William Maurice Denham (23 December 1909 – 24 July 2002) was an English actor who appeared in over 100 films and television programmes in his long career.

Early life

Denham was born on 23 December 1909 in

Beckenham Beckenham () is a town in Greater London, England, within the London Borough of Bromley. Prior to 1965, it was part of Kent. It is situated north of Elmers End and Eden Park, east of Penge, south of Lower Sydenham and Bellingham, and west ...

Kent Kent is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Essex across the Thames Estuary to the north, the Strait of Dover to the south-east, East Sussex to the south-west, Surrey to the west, and Gr ...

, the son of Eleanor Winifred (née Lillico) and Norman Denham. He was the third child of four. He was educated at

Tonbridge School Tonbridge School is a public school (English fee-charging boarding and day school for boys aged 13–18) in Tonbridge, Kent, England, founded in 1553 by Sir Andrew Judde (sometimes spelt Judd). It is a member of the Eton Group and has clo ...

and trained as a lift engineer. Like fellow actor

James Robertson Justice James Robertson Justice (15 June 1907 – 2 July 1975) was a British actor. He often portrayed pompous authority figures in comedies, including each of the seven films in the ''Doctor'' series. He also co-starred with Gregory Peck in seve ...

, he played amateur rugby for Beckenham RFC.

Career

Denham became an actor in 1934, and appeared in live television broadcasts as early as 1938, continuing to perform in that medium until 1997. Denham initially made his name in radio comedy series such as ''

It's That Man Again ''It's That Man Again'' (commonly contracted to ''ITMA'') was a BBC radio comedy programme which ran for twelve series from 1939 to 1949. The shows featured Tommy Handley in the central role, a fast-talking figure, around whom the other ch ...

'' (''ITMA'') and ''

Much Binding in the Marsh ''Much-Binding-in-the-Marsh'' was a comedy show broadcast from 1944 to 1950 and 1951 to 1954 by BBC Radio and in 1950–1951 by Radio Luxembourg. It was written by and starred Richard Murdoch and Kenneth Horne as officers in a fictional RAF st ...

'', which established him as a familiar radio character (providing over sixty different voices, female as well as male, according to a radio interview in November 1988), and later provided all the voices for the animated version of ''

Animal Farm ''Animal Farm'' (originally ''Animal Farm: A Fairy Story'') is a satirical allegorical novella, in the form of a beast fable, by George Orwell, first published in England on 17 August 1945. It tells the story of a group of anthropomorphic far ...

'' (1954).

British Pathé British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and cultur ...

chose him to narrate the voiceover for their 1950s film, ''All in a Day''. He was nominated for the

BAFTA The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA, ) is an independent trade association and charity that supports, develops, and promotes the arts of film, television and video games in the United Kingdom. In addition to its annual awa ...

Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role for his performance as Blore in '' The Purple Plain'' (1954). Other film credits include '' 23 Paces to Baker Street'' (1956), '' Night of the Demon'' (1957), '' Two-Way Stretch'' (1960), '' Sink the Bismarck!'' (1960), '' H.M.S. Defiant'' (1962), '' Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines'' (1965), '' The Day of the Jackal'' (1973), '' Minder on the Orient Express'' (1985) and '' 84 Charing Cross Road'' (1987). Among his television appearances were as the father in '' Talking to a Stranger'' (1966), '' The Lotus Eaters'' (1972–73), as Archbishop Lang in '' Edward & Mrs Simpson'' (1978),

Gerrit Dou Gerrit Dou (; 7 April 1613 – 9 February 1675), also known as Gerard Douw or Dow, was a Dutch Golden Age painter, whose small, highly polished paintings are typical of the Leiden fijnschilders. He specialised in genre scenes and is noted for h ...

in '' Schalcken the Painter'' (1979), ''

All Passion Spent ''All Passion Spent'' is a literary fiction novel by Vita Sackville-West. Published in 1931, it is one of Sackville-West's most popular works and has been adapted for television by the BBC. The novel addresses people's, especially women's, contr ...

'' with Dame Wendy Hiller (1986), as Mr Justice Gwent-Evans in an episode of ''

Rumpole of the Bailey ''Rumpole of the Bailey'' is a British television series created and written by the British writer and barrister John Mortimer. It starred Leo McKern as Horace Rumpole, a middle-aged London barrister who defended a broad variety of clients, ...

