Francis Matthews (actor)

2022-06-14T11:32:58Z

2A02:C7F:5D13:9100:91A2:C3F9:DE88:646: /* Death */

{{Short description|English actor (1927–2014)}}
{{EngvarB|date=June 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2020}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Francis Matthews
| image = Revenge of Frankenstein (trailer) - Francis Matthews (cropped) 2.jpg
| caption = Matthews as Doctor Hans Kleve in ''[[The Revenge of Frankenstein]]''
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1927|09|02|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[York]], England
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2014|06|14|1927|09|02|df=y}}
| death_place = [[London]], England
| education = [[Mount St Mary's Catholic High School, Leeds|St Michael's Jesuit College, Leeds]]
| occupation = Actor
| years_active = 1951{{ndash}}2012
| spouse = {{marriage|[[Angela Browne]]|1963|2001|end=died}}
| children = 3
| relatives = [[Paul Shelley]] (brother) Maura Matthews (sister)
}}

'''Francis Matthews''' (2 September 1927 – 14 June 2014) was an English actor, best known for playing [[Paul Temple]] in the [[BBC]] television series [[Paul Temple (TV series)|of the same name]] and for voicing [[Captain Scarlet (character)|Captain Scarlet]] in ''[[Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons]]''.<ref>"[http://www.maturetimes.co.uk/leisure-and-lifestyle/entertainment/celebrity-interviews/2825-francis-matthews-still-on-the-case.html Francis Matthews: Still on the case] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130526035829/http://www.maturetimes.co.uk/leisure-and-lifestyle/entertainment/celebrity-interviews/2825-francis-matthews-still-on-the-case.html |date=26 May 2013}}", ''Mature Times'', 17 July 2012. Retrieved 19 November 2013</ref>

==Early life==
Matthews was born in [[York]] on 2 September 1927, to Henry and Kathleen Matthews.<ref name=steven>{{Cite web|url=https://www.scotsman.com/news/obituaries/obituary-francis-matthews-actor-1533947|title=Obituary: Francis Matthews, actor|website=www.scotsman.com}}</ref><ref name=gaughan>{{cite news |last=Gaughan |first=Gavin |title=Francis Matthews obituary |work=The Guardian |date=15 June 2014 |access-date=2 September 2018 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2014/jun/15/francis-matthews}}</ref> His father was a [[shop steward]] at the [[Rowntree's]] chocolate factory near York.<ref name=steven /><ref name=gaughan /> His parents took him often to the theatre, where he gained a love of acting.<ref name=steven /><ref name=gaughan /> He attended [[St George's RC Primary School]],<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=byVVBQAAQBAJ&dq=St+George%27s+RC+Primary+School%2Cthen+St+Michael%27s+Jesuit+College+in+Leeds&pg=PT135|title=Secret York|first=Paul|last=Chrystal|date=15 November 2014|publisher=Amberley Publishing Limited|isbn=9781445640846|via=Google Books}}</ref> then [[Mount St Mary's Catholic High School, Leeds|St Michael's Jesuit College]] in [[Leeds]].<ref name=steven />

He found work as a stagehand at the [[Theatre Royal, Leeds|Theatre Royal]] in Leeds, and made his theatrical debut in 1945 in the play ''[[The Corn Is Green]]''<ref name=gaughan /> before performing his national service in the [[Royal Navy]].<ref name=steven /> After leaving the military he returned to the stage, appearing in a 1954 touring production of the play ''No Escape'', which starred [[Flora Robson]]. He made his [[West End theatre|West End]] debut in 1956.<ref name=gaughan />

==Career==
{{more citations needed|section|date=November 2017}}
In the 1950s and 1960s, Matthews's film roles for [[Hammer Studios]] included the Baron's assistant in ''[[The Revenge of Frankenstein]]'' (1958) and the heroes of ''[[Dracula: Prince of Darkness]]'' and ''[[Rasputin the Mad Monk]]'' (both 1966).<ref name=bfi>{{Cite web|url=https://www2.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b9ee90d05|title=Francis Matthews|website=BFI}}</ref> On television, from 1969 to 1971, he played [[Francis Durbridge]]'s amateur private detective Paul Temple in the [[BBC]] [[Paul Temple (TV series)|series of the same name]].<ref name="Wilkie">Wilkie, Agnes (1986) "[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=PdpAAAAAIBAJ&sjid=wqYMAAAAIBAJ&pg=3168,3172179&dq=francis-matthews+actor&hl=en Smoothie and the Brat]", ''[[Evening Times]]'', 15 February 1986, p. 11. Retrieved 19 November 2013</ref>

