Valentine Dyall (7 May 1908 – 24 June 1985) was an English

character actor A character actor is a supporting actor who plays unusual, interesting, or eccentric characters.28 April 2013, The New York Acting SchoolTen Best Character Actors of All Time Retrieved 7 August 2014, "..a breed of actor who has the ability to b ...

. He worked regularly as a voice actor, and was known for many years as "The Man in Black", the narrator of the

BBC Radio BBC Radio is an operational business division and service of the British Broadcasting Corporation (which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a royal charter since 1927). The service provides national radio stations covering ...

horror series '' Appointment with Fear''. He was the son of the actor

Franklin Dyall Frank Poole Dyall (3 February 1870– 8 May 1950), professionally known as Franklin Dyall, was an English actor. In his early years he was a member of the companies of the actor-managers George Alexander, Ben Greet, John Martin-Harvey and ...

and the actress and author Mary Phyllis Joan Logan, who acted and wrote as Concordia Merrel.

1930s to 1950s

In 1934, Dyall appeared with his father, actor

, at the Manchester Hippodrome in Sir

Oswald Stoll Sir Oswald Stoll (20 January 1866 – 9 January 1942) was an Australian-born British theatre manager and the co-founder of the Stoll Moss Group theatre company. He also owned Cricklewood Studios and film production company Stoll Pictures, whi ...

's presentation of Shakespeare's ''

Henry V Henry V may refer to: People * Henry V, Duke of Bavaria (died 1026) * Henry V, Holy Roman Emperor (1081/86–1125) * Henry V, Duke of Carinthia (died 1161) * Henry V, Count Palatine of the Rhine (c. 1173–1227) * Henry V, Count of Luxembourg (121 ...

'', playing the roles of the Archbishop of Canterbury, Captain Gower, and a cardinal of France. He also appeared in one movie with his father, the 1943 spy thriller ''

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. T ...

''; Dyall's part was that of a German

U-boat U-boats were naval submarines operated by Germany, particularly in the First and Second World Wars. Although at times they were efficient fleet weapons against enemy naval warships, they were most effectively used in an economic warfare ro ...

commander attempting to kidnap a British agent from a ship in the Atlantic, while his father played the ship's captain. In the same year he had a small role as a German officer in '' The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp'' and, the following year, played the

Duke of Burgundy Duke of Burgundy (french: duc de Bourgogne) was a title used by the rulers of the Duchy of Burgundy, from its establishment in 843 to its annexation by France in 1477, and later by Holy Roman Emperors and Kings of Spain from the House of Habsburg ...

Laurence Olivier Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier (; 22 May 1907 – 11 July 1989) was an English actor and director who, along with his contemporaries Ralph Richardson and John Gielgud, was one of a trio of male actors who dominated the British stage ...

's film version of ''

''. In 1946, he appeared, uncredited, as the character Stephen Lynn in the romantic film drama ''

Brief Encounter ''Brief Encounter'' is a 1945 British romantic drama film directed by David Lean from a screenplay by Noël Coward, based on his 1936 one-act play ''Still Life''. Starring Celia Johnson, Trevor Howard, Stanley Holloway, and Joyce Carey, ...

''; Lynn is protagonist Alec Harvey's friend whose unexpected arrival spoils Alec's opportunity of consummating his romance. During the 1950s, Dyall made several guest appearances in episodes of the

BBC Home Service The BBC Home Service was a national and regional radio station that broadcast from 1939 until 1967, when it was replaced by BBC Radio 4. History 1922–1939: Interwar period Between the early 1920s and the outbreak of World War II, the BBC ...

radio comedy series ''

The Goon Show ''The Goon Show'' is a British radio comedy programme, originally produced and broadcast by the BBC Home Service from 1951 to 1960, with occasional repeats on the BBC Light Programme. The first series, broadcast from 28 May to 20 September ...

'', parodying his familiar radio persona. In 1960, he played the witch Jethrow Keane in '' The City of the Dead'' (known as '' Horror Hotel'' in the United States).

1960s

Dyall appeared in

Robert Wise Robert Earl Wise (September 10, 1914 – September 14, 2005) was an American film director, producer, and editor. He won the Academy Awards for Best Director and Best Picture for his musical films ''West Side Story'' (1961) and ''The Sound of ...