'' (1987), '' Behaving Badly'' (1989), ''

Inspector Morse Endeavour Morse, GM, is the namesake character of the series of "Morse" detective novels by British author Colin Dexter, a Detective Chief Inspector in the Thames Valley Police in Oxford, England. On television he was portrayed by John ...

'' (1991) and as Sir Max Spence in an episode of ''

Lovejoy ''Lovejoy'' is a British television comedy-drama mystery fiction, mystery series, based on the Lovejoy (novel series), novels by John Grant (Lovejoy), John Grant under the pen name Jonathan Gash. The show, which ran to 71 episodes over six ser ...

'' ("Benin Bronze", 1992). He appeared in the ''Sherlock Holmes'' story " The Last Vampyre" (1993), with

Jeremy Brett Peter Jeremy William Huggins (3 November 1933 – 12 September 1995), known professionally as Jeremy Brett, was an English actor. He is best known for his portrayal of Sherlock Holmes from 1984 to 1994 in 41 episodes of a Sherlock Holmes (1984 TV ...

starring as Sherlock Holmes. He also appeared (heavily made-up) in another Sherlock Holmes episode, starring Douglas Wilmer as Holmes, " The Retired Colourman", first shown by the BBC in 1965. He made a guest appearance 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 ...

science fiction television series ''

Doctor Who ''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series, created by Sydney Newman, C. E. Webber and Donald Wilson (writer and producer), Donald Wilson, depicts the adventures of an extraterre ...

'' in the 1984 serial ''

The Twin Dilemma ''The Twin Dilemma'' is the seventh and final serial of the Doctor Who season 21, 21st season of the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'', which was first broadcast in four twice-weekly parts from 22 to 30 March 1984. It was ...

'', the first story to star

Colin Baker Colin Charles Baker (born 8 June 1943) is an English actor. He played Paul Merroney in the BBC television drama series ''The Brothers (1972 TV series), The Brothers'' from 1974 to 1976 and the Sixth Doctor, sixth incarnation of The Doctor (Do ...

in the title role as the

sixth Doctor The Sixth Doctor is an incarnation of The Doctor (Doctor Who), the Doctor, the protagonist of the British Science fiction on television, science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. He is portrayed by Colin Baker. Although his televisual t ...

. He later appeared in the ''Doctor Who'' radio serial '' The Paradise of Death'' in 1993, alongside

Jon Pertwee John Devon Roland Pertwee (; 7 July 1919 – 20 May 1996), known professionally as Jon Pertwee, was an English actor. Born into a theatrical family, he became known as a comedy actor, playing Chief Petty Officer Pertwee (and three other roles) in ...

. As The Honourable Mr Justice Stephen Rawley in two episodes in 1977 of the BBC TV prison comedy ''

Porridge Porridge is a food made by heating, soaking or boiling ground, crushed or chopped starchy plants, typically grain, in milk or water. It is often cooked or served with added flavourings such as sugar, honey, fruit, or syrup to make a sweet cereal ...

'', he ends up sharing a cell with

Ronnie Barker Ronald William George Barker (25 September 1929 – 3 October 2005) was an English actor, comedian and writer. He was known for roles in British comedy television series such as ''Porridge (1974 TV series), Porridge'', ''The Two Ronnies'', ...

's Fletcher, whom he had sentenced. In further radio work, he starred in a

BBC Radio 4 BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. The station replaced the BBC Home Service on 30 September 1967 and broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes from the BBC's headquarters at Broadcasti ...

version of the '' Oldest Member'', based on stories by

P.G. Wodehouse Sir Pelham Grenville Wodehouse ( ; 15 October 1881 – 14 February 1975) was an English writer and one of the most widely read humorists of the 20th century. His creations include the feather-brained Bertie Wooster and his sagacious valet, Je ...

, from 1994 to 1999, as Rumpole in '' Rumpole: The Splendours and Miseries of an Old Bailey Hack'', as Alexandre Manette in ''

A Tale of Two Cities ''A Tale of Two Cities'' is a historical novel published in 1859 by English author Charles Dickens, set in London and Paris before and during the French Revolution. The novel tells the story of the French Doctor Manette, his 18-year-long impr ...

