Graham Armitage (24 April 1936 – 6 March 1999) was an English stage, film and television actor. Armitage was born in

Blackpool Blackpool is a seaside resort in Lancashire, England. Located on the North West England, northwest coast of England, it is the main settlement within the Borough of Blackpool, borough also called Blackpool. The town is by the Irish Sea, betw ...

Lancashire Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated Lancs) is the name of a historic county, ceremonial county, and non-metropolitan county in North West England. The boundaries of these three areas differ significantly. The non-metropolitan county of Lancashi ...

, the son of Albert Edward Armitage (1908–1959) and Isabel W. ''née'' Bailes (1909–). In 1947 Harvey left the UK with his family, flying to South Africa and eventually settling in

Cape Town Cape Town ( af, Kaapstad; , xh, iKapa) is one of South Africa's three capital cities, serving as the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. It is the legislative capital of the country, the oldest city in the country, and the second largest ...

where he attended Sea Point Boy’s High School and then the Christian Brothers College. In early 1951 Harvey and his family moved to

Salisbury Salisbury ( ) is a cathedral city in Wiltshire, England with a population of 41,820, at the confluence of the rivers Avon, Nadder and Bourne. The city is approximately from Southampton and from Bath. Salisbury is in the southeast of Wil ...

, in

Southern Rhodesia Southern Rhodesia was a landlocked self-governing British Crown colony in southern Africa, established in 1923 and consisting of British South Africa Company (BSAC) territories lying south of the Zambezi River. The region was informally kn ...

where he attended

Prince Edward School , streetaddress = , city = Harare , country = Zimbabwe , coordinates = , type = State school, boarding and day school , established = , headmaster = Dr. Aggrippa G. Sora , gender = Boys , lower_age = 13 , upper_age = 19 ...

. During 1952 Harvey wrote the entrance exam for late entry to

Dartmouth Naval College Britannia Royal Naval College (BRNC), commonly known as Dartmouth, is the naval academy of the United Kingdom and the initial officer training establishment of the Royal Navy. It is located on a hill overlooking the port of Dartmouth, Devon, En ...

. Whilst his Maths and Geography results were outstanding he had not studied the same syllabus for English Literature and History so failed to obtain entrance. In 1955 he married Carole Shirley England (1934–2017) at the Anglican Cathedral in Salisbury, Rhodesia. The couple had three children. He graduated from

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 Senat ...

in 1952 following which he made his début in the BBC television play ''Without The Prince'', which was transmitted live. For the next twenty years Armitage regularly appeared on screen, mainly on television. He had roles in such shows as ''

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 ...

'', '' The Avengers'' and made several appearances on ''

The Dick Emery Show ''The Dick Emery Show'' is a British sketch comedy show starring Dick Emery. It was broadcast on the BBC from 1963 to 1981. It was directed and produced by Harold Snoad. The show was broadcast over 19 series with 166 episodes. The show experienced ...

''. In 1973 Armitage went to South Africa to appear in the

Noël Coward Sir Noël Peirce Coward (16 December 189926 March 1973) was an English playwright, composer, director, actor, and singer, known for his wit, flamboyance, and what ''Time'' magazine called "a sense of personal style, a combination of cheek and ...

revue ''

Cowardy Custard ''Cowardy Custard'' is a musical revue and was one of the last Noël Coward shows staged during his life. It was devised by Gerard Frow, Alan Strachan and Wendy Toye. A book, also titled ''Cowardy Custard'', was published in connection with the ...

'' and decided to stay there, becoming a familiar face on local television and stage. In 1974

Olivia Manning Olivia Mary Manning (2 March 1908 – 23 July 1980) was a British novelist, poet, writer, and reviewer. Her fiction and non-fiction, frequently detailing journeys and personal odysseys, were principally set in the United Kingdom, Euro ...

adapted two of

Arnold Bennett Enoch Arnold Bennett (27 May 1867 – 27 March 1931) was an English author, best known as a novelist. He wrote prolifically: between the 1890s and the 1930s he completed 34 novels, seven volumes of short stories, 13 plays (some in collaboratio ...

's works (''

The Card ''The Card'' is a comic novel written by Arnold Bennett in 1911 (entitled ''Denry the Audacious'' in the American edition). It was later made into a 1952 movie, starring Alec Guinness and Petula Clark. Like much of Bennett's best work, it is ...

