Ernest Clark (12 February 1912 – 11 November 1994) was a British actor of stage, television and film.

Early life

Clark was the son of a master builder in

Maida Vale Maida Vale ( ) is an affluent residential district consisting of the northern part of Paddington in West London, west of St John's Wood and south of Kilburn. It is also the name of its main road, on the continuous Edgware Road. Maida Vale ...

, and was educated nearby at St Marylebone Grammar School. After leaving school he became a reporter on a local newspaper in

Croydon Croydon is a large town in south London, England, south of Charing Cross. Part of the London Borough of Croydon, a local government district of Greater London. It is one of the largest commercial districts in Greater London, with an exten ...

. He had always wanted to be an actor and when offered a job with the local rep, he took it and apart from six years in the army during World War II, he remained in the profession.

Career

His first stage appearance was at the Festival Theatre,

Cambridge Cambridge ( ) is a university city and the county town in Cambridgeshire, England. It is located on the River Cam approximately north of London. As of the 2021 United Kingdom census, the population of Cambridge was 145,700. Cambridge bec ...

in 1937, and he went on to appear in plays at both the West End in London, and

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

in New York. In 1955 he appeared on stage in ''

Witness for the Prosecution In law, a witness is someone who has knowledge about a matter, whether they have sensed it or are testifying on another witnesses' behalf. In law a witness is someone who, either voluntarily or under compulsion, provides testimonial evidence, e ...

'' at Henry Miller's Theatre in New York City, and on film as Air Vice-Marshal The Honourable Ralph Cochrane AFC RAF, AOC, No. 5 Group RAF in '' The Dam Busters'' (1955). He is perhaps best remembered for his role as the irascible Professor Geoffrey Loftus in the television comedy series '' Doctor in the House'' and its sequels, apart from ''Doctor at Sea'', in which he appeared as Captain Norman Loftus (the brother of Professor Loftus). He also appeared as the Dean in the BBC sitcom '' All Gas and Gaiters'' (1967–71). Clark was president of the actors' trade union

Equity Equity may refer to: Finance, accounting and ownership *Equity (finance), ownership of assets that have liabilities attached to them ** Stock, equity based on original contributions of cash or other value to a business ** Home equity, the diff ...

from 1969 to 1973.

Personal life

He married three times: one of his wives was actress Avril Hillyer, the first two marriages were dissolved. His third marriage, from 1972 until his death, was to

Julia Lockwood Julia Lockwood (born Margaret Julia Leon; 23 August 1941 – 24 March 2019) was a British actress. Daughter of Margaret Lockwood, her career began as a child actress at the age of four and spanned 30 years in film, television and the theatre. ...

(née Margaret Julia Leon in 1941), the actress daughter of the British film star

Margaret Lockwood Margaret Mary Day Lockwood, CBE (15 September 1916 – 15 July 1990), was an English actress. One of Britain's most popular film stars of the 1930s and 1940s, her film appearances included ''The Lady Vanishes'' (1938), ''Night Train to Munich' ...

, with whom he had four children, Timothy, Nicholas, Lucy and Katharine. He died 11 November 1994 in Hinton St. George,

Somerset ( en, All The People of Somerset) , locator_map = , coordinates = , region = South West England , established_date = Ancient , established_by = , preceded_by = , origin = , lord_lieutenant_office =Lord Lieutenant of Somerset , lor ...

, aged 82.

Filmography

* '' Private Angelo'' - (uncredited) * '' Obsession'' - (uncredited) * '' Seven Days to Noon'' (1950) - Barber (uncredited) * '' The Mudlark'' (1950) - Hammond (uncredited) * '' The Long Memory'' (1952) - Prosecuting Counsel (uncredited) * '' Doctor in the House'' (1954) - Dr. Parrish * ''

Father Brown Father Brown is a fictional Roman Catholic priest and amateur detective who is featured in 53 short stories published between 1910 and 1936 written by English author G. K. Chesterton. Father Brown solves mysteries and crimes using his intui ...

'' (1954) - Bishop's Secretary * ''

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) - Dr. Warren * '' The Dam Busters'' (1955) - Air Vice-Marshall Ralph Cochrane. AOC, No.5 Group RAF * ''

1984 Events January * January 1 – The Bornean Sultanate of Brunei gains full independence from the United Kingdom, having become a British protectorate in 1888. * January 7 – Brunei becomes the sixth member of the Association of Southeas ...

'' (1956) - Outer Party Announcer * ''

Reach for the Sky ''Reach for the Sky'' is a 1956 British biographical film about aviator Douglas Bader, based on the 1954 biography of the same name by Paul Brickhill. The film stars Kenneth More and was directed by Lewis Gilbert. It won the BAFTA Award fo ...

'' (1956) - Wing Commander Beiseigel * ''

The Baby and the Battleship ''The Baby and the Battleship'' is a colour 1956 British comedy film directed by Jay Lewis and starring John Mills, Richard Attenborough and André Morell. It is based on the 1956 novel by Anthony Thorne with a screenplay by Richard De Roy, ...

'' (1956) - Cmdr. Geoffrey Digby * '' Stars in Your Eyes'' (1956) - Ronnie * ''

The Man in the Sky ''The Man in the Sky'' (released in the U.S. as ''Decision Against Time'') is a 1957 thriller drama film starring Jack Hawkins and produced by Ealing Films, Michael Balcon's new company, set up after Rank had sold Ealing Studios in Ealing Gree ...

'' (1957) - Maine * '' Time Without Pity'' (1957) - Under Secretary - Home Office * ''

The Birthday Present ''The Birthday Present'' is a 1957 British drama film directed by Pat Jackson. The film also featured Thorley Walters and Ian Bannen in small roles. Plot Simon Scott, a top toy salesman, returns from a business trip to Germany with a watch hid ...

