Andrew John Maxton Cruickshank (25 December 1907 in

Aberdeen Aberdeen (; sco, Aiberdeen ; gd, Obar Dheathain ; la, Aberdonia) is a city in North East Scotland, and is the third most populous city in the country. Aberdeen is one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas (as Aberdeen City), a ...

Aberdeenshire Aberdeenshire ( sco, Aiberdeenshire; gd, Siorrachd Obar Dheathain) is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland. It takes its name from the County of Aberdeen which has substantially different boundaries. The Aberdeenshire Council area inclu ...

29 April 1988 in

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

) was a Scottish actor, most famous for his portrayal of Dr Cameron in the long-running UK BBC

television series A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, or cable, excluding breaking news, advertisements, or trailers that are typically placed be ...

Dr. Finlay's Casebook ''Dr. Finlay's Casebook'' is a television drama series that was produced and broadcast by the BBC from 1962 until 1971. Based on A. J. Cronin's 1935 novella ''Country Doctor'', the storylines centred on a general medical practice in the fictiona ...

'', which ran for 191 episodes from 1962 until 1971.

Life and career

Andrew Cruickshank (Junior) was born to Andrew and Annie Cruickshank (Cadger),Stage performances (1930–1987)
and other biography: ''Filmreference.com'' website. and was educated at

Aberdeen Grammar School Aberdeen Grammar School is a state secondary school in Aberdeen, Scotland. It is one of thirteen secondary schools run by the Aberdeen City Council educational department. It is the oldest school in the city and one of the oldest grammar school ...

. He was to have entered the profession of

civil engineering Civil engineering is a professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including public works such as roads, bridges, canals, dams, airports, sewa ...

after completing his education, but instead joined provincial

repertory theatre A repertory theatre is a theatre in which a resident company presents works from a specified repertoire, usually in alternation or rotation. United Kingdom Annie Horniman founded the first modern repertory theatre in Manchester after withdrawin ...

s, leading to 1930 roles in ''

Othello ''Othello'' (full title: ''The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice'') is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare, probably in 1603, set in the contemporary Ottoman–Venetian War (1570–1573) fought for the control of the Island of Cyp ...

'' at the

Savoy Theatre The Savoy Theatre is a West End theatre in the Strand in the City of Westminster, London, England. The theatre was designed by C. J. Phipps for Richard D'Oyly Carte and opened on 10 October 1881 on a site previously occupied by the Savoy P ...

, as Maudelyn in '' Richard of Bordeaux'' at the Empire Theatre on

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

in 1934,Roles on Broadway
John Maudelyn (''Richard of Bordeaux''), Earl of Warwick (''Saint Joan''): IBDB.com website. and culminating in his principal appearance (as three characters) on the

stage Stage or stages may refer to: Acting * Stage (theatre), a space for the performance of theatrical productions * Theatre, a branch of the performing arts, often referred to as "the stage" * ''The Stage'', a weekly British theatre newspaper * Sta ...

in 1935, at the

Gate Theatre The Gate Theatre is a theatre on Cavendish Row in Dublin, Ireland. It was founded in 1928. History Beginnings The Gate Theatre was founded in 1928 by Hilton Edwards and Micheál MacLiammóir with Daisy Bannard Cogley and Gearóid Ó Lochlai ...

in the play ''Victoria Regina''. In 1939 Cruickshank played Claudius in

Tyrone Guthrie Sir William Tyrone Guthrie (2 July 1900 – 15 May 1971) was an English theatrical director instrumental in the founding of the Stratford Festival of Canada, the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and the Tyrone Guthrie Centre at ...

's modern-dress and uncut ''Hamlet'' at The Old Vic with

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 ...

in the title role. He returned to Broadway in 1951 until 1952, as the

Earl of Warwick Earl of Warwick is one of the most prestigious titles in the peerages of the United Kingdom. The title has been created four times in English history, and the name refers to Warwick Castle and the town of Warwick. Overview The first creation ...

George Bernard Shaw George Bernard Shaw (26 July 1856 – 2 November 1950), known at his insistence simply as Bernard Shaw, was an Irish playwright, critic, polemicist and political activist. His influence on Western theatre, culture and politics extended from ...