'', as 'Father' in Peter Tinniswood's ''Winston'' series, and also as Chief Inspector Jules Maigret in several series beginning in 1976. He also portrayed

Hercule Poirot Hercule Poirot (, ) is a fictional Belgian detective created by the English writer Agatha Christie. Poirot is Christie's most famous and longest-running character, appearing in 33 novels, two plays (''Black Coffee (play), Black Coffee'' and '' ...

in a

radio dramatisation of ''

The Mystery of the Blue Train ''The Mystery of the Blue Train'' is a work of detective fiction by British writer Agatha Christie, first published in the United Kingdom by William Collins & Sons on 29 March 1928 and in the United States by Dodd, Mead and Company later in ...

'' (1985). In his book ''British Film Character Actors'' (1982), Terence Pettigrew noted that Denham "had one of the best-known bald heads in British films. His face was a minor work of art, a bright-eyed pixie face hand-painted on an egg. It could be kindly, sympathetic, gnomish and infinitely expressive. He also had one of the most listenable and controlled of English-speaking voices, a legacy from his many years in radio."

Personal life

In 1936, Denham married Elizabeth Dunn, with whom he had two sons and a daughter. Denham was awarded the OBE in 1992. He died on 24 July 2002, aged 92 at

Denville Hall Denville Hall is a historic building in Northwood, a town in the London Borough of Hillingdon, England, which is used as a retirement home for professional actors, actresses and members of other theatrical professions. The present building in ...

north London North London is the northern part of London, England, north of the River Thames and the City of London. It extends from Clerkenwell and Finsbury, on the edge of the City of London financial district, to Greater London's boundary with Hertfordshi ...

Selected filmography

* '' The Man Within'' (1947) as Smuggler * '' The Upturned Glass'' (1947) as Mobile Policeman * ''

They Made Me a Fugitive ''They Made Me a Fugitive'' (also known as ''They Made Me a Criminal''; U.S. title: ''I Became a Criminal'') is a 1947 British black-and-white film noir directed by Alberto Cavalcanti and starring Sally Gray and Trevor Howard. It was written b ...

'' (1947) as Mr Fenshaw * ''

Holiday Camp A holiday camp is a type of holiday accommodation, primarily in the United Kingdom, that encourages holidaymakers to stay within the site boundary, and provides entertainment and facilities for them throughout the day. Since the 1970s, the term ...

'' (1947) as Camp Doctor * '' Jassy'' (1947) as Jim Stoner * '' Captain Boycott'' (1947) as Lt. Col. StrickLand * '' Fame Is the Spur'' (1947) as Prison Doctor No. 2 (uncredited) * '' Take My Life'' (1947) as Defending Counsel * '' The End of the River'' (1947) as Defending Counsel * '' Easy Money'' (1948) as Detective-Inspector Kirby * '' Blanche Fury'' (1948) as Maj. Fraser * '' Escape'' (1948) as Crown Counsel * '' Daybreak'' (1948) as Inspector * '' Miranda'' (1948) as Cockle Vendor * ''

Oliver Twist ''Oliver Twist; or, The Parish Boy's Progress'', is the second novel by English author Charles Dickens. It was originally published as a serial from 1837 to 1839 and as a three-volume book in 1838. The story follows the titular orphan, who, ...

'' (1948) as Chief of Police * '' My Brother's Keeper'' (1948) as Supt. Trent * ''

London Belongs to Me ''London Belongs to Me'' (also known as ''Dulcimer Street'') is a British film released in 1948, directed by Sidney Gilliat, and starring Richard Attenborough and Alastair Sim. It was based on the novel ''London Belongs to Me'' by Norman Collins ...

'' (1948) as Jack Rufus * '' The Blind Goddess'' (1948) as Johnson, The Butler * ''

Quartet In music, a quartet (, , , , ) is an ensemble of four singers or instrumental performers. Classical String quartet In classical music, one of the most common combinations of four instruments in chamber music is the string quartet. String quar ...

'' (1948) as Coroner (segment "The Allen Corn") * '' Here Come the Huggetts'' (1948) as 1st Engineer * '' Look Before You Love'' (1948) as Fosser * '' Once Upon a Dream'' (1949) as Vicar * '' The Blue Lagoon'' (1949) as Ship Captain * '' It's Not Cricket'' (1949) as Otto Fisch * '' A Boy, a Girl and a Bike'' (1949) as Bill Martin * ''

Poet's Pub ''Poet's Pub'' is a 1949 British second feature ('B') comedy film directed by Frederick Wilson and starring Derek Bond, Rona Anderson and James Robertson Justice. It was written by Diana Morgan based on the 1929 novel of the same title ...

