Michael Ward (born George William Everard Yoe Ward; 9 April 1909 – 8 November 1997) was an

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national id ...

character actor who appeared in nearly eighty films between 1947 and 1978.

Early life

Ward was born in

Carnmenellis Carnmenellis Hill (or just Carnmenellis) gives its name to the area of west Cornwall in England, between Redruth, Helston and Penryn. The hill itself is situated approximately three miles (5 km) south of Redruth.Ordnance Survey: Landrang ...

Cornwall Cornwall (; kw, Kernow ) is a historic county and ceremonial county in South West England. It is recognised as one of the Celtic nations, and is the homeland of the Cornish people. Cornwall is bordered to the north and west by the Atlan ...

, to clergyman William George Henry Ward and his wife Annie (née Dingle). He originally trained and worked as a teacher but then retrained at the

Central School of Speech and Drama The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama was founded by Elsie Fogerty in 1906, as The Central School of Speech Training and Dramatic Art, to offer a new form of training in speech and drama for young actors and other students. It became a ...

, and won his first film role in 1947, playing Mr Trafford in

Alexander Korda Sir Alexander Korda (; born Sándor László Kellner; hu, Korda Sándor; 16 September 1893 – 23 January 1956)An Ideal Husband ''An Ideal Husband'' is a four-act play by Oscar Wilde that revolves around blackmail and political corruption, and touches on the themes of public and private honour. It was first produced at the Haymarket Theatre, London in 1895 and ran for ...

''.

Career

In between the years 1947 and 1960, Ward appeared in no fewer than 30 films, making him one of the UK's busiest and most recognisable character actors. As well as five ''Carry On'' films, Ward also appeared in four

Norman Wisdom Sir Norman Joseph Wisdom, (4 February 1915 – 4 October 2010) was an English actor, comedian, musician and singer best known for a series of comedy films produced between 1953 and 1966 featuring a hapless onscreen character often called Norman ...

films and six made by the

Boulting brothers John Edward Boulting (21 December 1913 – 17 June 1985) and Roy Alfred Clarence Boulting (21 December 1913 – 5 November 2001), known collectively as the Boulting brothers, were English filmmakers and identical twins who became known for thei ...

. In the early 1960s television started to take over Ward's career, and until his retirement in 1978 he appeared in (amongst many others) ''

The Jack Benny Program ''The Jack Benny Program'', starring Jack Benny, is a radio-TV comedy series that ran for more than three decades and is generally regarded as a high-water mark in 20th century American comedy. He played one role throughout his radio and televi ...

me'', '' The Avengers'', '' The Morecambe and Wise Show'', ''

Dixon of Dock Green ''Dixon of Dock Green'' was a BBC police procedural television series about daily life at a fictional London police station, with the emphasis on petty crime, successfully controlled through common sense and human understanding. It ran from 19 ...

'', ''

The Two Ronnies ''The Two Ronnies'' is a British television comedy sketch show starring Ronnie Barker and Ronnie Corbett. It was created by Bill Cotton and aired on BBC1 from April 1971 to December 1987. The usual format included sketches, solo sections, seria ...

'', ''

Armchair Theatre ''Armchair Theatre'' is a British television drama anthology series of single plays that ran on the ITV network from 1956 to 1974. It was originally produced by ABC Weekend TV. Its successor Thames Television took over from mid-1968. The Canad ...

'', '' Rising Damp'' and '' Sykes''. After making what would be his last ever screen outing in 1978's ''

Revenge of the Pink Panther ''Revenge of the Pink Panther'' is a 1978 comedy film. It is the sixth film in '' The Pink Panther'' comedy film series. Released in 1978, it is the final on-set performance of Peter Sellers in the role of Inspector Jacques Clouseau. It was al ...

'', Ward suffered a stroke which forced him to retire. By 1986, he was unable to walk. He died on 8 November 1997 at St Mary's Hospital in London. He was 88. Michael was an extremely complicated character and never really recovered from the death of his mother in the late 60s. He was also gay (openly from the late 1960s) which caused him a lot of problems. Michael was a very sensitive man and needed to be reassured regularly.

Selected films

* ''

An Ideal Husband ''An Ideal Husband'' is a four-act play by Oscar Wilde that revolves around blackmail and political corruption, and touches on the themes of public and private honour. It was first produced at the Haymarket Theatre, London in 1895 and ran for ...

