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Obituaries

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	==Obituaries==		==Obituaries==
	* [https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-30746784 Obituary] at [[BBC]]		* [https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-30746784 Obituary] at [[w:BBC\|BBC]]
	* [https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2015/jan/09/lance-percival Obituary] at ''[[w:The Guardian\|The Guardian]]''		* [https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2015/jan/09/lance-percival Obituary] at ''[[w:The Guardian\|The Guardian]]''
	* [https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/lance-percival-comedy-performer-whose-topical-calypsos-helped-make-that-was-the-week-that-was-a-satirical-smash-9971141.html Obituary] at ''[[w:The Independent\|The Independent]]''		* [https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/lance-percival-comedy-performer-whose-topical-calypsos-helped-make-that-was-the-week-that-was-a-satirical-smash-9971141.html Obituary] at ''[[w:The Independent\|The Independent]]''

Kurt: /* External links */

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External links

← Older revision		Revision as of 11:30, 4 January 2023
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	==External links==		==External links==
	* {{IMDb name\|0672886}}		* {{IMDb name\|0672886}}

			==Obituaries==
	* [https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-30746784 Obituary] at [[BBC]]		* [https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-30746784 Obituary] at [[BBC]]
	* [https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2015/jan/09/lance-percival Obituary] at ''[[The Guardian]]''		* [https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2015/jan/09/lance-percival Obituary] at ''[[w:The Guardian\|The Guardian]]''
	* [https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/lance-percival-comedy-performer-whose-topical-calypsos-helped-make-that-was-the-week-that-was-a-satirical-smash-9971141.html Obituary] at ''[[The Independent]]''		* [https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/lance-percival-comedy-performer-whose-topical-calypsos-helped-make-that-was-the-week-that-was-a-satirical-smash-9971141.html Obituary] at ''[[w:The Independent\|The Independent]]''

	~~{{Authority control}}~~

	{{DEFAULTSORT:Percival, Lance}}		{{DEFAULTSORT:Percival, Lance}}

Kurt at 20:52, 25 September 2022

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	{{Short description\|British actor and comedian (1933–2015)}}		{{Short description\|British actor and comedian (1933–2015)}}
	~~{{for\|the British Olympic hurdler\|Lance Percival (athlete)}}~~
	{{EngvarB\|date=September 2020}}		{{EngvarB\|date=September 2020}}
	{{Use dmy dates\|date=May 2013}}		{{Use dmy dates\|date=May 2013}}

Kurt: 1 revision imported

2022-09-25T20:03:03Z

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← Older revision	Revision as of 15:03, 25 September 2022
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158.115.189.178: /* Television */

2022-09-04T22:38:07Z

Television

New page

{{Short description|British actor and comedian (1933–2015)}}
{{for|the British Olympic hurdler|Lance Percival (athlete)}}
{{EngvarB|date=September 2020}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2013}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Lance Percival
| image = Lance Percival Actor.jpg
| imagesize =
| caption =
| birth_name = John Lancelot Blades Percival
| birth_date ={{birth date|1933|7|26|df=y|}}
| birth_place = [[Sevenoaks]], [[Kent]], England
| death_date = {{death date and age|2015|1|6|1933|7|26|df=y|}}
| death_place = [[London]], England
| children =
| othername =
| yearsactive = 1961–1990
}}
'''John Lancelot Blades Percival''' (26 July 1933 – 6 January 2015), known as '''Lance Percival''', was an English actor, comedian and singer, best known for his appearances in [[Satire|satirical comedy]] television shows of the early 1960s and his ability to improvise comic [[calypso music|calypso]]s about current news stories. He later became successful as an [[public speaking|after-dinner speaker]].<ref name="Telegraph">{{cite web|url=http://announcements.telegraph.co.uk/deaths/185934/percival|title=PERCIVAL|publisher=Announcements.telegraph.co.uk|access-date=9 January 2015}}</ref>

