John Le Mesurier
Encyclopedia
John Le Mesurier was a BAFTA Award-winning English actor. He is most famous for his role as Sergeant Arthur Wilson
in the popular 1970s BBC comedy Dad's Army
.
, Bedfordshire
in 1912, the son of a solicitor
, Charles Elton Halliley and Amy Michelle Le Mesurier, whose family was from Alderney
in the Channel Islands
. He was brought up in Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk and educated at Sherborne School
in Dorset
before he began to study acting at the age of 20, using his mother's maiden name (common in the Channel Islands) Le Mesurier as his stage name.
Le Mesurier was at Drama School with Alec Guinness
, and later worked with him in a production of Hamlet
, directed by John Gielgud
, in which the young Le Mesurier understudied Anthony Quayle
as Guildenstern.
He was commissioned into the Royal Tank Regiment
in 1941 and served in the UK and India during the Second World War, reaching the rank of captain
.
Le Mesurier appeared in over 100 films, including Private's Progress
(1956), Brothers in Law
(1957), Carlton-Browne of the F.O.
(1959), I'm All Right Jack
(1959), The Hound of the Baskervilles
(1959), Doctor in Love (1960), The Pure Hell of St Trinian's
(1960), The Wrong Arm of the Law
(1963), The Pink Panther
(1963), Our Man in Marrakesh (1966), The Wrong Box
(1966), The Italian Job
(1969), and The Alf Garnett Saga (1972). In Ben-Hur
(1959) he has an uncredited cameo role as a doctor. He also appeared in most of Tony Hancock
's films and many episodes of his television series. His final film was with Peter Sellers
in The Fiendish Plot of Dr. Fu Manchu
in 1980. In most of his later performances, he presented an impression of good-natured vagueness, which acquaintances claim was close to his true personality.
Le Mesurier's most popular TV (and radio) role was as the upper-class Sergeant Arthur Wilson
in Dad's Army
from 1968 to 1977. He accepted that role after finding out Clive Dunn
, with whom he had worked in the Players' Theatre
, would be playing the part of Corporal Jones. Before that, he had starred in George and the Dragon, alongside Sid James
and Peggy Mount
and also in a one-off pilot show entitled "Marry The Girls". He gave a memorable performance in Dennis Potter
's play Traitor
(1971) which won him a Society of Film and Television Arts "Best Television Actor" award. Following the success of Dad's Army, Le Mesurier recorded several wartime songs as singles: "A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square
" / "Hometown" (the latter with Arthur Lowe
) on the Warner label in 1975 and "There Ain't Much Change from a Pound These Days" / "After All These Years" with Clive Dunn
on KA Records in 1982.
Along with his other work, Le Mesurier was a regular stage performer throughout his career, appearing in works by Noël Coward
and Terence Rattigan
. His last stage appearance was a tour of Coward's Hay Fever
in 1980/81.
On 13 June 1965 he appeared in a special one off performance Homage to T. S. Eliot
, alongside Lord Olivier
, Sir Paul Scofield
, Peter O'Toole
and Ian Richardson
.
For nearly 20 years until his death in 1983, he provided the original voice for the animated TV commercial character "Flour Grader Fred", a little man in a bowler hat who advertised Homepride Flour and related products. (The character continues, voiced by other actors.) In 1975, Le Mesurier narrated Bod
, an animated children's programme from the BBC
. In the series, a boy named Bod, his aunt Flo, and their friends have rather strange adventures (like falling into a manhole and finding a giant strawberry). In 1971 he appeared in Doctor at Large as the head of a health farm. He portrayed Jacob Marley
in a BBC television adaptation of A Christmas Carol
, which starred Sir Michael Hordern
as Scrooge.
On radio, he reprised the role of Arthur Wilson in It Sticks Out Half a Mile
, and played The Wise Old Bird in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
(1980) and Bilbo Baggins
in the BBC's 1981 radio version
of The Lord of the Rings
.
Elsewhere, Le Mesurier played a short but significant character role in Granada TV's adaptation of Brideshead Revisited
(1981) and guest starred in episodes of the British comedy television series The Goodies
, Doctor in the House
and an early episode of Hi-de-Hi!
.
Le Mesurier was married three times:-
When Jacques left him for a younger man, Le Mesurier allowed the press to give him the blame for the break-up in order to save Jacques' public image. His close friendship with the comedian
Tony Hancock
was seriously tested early in his third marriage, when his wife Joan left him for Hancock, only to return a year later.
In private life, the actor was a heavy drinker, often seen with a drink in his hand but never noticeably drunk. Jacques claimed that his legendary calculated vagueness was the result of his "reliance on extra strong cigarettes
". Towards the end of Dad's Army
, on medical advice he gave up alcohol but became seriously ill, and lost a great deal of weight. Friends relate that when he returned to drinking he had seven more years of life and regained his joie de vivre. His last words before slipping into a coma were reportedly, "It's all been rather lovely."
He died at Ramsgate
from a stomach haemorrhage, (caused by cirrhosis
) on 15 November 1983, aged 71. He is buried in the churchyard of the Church of St. George the Martyr, Church Hill, Ramsgate. His self-penned death notice in The Times
stated that he had "conked out" and that he "sadly misses family and friends".
biographical films - the 2008 Hancock and Joan
on Joan's affair with Tony Hancock
(with Le Mesurier played by Alex Jennings
) and the 2011 Hattie
on Hattie's affair with John Schofield (with Le Mesurier played by Robert Bathurst
).
Sergeant Arthur Wilson
Sergeant The Honourable Arthur Wilson is a fictional Home Guard platoon sergeant and bank clerk portrayed by John Le Mesurier on the BBC television situation comedy Dad's Army....
in the popular 1970s BBC comedy Dad's Army
Dad's Army
Dad's Army is a British sitcom about the Home Guard during the Second World War. It was written by Jimmy Perry and David Croft and broadcast on BBC television between 1968 and 1977. The series ran for 9 series and 80 episodes in total, plus a radio series, a feature film and a stage show...
.
Career
Le Mesurier was born at No. 35 Chaucer Road, BedfordBedford
Bedford is the county town of Bedfordshire, in the East of England. It is a large town and the administrative centre for the wider Borough of Bedford. According to the former Bedfordshire County Council's estimates, the town had a population of 79,190 in mid 2005, with 19,720 in the adjacent town...
, Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire is a ceremonial county of historic origin in England that forms part of the East of England region.It borders Cambridgeshire to the north-east, Northamptonshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the west and Hertfordshire to the south-east....
in 1912, the son of a solicitor
Solicitor
Solicitors are lawyers who traditionally deal with any legal matter including conducting proceedings in courts. In the United Kingdom, a few Australian states and the Republic of Ireland, the legal profession is split between solicitors and barristers , and a lawyer will usually only hold one title...
, Charles Elton Halliley and Amy Michelle Le Mesurier, whose family was from Alderney
Alderney
Alderney is the most northerly of the Channel Islands. It is part of the Bailiwick of Guernsey, a British Crown dependency. It is long and wide. The area is , making it the third-largest island of the Channel Islands, and the second largest in the Bailiwick...
in the Channel Islands
Channel Islands
The Channel Islands are an archipelago of British Crown Dependencies in the English Channel, off the French coast of Normandy. They include two separate bailiwicks: the Bailiwick of Guernsey and the Bailiwick of Jersey...
. He was brought up in Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk and educated at Sherborne School
Sherborne School
Sherborne School is a British independent school for boys, located in the town of Sherborne in north-west Dorset, England. It is one of the original member schools of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference....
in Dorset
Dorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
before he began to study acting at the age of 20, using his mother's maiden name (common in the Channel Islands) Le Mesurier as his stage name.