'' (1947) – Mr. Tommy Tafford * '' Calling Paul Temple'' (1948) – Passer-by (uncredited) * '' Saraband for Dead Lovers'' (1948) – (uncredited) * '' Sleeping Car to Trieste'' (1948) – Elvin * ''

Once a Jolly Swagman ''Once a Jolly Swagman'' is a 1949 British film starring Dirk Bogarde, Bonar Colleano, Bill Owen, Thora Hird and Sid James. It is centred on the sport of motorcycle speedway racing, which was at its peak of popularity at the time. It was relea ...

'' (1949) – Artist at Chelsea Party (uncredited) * '' The Queen of Spades'' (1949) – Officer in the Gaming Room (uncredited) * ''

Stop Press Girl ''Stop Press Girl'' is a 1949 British fantasy comedy film directed by Michael Barry and starring Sally Ann Howes, Gordon Jackson, Basil Radford and Naunton Wayne; the latter two appearing in several different roles in the film. The film was o ...

'' (1949) – Hairdressers Manager (uncredited) * '' Marry Me!'' (1949) – Minor Role (uncredited) * '' Helter Skelter'' (1949) – News Reader (uncredited0 * '' Trottie True'' (1949) – Pianist at Ball (uncredited) * '' High Jinks in Society'' (1949) – Watkins * ''

So Long at the Fair ''So Long at the Fair'' (US re-release title ''The Black Curse'') is a 1950 British thriller film directed by Terence Fisher and Antony Darnborough, and starring Jean Simmons and Dirk Bogarde. It was adapted from the 1947 novel of the same name ...

'' (1950) – Pilkington (uncredited) * '' What the Butler Saw'' (1950) – Gerald * '' Tony Draws a Horse'' (1950) – Photographer (uncredited) * '' Trio'' (1950) – Undetermined Secondary Role (uncredited) * '' No Trace'' (1950) – Wigmaker * '' Seven Days to Noon'' (1950) – Cast Member (uncredited) * '' Lilli Marlene'' (1951) – Wintertree * ''

Pool of London The Pool of London is a stretch of the River Thames from London Bridge to below Limehouse. Part of the Tideway of the Thames, the Pool was navigable by tall-masted vessels bringing coastal and later overseas goods—the wharves there were th ...

'' (1951) – Pianist (uncredited) * '' The Galloping Major'' (1951) – Blimpish Character (uncredited) * '' Life in Her Hands'' (1951) – Ralph (uncredited) * '' Chelsea Story'' (1951) – Chris Fawcett * '' Cheer the Brave'' (1951) * ''

Calling Bulldog Drummond ''Calling Bulldog Drummond'' is a 1951 British crime film directed by Victor Saville and featuring Walter Pidgeon, Margaret Leighton, Robert Beatty, David Tomlinson and Bernard Lee.''Harrison's Reports'' film review; 20 October 1951, page 167. ...

'' (1951) – (uncredited) * ''

Appointment with Venus ''Appointment with Venus'' () is a novel by Jerrard Tickell published by Hodder & Stoughton in 1951, leading to a British film adaptation the same year and Venus fra Vestø, a Danish film adaptation in 1962. The story is based on a real incident ...

'' (1951) – Senior Clerk's Assistant * ''

Tom Brown's Schooldays ''Tom Brown's School Days'' (sometimes written ''Tom Brown's Schooldays'', also published under the titles ''Tom Brown at Rugby'', ''School Days at Rugby'', and ''Tom Brown's School Days at Rugby'') is an 1857 novel by Thomas Hughes. The stor ...

'' (1951) – Master * ''

High Treason Treason is the crime of attacking a state authority to which one owes allegiance. This typically includes acts such as participating in a war against one's native country, attempting to overthrow its government, spying on its military, its diplo ...

'' (1951) – Music Club Member (uncredited) * '' Blind Man's Bluff'' (1952) – Jewellers Assistant * '' Whispering Smith Hits London'' (1952) – Reception Clerk * ''

13 East Street ''13 East Street'' is a 1952 British crime thriller film directed by Robert S. Baker and starring Patrick Holt, Sandra Dorne and Sonia Holm.Mackillop & Sinyard p.180 It was shot at Twickenham Studios with some location shooting around London. ...

'' (1952) – Barman * '' The Happy Family'' (1952) – BBC Announcer * '' Song of Paris'' (1952) – Waterson * '' The Frightened Man'' (1952) – Cornelius Hart * '' The Tall Headlines'' (1952) – Dentist * '' Emergency Call'' (1952) – Roberto * '' Tread Softly'' (1952) – Alexander Mayne * '' Street Corner'' (1953) – Jewellery Salesman (uncredited) * '' The Fake'' (1953) – Art Salesman * '' Trouble in Store'' (1953) – Wilbur * '' The Love Lottery'' (1954) – Hotel Receptionist * ''

Josephine and Men ''Josephine and Men'' is a 1955 British comedy film directed by Roy Boulting and starring Glynis Johns, Jack Buchanan, Donald Sinden and Peter Finch. It also features William Hartnell, Gerald Sim, Thorley Walters, Victor Maddern and John Le M ...

