Thorley Swinstead Walters (12 May 1913 – 6 July 1991) was an English character actor. He is probably best remembered for his comedy film roles such as in '' Two-Way Stretch'' and ''

Carlton-Browne of the FO ''Carlton-Browne of the F.O.'' (U.S. title: ''Man in a Cocked Hat'') is a 1959 British comedy film made by the Boulting Brothers and starring Terry-Thomas, Peter Sellers, and Luciana Paluzzi. It centres on an inept Foreign Office (F.O.) diplomat ...

''.

Early life

Walters was born in Teigngrace,

Devon Devon ( , historically known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South West England. The most populous settlement in Devon is the city of Plymouth, followed by Devon's county town, the city of Exeter. Devon is ...

, the son of Prebendary Thomas Collins Walters of Silverton, Devon and his wife Mary née Swinstead. He was educated at Monkton Combe School,

Somerset ( en, All The People of Somerset) , locator_map = , coordinates = , region = South West England , established_date = Ancient , established_by = , preceded_by = , origin = , lord_lieutenant_office =Lord Lieutenant of Somerset , lor ...

. Walters appeared in the

West End West End most commonly refers to: * West End of London, an area of central London, England * West End theatre, a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London, England West End may also refer to: Pl ...

in the 1942 naval play '' Escort'' by

Patrick Hastings Sir Patrick Gardiner Hastings (17 March 1880 – 26 February 1952) was an English barrister and politician noted for his long and highly successful career as a barrister and his short stint as Attorney General for England and Wales, Attorney G ...

and the 1949 musical '' Her Excellency'' at the London Hippodrome.

Career

Films

He featured in three of the St Trinian's films, starting as an army major in '' Blue Murder at St Trinian's''. He later appeared as Butters, assistant to Education Ministry senior civil servant Culpepper-Brown (

Eric Barker Eric Leslie Barker (12 February 1912 – 1 June 1990) was an English comedy actor. He is most remembered for his roles in the popular British '' Carry On'' films, although he only appeared in the early films in the series, apart from returning ...

) in '' The Pure Hell of St Trinian's'' and played the part of Culpepper-Brown in '' The Wildcats of St Trinian's''. From the 1960s onwards he also appeared in several

Hammer horror Hammer Film Productions Ltd. is a British film production company based in London. Founded in 1934, the company is best known for a series of Gothic horror and fantasy films made from the mid-1950s until the 1970s. Many of these involve classi ...

films, including ''

The Phantom of the Opera ''The Phantom of the Opera'' (french: Le Fantôme de l'Opéra) is a novel by French author Gaston Leroux. It was first published as a serial in from 23 September 1909 to 8 January 1910, and was released in volume form in late March 1910 by Pier ...

'' (1962), '' Dracula: Prince of Darkness'' (1966), '' Frankenstein Created Woman'' (1967), '' Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed'' (1969) and '' Vampire Circus'' (1972). He was a close friend of Hammer's most important director

Terence Fisher Terence Fisher (23 February 1904 – 18 June 1980) was a British film director best known for his work for Hammer Films. He was the first to bring gothic horror alive in full colour, and the sexual overtones and explicit horror in his films, ...

. Walters played Sherlock Holmes's sidekick Doctor Watson in four unrelated films: '' Sherlock Holmes and the Deadly Necklace'' (1962), '' The Best House in London'' (1969), '' The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother'' (1975) and '' Silver Blaze'' (1977).

Television

Walters' television appearances included the Granada series ''

Crown Court The Crown Court is the court of first instance of England and Wales responsible for hearing all indictable offences, some either way offences and appeals lied to it by the magistrates' courts. It is one of three Senior Courts of England and Wale ...

'', both as a judge and as a barrister. He also appeared as a barrister in the BBC Series ''

A P Herbert's Misleading Cases A, or a, is the first letter and the first vowel of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''a'' (pronounced ), plural ''aes'' ...

'' starring

Roy Dotrice Roy Dotrice (26 May 1923 – 16 October 2017) was a British actor famed for his portrayal of the antiquarian John Aubrey in the record-breaking solo play '' Brief Lives''. Abroad, he won a Tony Award for his performance in the 2000 Broadway ...

Albert Haddock ''Uncommon Law'' is a book by A. P. Herbert first published by Methuen in 1935. Its title is a satirical reference to the English common law. The book is an anthology of fictitious law reports first published in ''Punch'' as ''Misleading Cases'' ...

. Walters also had roles in '' The Lotus Eaters'' and '' Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy''. Walters was considered for the role of

Captain Mainwaring Captain George Mainwaring () is a fictional Home Guard captain, first portrayed by Arthur Lowe in the BBC television sitcom ''Dad's Army''. In the 2016 movie he is played by Toby Jones and in the 2019 remake of three missing episodes he is ...

in ''

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 ...

'', before the part was assigned to Arthur Lowe – Walters was offered the role by producer David Croft but turned it down. In 1974 he played the Prince of Wales in the TV drama ''Jennie - Lady Randolph Churchill''.

