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1-50 of 62
- Actor
- Soundtrack
The son of Joseph Livesey and Mary Catherine (nee Edwards), Roger was educated at Westminster City School, London. His first stage appearance was the office boy in Loyalties at St. James' theatre in 1917. Subsequently, he played in everything from Shakespeare to modern comedies. He played various roles in the West End from 1920 to 1926. He toured the West Indies and South Africa the returned to join the Old Vic/Sadler's Wells company from September 1932 until May 1934. In 1936, he appeared in New York in the old English comedy "The Country Wife" and also married Ursula Jeans whom he had known previously in England. At the outbreak of war Roger and Ursula were among the first volunteers to entertain the troops before he volunteered for flying duties in the R.A.F. He was turned down as too old to fly so went to work in an aircraft factory at Desford aerodrome near Leicester to do his bit for the war effort. He was chosen by Michael Powell to play the lead in The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp (1943). This was shown in New York and established his international reputation as a brilliant character actor. He continued playing many theatrical roles during his film career from 1935 until 1969. Tall and broad with a luxurious mop of chestnut hair, Roger has (had) a deep voice, a gentle manner and the physique of an athlete. His favourite hobby is listed as "tinkering."- Melissa Stribling was a Scottish actress from the seaside resort of Gourock. Her best known role was playing Mina Holmwood in "Dracula" (1958), based on the novel's Wilhelmina "Mina" Murray. Her version of Mina was depicted as a sexually frustrated housewife, who seems pleased with her encounters with Dracula (played by Christopher Lee).
Stribling made her film debut in the historical film "The First Gentleman" (1948), based on the period that George IV of the United Kingdom served as Prince Regent (term 1811-1820). In the film, she played the role of Elizabeth Conyngham, Marchioness Conyngham (1770 - 1861), the last known mistress of George IV.
Her next film role was the crime film "Wide Boy" (1952). She played Caroline Blaine, mistress of the "famous" surgeon Robert Mannering (played by Colin Tapley). In the film, a pickpocket finds out about the married surgeon's affair and decides to blackmail him. The film is primarily remembered as the directorial debut of Ken Hughes (1922-2001).
Stribling had a supporting role in the mystery film "Crow Hollow" (1952), playing Diana Wilson, a friend of the main character Ann Amour (played by Natasha Parry). The film was based on a Gothic novel by mystery writer Dorothy Eden (1912-1982). It features Ann investigating who was behind several attempts on her life.
Stribling was next reduced to playing minor characters in the thriller "Ghost Ship" (1952) and "Decameron Nights" (1953), which were both literary adaptations. Her next substantial role was the crime film "Noose for a Lady", based on a mystery novel by Gerald Verner (1897-1980). The film has an amateur detective investigating the murder of his own brother-in-law.
Her next major film was "Out of the Clouds" (1955), a film created with the assistance of the "Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation". It dramatized the lives of typical passengers and crew members of an airplane in London Airport (later renamed to Heathrow Airport). The film was directed by Basil Dearden, Stribling's husband.
Following several minor roles in films, Stribling returned to prominence with a substantial role in "Dracula" (1958). It was one of the earliest hit films for Hammer Film Productions, and helped turn Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing into leading men for horror films. Stribling herself did not benefit much from the film's success.
During the 1960s, Stribling played minor and supporting roles for several films. She also appeared in guest star roles in television. She turned up in then-popular shows, such as the spy series "The Avengers" (1961-1969) and the comedy series "The Benny Hill Show" (1955-1989). She had a recurring role in the soap opera "Compact" (1962-1965), which depicted the lives of people involved in magazine publishing.
In 1971, Stribling's husband Basil Dearden was fatally injured in a road accident. She became a widow at the age of 45. She never remarried. During the same year, she played in her first horror film in several years, "Crucible of Terror". It deals with spirit possession. In the film, a would-be serial killer finds himself attacked by the vengeful spirit of his first victim. The film was a box office flop.
