John Le Mesurier (born John Elton Le Mesurier Halliley; 5 April 1912 – 15 November 1983) was an English actor who performed in many mediums of light entertainment, including film, radio and theatre.[1] Le Mesurier's career spanned from 1934 until his death in 1983. He is best remembered for his role as Sergeant Arthur Wilson in the BBC situation comedy Dad's Army, between 1968 and 1977.[2]
Le Mesurier made his professional stage debut in September 1934 in Dangerous Corner at the Palladium Theatre in Edinburgh under his birth name, and appeared on television for the first time four years later as Seigneur de Miolans in the BBC Television broadcast of "The Marvellous History of St Bernard". The broadcast was adapted from a 15th-century manuscript by Henri Ghéon.[3] After wartime service as a captain in the Royal Tank Regiment,[1] Le Mesurier returned to acting and made his radio debut on the BBC Home Service in a March 1947 broadcast of Escape or Die. He continued working in television roles throughout his career, but it was his portrayal in the BBC television play Traitor, of a character loosely based on Kim Philby, which earned him the British Academy Television Award for Best Actor in 1972.[4]
In 1948, Le Mesurier worked on his first film, Death in the Hand, a mystery in which he played the character Jack Mottram. He went on to appear in over 100 films, including Private's Progress (1955), I'm All Right Jack (1959), The Punch and Judy Man (1962), Carlton-Browne of the F.O. (1959), The Pink Panther (1963), Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines (1965), and The Italian Job (1969).[1] He always appeared in supporting roles.
Le Mesurier took a relaxed approach to acting, saying: "I'm a jobbing actor ... as long as they pay me I couldn't care less if my name is billed above or below the title".[5] He was known for playing "an indispensable figure in the gallery of second-rank players which were the glory of the British film industry in its more prolific days".[1] Le Mesurier died in November 1983 from a stomach haemorrhage; his last words before slipping into a coma were: "It's all been rather lovely."[6] The Guardian noted that Le Mesurier gave the impression of an "inimitable brand of bewildered persistence under fire which [he] made his own",[7] while Philip Oakes considered that Le Mesurier single-handedly "made more films watchable, even absorbing than anyone else around".[8]
Selected stage credits
| Production[9] | Date | Theatre | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dangerous Corner | September 1934 | Palladium Theatre, Edinburgh | Billed as John Halliley[10] | |
| The Thirteenth Chair | October 1934 | Philip Mason[11] | Billed as John Halliley[11] | |
| The Dover Road | October 1934 | Leonard[12] | Billed as John Halliley[12] | |
| She Stoops to Conquer | November 1934 | Sir Charles Marlow[13] | Billed as John Halliley[13] | |
| The Mollusc | December 1934 | Billed as John Halliley[14] | ||
| Grumpy | December 1934 | Ernest Heron[15] | Billed as John Halliley[15] | |
| The Christmas Party | December 1934 | Colonel MacHashit[16] | Billed as John Halliley[16] | |
| The Happy Ending | January 1935 | Billed as John Halliley[17] | ||
| While Parents Sleep | January 1935 | Billed as John Halliley[18] | ||
| Dangerous Corner | February 1935 | |||
| Cavalcade | March 1935 | |||
| Up in Mabel's Room | July 1935 | Coliseum Theatre, Oldham | ||
| Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary | September 1935 | Sheffield Repertory Company | ||
| Twelfth Night | November 1935 | Malvolio[19] | ||
| Peace in Our Time | September 1936 | Croydon Repertory Theatre | Mr Platt[20] | |
| Dusty Ermine | October 1936 | |||
| The Apple Cart | October 1936 | |||
| Bees on the Boat Deck | November 1936 | |||
| Ah! Wilderness | November 1936 | |||
| The Constant Nymph | November 1936 | Lewis Dodd[21] | ||
| Charley's Aunt | December 1936 | |||
| January 1937 | ||||
| Love on the Dole | September 1937 | |||
| Payment Deferred | July 1938 | Theatre Royal, Glasgow | ||
