Albert Patrick Jordan (10 October 1923 – 10 January 2020) was a British stage, film and television actor.

Biography

He was born and raised in Harrow,

Middlesex Middlesex (; abbreviation: Middx) is a historic county in southeast England. Its area is almost entirely within the wider urbanised area of London and mostly within the ceremonial county of Greater London, with small sections in neighbour ...

, the son of Margaret, a cook, and Albert Jordan, a regimental

sergeant major Sergeant major is a senior non-commissioned rank or appointment in many militaries around the world. History In 16th century Spain, the ("sergeant major") was a general officer. He commanded an army's infantry, and ranked about third in th ...

. An accident while playing bows and arrows with his two brothers left him with a distinctive scar on his right cheek. He made his stage debut in a 1946

Old Vic Old or OLD may refer to: Places *Old, Baranya, Hungary *Old, Northamptonshire, England * Old Street station, a railway and tube station in London (station code OLD) *OLD, IATA code for Old Town Municipal Airport and Seaplane Base, Old Town, Ma ...

production of ''

Richard II Richard II (6 January 1367 – ), also known as Richard of Bordeaux, was King of England from 1377 until he was deposed in 1399. He was the son of Edward the Black Prince, Prince of Wales, and Joan, Countess of Kent. Richard's father ...

'' at the New Theatre, which was directed by

Ralph Richardson Sir Ralph David Richardson (19 December 1902 – 10 October 1983) was an English actor who, with John Gielgud and Laurence Olivier, was one of the trinity of male actors who dominated the British stage for much of the 20th century. He w ...

and featured

Harry Andrews Harry Stewart Fleetwood Andrews, CBE (10 November 1911 – 6 March 1989) was an English actor known for his film portrayals of tough military officers. His performance as Regimental Sergeant Major Wilson in ''The Hill'' (1965) alongside Sean ...

and

Alec Guinness Sir Alec Guinness (born Alec Guinness de Cuffe; 2 April 1914 – 5 August 2000) was an English actor. After an early career on the stage, Guinness was featured in several of the Ealing comedies, including '' Kind Hearts and Coronets'' (1 ...

. With Old Vic he went on to perform in other Shakespearean plays, including ''

Coriolanus ''Coriolanus'' ( or ) is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1605 and 1608. The play is based on the life of the legendary Roman leader Caius Marcius Coriolanus. Shakespeare worked on it during the same yea ...

'' and ''

The Taming of the Shrew ''The Taming of the Shrew'' is a comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1590 and 1592. The play begins with a framing device, often referred to as the induction, in which a mischievous nobleman tricks a drunk ...

'', in the last of which also appeared

Renée Asherson Dorothy Renée Ascherson (19 May 1915 – 30 October 2014), known professionally as Renée Asherson, was an English actress. Much of her theatrical career was spent in Shakespearean plays, appearing at such venues as the Old Vic, the Liverpoo ...

. Jordan remained friends with Asherson and Guinness. Jordan's screen roles included several war films, including '' The Battle of the River Plate'' (1956), '' The Longest Day'' (1962), '' The Heroes of Telemark'' (1965), ''

Play Dirty ''Play Dirty'' is a 1969 British war film starring Michael Caine, Nigel Davenport, Nigel Green and Harry Andrews. It was director Andre DeToth's last film, based on a screenplay by Melvyn Bragg and Lotte Colin. The film's story is inspired by ...

'' (1969), and '' Too Late the Hero'' (1970). He is perhaps best remembered for his uncredited speaking role as Imperial Officer Cass, an aide to

Grand Moff Tarkin Grand Moff Wilhuff Tarkin is a fictional character in the '' Star Wars'' franchise, introduced as the main antagonist of the original 1977 ''Star Wars'' film (played by Peter Cushing). In the film, Tarkin is depicted as a high-ranking officer o ...

(

Peter Cushing Peter Wilton Cushing (26 May 1913 – 11 August 1994) was an English actor. His acting career spanned over six decades and included appearances in more than 100 films, as well as many television, stage, and radio roles. He achieved recognition ...

), in ''

Star Wars ''Star Wars'' is an American epic space opera multimedia franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the eponymous 1977 film and quickly became a worldwide pop-culture phenomenon. The franchise has been expanded into various film ...