Le Mesurier was at Drama School with Alec Guinness
Alec Guinness
Sir Alec Guinness, CH, CBE was an English actor. He was featured in several of the Ealing Comedies, including Kind Hearts and Coronets in which he played eight different characters. He later won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role as Colonel Nicholson in The Bridge on the River Kwai...
, and later worked with him in a production of Hamlet
Hamlet
The Tragical History of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, or more simply Hamlet, is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1599 and 1601...
, directed by John Gielgud
John Gielgud
Sir Arthur John Gielgud, OM, CH was an English actor, director, and producer. A descendant of the renowned Terry acting family, he achieved early international acclaim for his youthful, emotionally expressive Hamlet which broke box office records on Broadway in 1937...
, in which the young Le Mesurier understudied Anthony Quayle
Anthony Quayle
Sir John Anthony Quayle, CBE was an English actor and director.-Early life:Quayle was born in Ainsdale, Southport, in Lancashire to a Manx family....
as Guildenstern.
He was commissioned into the Royal Tank Regiment
Royal Tank Regiment
The Royal Tank Regiment is an armoured regiment of the British Army. It was formerly known as the Tank Corps and the Royal Tank Corps. It is part of the Royal Armoured Corps and is made up of two operational regiments, the 1st Royal Tank Regiment and the 2nd Royal Tank Regiment...
in 1941 and served in the UK and India during the Second World War, reaching the rank of captain
Captain (British Army and Royal Marines)
Captain is a junior officer rank of the British Army and Royal Marines. It ranks above Lieutenant and below Major and has a NATO ranking code of OF-2. The rank is equivalent to a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy and to a Flight Lieutenant in the Royal Air Force...
.
Le Mesurier appeared in over 100 films, including Private's Progress
Private's Progress
Private's Progress is a 1956 British comedy film based on the novel by Alan Hackney. It was directed and produced by John and Roy Boulting, from a script by John Boulting and Frank Harvey.-Plot:...
(1956), Brothers in Law
Brothers in Law (film)
Brothers in Law is a 1957 British comedy film directed by Roy Boulting and starring Richard Attenborough, Ian Carmichael, Terry-Thomas and Jill Adams...
(1957), Carlton-Browne of the F.O.
Carlton-Browne of the F.O.
Carlton-Browne of the F.O. is a 1959 British comedy film made by the Boulting Brothers.-Plot:...
(1959), I'm All Right Jack
I'm All Right Jack
I'm All Right Jack is a 1959 British comedy film directed and produced by John and Roy Boulting from a script by Frank Harvey, John Boulting and Alan Hackney, based on the novel Private Life by Hackney...
(1959), The Hound of the Baskervilles
The Hound of the Baskervilles (1959 film)
The Hound of the Baskervilles is a 1959 British detective film produced by Hammer Films and directed by Terence Fisher.The film is the first adaptation from the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle novel of the same name to be filmed in colour and stars Peter Cushing as Sherlock Holmes, Sir Christopher Lee as...
(1959), Doctor in Love (1960), The Pure Hell of St Trinian's
The Pure Hell of St Trinian's
The Pure Hell of St Trinian's was a 1960 British comedy film set in the fictional St Trinian's School. Directed by Frank Launder and written by him and Sidney Gilliat, it was the third in a series of five films.-Plot:...
(1960), The Wrong Arm of the Law
The Wrong Arm of the Law
The Wrong Arm of the Law is a 1963 British comedy film directed by Cliff Owen and starring Peter Sellers, Bernard Cribbins, Lionel Jeffries, John Le Mesurier and Bill Kerr...
(1963), The Pink Panther
The Pink Panther (1963 film)
The Pink Panther is a 1963 American comedy film directed by Blake Edwards and co-written by Edwards and Maurice Richlin, starring David Niven, Peter Sellers, Robert Wagner, Capucine, and Claudia Cardinale...
(1963), Our Man in Marrakesh (1966), The Wrong Box
The Wrong Box
The Wrong Box is a British comedy film made by Salamander Film Productions and distributed by Columbia Pictures. It was produced and directed by Bryan Forbes from a screenplay by Larry Gelbart and Burt Shevelove, based on the novel by Robert Louis Stevenson and Lloyd Osbourne.The cast includes a...
(1966), The Italian Job
The Italian Job
The Italian Job is a 1969 British caper film, written by Troy Kennedy Martin, produced by Michael Deeley and directed by Peter Collinson. Subsequent television showings and releases on video have established it as an institution in the United Kingdom....
(1969), and The Alf Garnett Saga (1972). In Ben-Hur
Ben-Hur (1959 film)
Ben-Hur is a 1959 American epic film directed by William Wyler and starring Charlton Heston in the title role, the third film adaptation of Lew Wallace's 1880 novel Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ. The screenplay was written by Karl Tunberg, Gore Vidal, and Christopher Fry. The score was composed by...
(1959) he has an uncredited cameo role as a doctor. He also appeared in most of Tony Hancock
Tony Hancock
Anthony John "Tony" Hancock was an English actor and comedian.-Early life and career:Hancock was born in Southam Road, Hall Green, Birmingham, England, but from the age of three was brought up in Bournemouth, where his father, John Hancock, who ran the Railway Hotel in...
's films and many episodes of his television series. His final film was with Peter Sellers
Peter Sellers
Richard Henry Sellers, CBE , known as Peter Sellers, was a British comedian and actor. Perhaps best known as Chief Inspector Clouseau in The Pink Panther film series, he is also notable for playing three different characters in Dr...
in The Fiendish Plot of Dr. Fu Manchu
The Fiendish Plot of Dr. Fu Manchu
The Fiendish Plot of Dr. Fu Manchu is a 1980 comedy film, notable as the final film of Peter Sellers, David Tomlinson and John Le Mesurier. Pre-production began with Richard Quine as director. By the time the film entered production, Piers Haggard had replaced him. Peter Sellers handled the...
in 1980. In most of his later performances, he presented an impression of good-natured vagueness, which acquaintances claim was close to his true personality.
Le Mesurier's most popular TV (and radio) role was as the upper-class Sergeant Arthur Wilson
Sergeant Arthur Wilson
Sergeant The Honourable Arthur Wilson is a fictional Home Guard platoon sergeant and bank clerk portrayed by John Le Mesurier on the BBC television situation comedy Dad's Army....
in Dad's Army
Dad's Army
Dad's Army is a British sitcom about the Home Guard during the Second World War. It was written by Jimmy Perry and David Croft and broadcast on BBC television between 1968 and 1977. The series ran for 9 series and 80 episodes in total, plus a radio series, a feature film and a stage show...
from 1968 to 1977. He accepted that role after finding out Clive Dunn
Clive Dunn
Clive Robert Benjamin Dunn OBE is a retired English actor, comedian and author, best known for his role as Lance-Corporal Jack Jones in the BBC sitcom Dad's Army.-Early life:...
, with whom he had worked in the Players' Theatre
Players' Theatre
The Players' Theatre was a theatre in London as well as a theatre club for music hall in the style of the BBC programme "The Good Old Days".-Origins:...
, would be playing the part of Corporal Jones. Before that, he had starred in George and the Dragon, alongside Sid James
Sid James
Sid James was an English-based South African actor and comedian. He made his name as Tony Hancock's co-star in Hancock's Half Hour and also starred in the popular Carry On films. He was known for his trademark "dirty laugh" and lascivious persona...
and Peggy Mount
Peggy Mount
Margaret Rose "Peggy" Mount OBE, was an English actress of stage and screen. She was perhaps best known for playing battleaxe characters, though her real personality was said to have been far removed from such roles. She was also well-known for her distinctive voice.- Early life :Mount was born in...
and also in a one-off pilot show entitled "Marry The Girls". He gave a memorable performance in Dennis Potter
Dennis Potter
Dennis Christopher George Potter was an English dramatist, best known for The Singing Detective. His widely acclaimed television dramas mixed fantasy and reality, the personal and the social. He was particularly fond of using themes and images from popular culture.-Biography:Dennis Potter was born...
