Douglas Norman Wilmer (8 January 1920 – 31 March 2016) was an English actor, best known for playing

Sherlock Holmes Sherlock Holmes () is a Detective fiction, fictional detective created by British author Arthur Conan Doyle. Referring to himself as a "Private investigator, consulting detective" in his stories, Holmes is known for his proficiency with obser ...

in the eponymous 1965 TV series.

Early life

Wilmer was born 8 January 1920 in

Brentford Brentford is a suburban town in West (London sub region), West London, England and part of the London Borough of Hounslow. It lies at the confluence of the River Brent and the River Thames, Thames, west of Charing Cross. Its economy has dive ...

Middlesex Middlesex (; abbreviation: Middx) is a Historic counties of England, former county in South East England, now mainly within Greater London. Its boundaries largely followed three rivers: the River Thames, Thames in the south, the River Lea, Le ...

, to Harry Bradlaugh Wilmer (1880–1946) and (Ethel) Kate ( Taverner r Tavener(1880–1944). His father was an accountant for

Jardine Matheson Jardine Matheson Holdings Limited (also known as Jardines) is a Hong Kong–based, Bermuda-domiciled British multinational conglomerate. It has a primary listing on the London Stock Exchange and secondary listings on the Singapore Exchange ...

, and Wilmer spent his childhood in

Shanghai Shanghai, Shanghainese: , Standard Chinese pronunciation: is a direct-administered municipality and the most populous urban area in China. The city is located on the Chinese shoreline on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the ...

where his father worked. When he was about 13 years old, Douglas was sent back to the United Kingdom to attend King's School,

Canterbury Canterbury (, ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, in the county of Kent, England; it was a county borough until 1974. It lies on the River Stour, Kent, River Stour. The city has a mild oceanic climat ...

, and

Stonyhurst College Stonyhurst College or Stonyhurst is a co-educational Catholic Public school (United Kingdom), public school providing education for boarding school, boarding and day school, day pupils, adhering to the Society of Jesus, Jesuit tradition. It is ...

. A performance as the Archbishop of Canterbury in a school play at King's School was seen by Dame Sybil Thorndike 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, also known by its abbreviation RADA (), is a drama school in London, England, which provides vocational conservatoire training for theatre, film, television, and radio. It is based in Bloomsbury, Central London ...

and was accepted. Whilst in training at RADA, he was conscripted into the

British Army The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...

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 The West African Frontier Force (WAFF) was a multi-battalion field force, formed by the British Colonial Office in 1900 to garrison the British West Africa, West African colonies of Nigeria, Gold Coast (British colony), Gold Coast, Sierra Leone ...

. He was later invalided out of the Armed Forces, having contracted

tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB), also known colloquially as the "white death", or historically as consumption, is a contagious disease usually caused by ''Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can al ...

Career

Wilmer made his theatre stage debut in 1945 in

repertory A repertory theatre, also called repertory, rep, true rep or stock, which are also called producing theatres, is a theatre in which a resident company presents works from a specified repertoire, usually in alternation or rotation. United Kingdom ...

Rugby Rugby may refer to: Sport * Rugby football in many forms: ** Rugby union: 15 players per side *** American flag rugby *** Beach rugby *** Mini rugby *** Rugby sevens, 7 players per side *** Rugby tens, 10 players per side *** Snow rugby *** Tou ...

. He appeared frequently on the London stage, mainly in classical and

Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 23 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 Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier ( ; 22 May 1907 – 11 July 1989) was an English actor and director. He and his contemporaries Ralph Richardson and John Gielgud made up a trio of male actors who dominated the British stage of the m ...

's ''

Richard III Richard III (2 October 1452 – 22 August 1485) was King of England from 26 June 1483 until his death in 1485. He was the last king of the Plantagenet dynasty and its cadet branch the House of York. His defeat and death at the Battle of Boswor ...

'' (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 Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar ( – 10 July 1099) was a Castilian knight and ruler in medieval Spain. Fighting both with Christian and Muslim armies during his lifetime, he earned the Arabic honorific ("the Lord" or "the Master"), which would evolve i ...

'' (1961), ''

Cleopatra Cleopatra VII Thea Philopator (; The name Cleopatra is pronounced , or sometimes in both British and American English, see and respectively. Her name was pronounced in the Greek dialect of Egypt (see Koine Greek phonology). She was ...

'' (1963), ''

The Fall of the Roman Empire The fall of the Western Roman Empire, also called the fall of the Roman Empire or the fall of Rome, was the loss of central political control in the Western Roman Empire, a process in which the Empire failed to enforce its rule, and its vast ...