'' (1977), a role secured for him by Guinness, who played

Obi-Wan Kenobi Obi-Wan Kenobi () is a fictional character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. Within the original trilogy, Obi-Wan is a Jedi Master as a supporting character and is portrayed by English actor Alec Guinness. In the later-released prequel trilogy, ...

. Jordan was offered the choice of either a guaranteed fee for his role, or a small share of the film's royalties. As he was dubious about the film's prospects, he opted for the former, a decision which he later regretted in light of the film's immense success. Jordan's television appearances included ''

Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) ''Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased)'' is a British private detective television series, starring Mike Pratt and Kenneth Cope respectively as the private detectives Jeff Randall and Marty Hopkirk. The series was created by Dennis Spooner and p ...

'', (''

A Disturbing Case "A Disturbing Case" is the second episode of the 1969 British television series ''Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased)'', distributed by ITC Entertainment and starring Mike Pratt, Kenneth Cope and Annette Andre. The episode was first broadcast on 28 Se ...

'', episode); ''

Minder A minder is the person assigned to guide or escort a visitor, or to provide protection to somebody, or to otherwise assist or take care of something, i.e. a person who " minds". Government-appointed persons to accompany foreign visitors are of ...

''; ''

Angels In various theistic religious traditions an angel is a supernatural spiritual being who serves God. Abrahamic religions often depict angels as benevolent celestial intermediaries between God (or Heaven) and humanity. Other roles incl ...

''; ''

Terry and June ''Terry and June'' is a BBC television sitcom, which was broadcast on BBC1 from 1979 to 1987. The show was largely a reworking of '' Happy Ever After'', and starred Terry Scott and June Whitfield as a middle-aged, middle-class suburban couple, T ...

''; ''

Shine on Harvey Moon ''Shine on, Harvey Moon'' is a British television series made by Witzend Productions and Central Television for ITV from 8 January 1982 to 23 August 1985 and briefly revived in 1995 by Meridian Broadcasting. This generally light-hearted serie ...

''; ''

Poirot Hercule Poirot (, ) is a fictional Belgians, Belgian detective created by British writer Agatha Christie. Poirot is one of Christie's most famous and long-running characters, appearing in 33 novels, two plays (''Black Coffee (play), Black Coffe ...

''; ''

Crossroads Crossroads, crossroad, cross road or similar may refer to: * Crossroads (junction), where four roads meet Film and television Films * ''Crossroads'' (1928 film), a 1928 Japanese film by Teinosuke Kinugasa * ''Cross Roads'' (film), a 1930 Brit ...

''; and ''

The Bill ''The Bill'' is a British police procedural television series, first broadcast on ITV from 16 August 1983 until 31 August 2010. The programme originated from a one-off drama, '' Woodentop'', broadcast in August 1983. The programme focused o ...

''. He retired in 1995.

Personal life

Jordan was married to illustrator Margery Gill from 1946 until her death in 2008. They had two daughters, Tessa and Ros (died 1996). From 1969, he and his wife lived in Alpheton,

Suffolk Suffolk () is a ceremonial county of England in East Anglia. It borders Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south; the North Sea lies to the east. The county town is Ipswich; other important towns include ...

, where he died on 10 January 2020, at the age of 96. He was survived by his elder daughter, four grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.

Selected filmography

* ''

Stryker of the Yard ''Stryker of the Yard'' (also known as ''Stryker of Scotland Yard'' and ''Scotland Yard Cases'' ) is a 1953 British crime film directed by Arthur Crabtree and starring Clifford Evans, Susan Stephen, Jack Watling and Eliot Makeham. A second ...

'' (1953) * '' Face the Music'' (1954) – Policeman #1 (uncredited) * ''

River Beat ''River Beat'' is a 1954 British noir crime film directed by Guy Green and starring John Bentley, Phyllis Kirk and Leonard White. The screenplay concerns a river police inspector who faces a moral dilemma when a woman he knows gets caught u ...

'' (1954) – Bert Fisher * ''

Eight O'Clock Walk ''Eight O'Clock Walk'' is a 1954 British drama film directed by Lance Comfort and starring Richard Attenborough, Cathy O'Donnell, Derek Farr and Maurice Denham. Its plot involves a taxi driver who is tried for the murder of a young girl on a bo ...

