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

Lee Montague

Lee Montague:

† Oct 16 1927 – March 30 2025

The faintly mysterious and baleful good looks of veteran actor Lee Montague did net him a couple of leading man roles but his long career is mostly one of solid supporting performances. He was born in London, from a liberal Jewish background, but in the days before political correctness (perhaps calling it cultural respect would make it less of a Daily Mail bugbear – probably not) he was often cast in 'more exotic' roles. From a number of Japanese officers, as in 'Camp On Blood Island' (1958), or in TV's 'The Baron', to a string of Spaniards, Russians, Greeks, Mexicans, Chinese and points between.

The inscrutable face of the Orient in 'The Baron'

The golden age of British TV in the '60s gave him plenty of work, including 'Danger Man', 'The Baron', and 'Department S', alongside lots of Wednesday plays and weightier series. In the '70s and '80s he crops up in 'Quiller', 'The Sweeney', 'Jesus of Nazareth' (as the prophet Habbukuk), and 'Space 1999'. He was also the star of the not-much-remembered ITV football comedy 'Feet First'.             

In 'How I Won The War' (1967).

As the composer's father in 'Mahler' (1974)

In the cinema, he appears in a string of '50s and '60s war pics, including: 'Silent Enemy' (1958), 'Foxhole in Cairo' (1960), and the Richard Lester satire 'How I Won the War' (1967), memorably teaching army drill to John Lennon, Roy Kinnear and Ronald Lacey. Other movie jobs include 'Moulin Rouge' (1952), 'Billy Budd' (1962),  'Mahler' (1974), 'The Best Pair of Legs in the Business' (1975), and 'Silver Dream Racer' (1980).

Trivia: (Yes, I know it's all trivia.) He was the very first storyteller on the BBC's long-running children's programme 'Jackanory'.             


Lee Montague - imdb

Penny Spencer

Penny Spencer 

Classic '60s/'70s dolly bird actress noticeable for her wide toothy smile, short miniskirts and mega-eyelashes. She's probably best remembered today for playing Sharon, the bombshell of 5C in 'Please Sir', causing John Alderton's Mr Hedges to loosen his collar on numerous occasions. Despite this, in 1971 she was replaced in the role by the perkier, but less sassy 'Carry On' actress Carol Hawkins, who was also in the movie version and later spin-off 'The Fenn Street Gang'. 
     

In 'Please Sir!' with Peter Cleal

'Count Down to Danger' (1967)

She seems to have retired from acting after the probably dispiriting experience of appearing (with old 'Please Sir!' chum Peter Cleal) in the smutty comedy 'Under the Doctor' (1976) and the dismal Mary Millington sex romp 'The Playbirds' (1978). 

In an episode of 'Paul Temple' with George Baker and
Ros Drinkwater, wife and co-star of Francis Matthews 

Before that she had been seen in better stuff like 'Georgy Girl' (1966) and 'The Whisperers' (1967) with the mighty Avis Bunnage. She also starred as the resourceful Sue in the Children's Film Foundation's 'Count Down to Danger' (1967), a 'Screen Test' favourite. 

'The Whisperers' (1967)

The final straw? Stripping off for Glynn (Winchester Club) Edwards and
Gavin ('That's Life') Campbell in 'The Playbirds' (1978)

On TV, her role as Sharon overshadows fleeting appearances in 'Man in a Suitcase', 'UFO' and Derek Nimmo's 'All Gas and Gaiters'. As far as I can discover, she disappeared off the celebrity radar without a trace. I hope she is doing well.       

Penny Spencer - imdb

Colin Farrell

Colin Farrell:

Spare a thought for British character actor Colin Farrell, now condemned to be referred to as Colin Farrell (II) in deference to the Irish-born Hollywood 'throb of the same name - who presumably never tried to join Equity.

Our chap is the affable, boyish, slightly sneaky-looking Colin Farrell who showed up in some decent TV in the '70s and '80s; Alan Plater's 'Trinity Tales', 'Tales of the Unexpected', 'Sorry!', 'Blakes 7' and 'Hadleigh'. He was also a regular as the dirty-minded Ernie Hadfield in the undertaker comedy 'In Loving Memory' with Thora Hird, but perhaps his most memorable role was as the universally despised 'orrible Norris in 'Porridge'.

Full BBC costume department glory in 'Blakes 7'

In the inevitable 'Midsomer Murders'

He had a decent role as Harry Smith in the film version of  'Oh! What a Lovely War' (1969),but other movie appearances are pretty much all bit-parts: including fighting rubber dinosaurs with Doug* McClure in 'The Land that Time Forgot' (1975), 'A Bridge Too Far' (1977), and 'Gandhi' (1982).

I notice that in recent years he has been obliged to take billing as 'Col' Farrell, which seems a shame as almost everybody in the UK had laughed heartily at him digging up the pitch at Elland Road two years before the 'other' Colin Farrell was even born. Still, that's showbusiness.
   

About to sign up in 'Oh! What a Lovely War' (1969)

Clerk of the Court in 'Gandhi' (1982)

*[edit: not 'Simpsons' character Troy McClure, as I originally wrote...] 