'' and ''The Regent'') into an eight part

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 th ...

play: '' Denry - The Adventures Of A Card''. Armitage portrayed the eponymous Denry with

Ursula O'Leary Ursula O'Leary (Birmingham, 10 March 1926 – 17 May 1993) was an English stage, radio and television actressDeaths, The Times, 19 May 1993 She graduated in stage management from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts (RADA) in 1948 and her stage ...

as the beautiful Countess of Chell. From 1979 to 1985 he portrayed

Sherlock Holmes Sherlock Holmes () is a fictional detective created by British author Arthur Conan Doyle. Referring to himself as a " consulting detective" in the stories, Holmes is known for his proficiency with observation, deduction, forensic science and ...

for

Springbok Radio Springbok Radio (spelled ''Springbokradio'' in Afrikaans, ) was a South African nationwide radio station that operated from 1950 to 1986. History SABC's decision in December 1945 to develop a commercial service was constrained by post-war financia ...

. His last appearance was in 1999 as a vicar in the South African family film ''Alec to the Rescue''. Graham Armitage died in

Johannesburg Johannesburg ( , , ; Zulu and xh, eGoli ), colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg, or "The City of Gold", is the largest city in South Africa, classified as a megacity, and is one of the 100 largest urban areas in the world. According to Demo ...

in South Africa in 1999. His ashes were buried in the grounds of Manchester Crematorium in the UK.

Selected filmography

Film

* '' The Spy Who Came in from the Cold'' (1965) - Pawson (uncredited) * '' The Fiction-Makers'' (1968) - Carson * ''

Battle of Britain The Battle of Britain, also known as the Air Battle for England (german: die Luftschlacht um England), was a military campaign of the Second World War, in which the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the Fleet Air Arm (FAA) of the Royal Navy defende ...

'' (1969) - Radar Officer (uncredited) * ''

The Fifth Day of Peace ''The Fifth day of Peace'', Italian title: ''Gott mit uns'' (written in German), is an Italo-Yugoslavian movie from 1970 about the 13 May 1945 German deserter execution in a Canadian-run POW camp in Amsterdam. Synopsis Two German deserters, '' ...

'' (1970) - Mark * ''

The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes ''The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes'' is a 1970 DeLuxe Color film in Panavision written and produced by Billy Wilder and I. A. L. Diamond, and directed by Wilder. The film offers an affectionate, slightly parodic look at Sherlock Holmes, an ...

'' (1970) - Wiggins (uncredited) * '' Scrooge'' (1970) - Party Guest (uncredited) * ''

The Music Lovers ''The Music Lovers'' is a 1971 British drama film directed by Ken Russell and starring Richard Chamberlain and Glenda Jackson. The screenplay by Melvyn Bragg, based on ''Beloved Friend'', a collection of personal correspondence edited by Cathe ...

'' (1970) - Prince Balukin * '' Games That Lovers Play'' (1971) - Mr. Adams * '' The Devils'' (1971) -

Louis XIII of France Louis XIII (; sometimes called the Just; 27 September 1601 – 14 May 1643) was King of France from 1610 until his death in 1643 and King of Navarre (as Louis II) from 1610 to 1620, when the crown of Navarre was merged with the French crown ...

* '' The Boy Friend'' (1971) - Michael * ''

Take Me High ''Take Me High'' is a 1973 British feature film, directed by David Askey, written by Christopher Penfold and starring Cliff Richard in his final film role, with Deborah Watling, Hugh Griffith, George Cole and Anthony Andrews. Set and filmed m ...

'' (1973) - Boardman * ''The New Spartans'' (1975) * ''

Spanish Fly The Spanish fly (''Lytta vesicatoria'') is an aposematic emerald-green beetle in the blister beetle family (Meloidae). It is distributed across Eurasia. The species and others in its family were used in traditional apothecary preparations ...

'' (1975) - Perkins * ''

Zulu Dawn ''Zulu Dawn'' is a 1979 American adventure war film about the historical Battle of Isandlwana between British and Zulu forces in 1879 in South Africa. The screenplay was by Cy Endfield, from his book, and Anthony Storey. The film was directed ...