| The Romantic Young Lady | July 1938 | Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh | ||
| Theatre Royal, Glasgow | ||||
| Petticoat Influence | August 1938 | Theatre Royal, Glasgow | ||
| Husband to a Famous Woman | August 1938 | Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh | ||
| August 1938 | Theatre Royal, Glasgow | |||
| Three Sisters | September 1938 | Konstantin[22] | with the Howard and Wyndham Players[23] | |
| The Moon in the Yellow River | September 1938 | |||
| Tovarich | October 1938 | Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh | Prince Mikail[24] | |
| Private Lives | October 1938 | Elyot Chase[25] | ||
| Gaslight | July 1939 – May 1939 | Apollo Theatre, London | (understudy)[26] | |
| May 1939 | Finsbury Park Empire, London | Mr Manningham[27] | ||
| May 1939 – June 1939 | Savoy Theatre, London | |||
| June 1939 | Chiswick Empire, London | |||
| June 1939 | Chelsea Palace Theatre, London | |||
| July 1939 | Grand Theatre, Blackpool | |||
| October 1939 | Prince's Theatre, Manchester | |||
| Goodness, How Sad | November 1939 – December 1939 | On tour | ||
| Journey's End | January 1940 | Palace Court Theatre | ||
| French Without Tears | January 1940 – February 1940 | Grand Theatre, Blackpool | ||
| The Man in Half Moon Street | March 1940 | Brixton Theatre, London | ||
| Mystery at Greenfingers | May 1940 | |||
| The First Mrs Fraser | May 1940 | |||
| French Without Tears | December 1941 | ENSA | ||
| Just William | December 1946 | New Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham | Uncle Noel[28] | |
| The Winslow Boy | June 1947 | Empire Theatre, Chatham | ||
| The Dubarry | October 1947 – November 1947 | Princes Theatre, London | ||
| The Linden Tree | 23 May 1949 | New Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham | ||
| Love in Idleness | June 1949 | |||
| Playbill | August 1949 | |||
| Queen of Hearts | December 1949 – January 1950 | |||
| The Smooth-Faced Gentleman | 14 August 1950 | |||
| Traveller's Joy | 1951 | New Theatre, Bromley | ||
| Angry Dust | January 1952 | New Torch Theatre, London | Doctor[29] | |
| The Hanging Judge | September 1952 – December 1952 | New Theatre, London | Governor of Norwich Gaol[30] | |
| Piccolo | July 1953 – August 1953 | Connaught Theatre | with Worthing rep.[31] | |
| The Snow Was Black | October 1953 | The New Watergate, London | ||
| Here Comes April | March 1954 | Connaught Theatre | ||
| Twenty Minutes South | June 1955 | Players' Theatre, London | ||
| July 1955 – October 1955 | St Martin's Theatre, London | |||
| Coroner's Verdict | February 1956 | Richmond Theatre London | ||
| Malice Domestic | June 1956 | New Lindsey Theatre | Dr. James Gully[32] | |
| Army Benevolent Fund Gala | 19 November 1961 | Victoria Palace Theatre, London | ||
| The Daily Express Starlight Dance | 23 July 1962 | Lyceum Theatre, London | ||
| Homage to T. S. Eliot | 13 June 1965 | London Fringe Theatre | ||
| Poetry Reading | 20 September 1970 | Little Medway Theatre, Kent | ||
| The Television Arts Ball | 31 December 1973 | Royal Albert Hall, London | ||
| Dad's Army | September 1975 | Forum Theatre, Billingham | Sergeant Arthur Wilson | |
| 2 October 1975 – February 1976 | Shaftesbury Theatre, London | |||
| February 1976 – August 1976 | On tour | [33] | ||
| One of Us | 8 August 1976 | Aldwych Theatre, London | ||
| An Inspector Calls | August 1976 | Salisbury, Rhodesia | ||
| In Concert | August 1977 | New Fair Oak Theatre, Rogate | ||
| Bedroom Farce | January 1979 – March 1979 | Hilton Playhouse, Hong Kong, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur | ||
| Hay Fever | 23 April 1980 – 31 May 1980 | Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith | Simon Bliss[34] | |
| July 1980 – September 1980 | Provincial tour | |||
| August 1981 | Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Guilford | |||
| September 1981 – October 1981 | Ashcroft Theatre, Croydon | |||
| October 1981 | Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham |
Television