's play Traitor
Traitor (TV drama)
Traitor is a BBC television drama written by Dennis Potter, which featured in the Play for Today on 14 October 1971.It features the prominent British comedy actor John Le Mesurier, in a straight acting role, as Adrian Harris, a character loosely based on Kim Philby, although he may also contain...
(1971) which won him a Society of Film and Television Arts "Best Television Actor" award. Following the success of Dad's Army, Le Mesurier recorded several wartime songs as singles: "A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square
A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square (song)
"A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square" is a romantic British popular song written in 1939 with lyrics by Eric Maschwitz and music by Manning Sherwin.-Setting:...
" / "Hometown" (the latter with Arthur Lowe
Arthur Lowe
Arthur Lowe was a BAFTA Award winning English actor. He was best known for playing Captain George Mainwaring in the popular British sitcom Dad's Army from 1968 until 1977.-Early life:...
) on the Warner label in 1975 and "There Ain't Much Change from a Pound These Days" / "After All These Years" with Clive Dunn
Clive Dunn
Clive Robert Benjamin Dunn OBE is a retired English actor, comedian and author, best known for his role as Lance-Corporal Jack Jones in the BBC sitcom Dad's Army.-Early life:...
on KA Records in 1982.
Along with his other work, Le Mesurier was a regular stage performer throughout his career, appearing in works by Noël Coward
Noël Coward
Sir Noël Peirce Coward was an English playwright, composer, director, actor and singer, known for his wit, flamboyance, and what Time magazine called "a sense of personal style, a combination of cheek and chic, pose and poise".Born in Teddington, a suburb of London, Coward attended a dance academy...
and Terence Rattigan
Terence Rattigan
Sir Terence Mervyn Rattigan CBE was one of England's most popular 20th-century dramatists. His plays are generally set in an upper-middle-class background...
. His last stage appearance was a tour of Coward's Hay Fever
Hay Fever
Hay Fever is a comic play written by Noël Coward in 1924 and first produced in 1925 with Marie Tempest as the first Judith Bliss. Laura Hope Crews played the role in New York...
in 1980/81.
On 13 June 1965 he appeared in a special one off performance Homage to T. S. Eliot
T. S. Eliot
Thomas Stearns "T. S." Eliot OM was a playwright, literary critic, and arguably the most important English-language poet of the 20th century. Although he was born an American he moved to the United Kingdom in 1914 and was naturalised as a British subject in 1927 at age 39.The poem that made his...
, alongside Lord Olivier
Laurence Olivier
Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier, OM was an English actor, director, and producer. He was one of the most famous and revered actors of the 20th century. He married three times, to fellow actors Jill Esmond, Vivien Leigh, and Joan Plowright...
, Sir Paul Scofield
Paul Scofield
David Paul Scofield, CH, CBE , better known as Paul Scofield, was an English actor of stage and screen...
, Peter O'Toole
Peter O'Toole
Peter Seamus Lorcan O'Toole is an Irish actor of stage and screen. O'Toole achieved stardom in 1962 playing T. E. Lawrence in Lawrence of Arabia, and then went on to become a highly-honoured film and stage actor. He has been nominated for eight Academy Awards, and holds the record for most...
and Ian Richardson
Ian Richardson
Ian William Richardson CBE was a Scottish actor best known for his portrayal of the Machiavellian Tory politician Francis Urquhart in the BBC's House of Cards trilogy. He was also a leading Shakespearean stage actor....
.
For nearly 20 years until his death in 1983, he provided the original voice for the animated TV commercial character "Flour Grader Fred", a little man in a bowler hat who advertised Homepride Flour and related products. (The character continues, voiced by other actors.) In 1975, Le Mesurier narrated Bod
Bod (series)
Bod was a BBC children's television programme first shown in 1975, with thirteen episodes, based on four original Bod books by Joanna and Michael Cole. It was an animated cartoon series narrated by John Le Mesurier & Maggie Henderson with music by Derek Griffiths and produced by David Yates...
, an animated children's programme from the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
. In the series, a boy named Bod, his aunt Flo, and their friends have rather strange adventures (like falling into a manhole and finding a giant strawberry). In 1971 he appeared in Doctor at Large as the head of a health farm. He portrayed Jacob Marley
Jacob Marley
Jacob Marley is a fictional character who appears in Charles Dickens' 1843 novella A Christmas Carol.- Relationship with Scrooge:In life, Marley was the business partner of Ebenezer Scrooge. As teenagers, both men had been apprenticed in business and met as clerks in another business...
in a BBC television adaptation of A Christmas Carol
A Christmas Carol
A Christmas Carol is a novella by English author Charles Dickens first published by Chapman & Hall on 17 December 1843. The story tells of sour and stingy Ebenezer Scrooge's ideological, ethical, and emotional transformation after the supernatural visits of Jacob Marley and the Ghosts of...
, which starred Sir Michael Hordern
Michael Hordern
Sir Michael Murray Hordern was an English actor, knighted in 1983 for his services to the theatre, which stretched back to before the Second World War.-Personal life:...
as Scrooge.
On radio, he reprised the role of Arthur Wilson in It Sticks Out Half a Mile
It Sticks Out Half a Mile
It Sticks Out Half a Mile was a BBC Radio sitcom created by Harold Snoad and Michael Knowles as a sequel to the television war sitcom Dad's Army, for which Snoad and Knowles had written radio adaptations.-The pilot:...
, and played The Wise Old Bird in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is a science fiction comedy series created by Douglas Adams. Originally a radio comedy broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 1978, it was later adapted to other formats, and over several years it gradually became an international multi-media phenomenon...
(1980) and Bilbo Baggins
Bilbo Baggins
Bilbo Baggins is the protagonist and titular character of The Hobbit and a supporting character in The Lord of the Rings, two of the most well-known of J. R. R...
in the BBC's 1981 radio version
The Lord of the Rings (1981 radio series)
In 1981 the UK radio station BBC Radio 4 broadcast a dramatisation of J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings in 26 half-hour stereo instalments...
of The Lord of the Rings
The Lord of the Rings
The Lord of the Rings is a high fantasy epic written by English philologist and University of Oxford professor J. R. R. Tolkien. The story began as a sequel to Tolkien's earlier, less complex children's fantasy novel The Hobbit , but eventually developed into a much larger work. It was written in...
.
Elsewhere, Le Mesurier played a short but significant character role in Granada TV's adaptation of Brideshead Revisited
Brideshead Revisited (TV serial)
Brideshead Revisited is a 1981 British television serial produced by Granada Television for broadcast by the ITV network. The teleplay is based on Evelyn Waugh's novel Brideshead Revisited...
(1981) and guest starred in episodes of the British comedy television series The Goodies
The Goodies (TV series)
The Goodies is a British television comedy series of the 1970s and early 1980s. The series, which combines surreal sketches and situation comedy, was broadcast by BBC 2 from 1970 until 1980 — and was then broadcast by the ITV company LWT for a year, between 1981 to 1982.The show was...
, Doctor in the House
Doctor in the House (TV series)
Doctor in the House is the syndicated title given, by the United States, to a British television comedy series , based on a set of books and a movie of the same name by Richard Gordon about the misadventures of a group of medical students — and their later misadventures as doctors.The first...
and an early episode of Hi-de-Hi!
Hi-de-Hi!