==Biography==
Percival was born in [[Sevenoaks]], Kent,<ref>{{Cite ODNB|title=Percival, John Lancelot Blades (Lance)|last=Mellor |first=Roger Philip |date=10 January 2019 |doi=10.1093/odnb/9780198614128.013.111886|url=https://www.oxforddnb.com/view/10.1093/odnb/9780198614128.001.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-111886}}</ref> and was educated at [[Sherborne School]] in Dorset, where he learnt to play the guitar. He then did [[Conscription in the United Kingdom|national service]] with the [[Seaforth Highlanders]] as a [[Lieutenant (British Army and Royal Marines)|lieutenant]] and was posted to Egypt. In 1955 he emigrated to Canada where he worked as an [[copywriting|advertising copywriter]], writing jingles for radio. He also formed a calypso group as "Lord Lance" which toured the US and Canada.<ref name=guardian>[https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2015/jan/09/lance-percival Lance Percival Guardian Obituary]. Retrieved 9 January 2015</ref>

He first became well known in the early 1960s for performing topical [[Calypso Music|calypsos]] on television shows such as ''[[That Was The Week That Was]]'', after having been discovered by [[Ned Sherrin]], performing at the Blue Angel Club in [[Mayfair]].<ref name=bbc/> A tall thin man with a distinctive crooked nose and prominent ears, he also appeared in several British comedy films including the [[Carry On films|Carry On]] film ''[[Carry On Cruising]]'' (1962) (replacing [[Charles Hawtrey (actor, born 1914)|Charles Hawtrey]] who quit in a dispute over billing). He had a cameo role in ''[[The V.I.P.s (film)|The V.I.P.s]]'' (1963) and another in ''[[The Yellow Rolls-Royce]]'' (1964). He had a major role, and second billing, in the comedy musical ''[[It's All Over Town]]'' (1964).

He also appeared in his own [[BBC TV]] comedy series ''Lance at Large'' (also 1964), with writers [[Peter Tinniswood]] and [[David Nobbs]]. in 1960 he starred on the [[Comedy revue]] ''[[One Over The Eight]]''.<ref>{{cite news |title=Obituaries: Actor and revue performer, Lance Percival |url=https://www.independent.ie/entertainment/television/tv-news/obituaries-actor-and-revue-performer-lance-percival-30934868.html |access-date=17 September 2020 |work=[[Irish Independent]] |location=Dublin |date=24 January 2015}}</ref>

Working, like many British comics of the era, with [[George Martin]] at [[Parlophone]], Percival had one [[UK Singles Chart]] hit, his cover version of a calypso-style song entitled "[[Shame and Scandal in the Family]]" which reached number 37 in October 1965,<ref name="British Hit Singles & Albums">{{cite book |first=David |last=Roberts |year=2006 |title=British Hit Singles & Albums |edition=19th |publisher=Guinness World Records Limited |location=London |isbn=1-904994-10-5 |page=423}}</ref> and recorded several other comedy songs, including "The Beetroot Song" ("If You Like Beetroot I'll Be True To You", 1963), written by [[Mitch Murray]], and "The Maharajah of Brum" (1967), written with Martin.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.discogs.com/search?type=releases&q=Percival |title=Discogs |publisher=Discogs |date=26 July 1933 |access-date=2012-12-21}}</ref>

Later he provided the voice of both [[Paul McCartney]] and [[Ringo Starr]] for the cartoon series ''[[The Beatles (TV series)|The Beatles]]'' (1965), leading to his voicing the central character "Old Fred" in [[the Beatles]]' [[animated film]] ''[[Yellow Submarine (film)|Yellow Submarine]]''. He also appeared as an "upper class tramp" in the [[Herman's Hermits]] film ''[[Mrs. Brown, You've Got a Lovely Daughter (film)|Mrs. Brown, You've Got a Lovely Daughter]]'' (1968).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0063325/reviews|title=Reviews & Ratings for ''Mrs. Brown, You've Got a Lovely Daughter''|publisher=IMDb.com|access-date=2012-12-21}}</ref> During the 1960s and 1970s, on [[BBC Radio 4]] and on its predecessor the [[BBC Home Service]], he was a regular panelist on [[Ian Messiter]]’s ''[[Many a Slip (radio series)|Many a Slip]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/11335607/Lance-Percival-obituary.html|title=Lance Percival - obituary|date=9 January 2015|access-date=22 June 2019|website=Telegraph.co.uk}}</ref>

He starred alongside [[Julie Andrews]], [[Rock Hudson]] and [[Jeremy Kemp]] in the musical film ''[[Darling Lili]]'' (1970) and also appeared in ''[[There's a Girl in My Soup]]''. Also in 1970, he appeared in a rare dramatic role in the war film ''[[Too Late the Hero (film)|Too Late the Hero]]'' starring [[Michael Caine]] and [[Cliff Robertson]].