'' (1949) as PC Windle * '' Don't Ever Leave Me'' (1949) as Mr Knowles * '' Madness of the Heart'' (1949) as Simon Blake * ''

Landfall Landfall is the event of a storm moving over land after being over water. More broadly, and in relation to human travel, it refers to 'the first land that is reached or seen at the end of a journey across the sea or through the air, or the fact ...

'' (1949) as Wing Cmdr. Hewitt * '' The Spider and the Fly'' (1949) as Colonel de la Roche * '' Traveller's Joy'' (1950) as Fowler * '' No Highway'' (1951) as Major Pearl (uncredited) * ''

Time Bomb A time bomb (or a timebomb, time-bomb) is a bomb whose detonation is triggered by a timer. The use or attempted use of time bombs has been for various purposes including insurance fraud, terrorism, assassination, sabotage and warfare. They are a ...

'' (1953) as Jim Warrilow * '' The Net'' (1953) as Prof. Carrington (uncredited) * '' Street Corner'' (1953) as Mr. Dawson * '' Malta Story'' (1953) as British Officer (uncredited) * ''

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 (actress), Jane Griffiths. It is based on the 1893 Mark Twain short story "The Mi ...

'' (1954) as Jonathan Reid * '' Eight O'Clock Walk'' (1954) as Horace Clifford * '' The Purple Plain'' (1954) as Blore * '' Carrington V.C.'' (1954) as Lt Col Reeve * ''

'' (1954) as All Animals (voices) * '' Doctor at Sea'' (1955) as Easter * '' Simon and Laura'' (1955) as Wilson * '' 23 Paces to Baker Street'' (1956) as Inspector Grovening * '' The Spanish Gardener'' (1956) as Pedro (voice) * '' Checkpoint'' (1956) as Ted Thornhill * '' Barnacle Bill'' (1957) as Crowley * '' Night of the Demon'' (1957) as Professor Harrington * '' The Captain's Table'' (1959) as Major Broster * ''

Our Man in Havana ''Our Man in Havana'' (1958) is a novel set in Cuba by the British author Graham Greene. Greene uses the novel to mock intelligence services, especially the British MI6, and their willingness to believe reports from their local informants. Th ...

'' (1959) as Admiral * '' Two-Way Stretch'' (1960) as The Governor * '' Sink the Bismarck!'' (1960) as Commander Richards * '' The Greengage Summer'' (1961) as Uncle William * '' The Mark'' (1961) as Arnold Cartwright * ''

Invasion Quartet ''Invasion Quartet'' is a 1961 British World War II comedy-drama film directed by Jay Lewis and starring Bill Travers and Spike Milligan. It was publicised as a parody of ''The Guns of Navarone (film), The Guns of Navarone''. The screenplay was ...

'' (1961) as Dr Barker * '' Damn the Defiant'' (1962) as Mr Goss (Ship's Surgeon) * '' The Set Up'' (1963) as Theo Gaunt * '' The King's Breakfast'' (1963) as Narrator (voice) * '' The Very Edge'' (1963) as Crawford * '' Paranoiac'' (1963) as John Kossett * '' Long Past Glory (TV film)'' (1963) as Charles * '' The 7th Dawn'' (1964) as Tarlton * '' Downfall'' (1964) as Sir Harold Crossley * ''

Operation Crossbow ''Crossbow'' was the code name in World War II for Anglo-American operations against the German V-weapons, long range reprisal weapons (V-weapons) programme. The primary V-weapons were the V-1 flying bomb and V-2 rocket, which were launched agai ...

'' (1965) as RAF Officer * ''

Hysteria Hysteria is a term used to mean ungovernable emotional excess and can refer to a temporary state of mind or emotion. In the nineteenth century, female hysteria was considered a diagnosable physical illness in women. It is assumed that the bas ...

'' (1965) as Hemmings * '' Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines'' (1965) as Trawler Skipper * '' The Alphabet Murders'' (1965) as Japp * ''

The Nanny ''The Nanny'' is an American sitcom that originally aired on CBS from November 3, 1993, to June 23, 1999, starring Fran Drescher as Fran Fine, a Jewish wikt:fashionista, fashionista from Flushing, Queens, who becomes the nanny of three children ...