| Programme[35][36] | Date | Channel | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Marvellous History of St Bernard | 17 April 1938 | BBC Television | Seigneur de Miolans[3] | |
| Richard of Bordeaux | 18 December 1938 | BBC Television | Sir John Montague | |
| They Flew Through Sand | 14 June 1946 – 17 June 1946 | BBC Television | R.A.F. press officer | |
| Just William | 23 December 1946 | BBC Television | Uncle Noel[28][37] | |
| Whirligig | 17 February 1951 – 28 April 1951 | BBC Television | Six episodes | |
| The Railway Children | 20 February 1951 – 17 July 1951 | BBC Television | Doctor | Six episodes |
| Show Me a Spy! | 31 July 1951 – 8 November 1951 | BBC Television | Sir Alexander Blythe | Four episodes |
| Sherlock Holmes, "The Second Stain" | 1 December 1951 | BBC Television | Eduardo Lucas | |
| A Time to be Born | 24 December 1951 | BBC Television | Joseph | |
| The Drayton Case | 1953 | Inspector Henley | ||
| 1066 and All That | 25 December 1952 – 27 December 1952 | BBC Television | Two episodes | |
| Teleclub5 | 4 December 1953 | BBC Television | ||
| Happy Holidays | 10 July 1954 – 18 September 1954 | BBC Television | Mr Mulberry | Six episodes |
| The Unguarded Hour | 29 March 1955 | BBC Television | ||
| Douglas Fairbanks Presents, "Flight One-Zero-One" | 27 June 1955 | US network | Dr Garside | First aired on 27 June 1955 on US networks, before UK broadcast on ITV Television on 23 May 1956 |
| The Granville Melodramas | 30 November 1955 – 13 December 1955 | ITV Television | Sir William Ralston; Sir John; Mr Rencelaw | Three episodes |
| Douglas Fairbanks Presents, "Deadline Vienna" | 21 January 1956 | NBC | Geoffrey Warren | First aired on 21 January 1955 on NBC, before UK broadcast on ITV Television on 3 July 1956 |
| Douglas Fairbanks Presents, "The Way Home" | 11 April 1956 | ITV Television | Dr Lloyd | |
| Crown Theatre Presents | 3 July 1956 | ITV Television | ||
| Douglas Fairbanks Presents | 9 July 1956 | ITV Television | ||
| Saturday Playhouse | 25 August 1956 | ITV Television | ||
| Assignment Foreign Legion, "The Search" | 12 October 1956 | ITV Television | Leblond | |
| The Errol Flynn Theatre, "Mademoiselle Fifi" | 24 November 1956 | ITV Television | Curé | |
| Fireside Theatre | 16 December 1956 | ITV Television | ||
| Douglas Fairbanks Presents, "The Ludlow Affair" | 28 January 1957 | NBC | Inspector Burroughs | First aired on 28 January 1957 on NBC, before UK broadcast on ITV Television on 16 December 1956 |
| Television Playhouse | 28 March 1957 | ITV Television | ||
| The Gay Cavalier, "Sealed Knot" | 16 July 1957 | ITV Television | Sir Richard Willis | |
| Douglas Fairbanks Presents | 9 September 1957 | ITV Television | ||
| Assignment Foreign Legion | 10 September 1957 | ITV Television | ||
| Hancock's Half Hour, "The Lawyer" | 2 December 1957 | BBC Television | Lord Chief Justice Williams | Series 3, episode 9; broadcast live[38] |
| The Lafarge Affair | 15 December 1957 | BBC Television | ||
| Sword of Freedom | 15 February 1958 | ITV Television | ||
| Television Playhouse | 7 March 1958 | ITV Television | ||
| Douglas Fairbanks Presents | 3 April 1958 | ITV Television | ||
| Hancock's Half Hour, "The New Nose" | 16 January 1959 | BBC Television | Dr Francis Worthington | Series 4, episode 4[39] |
| Play of the Week | 20 January 1959 | ITV Television | ||
| Hancock's Half Hour, "The Horror Serial" | 20 January 1959 | BBC Television | Colonel | Series 4, episode 6[40] |
| The Adventures of William Tell, "The Avenger" | 7 March 1959 | ITV Television | Duke of Burgundy | |
| Hancock's Half Hour, "The Servants" | 27 March 1959 | BBC Television | Colonel[41] | Series 4, episode 13[41] |
| The Errol Flynn Theatre | 19 April 1959 | ITV Television | ||
| Hancock's Half Hour, "Lord Byron Lived Here" | 9 October 1959 | BBC Television | National Trust Officer[42] | Series 5, episode 3[42] |
| Interpol Calling, "The Long Weekend" | 11 October 1959 | ITV Television | Monsieur Lamprou | |
| Hancock's Half Hour, "The Cruise" | 30 October 1959 | BBC Television | The Captain[43] | Series 5, episode 6[43] |
| The Enormous Shadow | 10 November 1959 | ITV Television | ||
