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1-50 of 176
- Actress
- Soundtrack
Moira was born the daughter of Harold Charles King, a civil engineer, in Dunfermline, Scotland. She was educated at Dunfermline High School, Ndola in Zambia (formerly Northern Rhodesia) and Bearsden Academy, Scotland. She received her professional training at the Mayfair School and The Nicholas Legat Studio. She made her debut in the International Ballet with 1941 and then danced at Sadler's Wells in 1942. From 1942 to 1952 she danced all the major classic roles and a full repertoire of revivals and new ballets. Her first role as prima ballerina was "Sleeping Beauty" at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden in 1946 which was followed by 'Coppelia' and. 'Swan Lake'. She toured the United States with the Sadler's Wells Ballet in 1949 and in 1950/51. She toured as Sally Bowles in "I am a Camera" in 1955 and appeared at the Bristol Old Vic as "Major Barbara" in 1956. Although these performances were the start of her secondary career as an actress, she continued her primary career as a ballerina. She has appeared on TV as a ballerina and as an actress- Actress
- Writer
- Soundtrack
Elizabeth Spriggs was born on 18 September 1929 in Buxton, Derbyshire, England, UK. She was an actress and writer, known for Sense and Sensibility (1995), Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001) and Paradise Road (1997). She was married to Murray Manson, Marshall Jones and Kenneth Spriggs. She died on 2 July 2008 in Oxford, Oxfordshire, England, UK.- Writer
- Actor
- Soundtrack
Dahl was born in Wales in 1916. He served as a fighter pilot in the Royal Air Force during World War II. He made a forced landing in the Libyan Desert and was severely injured. As a result, he spent five months in a Royal Navy hospital in Alexandria. Dahl is noted for how he relates suspenseful and sometimes horrific events in a simple tone.- Actor
- Music Department
- Soundtrack
Some of Hordern's finest work was not in films or television but on radio: His performance as Gandalf in the BBC's radio adaptation of The Lord of the Rings was arguably the definitive portrayal of that character (contrast Hordern's Gandalf with that of Ian McKellen in the 3-part film adaptation of The Lord of the Rings directed by Peter Jackson).- Actor
- Composer
- Soundtrack
A blessing or a curse? Every silver lining has a cloud, yet sadly Andrew Roy Gibb had to find that out the hard way. Born the fifth and final child to parents Barbara (17 November 1920-12 August 2016) and Hugh Gibb (15 January 1916-6 March 1992) Andy grew up with his three older siblings dominating the music charts, collectively known as The Bee Gees. Performing at clubs from the age of 13, it was suspected that Andy was to join The Bee Gees, yet Andy always wanted to be his own personality.
Victimised at the many schools he went to by other students who were convinced he had a superiority complex due to his famous brothers, Andy escaped into his music. But it all came too fast and too soon. Andy was performing and making music by the time he was 20 years old, and it was virtually impossible to break away from his brothers shadows when older brother Barry wrote 90% of his songs, and the Bee Gees sang back up vocals on half of his songs. Andy got it all too fast, and his life was intermingled with years of depression that he tried to stay away with booze, drugs and women. While they all may have provided temporary relief, Andy was plagued by depression and the fact that no matter what he did, he could never escape his heritage. Toward the end of his life, Andy vowed to change and reform. He planned to clean up his act and reform. he was dabbling in stage musicals and TV, and he had a new album planned for release. On his 30th birthday he promised the people most dear to him: He was a changed man. Sadly Andy's heart and Andy's body were two very different things, and five days after his 30th birthday his body finally succumbed to the seemingly endless years of alcohol abuse. Andy may have been dead for almost two decades, but his music lives on. Andy Gibb was a legendary music figure, and when listening to some of his hit songs, such as '(Our Love) Don't throw it all away', 'man on fire' and 'I just want to be your everything' you don't hear death, you hear life.- Actor
- Producer
- Director
Anthony Bushell was born on 19 May 1904 in Westerham, Kent, England, UK. He was an actor and producer, known for The Scarlet Pimpernel (1934), Five Star Final (1931) and A Night to Remember (1958). He was married to Anne Pearce-Serocold and Zelma O'Neal. He died on 2 April 1997 in Oxford, England, UK.- C.S. Lewis was born in 1898 and brought up in a very strict, religious household. While he was quite young, his mother died of cancer but the "stiff upper lip" in favour at the time meant he wasn't allowed to grieve. He became an Oxford don and led a sheltered life. He seriously questioned his religious beliefs and finally left the church. The death of his mother is reflected in "The Magician's Nephew". When an American fan Joy Gresham, came to visit him, they found they enjoyed each others company and she stayed. She was dying of cancer and he was afraid to express his emotions until she convinced him that it was OK to "allow" himself to love her even though it would shortly lead to heartbreak when she died. This was a great writer who dared to examine his emotions and beliefs and record them for the rest of us. Most famous for his childrens book (The Narnian Chronicles) he also wrote a very interesting Science Fiction Trilogy and some of the most intriguing Christian literature. He finally resolved his crisis of faith after tearing apart and fully examining the Christian (and other) religion and re-embraced Christianity.