'' (1958) - Barrister * ''

A Tale of Two Cities ''A Tale of Two Cities'' is a historical novel published in 1859 by Charles Dickens, set in London and Paris before and during the French Revolution. The novel tells the story of the French Doctor Manette, his 18-year-long imprisonment in ...

'' (1958) - Stryver * '' I Accuse!'' (1958) - Prosecutor - 1st Dreyfus trial * '' The Safecracker'' (1958) - Major Adbury * '' A Woman of Mystery'' (1958) - Harvey * '' Blind Spot'' (1958) - F. G. Fielding * ''

A Touch of Larceny ''A Touch of Larceny'' is a 1959 British-American black-and-white comedy film, produced by Ivan Foxwell, directed by Guy Hamilton, that stars James Mason, George Sanders, and Vera Miles. The film co-stars Harry Andrews, Rachel Gurney, and John L ...

'' (1959) - Cmdr. Bates * ''

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) - Captain (Suffolk) * ''

No Love for Johnnie ''No Love for Johnnie'' is a 1961 British drama film in CinemaScope directed by Ralph Thomas. It was based on the 1959 book of the same title by the Labour Member of Parliament Wilfred Fienburgh, and stars Peter Finch. It depicts the disillu ...

'' (1961) - M.P. (uncredited) * '' Three on a Spree'' (1961) - Col. Drew * '' Partners in Crime'' (1961) - Ashton * '' Edgar Wallace Mysteries'' ''( Time to Remember) episode'' (1962) - Cracknell * '' The Wild and the Willing'' (1962) - Vice Chancellor * ''

Tomorrow at Ten ''Tomorrow at Ten'' is a 1962 British thriller film directed by Lance Comfort and starring John Gregson, Robert Shaw and Kenneth Cope. Plot A man calling himself Marlow kidnaps Jonathan Chester, the young son of wealthy industrialist Anthony C ...

'' (1962) - Dr. Towers * '' Master Spy'' (1963) - Doctor Pembury * ''

Billy Liar ''Billy Liar'' is a 1959 novel by Keith Waterhouse that was later adapted into a play, a film, a musical and a TV series. The work has inspired and been featured in a number of popular songs. The semi-comical story is about William Fisher, ...

'' (1963) - Prison Governor * '' Ladies Who Do'' (1963) - Stockbroker * '' A Stitch in Time'' (1963) - Prof. Crankshaw * '' Nothing But the Best'' (1964) - Roberts * ''

The Devil-Ship Pirates ''The Devil-Ship Pirates'' is a 1964 British pirate adventure film directed by Don Sharp. The film was the first of several collaborations between Don Sharp and star Christopher Lee. Plot A pirate ship, involved in 1588 battles on the side of ...

'' (1964) - Sir Basil Smeeton * Boy with a Flute (1964) Short) * ''

Masquerade Masquerade or Masquerader may refer to: Events * Masquerade ball, a costumed dance event * Masquerade ceremony, a rite or cultural event in many parts of the world, especially the Caribbean and Africa * Masqueraders, the performers in the West ...

'' (1965) - Minister * '' The Secret of My Success'' (1965) - Earl of Aldershot's solicitor * ''

Arabesque The arabesque is a form of artistic decoration consisting of "surface decorations based on rhythmic linear patterns of scrolling and interlacing foliage, tendrils" or plain lines, often combined with other elements. Another definition is "Foli ...

'' (1966) - Beauchamp * '' Finders Keepers'' (1966) - Air Marshall * '' It!'' (1967) - Harold Grove * ''

Cuckoo Patrol ''Cuckoo Patrol'' is a 1967 British musical comedy film directed by Duncan Wood and starring Freddie Garrity, Victor Maddern, John Le Mesurier and Kenneth Connor. It was produced in 1965 but held back for two years. The film's tag line, "Bas ...

'' (1967) - Marshall * ''

Attack on the Iron Coast ''Attack on the Iron Coast'' is a 1967 DeLuxe Color Anglo-American Oakmont Productions international co-production war film directed by Paul Wendkos in the first of his five-picture contract with Mirisch Productions, and starring Lloyd Bridges, ...

'' (1968) - Air Vice Marshall Woodbridge * ''

Salt and Pepper Salt and pepper is the common name for edible salt and ground black pepper, which are ubiquitously paired on Western dining tables as to allow for the additional seasoning of food after its preparation. During food preparation or cooking, they ...

'' (1968) - Col. Balson * ''

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 appear ...

'' (1969) - British Colonel (uncredited) * '' The Executioner'' (1970) - Roper * '' Song of Norway'' (1970) - Councilman * ''

Gandhi Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (; ; 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948), popularly known as Mahatma Gandhi, was an Indian lawyer, anti-colonial nationalist Quote: "... marks Gandhi as a hybrid cosmopolitan figure who transformed ... anti- ...

'' (1982) - Lord Hunter * ''

Memed, My Hawk ''Memed, My Hawk'' ( tr, İnce Memed, meaning "Memed, the Slim") is a 1955 novel by Yaşar Kemal. It was Kemal's debut novel and is the first novel in his İnce Memed tetralogy. The novel won the Varlık Prize for that year (Turkey's highest lite ...

'' (1984) - Father * ''

The Pope Must Die ''The Pope Must Die'' (alternative known title as ''The Pope Must Diet!'' in the United States and Canada) is a 1991 British Catholic Church comedy film directed by Peter Richardson, who also wrote the screenplay with Pete Richens derived from ...

'' (1991) - Abbot

External links

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References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Clark, Ernest 1912 births 1994 deaths English male film actors English male stage actors English male television actors People from Maida Vale Male actors from London People educated at St Marylebone Grammar School British Army personnel of World War II 20th-century English male actors