| Saber of London | 18 January 1960 | ITV Television | Franz | |
| Hancock's Half Hour, "The Cold" | 4 March 1960 | BBC Television | Doctor Callaghan[44] | Series 6, episode 1[44] |
| The Somerset Maugham Stories | 7 April 1960 | ITV Television | ||
| Play Gems | 5 June 1960 | ITV Television | ||
| The Adventures of William Tell | 26 June 1960 | ITV Television | ||
| Jazz Session | 6 August 1960 | BBC Television | ||
| Saber of London, "A Diplomatic Affair" | 29 August 1960 | ITV Television | Franz | |
| Danger Man, "An Affair of State" | 13 November 1960 | ITV Television | ||
| The Third Man | 3 December 1960 | ITV Television | ||
| Hancock's Half Hour, "The Lift" | 16 June 1961 | BBC Television | The Air Marshal[45] | Series 7, episode 4[45] |
| The Pursuers | 18 June 1961 | ITV Television | ||
| Ghost Squad, "Death From A Distance" | 4 November 1961 | ITV Television | Volgu[46] | |
| Armchair Theatre, "Tune on the Old Tax Fiddle" | 17 December 1961 | ITV Television | ||
| Saber of London | 5 February 1962 | ITV Television | ||
| Danger Man | 31 March 1962 | ITV Television | ||
| Dial RIX | 5 October 1962 | BBC Television | ||
| Mr Justice Duncannon | 25 January 1963 – 15 February 1963 | BBC Television | Two episodes | |
| This Is Your Life | 12 February 1963 | BBC Television | Le Mesurier's wife, Hattie Jacques, was the show's main guest | |
| Galton and Simpson Comedy Playhouse, "A Clerical Error" | 5 April 1963 | BBC Television | ||
| Play of the Week, "The Brimstone Butterfly" | 16 April 1963 | ITV Television | ||
| Casebook | 5 October 1963 | ITV Television | ||
| Armchair Theatre, "Long Past Glory" | 17 November 1963 | ITV Television | Harry | |
| The Avengers, "Mandrake" | 24 January 1964 | ITV Television | Dr Madrombie | |
| Festival, "The Lady of the Camellias" | 12 February 1964 | BBC Television | de Giray | |
| Festival, "The Master of Santiago" | 26 February 1964 | BBC Television | ||
| Sunday Story | 5 April 1964 – 12 April 1964 | BBC Television | ||
| Armchair Theatre, "The Blackmailing of Mr. S" | 26 July 1964 | ITV Television | ||
| Play of the Week, "The Bachelors" | 23 November 1964 | ITV Television | Octave De Coetquidan | |
| The Largest Theatre in the World, "Tea Party" | 25 March 1965 | BBC One | Disley | |
| Story Parade, "The Bachelors" | 1 April 1965 | BBC Two | ||
| Memoirs of a Chaise Longue | 2 July 1965 | BBC One | ||
| Riviera Police | 9 August 1965 | ITV Television | ||
| Theatre 625, "Dr Knock" | 2 January 1966 | BBC Two | Dr Parpalaid | |
| The Avengers, "What the Butler Saw" | 26 February 1966 | ITV Television | Benson | |
| The Wednesday Play, "Macready's Gala" | 2 March 1966 | BBC One | Canon Dunwoodie | |
| Frankie Howerd | 8 March 1966 | BBC One | ||
| Pardon the Expression | 1 April 1966 – 13 June 1966 | ITV Television | Four episodes | |
| Thirty Minute Theatre, "The Caramel Crisis" | 25 April 1966 | BBC Two | Lame | |
| Marriage Lines, "Home Market" | 6 May 1966 | BBC One | ||
| Adam Adamant Lives!, "The Terribly Happy Embalmers" | 4 August 1966 | BBC One | ||
| George and the Dragon | 19 November 1966 – 24 December 1966 | ITV Television | Colonel Maynard | Six episodes |
| Hugh and I | 3 January 1967 | BBC One | ||
| All Gas and Gaiters, "The Bishop Gets the Sack" | 31 January 1967 | BBC One | Television producer | |
| Thirty-Minute Theatre, "An Absolute Treasure" | 22 February 1967 | BBC One | Brian Turner | |
| Mr Rose | 17 March 1967 | ITV Television | ||
| The Troubleshooters | 20 March 1967 | BBC One | Kemp | Episode: "Some Days You Just Can't Win" |
| George and the Dragon | 20 May 1967 – 1 July 1967 | ITV Television | Colonel Maynard | Seven episodes |
| Further Adventures of Lucky Jim | 30 May 1967 | BBC Two | ||
| To Lucifer: A Son | 29 June 1967 | BBC One | ||
| George and the Dragon | 6 January 1968 – 17 February 1968 | ITV Television | Colonel Maynard | Seven episodes |
| Call My Bluff | 25 February 1968 | BBC Two | ||
| Dad's Army | 31 July 1968 – 11 September 1968 | BBC One | Sergeant Arthur Wilson | Series 1; six episodes |
