Robert Lankesheer (1914–1993) was a British stage, radio and television actor, best known for playing the character Leamington Sparr in the radio soap ''The Dales'' between 1963 and 1966 and Chamberlain in the 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 1965.

Early life

He was born on 28 April 1914 in Southampton, England. Whilst working for the local government in the land registry department he took evening classes and qualified in law. He served in the army during World War II as an officer in the Royal Artillery. After the war he decided to take up acting professionally.

Career

On stage, in addition to his repertory theatre work, Robert Lankesheer played Sir Henry Burke in ''Templeton'' at the

Arts Theatre The Arts Theatre is a theatre in Great Newport Street, in Westminster, Central London. It opened on April 20, 1927. History It opened on 20 April 1927 as a members-only club for the performance of unlicensed plays, thus avoiding theatre cen ...

in 1958 and Mr Quelch between 1960 and 1963 in the

Billy Bunter William George Bunter is a fictional schoolboy created by Charles Hamilton using the pen name Frank Richards. He features in stories set at Greyfriars School, a fictional English public school in Kent, originally published in the boys' weekly ...

Christmas shows at the Victoria Palace Theatre and Queen's Theatre, London. He had a long association with

The Royal Opera The Royal Opera is a British opera company based in central London, resident at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden. Along with English National Opera, it is one of the two principal opera companies in London. Founded in 1946 as the Covent G ...

, Covent Garden, performing roles in ''Carmen'' (1973), ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' (1974, 1976, 1984) and ''Die Zauberflöte'' (1979, 1980, 1983, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1989, 1991). In films, Robert Lankesheer appeared in ''

David Copperfield ''David Copperfield''Dickens invented over 14 variations of the title for this work; see is a novel by English author Charles Dickens, narrated by the eponymous David Copperfield, detailing his adventures in his journey from infancy to matur ...

'' (1970) and ''

Young Winston ''Young Winston'' is a 1972 British epic biographical adventure drama war film covering the early years of British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, based in particular on his 1930 book, '' My Early Life''. The first part of the film covers Chur ...

'' (1972). His television credits include: * ''The Malory Secret'' (1951) * ''At Your Service Ltd'' (1951) * ''The Trial of Andy Fothergill'' (1951) * ''Emil and the Detectives'' (1952) * ''Theatre Royal'' (1955) * ''Tales from Dickens'' (1960) * '' Starr and Company'' (1958) * ''Dancers in Mourning'' (1959) * ''An Arabian Night'' (1960) * '' Deadline Midnight'' (1960) * ''

Dixon of Dock Green ''Dixon of Dock Green'' is 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 1955 ...

'' (1961, 1967) * ''

Emergency Ward 10 ''Emergency Ward 10'' is a British medical soap opera series shown on ITV between 1957 and 1967. It is considered to be one of British television's first major soap operas. Overview The series was made by the ITV contractor ATV and set in ...

'' (1962) * ''

The Scales of Justice ''The Scales of Justice'' was a series of 13 British cinema featurettes produced from 1962 to 1967 for Anglo-Amalgamated at Merton Park Studios in London. The first nine episodes were made in black and white, and the last four in colour. The ...

'' (1963) * '' Out of This World'' (1962) * '' The Avengers'': '' Man with Two Shadows'' (1963) * ''

'': '' The Crusade'' (1965) * ''The Paradise Makers'' (1967) * ''

Z-Cars ''Z-Cars'' or ''Z Cars'' (pronounced "zed cars") is a British television police procedural series centred on the work of mobile uniformed police and CID detectives in the fictional town of Newtown, based on Kirkby, near Liverpool. Produced by ...

'' (1968, 1976) * ''

Dad's Army ''Dad's Army'' is a British television British sitcom, sitcom about the United Kingdom's Home Guard (United Kingdom), Home Guard during the World War II, Second World War. It was written by Jimmy Perry and David Croft (TV producer), David Crof ...

'' (1969) * '' Rogues' Gallery'': The Wicked Stage (1969) * ''Junket 89'' (1970) * '' Bachelor Father'' (1970) * '' Doctor in Charge'' (1972) * ''An Evening with Francis Howerd'' (1975) * '' Thriller'' (1975) * '' The Professionals'' (1978) * ''

Fawlty Towers ''Fawlty Towers'' is a British television sitcom written by John Cleese and Connie Booth, originally broadcast on BBC Two in 1975 and 1979. Two series of six episodes each were made. The series is set in Fawlty Towers, a dysfunctional fictional ...

'' (1979) * ''

Reilly, Ace of Spies ''Reilly, Ace of Spies'' is a 1983 British television programme dramatizing the life of Sidney Reilly, a Russian-born adventurer who became one of the greatest spies ever to work for the United Kingdom and the British Empire. Among his exploits ...

'' (1983) * ''

Full House ''Full House'' is an American television sitcom created by Jeff Franklin for American Broadcasting Company, ABC. The show is about the recently widowed father Danny Tanner who enlists his brother-in-law Jesse Katsopolis and childhood best friend ...

'' (1985)

Death

Robert Lankesheer died on 29 December 1993 in London, England of emphysema."Beyond the TARDIS: Obituary", ''

Doctor Who Magazine ''Doctor Who Magazine'' (abbreviated as ''DWM'') is a magazine devoted to the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. Launched in 1979 as ''Doctor Who Weekly'', the magazine became a monthly publication the following year. In ...

'', No. 213, 8 June 1994, pg.7

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Lankesheer, Robert English male stage actors English male television actors 1914 births 1993 deaths