Hi-de-Hi! is a British sitcom that aired on the BBC from 1980-1988. It was set in a holiday camp during the 1950s and 1960s and was written by Jimmy Perry and David Croft, who had written Dad's Army and It Ain't Half Hot Mum. The title was the phrase used to greet the campers and in early episodes...
.
Personal life
- Actress June Melville (1939–1947)
- Actress Hattie JacquesHattie JacquesJosephine Edwina Jaques was an English comedy actress, known as Hattie Jacques.Starting her career in the 1940s, Jacques first gained attention through her radio appearances with Tommy Handley on ITMA and later with Tony Hancock on Hancock's Half Hour...
(1949–1965); two sons Robin (born 23 March 1953) and Kim (born 12 October 1956) - Actress Joan MalinJoan Le MesurierJoan Le Mesurier is an English actress, best known as the widow and biographer of the actor John Le Mesurier...
(1966–1983)
When Jacques left him for a younger man, Le Mesurier allowed the press to give him the blame for the break-up in order to save Jacques' public image. His close friendship with the comedian
Comedian
A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience, primarily by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting a fool, as in slapstick, or employing prop comedy...
Tony Hancock
Tony Hancock
Anthony John "Tony" Hancock was an English actor and comedian.-Early life and career:Hancock was born in Southam Road, Hall Green, Birmingham, England, but from the age of three was brought up in Bournemouth, where his father, John Hancock, who ran the Railway Hotel in...
was seriously tested early in his third marriage, when his wife Joan left him for Hancock, only to return a year later.
In private life, the actor was a heavy drinker, often seen with a drink in his hand but never noticeably drunk. Jacques claimed that his legendary calculated vagueness was the result of his "reliance on extra strong cigarettes
Cannabis (drug)
Cannabis, also known as marijuana among many other names, refers to any number of preparations of the Cannabis plant intended for use as a psychoactive drug or for medicinal purposes. The English term marijuana comes from the Mexican Spanish word marihuana...
". Towards the end of Dad's Army
Dad's Army
Dad's Army is a British sitcom about the Home Guard during the Second World War. It was written by Jimmy Perry and David Croft and broadcast on BBC television between 1968 and 1977. The series ran for 9 series and 80 episodes in total, plus a radio series, a feature film and a stage show...
, on medical advice he gave up alcohol but became seriously ill, and lost a great deal of weight. Friends relate that when he returned to drinking he had seven more years of life and regained his joie de vivre. His last words before slipping into a coma were reportedly, "It's all been rather lovely."
He died at Ramsgate
Ramsgate
Ramsgate is a seaside town in the district of Thanet in east Kent, England. It was one of the great English seaside towns of the 19th century and is a member of the ancient confederation of Cinque Ports. It has a population of around 40,000. Ramsgate's main attraction is its coastline and its main...
from a stomach haemorrhage, (caused by cirrhosis
Cirrhosis
Cirrhosis is a consequence of chronic liver disease characterized by replacement of liver tissue by fibrosis, scar tissue and regenerative nodules , leading to loss of liver function...
) on 15 November 1983, aged 71. He is buried in the churchyard of the Church of St. George the Martyr, Church Hill, Ramsgate. His self-penned death notice in The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
stated that he had "conked out" and that he "sadly misses family and friends".
Portrayals
Le Mesurier's marriages have been the subject of two BBC FourBBC Four
BBC Four is a British television network operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation and available to digital television viewers on Freeview, IPTV, satellite and cable....
biographical films - the 2008 Hancock and Joan
Hancock and Joan
Hancock and Joan was a 2008 BBC Four biopic television film based on the affair between Joan Le Mesurier and the comedian Tony Hancock. It was first transmitted on 26 March 2008 as part of the Curse of Comedy season. Hancock was portrayed by Ken Stott, Joan by Maxine Peake and John by Alex...
on Joan's affair with Tony Hancock
Tony Hancock
Anthony John "Tony" Hancock was an English actor and comedian.-Early life and career:Hancock was born in Southam Road, Hall Green, Birmingham, England, but from the age of three was brought up in Bournemouth, where his father, John Hancock, who ran the Railway Hotel in...
(with Le Mesurier played by Alex Jennings
Alex Jennings
Alex Jennings is an English actor whose roles have included Charles, Prince of Wales in The Queen .-Early years:...
) and the 2011 Hattie
Hattie (television film)
Hattie is a television film on the life of the British comic actress Hattie Jacques, played by Ruth Jones, her marriage to John Le Mesurier and her affair with their lodger John Schofield...
on Hattie's affair with John Schofield (with Le Mesurier played by Robert Bathurst
Robert Bathurst
Robert Guy Bathurst is an English actor. Bathurst was born in the Gold Coast in 1957, where his father was working as a management consultant. His family moved to Dublin, Ireland, in 1959 and Bathurst was enrolled at an Anglican boarding school...
).
Filmography
- Death in the Hand (1948)
- Escape from BroadmoorEscape from BroadmoorEscape from Broadmoor is a 1948 British short film starring John Le Mesurier, in one of his earliest screen appearances. He plays Pendicot, a man escaped from an asylum, who police are hunting down. The title is a reference to Broadmoor high-security psychiatric hospital in Crowthorne, Berkshire...
(1948) - Mother Riley's New Venture (1949)
- A Matter of MurderA Matter of MurderA Matter of Murder is a 1949 British crime film directed by John Gilling and starring Maureen Riscoe, John Barry, Charles Clapham, Ian Fleming and John Le Mesurier....
(1949) - Dark Interval (1950)
- The Small MiracleThe Small MiracleThe Small Miracle is a 1951 British drama film starring Vittorio Manunta, Denis O'Dea, Guido Celano and John Le Mesurier. The film focuses around a young boy who, determined to save his sick donkey, travels to Rome to ask the Pope's permission to bring his donkey to church in the hope that his...
(1951) - Mrs. Gibbons' BoysMrs. Gibbons' Boys (film)Mrs. Gibbons' Boys is a 1962 British comedy film directed by Max Varnel and starring Kathleen Harrison, Lionel Jeffries and Diana Dors. It is based on the play Mrs...
(1952) - Blind Man's BluffBlind Man's Bluff (1952 film)Blind Man's Bluff is a 1952 British crime film directed by Charles Saunders and starring Zena Marshall, Sydney Tafler and Anthony Pendrell.-Cast:* Zena Marshall - Christine Stevens* Sydney Tafler - Rikki Martin* Anthony Pendrell - Roger Morley...
(1952) - Mother Riley Meets the Vampire (1952)
- The Pleasure Garden (1953)
- The Drayton CaseThe Drayton CaseThe Drayton Case is a 1953 British short crime film directed by Ken Hughes and starring Edgar Lustgarten, Hilda Barry and John Le Mesurier. During the early years of World War II, a bomb from a German airplane uncovers the corpse of a strangled woman....
(1953) - The Blue ParrotThe Blue ParrotThe Blue Parrot is a 1953 British crime film directed by John Harlow and starring Dermot Walsh, Jacqueline Hill, Ballard Berkeley, Richard Pearson and John Le Mesurier.British crime reporter Percy Hoskins provided the story.-Cast:...
(1953) - Black 13Black 13Black 13 is a 1953 British crime drama film directed by Ken Hughes and starring Peter Reynolds, Rona Anderson, Patrick Barr and John Le Mesurier....
(1953) - Dangerous CargoDangerous CargoDangerous Cargo is a 1954 British crime film directed by John Harlow starring Jack Watling, Susan Stephen, Richard Pearson, Terence Alexander and John Le Mesurier.British crime reporter Percy Hoskins provided the story.-Cast:...