'' (1955) – Bohemian * '' Man of the Moment'' (1955) – Photographer * '' Lost'' (1956) – Mantilla (uncredited) * '' Private's Progress'' (1956) – Sidney (uncredited) * ''

Jumping for Joy ''Jumping for Joy'' is a 1956 British comedy film directed by John Paddy Carstairs and starring Frankie Howerd, Stanley Holloway, Joan Hickson and Lionel Jeffries. Plot Willie Joy (Frankie Howerd) works at a greyhound track as a cleaner, wh ...

'' (1956) – Pertwee (uncredited) * '' The Intimate Stranger'' (1956) – Costume Designer (uncredited) * '' Up in the World'' (1956) – Maurice * '' Brothers in Law'' (1957) – Photographer * '' Just My Luck'' (1957) – Cranley * '' Carlton-Browne of the F.O.'' (1959) – Hotel Manager (uncredited) * ''

The Ugly Duckling "The Ugly Duckling" ( da, Den grimme ælling) is a Danish literary fairy tale by Danish poet and author Hans Christian Andersen (1805–1875). It was first published on 11 November 1843 in '' New Fairy Tales. First Volume. First Collection'' ...

'' (1959) – Pasco * ''

I'm All Right Jack ''I'm All Right Jack'' is a 1959 British comedy film directed and produced by John and Roy Boulting from a script by Frank Harvey, John Boulting and Alan Hackney based on the 1958 novel ''Private Life'' by Alan Hackney. The film is a sequel ...

'' (1959) – Reporter * '' The Rough and the Smooth'' (1959) – Headwaiter * ''

Follow a Star ''Follow a Star'' is a 1959 British black and white comedy musical film directed by Robert Asher and starring Norman Wisdom. Plot Norman Truscott works as a dry cleaner, but dreams of being a stage performer. To this end, he takes elocution a ...

'' (1959) – Bit Role (uncredited) * '' Doctor in Love'' (1960) – Dr. Flower * ''

Carry On Regardless ''Carry On Regardless'' is a 1961 British comedy film, the fifth in the series of 31 ''Carry On'' films (1958–1992). The film revolves loosely around the activities of a job agency, 'Helping Hands', run by Sid James's character, Bert Hand ...

'' (1961) – Photographer * '' Mary Had a Little...'' (1961) – Hunter * ''

A Pair of Briefs ''A Pair of Briefs'' is a 1962 black and white British courtroom comedy film directed by Ralph Thomas and starring Michael Craig, Mary Peach, Brenda De Banzie and James Robertson Justice. The screenplay concerns a newly qualified female barri ...

'' (1962) – Judge's Dresser (uncredited) * '' Carry On Cabby'' (1963) – Man in Tweeds * ''

Father Came Too! ''Father Came Too!'' is a 1964 British comedy film directed by Peter Graham Scott and starring James Robertson Justice, Leslie Phillips and Stanley Baxter. It is a loose sequel to '' The Fast Lady''. It was produced by the Independent Artists c ...

'' (1963) – Man at Auction * ''

Carry On Cleo ''Carry On Cleo'' is a 1964 British historical comedy film, the tenth in the series of 31 ''Carry On'' films (1958–1992). Regulars Sid James, Kenneth Williams, Kenneth Connor, Charles Hawtrey, and Jim Dale are present and Connor made his ...

'' (1964) – Archimedes * '' The Big Job'' (1965) – Undertaker * '' Carry On Screaming!'' (1966) – Mrt. Vivian * '' Where the Bullets Fly'' (1966) – Michael * ''

Carry On Don't Lose Your Head ''Don't Lose Your Head'' is a 1967 British swashbuckling comedy film, the 13th in the series of 31 ''Carry On'' films (1958–1992). It features regular team members Sid James, Kenneth Williams, Jim Dale, Charles Hawtrey, and Joan Sim ...

'' (1966) – Henri * '' Smashing Time'' (1967) – Elderly Shop Owner * '' Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell'' (1974) – Transvest * '' Man About the House'' (1974) – Mr. Gideon * ''

'' (1978) – Real Estate Agent (final film role)

References

* *

External links

Official Website
*

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ward, Michael 1909 births 1997 deaths English male television actors English male film actors Alumni of the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama Male actors from Cornwall 20th-century English male actors