Harry Fowler
Encyclopedia
Harry James Fowler, MBE
(born 10 December 1926, Lambeth
, London
) is an English
actor
in film and TV. He started in juvenile roles, most notably in the first recognised Ealing Comedy
Hue and Cry
, made in 1947. Fowler later married one of his co-stars in the film, Joan Dowling
, who committed suicide in 1954.
During the Second World War he was an aircraftman
in the RAF, playing the same role in the film Angels One Five
as a cheerful cockney
, a character he used in other appearances, often with a humorous slant, notably the TV series The Army Game
.
His easily recognizable voice was frequently used for TV commercials. He was awarded an MBE in 1970, as part of Harold Wilson's Resignation Honours
.
In 1975, Fowler took the part of Eric Lee Fung, described as "a Chinese cockney spiv
", in The Melting Pot. This was a sitcom written by Spike Milligan
and Neil Shand, which was cancelled by the BBC after just one episode had been broadcast.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(born 10 December 1926, Lambeth
Lambeth
Lambeth is a district of south London, England, and part of the London Borough of Lambeth. It is situated southeast of Charing Cross.-Toponymy:...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
) is an English
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
in film and TV. He started in juvenile roles, most notably in the first recognised Ealing Comedy
Ealing Comedies
For the film Ealing Comedy, see Ealing Comedy .The Ealing Comedies were a series of film comedies produced by Ealing Studios during the period 1947 to 1957....
Hue and Cry
Hue and Cry (film)
Hue and Cry is a British film directed by Charles Crichton and starring Alastair Sim, Harry Fowler and Joan Dowling.It is generally considered to be the first of the "Ealing comedies", although it is better characterised as a thriller for children...
, made in 1947. Fowler later married one of his co-stars in the film, Joan Dowling
Joan Dowling
Joan Dowling was an English character actress.-Biography:Joan Dowling was an English Actress of the 1940–50s era. She was the illegitimate daughter of Vera Dowling and was brought up by her great grandmother in Uxbridge...
, who committed suicide in 1954.
During the Second World War he was an aircraftman
Aircraftman
Aircraftman , or Aircraftwoman , is the lowest rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of several other Commonwealth countries....
in the RAF, playing the same role in the film Angels One Five
Angels One Five
Angels One Five is a 1952 British film directed by George More O'Ferrall, and starring Jack Hawkins, Michael Denison, Dulcie Gray, John Gregson, Cyril Raymond, Veronica Hurst and also featuring Bill Everett. Based on the book 'What Are Your Angels Now?' by Pelham Groom Angels One Five is a 1952...
as a cheerful cockney
Cockney
The term Cockney has both geographical and linguistic associations. Geographically and culturally, it often refers to working class Londoners, particularly those in the East End...
, a character he used in other appearances, often with a humorous slant, notably the TV series The Army Game
The Army Game
The Army Game is a British sitcom that aired on ITV from 1957 to 1961. Made in black-and-white, it is about National Service conscription to the post-war British Army. It was created by Sid Colin...
.
His easily recognizable voice was frequently used for TV commercials. He was awarded an MBE in 1970, as part of Harold Wilson's Resignation Honours
1970 Prime Minister's Resignation Honours
The 1970 Prime Minister's Resignation Honours were officially announced in the London Gazette of 7 August 1970 and marked the June 1970 electoral defeat of Prime Minister Harold Wilson.-Life Peers:...
.
Selected filmography
- Those Kids from TownThose Kids from TownThose Kids from Town is a 1942 British, black-and-white, comedy-drama propaganda film war film, directed by Lance Comfort and starring George Cole, Harry Fowler, Percy Marmont, Ronald Shiner as Mr. Bert Burns and Charles Victor as Harry, the Vicar. It was produced by Richard Vernon and presented by...
(1942) - Went the Day Well?Went the Day Well?"Went the Day Well?" is a British war film produced by Ealing Studios in 1942 as unofficial propaganda. It tells of how an English village is taken over by German paratroopers . Made during the war, it reflects the greatest potential nightmares of many Britons of the time, although the threat of...
(1942) - Painted BoatsPainted BoatsPainted Boats is a black-and-white British film directed by Charles Crichton and released by Ealing Studios in 1945. Painted Boats, one of the lesser-known Ealing films of the period, is brief , uses a little-known cast and has a slight storyline...
