Walter Peter Swanwick (29 September 1922 – 14 November 1968) was a British actor best remembered as the "Supervisor" (sometimes called the Controller) in the 1967 TV series, '' The Prisoner''. Swanwick's film career began with bit parts in films such as '' The African Queen'' (1951), and he became a recognisable face on British TV during the mid-1960s when he featured in a number of series, including '' The Avengers'' and '' Danger Man'' where he first worked with later ''Prisoner'' star and co-creator,

Patrick McGoohan Patrick Joseph McGoohan (; March 19, 1928 – January 13, 2009) was an Irish-American actor, director, screenwriter, and producer of film and television. Born in the United States to Irish emigrant parents, he was raised in Ireland and Engl ...

. According to several biographies Swanwick endured major health problems in the 1960s that resulted in his undergoing undisclosed operations that left him with a short time to live. Swanwick played the non-singing part of Herr Zeller in the original London stage production of ''

The Sound of Music ''The Sound of Music'' is a musical with music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, and a book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. It is based on the 1949 memoir of Maria von Trapp, ''The Story of the Trapp Family Singers''. S ...

''.

Selected filmography

* '' Lilli Marlene'' (1950) - Chief Interrogator * ''

Madame Louise ''Madame Louise'' (also titled "The Madame Gambles"), is a 1951 British comedy film directed by Maclean Rogers and produced by Ernest G. Roy and starring Richard Hearne, Petula Clark, Garry Marsh and Richard Gale. It is loosely based on the ...

'' (1951) - Bradford businessman (uncredited) * '' The African Queen'' (1951) - First Officer of Fort Shona * ''

Old Mother Riley's Jungle Treasure ''Old Mother Riley's Jungle Treasure'' is a low budget 1951 British comedy film, the penultimate in the long running Old Mother Riley series starring Arthur Lucan and Kitty McShane. It features an early appearance by future ''Carry On'' regul ...

'' (1951) - Mr. Benson * ''

Salute the Toff ''Salute the Toff'' is a 1952 British crime film directed by Maclean Rogers and starring John Bentley and Carol Marsh. The film was based on the 1941 novel of the same name by John Creasey, the sixth in the series featuring upper-class sleut ...

'' (1952) - Night Porter (uncredited) * ''Private Information'' (1952) - Minor Role (uncredited) * '' Emergency Call'' (1952) - Police Sergeant * ''

Time Gentlemen, Please! ''Time Gentlemen, Please!'' is a 1952 British comedy film directed by Lewis Gilbert and starring Eddie Byrne, Jane Barrett and Raymond Lovell. It was produced by Group 3 Films with funding from the NFFC and distributed by ABPC. It was shot ...

'' (1952) - Jeremiah Higgins * ''No Haunt for a Gentleman'' (1952) - Brother Ravioli * ''

Circumstantial Evidence Circumstantial evidence is evidence that relies on an inference to connect it to a conclusion of fact—such as a fingerprint at the scene of a crime. By contrast, direct evidence supports the truth of an assertion directly—i.e., without need ...

'' (1952) - Charley Pott * '' Lady in the Fog'' (1952) - Smithers * ''

Cosh Boy ''Cosh Boy'' (released in the United States as ''The Slasher'') is a 1953 British film noir directed by Lewis Gilbert and starring James Kenney and Joan Collins. It was made at Riverside Studios in Hammersmith. Plot Based on an original play by ...

'' (1953) - Mr. Wimbush (uncredited) * ''

Street Corner A streetcorner or street corner is the location which lies adjacent to an intersection (road), intersection of two roads. Such locations are important in terms of local planning and commerce, usually being the locations of street signs and lamp post ...

'' (1953) - Mr. Propert (uncredited) * '' The Red Beret'' (1953) - Minor Role (uncredited) * ''

Albert R.N. ''Albert R.N.'' is a 1953 British war film directed by Lewis Gilbert and starring Jack Warner, Anthony Steel and Robert Beatty. Plot An escape tunnel for the naval officer prisoners during the Second World War at a German prisoner-of-war cam ...

'' (1953) - Obergefreiter * ''

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) * ''

Devil on Horseback ''Devil on Horseback'' is a 1954 British sports drama film directed by Cyril Frankel and starring Googie Withers, John McCallum and Jeremy Spenser. Its plot involves a boy who pursues his ambition to be a jockey. The screenplay was by Scotti ...

'' (1954) - Mr. Parfitt * ''

Conflict of Wings ''Conflict of Wings'' is a 1954 British comedy drama film directed by John Eldridge and starring John Gregson, Muriel Pavlow and Kieron Moore. The film is based on a novel of the same title by Don Sharp who later became a noted director. It w ...