| George and the Dragon | 26 September 1968 – 31 October 1968 | ITV Television | Colonel Maynard | Six episodes |
| Harry Worth, "Private Pimpernel" | 21 October 1968 | BBC One | Colonel Fullbright | |
| Two in Clover | 25 February 1969 | ITV Television | Chairman | |
| Dad's Army | 1 March 1969 – 5 April 1969 | BBC One | Sergeant Arthur Wilson | Series 2; six episodes |
| The Mind of Mr J.G. Reader | 11 June 1969 | ITV Television | Joseph Bracher | |
| W. Somerset Maugham: The Creative Impulse | 17 June 1969 | BBC Two | Mr Albert Forrester | |
| Tales of Edgar Wallace, "Flat Two" | 25 July 1969 | ITV Television | Warden | |
| Dad's Army | 11 September 1969 – 11 December 1969 | BBC One | Sergeant Arthur Wilson | Series 3; fourteen episodes |
| The Wednesday Play, "The Last Train Through the Harecastle Tunnel" | 1 October 1969 | BBC One | Judge Grayson | |
| The Coward Revue | 26 December 1969 | BBC One | ||
| Saturday Night Theatre | 3 January 1970 | ITV Television | ||
| Bird's Eye View | 22 March 1970 | BBC Two | ||
| Comedy Playhouse, "Haven of Rest" | 1 April 1970 | BBC One | Mr Prentice | |
| Shine a Light | 13 May 1970 | ITV Television | ||
| A Royal Television Gala Performance | 25 May 1970 | BBC One | Sergeant Arthur Wilson | |
| The Des O'Connor Show | 31 July 1970 | ITV Television | ||
| Dad's Army | 25 September 1970 – 18 December 1970 | BBC One | Sergeant Arthur Wilson | Series 4; thirteen episodes |
| Dear Mother...Love Albert | 8 March 1971 | ITV Television | ||
| This Is Your Life | 24 March 1971 | ITV Television | Clive Dunn was the show's main guest | |
| The Morecambe & Wise Show | 22 April 1971 | BBC One | ||
| Paul Temple | 9 June 1971 | BBC One | ||
| Jokers Wild | 7 July 1971 | ITV Television | ||
| Jokers Wild | 28 July 1971 | ITV Television | ||
| Misleading Cases | 6 August 1971 | BBC One | ||
| Doctor at Large, "Mr Moon" | 22 August 1971 | ITV Television | Stanley Moon | |
| Play for Today, "Traitor" | 14 October 1971 | BBC One | Adrian Harris | Le Mesurier's performance won him a British Academy of Film and Television Arts "Best Television Actor" award.[47] |
| The Goodies | 10 December 1971 | BBC One | ||
| Dad's Army, Special, "Battle of the Giants" | 27 December 1971 | BBC One | Sergeant Arthur Wilson | |
| Jason King, "If It's Got to Go – It's Got to Go" | 16 February 1972 | ITV Television | Dr.Litz | |
| Jackanory | 11 September 1972 – 15 September 1972 | BBC One | Five episodes | |
| A Class by Himself | 13 September 1972 – 18 October 1972 | ITV Television | Lord Bleasham | Six episodes |
| Sykes, "Uncle" | 29 September 1972 | BBC One | ||
| Dad's Army | 6 October 1972 – 29 December 1972 | BBC One | Sergeant Arthur Wilson | Series 5; thirteen episodes |
| Armchair Theatre, "Anywhere But England" | 31 October 1972 | ITV Television | Freddie | |
| Jason King | 5 January 1973 | ITV Television | ||
| Comedy Playhouse, "Marry the Girls" | 1 February 1973 | BBC One | ||
| Thriller, "File it Under Fear" | 2 June 1973 | ITV Television | Stubbs | |
| Black and Blue, "Rust a Highly Moral Farce" | 4 September 1973 | BBC One | Sir Henry | |
| Dad's Army | 31 October 1973 – 12 December 1973 | BBC One | Sergeant Arthur Wilson | Series 6; six episodes |
| Orson Welles Great Mysteries, "Death of an Old-Fashioned Girl" | 24 November 1973 | ITV Television, Anglia | Sidney Goldsmith | One episode |
| Crown Court, "Murder Most Foul" | 27 December 1973 | ITV Television | Reginald Standish | |
| Late Night Theatre, "Silver Wedding" | 25 September 1974 | ITV Television | Geoffrey | |
| Dad's Army | 15 November 1974 – 23 December 1974 | BBC One | Sergeant Arthur Wilson | Series 7; six episodes |
| Village Hall, "Pie in the Sky" | 18 May 1975 | ITV Television | Harold Garfield | |
| Centre Play, "The Flight Fund" | 14 July 1975 | BBC Two | Edward | |
| Dad's Army | 5 September 1975 – 10 October 1975 | BBC One | Sergeant Arthur Wilson | Series 8; six episodes |
| Shades of Greene, "The Root of All Evil" | 7 October 1975 | ITV Television | Schmidt | |
| Dad's Army, Special "My Brother and I" | 26 December 1975 | BBC One | Sergeant Arthur Wilson | |
