Albert Patrick Jordan (10 October 1923 – 10 January 2020) was a British stage, film and television actor.

Biography

He was born and raised in Harrow,

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 ...

, the son of Margaret, a cook, and Albert Jordan, a regimental

sergeant major Sergeant major is a senior Non-commissioned officer, non-commissioned Military rank, rank or appointment in many militaries around the world. History In 16th century Spain, the ("sergeant major") was a general officer. He commanded an army's ...

. An accident while playing bows and arrows with his two brothers left him with a distinctive scar on his right cheek. He made his stage debut in a 1946

Old Vic Old or OLD may refer to: Places *Old, Baranya, Hungary *Old, Northamptonshire, England *Old Street station, a railway and tube station in London (station code OLD) *OLD, IATA code for Old Town Municipal Airport and Seaplane Base, Old Town, Mai ...

production of ''

Richard II Richard II (6 January 1367 – ), also known as Richard of Bordeaux, was King of England from 1377 until he was deposed in 1399. He was the son of Edward, Prince of Wales (later known as the Black Prince), and Joan, Countess of Kent. R ...

'' at the New Theatre, which was directed by Ralph Richardson and featured Harry Andrews and

Alec Guinness Sir Alec Guinness (born Alec Guinness de Cuffe; 2 April 1914 – 5 August 2000) was an English actor. In the BFI, British Film Institute listing of 1999 of BFI Top 100 British films, the 100 most important British films of the 20th century ...

. With Old Vic he went on to perform in other Shakespearean plays, including ''

Coriolanus ''Coriolanus'' ( or ) is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1605 and 1608. The play is based on the life of the legendary Roman leader Gnaeus Marcius Coriolanus. Shakespeare worked on it during the same ...

'' and ''

The Taming of the Shrew ''The Taming of the Shrew'' is a comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1590 and 1592. The play begins with a framing device, often referred to as the induction, in which a mischievous nobleman tricks a drunke ...

'', in the last of which also appeared

Renée Asherson Dorothy Renée Ascherson (19 May 1915 – 30 October 2014), known professionally as Renée Asherson, was a British actress. Much of her theatrical career was spent in Shakespearean plays, appearing at such venues as the Old Vic, the Liverpool ...

. Jordan remained friends with Asherson and Guinness. Jordan's screen roles included several war films, including '' The Battle of the River Plate'' (1956), '' The Longest Day'' (1962), '' The Heroes of Telemark'' (1965), '' Play Dirty'' (1969), and '' Too Late the Hero'' (1970). He is perhaps best remembered for his uncredited speaking role as Imperial Officer Cass, an aide to

Grand Moff Tarkin Grand Moff Wilhuff Tarkin is a fictional character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. He was introduced in the original 1977 ''Star Wars'' film as one of the two main antagonists, alongside Darth Vader, and the commander of the Death Star, a gigan ...

(

Peter Cushing Peter Wilton Cushing (26 May 1913 – 11 August 1994) was an English actor. His acting career spanned over six decades and included appearances in more than 100 films, as well as many television, stage and radio roles. He achieved recognition f ...

), in ''

Star Wars ''Star Wars'' is an American epic film, epic space opera media franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the Star Wars (film), eponymous 1977 film and Cultural impact of Star Wars, quickly became a worldwide popular culture, pop cu ...

'' (1977), a role secured for him by Guinness, who played

Obi-Wan Kenobi Obi-Wan "Ben" Kenobi () is a character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. In the original film trilogy, he is a Jedi Master who trains Luke Skywalker in the ways of the Force. In the prequel trilogy, he mentors Luke's father, Anakin Skywalke ...

. Jordan was offered the choice of either a guaranteed fee for his role, or a small share of the film's royalties. As he was dubious about the film's prospects, he opted for the former, a decision which he later regretted in light of the film's immense success. Jordan's television appearances included ''

Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) ''Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased)'' is a British private detective television series, starring Mike Pratt (actor), Mike Pratt and Kenneth Cope respectively as the private detectives Jeff Randall and Marty Hopkirk. The series was created by Denn ...

'', (''

A Disturbing Case "A Disturbing Case" is the second episode of the 1969 British television series ''Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased)'', distributed by ITC Entertainment and starring Mike Pratt, Kenneth Cope and Annette Andre. The episode was first broadcast on 28 Se ...

