Deddie Davies

Deddie Davies:

† Mar 2 1938 – Dec 21 2016

Veteran Welsh character actress, of the type to be cast in the role of the tearful spinster, timid housekeeper, prim postmistress or faithful nurse. She was pretty ubiquitous during the '70s and '80s, but still pops up occasionally, for example in the Ruth Jones comedy, 'Stella'.

Her best known roles were in that perennial family favourite 'The Railway Children' (1970) and the rather less well loved 'The Amazing Mr Blunden' (1972), and since then films have been few and far between. You probably missed the Richard E Grant luvvie-com 'Food Of Love' (1997) - and Martin Freeman in 'Swinging With The Finkels' (2008) - and the star-studded, Michael Palin-scripted misfire 'Consuming Passions' (1988). 

As Mrs Perks in 'The Railway Children' (1970)

In 'The Hosptial', an episode of  'Some Mothers do 'Ave 'Em' 

On television, she was picked up for some prestigious and popular drama series, such as 'Clochemerle', 'The Forsyte Saga', 'The Pickwick Papers', 'Vanity Fair' and 'The Mayor of Casterbridge' - and TV movies like 'The Canterville Ghost'. At the same time, her nervy and birdlike characters were much in demand for prosaic comedies like 'The Rag Trade', 'My Husband and I', 'My Old Man', 'Some Mothers...' etc. Better things were in store with a post-'80s spurt that included 'Jeeves & Wooster', 'Waiting For God' and a sprinkling of cosy crime favourites via Agatha Christie to Midsomer. Not forgetting some bravura sniffling as Brenda Blethyn's mother in 'Chance In A Million'.  

Following on from the good vibes of 'The Railway Children', she has been a stalwart of kids' TV for many years. Keep an eye out for her among the eye-ache inducing video effects of 'The Phoenix and the Carpet', plus 'Just William', 'Grange Hill' and more recently 'Woof!' and 'Bernard's Watch'. 

Edit, Jan 2017: Sorry to report that Deddie Davies passed away on Dec 21 last year. 

Deddie Davies-imdb

Brian Grellis

Brian Grellis:

A tall Northern actor with a distinctive, slightly crumpled face and often unruly hair, who pops up in quite a few small roles as coppers and servicemen, but making something of a speciality of the befuddled passer-by. You might recall him as the likeable, cricket-loving vegetable pilferer in 'The Good Life', or as the unfortunate stranger lured to Terry's surprise birthday party in 'Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads?'.

In the WWII actioner 'Submarine X-1' (1968)

In the Tom Baker era Doctor Who adventure 'The Invisible Enemy'

A stalwart character actor, appearing in a number of stalwarts of British television: 'Minder', 'Z-Cars', 'Softly Softly', 'Bergerac', 'The Gentle Touch', etc. The chances are you've never particularly noticed him, but he's been there all the same. Some middle-brow dramas too, 'Anna Karenina', 'War and Peace' and 'A Tale of Two Cities'. His cult TV tally includes 'Doctor Who' (two stories from the Tom Baker era, one with Peter Davison), plus 'Jason King', 'The Frighteners' and 'Survivors'. 

Waiting for the big bang in the nuclear bomb drama 'Threads'  

Sightings on the big screen are mostly in the war and spy genres, and often uncredited: 'On Her Majesty's Secret Service' (1969), the forgotten Len Deighton story 'Only When I Larf' (1968), and 'Submarine X-1' (1968), although he does get a speaking role in the latter. 

Get your hair cut... Working at the Ministry
in 'On Her Majesty's Secret Service' (1969). 

He doesn't seem to have done much since the late-'80s, but I trust he is alive and well.

Brian Grellis-imdb

David Janson

David Janson: 

Always seemingly eager to please, this boyishly bowl-cut actor has cropped up in odd forgotten corners of British TV for nearly 50 years, including appearances in 'Softly, Softly', 'Doomwatch', 'Jason King', 'The Fenn Street Gang', 'Dixon of Dock Green', 'Z-Cars', 'Brush Strokes', 'T-Bag Strikes Again', 'Ever Decreasing Circles', 'Get Some In!', 'The Upper Hand', and Hyacinth Bucket's long-suffering postman in 'Keeping Up Appearances'.

His first brush with fame came as the truant schoolboy in Richard Lester's much loved Beatles movie 'A Hard Day's Night' (1963) in the sequence where Ringo similarly plays truant from the band, kicking stones into the canal and messing around with his new camera.  A stint in the then-popular TV drama 'The Newcomers' (groovy theme by John Barry) in 1965/66 seemed promising, but it's all-but forgotten now.

The nearest he came to front-room TV star status was in the RAF national service comedy 'Get Some In' as likeable everyman Ken Richardson, constantly victimised by the 'orrible Corporal Marsh (Tony Selby). But somehow his leading man status seemed to ebb away in the direction of cheeky teddy boy Robert Lindsay (soon to get his big break as Wolfie in 'Citizen Smith'). Even more discouraging was his short-lived stint in 'Allo Allo', inexplicably replacing Richard Gibson as Herr Flick of the Gestapo in the last death throes of the series in 1992.  

And so a character actor he has remained, and we salute him here.  

  

As Michael the postman in 'Keeping Up Appearances'

With Ringo Starr in 'A Hard Day's Night' (1963)

David Janson - imdb

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

Brian Pettifer

Brian Pettifer: 

This mouse-faced Scottish actor, usually cast as downtrodden and put-upon - is probably best known for his TV work in 'Get Some In', 'Hamish Macbeth' and as the timid 'Andra' in 'Rab C Nesbitt'. He was also in 'If' (1968), 'O Lucky Man' (1973) and 'Britannia Hospital' (1981) playing a character called Biles in all three. You might also remember him in 'Timeslip' or struggling with a scouse accent in 'The Liver Birds' if you are over 40.

More recently, he was excellent playing the timid would-be magician Mr Honeyfeather in the BBC adaptation of 'Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell'.

 

Trivia point; His folk-rocker sister Linda is better known as Mrs Richard Thompson.

As Biles in 'If…' (1968)

Brian Pettifer - imdb profile