Stribling's next film role was in the sex comedy "Confessions of a Window Cleaner" (1974). The film was part of the film series "Confessions", depicting the sexual adventures of main character Timothy "Timmy" Lea. The character was depicted as a working-class youth who constantly seeks new romantic partners, while dealing with perpetual bad luck. The film series was based on a novel series by Christopher Wood (1935 - 2015).
In 1979, Stribling had her last known television role in the short-lived mystery series "Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson" (1979-1980). Her episode was based on the short story "The Adventure of the Speckled Band" (1892) by Arthur Conan Doyle, a classic locked-room mystery. The television series was commissioned by the state-owned Polish television network "Telewizja Polska", though most of the cast and crew were British.
After a hiatus in her acting career, Stribling returned to the silver screen with the thriller film "Paris by Night" (1988). It was actually her last film role. In 1992, Stribling died in Watford, Hertfordshire. She was 65-years-old at the time of her death. She was survived by her son James Dearden (1949-), a successful screenwriter.
Stribling is long gone, but is still well-remembered by film historians due to her relatively few leading roles. Film historian Jonathan Rigby has argued that she was a terrific female lead in "Dracula", and others have commented that her facial expressions speak volume in the film. She has secured a place in horror film history. - Philip Voss was born on 20 August 1936 in Leicester, Leicestershire, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Octopussy (1983), About Time (2013) and Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994). He died on 13 November 2020 in Watford, Hertfordshire, England, UK.
- John Barron was born on Christmas Eve, 1920. A kind godfather paid his training fees at RADA in 1938. During the war, he served in the Navy, then returned to acting after demob, mostly in rep. productions. He soon became a theatre director, and directed Leonard Rossiter in numerous productions throughout the 1950s. His first regular TV role was in Emergency-Ward 10 (1957), which was quickly followed by many sitcoms. Since recording the third series, John has lost two wives: Joan Peart (who played Mrs. E. Blythe-Erpingham in Series Three, Episode Five) died in 1989, after 40 years marriage. His second wife, actress Helen Christie, died in 1995. He now concentrates on theatre work and lives in a cottage in Sussex. His hobbies include fine wines.
- David Morris was born on 11 September 1924 in Folkestone, Kent, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005), Jonathan Creek (1997) and Flick (2008). He was married to Olwen Morris. He died on 29 October 2007 in Watford, Hertfordshire, England, UK.
- Actor
- Soundtrack
Bernard Lloyd was born on 30 January 1934 in Newport, South Wales, UK. He was an actor, known for The Young Victoria (2009), Three Steps Above Heaven (2010) and A Christmas Carol (1999). He died on 12 December 2018 in Watford, Hertfordshire, England, UK.- Actor
- Stunts
Prolific and ubiquitous British bit player and supporting artist Harry Fielder was born on April 26, 1940 in Islington, London, England. Fielder was a GPO messenger boy, made Christmas crackers, and dyed feathers before going on to work for Anderson's Timber Yard in Islington from 1958 to 1966. Moreover, Harry was the lead singer and guitarist for different rock bands that performed in various bars and pubs while still working at the timber yard. Fielder met his wife Mary Fielder at one gig in South London; the couple married in 1963 and had three children. After doing some initial work as an extra on a couple of TV shows in 1966, Harry was advised by William Roache to join the extra's union the Film Artists Association/Central Casting. Fielder acquired his probationary Equity card in the wake of being featured in a TV commercial.
Harry's career in both film and television alike really took off in 1967 and continued going strong well into the late 1990's. Among the notable directors Fielder appeared in movies for are Alfred Hitchcock, Steven Spielberg, Ken Russell, Stanley Kubrick, George Lucas, David Lynch, Terence Fisher, Ken Hughes, Warren Beatty, John Landis, Mel Brooks, Guy Hamilton, Carol Reed, and Roy Ward Baker. After his run in both films and television reached its end in the late 1990's, Harry went on to work at a garden centre in Hemel Hempstead before eventually deciding to retire and collect a pension. He lived in Watford, Hertfordshire, England.- Dave Atkins was born on 11 October 1940 in Plymouth, Devon, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Hellraiser (1987), The Little World of Don Camillo (1981) and Prick Up Your Ears (1987). He died on 23 April 2008 in Watford, Hertfordshire, England, UK.
