Douglas Wilmer
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Douglas Wilmer (8 January 1920 – 31 March 2016) was an English actor, best known for playing Sherlock Holmes in the 1965 TV series ''Sherlock Holmes''.


Early life

Wilmer was born in Brentford,
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 ...
, and received his education at King's School,
Canterbury Canterbury (, ) is a cathedral city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, situated in the heart of the City of Canterbury local government district of Kent, England. It lies on the River Stour. The Archbishop of Canterbury is the primate of ...
, and Stonyhurst College. A performance as the Archbishop of Canterbury in a school play at King's School was seen by
Dame Sybil Thorndike Dame Agnes Sybil Thorndike, Lady Casson (24 October 18829 June 1976) was an English actress whose stage career lasted from 1904 to 1969. Trained in her youth as a concert pianist, Thorndike turned to the stage when a medical problem with her ...
who afterward told the headmaster "If that boy, playing the Archbishop, were to take to the stage, I think that he could well make a go of it." After completing school, Wilmer applied for a scholarship at
Royal Academy of Dramatic Art The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA; ) is a drama school in London, England, that provides vocational conservatoire training for theatre, film, television, and radio. It is based in the Bloomsbury area of Central London, close to the Senat ...
and was accepted. Whilst in training at RADA, he was conscripted into the
British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...
for military service with the
Royal Artillery The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery (RA) and colloquially known as "The Gunners", is one of two regiments that make up the artillery arm of the British Army. The Royal Regiment of Artillery comprises t ...
in the Second World War. After training, he was posted to an anti-tank battery, and saw war service in Africa with the Royal West African Frontier Force. He was later invalided out of the Armed Forces, having contracted
tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease usually caused by '' Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body. Most infections show no symptoms, i ...
.


Career

Wilmer made his theatre stage debut in 1945 in
repertory 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 ...
at Rugby. He appeared frequently on the London stage, mainly in classical and
Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's natio ...
an roles. He made his first major film appearance in Laurence Olivier's '' Richard III'' (1955); thereafter, he appeared in a large number of films, mostly in supporting roles. They include several epic films: as M. Desmoulins in '' The Battle of the River Plate'' (1956), as Al-Mu'tamin in '' El Cid'' (1961), '' Cleopatra'' (1963), '' The Fall of the Roman Empire'' (1964), as Khalifa Abdullah in ''
Khartoum Khartoum or Khartum ( ; ar, الخرطوم, Al-Khurṭūm, din, Kaartuɔ̈m) is the capital of Sudan. With a population of 5,274,321, its metropolitan area is the largest in Sudan. It is located at the confluence of the White Nile, flowing n ...
'' (1966), as Maj. Gen. Francis de Guingand in '' Patton'' (1970), as
Sir Thomas Fairfax Thomas Fairfax, 3rd Lord Fairfax of Cameron (17 January 161212 November 1671), also known as Sir Thomas Fairfax, was an English politician, general and Parliamentary commander-in-chief during the English Civil War. An adept and talented command ...
in '' Cromwell'' (1970), and '' Antony and Cleopatra'' (1972). Other appearances include '' Jason and the Argonauts'' (1963) as
Pelias Pelias ( ; Ancient Greek: Πελίας) was king of Iolcus in Greek mythology. He was the one who sent Jason on the quest for the Golden Fleece. Family Pelias was the son of Tyro and Poseidon. His wife is recorded as either Anaxibia, daughte ...
, the Pink Panther films '' A Shot in the Dark'' (1964) and '' Revenge of the Pink Panther'' (1978), ''
The Vampire Lovers ''The Vampire Lovers'' is a 1970 British Gothic horror film directed by Roy Ward Baker and starring Ingrid Pitt, Peter Cushing, George Cole, Kate O'Mara, Madeline Smith, Dawn Addams and Jon Finch. It was produced by Hammer Film Productions. ...
'' (1970), '' The Golden Voyage of Sinbad'' (1974), and '' Octopussy'' (1983). He is mainly associated with the role of Sherlock Holmes, which he first played in the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
's 1964 production of " The Speckled Band". Together with co-star Nigel Stock, who played
Doctor Watson John H. Watson, known as Dr. Watson, is a fictional character in the Sherlock Holmes stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Along with Sherlock Holmes, Dr. Watson first appeared in the novel '' A Study in Scarlet'' (1887). The last work by Doyle ...
, Wilmer was brought back for a further twelve episodes of the ''Sherlock Holmes'' series. In 1973, Wilmer played author Jacques Futrelle's Holmesian detective Professor Van Dusen in '' The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes'' for ITV. In 1975, he once again appeared as Holmes (albeit in a supporting role) in
Gene Wilder Jerome Silberman (June 11, 1933 – August 29, 2016), known professionally as Gene Wilder, was an American actor, comedian, writer and filmmaker. He is known mainly for his comedic roles, but also for his portrayal of Willy Wonka in ''Willy Won ...
's ''
The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother ''The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother'' is a 1975 American musical comedy film with Gene Wilder, Marty Feldman, Madeline Kahn, Dom DeLuise, Roy Kinnear, and Leo McKern.''Variety'' film review; December 3, 1975, page 22. The film was ...
'', with
Thorley Walters Thorley Swinstead Walters (12 May 1913 – 6 July 1991) was an English character actor. He is probably best remembered for his comedy film roles such as in '' Two-Way Stretch'' and '' Carlton-Browne of the FO''. Early life Walters was born in T ...
as Dr. Watson. Wilmer also played
Sir Denis Nayland Smith Denis Nayland Smith is a character who was introduced in the series of novels Dr. Fu Manchu by the English author Sax Rohmer. He is a rival to the villain Dr. Fu Manchu. History The character of Denis Nayland Smith was created in 1912 by Sax Roh ...
in two of Harry Alan Towers'
Fu Manchu Dr. Fu Manchu () is a supervillain who was introduced in a series of novels by the English author Sax Rohmer beginning shortly before World War I and continuing for another forty years. The character featured in cinema, television, radio, com ...
films, '' The Brides of Fu Manchu'' (1966) and ''
The Vengeance of Fu Manchu ''The Vengeance of Fu Manchu'' is a 1967 British crime thriller adventure film directed by Jeremy Summers and starring Christopher Lee, Horst Frank, Douglas Wilmer and Tsai Chin (actress), Tsai Chin. It was the third British/West German Constant ...
'' (1967). He recorded a series of the stories on audiocassette for Penguin audio books and appeared as a guest at several UK and US events, including the Society's Golden Jubilee Dinner in January 2001. His other television credits include: ''
The Adventures of Robin Hood ''The Adventures of Robin Hood'' is a 1938 American Technicolor swashbuckler film from Warner Bros. Pictures. It was produced by Hal B. Wallis and Henry Blanke, directed by Michael Curtiz and William Keighley, and stars Errol Flynn, Olivia d ...
'', '' The Saint'', ''
The Troubleshooters ''The Troubleshooters'' (titled ''Mogul'' for the first series) is a British television series made by the BBC between 1965 and 1972, created by John Elliot. It recounted events in an international oil company – the "Mogul" of the title. Th ...
'', '' The Avengers'', '' The Baron'', '' UFO'', and '' Space: 1999''. He made a cameo appearance in "
The Reichenbach Fall "The Reichenbach Fall" is the third and final episode of the second series of the BBC television series '' Sherlock''. It was written by Stephen Thompson and stars Benedict Cumberbatch as Sherlock Holmes, Martin Freeman as Dr John Watson, and ...
" episode of '' Sherlock'' as an irate old man in the Diogenes Club.