'' (1964), as Khalifa Abdullah in ''

Khartoum Khartoum or Khartum is the capital city of Sudan as well as Khartoum State. With an estimated population of 7.1 million people, Greater Khartoum is the largest urban area in Sudan. Khartoum is located at the confluence of the White Nile – flo ...

'' (1966), as Maj. Gen. Francis de Guingand in '' Patton'' (1970), as

Sir Thomas Fairfax Sir Thomas Fairfax (17 January 1612 – 12 November 1671) was an English army officer and politician who commanded the New Model Army from 1645 to 1650 during the English Civil War. Because of his dark hair, he was known as "Black Tom" to his l ...

in ''

Cromwell Oliver Cromwell (25 April 15993 September 1658) was an English statesman, politician and soldier, widely regarded as one of the most important figures in British history. He came to prominence during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms, initially a ...

'' (1970), and ''

Antony and Cleopatra ''Antony and Cleopatra'' is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. The play was first performed around 1607, by the King's Men at either the Blackfriars Theatre or the Globe Theatre. Its first appearance in print was in the First Folio published ...

'' (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, ...

, the

Pink Panther ''The Pink Panther'' is an American media franchise primarily focusing on a series of comedy-mystery films featuring an inept French police detective, Inspector Jacques Clouseau. The franchise began with the release of the film ''The Pink Panthe ...

films '' A Shot in the Dark'' (1964) and ''

Revenge of the Pink Panther ''Revenge of the Pink Panther'' is a 1978 comedy film directed by Blake Edwards. It is the sixth film in ''The Pink Panther'' comedy film series. Released in July 1978, it is the final on-set performance of Peter Sellers in the role of Inspector ...

'' (1978), ''

The Vampire Lovers ''The Vampire Lovers'' is a 1970 British Gothic film, Gothic horror film directed by Roy Ward Baker and starring Ingrid Pitt, Peter Cushing, George Cole (actor), George Cole, Kate O'Mara, Madeline Smith, Dawn Addams, Douglas Wilmer and Jon Fin ...

'' (1970), ''

The Golden Voyage of Sinbad ''The Golden Voyage of Sinbad'' is a 1973 fantasy adventure film directed by Gordon Hessler, featuring stop-motion effects by Ray Harryhausen. The film stars John Phillip Law, Tom Baker, Takis Emmanuel, and Caroline Munro. Based on the ''Ar ...

'' (1973), and ''

Octopussy ''Octopussy'' is a 1983 spy film and the thirteenth in the List of James Bond films, ''James Bond'' series produced by Eon Productions. It is the sixth to star Roger Moore as the Secret Intelligence Service, MI6 agent James Bond filmography, J ...

'' (1983). He is mainly associated with the role of Sherlock Holmes, which he first played in the

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

's 1964 production of " The Speckled Band". Together with co-star Nigel Stock, who played

Doctor Watson Dr. John H. Watson is a fictional character in the Sherlock Holmes stories by Arthur Conan Doyle, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Along with Sherlock Holmes, Dr. Watson first appeared in the novel ''A Study in Scarlet'' (1887). "The Adventure of Shosc ...

, Wilmer was brought back for a further twelve episodes of the ''Sherlock Holmes'' series. In 1973, Wilmer played author

Jacques Futrelle Jacques Heath Futrelle (April 9, 1875 – April 15, 1912) was an American journalist and mystery writer. He is best known for writing short detective stories featuring Professor Augustus S. F. X. Van Dusen, also known as "The Thinking M ...

'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 Gene Wilder (born Jerome Silberman; June 11, 1933 – August 29, 2016) was an American actor, comedian, writer, and filmmaker. He was mainly known for his comedic roles, including his portrayal of Willy Wonka in ''Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Fa ...

's '' The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother'', with

Thorley Walters Thorley Swinstead Walters (12 May 1913 – 6 July 1991) was an English actor. He played comedy roles in films including '' Carlton-Browne of the F.O.'' (1959) and ''Two-Way Stretch'' (1960). Early life Walters was born in Teigngrace, Devon, th ...

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 Ro ...

in two of

Harry Alan Towers Harry Alan Towers (19 October 1920 – 31 July 2009) was a British radio and independent film producer and screenwriter. He wrote numerous screenplays for the films he produced, often under the pseudonym Peter Welbeck. He produced over 80 f ...

Fu Manchu Dr. Fu Manchu ( zh, t=傅滿洲/福滿洲, p=Fú Mǎnzhōu) 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 f ...

films, '' The Brides of Fu Manchu'' (1966) and ''

The Vengeance of Fu Manchu ''The Vengeance of Fu Manchu'' (also known as ''Sax Rohmer's the Vengeance of Fu Manchu'' and ''Die Rache Des Dr. Fu Man Chu'') is a 1967 British crime thriller adventure film directed by Jeremy Summers and starring Christopher Lee, Horst Fran ...

