Clifford Rose

Clifford Rose:

† Oct 24 1929 – Nov 6 2021

Neat and precise, in a sinister, ruthless sort of way, Clifford Rose will forever be associated with the role of Kessler of the Gestapo in the '70s TV drama 'Secret Army', now difficult to watch after years of gormless lampooning in 'Allo Allo'. So compelling was the character, however, that there was also a spin-off, 'Kessler' which saw him as a Nazi war-criminal businessman in South America, being hunted down by former members of the Resistance.

In 'Marat/Sade' (1967)

Before Kessler, he played a number of TV roles including Dr Snell in 'Callan' and as the ambitious journalist Quintus Slide in 'The Pallisers', as well as appearing in 'Softly Softly', 'Warship', 'Van der Valk', 'Follyfoot', 'Doctor Who' and the star-studded series of Lord Peter Wimsey stories from 1972, 'The Unpleasantness at the Ballona Club'.        

Consulting EDNA the computer in 'Callan'.
(Plus chain-smoking Peter Sallis in white coat.)

In the Tom Baker-era 'Doctor Who' story, 'Warrior's Gate'

Post-Kessler, he was seen in a steady stream of decent mid-table stuff including 'Inspector Morse', 'Minder', 'Oxford Blue', 'G.B.H' and 'Foyles War'.

His cinema credits are an interesting mix, running from 'Marat/Sade' (1967) and 'Work is a Four Letter Word' (1968), to the movie version of 'Callan' (1974), and recent stuff like 'Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides' (2011) and the Glenn Close Thatcher pic 'The Iron Lady' (2011).  

Clifford Rose - imdb

Conrad Phillips

Conrad Phillips: 

† 13 April 1925 – 13 January 2016

With his thick black hair and dramatic eyebrows, here's a handsomely serious face from the past –  yet happily Mr Phillips is still with us. An almost-leading-man, who briefly attained star status in the late '50s in the swashbuckling adventure series 'William Tell', he was sometimes given top billing in a series of minor British movies up to the early '60s, before settling into a long and productive character career.

Some of those feature films were minor cult classics, like the grand guignol melodrama 'Circus of Horrors' (1961), and the feline psychological horror 'The Shadow of the Cat' (1961), but most fit firmly into the police pot-boiler category. Take your pick from 'Three Steps to the Gallows' (1953), 'The White Trap' (1959), 'Witness In The Dark' (1960), 'The Fourth Square' (1962) and quite a few others.   

About to take aim at that apple in 'William Tell'

Fortunately, TV was in need of accomplished actors with handsomely serious faces, and offered parts in the likes of 'The Saint', 'The Avengers', 'The Prisoner', 'Callan' and even 'UFO' (playing a sea captain whose ship is sunk by a flying saucer).

By this time a little grey was showing and he found a stream of steady work through the latter '70s and into the '80s, in comedies such as 'Fawlty Towers', 'The Gaffer', 'Never the Twain', and 'Sorry!', and in dramas ranging from 'Crown Court' and 'Emmerdale Farm' to 'Hannay' and 'Robin of Sherwood'. 

Now retired from acting (internet sources differ on his birth year between 1925 and 1930) he lives in Wiltshire and enjoys the odd pint of real ale. Solid performance all round.                    

As a doctor in 'The Prisoner', (Episode: 'The General')  

Another dissatisfied guest at 'Fawlty Towers', (Episode: 'The Wedding Party')

Update Jan 13, 2016: Sad to hear that Conrad Phillips has died aged 90.

Conrad Phillips - imdb

David Graham

David Graham: 

† July 11 1925 – September 20 2016

Lugubrious, skeletal actor, probably best known for his voiceover work, more specifically for being the voice of both Parker and Brains in Gerry Anderson's 'Thunderbirds', (not to mention Prof Matthew Matic in 'Fireball XL5' and Dr Beaker in 'Supercar'). This alone is obviously enough to guarantee him cult TV legend status, but he was also partly responsible for devising the voices of the Daleks in 'Dr Who' and providing them in more than 30 episodes, as well as appearances in a more dramatic vein such as the scientist Kerensky (pic above) in the Tom Baker-era story 'City Of Death'. 

On set for the early Gerry Anderson series 'Four Feather Falls'

His television roles have also included classic '60s/'70s stuff like 'The Avengers', 'The Saint', 'Danger Man', 'Till Death Us Do Part', 'Callan', 'Timeslip' and 'Ace Of Wands'. By the '80s he was still cropping up in 'When The Boat Comes In' and 'Howard's Way' and has been seen in 'The Bill', and  'Doctors'.   

As a rather sinister foreign policeman in 'Danger Man'

As befits his exalted position as the voice of Brains, he also did a fine job portraying Einstein in the dramatic segments of the 2005 BBC 'Horizon' programme 'Einstein's Unfinished Symphony'.

The admirable Parker in 'Thunderbirds', voiced unforgettably by David Graham

In the unsettling short film 'One For Sorrow' (2011)

David Graham - imdb profile 

His own website is here.

Thanks to Richard Sanderson for the nudge.

Tony Selby

Tony Selby:

† Feb 26 1938 – Sep 5 2021

A perennial chirpy cockney tough-nut, well-suited to any kind of petty criminal and henchman, as well as bin men, hard coppers, lorry drivers and of course the sadistic Corporal Marsh in the grimly amusing National Service comedy 'Get Some In!'. Film roles include parts in classics like 'Alfie' (1966), 'Villain' (1971), and 'Witchfinder General' (1968), but he found his niche in TV. 'Catweazle', 'Callan', 'Minder', 'Doctor Who' and 'Department S' is just scratching the surface. Saw him drinking in the Dog & Duck in Soho a few times; his wheezily sarcastic voice and frizzy barnet are unmistakable.

Tony Selby - imdb profile

George Innes

George Innes: 

Wolfish tough guy and con-man type who got his first break opposite Tom Courtenay in 'Billy Liar' (1963). Since then he's been seen in films including 'The Italian Job', 'A Bridge Too Far', 'Quadrophenia', and 'Last Orders', as well as TV from 'Callan', 'Danger UXB', and 'Upstairs Downstairs', to 'The Sweeney', 'Crown Court' and 'I, Claudius'. 

Publicity still from 'Gumshoe' (1971) with Albert Finney

He also did a stint in the States with appearances on 'Hart To Hart', 'Magnum PI', 'M*A*S*H', and 'Hill Street Blues'.

 George Innes - imdb profile