Personal life

In the DVD commentary to '' The Man Who Haunted Himself'', actor

Roger Moore Sir Roger George Moore (14 October 192723 May 2017) was an English actor. He was the third actor to portray fictional British secret agent James Bond in the Eon Productions film series, playing the character in seven feature films between 1 ...

mentioned that co-star Walters lived in Dolphin Square in

Pimlico Pimlico () is an area of Central London in the City of Westminster, built as a southern extension to neighbouring Belgravia. It is known for its garden squares and distinctive Regency architecture. Pimlico is demarcated to the north by Victor ...

, London in which some scenes of the film were shot. Walters visited the ailing Terry-Thomas in Barnes, London in 1989. Walters had starred with Thomas in the Boulting Brothers' film '' Carlton-Browne of the F.O.'' and was shocked at his appearance (he was ill with

Parkinson's disease Parkinson's disease (PD), or simply Parkinson's, is a long-term degenerative disorder of the central nervous system that mainly affects the motor system. The symptoms usually emerge slowly, and as the disease worsens, non-motor symptoms becom ...

). That visit resulted in the Terry-Thomas Gala held in the

Theatre Royal, Drury Lane The Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, commonly known as Drury Lane, is a West End theatre and Grade I listed building in Covent Garden, London, England. The building faces Catherine Street (earlier named Bridges or Brydges Street) and backs onto ...

in the same year which raised funds to help Thomas live the rest of his life in comfort. Actress

Siobhan Redmond Siobhan Redmond, ( ; born 27 July 1959) is a Scottish actress, a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company, and known for various stage, audio and television roles. Early life Siobhan Redmond was born on 27 July 1959 in the Tollcross area of ...

was visiting Walters when he died in a London nursing home. Actor Ian Bannen gave the main address at his funeral held at

Golders Green Golders Green is an area in the London Borough of Barnet in England. A smaller suburban linear settlement, near a farm and public grazing area green of medieval origins, dates to the early 19th century. Its bulk forms a late 19th century and ea ...

Filmography

* '' The Love Test'' (1935) - Chemist * '' Once in a New Moon'' (1935) * ''Life of St. Paul'' (1938) - Unidentified role * ''

Trunk Crime ''Trunk Crime'' is a 1939 British thriller film Thriller film, also known as suspense film or suspense thriller, is a broad film genre that evokes excitement and suspense in the audience. The suspense element found in most films' plots is part ...

'' (1939) - Huey Frazer * '' Secret Journey'' (1939) – Max von Reimer * '' It Happened to One Man'' (1940) – Ronnie * '' Medal for the General'' (1944) – Andrew * '' They Were Sisters'' (1945) – Channing * '' Waltz Time'' (1945) – Stefan Ravenne * ''

Captain Boycott Charles Cunningham Boycott (12 March 1832 – 19 June 1897) was an English land agent whose ostracism by his local community in Ireland gave the English language the verb "to boycott". He had served in the British Army 39th Foot, which b ...

'' (1947) – Army Officer (uncredited) * '' Josephine and Men'' (1955) – Salesman * '' Private's Progress'' (1956) – Captain Bootle * '' Who Done It?'' (1956) – Raymond Courtney * '' The Baby and the Battleship'' (1956) – Lt. Setley * '' You Can't Escape'' (1956) – Chadwick * '' The Passionate Stranger'' (1957) – Jimmy * '' Second Fiddle'' (1957) – Charles * '' The Truth About Women'' (1957) – Trevor * '' The Birthday Present'' (1957) – Photographer * '' Blue Murder at St Trinian's'' (1957) – Major * '' Happy Is the Bride'' (1958) – Jim * ''

A Lady Mislaid ''A Lady Mislaid'' is a 1958 British comedy film directed by David MacDonald and starring Phyllis Calvert, Alan White and Thorley Walters. It is based on a 1948 play of the same name by Kenneth Horne. Plot Esther, (Phyllis Calvert), and her s ...

'' (1958) – Smith * '' Carlton-Browne of the F.O.'' (1959) – Colonel Bellingham of the Bays * '' Don't Panic Chaps!'' (1959) – Brown * '' Two-Way Stretch'' (1960) – Col. Parkright * ''

A French Mistress ''A French Mistress'' is a 1960 British comedy film directed by Roy Boulting and starring Cecil Parker, James Robertson Justice, Agnès Laurent, Ian Bannen, Raymond Huntley, Irene Handl and Thorley Walters. It is based on a stage play, '' ...

'' (1960) – Colonel Edmonds – Chairman of the Governors * ''

Suspect In law enforcement jargon, a suspect is a known person accused or suspected of committing a crime. Police and reporters in the United States often use the word suspect as a jargon when referring to the perpetrator of the offense (perp in dated ...

