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1-50 of 74
- The avuncular star character actor Richard Griffiths grew up in a council flat in less than prosperous conditions, the son of deaf and volatile parents in a dysfunctional family setting. According to an article in the Telegraph newspaper, his father Thomas was a steelworker 'who fought in pubs for prize money'. Like most children, Richard's "mother tongue" was the same as his parents. In his case, that was sign language. Like many kids in the 50s, his world did not include television. He had to explain sounds to his parents, for example music. Griffiths made a career out of language. For instance, he developed a talent for dialects which later allowed him to shine in a number of ethnic portrayals. He attended the Manchester Polytechnic School Of Drama and then began his career in radio drama and repertory theatre. He subsequently became a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company where he often excelled playing Shakespeare's comic characters.
In a 2007 interview, Griffiths said "I like playing Vernon Dursley in Harry Potter because that gives me a license to be horrible to kids. I hate the odious business of sucking up to the public." In fact, unlike those jovial characters he so often portrayed on screen, Griffiths did not tolerate fools gladly. On occasion, he would get stroppy with members of an audience, especially those failing to switch off their mobile phones during a performance (who could blame him?). He was also highly thought of as a raconteur and wit.
The ever-versatile, often bespectacled and bearded Griffiths did his best work for the small screen, excelling as the inquisitive and resourceful civil servant Henry Jay in Bird of Prey (1982) and as the lovable 'cooking policeman' Henry Crabbe in Pie in the Sky (1994), a role specially created for him. As comic relief he made many a hilarious guest appearance, in, among other popular series, The Vicar of Dibley (1994) (as the Bishop of Mulberry) and as Dr. Bayham Badger in the superb BBC adaption of Bleak House (2005). He could also play evil and sinister, none more so than Swelter in Gormenghast (2000), a character Griffiths described being at once "laughably comic" and "a monster like Idi Amin". He was also much sought-after by Hollywood producers, appearing in a dual role in The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear (1991), as the ill-fated Magistrate Philipse in Tim Burton 's Sleepy Hollow (1999) and as King George in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011).
The much-acclaimed actor won a Tony Award, a Laurence Olivier Award, the Drama Desk Award and the Outer Critics Circle Award.
Griffiths was uncommonly skinny as a child and this required radiation treatment on his pituitary gland from the age of eight. It caused his metabolism to slow to such an extent that he eventually became obese, a condition which in all likelihood contributed to his death from complications during heart surgery on 28 March 2013 at the age of 65. - Norman Bird was born on 30 October 1924 in Coalville, Leicestershire, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Maniac (1963), The Lord of the Rings (1978) and The League of Gentlemen (1960). He was married to Nona Blair. He died on 22 April 2005 in Wolverhampton, West Midlands, England, UK.
- Actress
- Soundtrack
Noele Gordon was born on 25 December 1919 in East Ham, London, England, UK. She was an actress, known for Crossroads (1964), The Most Likely Girl (1957) and The Lisbon Story (1946). She died on 14 April 1985 in Edgbaston, Birmingham, West Midlands, England, UK.- Actress
- Soundtrack
Mary Wimbush was a stalwart actress of repertory and West End theatre, who played three separate roles in the long-running BBC Radio serial "The Archers".
She was born in Kenton, Middlesex in 1924. Her father was a schoolmaster and her mother trained at RADA, but did not pursue a career on the stage. Mary attended the Berkhamsted School for Girls and also boarded at the St Agnes and St Michael's, an Anglican convent at East Grinstead.
Mary trained at the Central School of Speech and Drama, before joining Amersham rep.
Her wartime marriage to the actor Howard Marion-Crawford by whom she had a son, ended in divorce. Her partnership with the poet Louis MacNeice lasted from 1958 until his death in 1963.
She appeared regularly on film, radio and television in character roles until her sudden death in October 2005, following a recording of "The Archers" at the BBC's Birmingham studios. She was 81.- Topsy Jane was born on 2 December 1938 in Erdington, Birmingham, West Midlands, England, UK. She was an actress, known for The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner (1962), Mix Me a Person (1962) and A Chance of Thunder (1961). She was married to Tony Garnett. She died on 4 January 2014 in Edgbaston, Birmingham, West Midlands, England, UK.
- Fred West was born on 29 September 1941 in Much Marcle, Herefordshire, England, UK. He was married to Rosemary West and Rena West. He died on 1 January 1995 in Winson Green, Birmingham, West Midlands, England, UK.
- Actor
- Music Department
- Soundtrack
Carl Wayne was born on 18 August 1943 in Birmingham, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Crossroads (1964), Lucky Break (2001) and The Benny Hill Show (1969). He was married to Susan Hanson. He died on 31 August 2004 in Birmingham, West Midlands, England, UK.- Doris Hobday was born on 20 July 1924 in Kings Norton, Birmingham, England, UK. She died on 5 January 2021 in West Bromwich, West Midlands, England, UK.
- Inigo Jackson was born on 19 July 1933 in Kidderminster, Worcestershire, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Ivanhoe (1970), Doctor Who (1963) and Department S (1969). He died on 25 August 2001 in Tipton, West Midlands, England, UK.
- Ted Trimmer was born on 31 May 1926 in Hambledon, Hampshire, England, UK. He died on 23 August 2004 in Birmingham, West Midlands, England, UK.