'' (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 Epic film, epic swashbuckler film from Warner Bros. Pictures. It was produced by Hal B. Wallis and Henry Blanke, directed by Michael Curtiz and William Keighley, and written by Norman Reilly Ra ...

'', '' The Saint'', '' The Troubleshooters'', '' The Avengers'', '' The Baron'', ''

UFO An unidentified flying object (UFO) is an object or phenomenon seen in the sky but not yet identified or explained. The term was coined when United States Air Force (USAF) investigations into flying saucers found too broad a range of shapes ...

'', and '' Space: 1999''. He made a cameo appearance in " The Reichenbach Fall" episode of '' Sherlock'' as an irate old man in the

Diogenes Club The Diogenes Club is a fictional gentlemen's club created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and featured in several Sherlock Holmes stories, such as 1893's " The Adventure of the Greek Interpreter". It seems to have been named after Diogenes the Cynic ...

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 f ...

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 town and civil parish in the East Suffolk District, East Suffolk district of Suffolk, England. It is up the River Deben from the sea. It lies north-east of Ipswich and around north-east of London. In 2011 it had a populat ...

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 Sir Roger George Moore (14 October 192723 May 2017) was an English actor. He was the actor to portray Ian Fleming's fictional secret agent James Bond (literary character), James Bond in the Eon Productions/MGM Studios film series, playing the ...

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'' franchise focuses on James Bond (literary character), the titular character, a fictional Secret Intelligence Service, British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels ...

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 * ''

'' (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 39 episodes from 1958 to 1959. The series was a co-production between ITV contractor ABC Weekend TV, and American television producer Ziv Television Programs. Synopsis Na ...

'', ('Ghost Squad', episode) (1959) as Burton * '' An Honourable Murder'' (1960) as R. Cassius * ''

'' (1961) as Moutamin * ''Marco Polo'' (1962) * ''

'' (1963) as Decimus * '' Jason and the Argonauts'' (1963) as

* ''

'' (1964) as

Pescennius Niger Gaius Pescennius Niger (c. 135 – 194) was a Roman usurper from 193 to 194 during the Year of the Five Emperors. He claimed the imperial throne in response to the murder of Pertinax and the elevation of Didius Julianus, but was defeated by a ...

* ''

Woman of Straw ''Woman of Straw'' is a 1964 British crime thriller directed by Basil Dearden and starring Gina Lollobrigida and Sean Connery. It was written by Robert Muller (screenwriter), Robert Muller and Stanley Mann, adapted from the 1954 novel ''La Femme ...

'' (1964) as Dr. Murray (scenes deleted) * '' A Shot in the Dark'' (1964) as Henri LaFarge * ''

The Golden Head ''The Golden Head'' is a 1964 American- Hungarian comedy film directed by Richard Thorpe and James Hill and starring George Sanders, Buddy Hackett, Jess Conrad, Lorraine Power and Robert Coote. Plot Michael Stevenson, the famous English cri ...

'' (1964) as Detective Inspector Stevenson * '' One Way Pendulum'' (1964) as Judge / Maintenance Man * ''

'' (1966) as Khalifa Abdullah * '' The Brides of Fu Manchu'' (1966) as Nayland Smith * ''

'' (1967) as Nayland Smith * '' Hammerhead'' (1968) as Pietro Vendriani * '' A Nice Girl Like Me'' (1969) as Postnatal Clinic Doctor * '' The Reckoning'' (1969) as Moyle * '' Patton'' (1970) as Major General Freddie de Guingand * ''

'' (1970) as Sir Thomas Fairfax * ''

'' (1970) as Baron Joachim Von Hartog * ''Journey to Murder'' (1971) as Harry Vaneste (Do Me a Favor and Kill Me) * ''

Unman, Wittering and Zigo ''Unman, Wittering and Zigo'' is a 1958 radio play by the Anglo-Irish playwright Giles Cooper. Plot The play is set in a traditional boys’ boarding school. A teacher has died, apparently by accident: he fell off a cliff above the sea. John E ...

'' (1971) as Headmaster * ''

'' (1972) as Agrippa * ''

'' (1973) as Vizier * '' The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother'' (1975) as

* '' The Incredible Sarah'' (1976) as Montigny * ''

'' (1978) as Police Commissioner * ''

Rough Cut In filmmaking, the rough cut (also known as the first cut or editor's 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 ...

'' (1980) as Maxwell Levy * ''

'' (1983) as Jim Fanning * '' Sword of the Valiant'' (1984) as The Black Knight

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 Actors from the London Borough of Hounslow 20th-century English male actors Deaths from pneumonia in England People from Brentford