| Bod | 1975–1976 | BBC One | Narrator | Thirteen episodes |
| This Is Your Life | 10 March 1976 | ITV Television | Arnold Ridley was the show's main guest | |
| Dad's Army, Special "The Love of Three Oranges" | 26 December 1976 | BBC One | Sergeant Arthur Wilson | |
| Dad's Army | 2 October 1977 – 6 November 1977 | BBC One | Sergeant Arthur Wilson | Series 9; six episodes |
| A Christmas Carol | 24 December 1977 | BBC Two | Marley's ghost | |
| The Morecambe & Wise Show | 25 December 1977 | BBC One | ||
| Flint | 15 January 1978 | BBC One | ||
| An Honourable Retirement | 4 November 1979 | ITV Television | Edward Brown | |
| Ripping Yarns, "Roger of the Raj" | 24 October 1979 | BBC Two | Colonel Runciman | |
| The Dick Emery Show | 5 January 1980 | BBC One | ||
| The Shillingbury Blowers | 6 January 1980 | ITV Television | ||
| Worzel Gummidge, "Very Good, Worzel" | 3 February 1980 | ITV Television | Baines | |
| Night of One Hundred Stars | 21 December 1980 | ITV Television | ||
| Brideshead Revisited, "Julia" | 17 November 1981 | ITV Television | Father Mowbray | Episode 6 |
| Dead Ernest | 15 February 1982 | ITV Television | Head of Plagues | Episode 3 |
| Bognor | 9 March 1982 – 23 March 1982 | ITV Television | Blight-Purley | Three episodes |
| Hi-de-Hi! | 7 November 1982 | BBC One | The Dean | |
| A Married Man | 10 July 1983 – 31 July 1983 | Channel 4 | Eustace Lough | Four episodes |
Selected radio broadcasts
| Broadcast[48] | Date | Channel | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Escape or Die | 2 March 1947 | BBC Home Service | |
| Mutiny in the Navy | 14 April 1947 | BBC Third Programme | |
| Alexander the Corrector | 17 August 1947 | BBC Home Service | |
| Trafalgar Square | 29 August 1951 | BBC Home Service | |
| The Trial of Sir Walter Raleigh | 9 September 1951 | BBC Home Service | |
| Focus on General Elections | 23 October 1951 | BBC Home Service | |
| Alcock and Brown | 28 October 1951 | BBC General Overseas Service | |
| Lord Delamere | 22 November 1951 | BBC General Overseas Service | |
| I was a Communist | 8 February 1952 | BBC General Overseas Service | |
| Dr Arnold of Rugby | 19 February 1952 | BBC Home Service | |
| Edward Gibbon Wakefield | 11 May 1952 | BBC General Overseas Service | |
| At the Sign of the Maid's Head | 26 June 1952 | BBC Home Service | |
| Portrait of Sir Edward Coke | 18 July 1952 | BBC Home Service | |
| The World is My Parish | 16 June 1953 | BBC Home Service | |
| Elizabethan Theatre | 9 September 1953 | BBC General Overseas Service | |
| Rodney Stone | 20 May 1954 | BBC Home Service | |
| Brigadier Gerard | 1 September 1954 | BBC Light Programme | |
| Abu Hassan | 31 March 1957 | BBC Third Programme | |
| Abu Hassan | 1 April 1957 | BBC Third Programme | |
| Doctor in the House | 25 June 1968 | BBC Radio 4 | |
| Late Night Extra | 31 January 1969 | BBC Radio 1 and 2 | |
| Brothers in Law | 9 June 1970 | BBC Radio 4 | |
| Brothers in Law | 16 June 1970 | BBC Radio 4 | |
| Today | 12 March 1971 | BBC Radio 4 | |
| Open House | 12 July 1971 | BBC Radio 2 | |
| Brothers in Law | 27 July 1971 | BBC Radio 4 | |
| Sounds Familiar | 17 May 1972 | BBC Radio 2 | |
| Brothers in Law | 3 July 1972 | BBC Radio 4 | |
| Desert Island Discs | 17 February 1973 | BBC Radio 4 | |
| Dad's Army, series 1 | 28 January 1974 – 10 June 1974 | BBC Radio 4 | Role: Sergeant Arthur Wilson[49] |
| Dad's Army, Special | 25 December 1974 | BBC Radio 4 | Role: Sergeant Arthur Wilson[49] |
| Dad's Army, series 2 | 11 February 1975 – 24 June 1975 | BBC Radio 4 | Role: Sergeant Arthur Wilson[49] |
| Dad's Army, series 3 | 16 March 1976 – 7 September 1976 | BBC Radio 4 | Role: Sergeant Arthur Wilson[49] |
| The Kamikaze Ground Staff Reunion Dinner | 16 December 1979 | BBC Radio 3 | |
| The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy | 24 January 1980 | BBC Radio 4 | Role: The Wise Old Bird[50] |
| Stiff Upper Lip, Jeeves | 3 December 1980 – 7 January 1981 | BBC Radio 4 | |
| The Lord of the Rings | 8 March 1981 – 30 April 1981 | BBC Radio 4 | Role: Bilbo Baggins[51] |