- Character actor and familiar face on stage and screen, who starred in films by Ken Loach and Woody Allen. Best known for his performance opposite Helen Mirren in the original Prime Suspect (1991) series. He always brought a truth and integrity to his roles and was an imposing, strong and rugged figure, with a soul and belief in his craft. An absolute legend and a superior talent.
- Actor
- Writer
Terence Longdon appeared in four early black and white Carry Ons. His main roles were in the first two films in the series. In 1958, he had a significant supporting turn as Miles Heywood, an upper crust chap who although doing National Service and coming from a military background, did not want to make his career the army. This came as a great disappointment to Eric Barker! Terence then graduated to the role of romantic lead in Carry On Nurse, mainly due to the absence of Bob Monkhouse from this film. In Nurse, Terence played journalist Ted York, holed up in the men's ward at Haven Hospital. Originally he was set the task of writing about what the NHS was really like, however that is soon forgotten when he falls for the charms of Shirley Eaton's Nurse Dorothy Denton.
Longdon missed Carry On Teacher, the next film in the series, but returned to Pinewood for a cameo role as a dodgy confidence trickster who nearly cons Police Constable Kenneth Williams out of his Post Office savings in Carry On Constable. This one scene is a marked change for Terence and this role together with his part in the next film jar slightly. It feels like he is simply being included as a familiar face while being given little to do. In Carry On Regardless, Terence is limited to just a few scenes as one of Sid James' Helping Hands. He barely gets a look in as Kenneths Williams and Connor get the majority of the screen time.
And that was it for Terence and the Carry Ons. Terence recorded audio commentaries for two of his Carry Ons in 2006 and according to him, he was asked to become a series regular after Regardless but turned it down as he wanted to do other things. That would explain why he did not appear in any other series entries. So what else did Terence Longdon get up to in his career?
Terence made his first screen appearance in 1951, playing the role of Metellus in a television play entitled Androcles and the Lion. This was followed by several other roles in the 1950s and early 1960s. He appeared in the following films: Simon and Laura (starring Kay Kendall); Helen Of Troy (with Nora Swinburne and Stanley Baker); Jumping For Joy (with Frankie Howerd); Doctor At Large (with Dirk Bogarde); Another Time, Another Place (with Sean Connery, Lana Turner and a certain Sidney James); What A Wopper (again with Sid James) and perhaps most famously in Ben Hur, playing Drusus.
On television, Terence starred in a children's series called Garry Halliday between 1959 and 1962, playing a Biggles type character who was always off on thrilling missions. He also took roles in such series as The Army Game, Danger Man, Ivanhoe and Emergency Ward 10.
Later in the 1960s, Terence Longdon returned to the theatre and played in several long theatrical runs, both in the West End and further afield. He even spent six months on a tour of the United States with the Old Vic. This meant screen roles became few and far between, although he did appear in an episode of The New Avengers in 1977 alongside Joanna Lumley, Martin Shaw and Lewis Collins. He also popped in films such as The Wild Geese and The Sea Wolves, both in the late 1970s.
On stage, Terence worked in the West End with the likes of Peter Cushing, Stanley Baker, John Gielgud and he even understudied the great Paul Schofield. In the early 1950s he spent three years at Stratford, playing roles that included Cassio in Othello, Prince Hal in Henry IV, Part 1 and Oliver in As You Like It. He later completed over 1000 performances in the West End in the comedy The Secretary Bird.
In 1982 he turned up in the cobbled streets of Weatherfield, playing Wilf Stockwell, a client at Mike Baldwin's denim factory. This brought Wilf into contact with the legendary Elsie Tanner and the pair became rather friendly, much to the dismay of Wilf's wife Dot, played by Barbara Young. Terence then made only rare appearances on the small screen, most notably alongside Victoria Wood in her As Seen On TV series in the late 1980s and also in an episode of The Return of Sherlock Holmes. Terence Longdon more or less retired from acting in 2003.
