Thorley Walters

2021-09-23T00:07:25Z

88.109.215.28: no reason for emphasis/ inclusion

{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2019}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Thorley Walters
| image = Thorley Walters.jpg
| imagesize =
| caption =
| birth_name = Thorley Swinstead Walters
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1913|05|12|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Teigngrace]], [[Devon]], England
| death_date = {{death date and age|1991|07|06|1913|05|12|df=y}}
| death_place = [[London]], England
| resting_place = [[Golders Green Crematorium]]
| othername =
| occupation = actor
| yearsactive = 1935–1991
| spouse =
}}
'''Thorley Swinstead Walters''' (12 May 1913<ref name=EPG>{{cite news
|url=http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000512/19390406/066/0008
|title=Devon Clergyman's Son's Success
|date=6 April 1939
|work=Exeter and Plymouth Gazette
|page=8
|access-date=22 September 2012}} {{subscription required}}</ref> – 6 July 1991) was an English [[character actor]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://explore.bfi.org.uk/4ce2b9f6f3137 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120716211539/http://explore.bfi.org.uk/4ce2b9f6f3137 |url-status=dead |archive-date=2012-07-16 |title=Thorley Walters | BFI | BFI |publisher=Explore.bfi.org.uk |access-date=2014-04-14}}</ref> He is probably best remembered for his comedy film roles such as in ''[[Two-Way Stretch]]'' and ''[[Carlton-Browne of the FO]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.allmovie.com/artist/thorley-walters-p74527 |title=Thorley Walters movies, photos, movie reviews, filmography, and biography |publisher=AllMovie |date=1991-07-07 |access-date=2014-04-14}}</ref>

==Early life==
Walters was born in [[Teigngrace]], [[Devon]], the son of Prebendary Thomas Collins Walters of [[Silverton, Devon]]<ref name=EPG /> and his wife Mary {{sic|nolink=y|Francis}} née Swinstead.<ref>Who's Who in the Theatre, Ian Herbert, Gale Research Co., 1981, p. 689</ref><ref>The Annual Obituary 1991, Deborah Andrews, 1992, p. 460</ref> He was educated at [[Monkton Combe School]], [[Somerset]].

Walters appeared in the [[West End Theatre|West End]] in the 1942 naval play ''[[Escort (play)|Escort]]'' by [[Patrick Hastings]] and the 1949 musical ''[[Her Excellency (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]]) 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]] films, including ''[[The Phantom of the Opera (1962 film)|The Phantom of the Opera]]'' (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]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.britishhorrorfilms.co.uk/blokes.html |title=the actors |publisher=British Horror Films |date=2005-12-25 |access-date=2014-04-14}}</ref>

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 film)|Silver Blaze]]'' (1977).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://kieranmcmullen.com/2011/06/21/the-many-watsons-marty-feldman-thorley-walters/ |title=The Many Watsons – Marty Feldman & Thorley Walters |publisher=Kieran McMullen |date=2011-06-21 |access-date=2014-04-14}}</ref>

===Television===
Walters' television appearances included the Granada series ''[[Crown Court (TV series)|Crown Court]]'', both as a judge and as a barrister. He also appeared as a barrister in the BBC Series ''[[A P Herbert's Misleading Cases]]'' starring [[Roy Dotrice]] as [[Albert Haddock]]. Walters also had roles in ''[[The Lotus Eaters (TV series)|The Lotus Eaters]]'' and ''[[Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (miniseries)|Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0074tg0 |title=BBC Four – Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Tarr Tells His Story |publisher=Bbc.co.uk |date=2013-11-19 |access-date=2014-04-14}}</ref> Walters was considered for the role of [[Captain Mainwaring]] in ''[[Dad's Army]]'', before the part was assigned to [[Arthur Lowe]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/8794200/Dads-Army-the-show-that-wont-go-away.html|title=Dad's Army: the show that won't go away|date=28 September 2011|author=Roger Lewis|work=[[Daily Telegraph]]}}</ref> – Walters was offered the role by producer [[David Croft (TV producer)|David Croft]] but turned it down.<ref>{{cite book|last1=McCann|first1=Graham|title=Dad's Army – The story of a classic television show|date=2001|publisher=Fourth Estate|location=London|isbn=978-1841153094|page=55}}</ref> 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]] mentioned that co-star Walters lived in [[Dolphin Square]] in [[Pimlico]], London in which some scenes of the film were shot.