'' (1960) – Special Agent Prince * '' The Pure Hell of St Trinian's'' (1960) – Butters * '' Invasion Quartet'' (1961) – Cummings * '' Murder, She Said'' (1961) – Cedric * '' Petticoat Pirates'' (1961) – Captain Jerome Robertson * ''

'' (1962) – Lattimer * '' Sherlock Holmes and the Deadly Necklace'' (1962) – Dr. Watson * ''

Heavens Above! ''Heavens Above!'' is a 1963 British satirical comedy film starring Peter Sellers, directed by John and Roy Boulting, who also co-wrote along with Frank Harvey, from an idea by Malcolm Muggeridge. It is in a similar vein to the earlier collabor ...

'' (1963) – Tranquilax Executive * '' Ring of Spies'' (1964) – Cmdr. Winters * '' The Earth Dies Screaming'' (1964) – Edgar Otis * ''

Joey Boy Joey Boy ( th, โจอี้ บอย; born 1975) or Apisit Opasaimlikit ( th, อภิสิทธิ์ โอภาสเอี่ยมลิขิต, ), is a Thai hip hop singer and producer known as The Godfather of Thai Hip Hop. ...

'' (1965) – Col. Grant * '' A Home of Your Own'' (1965) – Estate agent * '' Rotten to the Core'' (1965) – Chief Constable Preston * '' Dracula: Prince of Darkness'' (1966) – Ludwig * '' The Psychopath'' (1966) – Martin Roth * ''

The Wrong Box ''The Wrong Box'' is a 1966 British comedy film produced and directed by Bryan Forbes from a screenplay by Larry Gelbart and Burt Shevelove, based on the 1889 novel ''The Wrong Box'' by Robert Louis Stevenson and Lloyd Osbourne. It was made by ...

'' (1966) – Lawyer Patience * '' The Family Way'' (1966) – The Vicar * '' Frankenstein Created Woman'' (1967) – Doctor Hertz * '' Twisted Nerve'' (1968) – Sir John Forrester * '' Crooks and Coronets'' (1969) – Hubbard * ''

Oh! What a Lovely War ''Oh! What a Lovely War'' is a 1969 British comedy musical war film directed by Richard Attenborough (in his directorial debut), with an ensemble cast, including Maggie Smith, Dirk Bogarde, John Gielgud, John Mills, Kenneth More, Laurence Oli ...

'' (1969) – Staff Officer in Ballroom * ''

The Last Shot You Hear ''The Last Shot You Hear'' is a 1969 British thriller film directed by Gordon Hessler and starring Hugh Marlowe, Zena Walker, Patricia Haines, and William Dysart. It was Marlowe's last film appearance. The film marked the end of the associa ...

'' (1969) – Gen. Jowett * '' Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed'' (1969) – Inspector Frisch * '' The Best House in London'' (1969) – Doctor Watson (uncredited) * '' The Man Who Haunted Himself'' (1970) – Frank Bellamy * ''

Trog ''Trog'' is a 1970 British science fiction horror film directed by Freddie Francis, and starring Joan Crawford in a story about the discovery of a troglodyte (or Ice Age "caveman") in twentieth-century United Kingdom. The screenplay was wr ...

'' (1970) – Magistrate * ''

Bartleby "Bartleby, the Scrivener: A Story of Wall Street" is a short story by the American writer Herman Melville, first serialized anonymously in two parts in the November and December 1853 issues of '' Putnam's Magazine'' and reprinted with minor tex ...

'' (1970) – The Colleague * ''

There's a Girl in My Soup '' There's a Girl in My Soup'' is a 1970 British romantic comedy film based on the stage play of the same name, directed by Roy Boulting and starring Peter Sellers and Goldie Hawn. The film was Sellers' last commercial success until '' Retur ...

'' (1970) – Manager, Carlton Hotel * '' Mr. Forbush and the Penguins'' (1971) – Mr. Forbush Sr. * '' The Lotus Eaters'' (1972) – Major Edward Woolley * '' Vampire Circus'' (1972) – Burgermeister * ''

Young Winston ''Young Winston'' is a 1972 British 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 Churchil ...

'' (1972) – Major Finn * '' The Edwardians'' (1972) -

King Edward VII Edward VII (Albert Edward; 9 November 1841 – 6 May 1910) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and Emperor of India, from 22 January 1901 until Death and state funeral of Edward VII, his death in 1910. The second chil ...

* '' Soft Beds, Hard Battles'' (1974) – General Erhardt * '' The Gathering Storm'' (1974) – Stanley Baldwin * '' The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother'' (1975) – Dr. Watson * '' The People That Time Forgot'' (1977) – Norfolk * '' The Wildcats of St Trinian's'' (1980) – Hugo Culpepper Brown * '' The Sign of Four'' (1983) – Major John Sholto * ''

The Little Drummer Girl ''The Little Drummer Girl'' is a spy novel by British writer John le Carré, published in 1983. The story follows the manipulations of Martin Kurtz, an Israeli spymaster who intends to kill Khalil – a Palestinian terrorist who is bombing Jewis ...

'' (1984) – Ned Quilley * '' The Play on One: The Dunroamin' Rising'' (1988) – Mr Finister

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Walters, Thorley 1913 births 1991 deaths People educated at Monkton Combe School English male stage actors English male film actors English male television actors People from Teignbridge (district) Male actors from Devon 20th-century English male actors