Terence was born Hubert Tuelly Longdon in Newark-On-Trent, Nottinghamshire, in May 1922. He originally planned to sit exams to enter the Civil Service, however the Second World War broke out and he joined the Fleet Air Arm. It was while in the Air Force that he first became involved in amateur dramatics and encouraged by this experience, he enrolled at RADA after the war ended. Stage work at the Lyceum in Sheffield soon followed.
Terence Longdon married the actress Barbara Jefford in 1953. This union ended in divorce in 1960. He much later married again, this time to Gillian Conyers, in 2004. They were married until his death from cancer in April 2011 at the age of 88.- Sonia Holm was born on 24 February 1922 in Sutton, Surrey, England, UK. She was an actress, known for The Bad Lord Byron (1949), Warning to Wantons (1949) and Stop Press Girl (1949). She was married to Patrick Holt. She died on 2 July 1974 in Oxford, England, UK.
- Writer
- Actress
- Producer
P.D. James was born on 3 August 1920 in Oxford, Oxfordshire, England, UK. She was a writer and actress, known for Children of Men (2006), Death in Holy Orders (2003) and The Black Tower (1985). She was married to Ernest Connor Bantry White. She died on 27 November 2014 in Oxford, Oxfordshire, England, UK.- Writer
- Actor
- Additional Crew
Born in Stamford, Lincolnshire, England, UK as Norman Colin Dexter, he was an English writer, best known for the Inspector Morse series of novels. His parents were Alfred and Dorothy Dexter, his father run a small taxi company. He had a brother, John, and a sister, Avril. He attended St. John's Infants School, Bluecoat Junior School, and then - gaining a scholarship - Stamford School. After graduation, Dexter served in the Royal Corps of Signals as his national service. He then studied Classics at Christ's College, Cambridge, which he graduated in 1953, followed by receiving a master's degree in 1958. He worked a teacher in various schools from 1954 to 1966, when an onset of deafness forced him to change jobs. He then worked as a senior assistant secretary at the University of Oxford Delegacy of Local Examinations until his retirement in 1988. In 1972 Dexter published his first mystery fiction book, entitled Last Bus to Woodstock. The book introduced the character of inspector Morse, who appeared in further 12 novels written by Dexter. In 1987 the first episode of a screen adaptation of the novels, Inspector Morse (1987), was aired. The show run for 7 seasons followed by 5 special episodes, the last one of which aired in 2000. It was followed by a spin-off entitled Inspector Lewis (2006) and a prequel entitled Endeavour (2012). Dexter was involved in the making of all these shows and had small cameos in most episodes. His writings received a number of awards from the Crime Writers' Association and in 2000 he was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for services to literature. He was married to Dorothy Cooper from 1956 until his death; they had daughter, Sally, and a son, Jeremy. Dexter died on 21 March 2017 in Oxford, Oxfordshire, England, UK.- Michael Sellers was born on 2 April 1954 in London, England, UK. He was an actor, known for I Like Money (1961), I Told You I Was Ill: The Life and Legacy of Spike Milligan (2005) and Somebody's Daughter, Somebody's Son (2004). He was married to Allison Sellers and Carolyn Athay. He died on 24 July 2006 in Oxford, Oxfordshire, England, UK.
- Composer
- Music Department
- Actor
Carl Davis was born on 28 October 1936 in Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA. He was a composer and actor, known for The General (1926), The French Lieutenant's Woman (1981) and City Lights (1931). He was married to Jean Boht. He died on 3 August 2023 in Oxford, Oxfordshire, England, UK.- Miranda Forbes was born on 11 August 1946 in London, England, UK. She was an actress, known for Poirot (1989), Jane Eyre (1996) and Press Gang (1989). She died on 14 June 2001 in Oxford, Oxfordshire, England, UK.