'', episode); ''

Minder A minder is the person assigned to guide or escort a visitor, or to provide protection to somebody, or to otherwise assist or take care of something, i.e. a person who " minds". Government-appointed persons to accompany foreign visitors are of ...

''; ''

Angels An angel is a spiritual (without a physical body), heavenly, or supernatural being, usually humanoid with bird-like wings, often depicted as a messenger or intermediary between God (the transcendent) and humanity (the profane) in variou ...

''; ''

Terry and June ''Terry and June'' is a BBC television sitcom, broadcast on BBC1 from 1979 to 1987. The show was largely a reworking of '' Happy Ever After'', and starred Terry Scott and June Whitfield as a middle-aged, middle-class suburban couple, Terry and J ...

''; ''

Shine on Harvey Moon ''Shine on Harvey Moon'' is a British television series made by WitzEnd Productions and Central Television for ITV from 8 January 1982 to 23 August 1985 and briefly revived in 1995 by Meridian Broadcasting. This generally light-hearted series ...

''; ''

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 '' ...

''; ''

Crossroads Crossroads is a junction where four roads meet. Crossroads, crossroad, cross road(s) or similar may also refer to: Film and television Films * ''Crossroads'' (1928 film), a 1928 Japanese film by Teinosuke Kinugasa * ''Cross Roads'' (film), a ...

''; and ''

The Bill ''The Bill'' is a British police procedural television series, broadcast on ITV (TV network), ITV from 16 October 1984 until 31 August 2010. The programme originated from a one-off drama, "Woodentop (The Bill), Woodentop" (part of the ''Storyb ...

''. He retired in 1995.

Personal life

Jordan was married to illustrator Margery Gill from 1946 until her death in 2008. They had two daughters, Tessa and Ros (died 1996). From 1969, he and his wife lived in

Alpheton Alpheton is a village and civil parish in the Babergh district of Suffolk, England. Located on the A134 road about six miles north of Sudbury, in 2005 it had a population of 260, reducing to 256 at the 2011 Census. According to Eilert Ekwall th ...

Suffolk Suffolk ( ) is a ceremonial county in the East of England and East Anglia. It is bordered by Norfolk to the north, the North Sea to the east, Essex to the south, and Cambridgeshire to the west. Ipswich is the largest settlement and the county ...

, where he died on 10 January 2020, at the age of 96. He was survived by his elder daughter, four grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.

Selected filmography

* ''

Stryker of the Yard ''Stryker of the Yard'' (also known as ''Stryker of Scotland Yard'', ''Scotland Yard Cases'' and ''Inspector Stryker'') is a 1953 British second feature ('B') crime film directed by Arthur Crabtree and starring Clifford Evans, Susan Stephen, ...

'' (1953) * '' Face the Music'' (1954) – Policeman #1 (uncredited) * ''

River Beat ''River Beat'' is a 1954 British second feature noir crime film directed by Guy Green and starring John Bentley, Phyllis Kirk and Leonard White. It was written by Rex Rientis and distributed in the United States by Lippert Pictures. Plot J ...

'' (1954) – Bert Fisher * ''

Eight O'Clock Walk ''Eight O'Clock Walk'' is a 1954 British drama film directed by Lance Comfort and starring Richard Attenborough, Cathy O'Donnell, Derek Farr and Maurice Denham. Based on a true story, ''Eight O'Clock Walk'' is an anti-capital punishment film ...

'' (1954) - Prison Warden (uncredited) * '' The Diamond'' (1954) – First Fox & Hounds Detective (uncredited) * '' The Embezzler'' (1954) – Police Sergeant (uncredited) * ''

Companions in Crime ''Companions in Crime'' (also known as ''Stryker Strikes Twice'') is a 1954 British crime film directed by John Krish and starring Clifford Evans, George Woodbridge and Kenneth Haigh. It was written by Kenneth Hayles, Patricia Lathan and Les ...

'' (1954) * ''

Stock Car Stock car racing is a form of automobile racing run on oval tracks and road courses. It originally used production-model cars, hence the name "stock car", but is now run using cars specifically built for racing. It originated in the southe ...

'' (1955) – Jack * '' The Gilded Cage'' (1955) – Sergeant Miller * '' The Flaw'' (1955) - Oliveri's Friend at the Club * '' No Smoking'' (1955) – Reporter * '' It's a Great Day'' (1955) – Policeman * ''

Cloak Without Dagger ''Cloak Without Dagger'' (U.S title ''Operation Conspiracy'') is a 1956 British second feature ('B') comedy thriller film directed by Joseph Sterling and starring Philip Friend, Mary Mackenzie and Leslie Dwyer. It was written and produced by A ...