's 1963 film '' The Haunting'' as Mr. Dudley, the sinister caretaker of the haunted Hill House. Also that year, he played the central character Lord Fortnum in

Spike Milligan Terence Alan "Spike" Milligan (16 April 1918 – 27 February 2002) was an Irish actor, comedian, writer, musician, poet, and playwright. The son of an English mother and Irish father, he was born in British Colonial India, where he spent his ...

and John Antrobus's stage play '' The Bedsitting Room'', set in the aftermath of nuclear war. The play opened at the

Mermaid Theatre The Mermaid Theatre was a theatre encompassing the site of Puddle Dock and Curriers' Alley at Blackfriars in the City of London, and the first built in the City since the time of Shakespeare. It was, importantly, also one of the first new th ...

on 31 January.Milligan, Spike & Antrobus, John, ''The Bedsitting Room'', Tandem: London, 1973. First published in Great Britain by Margaret & Jack Hobbs, 1970. Published by Universal-Tandem, 1972. p. 158. Dyall narrated the mondo documentary ''The Mystery and the Pleasure'' in 1966, and part-narrated the pseudo-documentary ''

The Naked World of Harrison Marks ''The Naked World of Harrison Marks'' is a 1966 British pseudo-documentary about adult film director and photographer George Harrison Marks. It takes a look at his daily life, with added dream sequences, and is narrated by Valentine Dyall. The ...

'' in 1967. In the same year he voiced the character of evil mastermind Dr. Noah in the

James Bond The ''James Bond'' series focuses on a fictional British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short-story collections. Since Fleming's death in 1964, eight other authors hav ...

parody movie '' Casino Royale'', and also provided the voice of the

mummy A mummy is a dead human or an animal whose soft tissues and organs have been preserved by either intentional or accidental exposure to chemicals, extreme cold, very low humidity, or lack of air, so that the recovered body does not decay fu ...

narrator in ''

Secrets of Sex ''Secrets of Sex'', also known as ''Bizarre'', is a 1970 British multi-genre sexploitation anthology film directed by Antony Balch, an experimental filmmaker and frequent collaborator with William S. Burroughs. The film is narrated by an Egyptian ...

'' (1969). With

Dusty Springfield Mary Isobel Catherine Bernadette O'Brien (16 April 1939 – 2 March 1999), known professionally as Dusty Springfield, was an English singer. With her distinctive mezzo-soprano sound, she was a popular singer of blue-eyed soul, pop and dram ...

, Dyall co-hosted the BBC music variety series ''Decidedly Dusty'' in 1969; no complete episode has survived.

1970s and 1980s

In 1975, at London's

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, England ...

, Dyall played Dr. Rance in a major revival of

Joe Orton John Kingsley Orton (1 January 1933 – 9 August 1967), known by the pen name of Joe Orton, was an English playwright, author, and diarist. His public career, from 1964 until his death in 1967, was short but highly influential. During this brie ...

's play '' What the Butler Saw''. Between 1977 and 1979, he appeared as Dr. Pascal Keldermans in the BBC television series '' Secret Army''. He was in the cast of the BBC's ''

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 ...

'' to portray the

Black Guardian This is a list of villains from the long-running British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. For other, related lists, see below. See also * List of ''Doctor Who'' supporting characters * List of ''Doctor Who'' henchmen * Lis ...

in several serials (''

The Armageddon Factor ''The Armageddon Factor'' is the sixth and final serial of the 16th season of the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'', which was first broadcast in six weekly parts on BBC1 from 20 January to 24 February 1979. It was the las ...

'' from 1979 and the ''

Mawdryn Undead ''Mawdryn Undead'' is the third serial of the 20th season of the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'', which was originally broadcast in four twice weekly parts on BBC1 from 1 to 9 February 1983. The serial is set in an Engl ...

' Terminus' Enlightenment'' trilogy in 1983). At around the same time as ''The Armageddon Factor'', he featured in the radio version of ''

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy ''The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy'' (sometimes referred to as ''HG2G'', ''HHGTTG'', ''H2G2'', or ''tHGttG'') is a comedy science fiction franchise created by Douglas Adams. Originally a 1978 radio comedy broadcast on BBC Radio 4, it ...

'', playing Gargravarr. In the TV and LP versions, he voiced the computer Deep Thought. He also played the character Norl in the ''

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 ...

'' episode "City at the Edge of the World" and Lord Angus in the 1983 '' Black Adder'' episode "

Witchsmeller Pursuivant "Witchsmeller Pursuivant" is the fifth episode of the first series of the BBC sitcom ''Blackadder'' ('' The Black Adder''). It is set in England in the late 15th century and centres on the fictitious Prince Edmund, who finds himself falsely ac ...