On 14 December 1970, he was involved in a fatal three-car crash in his [[Jaguar XJ]] on a notorious stretch of the A20, south of [[Farningham]], Kent, known as Death Hill.<ref>{{cite news |author= |title=Newsman's Diary - Death Hill|work=Norwood News |page=10|date=4 March 1960|access-date=17 April 2020 |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0002308/19600304/182/0010| via = [[British Newspaper Archive]]|url-access=subscription}}</ref> Percival was in hospital for a month, he almost lost the sight of one eye and required 123 stitches.<ref>{{cite news |author= |title=Lance Leaves Hospital|work=Kensington Post|page=4|date=15 January 1971|access-date=17 April 2020 |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0002501/19710115/038/0004| via = [[British Newspaper Archive]]|url-access=subscription}}</ref> Following his recovery, he was charged with [[causing death by dangerous driving]]. In court he testified remembering the car drifting left and right, but his memory of the accident was vague. He was acquitted after evidence showed that a tyre on his car had probably deflated before the crash.<ref>{{cite news |author= |title=Comic Lance Percival is cleared of car death charge|work=Daily Mirror|page=2|date=26 May 1971|access-date=17 April 2020 |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000560/19710526/005/0002| via = [[British Newspaper Archive]]|url-access=subscription}}</ref> Percival accepted liability for the accident and in a legal action that reached the [[Court of Appeal (England and Wales)|Court of Appeal]] he paid a total of £35,781 in [[damages]] to his two passengers and to the widow and the two children of the driver who was killed ({{Inflation|UK-GDP|35781|1974|fmt=eq|cursign=£|r=-4}}).<ref>{{cite news |title=Lance Percival to face charge |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2507&dat=19710210&id=JJJAAAAAIBAJ&pg=1443,1805293 |access-date=24 June 2018 |work=The Glasgow Herald |date=10 February 1971 |page=5}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Lance Percival for trial |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2507&dat=19710324&id=sOA9AAAAIBAJ&pg=6552,4366300 |access-date=24 June 2018 |work=The Glasgow Herald |date=24 March 1971 |pages=4}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Operation to save actor's eye |work=[[The Guardian]] |date=16 December 1970 |location=London |page=20}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Percival to pay £5,200 |quote=The court increased from £18,331 to £25,531 damages awarded to Mrs. Jillian Young, aged 31, for the death of her husband [...] Last year Mr. Percival, himself seriously injured in the accident, agreed to pay damages totalling £12,250 to his two passengers. |work=[[The Guardian]] |date=27 July 1974 |location=London |page=12}}</ref>{{Inflation-fn|UK-GDP}}

Percival returned to film work in the [[Frankie Howerd]] films ''[[Up Pompeii (film)|Up Pompeii]]'' (1971), ''[[Up the Chastity Belt]]'' (1971), and ''[[Up the Front]]'' (1972), sustaining a film career until 1978. Between 1972 and 1978 the [[Thames Television]] game show ''[[Whodunnit? (U.K. TV series)|Whodunnit!]]'' was written by Percival and [[Jeremy Lloyd]].

Percival appeared on [[BBC Radio]] light entertainment programmes such as ''[[Just a Minute]]'' throughout the 1980s and was also the author of two books of verse, ''Well-Versed Cats'' and ''Well-Versed Dogs'', both illustrated by [[Lalla Ward]]. Subsequently he gained a reputation as a writer and later as an after-dinner speaker.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tmcentertainment.co.uk/speaker-index.html?speakerid=240&speakertypeid=1 |title=Lance Percival, Book After Dinner Speaker Lance Percival |publisher=Tmcentertainment.co.uk |access-date=2012-12-21}}</ref>