(1954) - Beautiful StrangerBeautiful Stranger (film)Beautiful Stranger is a 1954 British and American mystery film directed by David Miller.-Plot:Johnny is living with Louis Galt , her rich English lover. Galt has promised Johnny that once he manages to divorce his present wife, the two will marry...
(1954) - Stranger from Venus (1954)
- Police Dog (1955)
- Josephine and MenJosephine and MenJosephine and Men is a 1955 British comedy film directed by Roy Boulting and starring Glynis Johns, Jack Buchanan, Donald Sinden and Peter Finch...
(1955) - A Time to KillA Time to Kill (1955 film)A Time to Kill is a 1955 British crime film starring Jack Watling, Rona Anderson, John Horsley and John Le Mesurier.-Cast:* Jack Watling as Dennis Willows* Rona Anderson as Sallie Harbord* John Horsley as Peter Hastings...
(1955) - Private's ProgressPrivate's ProgressPrivate's Progress is a 1956 British comedy film based on the novel by Alan Hackney. It was directed and produced by John and Roy Boulting, from a script by John Boulting and Frank Harvey.-Plot:...
(1956) - The Battle of the River PlateThe Battle of the River Plate (film)The Battle of the River Plate is a 1956 British war film by director-writer team of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, starring John Gregson, Anthony Quayle and Peter Finch...
(1956) - The Baby and the BattleshipThe Baby and the BattleshipThe Baby and the Battleship is a colour 1956 British comedy film directed by Jay Lewis and starring John Mills, Richard Attenborough and André Morell. It is based on the 1956 novel by Anthony Thorne with a screenplay by Richard De Roy, Gilbert Hackforth-Jones and Bryan Forbes...
(1956) - Brothers in LawBrothers in Law (film)Brothers in Law is a 1957 British comedy film directed by Roy Boulting and starring Richard Attenborough, Ian Carmichael, Terry-Thomas and Jill Adams...
(1957) - The Good CompanionsThe Good Companions (1957 film)The Good Companions is a 1957 British musical film directed by J. Lee Thompson and starring Eric Portman. It is based on the novel of the same name and is a remake of the 1933 film version.-Cast:* Eric Portman - Jess Oakroyd* Celia Johnson - Miss Trant...
(1957) - The Admirable CrichtonThe Admirable Crichton (film)The Admirable Crichton is a 1957 British comedy film directed by Lewis Gilbert and starring Kenneth More, Diane Cilento, Sally Ann Howes and Cecil Parker. The film was based on J. M...
(1957) - These Dangerous YearsThese Dangerous YearsThese Dangerous Years is a 1957 British comedy musical film directed by Herbert Wilcox and starring George Baker, Frankie Vaughan, Carole Lesley, Thora Hird, Kenneth Cope, David Lodge and John Le Mesurier....
(1957) - High Flight (1957)
- Happy is the BrideHappy is the BrideHappy is the Bride is a 1958 British comedy film written and directed by Roy Boulting and starring Ian Carmichael, Janette Scott, Cecil Parker, Terry-Thomas and Joyce Grenfell...
(1958) - Gideon's DayGideon's DayGideon's Day is the first in a series of police procedural novels by John Creasey writing as J.J. Marric. Published in 1955, it features a day in the professional life of Detective Superintendent George Gideon of the C.I.D., Scotland Yard. In later books in the series, Gideon has been promoted to...
(1958) - The Man Who Wouldn't TalkThe Man Who Wouldn't TalkThe Man Who Wouldn't Talk is a 1958 British drama film directed by Herbert Wilcox. It starred Anna Neagle, Anthony Quayle, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Dora Bryan, John Le Mesurier and Lloyd Lamble.-Synopsis:...
(1958) - Law and DisorderLaw and Disorder (1958 film)Law and Disorder is a 1958 British comedy film directed by Charles Crichton and starring Michael Redgrave, Robert Morley, Joan Hickson, Lionel Jeffries and John Le Mesurier. It was based on the 1954 novel Smugglers' Circuit by Denys Roberts. The film was started by director Henry Cornelius who died...
(1958) - Another Time, Another Place (1958)
- The MoonrakerThe MoonrakerThe Moonraker is a 1958 British historical drama film set during the English Civil War. It was directed by David MacDonald and starred George Baker, Sylvia Sims, Marius Goring, Gary Raymond, Peter Arne, John Le Mesurier and Patrick Troughton....
(1958) - Blind SpotBlind Spot (film)Blind Spot is a 1958 British drama film directed by Peter Maxwell and starring Robert MacKenzie, Delphi Lawrence, Gordon Jackson, John Le Mesurier and Michael Caine in an early screen appearance....
(1958) - Blood of the VampireBlood of the Vampire-Plot:A young couple are terrorized by Dr. Callistratus who was executed but has returned to life with a heart transplant...
(1958) - Man with a GunMan with a GunDisambiguation: For the 1955 Robert Mitchum Western film, see Man with the GunMan with a Gun is a 1958 British crime film directed by Montgomery Tully from a screenplay by Michael Winner. It starred Lee Patterson, Rona Anderson and John Le Mesurier....
(1958) - I was Monty's DoubleI Was Monty's DoubleI Was Monty's Double is a book by M. E. Clifton James, first published in London in 1954. It was made into a film in 1958, directed by John Guillermin, from a screenplay adapted by Bryan Forbes...
(1958) - Our Man in HavanaOur Man in Havana (film)Our Man in Havana is a 1959 film directed and produced by Carol Reed and starring Alec Guinness, Burl Ives, Maureen O'Hara, Ralph Richardson, Noel Coward and Ernie Kovacs. The film is adapted from the novel of the same name by Graham Greene...
(1959) - The Captain's TableThe Captain's TableThe Captain's Table is a 1959 British comedy film directed by Jack Lee from a novel by Richard Gordon. It starred John Gregson, Donald Sinden, Peggy Cummins, Maurice Denham, Joan Sims, John Le Mesurier and June Jago...
(1959) - Operation AmsterdamOperation AmsterdamOperation Amsterdam is a 1959 British action film, directed by Michael McCarthy, and featuring Peter Finch, Eva Bartok and Tony Britton. It is based on a true story as described in the book Adventure in Diamonds, by David E Walker. The action of the story covers a few days in May 1940 when the...
(1959) - Ben-HurBen-Hur (1959 film)Ben-Hur is a 1959 American epic film directed by William Wyler and starring Charlton Heston in the title role, the third film adaptation of Lew Wallace's 1880 novel Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ. The screenplay was written by Karl Tunberg, Gore Vidal, and Christopher Fry. The score was composed by...
(1959) - The Lady Is a SquareThe Lady Is a SquareThe Lady Is a Square is a 1959 British comedy musical film directed by Herbert Wilcox and featuring Anna Neagle, Frankie Vaughan and Janette Scott. An aspiring singer goes to work as a butler in the house of a classical music patron...
(1959) - Jack the RipperJack the Ripper (1959 film)Jack the Ripper was a 1959 film produced and directed by Monty Berman and Robert S. Baker and is loosely based on Leonard Matters' theory that the Ripper was an avenging doctor. The black-and-white film starred Lee Patterson and Eddie Byrne and co-starred Betty McDowall, John Le Mesurier, and...
(1959) - The Wreck of the Mary DeareThe Wreck of the Mary Deare (film)The Wreck of the Mary Deare is a 1959 Metrocolor British-American thriller film directed by Michael Anderson and starring Gary Cooper, Charlton Heston, Michael Redgrave, Cecil Parker, Richard Harris and John Le Mesurier, based upon the novel by Hammond Innes.-Synopsis:A merchant marine captain,...