'' (1954) - Prison Warden (uncredited) * '' The Diamond'' (1954) – First Fox & Hounds Detective (uncredited) * '' The Embezzler'' (1954) – Police Sergeant (uncredited) * ''

Companions in Crime ''Companions in Crime'' (A.K.A. ''Stryker Strikes Twice'') is a 1954 British crime film directed by John Krish and starring Clifford Evans, George Woodbridge and Kenneth Haigh. The film is a spin-off from the television series ''Stryker of th ...

'' (1954) * ''

Stock Car Stock car racing is a form of automobile racing run on oval tracks and road courses measuring approximately . It originally used production-model cars, hence the name "stock car", but is now run using cars specifically built for racing. It ori ...

'' (1955) – Jack * '' The Gilded Cage'' (1955) – Sergeant Miller * '' The Flaw'' (1955) - Oliveri's Friend at the Club * '' No Smoking'' (1955) – Reporter * ''

It's a Great Day ''It's a Great Day'' is a 1955 British comedy film directed by John Warrington. A spin-off of the popular soap ''The Grove Family'', the film stars Ruth Dunning as Gladys Grove, Edward Evans as Bob Grove, and Sid James as Harry Mason. Nancy ...

'' (1955) – Policeman * '' Cloak Without Dagger'' (1956) – Captain Willis * '' The Battle of the River Plate'' (1956) – Signalman, Aft-Conning, HMS Exeter (uncredited) * '' The Secret Place'' (1957) – Constable (uncredited) * '' The Man Upstairs'' (1958) – Injured Sergeant * ''

The Angry Hills ''The Angry Hills'' (1955) is a novel written by the American novelist Leon Uris. It was adapted into a motion picture by the same name in 1959. Michael "Mike" Morrison is an American author and recent widower who is in Greece during World War ...

'' (1959) – Bluey * '' The Giant Behemoth'' (1959) – Photo Lab Aide (uncredited) * ''

Sink the Bismarck! ''Sink the Bismarck!'' is a 1960 black-and-white CinemaScope British war film based on the 1959 book '' The Last Nine Days of the Bismarck'' by C. S. Forester. It stars Kenneth More and Dana Wynter and was directed by Lewis Gilbert.Weiler, A.H ...

'' (1960) – Agent in Norway (uncredited) * ''

The League of Gentlemen ''The League of Gentlemen'' is a surreal British comedy horror sitcom that premiered on BBC Two in 1999. The programme is set in Royston Vasey, a fictional town in northern England, originally based on Alston, Cumbria, and follows the live ...

'' (1960) – Sergeant (uncredited) * ''

Man Detained ''Man Detained'' is a 1961 British crime film directed by Robert Tronson and starring Bernard Archard, Elvi Hale and Paul Stassino. Part of the long-running series of Edgar Wallace Mysteries films made at Merton Park Studios, it is loosely based ...

'' (1961) – Brand * ''

Emergency An emergency is an urgent, unexpected, and usually dangerous situation that poses an immediate risk to health, life, property, or environment and requires immediate action. Most emergencies require urgent intervention to prevent a worsening ...

'' (1962) – Jimmy Regan * '' Rag Doll'' (1961) – Wills * ''

The Frightened City ''The Frightened City'' is a 1961 British neo-noir gangster film about extortion rackets and gang warfare in the West End of London. It stars Herbert Lom, John Gregson and a pre-Bond Sean Connery, who plays a burglar called Paddy Damion. He ...

'' (1961) – Frankie Farmer * '' The Longest Day'' (1962) – British Soldier Talking to Maj. Howard (uncredited) * '' The Amorous Prawn'' (1962) – Sergeant at Guard * ''

In Search of the Castaways ''In Search of the Castaways'' (french: Les Enfants du capitaine Grant, lit=The Children of Captain Grant) is a novel by the French writer Jules Verne, published in 1867–68. The original edition, published by Hetzel, contains a number of ill ...

'' (1962) – Ayerton Hijacker Two (uncredited) * ''

Dilemma A dilemma ( grc-gre, δίλημμα "double proposition") is a problem offering two possibilities, neither of which is unambiguously acceptable or preferable. The possibilities are termed the ''horns'' of the dilemma, a clichéd usage, but dis ...