's play '' Saint Joan'', with

Uta Hagen Uta Thyra Hagen (12 June 1919 – 14 January 2004) was a German-American actress and theatre practitioner. She originated the role of Martha in the 1962 Broadway premiere of ''Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?'' by Edward Albee, who called her "a ...

in the lead role. His first film role followed in 1937, as the

poet A poet is a person who studies and creates poetry. Poets may describe themselves as such or be described as such by others. A poet may simply be the creator ( thinker, songwriter, writer, or author) who creates (composes) poems (oral or w ...

Robert Burns Robert Burns (25 January 175921 July 1796), also known familiarly as Rabbie Burns, was a Scottish poet and lyricist. He is widely regarded as the national poet of Scotland and is celebrated worldwide. He is the best known of the poets who hav ...

in ''

Auld Lang Syne "Auld Lang Syne" (: note "s" rather than "z") is a popular song, particularly in the English-speaking world. Traditionally, it is sung to bid farewell to the old year at the stroke of midnight on New Year's Eve. By extension, it is also often ...

''. Subsequently, however, he would be

typecast In film, television, and theatre, typecasting is the process by which a particular actor becomes strongly identified with a specific character, one or more particular roles, or characters having the same traits or coming from the same social or ...

into portrayals of formal authority figures, such as

judge A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as a part of a panel of judges. A judge hears all the witnesses and any other evidence presented by the barristers or solicitors of the case, assesses the credibility an ...

s and

doctor Doctor or The Doctor may refer to: Personal titles * Doctor (title), the holder of an accredited academic degree * A medical practitioner, including: ** Physician ** Surgeon ** Dentist ** Veterinary physician ** Optometrist *Other roles ** ...

s. He appeared in many television plays and series, amongst them

A. J. Cronin Archibald Joseph Cronin (19 July 1896 – 6 January 1981), known as A. J. Cronin, was a Scottish physician and novelist. His best-known novel is ''The Citadel'' (1937), about a Scottish doctor who serves in a Welsh mining village before achievi ...

's ''

'', containing his most famous characterisation, Doctor Angus Cameron, a crusty but erudite senior partner in the rural general practice run in

Tannochbrae Dr Finlay is a fictional character, the hero of a series of stories by Scottish author A. J. Cronin. Short stories The character Dr Finlay first appeared in Cronin's novella ''Country Doctor'' and in several subsequent short stories published in ...

, with the help of the much younger Doctor Alan

Finlay Finlay is a masculine given name, and also a surname. The given name is represented in Scottish Gaelic as Fionnlagh. Given name Finlay * Finlay Mickel, Scottish skier *Finlay Currie (1878–1968), Scottish actor * Finlay Calder, Scottish rugby pl ...

( Bill Simpson) and "stiff

Presbyterian Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their n ...

" housekeeper Janet (

Barbara Mullen Barbara Mullen (9 June 19149 March 1979) was an American born actress well known in the UK for playing the part of Janet McPherson, the housekeeper in ''Dr. Finlay's Casebook''. Although the role of Janet brought her fame in later years, she alre ...

). The highly popular BBC production ran from 16 August 1962 until 3 January 1971, after which Cruickshank continued with it on

BBC Radio 4 BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC that replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. It broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history from the BBC's ...

for seven years, it having been adapted to that format since 10 March 1970. He finally bade farewell to the character on 18 December 1978, following its parting episode, "Going Home". In 1963 he played the title role in the BBC sitcom ''

Mr Justice Duncannon ''Mr Justice Duncannon'' is a British television sitcom that aired on BBC TV from 18 January to 22 February 1963. It is a spin-off of '' Brothers in Law'' and stars Andrew Cruickshank as a London judge. The entire series was wiped and is no longe ...