'' (1965) as Dr. Beammaster * '' The Heroes of Telemark'' (1965) as Doctor * '' The Uncle'' (1965) as Mr. Ream * '' The Night Caller'' (1965) as Dr Morley * '' After the Fox'' (1966) as Chief of Interpol * '' Jules Verne's Rocket to the Moon'' (1967) as Narrator (voice, uncredited) * '' The Long Duel'' (1967) as Governor * ''

Danger Route ''Danger Route'' is a 1967 British spy film directed by Seth Holt for Amicus Productions and starring Richard Johnson (actor), Richard Johnson as Jonas Wilde, Carol Lynley and Barbara Bouchet. It was based on Christopher Nicole, Andrew York's 19 ...

'' (1967) as Peter Ravenspur * '' Torture Garden'' (1967) as Uncle Roger (segment 1 "Enoch") * '' Attack on the Iron Coast'' (1968) as Rear Admiral Sir Frederick Grafton * '' Negatives'' (1968) as The Father * '' Some Girls Do'' (1969) as Mr. Mortimer * '' Midas Run'' (1969) as Charles Crittenden * '' A Touch of Love'' (1969) as Doctor Prothero * '' The Best House in London'' (1969) as Editor of ''The Times'' * '' The Virgin and the Gypsy'' (1970) as The Rector * '' Countess Dracula'' (1971) as Master Fabio, Castle Historian * ''

Sunday Bloody Sunday "Sunday Bloody Sunday" is a song by Irish rock band U2. It is the opening track from their 1983 album '' War'' and was released as the album's third single on 21 March 1983 in the Netherlands and West Germany. "Sunday Bloody Sunday" is noted ...

'' (1971) as Mr Greville * '' Nicholas and Alexandra'' (1971) as Kokovtsov * '' The Day of the Jackal'' (1973) as General Colbert * '' Luther'' (1973) as

Johann von Staupitz Johann von Staupitz ( 1460 – 28 December 1524) was a German Catholic priest and theologian, university preacher, and Vicar General of the Augustinian friars in Germany, who supervised Martin Luther during a critical period in his spiritual life ...

* ''

Fall of Eagles Autumn, also known as fall (especially in US & Canada), is one of the four temperate seasons on Earth. Outside the tropics, autumn marks the transition from summer to winter, in September (Northern Hemisphere) or March (Southern Hemisphere ...

'' (1974) as Kaiser

Wilhelm I Wilhelm I (Wilhelm Friedrich Ludwig; 22 March 1797 – 9 March 1888) was King of Prussia from 1861 and German Emperor from 1871 until his death in 1888. A member of the House of Hohenzollern, he was the first head of state of a united Germany. ...

* '' Shout at the Devil'' (1976) as Mr Smythe * '' Julia'' (1977) as Undertaker * ''

'' (1977) as The Honourable Mr Justice Stephen Rawley (2 episodes) * '' Secret Army — Series 1 Episode 14: Good Friday'' (1977) as Father Girard * '' From a Far Country'' (1981) as Sapieha * '' Martin Luther, Heretic'' (1983) as Father Staupitz * ''

The Chain "The Chain" is a song by British-American rock band Fleetwood Mac, released on their 1977 album '' Rumours''. It is the only song from the album with writing credits for all five members (Stevie Nicks, Lindsey Buckingham, Christine McVie, John ...

'' (1984) as Grandpa * '' Mr. Love'' (1986) as Theo * '' 84 Charing Cross Road'' (1987) as George Martin * ''

Miss Marple Miss Jane Marple is a fictional character in Agatha Christie's crime novels and short stories. Miss Marple lives in the village of St Mary Mead and acts as an amateur consulting detective. Often characterised as an elderly spinster, she is one ...

— 4.50 from Paddington'' (1987) as Luther Crackenthorpe * ''

'' (1991) as Lance Mandeville * ''

Casualty Casualty may refer to: *Casualty (person), a person who is killed or rendered unfit for service in a war or natural disaster **Civilian casualty, a non-combatant killed or injured in warfare * The emergency department of a hospital, also known as ...

'' (1997) as Mr Turnbull

References

External links

*
Maurice Denham's stage performances listed in archive of Theatre Collection University of Bristol
{{DEFAULTSORT:Denham, Maurice 1909 births 2002 deaths 20th-century English male actors Actors from the London Borough of Bromley Animal impersonators English male film actors English male television actors English male voice actors Male actors from Kent Officers of the Order of the British Empire People educated at Tonbridge School People from Beckenham