Honours and awards

Wilmer was an honorary member of the Sherlock Holmes Society of London, which considered Wilmer "the definitive Holmes". On 24 March 2009 Wilmer was guest of honour at a launch party for his book, held at the
National Liberal Club The National Liberal Club (NLC) is a London private members' club, open to both men and women. It was established by William Ewart Gladstone in 1882 to provide club facilities for Liberal Party campaigners among the newly enlarged electorate ...
in Whitehall Place, London.


Personal life and death

Douglas Wilmer was married three times. In 1946, he married Elizabeth Melville, a fellow RADA student, their marriage was annulled after 25 years. His second marriage in 1973 to wife Barbara ended in a divorce. He married his third wife, Anne (née Harding) in 1985. He lived in
Woodbridge, Suffolk Woodbridge is a port and market town in the East Suffolk district of Suffolk, England. It is up the River Deben from the sea. It lies north-east of Ipswich and forms part of the wider Ipswich built-up area. The town is close to some major a ...
in later life, where he ran a wine bar called Sherlock's. Wilmer's autobiography ''Stage Whispers'' (Porter Press, ) was published in 2010. On 31 March 2016, after a short bout of pneumonia, Wilmer died aged 96 at Ipswich Hospital in Suffolk, England. Roger Moore posted a tribute on social media the same day that Wilmer had died; the actors had worked together in the
James Bond The ''James Bond'' series focuses on a fictional British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short-story collections. Since Fleming's death in 1964, eight other authors have ...
feature film ''Octopussy'' (1983) and on the television show '' The Saint'' (a 1963 episode).