'', having appeared as that character in the final episode of the 1962 sitcom '' Brothers in Law''. His final performance on the stage was as Justice Treadwell in ''Beyond Reasonable Doubt'' at the Queen's Theatre in 1987. His last appearance of any kind was at the age of 80, in the first episode ("Kicks") of series two of the ITV television production, '' King and Castle'',''King and Castle''
ITV: TV.com website. which starred

Nigel Planer Nigel George Planer (born 22 February 1953) is a British actor, comedian, musician, novelist and playwright. He played Neil in the BBC comedy '' The Young Ones'' and Ralph Filthy in '' Filthy Rich & Catflap''. He has appeared in many West End ...

and

Derek Martin Derek Martin (born Derek William Rapp; 11 April 1933) is an English former actor. Beginning his career as a stuntman, he moved into acting and played many roles on UK television. One of his most widely known roles is Charlie Slater on the BBC ...

as partners in a debt collection agency, and in which Cruickshank played "Mr Hodinett". It was aired on 10 May 1988, just over a week after his death. He was chair of the board of directors of

Edinburgh Festival Fringe The Edinburgh Festival Fringe (also referred to as The Fringe, Edinburgh Fringe, or Edinburgh Fringe Festival) is the world's largest arts and media festival, which in 2019 spanned 25 days and featured more than 59,600 performances of 3,841 dif ...

between 1970 and 1983. He married Curigwen (née Lewis), and they had one son and two daughters.

Memorial

He has been immortalised in

Milton Keynes Milton Keynes ( ) is a city and the largest settlement in Buckinghamshire, England, about north-west of London. At the 2021 Census, the population of its urban area was over . The River Great Ouse forms its northern boundary; a tributary ...

Buckinghamshire Buckinghamshire (), abbreviated Bucks, is a ceremonial county in South East England that borders Greater London to the south-east, Berkshire to the south, Oxfordshire to the west, Northamptonshire to the north, Bedfordshire to the north-e ...

, by the naming of a road in his honour (Cruickshank Grove).Cruickshank Grove
, the road named after him in Milton Keynes: ''Crownhill.org.uk'' website.

Partial filmography

* ''

'' (1937) – Robert Burns * '' The Mark of Cain'' (1947) – Sir Jonathon Dockwra * ''

The Idol of Paris ''Idol of Paris'' is a 1948 film based on the novel ''Paiva, Queen of Love'' by Alfred Schirokauer, about a mid-19th century French courtesan Theresa who sleeps her way from poverty to the top of Second Empire society. It was an attempt by its ...

'' (1948) – Prince Nicholas * '' Forbidden'' (1949) – Inspector Baxter * ''

Paper Orchid ''Paper Orchid'' is a 1949 British crime film directed by Roy Ward Baker, with a script written by Val Guest. It featured Hugh Williams, Hy Hazell and Garry Marsh, and was based on the 1948 novel of the same title by Arthur La Bern. It featur ...

'' (1949) – Inspector Clement Pill * '' Your Witness'' (1950) – Sir Adrian Horth K.C. – Prosecutor * '' The Angel with the Trumpet'' (1950) – Otto Alt * '' The Reluctant Widow'' (1950) – Lord Bedlington * ''

Where No Vultures Fly ''Where No Vultures Fly'' is a 1951 British adventure film directed by Harry Watt and starring Anthony Steel and Dinah Sheridan. It was released under the title ''Ivory Hunter'' in the United States. The film was inspired by the work of the co ...

'' (1951) – Governor (uncredited) * '' The Cruel Sea'' (1953) – Scott Brown * ''

John Wesley John Wesley (; 2 March 1791) was an English cleric, theologian, and evangelist who was a leader of a revival movement within the Church of England known as Methodism. The societies he founded became the dominant form of the independent Meth ...

'' (1954) – Trustee of Georgia * '' John and Julie'' (1955) – Uncle Ben * ''

Richard III Richard III (2 October 145222 August 1485) was King of England and Lord of Ireland from 26 June 1483 until his death in 1485. He was the last king of the House of York and the last of the Plantagenet dynasty. His defeat and death at the Bat ...

'' (1955) – Brackenbury * ''

The Secret Tent ''The Secret Tent'' is a 1956 crime film directed by Don Chaffey. It stars Donald Gray and Andrée Melly and was made at Shepperton Studios. Plot Respectable wife Ruth attempts to conceal her secret past as a criminal from neighbours and from h ...

'' (1956) – Detective Inspector Thornton * '' The Battle of the River Plate'' (1956) – Captain Stubbs – 'Doric Star' * ''

The Story of Esther Costello ''The Story of Esther Costello'' is a 1957 British drama film starring Joan Crawford, Rossano Brazzi, and Heather Sears. The film is an exposé of large-scale fundraising. ''The Story of Esther Costello'' was produced by David Miller and Ja ...