'' (1954) - Sergeant, Working Party * '' Betrayed'' (1954) - Fat Major (uncredited) * '' The Black Rider'' (1954) - Holiday-maker * ''

Delavine Affair ''The Delavine Affair'' is a 1955 British second feature crime film directed by Douglas Peirce and starring Peter Reynolds, Honor Blackman and Gordon Jackson. It was based on the 1952 novel ''Winter Wears a Shroud'' by Robert Chapman. Plot ...

'' (1955) - Meyerling * '' The Colditz Story'' (1955) - Lutyens * ''

The Love Match ''The Love Match'' is a 1955 British black and white comedy film directed by David Paltenghi and starring Arthur Askey, Glenn Melvyn, Thora Hird and Shirley Eaton. A football-mad railway engine driver and his fireman are desperate to get back i ...

'' (1955) - Mr. Hall * '' Windfall'' (1955) - (uncredited) * ''

Passport to Treason ''Passport to Treason'' is a 1956 British mystery thriller. It stars Rod Cameron, Lois Maxwell, and Clifford Evans. It was directed by Robert S. Baker and written by Kenneth R. Hayles and Norman Hudis, based on the Manning O'Brine novel o ...

'' (1955) - Cafe Proprietor * '' The March Hare'' (1956) - Nils Svenson * '' Bond of Fear'' (1956) - Travelling Salesman * ''

Assignment Redhead ''Assignment Redhead'' (released in the US as ''Million Dollar Manhunt'') is a 1956 British crime thriller film written and directed by Maclean Rogers. It is based on the novel ''Requiem for a Redhead'' by Lindsay Hardy. The UK title of this fil ...

'' (1956) - Mons. Paul Bonnet * ''

Ill Met by Moonlight ''Ill Met by Moonlight: The Abduction of General Kreipe'' is a non-fiction partly-autobiographical book written by W. Stanley Moss, a British soldier, writer and traveller. It describes an operation in Crete during the Second World War to cap ...

'' (1957) - German Officer with Gen. Brauer (uncredited) * '' You Pay Your Money'' (1957) - Hall Porter * ''Murder Reported'' (1957) - Hatter * '' Kill Me Tomorrow'' (1957) - Harrison * '' The Big Chance'' (1957) - Passport Official * ''

Death Over My Shoulder ''Death Over My Shoulder '' is a 1958 British crime film directed by Arthur Crabtree based on a story by American journalist Alyce Canfield. The film stars Keefe Brasselle and his wife Arlene DeMarco one of The DeMarco Sisters. Plot When Jack ...

'' (1958) - Nick Dayton * '' The Two-Headed Spy'' (1958) - Gen. Toppe * '' Operation Amsterdam'' (1959) - Peter * ''Life in Danger'' (1959) - Dr. Nichols * ''

The Desperate Man ''The Desperate Man'' is a 1959 British B movie crime film directed by Peter Maxwell and starring Conrad Phillips, Jill Ireland, William Hartnell, Charles Gray and Peter Swanwick. The plot involves a writer who investigates a murder in the ...

'' (1959) - Hoad * '' Circus of Horrors'' (1960) - German Police Inspector Knopf * '' The Trunk'' (1961) - Nicholas Steiner * '' Double Bunk'' (1961) - Freighter Pilot * '' The Devil's Daffodil'' (1961) - Polizist (uncredited) * '' Invasion Quartet'' (1961) - Gun Commander * '' Fate Takes a Hand'' (1961) - Preeny * '' Mystery Submarine'' (1963) - Lt. Lyncker * '' The Gentle Terror'' (1963) - 1st Auditor * ''

Secrets of a Windmill Girl ''Secrets of a Windmill Girl'' is a 1966 British exploitation film directed by Arnold L. Miller. It recounts the road to ruin of a young woman (Pauline Collins) who becomes involved with the striptease scene after becoming a dancer at the Windmil ...

'' (1966) - Len Mason * ''

The Devil Rides Out ''The Devil Rides Out'' is a 1934 novel by Dennis Wheatley telling a disturbing story of black magic and the occult. The four main characters, the Duke de Richleau, Rex van Ryn, Simon Aron and Richard Eaton, appear in a series of novels by Whea ...

'' (1968) - Satanist (uncredited) * '' The Looking Glass War'' (1970) - Finnish Policeman (final film role)

References

External links

* 1922 births 1968 deaths 20th-century English male actors English male stage actors English male film actors English male television actors Male actors from Nottinghamshire People from Nottingham {{england-actor-stub