Willoughby Wittenham Rees Goddard (4 July 1926 – 11 April 2008) was an English actor whose trademark rotund figure was well known on television and in films for more than 40 years.

Biography

Goddard was born in

Bicester Bicester ( ) is a historical market towngarden town and civil parishes in England, civil parish in the Cherwell (district), Cherwell district of northeastern Oxfordshire in Southern England that also comprises an Eco-towns, eco town at North Wes ...

Oxfordshire Oxfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the north west of South East England. It is a mainly rural county, with its largest settlement being the city of Oxford. The county is a centre of research and development, primarily ...

. He played

Mr. Bumble Mr. Bumble is a fictional character and minor antagonist in the 1838 novel ''Oliver Twist'' by Charles Dickens. Character When the story was first serialised in ''Bentley's Miscellany'' in 1837 Mr. Bumble is the cruel and self-important bead ...

in two versions of

Charles Dickens Charles John Huffam Dickens (; 7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English writer and social critic. He created some of the world's best-known fictional characters and is regarded by many as the greatest novelist of the Victorian e ...

's '' Oliver Twist'' – a 1962

television Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of television transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertisin ...

adaptation, and the original

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 ...

production of the

musical Musical is the adjective of music. Musical may also refer to: * Musical theatre, a performance art that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance * Musical film and television, a genre of film and television that incorporates into the narr ...

Oliver! ''Oliver!'' is a coming-of-age stage musical, with book, music and lyrics by Lionel Bart. The musical is based upon the 1838 novel '' Oliver Twist'' by Charles Dickens. It premiered at the Wimbledon Theatre, southwest London in 1960 before op ...

''. He originated the role of Cardinal Wolsey in the West End production of

Robert Bolt Robert Oxton Bolt (15 August 1924 – 20 February 1995) was an English playwright and a two-time Oscar-winning screenwriter, known for writing the screenplays for ''Lawrence of Arabia'', ''Doctor Zhivago'', and '' A Man for All Seasons'', ...

's '' A Man for All Seasons''. He appeared in the television series ''

The Adventures of William Tell ''The Adventures of William Tell'' is a British swashbuckler adventure series, first broadcast on the ITV network in 1958, and produced by ITC Entertainment. In the United States, the episodes aired on the syndicated NTA Film Network in 1958 ...

'' (which lasted 39 episodes) in 1958 and 1959 as the villain Landburgher Gessler and as Sir Geoffrey in ''

The Man in Room 17 ''The Man in Room 17'' is a British television series which ran for two series in the mid-1960s, produced by the northern weekday ITV franchise, Granada Television. Key to the series' success was the involvement of writer/producer Robin Chap ...

'', which ran two series of 13 hour-long black-and-white episodes in 1965 and 1966. He was cast as Reeder's boss, Sir Jason Toovey, (head of the Department of Public Prosecutions) in '' The Mind of Mr. J.G. Reeder'', a TV series of 16 hour-long episodes with first season 1969 and second season 1971 based on short stories by

Edgar Wallace Richard Horatio Edgar Wallace (1 April 1875 – 10 February 1932) was a British writer. Born into poverty as an illegitimate London child, Wallace left school at the age of 12. He joined the army at age 21 and was a war correspondent during th ...

. Goddard retired from the industry in 1987 and died in 2008, aged 81. Goddard is buried in Teddington Cemetery.

Filmography

Film appearances

* '' Bait'' (1950) - John Hartley * ''

The Million Pound Note ''The Million Pound Note'' is a 1954 British comedy film directed by Ronald Neame and starring Gregory Peck, Ronald Squire, Wilfrid Hyde-White and Jane Griffiths. It is based on the 1893 Mark Twain short story '' The Million Pound Bank Note'' ...

'' (1950) - Stockbroker (uncredited) * '' The Green Man'' (1956) - Statesman * '' A Touch of the Sun'' (1956) - Golightly * '' Stranger in Town'' (1957) - Publican * ''

Heart of a Child ''Heart of a Child'' is a 1958 British drama (film and television), drama film adapted from the 1940 Heart of a Child (novel), novel of the same title by Phyllis Bottome, directed by Clive Donner. It stars Jean Anderson and Donald Pleasence. Plo ...

'' (1958) - Scott * ''

In the Wake of a Stranger ''In the Wake of a Stranger'' is a 1959 British thriller film directed by David Eady and starring Tony Wright, Shirley Eaton and Danny Green. In the film, a group of murderers try to frame an innocent sailor, Tom Cassidy (Tony Wright), for thei ...

'' (1959) - Shafto * ''

Inn for Trouble ''Inn for Trouble'' is a 1960 black and white British comedy film intended as a low budget filler to support a main feature in the days of cinema double features. it was a spin-off of the 1950s sitcom ''The Larkins'' - starring Peggy Mount, Davi ...