- Writer
- Script and Continuity Department
- Additional Crew
John Peacock was born in 1945. He was a writer, known for Fox Mystery Theater (1984), Straight on Till Morning (1972) and School for Unclaimed Girls (1969). He died on 1 June 2017 in Watford, Hertfordshire, England, UK.- Paddy Ryan was born on 3 January 1911 in Greenwich, London, England, UK. He was an actor, known for An American Werewolf in London (1981), The Meaning of Life (1983) and Hell Below Zero (1954). He was married to Agnes Campbell. He died on 10 May 1990 in Watford, Hertfordshire, England, UK.
- Writer
- Script and Continuity Department
Geoffrey Lancashire was born on 12 March 1933 in Oldham, Lancashire, England, UK. He was a writer, known for The Cuckoo Waltz (1975), Coronation Street (1960) and The Lovers (1970). He was married to Hilda ?. He died on 3 October 2004 in Watford, Hertfordshire, England, UK.- Leonard Sharp was born on 24 May 1890 in Birkenhead, Cheshire, England, UK. He was an actor, known for The Girl Is Mine (1950), Murder at 3am (1953) and Pinwright's Progress (1946). He was married to Nora Gordon. He died on 24 October 1958 in Watford, Hertfordshire, England, UK.
- Actor
- Stunts
Stunt driver and background player Jack James Silk was born on September 10, 1922 in Pancras, London, England. Silk first began appearing in films in often uncredited minor roles in the early 1950's and started performing stunts in movies later in that same decade. A handsome fellow with wavy hair and a compact build, Jack could be frequently spotted in a handful of films and TV shows playing a policeman. Moreover, Silk was usually either driving a car or riding a motorcycle in the bulk of his film and television appearances. He died at age 82 on March 12, 2005 in Watford, Hertfordshire, England.- Christopher Snell was born in Hammersmith, London. His parents were Geoffrey Stuart Snell and Margaret Lonsdale Geary. He attended the King's School Canterbury, Corpus Christi College, Cambridge and read Graduate Studies at the Guildhall School Of Music and Drama (London) and at the Banff School of Fine Art, (Banff, Canada).
His acting debut in London was in "The Yeomen of the Guard" at the Tower of London, starring Tommy Steele, later transferring to the Royal National Theatre for three productions. Notable performances include the role of Anthony Hope in the first ever Chamber Production of Steven Sondheim's 'Sweeney Todd' in London, and the role of the Beast in 'Beauty And The Beast' at the Theatre Royal, Stratford East.
An international career developed following episodes of The New Adventures of Robin Hood (1997) for Warner Brothers International which transmits on Channel 5 (UK) and cable television worldwide. - Shelagh Wilcocks was born on 21 June 1910 in Alphington, Devon, England, UK. She was an actress, known for The Vampire Lovers (1970), BBC Sunday-Night Theatre (1950) and Six Days of Justice (1972). She died in 1992 in Watford, Hertfordshire, England, UK.
- Actor
- Additional Crew
Bob Cryer was born on 3 December 1934 in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England, UK. He was an actor, known for The Railway Children (1970) and Daytime (1984). He was married to Ann Cryer. He died on 12 April 1994 in Watford, Hertfordshire, England, UK.- Producer
- Director
- Writer
Film critic, author and filmmaker Ivor Montagu devoted most of his life to his two passions: cinema and leftist politics. Following studies at the Royal College of Science--where he obtained a degree in zoology and botany--and studies at King's College, Cambridge, where he earned a masters in zoology, Montagu turned towards pursuing his interest in film. He and Sidney Bernstein established the London Film Society, the first film club devoted to showing art films and independent films, in 1925.