'' (1979) - Capt. Shepstone (uncredited) * ''

Game for Vultures ''Game for Vultures'' is a 1979 British thriller film starring Richard Harris, Joan Collins and Richard Roundtree. It was directed by James Fargo and based on a novel by Michael Hartmann (judge), Michael Hartmann set during the Rhodesian Bush War ...

'' (1979) - Harken * ''Flashpoint Africa'' (1980) - Don * ''

The Gods Must Be Crazy ''The Gods Must Be Crazy'' is a 1980 comedy film written, produced, edited and directed by Jamie Uys. An international co-production of South Africa and Botswana, it is the first film in ''The Gods Must Be Crazy'' series. Set in Southern Africa ...

'' (1980) - The Reverend (voice, uncredited) * ''Die Groen Faktor'' (1984) - William Honiball * ''Wie Laaste Lag...'' (1986) - Heart attack businessman * '' Going Bananas'' (1987) - Gen. Smythe-Paget * ''

Jane and the Lost City ''Jane and the Lost City'' is a 1987 UK film, based on the British newspaper strip '' Jane'' by Norman Pett. An adventure comedy set during World War II, the film was directed by Terry Marcel, and stars Kirsten Hughes in the title role, Sam Jone ...

'' (1987) - Cake Waiter * ''Code Name Vengeance'' (1987) - Forrest (uncredited) * ''Diamonds High'' (1988) - Bank manager * ''Merchants of War'' (1989) - Gordon * '' Circles in a Forest'' (1989) - Commissioner * ''That Englishwoman: An Account of the Life of Emily Hobhouse'' (1990) - Minister * ''

Oddball Hall ''Oddball Hall'' is a 1991 comedy film directed by Jackson Hunsicker, who also wrote the screenplay. It stars Don Ameche, Burgess Meredith, and Bill Maynard. It was released direct-to-video and has received negative reviews from critics. Plot Four ...

'' (1990) - The Grand Noble Master * ''River of Diamonds'' (1991) - Judge * '' Fei zhou he shang'' (1991) - Auctioneer * ''

Sweet 'n Short ''Sweet 'n Short'' is a 1991 in film, 1991 Leon Schuster movie made in South Africa. It was directed by Gray Hofmeyr. Plot In South Africa, Sweet Coetzee wins an award for 20 years service as a sportscaster on his 40th birthday, beating his ...

'' (1991) - Bryce Williams * '' Fleshtone'' (1994) - Dr. Sydney Frye * ''

Cry, the Beloved Country ''Cry, the Beloved Country'' is a 1948 novel by South African writer Alan Paton. Set in the prelude to apartheid in South Africa, it follows a black village priest and a white farmer who must deal with news of a murder. American publisher Benne ...

'' (1995) - Judge * ''Alec to the Rescue'' (1999) - Vicar (final film role)

Television

* ''

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 ...

'' (1966) - Monsieur Bernard * '' The Avengers'' (1966-1967) - Algernon 'Algy' Wynche / Huggins * ''

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 ...

'' (1967) - Barney * ''

'' (1968) - Carson * ''

The First Churchills ''The First Churchills'' is a BBC serial from 1969 about the life of John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough, and his wife, Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough. It stars John Neville as the duke and Susan Hampshire as the duchess, was writt ...

'' (1969) - Earl of Rochester * '' Randall and Hopkirk'' (1970) - Young Stage Director * ''

From a Bird's Eye View ''From a Bird's Eye View'' is a 1970 ATV and ITC Entertainment co-produced sitcom. In the United States it aired on NBC, which had originally ordered the series as an entry in the 1969–70 TV season but pushed it back to the 1970–71 season ...

'' (1971) - Johnstone * '' The Naked Civil Servant'' (1975) - Mr. Dunsmore * ''

Open All Hours ''Open All Hours'' is a British television sitcom created and written by Roy Clarke for the BBC. It ran for 26 episodes in four series, which aired in 1976, 1981, 1982 and 1985. The programme developed from a television pilot broadcast in Ronni ...

'' (1976) - Man from Matlock Mutual Protection Society * '' My Old Man''

References

Bibliography

* Ross, Robert. ''The Complete Terry-Thomas''. Reynolds & Hearn, 2002.

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Armitage, Graham 1936 births 1999 deaths English male television actors English male stage actors English male film actors People from Blackpool Alumni of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art Alumni of Sea Point High School