(1959) - Desert MiceDesert MiceDesert Mice is a 1959 British comedy film featuring Alfred Marks, Sid James, Dora Bryan, Irene Handl, John Le Mesurier and Liz Fraser. A group of ENSA entertainers with the British army in the North Africa desert during the Second World War thwart a Nazi plan...
(1959) - Follow a StarFollow a StarFollow a Star is a 1959 British comedy film directed by Robert Asher and starring Norman Wisdom.-Plot:The story is rather similar to the ending of Singin' in the Rain, where a singer fraudulently "borrows" the voice of Norman Wisdom's character....
(1959) - Too Many CrooksToo Many CrooksToo Many Crooks is a 1959 British comedy film about a bunch of inept crooks who kidnap the wrong woman. It stars George Cole as the leader of the gang, Brenda De Banzie as the victim, and Terry-Thomas as her husband...
(1959) - Carlton-Browne of the F.O.Carlton-Browne of the F.O.Carlton-Browne of the F.O. is a 1959 British comedy film made by the Boulting Brothers.-Plot:...
(1959) - The Hound of the BaskervillesThe Hound of the Baskervilles (1959 film)The Hound of the Baskervilles is a 1959 British detective film produced by Hammer Films and directed by Terence Fisher.The film is the first adaptation from the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle novel of the same name to be filmed in colour and stars Peter Cushing as Sherlock Holmes, Sir Christopher Lee as...
(1959) - I'm All Right JackI'm All Right JackI'm All Right Jack is a 1959 British comedy film directed and produced by John and Roy Boulting from a script by Frank Harvey, John Boulting and Alan Hackney, based on the novel Private Life by Hackney...
(1959) - School for ScoundrelsSchool for Scoundrels (1960 film)School for Scoundrels is a 1960 British comedy film inspired by the "Gamesmanship" series of books by Stephen Potter. The main character, Henry Palfrey , is a failure in sport and love, and victim of conmen. He enrols at the "School of Lifemanship" in Yeovil, run by Dr...
(1960) - The Day They Robbed the Bank of EnglandThe Day They Robbed the Bank of EnglandThe Day They Robbed the Bank of England is a 1960 British crime film directed by John Guillermin. It was written by Howard Clewes and Richard Maibaum and based upon a novel by John Brophy....
(1960) - Never Let GoNever Let GoNever Let Go is a 1960 British thriller film starring Peter Sellers and Richard Todd. It concerns a man's purchase, loss of, and attempt to recover a Ford Anglia car. Sellers played a London villain, in one of his rare straight roles.-Plot:...
(1960) - Doctor in LoveDoctor in LoveDoctor in Love is a 1960 British comedy film — part of the Doctor in the House series, starring James Robertson Justice as Sir Lancelot Spratt and Michael Craig as Dr Richard Hare...
(1960) - The Bulldog BreedThe Bulldog BreedThe Bulldog Breed is a 1960 British comedy film starring Norman Wisdom and directed by Robert Asher.-Plot:Norman Puckle , a well-meaning but clumsy grocer's assistant, can't seem to do anything right. After being rejected by Marlene, the love of his life, he attempts suicide, but can't even do that...
(1960) - The Pure Hell of St Trinian'sThe Pure Hell of St Trinian'sThe Pure Hell of St Trinian's was a 1960 British comedy film set in the fictional St Trinian's School. Directed by Frank Launder and written by him and Sidney Gilliat, it was the third in a series of five films.-Plot:...
(1960) - A Touch of LarcenyA Touch of LarcenyA Touch of Larceny is a 1959 British comedy film directed by Guy Hamilton and starring James Mason, George Sanders, Vera Miles, Harry Andrews, Rachel Gurney, and John Le Mesurier. It is based on a diverting and mildly cynical novel, The Megstone Plot , by Paul Winterton under the pseudonym Andrew...
(1960) - Let's Get MarriedLet's Get Married (1960 film)Let's Get Married is a 1960 British comedy drama film directed by Peter Graham Scott and starring Anthony Newley, Anne Aubrey. It is about a medical student who is thrown out of his university, ends up working in a laundry and rebuilds his confidence with a relationship with a fashion...
(1960) - Dead LuckyDead LuckyDead Lucky is a 1960 British crime film directed by Montgomery Tully and starring Vincent Ball, Betty McDowall, John Le Mesurier, Alfred Burke and Michael Ripper...
(1960) - On the FiddleOn the FiddleOn the Fiddle is a 1961 British comedy film directed by Cyril Frankel and starring Sean Connery, Alfred Lynch, Cecil Parker, Stanley Holloway, Eric Barker, Mike Sarne, Wilfrid Hyde-White, Kathleen Harrison, Victor Maddern and John Le Mesurier....
(1961) - The Night We Got the BirdThe Night We Got the BirdThe Night We Got the Bird is a 1961 British comedy film and a follow up to the 1959 film, using the same title name The Night We Dropped a Clanger, it was directed by Darcy Conyers and starring Brian Rix, Dora Bryan, Ronald Shiner and Irene Handl...
(1961) - Five Golden HoursFive Golden HoursFive Golden Hours is a 1961 Italian-British comedy film directed by Mario Zampi and written by Hans Wilhelm. It stars Ernie Kovacs, Cyd Charisse and George Sanders, and features Dennis Price and John Le Mesurier.-Plot:...
(1961)
- Mr. TopazeMr. TopazeMr. Topaze was Peter Sellers' directorial debut in 1961. Starring Sellers, Nadia Gray, and Leo McKern as well as Herbert Lom who quarreled with Seller's Inspector Clouseau in the Pink Panther movies...
(1961) - Don't Bother to KnockDon't Bother to Knock (1961 film)Don't Bother to Knock is a 1961 British comedy film directed by Cyril Frankel and starring Richard Todd, Nicole Maurey, Elke Sommer and John Le Mesurier.-Synopsis:...
(1961) - Invasion Quartet (1961)
- The RebelThe Rebel (1961 film)The film The Rebel is a satirical comedy starring the British comedian Tony Hancock, and written by Ray Galton and Alan Simpson.-Plot:...
(1961) - Very Important PersonVery Important Person (film)Very Important Person is a 1961 British comedy film, directed by Ken Annakin, and written by Henry Blyth and Jack Davies. In the United States, the film was re-titled A Coming Out Party....
(1961) - Waltz of the ToreadorsThe Waltz of the ToreadorsThe Waltz of the Toreadors [La Valse des toréadors] is a play by Jean Anouilh.Written in 1951, this farce is set in 1910 France and focuses on General Léon Saint-Pé and his infatuation with Ghislaine, a woman with whom he danced at a garrison ball some 17 years earlier. Because of the General's...
(1962) - Go to BlazesGo to Blazes (1962 film)Go to Blazes is a 1962 British comedy film directed by Michael Truman and starring Dave King, Robert Morley, Norman Rossington, Daniel Massey, Dennis Price, Maggie Smith, David Lodge. It also featured Arthur Lowe and John Le Mesurier, later to feature prominently in Dad's Army...
(1962) - We Joined the NavyWe Joined the NavyWe Joined the Navy is a 1962 British CinemaScope comedy film based on the novel of the same name by John Winton, directed by Wendy Toye and starring Kenneth More, Lloyd Nolan, Joan O'Brien, Derek Fowlds, Graham Crowden, Esma Cannon and John Le Mesurier....
(1962) - Hair of the DogHair of the Dog (film)Hair of the Dog is a 1962 British comedy film directed by Terry Bishop and starring Reginald Beckwith, Dorinda Stevens and John Le Mesurier.-Cast:* Reginald Beckwith as Fred Tickle* Dorinda Stevens as Ann Tickle* John Le Mesurier as Sir Mortimer Gallant...
