Russell Napier
Encyclopedia
Russell Gordon Napier was an Australian actor.
Russell Napier was born in Perth
, Western Australia. Originally a lawyer, Napier was active as an actor from 1947 to 1974, playing both comedic and dramatic roles in both cinema and television. Notably, he starred in a live BBC
television production of H. G. Wells
' The Time Machine
in 1949; still photographs of this production exist, but no actual footage.
He was the most frequent star of the Scotland Yard series of mystery movies which ran from 1953 to 1961, playing Detective Superintendent Duggan in thirteen films. Napier also played Duggan in the American Broadcasting Company
anthology television series, Scotland Yard
, which aired beginning in 1957 in the United States.,
He was the commentator of the official 1962 TV documentary Sound an Alarm, about the United Kingdom Warning and Monitoring Organisation
. He died in London, England.
Russell Napier was born in Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
, Western Australia. Originally a lawyer, Napier was active as an actor from 1947 to 1974, playing both comedic and dramatic roles in both cinema and television. Notably, he starred in a live 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...
television production of H. G. Wells
H. G. Wells
Herbert George Wells was an English author, now best known for his work in the science fiction genre. He was also a prolific writer in many other genres, including contemporary novels, history, politics and social commentary, even writing text books and rules for war games...
' The Time Machine
The Time Machine
The Time Machine is a science fiction novella by H. G. Wells, published in 1895 for the first time and later adapted into at least two feature films of the same name, as well as two television versions, and a large number of comic book adaptations. It indirectly inspired many more works of fiction...
in 1949; still photographs of this production exist, but no actual footage.
He was the most frequent star of the Scotland Yard series of mystery movies which ran from 1953 to 1961, playing Detective Superintendent Duggan in thirteen films. Napier also played Duggan in the American Broadcasting Company
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
anthology television series, Scotland Yard
Scotland Yard (TV series)
Scotland Yard is a half-hour ABC crime/drama television series, which uses police files from the British Scotland Yard investigative force in the shaping of each episode. The series aired on Sunday evenings in the 1957-1958 season, having premiered on November 17, 1957, but the sixty-three episodes...
, which aired beginning in 1957 in the United States.,
He was the commentator of the official 1962 TV documentary Sound an Alarm, about the United Kingdom Warning and Monitoring Organisation
United Kingdom Warning and Monitoring Organisation
The United Kingdom Warning and Monitoring Organisation was a British civilian organisation operating between 1957 and 1992 to provide the authorities with data about nuclear explosions and forecasts of likely fallout profiles across the country in the event of war.The UKWMO was established and...
. He died in London, England.
Selected filmography
- 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) - Black OrchidBlack Orchid (1953 film)Black Orchid is a 1953 British mystery film directed by Charles Saunders and starring Ronald Howard, Olga Edwardes and John Bentley. A doctor is implicated in the death of his wife which allowed him to marry her sister.-Cast:...
(1953) - 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) - The Narrowing CircleThe Narrowing CircleThe Narrowing Circle is a 1956 British crime film directed by Charles Saunders and starring Paul Carpenter, Hazel Court and Russell Napier. A crime writer finds himself accused of murder, and has to clear his name.-Cast:* Paul Carpenter - Dave Nelson...
(1956) - Robbery Under ArmsRobbery Under Arms (1957 film)Robbery Under Arms is a 1957 British crime film directed by Jack Lee and starring Peter Finch, Ronald Lewis, Laurence Naismith and Jill Ireland. It is based on the Australian novel Robbery Under Arms by Thomas Alexander Browne...
(1957) - A Night to Remember (1958)
- Tread Softly StrangerTread Softly StrangerTread Softly Stranger is a 1958 British crime drama directed by Gordon Parry and starring Diana Dors, George Baker and Terence Morgan. The film was shot in black-and-white in film noir style, and its setting in a gritty working industrial town in northern England mirrors the kitchen sink realism...
(1958) - The Angry SilenceThe Angry SilenceThe Angry Silence is a 1960 British drama film directed by Guy Green and starring Richard Attenborough. Screenwriter Bryan Forbes won a BAFTA Award and an Oscar nomination for his contribution...
(1960) - Hell Is a CityHell Is a CityHell Is a City is a 1960 film based on the novel by Maurice Procter. It was made by British studio Hammer Film Productions filmed in Manchester it was also written and directed by Val Guest...
(1960) - Francis of AssisiFrancis of Assisi (film)Francis of Assisi is a Delux color 1961 Cinemascope film directed by Michael Curtiz, based on the novel The Joyful Beggar by Louis de Wohl.-Plot:...
(1961) - The Blood Beast TerrorThe Blood Beast TerrorThe Blood Beast Terror is a 1968 British horror film released by Tigon. It was known in the United States under the title The Vampire-Beast Craves Blood.-Story:A series of grisly murders is occurring in the English countryside...
(1968) - The Black WindmillThe Black WindmillThe Black Windmill is a 1974 British spy thriller directed by Don Siegel and starring Michael Caine, John Vernon, Janet Suzman and Donald Pleasence The screenplay by Leigh Vance is based on Clive Egleton's novel Seven Days to a Killing. The story involves a British secret service agent, John...
(1974) - Comedy Playhouse (series 2)Comedy Playhouse (series 2)The second series of Comedy Playhouse, the long-running BBC series, aired from 1 March 1963 to 12 April 1963. All the episodes were written by Ray Galton and Alan Simpson.-Background:...