". Also in 1983, he joined many other ''Doctor Who'' cast and crew members at

Longleat Longleat is an English stately home and the seat of the Marquess of Bath, Marquesses of Bath. A leading and early example of the Elizabethan era, Elizabethan prodigy house, it is adjacent to the village of Horningsham and near the towns of War ...

for the show's 20th anniversary celebrations. In 1984, Dyall appeared in the BBC ''

Miss Marple Miss Marple is a fictional character in Agatha Christie's crime novels and short stories. Jane Marple lives in the village of St. Mary Mead and acts as an amateur consulting detective. Often characterized as an elderly spinster, she is one of Ch ...

'' episode "

The Body in the Library ''The Body in the Library'' is a work of detective fiction by Agatha Christie and first published in the US by Dodd, Mead and Company in February 1942 and in UK by the Collins Crime Club in May of the same year. The US edition retailed at $2.0 ...

". His last role on television was as Marcade in the

BBC Television Shakespeare The ''BBC Television Shakespeare'' is a series of British television adaptations of the plays of William Shakespeare, created by Cedric Messina and broadcast by BBC Television. Transmitted in the UK from 3 December 1978 to 27 April 1985, it ...

production of ''

Love's Labour's Lost ''Love's Labour's Lost'' is one of William Shakespeare's early comedies, believed to have been written in the mid-1590s for a performance at the Inns of Court before Queen Elizabeth I. It follows the King of Navarre and his three companions a ...

''. His role as Captain Slarn in the ''Doctor Who'' radio serial '' Slipback'' was recorded on 10 June 1985, just 14 days before his death, and was broadcast posthumously.

Filmography

* ''

The Missing Million ''The Missing Million'' is a 1942 British crime film directed by Philip Brandon and starring Linden Travers, John Warwick and Patricia Hilliard. It is adapted from the 1923 novel '' The Missing Million'' by Edgar Wallace. A millionaire is perse ...

'' (1942) as Supporting Role (film debut) (uncredited) * ''

The Day Will Dawn ''The Day Will Dawn'', released in the US as ''The Avengers'', is a 1942 British war film set in Norway during World War II. It stars Ralph Richardson, Deborah Kerr, Hugh Williams and Griffith Jones, and was directed by Harold French from a sc ...

'' (1942) as German Guard at Cell Door Hatchway (uncredited) * ''

Much Too Shy ''Much Too Shy'' is a 1942 British comedy film directed by Marcel Varnel and starring George Formby, Kathleen Harrison, Hilda Bayley and Eileen Bennett. The cast includes radio star Jimmy Clitheroe (as George's brother), later "Carry On'" star ...

'' (1942) as Defence Counsel (uncredited) * '' The Silver Fleet'' (1943) as Markgraf * '' The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp'' (1943) as Von Schönborn * ''

'' (1943) as German Commander * ''

Hotel Reserve ''Hotel Reserve'' is a 1944 British spy film starring James Mason as an innocent man caught up in pre-Second World War espionage. Other cast members include Lucie Mannheim, Raymond Lovell and Herbert Lom. It was based on Eric Ambler's 1938 novel ...

'' (1944) as Warren Skelton * ''

'' (1944) as

* ''

Latin Quarter The Latin Quarter of Paris (french: Quartier latin, ) is an area in the 5th and the 6th arrondissements of Paris. It is situated on the left bank of the Seine, around the Sorbonne. Known for its student life, lively atmosphere, and bistro ...

'' (1945) as Prefecture of Police * ''

'' (1945) as Stephen Lynn as Alec's 'Friend' (uncredited) * '' I Know Where I'm Going!'' (1945) as Mr. Robinson * ''

Pink String and Sealing Wax ''Pink String and Sealing Wax'' is a 1945 British drama film directed by Robert Hamer and starring Mervyn Johns. It is based on a play with the same name by Roland Pertwee. It was the first feature film Robert Hamer directed on his own. The ti ...

'' (1945) as Police Inspector * '' Caesar and Cleopatra'' (1945) as 1st. Guardsman * '' Night Boat to Dublin'' (1946) as Sir George Bell * ''Cyprus Is an Island'' (1946) as Narrator (voice) * '' The White Unicorn'' (1947) as Storton * ''

Corridor of Mirrors ''Corridor of Mirrors'' is Prometheus's (Benji Vaughan Benjamin Vaughan, better known as Benji Vaughan, is a British psychedelic trance musician and tech entrepreneur. He has released music under many names, of which most well known is his sol ...

'' (1948) as Counsel for Defence (uncredited) * ''

Night Comes Too Soon ''Night Comes Too Soon'' is a 1948 British horror film directed by Denis Kavanagh and starring Valentine Dyall, Anne Howard and Alec Faversham. It was based on the story ''The Haunters and the Haunted'' by Edward Bulwer-Lytton. It was released ...