| The Flower Case | 24 October 1982 | BBC Radio 3 | |
| The Dog It Was That Died | 9 December 1982 | BBC Radio 3 | |
| It Sticks Out Half a Mile | 13 November 1983 – 15 January 1984 | BBC Radio 2 | Role: Arthur Wilson[51] Nine episodes |
| It Sticks Out Half a Mile | 21 August 1984 – 2 October 1984 | BBC Radio 2 | Role: Arthur Wilson[51] Four episodes |
Filmography
| Film[52][35] | Year | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Hangman Waits | 1947 | Newspaper office worker | |
| Death in the Hand | 1948 | Jack Mottram | |
| Escape from Broadmoor | 1948 | Pendicot | |
| Old Mother Riley's New Venture | 1949 | Karl | |
| A Matter of Murder | 1949 | Ginter | |
| Dark Interval | 1950 | Cedric, the butler | |
| The Small Miracle | 1951 | ||
| Blind Man's Bluff | 1952 | Leftie Jones | |
| Mother Riley Meets the Vampire | 1953 | Scotland Yard Man | Uncredited[53] |
| The Blue Parrot | 1953 | Henry Carson | |
| Black 13 | 1953 | Inspector | |
| The Pleasure Garden | 1953 | Colonel Pall K. Gargoyle | |
| Dangerous Cargo | 1954 | Luigi | |
| Twist of Fate | 1954 | 1st. Man at Casino | ( U.S. ' Beautiful Stranger ') |
| Stranger from Venus | 1954 | Man at Desk | Uncredited[54] |
| Police Dog | 1955 | C.I.D. inspector | |
| Make Me an Offer | 1955 | Mr. Toshack | Uncredited |
| A Time to Kill | 1955 | Phineas Tilliard | |
| Josephine and Men | 1955 | Registrar | |
| Private's Progress | 1956 | Psychiatrist | |
| The Baby and the Battleship | 1956 | The marshal's aide | |
| The Battle of the River Plate | 1956 | Rev. George Groves – Padre, HMS Exeter | Uncredited[55] |
| Brothers in Law | 1957 | His Honour Judge Ryman | |
| The Good Companions | 1957 | Monte Mortimer | |
| The Admirable Crichton | 1957 | Cook | Uncredited[56] |
| These Dangerous Years | 1957 | Commanding Officer | |
| High Flight | 1957 | Commandant | |
| The Man Who Wouldn't Talk | 1958 | Judge | |
| Happy Is the Bride | 1958 | Chaytor | |
| Gideon's Day | 1958 | Prosecuting counsel | Uncredited[57] |
| Another Time, Another Place | 1958 | Dr Aldridge | |
| The Moonraker | 1958 | Oliver Cromwell | |
| Law and Disorder | 1958 | Sir Humphrey Pomfret | |
| Blind Spot | 1958 | Brent | |
| Man with a Gun | 1958 | Harry Drayson | |
| Blood of the Vampire | 1958 | Chief Justice | |
| I Was Monty's Double | 1958 | Adjutant R.A.P.C. | |
| The Captain's Table | 1959 | Sir Angus | |
| Operation Amsterdam | 1959 | Colonel Janssen | |
| The Lady Is a Square | 1959 | Fergusson | |
| Too Many Crooks | 1959 | Magistrate | |
| Carlton-Browne of the F.O. | 1959 | Grand Duke Alexis | |
| The Hound of the Baskervilles | 1959 | Barrymore | |
| Jack the Ripper | 1959 | Dr. Tranter | |
| Shake Hands with the Devil | 1959 | British General | |
| I'm All Right Jack | 1959 | Waters | |
| The Wreck of the Mary Deare | 1959 | MOA Lawyer | Uncredited[58] |
| Ben-Hur | 1959 | Doctor | Uncredited[59] |
| A Touch of Larceny | 1959 | Head of the Admiralty | Uncredited[60] |
| Desert Mice | 1959 | Staff Colonel | |
| Follow a Star | 1959 | Birkett | |
| Our Man in Havana | 1959 | Louis, headwaiter | Uncredited[61] |
| Let's Get Married | 1960 | The dean | |
| School for Scoundrels | 1960 | Skinner, headwaiter | |
| The Day They Robbed the Bank of England | 1960 | Green, deputy cashier of Bank of England | |
| Dead Lucky | 1960 | Inspector Corcoran | |
| Never Let Go | 1960 | Pennington | |
| Doctor in Love | 1960 | Dr Mincing | |
| The Bulldog Breed | 1960 | Prosecuting Counsel | |
| The Pure Hell of St Trinian's | 1960 | Minister | |
| Five Golden Hours | 1961 | Doctor Alfieri | |
| The Night We Got the Bird | 1961 | Clerk of the Court | |
| The Rebel | 1961 | Office manager | |
| Mr. Topaze | 1961 | The blackmailer | |
| Very Important Person | 1961 | Piggott | |
| Don't Bother to Knock | 1961 | Father | Uncredited[62] |
| Invasion Quartet | 1961 | The colonel | |
| On the Fiddle | 1961 | Sergeant Hixon | |
| Hair of the Dog | 1962 | Sir Mortimer Gallant | |
| Flat Two | 1962 | Warden | [63] |
| Only Two Can Play | 1962 | Salter | |
| Village of Daughters | 1962 | Don Calogero | |