(1945) - Hue and CryHue and Cry (film)Hue and Cry is a British film directed by Charles Crichton and starring Alastair Sim, Harry Fowler and Joan Dowling.It is generally considered to be the first of the "Ealing comedies", although it is better characterised as a thriller for children...
(1947) - A Piece of CakeA Piece of CakeA Piece of Cake is a 1948 British fantasy comedy film directed by John Irwin and starring the husband and wife team of Cyril Fletcher and Betty Astell as well as Laurence Naismith and Jon Pertwee.-Plot:...
(1948) - For Them That TrespassFor Them That TrespassFor Them That Trespass is a 1949 British crime film directed by Alberto Cavalcanti and starring Richard Todd, Patricia Plunkett and Stephen Murray...
(1949) - Once a SinnerOnce a SinnerOnce a Sinner is a 1950 British drama film directed by Lewis Gilbert.-Cast:* Patricia Kirkwood as Irene James* Jack Watling as John Ross* Joy Shelton as Vera Lamb* Sydney Tafler as Jimmy Smart* Thora Hird as Mrs. James...
(1950) - Scarlet ThreadScarlet ThreadScarlet Thread is a 1951 British drama film directed by Lewis Gilbert.-Cast:* Kathleen Byron as Josephine* Laurence Harvey as Freddie* Sydney Tafler as Marcon* Arthur Hill as Shaw* Dora Bryan as Maggie* Eliot Makeham as Jason* Harry Fowler as Sam...
(1951) - The Last PageThe Last PageThe Last Page is a 1952 British film noir starring George Brent, Marguerite Chapman, and Diana Dors. The movie, largely set in a bookstore, was directed by Terence Fisher and released in the United States as Man Bait.-Cast:...
(1952) - The Pickwick PapersThe Pickwick Papers (film)The Pickwick Papers is a 1952 British film from George Minter of the Charles Dickens classic. Both screenplay and direction were by Noel Langley. It was awarded a Golden Bear in Russia where the rights were sold for £10,000.-Cast:...
(1952) - Up to His NeckUp to His NeckUp to His Neck is a 1954 British comedy film directed by John Paddy Carstairs and starring Ronald Shiner as Jack Carter, Hattie Jacques as Rakiki and Anthony Newley as Tommy.-Cast:* Ronald Shiner as Jack Carter* Brian Rix as Wiggy* Laya Raki as Lao Win Tan...
(1954) - Fire Maidens from Outer SpaceFire Maidens from Outer SpaceFire Maidens from Outer Space , released in the USA as Fire Maidens of Outer Space, is a 78-minute black-and-white science fiction feature film...
(1956) - Lucky JimLucky JimLucky Jim is an academic satire written by Kingsley Amis, first published in 1954 by Victor Gollancz. It was Amis's first novel, and won the Somerset Maugham Award for fiction...
(1957) - The Heart of a ManThe Heart of a ManThe Heart of a Man is a 1959 British drama film directed by Herbert Wilcox and starring Frankie Vaughan, Anne Heywood and Tony Britton. A millionaire in disguise gives a young man money to help him pursue his singing career.-Cast:...
(1959) - Crooks AnonymousCrooks AnonymousCrooks Anonymous is a British comedy film from 1962. Directed by Ken Annakin, it starred Leslie Phillips and Stanley Baxter and was notable for one of the earliest appearances of Julie Christie.-Plot:...
(1962) - Flight from SingaporeFlight from SingaporeFlight from Singapore is a 1962 British drama film directed by Dudley Birch and starring Patrick Allen, Patrick Holt and William Abney. Two ex-RAF pilots set-up an airline between Singapore and Hong Kong...
(1962) - Lawrence of ArabiaLawrence of Arabia (film)Lawrence of Arabia is a 1962 British film based on the life of T. E. Lawrence. It was directed by David Lean and produced by Sam Spiegel through his British company, Horizon Pictures, with the screenplay by Robert Bolt and Michael Wilson. The film stars Peter O'Toole in the title role. It is widely...
(1962) - Ladies Who DoLadies Who DoLadies Who Do 1963 British comedy film starring Peggy Mount, Robert Morley and Harry H. Corbett.-Cast:*Peggy Mount as Mrs. Cragg*Robert Morley as Colonel Whitforth*Harry H. Corbett as James Ryder*Miriam Karlin as Mrs. Higgins...