'' (1957) – Dr. Stein * ''

Innocent Sinners ''Innocent Sinners'' is a 1958 British black and white film directed by Philip Leacock and starring Flora Robson. It was based on the 1955 novel '' An Episode of Sparrows'' by Rumer Godden. Plot Olivia Chesney is too sick to leave home, som ...

'' (1958) – Dr. Lynch-Cliffe * ''

A Question of Adultery ''A Question of Adultery'' (U.S. title: ''The Case of Mrs. Loring'') is a 1958 British drama film directed by Don Chaffey and starring Julie London and Anthony Steel. The film was reportedly based on the 1948 play ''A Breach of Marriage'' by D ...

'' (1958) – Dr. Cameron * ''

Kidnapped Kidnapped may refer to: * subject to the crime of kidnapping Literature * ''Kidnapped'' (novel), an 1886 novel by Robert Louis Stevenson * ''Kidnapped'' (comics), a 2007 graphic novel adaptation of R. L. Stevenson's novel by Alan Grant and Cam ...

'' (1959) – Colin Campbell * '' The 39 Steps'' (1959) – Sheriff * ''

The Stranglers of Bombay ''The Stranglers of Bombay'' is a 1959 British adventure horror film directed by Terence Fisher for Hammer Films dealing with the British East India Company's investigation of the cult of Thuggee stranglers in the 1830s. The film stars Guy Rolf ...

'' (1960) – Colonel Henderson * ''

There Was a Crooked Man "There Was a Crooked Man" is an English nursery rhyme. It has a Roud Folk Song Index number of 1826. Origin The rhyme was first recorded in print by James Orchard Halliwell in 1842: :There was a crooked man and he went a crooked mile, :He ...

'' (1960) – McKillup * '' Greyfriars Bobby: The True Story of a Dog'' (1961) – Lord Provost * ''

El Cid Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar (c. 1043 – 10 July 1099) was a Castilian knight and warlord in medieval Spain. Fighting with both Christian and Muslim armies during his lifetime, he earned the Arabic honorific ''al-sīd'', which would evolve into El C ...

'' (1961) – Count Gormaz * '' Live Now, Pay Later'' (1962) – Vicar * ''

We Joined the Navy ''We Joined the Navy'' is a 1962 British comedy film directed by Wendy Toye and starring Kenneth More, Lloyd Nolan, Joan O'Brien, Derek Fowlds, Graham Crowden, Esma Cannon and John Le Mesurier. Produced by Daniel M. Angel, it was based on th ...

'' (1962) – Admiral Filmer * '' Come Fly with Me'' (1963) – Cardwell * '' Murder Most Foul'' (1964) – Justice Crosby * ''

Wagner Wilhelm Richard Wagner ( ; ; 22 May 181313 February 1883) was a German composer, theatre director, polemicist, and conductor who is chiefly known for his operas (or, as some of his mature works were later known, "music dramas"). Unlike most op ...

'' (1983) – Narrator * ''

The Body in the Library ''The Body in the Library'' is a work of detective fiction by Agatha Christie and first published in the US by Dodd, Mead and Company in February 1942 and in UK by the Collins Crime Club in May of the same year. The US edition retailed at $2.0 ...

'' (1984) – Conway Jefferson

Publications

* ''Andrew Cruickshank: An Autobiography'' (1988) Weidenfeld & Nicolson, London.

References

External links

*
Memories of Andrew Cruickshank
by

Haldane Duncan Haldane Duncan (25 July 1940 – 26 December 2018) was a Scottish television producer and director, best known for his contributions to soap operas. Career Early years In 1958, Duncan left George Heriot's School in Edinburgh to take up a care ...

, former ''

Emmerdale ''Emmerdale'' (known as ''Emmerdale Farm'' until 1989) is a British soap opera that is broadcast on ITV1. The show is set in Emmerdale (known as Beckindale until 1994), a fictional village in the Yorkshire Dales. Created by Kevin Laffan, ...

'' director {{DEFAULTSORT:Cruickshank, Andrew Scottish male film actors People from Aberdeen Male actors from Aberdeen 1907 births 1988 deaths Scottish male television actors People educated at Aberdeen Grammar School 20th-century Scottish male actors Edinburgh Festival Fringe staff Members of the Order of the British Empire Royal Welch Fusiliers officers British Army personnel of World War II