Over the years Montagu imported films, showed them and eventually began writing, producing, directing and editing his own short films. He also became a film critic, the first to work at such publications as "The Observer". His leftist political leanings led him to a long-term friendship with acclaimed Russian director Sergei Eisenstein, and for a time Montagu traveled with the great filmmaker across Europe and to Hollywood (he later he published an account of this journey in "With Eisenstein in Hollywood"). For a time during the 1930s Montagu produced a few Alfred Hitchcock films including The 39 Steps (1935).
During the Spanish Civil War he went to Spain to make propaganda films for the Republicans. Once back in England he compiled some of that footage to make "Peace and Plenty" (1939). Montagu became interested in television in the late '50s and focused his energies there. In 1959 he was awarded the Lenin Peace Prize, and in 1965 he published "Film World" (Penguin), one of the best looks at the situation of the international film industry in the early 1960s.- Molly Adair was born on 24 March 1905 in Twickenham, Middlesex, England, UK. She was an actress, known for The Blue Lagoon (1923), Stella (1921) and The Reef of Stars (1923). She was married to Arthur James Siggins. She died on 9 September 1990 in Watford, Hertfordshire, England, UK.
- Producer
- Actor
Ronnie Waldman was the eldest son of Michael Waldman, OBE, JP. He was educated at Owen's School and graduated from Pembroke College, Oxford. He began as an actor between 1935 and 1938, before becoming a producer in the BBC Variety department in 1938. He served in the RAFVR during the Second World War.
He was appointed the Assistant Head of Variety (Productions) in 1948 and he later became a senior producer for BBC Light Entertainment. He was appointed as Head of BBC Light Entertainment in 1950 and is credited with discovering Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise.
He held several further positions, such as Business Manager for BBC Television Programmes (1958-1960) and General Manager of BBC Television Enterprises (1960-1963), before joining Visnews Ltd as Managing Director in 1963. He remained in this role until 1977. He served as the President of the Lord's Taverners in 1966 and as a trustee of the International Institute of Communications from 1975 to 1978.
He was married to the popular actress Lana Morris from 1953 to 1978. They had a son.- Producer
- Additional Crew
- Production Manager
Harry Benn was born on 20 February 1925 in Paddington, London, England, UK. He was a producer and production manager, known for Good Morning, Vietnam (1987), Kafka (1991) and Young Sherlock Holmes (1985). He was married to Renate Ackers and Edith Francis. He died on 25 May 2008 in Watford, Hertfordshire, England, UK.- Writer
- Actor
- Script and Continuity Department
Leonard Kingston was born in 1929 in Bermondsey, London, England, UK. He was a writer and actor, known for Look and Read (1967), Scene (1968) and Screen One (1985). He died on 5 July 2014 in Watford, Hertfordshire, England, UK.- Dail Ambler was born on 11 January 1925. She was a writer, known for Night After Night After Night (1969), Take Me Over (1963) and Delayed Flight (1964). She died on 6 September 1974 in Watford, Hertfordshire, England, UK.
- Colin Anson was born on 13 February 1922 in Berlin, Germany. He was married to Alice Hedy Gross. He died on 27 June 2016 in Watford, England.
- Producer
- Additional Crew
- Writer
Michael Klinger was born just a short distance from London's Wardour Street, the centre of Britain's film industry in which he would later become well known. He trained for and became a structural engineer for ten years. He then acquired some holiday resort concessions, worked as a disc jockey working for the B.B.C. He established ties with night clubs and moved closer to show business. In 1960 he actually entered the film business when he acquired property and built modern cinemas in London and the Midlands. Film production seemed a logical next step and in most cases they contained new talent or had a quality, either artistic or commercial that set them apart. Roman Polanski made his first English speaking film 'Repulsion' with Michael and introduced Catherine Deneuve to the screen. Michael followed this with another Polanski film- 'Cul - de - Sac' which won him many international awards. Various films followed then came a big international box office hit with Michael Caine in 'Get Carter'.- Billy Howard was born on 14 October 1902 in Quorn, Leicestershire, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Meet Sexton Blake! (1945), Hot Ice (1952) and Such Is Life (1950). He died on 4 May 1953 in Watford, Hertfordshire, England, UK.