'' (1960) - Sgt Saunders * ''

The Millionairess ''The Millionairess'' is a 1960 British romantic comedy film directed by Anthony Asquith, and starring Sophia Loren and Peter Sellers. Set in London, it is a loose adaptation of George Bernard Shaw's 1936 play of the same name. Plot By the t ...

'' (1961) - President * ''

The Secret Partner ''The Secret Partner'' is a 1961 British thriller film directed by Basil Dearden and starring Stewart Granger, Haya Harareet and Bernard Lee. The screenplay concerns a shipping executive officer who is blackmailed by an evil dentist. Plot Jo ...

'' (1961) - Hotel Kepper * ''

Double Bunk ''Double Bunk'' is a British black-and-white comedy film set on a houseboat. It was released in 1961, and stars Ian Carmichael and Sid James. The musical score was composed by Stanley Black, and the title song, sung by Sid James and Liz Frase ...

'' (1961) - Prospective Purchaser * '' The Long Shadow'' (1961) - Schober * ''

Fate Takes a Hand ''Fate Takes a Hand'' is a 1961 British anthology drama film. Plot The recovery of a mail bag stolen in a robbery 15 years before has varying consequences on the lives of five of the recipients of the letters, when the post office decide that ...

'' (1961) - Rollenshaw * ''

The Golden Rabbit ''The Golden Rabbit'' is a 1962 British comedy film directed by David MacDonald and starring Timothy Bateson, Maureen Beck and Willoughby Goddard. Plot A bank clerk attempts to become wealthy by manufacturing gold. Cast * Timothy Bateson - ...

'' (1962) - Clitheroe * '' Carry On Cruising'' (1962) - Large Man * ''

The Wrong Box ''The Wrong Box'' is a 1966 British comedy film produced and directed by Bryan Forbes from a screenplay by Larry Gelbart and Burt Shevelove, based on the 1889 novel '' The Wrong Box'' by Robert Louis Stevenson and Lloyd Osbourne. It was made by ...

'' (1966) - James White Wragg * ''

The Charge of the Light Brigade The Charge of the Light Brigade was a failed military action involving the British light cavalry led by Lord Cardigan against Russian forces during the Battle of Balaclava on 25 October 1854 in the Crimean War. Lord Raglan had intended to s ...

'' (1968) - Squire * '' Laughter in the Dark'' (1969) - Colonel * ''The Juggler of Notre Dame'' (1970) - Judge Broadbottom * ''

The Canterbury Tales ''The Canterbury Tales'' ( enm, Tales of Caunterbury) is a collection of twenty-four stories that runs to over 17,000 lines written in Middle English by Geoffrey Chaucer between 1387 and 1400. It is widely regarded as Chaucer's ''Masterpiece, ...

'' (1971) - Placebo * ''

Gawain and the Green Knight ''Sir Gawain and the Green Knight'' is a late 14th-century chivalric romance in Middle English. The author is unknown; the title was given centuries later. It is one of the best-known Arthurian stories, with its plot combining two types of f ...

'' (1973) - Knight * ''

Joseph Andrews ''The History of the Adventures of Joseph Andrews and of his Friend Mr. Abraham Adams'', was the first full-length novel by the English author Henry Fielding to be published and among the early novels in the English language. Appearing in 1742 ...

'' (1977) - Fourposter Innkeeper * ''

Jabberwocky "Jabberwocky" is a nonsense poem written by Lewis Carroll about the killing of a creature named "the Jabberwock". It was included in his 1871 novel ''Through the Looking-Glass'', the sequel to ''Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'' (1865). The bo ...

'' (1977) - Eggman (uncredited) * ''

Quincy's Quest ''Quincy's Quest'' is a 1979 British family film directed by Robert Reed, and starring Tommy Steele, Mel Martin and Charles Morgan. A version was first shown on television on 23 December 1962 as ''The Tommy Steele Show: Quincy's Quest''. Plot ...

'' (1979) - General * ''

Young Sherlock Holmes ''Young Sherlock Holmes'' (also known with the title card name of "''Young Sherlock Holmes and the Pyramid of Fear''") is a 1985 American mystery adventure film directed by Barry Levinson and written by Chris Columbus, based on the characters ...

'' (1985) - School Reverend * '' God's Outlaw'' (1986) - Cardinal Wolsey

TV appearances

* ''

David Copperfield ''David Copperfield'' Dickens invented over 14 variations of the title for this work, see is a novel in the bildungsroman genre by Charles Dickens, narrated by the eponymous David Copperfield, detailing his adventures in his journey from inf ...