'' (1948) as Dr. George Clinton * '' My Brother's Keeper'' (1948) as Inspector at Milton Wells * '' Woman Hater'' (1948) as Spencer * ''

The Story of Shirley Yorke ''The Story of Shirley Yorke'' is a 1948 British drama film directed by Maclean Rogers and starring Derek Farr, Dinah Sheridan and Margaretta Scott. The film was based on the play '' The Case of Lady Camber'' by Horace Annesley Vachell. It w ...

'' (1948) as Edward Holt * ''

The Case of Charles Peace ''The Case of Charles Peace'' is a 1949 British crime film directed by Norman Lee and starring Michael Martin Harvey, Chili Bouchier and Valentine Dyall. It is based on the real-life Victorian murderer Charles Peace. Cast * Michael Martin H ...

'' (1949) as Storyteller * '' The Glass Mountain'' (1949) as Opera Narrator (uncredited) * '' The Queen of Spades'' (1949) as St. Germain's messenger * '' For Them That Trespass'' (1949) as Toastmaster at Drew Party * '' Man on the Run'' (1949) as Army Judge Advocate * ''

Christopher Columbus Christopher Columbus * lij, Cristoffa C(or)ombo * es, link=no, Cristóbal Colón * pt, Cristóvão Colombo * ca, Cristòfor (or ) * la, Christophorus Columbus. (; born between 25 August and 31 October 1451, died 20 May 1506) was a ...

'' (1949) as Narrator (voice) * ''

Doctor Morelle ''Doctor Morelle'' is a 1949 British mystery film directed by Godfrey Grayson and starring Valentine Dyall, Peter Drury and Hugh Griffith. It is also known by two alternative titles: ''Dr. Morelle: The Case of the Missing Heiress'' or simply ...

'' (1949) as Dr. Morelle * '' Vengeance Is Mine'' (1949) as Charles Heywood * '' Helter Skelter'' (1949) as Man Telling Story at BBC (uncredited) * '' Diamond City'' (1949) as Opening Narration (uncredited) * ''

Miss Pilgrim's Progress ''Miss Pilgrim's Progress'' is a 1949 black-and-white British comedy film by producer Nat Cohen and director Val Guest. Plot Laramie Pilgrim (Yolande Donlan) is an American exchange factory worker who trades places with an upper class British gi ...

'' (1949) as Superintendent * '' Man in Black'' (1949) as The Man in Black – Story-Teller * '' Golden Salamander'' (1950) as Ben Ahrim (uncredited) * '' The Body Said No!'' (1950) as John Sutherland * '' Room to Let'' (1950) as Dr. Fell * ''Stranger at My Door'' (1950) as Paul Wheeler * ''

Salute the Toff ''Salute the Toff'' is a 1952 British crime film directed by Maclean Rogers and starring John Bentley and Carol Marsh. The film was based on the 1941 novel of the same name by John Creasey, the sixth in the series featuring upper-class sleut ...

'' (1952) as Inspector Grice * ''

Hammer the Toff ''Hammer the Toff'' is a 1952 British crime film directed by Maclean Rogers and starring John Bentley and Patricia Dainton. The film was based on the 1947 novel of the same name by John Creasey, the 17th in the series featuring upper-class sl ...

'' (1952) as Inspector Grice * ''

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 ...

'' (1952) as Norman Guard * '' Paul Temple Returns'' (1952) as Superintendent Bradley * ''

Strange Stories ''Strange Stories'' was a pulp magazine which ran for thirteen issues from 1939 to 1941. It was edited by Mort Weisinger, who was not credited. Contributors included Robert Bloch, Eric Frank Russell, C. L. Moore, August Derleth, and ...

'' (1953) as Storyteller / Narrator * '' The Final Test'' (1953) as Man in Black (uncredited) * ''

Knights of the Round Table The Knights of the Round Table ( cy, Marchogion y Ford Gron, kw, Marghekyon an Moos Krenn, br, Marc'hegien an Daol Grenn) are the knights of the fellowship of King Arthur in the literary cycle of the Matter of Britain. First appearing in lit ...

'' (1953) as Narrator (uncredited) * ''

Johnny on the Spot ''Johnny on the Spot'' is a 1954 British crime drama film directed by Maclean Rogers and starring Hugh McDermott, Elspet Gray and Paul Carpenter. It was shot at Bushey Studios and on location in London. It was produced as a second feature. ...

'' (1954) as Tyneley * ''The Devil's Jest'' (1954) as Intelligence Director * '' Suspended Alibi'' (1957) as Inspector Kayes * ''

Night Train for Inverness ''Night Train for Inverness'' is a black and white 1960 British drama film directed by Ernest Morris and starring Norman Wooland, Jane Hylton and Dennis Waterman. It is notable as the film debut of Dennis Waterman. The film was referenced in a ...