Filmography

* ''It is Midnight, Doctor Schweitzer'' (1953, TV Movie) as Father Charles * ''Sacrifice to the Wind'' (1954, TV Movie) as Menelaus * '' The Men of Sherwood Forest'' (1954) as Sir Nigel Saltire * '' Richard III'' (1955) as The Lord Dorset * '' Passport to Treason'' (1955) as Dr. Randolf * '' The Battle of the River Plate'' (1956) as M. Desmoulins - French Minister, Montevideo * ''
Dial 999 (TV series) ''Dial 999'' is a British television series that ran for one series of 38 episodes from 1958 to 1959. The series was a co-production between ITV contractor ABC Weekend TV, and American television producer Ziv Television Programs. It stars Robe ...
'', ('Ghost Squad', episode) (1959) as Burton * '' An Honourable Murder'' (1960) as R. Cassius * '' El Cid'' (1961) as Moutamin * ''Marco Polo'' (1962) * '' Cleopatra'' (1963) as Decimus * '' Jason and the Argonauts'' (1963) as
Pelias Pelias ( ; Ancient Greek: Πελίας) was king of Iolcus in Greek mythology. He was the one who sent Jason on the quest for the Golden Fleece. Family Pelias was the son of Tyro and Poseidon. His wife is recorded as either Anaxibia, daughte ...
* '' The Fall of the Roman Empire'' (1964) as Pescennius Niger * '' Woman of Straw'' (1964) as Dr. Murray (scenes deleted) * '' A Shot in the Dark'' (1964) as Henri LaFarge * '' The Golden Head'' (1964) as Detective Inspector Stevenson * '' One Way Pendulum'' (1964) as Judge / Maintenance Man * ''
Khartoum Khartoum or Khartum ( ; ar, الخرطوم, Al-Khurṭūm, din, Kaartuɔ̈m) is the capital of Sudan. With a population of 5,274,321, its metropolitan area is the largest in Sudan. It is located at the confluence of the White Nile, flowing n ...
'' (1966) as Khalifa Abdullah * '' The Brides of Fu Manchu'' (1966) as Nayland Smith * ''
The Vengeance of Fu Manchu ''The Vengeance of Fu Manchu'' is a 1967 British crime thriller adventure film directed by Jeremy Summers and starring Christopher Lee, Horst Frank, Douglas Wilmer and Tsai Chin (actress), Tsai Chin. It was the third British/West German Constant ...
'' (1967) as Nayland Smith * '' Hammerhead'' (1968) as Pietro Vendriani * ''
A Nice Girl Like Me ''A Nice Girl Like Me'' is a 1969 British comedy film directed by Desmond Davis. Plot The plot revolves around a girl who lives with her shrewd aunts, goes on a trip, gets pregnant, and must lie to her aunts that the baby is not hers. Cast * B ...
'' (1969) as Postnatal Clinic Doctor * '' The Reckoning'' (1969) as Moyle * '' Patton'' (1970) as Major General Freddie de Guingand * '' Cromwell'' (1970) as Sir Thomas Fairfax * ''
The Vampire Lovers ''The Vampire Lovers'' is a 1970 British Gothic horror film directed by Roy Ward Baker and starring Ingrid Pitt, Peter Cushing, George Cole, Kate O'Mara, Madeline Smith, Dawn Addams and Jon Finch. It was produced by Hammer Film Productions. ...
'' (1970) as Baron Joachim Von Hartog * ''Journey to Murder'' (1971) as Harry Vaneste (Do Me a Favor and Kill Me) * '' Unman, Wittering and Zigo'' (1971) as Headmaster * '' Antony and Cleopatra'' (1972) as Agrippa * '' The Golden Voyage of Sinbad'' (1973) as Vizier * ''
The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother ''The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother'' is a 1975 American musical comedy film with Gene Wilder, Marty Feldman, Madeline Kahn, Dom DeLuise, Roy Kinnear, and Leo McKern.''Variety'' film review; December 3, 1975, page 22. The film was ...
'' (1975) as Sherlock Holmes * '' The Incredible Sarah'' (1976) as Montigny * '' Revenge of the Pink Panther'' (1978) as Police Commissioner * ''
Rough Cut In filmmaking, the rough cut is the second of three stages of offline editing. The term originates from the early days of filmmaking when film stock was physically cut and reassembled, but is still used to describe projects that are recorded and ...
'' (1980) as Maxwell Levy * '' Octopussy'' (1983) as Jim Fanning * '' Sword of the Valiant'' (1984) as The Black Knight


See also

* List of people who have played Sherlock Holmes


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Wilmer, Douglas 1920 births 2016 deaths English male film actors English male television actors English male stage actors English male Shakespearean actors People educated at The King's School, Canterbury People educated at Stonyhurst College Royal Artillery soldiers British colonial army soldiers British Army personnel of World War II Alumni of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art People from Brentford 20th-century English male actors Deaths from pneumonia in England