'' (1962) – Inspector Murray * '' The Marked One'' (1963) – Inspector Mayne * ''

The Informers ''The Informers'' is a collection of short stories, linked by the same continuity, written by American author Bret Easton Ellis. The collection was first published as a whole in 1994. Chapters 6 and 7, "Water from the Sun" and "Discovering Jap ...

'' (1963) – 1st Inspector (uncredited) * ''

The Victors "The Victors" is the fight song of the University of Michigan. Michigan student Louis Elbel wrote the song in 1898 after the football team's victory over the University of Chicago, which clinched an undefeated season and the Western Conferen ...

'' (1963) – Tank Sergeant * ''

A Place to Go ''A Place to Go'' is a 1963 British crime drama film directed by Basil Dearden and starring Bernard Lee, Rita Tushingham and Michael Sarne. Set in contemporary Bethnal Green in the East End of London, it charted the dramatic changes that were the ...

'' (1964) – Police officer (uncredited) * ''

Joey Boy Joey Boy ( th, โจอี้ บอย; born 1975) or Apisit Opasaimlikit ( th, อภิสิทธิ์ โอภาสเอี่ยมลิขิต, ), is a Thai hip hop singer and producer known as The Godfather of Thai Hip Hop. ...

'' (1965) – Real Military Policeman (uncredited) * ''

Bunny Lake Is Missing ''Bunny Lake Is Missing'' is a 1965 British-American psychological drama film, directed and produced by Otto Preminger. Filmed in black-and-white widescreen format in London, it was based on the 1957 novel '' Bunny Lake Is Missing'' by Merriam ...

'' (1965) – Policeman * '' The Heroes of Telemark'' (1965) – Henrik * ''

Where the Bullets Fly ''Where the Bullets Fly'' is a 1966 British comedy spy film directed by John Gilling and starring Tom Adams as Charles Vine and John Arnatt reprising their roles from '' Licensed to Kill''. It also stars Dawn Addams, Tim Barrett and Michael R ...

'' (1966) – Russian * '' You Only Live Twice'' (1967) – Hong Kong Policeman #1 (uncredited) * '' Gold Is Where You Find It'' (1968) – Insp. O'Regan * ''

'' (1968) – Maj. Alan Watkins * '' The Last Escape'' (1970) – Maj. Griggs (shot in 1968) * '' Too Late the Hero'' (1970) – Sergeant Major * ''

Perfect Friday ''Perfect Friday'' is a British bank heist film released in 1970, directed by Peter Hall. It stars Ursula Andress as Lady Britt Dorset, Stanley Baker as Mr Graham, David Warner as Lord Nicholas Dorset and T. P. McKenna as Smith. Plot Mr. Gra ...

'' (1970) – Bank Guard * ''

Man of Violence ''Man of Violence'' is a 1970 British crime film co-written, produced and directed by Pete Walker and starring Michael Latimer, "Hammer glamour" actresses Virginia Wetherell and Luan Peters, and Derek Aylward. It is also known as ''Moon''. Plo ...

'' (1971) – Mentobar Captain * ''

Assault An assault is the act of committing physical harm or unwanted physical contact upon a person or, in some specific legal definitions, a threat or attempt to commit such an action. It is both a crime and a tort and, therefore, may result in cr ...

'' (1971) – Sgt. Milton * ''

The Salzburg Connection ''The Salzburg Connection'' is a 1972 American thriller film directed by Lee H. Katzin, starring Barry Newman and Anna Karina . It is based on the 1968 novel of the same title by Helen MacInnes. It was filmed in DeLuxe Color and Panavision. The ...

'' (1972) – Richard Bryant * '' The Slipper and the Rose: The Story of Cinderella'' (1976) – Prince's Guard * ''

The Pink Panther Strikes Again ''The Pink Panther Strikes Again'' is a 1976 comedy film. The fifth film in ''The Pink Panther'' series, its plot picks up three years after '' The Return of the Pink Panther'', with former Chief Inspector Charles Dreyfus (Herbert Lom) about t ...

'' (1976) – Detective * ''

'' (1977) – Imperial Officer Siward Cass (uncredited) * '' Lifeforce'' (1985) – Communications Officer (voice, uncredited)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Jordan, Patrick 1923 births 2020 deaths English male film actors English male stage actors English male television actors People from Harrow, London Male actors from London 20th-century English male actors