(1963) - Tomorrow at TenTomorrow at TenTomorrow at Ten is a 1964 British thriller film directed by Lance Comfort and starring John Gregson, Robert Shaw, Kenneth Cope and William Hartnell in his final film appearance.-Plot:...
(1964) - The Nanny (1965)
- George and MildredGeorge and Mildred (film)George and Mildred is a 1980 British comedy film directed by Peter Frazer Jones. It was an adaptation of the television series of the same name. Yootha Joyce and Brian Murphy reprised their television roles as the two title characters. It was written by Dick Sharples...
(1980) - Sir Henry at Rawlinson EndSir Henry at Rawlinson End (film)Sir Henry at Rawlinson End is a 1980 British film based on the eponymous character created by Vivian Stanshall. It starred Trevor Howard as Sir Henry and Stanshall himself as Henry's brother Hubert. Unusually, the film was released in sepia-toned monochrome. After a long wait, while the film...
(1980) - Chicago Joe and the ShowgirlChicago Joe and the ShowgirlChicago Joe and the Showgirl is a 1990 British crime drama film directed by Bernard Rose and written by David Yallop. The film was inspired by the real-life Hulten/Jones murder case of 1944, famously known as the Cleft Chin Murder.-Plot:...
(1990)
Selected TV appearances
- The Army GameThe Army GameThe Army Game is a British sitcom that aired on ITV from 1957 to 1961. Made in black-and-white, it is about National Service conscription to the post-war British Army. It was created by Sid Colin...
- catch phrase "Follow Flogger" - Dixon of Dock GreenDixon of Dock GreenDixon of Dock Green was a popular BBC television series that ran from 1955 to 1976, and later a radio series. Despite being a drama series, it was initially produced by the BBC's light entertainment department.-Overview:...
- Z-CarsZ-CarsZ-Cars is a British television drama series centred on the work of mobile uniformed police in the fictional town of Newtown, based on Kirkby in the outskirts of Liverpool in Merseyside. Produced by the BBC, it debuted in January 1962 and ran until September 1978.-Origins:The series was developed by...
- JackanoryJackanoryJackanory is a long-running BBC children's television series that was designed to stimulate an interest in reading. The show was first transmitted on 13 December 1965, the first story being the fairy-tale Cap o' Rushes read by Lee Montague. Jackanory continued to be broadcast until 24 March 1996,...
- MinderMinder (TV series)Minder is a British comedy-drama about the London criminal underworld. Initially produced by Verity Lambert, it was made by Euston Films, a subsidiary of Thames Television and shown on ITV...
- Doctor WhoDoctor WhoDoctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
- The BillThe BillThe Bill is a police procedural television series that ran from October 1984 to August 2010. It focused on the lives and work of one shift of police officers, rather than on any particular aspect of police work...
- CasualtyCasualty (TV series)Casualty, stylised as Casual+y, is a British weekly television show broadcast on BBC One, and the longest-running emergency medical drama television series in the world. Created by Jeremy Brock and Paul Unwin, it was first broadcast on 6 September 1986, and transmitted in the UK on BBC One. The...
- The Impressionable Jon CulshawThe Impressionable Jon CulshawThe Impressionable Jon Culshaw is a satire sketch show, starring the impressionist Jon Culshaw. A deal with ITV enabled Culshaw to make this while simultaneously starring in BBC Two's Dead Ringers. He also starred in another show, Alter Ego, which is also shown on ITV...
- Going A Bundle
In 1975, Fowler took the part of Eric Lee Fung, described as "a Chinese cockney spiv
Spiv
In the United Kingdom, a spiv is a particular type of petty criminal, who deals in stolen or black market goods of questionable authenticity, especially a slickly-dressed man offering goods at bargain prices...
", in The Melting Pot. This was a sitcom written by Spike Milligan
Spike Milligan
Terence Alan Patrick Seán "Spike" Milligan Hon. KBE was a comedian, writer, musician, poet, playwright, soldier and actor. His early life was spent in India, where he was born, but the majority of his working life was spent in the United Kingdom. He became an Irish citizen in 1962 after the...
and Neil Shand, which was cancelled by the BBC after just one episode had been broadcast.