- Nona Blair was born in 1931 in Kettering, Northamptonshire, England, UK. She was an actress, known for Captain Moonlight: Man of Mystery (1958), The Little Swan (1951) and The Kentish Robin (1957). She was married to Norman Bird. She died on 22 September 2012 in West Midlands, England, UK.
- Philip Tibenham was born on 30 April 1931. He was married to Molly ?. He died on 24 January 1998 in Solihull, West Midlands, England, UK.
- Pamela Greenall was born on 10 April 1935 in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. She was an actress, known for Special Branch (1969), Bergerac (1981) and Crossroads (1964). She was married to Graham Weston. She died on 25 March 2004 in Solihull, West Midlands, England, UK.
- Producer
- Director
- Writer
Alan Rees was born on 18 December 1923 in Hartlepool, County Durham, England, UK. He was a producer and director, known for The Kilt Is My Delight (1956), Rainbow City (1967) and Out of Town Theatre (1966). He was married to Julia Mark. He died on 10 October 1973 in Solihull, West Midlands, England, UK.- Actor
- Soundtrack
Enzo Stuarti was born on 3 March 1919 in Rome, Lazio, Italy. He was an actor, known for The DuPont Show of the Week (1961), Young Dr. Kildare (1972) and The Danny Kaye Show (1963). He was married to Thelma. He died on 16 December 2005 in Midland, Texas, USA.- Mike Hailwood was born on 2 April 1940 in Great Milton, Birmingham, West Midlands, England, United Kingdom. He was married to Pauline. He died on 23 March 1981 in Birmingham, West Midlands, England, United Kingdom.
- Percy Thrower was born on 30 January 1913 in Winslow, Buckinghamshire, England, UK. He was married to Constance Cook. He died on 18 March 1988 in Wolverhampton, West Midlands, England, UK.
- Charmian Eyre was born on 22 February 1927 in Birmingham, England, UK. She was an actress, known for Precious Bane (1957), Musical Playhouse (1959) and BBC Sunday-Night Theatre (1950). She died on 15 January 2024 in Harborne, Birmingham, West Midlands, England, UK.
- Actor
- Producer
Keith Whitehouse was an actor and producer, known for Ouijageist (2018), Enter the Cage (2016) and Own Worst Enemy. He was married to Celia Whitehouse. He died on 4 December 2016 in Birmingham, West Midlands, England, UK.- Soundtrack
Jack Judge was born in 1872 in Oldbury, West Midlands, England, UK. He died on 28 July 1938 in West Bromwich, West Midlands, England, UK.- Ralph Lawton was born on 26 October 1927 in Brierley Hill, West Midlands, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Chariots of Fire (1981), God's Wonderful Railway (1980) and Emmerdale Farm (1972). He died on 18 August 1994 in Cradley Heath, West Midlands, England, UK.
- Chris Gittins was born on 4 July 1902 in Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Hilda Lessways (1959), BBC Sunday-Night Theatre (1950) and Festival (1963). He died on 21 August 1988 in Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, UK.
- Production Designer
- Art Director
- Art Department
Reece Pemberton was born on 14 March 1912 in Tamworth, Staffordshire, England, UK. He was a production designer and art director, known for Arabesque (1966), Our Mother's House (1967) and The Anniversary (1968). He was married to Margaret Kaye. He died in 1977 in Birmingham, West Midlands, England, UK.- Actor
- Soundtrack
Cirino Colocrai was born in Brooklyn and was a accomplished child musician, playing multiple instruments. He and Teddy Randazzo were boyhood friends, and in the early 1950s wrote several hit songs together, including "Rosemarie." Cirino's compositions "Runaround" and "Foolishly" were both recorded by Randazzo's group, the Three Chuckles. Cirino organized a group called "Cirino and the Bowties" to experiment and demonstrate, and record Cirino's songs. The group recorded rock and roll and teenage-themed uptempo love ballads for Roost Records during the mid-1950s, their first records being "Anytime" and "Rosemarie," which sold moderately, and were a rocking lounge act. Rock and roll disc jockey and promoter Alan Freed picked them as one of the most promising groups of 1956, and heavily promoted the band that year, putting them on the crowded bills of his lengendary rock and roll shows at the Brooklyn Paramount and Fox Theaters, and also featured the group in a starring musical role in his teen drive-in rock and roll exploitation quickie "Rock, Rock, Rock," in which they sang "Ever Since I Can Remember" and also backed up Ivy Schulman on "Rock, Pretty Baby." In the late 1950s, the Bowties seemed to slowly break up, as they lost their contract to Roost, and Cirino followed other, more songwriting-type, projects. Cirino's songs were featured in the movies "Jamboree" and "Country Music Holiday" during the late-'50s, such as "Toreador," "I Don't Like You No More," and "Goodbye My Darlin'." During the 1960s, Cirino continued to write more pop songs, some of them moderate hits, but now is in obscurity if he is alive, and even I don't know where the heck he is or what the heck he's doing now. Probably retired and living happily in a nice house with some longtime wife, and they had great, wonderful children, I'd like to think.- Gary Glenn was born on 16 June 1958 in Hickory, North Carolina, USA. He was married to Annette Williams. He died on 27 July 2023 in Midland, Michigan, USA.