'' (1956) – Captain Willis * '' The Battle of the River Plate'' (1956) – Signalman, Aft-Conning, HMS Exeter (uncredited) * '' The Secret Place'' (1957) – Constable (uncredited) * '' The Man Upstairs'' (1958) – Injured Sergeant * '' The Angry Hills'' (1959) – Bluey * ''

The Giant Behemoth ''The Giant Behemoth'' (originally titled ''Behemoth the Sea Monster'') is a 1959 monster film directed by Eugène Lourié, with special effects by Willis H. O'Brien, Pete Peterson, Irving Block, Jack Rabin, and Louis de Witt. The film stars G ...

'' (1959) – Photo Lab Aide (uncredited) * ''

Sink the Bismarck! ''Sink the Bismarck!'' is a 1960 black-and-white CinemaScope British war film based on the 1959 book '' The Last Nine Days of the Bismarck'' by C. S. Forester. It stars Kenneth More and Dana Wynter and was directed by Lewis Gilbert. To date ...

'' (1960) – Agent in Norway (uncredited) * ''

The League of Gentlemen ''The League of Gentlemen'' is a British surreal comedy horror series that premiered on BBC Two in 1999. The programme is set in Royston Vasey, a fictional town in northern England originally based on Alston, Cumbria, and follows the lives ...

'' (1960) – Sergeant (uncredited) * ''

Man Detained ''Man Detained'' is a 1961 British second feature ('B') crime film directed by Robert Tronson and starring Bernard Archard, Elvi Hale and Paul Stassino. The screenplay was by Richard Harris, based on the 1916 Edgar Wallace novel '' A Debt Disch ...

'' (1961) – Brand * ''

Emergency An emergency is an urgent, unexpected, and usually dangerous situation that poses an immediate risk to health, life, property, or environment and requires immediate action. Most emergencies require urgent intervention to prevent a worsening ...

'' (1962) – Jimmy Regan * ''

Rag Doll A rag doll is a doll made from scraps of fabric. They are one of the oldest children's toys in existence. Today, many rag dolls are commercially produced to mimic aspects of the original home-made dolls, such as simple features, soft cloth bodies, ...

'' (1961) – Wills * ''

The Frightened City ''The Frightened City'' is a 1961 British neo-noir gangster film directed by John Lemont and starring Herbert Lom, John Gregson and Sean Connery. It was written by Leigh Vance. The film is about extortion rackets and gang warfare in the West End ...

'' (1961) – Frankie Farmer * '' The Longest Day'' (1962) – As British Soldier, Lt. Richard Todd speaking with Maj. John Howard (uncredited) * ''

The Amorous Prawn ''The Amorous Prawn'', also known as ''The Amorous Mr. Prawn'', is a 1962 British comedy film directed by Anthony Kimmins and starring Ian Carmichael, Joan Greenwood, and Cecil Parker. The film was based on a 1959 farcical play by Kimmins. In ...

'' (1962) – Sergeant at Guard * ''

In Search of the Castaways ''In Search of the Castaways'' () is a novel by the French writer Jules Verne, published in 1867–68. The original edition, published by Hetzel, contains illustrations by Édouard Riou. In 1876, it was republished by George Routledge & Son ...

'' (1962) – Ayerton Hijacker Two (uncredited) * ''

Dilemma A dilemma () is a problem offering two possibilities, neither of which is unambiguously acceptable or preferable. The possibilities are termed the ''horns'' of the dilemma, a clichéd usage, but distinguishing the dilemma from other kinds of p ...

'' (1962) – Inspector Murray * ''

The Marked One ''The Marked One'' is a 1963 British second feature crime film directed by Francis Searle and starring William Lucas, Zena Walker and Patrick Jordan. It was written by Paul Erickson. An ex-con's daughter is kidnapped by a blackmailer. Plot ...

'' (1963) – Inspector Mayne * ''

The Informers ''The Informers'' is a collection of short stories, linked by the same continuity, written by American author Bret Easton Ellis. The collection was first published as a whole in 1994. Chapters 6 and 7, "Water from the Sun" and "Discovering Ja ...