'' (1960) as Inspector Kent (uncredited) * '' Identity Unknown'' (1960) as Ambrose * '' The City of the Dead'' aka ''Horror Hotel'' (1960) as Jethrow Keane * '' Fury at Smugglers' Bay'' (1961) as Narrator (uncredited) * ''

Fate Takes a Hand ''Fate Takes a Hand'' is a 1961 British anthology drama film. Plot The recovery of a mail bag stolen in a robbery 15 years before has varying consequences on the lives of five of the recipients of the letters, when the post office decide that ...

'' (1961) as Wilson * '' The Haunting'' (1963) as Mr. Dudley * ''

The Horror of It All ''The Horror of It All'' is a 1964 British horror comedy film directed by Terence Fisher and with a screenplay by Ray Russell. It stars Pat Boone and Erica Rogers. Plot American encyclopedia salesman Jack Robinson arrives at a dilapidated mans ...

'' (1964) as Reginald Marley * ''Son of Oblomov'' (1964) as Tarantyev * ''One Man Band'' (1965) as Sir Lance Corporal * '' The Wrong Box'' (1966) as Oliver Pike Harmsworth * ''The Mystery and the Pleasure'' (1966) as Narrator (voice) * ''

The Night of the Generals ''The Night of the Generals'' is a 1967 World War II mystery film directed by Anatole Litvak and produced by Sam Spiegel. It stars Peter O'Toole, Omar Sharif, Tom Courtenay, Donald Pleasence, Joanna Pettet and Philippe Noiret. The screenplay ...

'' (1967) as German Radio Announcer (voice, uncredited) * '' Casino Royale'' (1967) as Vesper Lynd's Assistant / Dr. Noah's Voice (uncredited) * ''

'' (1967) as Narrator (voice) * '' Bedazzled'' (1967) as

God In monotheistic thought, God is usually viewed as the supreme being, creator, and principal object of faith. Swinburne, R.G. "God" in Honderich, Ted. (ed)''The Oxford Companion to Philosophy'', Oxford University Press, 1995. God is typically ...

(voice, uncredited) * ''

Oedipus the King ''Oedipus Rex'', also known by its Greek title, ''Oedipus Tyrannus'' ( grc, Οἰδίπους Τύραννος, ), or ''Oedipus the King'', is an Athenian tragedy by Sophocles that was first performed around 429 BC. Originally, to the ancient G ...

'' (1968) as Chorus Leader (voice) * ''

'' (1970) as The Mummy (voice) * '' Lust for a Vampire'' (1971) as Count Karnstein (voice, uncredited) * '' The Great McGonagall'' (1975) as Narrator of the Werewolf Break (voice, uncredited) * ''

The Slipper and the Rose ''The Slipper and the Rose: The Story of Cinderella'' is a 1976 British musical film retelling the classic fairy tale of Cinderella. The film was chosen as the Royal Command Performance motion picture selection for 1976. Directed by Bryan Forb ...

'' (1976) as 2nd Major Domo * '' Come Play with Me'' (1977) as Minister of Finance * '' Arabian Adventure'' (1979) as Jinnee (voice) * '' Peter and Paul'' (1981, TV Movie) as Seneca * '' Britannia Hospital'' (1982) as Mr. Rochester (final film)

Television

* '' The Avengers'' (1968) as Butler * '' Secret Army'' (1977-1979) as Dr. Pascal Keldermans * ''

'' (1979-1983) as

* ''

'' (1980) as Norl * ''

All's Well That Ends Well ''All's Well That Ends Well'' is a play by William Shakespeare, published in the '' First Folio'' in 1623, where it is listed among the comedies. There is a debate regarding the dating of the composition of the play, with possible dates rangi ...

'' (1981) as The Astringer * ''

'' (1981) as Deep Thought * ''

Blackadder ''Blackadder'' is a series of four period British sitcoms, plus several one-off instalments, which originally aired on BBC One from 1983 to 1989. All television episodes starred Rowan Atkinson as the antihero Edmund Blackadder and Tony Robins ...

'' (1983) as Lord Angus * '' Martin Luther, Heretic'' (1983) as Chancellor * ''

'' (1984) as Lorrimer * ''

'' (1985) as Marcade

Bibliography

* 1954: ''Unsolved Mysteries'' * 1955: ''Famous Sea Tragedies'' * 1957: ''Flood of Mutiny''

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Dyall, Valentine 1908 births 1985 deaths English male television actors Male actors from London 20th-century English male actors