- Actor
- Writer
- Director
Heathcote Williams was born on 15 November 1941 in Helsby, Cheshire, England, UK. He was an actor and writer, known for Basic Instinct 2 (2006), City of Ember (2008) and The Legend of 1900 (1998). He died on 1 July 2017 in Oxford, Oxfordshire, England, UK.- Writer
- Director
- Additional Crew
Jules Furthman was a magazine and newspaper writer when he began writing for films in 1915. When the U.S. entered WWI Furthman used the name "Stephen Fox" for his screenplays because he thought his name sounded too German, but he reverted to his real name after the war. Furthman became one of the most prolific, and well-known, screenwriters of his time, and was responsible for the screenplays of some of Hollywood's most highly regarded films, such as Mutiny on the Bounty (1935), To Have and Have Not (1944) and Nightmare Alley (1947).- Actress
- Additional Crew
Hana Maria Pravda was born on 29 January 1916 in Prague, Bohemia, Austria-Hungary [now Czech Republic]. She was an actress, known for The Unbearable Lightness of Being (1988), Department S (1969) and Thursday Theatre (1964). She was married to George Pravda and Alexandr "Sasha" Munk. She died on 28 May 2008 in Oxford, Oxfordshire, England, UK.- Producer
- Executive
Nik Powell was born on 4 November 1950 in London, England, UK. He was a producer and executive, known for The Crying Game (1992), Brimstone (2016) and Living (2022). He was married to Sandie Shaw and Merrill Tomassi. He died on 7 November 2019 in Oxford, Oxfordshire, England, UK.- Joan Miller was born on 18 February 1910 in Nelson, British Columbia, Canada. She was an actress, known for BBC Sunday-Night Theatre (1950), For Whom the Bell Tolls (1965) and Anne of Green Gables (1952). She was married to Peter Cotes. She died on 31 August 1988 in Oxford, England, UK.
- Heather Canning was born on 5 January 1933 in Epsom, Surrey, England, UK. She was an actress, known for Mystery and Imagination (1966), Miss Julie (1974) and Power Without Glory (1976). She was married to Leon Lissek. She died on 30 May 1996 in Oxford, Oxfordshire, England, UK.
- Michael Miller was an actor, known for The Prisoner (1967), Doctor Who (1963) and The Three Musketeers (1966). He died in June 1987 in Oxford, Oxfordshire, England, UK.
- Writer
- Script and Continuity Department
- Additional Crew
In 1944, at the age of eighteen, Holmes joined the army, fighting with the Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders regiment in Burma. He rapidly earned a commission, and as such became the youngest commissioned officer in the entire British army during the Second World War. The fact that he lied about his age to get into the army was discovered at his commissioning, but apparently the only reaction was by a general who praised him, adding that he had done the same thing himself. Soon after the end of the war, Holmes returned to England and left the army, deciding to join the police. He trained at Hendon Police College, graduating the top of his year and joining the Metropolitan Police in London, serving at Bow Street Police Station.
It was whilst serving as a Police officer that Holmes first began to develop an interest in writing as a career. When giving evidence in court for prosecutions against offenders, he would often note the excitement and frantic work of the journalists reporting on the cases, and decided that he would like to do similar work. To this end, he taught himself shorthand in his spare time and eventually resigned from the Police force. He quickly found work writing for both local and national newspapers, initially in London and later in the Midlands. He also filed reports for the Press Association, which could be syndicated to a variety of sources, such as local or foreign newspapers. In the late 1950s he worked for a time writing and editing short stories for magazines, before receiving his first break in television when he contributed an episode to the famous medical series Emergency-Ward 10 (1957).
His work as a sports reporter took him to the Midlands, where he became the final editor of "John Bull Magazine," at the same time submitting material to Grenada TV for Knight Errant Limited (1959). Other early TV work included The Saint (1962) Ghost Squad (1961), Public Eye (1965), Undermind (1965) (his first science fiction) and Intrigue (1966) His first work for Doctor Who (1963) was a commission to write "The Space Trap," later retitled "The Krotons." Subsequently he went on to become one of the series' most popular writers, responsible for more than a dozen televised stories. He also had a successful period as Doctor Who (1963)'s script editor between 1974 and 1977. He scripted much TV drama during the seventies and eighties, including a The Wednesday Play (1964) and episodes of Doomwatch (1970), Dr. Finlay's Casebook (1962), Dead of Night (1972), The Regiment (1972), Warship (1973), Spy Trap (1972)" and Dixon of Dock Green (1955)," and he adapted the BBC's 1981 science-fiction thriller serial The Nightmare Man (1981)," from David Wiltshire's novel. He was working on further Doctor Who (1963) episodes when he died, after a short illness, on 24 May 1986.- Actor
- Writer
- Soundtrack
Edwin Newman was born on 25 January 1919 in New York City, New York, USA. He was an actor and writer, known for The Pelican Brief (1993), My Fellow Americans (1996) and Spies Like Us (1985). He was married to Rigel Grell. He died on 13 August 2010 in Oxford, Oxfordshire, England, UK.- Music Department
- Composer
- Actor
Trained at the Royal Academy of Music, Muir first worked in the movies on the quota quickies of the 1930s. His big break came when Alexander Korda signed him as musical director on The Rise of Catherine the Great (1934). He went on to conduct Sir William Walton's score for Henry V (1944) and Hamlet (1948), as a part of a long, distinguished career as one of the most distinguished composers and musical directors in British cinema.