Walters visited the ailing [[Terry-Thomas]] in [[Barnes, London|Barnes]], London in 1989. Walters had starred with Thomas in the [[John and Roy Boulting|Boulting Brothers]]' film ''[[Carlton-Browne of the F.O.]]'' and was shocked at his appearance (he was ill with [[Parkinson's disease]]). That visit resulted in the Terry-Thomas Gala held in the [[Theatre Royal, Drury Lane]] in the same year which raised funds to help Thomas live the rest of his life in comfort.

Actress [[Siobhan Redmond]] 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 Crematorium|Golders Green]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.terry-thomas.info/richard_hope-hawkins_tribute.html |title=Terry-Thomas Tribute |publisher=Terry-thomas.info |date=1989-04-09 |access-date=2014-04-14 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140415071310/http://www.terry-thomas.info/richard_hope-hawkins_tribute.html |archive-date=15 April 2014 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book|author=Graham McCann|title=Bounder!: The Biography of Terry-Thomas|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mT7LAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA1927|year=2011|publisher=Aurum Press|isbn=978-1-84513-756-4|page=1927}}</ref>

==Filmography==
{{Div col}}
* ''[[The Love Test]]'' (1935) - Chemist
* ''[[Once in a New Moon]]'' (1935)
* ''Life of St. Paul'' (1938) - Unidentified role
* ''[[Trunk Crime]]''<ref name=EPG /> (1939) - Huey Frazer
* ''[[Secret Journey (1939 film)|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 film)|Waltz Time]]'' (1945) – Stefan Ravenne
* ''[[Captain Boycott (film)|Captain Boycott]]'' (1947) – Army Officer (uncredited)
* ''[[Josephine and Men]]'' (1955) – Salesman
* ''[[Private's Progress]]'' (1956) – Captain Bootle
* ''[[Who Done It? (1956 film)|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 film)|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]]'' (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]]'' (1960) – Colonel Edmonds – Chairman of the Governors
* ''[[Suspect (1960 film)|Suspect]]'' (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
* ''[[The Phantom of the Opera (1962 film)|The Phantom of the Opera]]'' (1962) – Lattimer
* ''[[Sherlock Holmes and the Deadly Necklace]]'' (1962) – Dr. Watson
* ''[[Heavens Above!]]'' (1963) – Tranquilax Executive
* ''[[Ring of Spies]]'' (1964) – Cmdr. Winters
* ''[[The Earth Dies Screaming]]'' (1964) – Edgar Otis
* ''[[Joey Boy (film)|Joey Boy]]'' (1965) – Col. Grant
* ''[[A Home of Your Own]]'' (1965) – Estate agent
* ''[[Rotten to the Core (film)|Rotten to the Core]]'' (1965) – Chief Constable Preston
* ''[[Dracula: Prince of Darkness]]'' (1966) – Ludwig
* ''[[The Psychopath]]'' (1966) – Martin Roth
* ''[[The Wrong Box]]'' (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]]'' (1969) – Staff Officer in Ballroom
* ''[[The Last Shot You Hear]]'' (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]]'' (1970) – Magistrate
* ''[[Bartleby (1970 film)|Bartleby]]'' (1970) – The Colleague
* ''[[There's a Girl in My Soup]]'' (1970) – Manager, Carlton Hotel
* ''[[Mr. Forbush and the Penguins]]'' (1971) – Mr. Forbush Sr.
* ''[[The Lotus Eaters (TV series)|The Lotus Eaters]]'' (1972) – Major Edward Woolley
* ''[[Vampire Circus]]'' (1972) – Burgermeister
* ''[[Young Winston]]'' (1972) – Major Finn
* ''[[The Edwardians (miniseries)|The Edwardians]]'' (1972) - [[King Edward VII]]
* ''[[Soft Beds, Hard Battles]]'' (1974) – General Erhardt
* ''[[The Gathering Storm (1974 film)|The Gathering Storm]]'' (1974) – Stanley Baldwin
* ''[[The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother]]'' (1975) – Dr. Watson
* ''[[The People That Time Forgot (film)|The People That Time Forgot]]'' (1977) – Norfolk
* ''[[The Wildcats of St Trinian's]]'' (1980) – Hugo Culpepper Brown
* ''[[The Sign of Four (1983 film)|The Sign of Four]]'' (1983) – Major John Sholto
* ''[[The Little Drummer Girl (film)|The Little Drummer Girl]]'' (1984) – Ned Quilley
* ''[[The Play on One]]: [[The Play on One#The Dunroamin' Rising|The Dunroamin' Rising]]'' (1988) – Mr Finister
{{div col end}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{IMDb name|0910381|Thorley Walters}}

{{Authority control}}

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

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Thorley Walters