(1962) - Only Two Can PlayOnly Two Can PlayOnly Two Can Play is a 1962 comedy film based on the novel That Uncertain Feeling by Kingsley Amis. Sidney Gilliat directed the film from a screenplay by Bryan Forbes....
(1962) - Village of DaughtersVillage of DaughtersVillage of Daughters is a 1962 British comedy film directed by George Pollock.-Plot:Herbert Harris is a traveling salesman who makes his way into a remote Italian village to sell his wares. There, he finds many single and attractive women who all pursue him madly. He quickly learns that the village...
(1962) - Waltz of the ToreadorsWaltz of the Toreadors (film)Waltz of the Toreadors is a 1962 film directed by John Guillermin. It stars Peter Sellers and Dany Robin. It was nominated for a BAFTA Award in 1963.-Cast:*Peter Sellers as General Leo Fitzjohn*Dany Robin as Ghislaine...
(1962) - Mrs. Gibbons' BoysMrs. Gibbons' Boys (film)Mrs. Gibbons' Boys is a 1962 British comedy film directed by Max Varnel and starring Kathleen Harrison, Lionel Jeffries and Diana Dors. It is based on the play Mrs...
(1962) - JigsawJigsaw (1962 film)Jigsaw is a 1962 British crime drama film written and directed by Val Guest and starring Jack Warner and Ronald Lewis.-Plot:After a murder is committed in Brighton, two detectives comb the South Coast of England for the killer.-Cast:...
(1962) - The Main Attraction (1962)
- The Punch and Judy ManThe Punch and Judy ManThe Punch and Judy Man is a British comedy film from 1963 directed by Jeremy Summers. It was Tony Hancock's second film in a starring role, following The Rebel .-Plot:...
(1963) - The Wrong Arm of the LawThe Wrong Arm of the LawThe Wrong Arm of the Law is a 1963 British comedy film directed by Cliff Owen and starring Peter Sellers, Bernard Cribbins, Lionel Jeffries, John Le Mesurier and Bill Kerr...
(1963) - The Mouse on the MoonThe Mouse on the MoonThe Mouse on the Moon is a 1963 British comedy film, an adaptation of the novel The Mouse on the Moon by Irish author Leonard Wibberley. It was directed by Richard Lester and served as the sequel to The Mouse That Roared. In it, the people of the Duchy of Grand Fenwick, a microstate, attempt space...
(1963) - In the Cool of the DayIn the Cool of the DayIn the Cool of the Day is a 1963, Metrocolor, American romantic drama film directed by Robert Stevens and starring Peter Finch, Jane Fonda, Angela Lansbury, Nigel Davenport, and John Le Mesurier.-Plot:...
(1963) - The Pink PantherThe Pink Panther (1963 film)The Pink Panther is a 1963 American comedy film directed by Blake Edwards and co-written by Edwards and Maurice Richlin, starring David Niven, Peter Sellers, Robert Wagner, Capucine, and Claudia Cardinale...
(1963) - Hot Enough for JuneHot Enough for JuneHot Enough for June is a 1964 British spy comedy film directed by Ralph Thomas and featuring Dirk Bogarde, Sylva Koscina, Robert Morley, Leo McKern, John Le Mesurier and Roger Delgado. It was based on the 1960 novel "The Night of Wenceslas" by Lionel Davidson and directed by Ralph Thomas. It was...
(1964) - Never Put It in WritingNever Put It in WritingNever Put It in Writing is a 1964 British comedy film directed by Andrew L. Stone and starring Pat Boone, Milo O'Shea, Fidelma Murphy and Reginald Beckwith. While in Ireland an insurance executive learns that somebody else has been promoted over his head. He writes an abusive letter to his bosses,...
(1964) - The Moon-SpinnersThe Moon-SpinnersThe Moon-Spinners is a 1964 American Walt Disney Productions feature film starring Hayley Mills in a story about a jewel thief hiding on the island of Crete. The film was based upon a suspense novel by Mary Stewart and was directed by James Neilson...
(1964) - War-Gods of the DeepWar-Gods of the DeepWar-Gods of the Deep is a 1965 science fiction film. It was directed by Jacques Tourneur and starred Vincent Price, Tab Hunter and David Tomlinson. The plot concerns the discovery of a lost city beneath the sea off the coast of Cornwall...
(1965) - Where the Spies AreWhere the Spies AreWhere the Spies Are is a 1965 MGM British comedy adventure film directed by Val Guest and featuring David Niven as Dr Jason Love, Françoise Dorléac, John Le Mesurier, Cyril Cusack and Richard Marner. It was based on the James Leasor book Passport to Oblivion...
(1965) - The Early BirdThe Early BirdThe Early Bird is a 1965 British comedy film directed by Robert Asher and starring Norman Wisdom. It also featured Edward Chapman, Bryan Pringle, Richard Vernon, John Le Mesurier and Jerry Desmonde. It was the first Norman Wisdom film to be shot in colour...
(1965) - Masquerade (1965)
- Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying MachinesThose Magnificent Men in Their Flying MachinesThose Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines, Or How I Flew from London to Paris in 25 Hours 11 Minutes is a 1965 British comedy film starring Stuart Whitman and directed and co-written by Ken Annakin...
(1965) - The LiquidatorThe Liquidator (film)The Liquidator is a 1965 MGM film starring Rod Taylor as Brian "Boysie" Oakes, Trevor Howard as his Intelligence Chief Mostyn and Jill St. John as Mostyn's secretary Iris MacIntosh. It was based on the first of a series of Boysie Oakes novels by John Gardner, The Liquidator.-Plot:The film follows...
(1965) - The Caramel CrisisThe Caramel CrisisThe Caramel Crisis was a one-off BBC television drama by Simon Gray, produced as part of the BBC's Thirty-Minute Theatre series. It was Simon Gray's first dramatic work, adapted from his own short story, and was first broadcast live on 25 April 1966 starring George Cole, Richard Pearson, John Le...
(1966) - The Sandwich ManThe Sandwich ManThe Sandwich Man is a 1966 British comedy film starring Michael Bentine, Dora Bryan, Harry H. Corbett, Bernard Cribbins, Diana Dors, Norman Wisdom, Terry-Thomas and Ian Hendry. It was written by Bentine in conjunction with Robert Hartford-Davis...
(1966) - Our Man in MarrakeshOur Man in MarrakeshOur Man in Marrakesh is a 1966 British comedy film directed by Don Sharp, starring Tony Randall and Senta Berger.-Plot:...
(1966) - The Wrong BoxThe Wrong BoxThe Wrong Box is a British comedy film made by Salamander Film Productions and distributed by Columbia Pictures. It was produced and directed by Bryan Forbes from a screenplay by Larry Gelbart and Burt Shevelove, based on the novel by Robert Louis Stevenson and Lloyd Osbourne.The cast includes a...
(1966) - Finders Keepers (1966)
- Eye of the DevilEye of the DevilEye of the Devil is a 1966 British film with occult and supernatural themes directed by J. Lee Thompson and starring Deborah Kerr and David Niven. The film was set in rural France and filmed in England.-Plot:...
(1966) - The 25th HourThe 25th Hour (1967 film)La Vingt-cinquième Heure is a 1967 war drama film, starring Anthony Quinn and Virna Lisi. It was produced by Italian producer Carlo Ponti and directed by french director Henri Verneuil. The film is based on a novel by C. Virgil Gheorghiu...
(La Vingt-cinquième Heure) (1967) - Cuckoo PatrolCuckoo PatrolCuckoo Patrol is a 1967 British musical comedy film directed by Duncan Wood and starring Freddie Garrity, Victor Maddern, John Le Mesurier and Kenneth Connor.-Cast:* Freddie Garrity as Himself* Kenneth Connor as Wick* Victor Maddern as Dicko...