| Mrs. Gibbons' Boys | 1962 | Coles | |
| Go to Blazes | 1962 | Fisherman | |
| Waltz of the Toreadors | 1962 | Rev. Grimsley | |
| Jigsaw | 1962 | Mr Simpson | |
| The Main Attraction | 1962 | Bozo | |
| We Joined the Navy | 1962 | Dewberry Snr | |
| The Wrong Arm of the Law | 1963 | Assistant police commissioner | |
| The Punch and Judy Man | 1963 | Sandman | |
| The Mouse on the Moon | 1963 | British delegate | |
| In the Cool of the Day | 1963 | Doctor Arraman | |
| The Pink Panther | 1963 | Defence lawyer | |
| Hot Enough for June | 1964 | Roger Allsop | |
| Never Put It in Writing | 1964 | Adams | |
| The Moon-Spinners | 1964 | Anthony Gamble | |
| Operation Crossbow | 1965 | British Army Officer | (scenes deleted) |
| Masquerade | 1965 | Sir Robert | |
| City Under the Sea | 1965 | Reverend Jonathan Ives | |
| Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines | 1965 | French painter | |
| The Liquidator | 1965 | Chekhov | |
| The Early Bird | 1965 | Colonel Foster | |
| Thunderball | 1965 | Man at Army Meeting | Uncredited |
| Where the Spies Are | 1966 | MacGillivray | |
| Our Man in Marrakesh | 1966 | George C. Lillywhite | |
| The Wrong Box | 1966 | Dr Slattery | |
| The Sandwich Man | 1966 | Abadiah, religious sandwich man | |
| Eye of the Devil | 1966 | Dr. Monnet | |
| Finders Keepers | 1966 | Mr. X | |
| The 25th Hour | 1967 | President of Court | Original title: La Vingt-cinquième Heure[64] |
| Mister Ten Per Cent | 1967 | Jocelyn Macauley | |
| Casino Royale | 1967 | M's Driver | Uncredited[65] |
| Cuckoo Patrol | 1967 | Gibbs | |
| Monsieur Lecoq | 1967 | Owner of French chateau | |
The Inn Way Out | 1967 | Pub Bore | Film Short |
| Salt and Pepper | 1968 | Colonel Woodstock | |
| Midas Run | 1969 | Wells | |
| The Italian Job | 1969 | Prison governor | |
| The Magic Christian | 1969 | Sir John | Uncredited[66] |
| Doctor in Trouble | 1970 | Purser | |
| On a Clear Day You Can See Forever | 1970 | Pelham | |
| Dad's Army | 1971 | Sergeant Arthur Wilson | |
| Au Pair Girls | 1972 | Mr Wainwright | |
| The Alf Garnett Saga | 1972 | Mr Frewin | |
| Confessions of a Window Cleaner | 1974 | Inspector Radlett | |
| Brief Encounter | 1974 | Stephen | |
| The Culcheth Job | 1974 | "Cast member" | |
| Barry McKenzie Holds His Own | 1974 | Robert Crowther | |
| Three for All | 1975 | Mr Gibbons | |
| The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother | 1975 | Lord Redcliff | |
| Jabberwocky | 1977 | Passelewe, the chamberlain | |
| Stand Up, Virgin Soldiers | 1977 | Col. Bromley Pickering | |
| Rosie Dixon – Night Nurse | 1978 | Sir Archibald MacGregor | |
| What's Up Nurse! | 1978 | Dr Ogden | |
| Who Is Killing the Great Chefs of Europe? | 1978 | Doctor Deere | |
| The Spaceman and King Arthur | 1979 | Sir Gawain | Original US title; Unidentified Flying Oddball[67] |
| The Shillingbury Blowers | 1980 | Council Chairman | |
| The Fiendish Plot of Dr. Fu Manchu | 1980 | Perkins | |
| Sir John Betjeman Late Flowering Love | 1981 | "Cast member" | |
| The Passionate Pilgrim | 1984 | Narrator | [68] |
| Facelift | 1984 | Bruce | Voice, (final film role) |
Discography
Albums
| Album[69] | Year | Record label | Catalogue number | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dad's Army: Original Cast Recording | 1975 | Warner Bros. Records | K56186 | |
| What is Going To Become of Us All? | 1976 | Warner Communications | K54080 | |
| Once Upon a World | 1977 | B7 Media | 1906577005 | |
| The Velveteen Rabbit | 1978 | Columbia Records | SCX6599 | featuring Robin Le Mesurier, with music by Ed Welch |
Singles
| Single[69] | Year | Record label | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| "A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square" | 1975 | Warner Bros. Records | B side: "Hometown", with Arthur Lowe and company |
| "There Ain't Much Change From A Pound These Days" | 1982 | KA Records | with Clive Dunn B side: "After All These Years", with Dunn |
Notes and references
Bibliography
External links
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