Colin Farrell (II) - imdb

Paul Darrow

Paul Darrow: 

† May 2 1941 – Jun 3 2019

Sullen and intense-looking actor whose perma-scowl was a defining feature of the clunky BBC cult space opera, 'Blakes 7' between 1978 and 1981. He played Avon, whose cynical self-interest, dubious loyalties, and kiss/kill relationship with the show's arch-baddie, slinky Federation commander Servalan, drove most of the key storylines.
  

With his old adversary Servalan (Jacqueline Pearce) in 'Blakes 7'

Before 'Blakes 7', Darrow had appeared in a few roles in middling popular dramas ranging from 'Emergency Ward 10' and 'Coronation Street' to 'The Saint' and the gripping Nazi-fest 'Manhunt'. A big break was playing the Sheriff of Nottingham in the 1975 BBC series; The Legend of Robin Hood', in which he got to exercise his sinister glare to good effect. He was in 'Doctor Who', before and after 'Blakes 7', and made a convincingly devious Mr Carker in the BBC's 'Dombey & Son' in 1983.

'The Legend of Robin Hood'

Darrow never got much film work. In fact, from imdb it looks as though he only hit the big screen a couple of times, playing doctors in both 'The Raging Moon' (1971) and 'Die Another Day (2002).

Since the '80s, you may have caught his regular appearances in 'Law & Order: UK' or his part as roguish middle-aged biker Eddie Fox in 'Emmerdale', but increasingly he has found a niche in the world of video game voiceovers. I've never heard of any of them and won't list them here, but I hope we see more of Paul Darrow on our TV and cinema screens in future.



In the Lord Peter Wimsey mystery 'Murder Must Advertise'

Telling Malcolm McDowell the bad news in 'The Raging Moon (1971)

Paul Darrow - imdb

'The Weekend Murders' (1970)

Film of the day: 

The Weekend Murders (1970)
aka: 'Concerto per Pistola Solista'

A real oddity. This 1970 Italian production mixes the high-style, lurid-bloodstain, mod weirdness of the classic "Giallo" movie with the tongue-in-cheek British country-house whodunnit. Shots of tweeds and golf-clubs against shots of blood-filled bathtubs, crash zooms on off-kilter belfries and the trademark eyeball-tight close-ups.

Shot on location in East Anglia by the Italian crew in the underexposed saturated-colour style of the genre, it offers a weirdly vivid view of England through European eyes. Perhaps the strangest thing is seeing jolly old Lance Percival in a leading role as Scotland Yard's Superintendent Grey, albeit leavened with a bit of light comedy business involving stereotypical bumbling local copper Sergeant Thorpe – played by Italian veteran Gastone Moschin, complete with goofy 'English' false teeth. The only other familiar face is the dear old major from 'Fawlty Towers', Ballard Berkeley, as the butler.      

A saucy interlude. Note pin-up of George Best…

It doesn't seem to have ever had a UK release, so I imagine few people here have ever seen it, and to be honest, it's pretty hard going a lot of the time. It looks as if the Italian actors did their lines in Italian and the Brits did theirs in English, so presumably the scenes didn't make much sense to either on the set. Still, it's got some stylish moments. 

You can watch it on YouTube here: 'The Weekend Murders'       

The Weekend Murders - imdb

Lance Percival

Lance Percival: 

† 26 July 1933 – 6 January 2015

The unmistakable, agile and angular features of John Lancelot Blades Percival - that long crooked nose and the teeth seemingly trying to escape from under his jutting upper lip - combined with his quickfire delivery and timing to make him a comedy star of the '60s. He featured in a string of middling movies as a sure pair of hands for dimwit and klutz roles. He's in 'Carry On Cruising' (1962) of course, as the bilious ship's cook (Charles Hawtrey pulled out with only a few days until filming), and there was a solid run of jokey parts through the early part of  the decade. 

'The Big Job' (1965)

The lucky break with the 'Carry On…' team probably helped his profile, but possibly not as much as his regular appearances on television's 'That Was The Week That Was', where he was a natural fit for the satirical skits and he became a household name for his topical calypso numbers. One of these, 'Shame and Scandal in the Family', was a Top 40 hit in 1965. As the decade wore on, his combination of wacky charm and anti-establishment credentials saw him in demand for pop-music tie-ins, like voice-over work on the Beatles animated adventures (he was Paul and Ringo) which led to him voicing Old Fred in 'Yellow Submarine' (1968). Less memorably, he also featured in Herman's Hermits 'Mrs Brown You've Got A Lovely Daughter' the same year. 


An interesting aside is the Italian thriller 'The Weekend Murders' (1970) which saw him in a leading role, albeit stylised and semi-comic. Shame and scandal was to follow however, when the Kent-born actor was involved in a road accident on the A20 in which his Jaguar XJ6 was alleged to be racing with another similar car. An unfortunate Rainham man was killed in the resulting smash.        

'The Weekend Murders' (1970)

Whether or not the accident had anything to do with it, work post '70 was a bit less fun. There were movie roles in 'Up Pompeii' (1971) and its follow-ups, and similar British smutty comedies of the period: 'Our Miss Fred' (1972), leading to 'Confessions from a Holiday Camp' (1977) and 'Rosie Dixon: Night Nurse' (1978). All rather poor. 

With Danny LaRue in 'Our Miss Fred' (1972)

TV work kept coming, though rather intermittently by the '80s, and these days he makes a living on the after-dinner speaking circuit.  

Update 9/1/15: Sorry to hear that Lance Percival died on January 6 after a long illness.   

Lance Percival - imdb