Matthews starred opposite [[Morecambe and Wise]] in the films ''[[The Intelligence Men]]'' (1965) and ''[[That Riviera Touch]]'' (1966), which led to a close friendship with [[Eric Morecambe]].<ref name=steven/> He also appeared throughout the 1960s and 1970s in a variety of television comedy roles, including ''[[List of The Morecambe & Wise Show (1968 TV series) episodes|Eric & Ernie's Christmas Show, 1977]]''.<ref name=bfi/> He appeared alongside [[George Cole (actor)|George Cole]] in Charles Woods' sitcom ''[[Don't Forget To Write!]]'' (1977) as a successful writer.<ref name=gaughan />

In 1967, Matthews provided the character voice of [[Captain Scarlet (character)|Captain Scarlet]], in imitation of [[Cary Grant]], for [[Gerry Anderson|Gerry]] and [[Sylvia Anderson]]'s [[Supermarionation]] television series ''[[Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://news.sky.com/story/captain-scarlet-actor-francis-matthews-dies-10400686|title=Captain Scarlet Actor Francis Matthews Dies|website=Sky News}}</ref> (He divided his time, during the recording sessions, between his work there and his stage appearances in [[Noël Coward]]'s play ''[[Private Lives]]''.)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/outside-edge-mysterons-beware-1507965.html|title=Outside Edge: Mysterons beware|date=30 September 1993|website=The Independent}}</ref>

[[File:Francis Matthews publicity shot.jpg|thumb|right|130px|Publicity shot of Matthews]]
In the late 1970s, he served as narrator and host for ''[[Follow Me! (TV programme)|Follow Me!]]'', a BBC educational programme that offered a "[[Wikt:crash course|crash course]]" in the English language to foreign viewers.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yt0sDgAAQBAJ&dq=follow+me+francis+matthews&pg=PT101|title=Flying Visits: Postcards From The Observer 1976-83|first=Clive|last=James|date=6 April 2017|publisher=Pan Macmillan|isbn=9781509832385|via=Google Books}}</ref>
In 1986, Matthews and his wife, Angela Browne, appeared together in the [[BBC]] adaptation of the [[Josephine Tey]] novel ''[[Brat Farrar]]''.<ref name="Wilkie"/> In 2000, they starred in two [[Ray Cooney]] plays on the cruise ship [[MS Marco Polo|MS ''Marco Polo'']], while she was sailing to the [[Antarctic]]: ''[[Run for Your Wife (play)|Run For Your Wife]]'' and ''[[Funny Money]]''.

==Personal life==
Matthews was married to actress [[Angela Browne]] from 1963 until her death in 2001; the couple had three sons.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/1332837/Angela-Browne.html |title=Angela Browne obituary |newspaper=[[The Daily Telegraph]] |access-date=4 November 2017}}</ref> Two, Damien Matthews and Paul Rattigan, are actors; the other, Dominic, is an artist and musician. Matthews' younger brother, [[Paul Shelley]], is also an actor; they had a sister, Maura.<ref name=gaughan/><ref name=steven/>

==Death==
Matthews died at the age of 86 on 14 June 2014, following a short illness. He was survived by his three sons, seven grandchildren, and his two siblings.<ref>{{cite news |author=Alexandra Topping |url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2014/jun/15/francis-matthews-actor-captain-scarlet-gerry-anderson |title=Francis Matthews, actor who voiced Captain Scarlet, dies aged 86 |newspaper=The Guardian |access-date=9 May 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/obituaries/francis-matthews-1-6686694/amp |title=Francis Matthews |newspaper=Yorkshire Post|access-date=5 November 2017}}</ref>