'' (1956) - Mr. Creakle * '' The Buccaneers'' (1956) - Phineas Bunch – "Marooned" * '' The Buccaneers'' (1956) - Lawyer Pym – "Blood Will Tell" * '' Gay Cavalier'' (1957) - Bulstrode – "Dragon's Heart" * ''

'' (1958–1959) - Landburger Gessler – regular cast * ''

The Invisible Man ''The Invisible Man'' is a science fiction novel by H. G. Wells. Originally serialized in '' Pearson's Weekly'' in 1897, it was published as a novel the same year. The Invisible Man to whom the title refers is Griffin, a scientist who has devo ...

'' (1961) - Crowther – "Bank Raid" * '' Charlesworth'' (1959) - Calvarez1 * ''

Danger Man ''Danger Man'' (retitled ''Secret Agent'' in the United States for the revived series, and ''Destination Danger'' and ''John Drake'' in other overseas markets) is a British television series that was broadcast between 1960 and 1962, and again b ...

'' (1961) - McFadden – "The Journey Ends Halfway" * '' Oliver Twist'' (1962) -

* '' Ghost Squad'' (1963) - Slim Salmon – "The Missing People" * ''

Richard the Lionheart Richard I (8 September 1157 – 6 April 1199) was King of England from 1189 until his death in 1199. He also ruled as Duke of Normandy, Aquitaine and Gascony, Lord of Cyprus, and Count of Poitiers, Anjou, Maine, and Nantes, and was overl ...

'' (1963) - Arnold – "The Lord of Kenak" * ''

Public Eye Public Eye or The Public Eye may refer to: * ''Public Eye'' (TV series), a British television series that ran from 1965 to 1975 * ''The Public Eye'' (TV series), a Canadian television public affairs television series which aired on CBC Televisio ...

'' (1965) - Chambers – "A Harsh World for Zealots" * ''

'' (1965–1966) - Sir Geoffrey – regular cast * '' The Baron'' (1967) - Colbert - "The Edge of Fear" * ''

The Saint The Saint may refer to: Fiction * Simon Templar, also known as "The Saint", the protagonist of a book series by Leslie Charteris and subsequent adaptations: ** ''The Saint'' (film series) (1938–43), starring Louis Hayward, George Sanders an ...

'' (1969) - (ex) King Boris – "The Ex-King of Diamonds" * '' The Mind of Mr. J.G. Reeder'' (1969) - Sir Jason Toovey – regular cast * ''

The Main Chance ''The Main Chance'' is a British television series first aired on ITV in four series between 1969 and 1975. It is a drama series that depicts the sudden transformation in the life of a solicitor, David Main (played by John Stride), after he ...

'' (1969) – ''What About Justice?'' * ''

Orson Welles Great Mysteries ''Orson Welles Great Mysteries'' is a British television series originally transmitted between 1973 and 1974, produced by Anglia Television for the ITV network. The series is an anthology of mystery stories. Each episode is introduced by Ors ...

'' (1973) - Sir Thomas "Captain Rogers" * '' The Sweeney'' (1976) - Kitter – "Sweet Smell of Succession" * '' Space: 1999'' (1977) - The Taybor – "The Taybor" * ''

The Famous Five ''The Famous Five'' is a series of children's Adventure fiction, adventure novels and short stories written by English author Enid Blyton. The first book, ''Five on a Treasure Island'', was published in 1942. The novels feature the adventures ...

'' (1978) - The Man - "Five go to Mystery Moor" * ''

My Son, My Son "My Son, My Son" is a traditional popular music song written by Gordon Melville Rees, Bob Howard and Eddie Calvert in 1954. A recording of the song by Vera Lynn reached number one in the UK Singles Chart in November that year. It was Lynn's ...

'' (1979) - Mr. Moscrop * ''

The Incredible Mr Tanner ''The Incredible Mr Tanner'' was a short-lived British television sitcom which aired on ITV in 1981.Newcomb p.1270 It was scripted by the writing team of Brian Cooke and Johnnie Mortimer, a remake of their earlier series ''Kindly Leave the Kerb'' ...

'' (1981) - Tom * ''

The Black Adder ''The Black Adder'' is the first series of the BBC sitcom ''Blackadder'', written by Richard Curtis and Rowan Atkinson, directed by Martin Shardlow and produced by John Lloyd. The series was originally aired on BBC 1 from 15 June 1983 to 20 ...

'' (1983) - The Archbishop – "The Queen Of Spain's Beard" * '' John Silver's Return to Treasure Island'' (1986) - Sir Solomon Pridham – "The Map" * ''

Porterhouse Blue ''Porterhouse Blue'' is a novel written by Tom Sharpe, first published in 1974. A satirical look at Cambridge life and the struggle between tradition and reform, ''Porterhouse Blue'' tells the story of Skullion, the Head Porter of Porterhouse, ...

'' (1987) - Professor Siblington

References

External links

*
Obituary: ''Guardian''

{{DEFAULTSORT:Goddard, Willoughby 1926 births 2008 deaths People from Bicester English male film actors English male television actors English male stage actors