'' (1963) – 1st Inspector (uncredited) * ''

The Victors "The Victors" is the fight song of the University of Michigan. Michigan student Louis Elbel wrote the song in 1898 after the football team's victory over the University of Chicago, which clinched an undefeated season and the Western Conferen ...

'' (1963) – Tank Sergeant * '' Delayed Flight'' (1964) – Carter * ''

A Place to Go ''A Place to Go'' is a 1963 British crime drama film directed by Basil Dearden and starring Bernard Lee, Rita Tushingham and Michael Sarne. It was based on the 1961 novel ''Bethnal Green'' by Michael Fisher. Set in contemporary Bethnal Green in ...

'' (1964) – Police officer (uncredited) * ''

Joey Boy Apisit Opasaimlikit (, ; born 1974), known by his stage name Joey Boy (), is a Thai hip hop singer and producer known as the Godfather of Thai Hip Hop. Biography Born into a Thai Chinese family, Apisit started listening to hip hop when he ...

'' (1965) – Real Military Policeman (uncredited) * ''

Bunny Lake Is Missing ''Bunny Lake Is Missing'' is a 1965 psychological mystery film directed and produced by Otto Preminger and starring Carol Lynley, Keir Dullea and Laurence Olivier. Filmed in black-and-white widescreen format in London, it was based on the 1 ...

'' (1965) – Policeman * '' The Heroes of Telemark'' (1965) – Henrik * ''

Where the Bullets Fly ''Where the Bullets Fly'' is a 1966 British comedy spy film directed by John Gilling and starring Tom Adams, John Arnatt, Dawn Addams, Tim Barrett and Michael Ripper. Adams and Arnatt reprised their roles from '' Licensed to Kill'' (1965). ...

'' (1966) – Russian * '' You Only Live Twice'' (1967) – Hong Kong Policeman #1 (uncredited) * ''

Gold Is Where You Find It ''Gold is Where You Find It'' is a 1938 American Western Technicolor film that gives a fictionalized account of a true event — an ecological disaster whose effects are still felt in California today. Directed by Michael Curtiz and starring Ge ...

'' (1968) – Insp. O'Regan * '' Play Dirty'' (1969) – Maj. Alan Watkins * '' The Last Escape'' (1970) – Maj. Griggs (shot in 1968) * '' Too Late the Hero'' (1970) – Sergeant Major * ''

Perfect Friday ''Perfect Friday'' is a 1970 British heist comedy film directed by Peter Hall from a screenplay by Anthony Greville-Bell and C. Scott Forbes, and starring Ursula Andress, Stanley Baker and David Warner. In the film, an audacious plan to r ...

'' (1970) – Bank Guard * ''

Man of Violence ''Man of Violence'', also known as ''Moon'' and ''The Sex Racketeers'', is a 1970 British crime film produced and directed by Pete Walker (director), Pete Walker and starring Michael Latimer, Virginia Wetherell, Luan Peters and Derek Aylward. It ...

'' (1971) – Mentobar Captain * ''

Assault In the terminology of law, an assault is the act of causing physical harm or consent, unwanted physical contact to another person, or, in some legal definitions, the threat or attempt to do so. It is both a crime and a tort and, therefore, may ...

'' (1971) – Sgt. Milton * ''

The Salzburg Connection ''The Salzburg Connection'' is a 1972 American thriller film directed by Lee H. Katzin, starring Barry Newman and Anna Karina . It is based on the 1968 novel of the same title by Helen MacInnes. It was filmed in DeLuxe Color and Panavision. The ...

'' (1972) – Richard Bryant * '' Paganini Strikes Again'' (1973) – Jones * '' The Slipper and the Rose: The Story of Cinderella'' (1976) – Prince's Guard * ''

The Pink Panther Strikes Again ''The Pink Panther Strikes Again'' is the fifth crime comedy film in ''The Pink Panther'' series, released in December, 1976. Set three years after the conclusion of '' The Return of the Pink Panther'' (1975), unused footage from the film was ...

'' (1976) – Detective * ''

'' (1977) – Imperial Officer Siward Cass (uncredited) * '' Lifeforce'' (1985) – Communications Officer (voice, uncredited)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Jordan, Patrick 1923 births 2020 deaths English male film actors English male stage actors English male television actors Actors from the London Borough of Harrow Male actors from London 20th-century English male actors People from Harrow, London