==Filmography==
{{div col}}
* ''At Your Service, Ltd.'' (1951) - Roger Buckett
* ''[[BBC Sunday-Night Theatre]]'' (1954–1957, TV Series) - Ken Wilson, Ensign Trefusis
* ''Truant in Park Lane'' (1955) - Robert
* ''[[St. Ives (TV series)|St. Ives]]'' (1957, TV Series) - Ronald Glichrist
* ''My Friend Charles'' (1956) - Ken Palmer
* ''[[Bhowani Junction (film)|Bhowani Junction]]'' (1956) - Ranjit Kasel
* ''The Talking Cat'' (1956) - Lancelot
* ''ITV Television Playhouse'' (1956, TV Series) - Richard Hinton, Paul
* ''Esmé Divided'' (1957) - Esmé Vignoles
* ''[[The New Adventures of Charlie Chan]]'' (1957) - Derek Robinson
* ''[[Small Hotel]]'' (1957) - Alan Pryor
* ''[[O.S.S. (TV series)|O.S.S.]]'' (1957, TV Series) - Peter Fox
* ''[[The Mark of the Hawk]]'' (1957) - Overholt
* ''The Killing Stones'' (1958) - Desai
* ''[[The Adventures of Robin Hood (TV series)]]'' (1957–1958, TV Series) - Roland, Ali ben Azra
* ''[[The Revenge of Frankenstein]]'' (1958) - Doctor Hans Kleve
* ''A Woman Possessed'' (1958) - John
* ''[[I Only Arsked!]]'' (1958) - Mahmoud
* ''[[Corridors of Blood]]'' (1958) - Jonathan Bolton
* ''[[The Vise]]'' (1958–1959, TV Series) - Miles, Rex Varney, Jayo
* ''[[Theatre Night]]'' (1959, TV Series) - Guy Stevens
* ''[[Interpol Calling]]'' (1960) - Fawley
* ''[[Man from Interpol]]'' (1960) - Richard Martin, Maharajah Of Den
* ''[[Biggles (TV series)|Biggles]]'' (1960, TV Series)
* ''[[Sentenced for Life (1960 film)|Sentenced for Life]]'' (1960) - Jim Richards
* ''[[The Cheaters (TV series)|The Cheaters]]'' (1961, TV Series) - Jack
* ''[[The Hellfire Club (film)|The Hellfire Club]]'' (1961) - Sir Hugh Manning
* ''[[The Treasure of Monte Cristo]]'' (1961) - Louis Auclair
* ''[[The Pursuers]]'' (1961) - David
* ''[[Triton (1961 TV series)|Triton]]'' (1961, TV series) - Lieutenant Lamb
* ''[[The Lamp in Assassin Mews]]'' (1962) - Jack
* ''[[Nine Hours to Rama]]'' (1963) - Rampure
* ''[[Hancock (1963 TV series)|Hancock]]'' (1963, TV series) - Elmo Dent
* ''[[A Stitch in Time (film)|A Stitch in Time]]'' (1963) - Benson
* ''[[A Little Big Business]]'' (1964–1965, TV Series) - Simon Lieberman
* ''[[The Beauty Jungle]]'' (1964) - Taylor
* ''[[Murder Ahoy]]'' (1964) - Lieutenant Compton
* ''[[The Intelligence Men]]'' (1965) - Thomas
* ''[[Dracula: Prince of Darkness]]'' (1966) - Charles Kent
* ''[[Rasputin the Mad Monk]]'' (1966) - Ivan
* ''[[That Riviera Touch]]'' (1966) - Hotel manager
* ''[[Just Like a Woman (1967 film)|Just Like a Woman]]'' (1967) - Lewis McKenzie
* ''[[Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons]]'' (1967–1968, TV Series) - [[Captain Scarlet (character)|Captain Scarlet]] (voice)
* ''[[Crossplot (film)|Crossplot]]'' (1969) - Ruddock
* ''[[Paul Temple (TV series)|Paul Temple]]'' (1969–1971, TV Series) - Paul Temple
* ''[[Taste of Excitement]]'' (1970) - Mr. Breese
* ''[[Five Women for the Killer]]'' (1974) - Giorgio Pisani
* ''[[Brat Farrar]]'' (1986) - Alec Loding
* ''Bunch of Five'' (1992) - Mr. Strathclyde
* ''[[Taggart (series)|Taggart]]'' (1993) - Dr. Gerald Napier
* ''[[The Detectives (1993 TV series)|The Detectives]]'' (1995, TV Series) - Duke of Connemara
* ''[[Jonathan Creek]]'' (1998, TV Series) - Jerry Bellinitus
* ''[[Do Not Disturb (1999 film)|Do Not Disturb]]'' (1999) - Manager
* ''[[Heartbeat (British TV series)|Heartbeat]]'' (2002–2003, TV Series) - Dr. James Alway
* ''[[The Royal]]'' (2003) - Dr. James Alway
* ''Cary Comes Home'' (2004) - Cary Grant
* ''[[All About George]]'' (2005) - Ted
* ''[[Beautiful People (UK TV series)|Beautiful People]]'' (2009, TV Series) - Mr. Bunions
* ''[[Run for Your Wife (2012 film)|Run For Your Wife]]'' (2012) - (final film role)
{{Div col end}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
*{{IMDb name|0560022|Francis Matthews}}
*{{IBDB name|485925}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Matthews, Francis}}
[[Category:1927 births]]
[[Category:2014 deaths]]
[[Category:20th-century English male actors]]
[[Category:21st-century English male actors]]
[[Category:English male film actors]]
[[Category:English male stage actors]]
[[Category:English male television actors]]
[[Category:English male voice actors]]
[[Category:Male actors from Leeds]]
[[Category:Male actors from York]]
[[Category:20th-century Royal Navy personnel]]
[[Category:People educated at Mount St Mary's Catholic High School, Leeds]]

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Francis Matthews (actor)