(1967) - Casino RoyaleCasino Royale (1967 film)Casino Royale is a 1967 comedy spy film originally produced by Columbia Pictures starring an ensemble cast of directors and actors. It is set as a satire of the James Bond film series and the spy genre, and is loosely based on Ian Fleming's first James Bond novel.The film stars David Niven as the...
(1967) - Mister Ten Per CentMister Ten Per CentMister Ten Per Cent is a 1967 British comedy film, directed by Peter Graham Scott and starring Charlie Drake.-Plot:Percy Pointer, a construction worker and amateur dramatist, writes a drama 'Oh My Lord' and hopes to have it professionally produced. A dishonest producer agrees to back the play,...
(1967) - Salt and PepperSalt and PepperSalt and Pepper is a 1968 comedy film starring Sammy Davis, Jr., Peter Lawford, Michael Bates, Ilona Rodgers and John Le Mesurier. The film was directed by Richard Donner, who later would direct such blockbuster successes as Superman and Lethal Weapon.It spawned a 1970 sequel, One More Time,...
(1968) - The Italian JobThe Italian JobThe Italian Job is a 1969 British caper film, written by Troy Kennedy Martin, produced by Michael Deeley and directed by Peter Collinson. Subsequent television showings and releases on video have established it as an institution in the United Kingdom....
(1969) - Midas RunMidas RunMidas Run is a 1969 comedy film directed by Alf Kjellin and starring Richard Crenna.-Cast:* Richard Crenna - Mike Warden* Anne Heywood - Sylvia Giroux* Ralph Richardson - Lord Henshaw* Cesar Romero - Carlo Dodero...
(1969) - The Magic ChristianThe Magic Christian (film)The Magic Christian is a 1969 British comedy film directed by Joseph McGrath and starring Peter Sellers and Ringo Starr, with noteworthy appearances by John Cleese, Raquel Welch, Christopher Lee, Richard Attenborough and Roman Polanski. It was loosely adapted from the 1959 comic novel of the same...
(1969) - Doctor in TroubleDoctor in TroubleDoctor in Trouble is a 1970 British comedy film, the last of the long-running Doctor in the House series of British comedy films. It was directed by Ralph Thomas it stars Leslie Phillips as a doctor who gets accidentally trapped on an outgoing cruise ship while it begins a round the world trip...
(1970) - On a Clear Day You Can See ForeverOn a Clear Day You Can See Forever (film)On a Clear Day You Can See Forever is a 1970 American musical/romantic fantasy film directed by Vincente Minnelli. The screenplay by Alan Jay Lerner is adapted from his book for the 1965 stage production of the same name...
(1970) - A Class by HimselfA Class by HimselfA Class by Himself was a British sitcom, which aired from 1971 to 1972. The half-hour series was made by Harlech Television and starred John Le Mesurier of Dad's Army fame as Lord Bleasham.-Cast:*John Le Mesurier - Lord Bleasham...
(1971) - Dad's ArmyDad's Army (film)Dad's Army is a 1971 feature film based on the BBC television sitcom Dad's Army. Directed by Norman Cohen, it was filmed between series three and four and was based upon material from the early episodes of the television series...
(1971) - Au Pair GirlsAu Pair GirlsAu Pair Girls is a 1972 British comedy film directed by Val Guest.The film is part of the British 1970s soft core sex comedy film. It also had cameo appearances by mainstream actors such as John Le Mesurier and Richard O'Sullivan.-Plot:...
(1972) - The Alf Garnett SagaThe Alf Garnett SagaThe Alf Garnett Saga is a 1972 British comedy film directed by Bob Kellett and starring Warren Mitchell, Dandy Nichols, Paul Angelis and Adrienne Posta. The film was a film version of the TV series Till Death Us Do Part.-Cast:...
(1972) - Confessions of a Window CleanerConfessions of a Window CleanerConfessions of a Window Cleaner is a 1974 British sex comedy film, directed by Val Guest.Like the other films in the Confessions series; Confessions of a Pop Performer, Confessions of a Driving Instructor and Confessions from a Holiday Camp, it concerns the erotic adventures of Timothy Lea, based...
(1974) - Brief EncounterBrief Encounter (1974 film)Brief Encounter is a 1974 British-Italian drama film starring Richard Burton and Sophia Loren, adapted from the play Still Life by Noel Coward. The material was previously adapted for the 1945 film Brief Encounter. Burton was cast at the last moment, after Robert Shaw dropped out. Popular Dad's...
(1974) - Three for AllThree for AllThree for All is a 1975 British comedy film directed by Martin Campbell and starring Adrienne Posta, Robert Lindsay, Paul Nicholas, Edward Woodward, Richard Beckinsdale and John Le Mesurier....
(1975) - The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter BrotherThe Adventure of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter BrotherThe Adventure of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother is a 1975 English/American comedy film with Gene Wilder, Marty Feldman, Madeline Kahn, Dom DeLuise, Roy Kinnear and Leo McKern. The film was Wilder's directorial debut....
(1975) - JabberwockyJabberwocky (film)Jabberwocky is a 1977 British fantasy black comedy film directed by Terry Gilliam. It stars Michael Palin as a young cooper who is forced through clumsy, often slapstick misfortunes to hunt a terrible dragon after the death of his father...
(1977) - What's Up Nurse! (1977)
- Stand Up, Virgin Soldiers (1977)
- Rosie Dixon - Night NurseRosie Dixon - Night NurseRosie Dixon - Night Nurse is a 1978 British comedy film directed by Justin Cartwright and starring Debbie Ash, Carolyne Argyle, Beryl Reid and John Le Mesurier. It was based on a novel by Christopher Wood. A new student nurse arrives at a hospital, attracting interest from the staff with comedic...
(1978) - Who Is Killing the Great Chefs of Europe?Who Is Killing the Great Chefs of Europe?Who Is Killing the Great Chefs of Europe? is a 1978 comedy mystery film starring George Segal, Jacqueline Bisset, and Robert Morley. It was based on a novel entitled Someone is Killing the Great Chefs of Europe by Nan and Ivan Lyons...
(1978) - Unidentified Flying OddballUnidentified Flying OddballUnidentified Flying Oddball, also known as The Spaceman and King Arthur, is Disney’s film adaptation of Mark Twain’s A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court. It was directed by Russ Mayberry...
, also titled The Spaceman and King Arthur (1979) - The Fiendish Plot of Dr. Fu ManchuThe Fiendish Plot of Dr. Fu ManchuThe Fiendish Plot of Dr. Fu Manchu is a 1980 comedy film, notable as the final film of Peter Sellers, David Tomlinson and John Le Mesurier. Pre-production began with Richard Quine as director. By the time the film entered production, Piers Haggard had replaced him. Peter Sellers handled the...
(1980) - Late Flowering Love (1981)
- The Passionate PilgrimThe Passionate Pilgrim (film)Passionate Pilgrim is a short feature film starring Eric Morecambe, Tom Baker and Madeline Smith notable for being Morecambe's last work, and one of few to not feature his long-term partner Ernie Wise. The film takes the setting of a silent film with narration provided by John Le Mesurier of...
(1984)
Discography
- What is going to become of us all WEA records (1976)
External links
- John Le Mesurier biography from the Tony HancockTony HancockAnthony John "Tony" Hancock was an English actor and comedian.-Early life and career:Hancock was born in Southam Road, Hall Green, Birmingham, England, but from the age of three was brought up in Bournemouth, where his father, John Hancock, who ran the Railway Hotel in...
web site. - Audio of John Le Mesurier reading Bible stories for children at Storynory
- John Le Mesurier in the audience at a Bill Evans concert