer Film Productions. Though similar in format to the 1980 series '' Hammer House of Horror'', the ''Mystery ...

'': "Paint Me a Murder" (1984) — Davey

References

* Simon Sheridan ''Keeping the British End Up: Four Decades of Saucy Cinema'' (fourth edition) (Titan Publishing, London) (2011)

External links

* * *
Alan Lake
biography at Avengers Forever {{DEFAULTSORT:Lake, Alan 1940 births 1984 deaths Alumni of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art English male film actors English male stage actors English male television actors English Roman Catholics People from Stoke-on-Trent Actors from Staffordshire Suicides by firearm in England 20th-century English male actors 1984 suicides