Percival died on 6 January 2015, aged 81, after a long illness.<ref name="Telegraph"/> His son Jamie said: "When he spoke about his showbiz life, he spoke fondly of his time on ''That Was the Week That Was'', and he always loved [[Ned Sherrin]], who discovered him performing at the Blue Angel Club". He was cremated at [[Putney Vale Cemetery]] on 20 January 2015.<ref name=bbc>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-30746784|title=Comedy and satire star Percival dies|date=9 January 2015|access-date=22 June 2019|website=Bbc.co.uk}}</ref>

==Filmography==
===Film===
{{div col|colwidth=30em}}
*''[[The Devil's Daffodil]]'' (1961) – Französischer Gendarme / French gendarme (uncredited)
*''[[Raising the Wind (1961 film)|Raising the Wind]]'' (1961) – Harry
*''[[On the Fiddle]]'' (1961) – MacTaggart (uncredited)
*''[[What a Whopper]]'' (1961) – Policeman at Roundabout
*''[[Postman's Knock (film)|Postman's Knock]]'' (1961) – Joe
*''[[Twice Round the Daffodils]]'' (1962) – George Logg
*''[[Carry On Cruising]]'' (1962) – Wilfred Haines, Ship's Cook
*''[[In the Doghouse (film)|In the Doghouse]]'' (1962) – Policeman (uncredited)
*''[[The V.I.P.s (film)|The V.I.P.s]]'' (1963) – B.O.A.C. Officer
*''[[It's All Over Town]]'' (1964) – Richard Abel
*''[[Hide and Seek (1964 film)|Hide and Seek]]'' (1964) – Idiot
*''[[The Yellow Rolls-Royce]]'' (1964) – Assistant Car Salesman
*''[[Joey Boy (film)|Joey Boy]]'' (1965) – Clarence Doubleday
*''[[You Must Be Joking! (1965 film)|You Must Be Joking!]]'' (1965) – Young Man (uncredited)
*''[[The Big Job (film)|The Big Job]]'' (1965) – Timothy 'Dipper' Day
*''[[Mrs. Brown, You've Got a Lovely Daughter (film)|Mrs. Brown, You've Got a Lovely Daughter]]'' (1968) – Percy Sutton
*''[[Yellow Submarine (film)|Yellow Submarine]]'' (1968) – Old Fred (voice)
*''[[Too Late the Hero (film)|Too Late the Hero]]'' (1970) – Cpl. McLean
*''[[Darling Lili]]'' (1970) – T.C. Carstairs
*''[[The Weekend Murders]]'' (1970) – Supt. Grey
*''[[There's a Girl in My Soup]]'' (1970) – Willie the Bridegroom (uncredited)
*''[[Up Pompeii (film)|Up Pompeii]]'' (1971) – Bilius
*''[[The Magnificent Six and 1/2|The Magnificent Six and ½]]: Up the Creek'' (1971)
*''[[Up the Chastity Belt]]'' (1971) – Reporter
*''[[Up the Front]]'' (1972) – Von Gutz
*''[[Our Miss Fred]]'' (1972) – Smallpiece
*''[[Confessions from a Holiday Camp]]'' (1977) – Lionel
*''[[The Water Babies (film)|The Water Babies]]'' (1978) – Terence the Sea Horse (voice)
*''[[Rosie Dixon – Night Nurse]]'' (1978) – Jake Fletcher
*''[[Quincy's Quest]]'' (1979) – Jack
*''[[Adaptations of Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde|Jekyll & Hyde]]'' (1990) – Beresford Mount, Prince's Private Secretary (final film role)
{{div col end}}

===Television===
*''[[That Was the Week That Was]]'' (1962–1963) – Himself
*''[[Citizen James]]'' (1962)
*''[[The Beatles (TV series)|The Beatles]]'' (1965–1967) – [[Paul McCartney]] / [[Ringo Starr]]
*''[[Jason King (TV series)|Jason King]]'' (1972) – Alfred Trim
*''[[Who Do You Do?]]'' (1972–1973) – Various Impressions
*''[[Chico the Rainmaker|Chico the Rainmaker aka The Boy with Two Heads]]'' (1974) – Stanley Thornton
*''Oscar the Rabbit in Rubbidge'' (1977) - narrator (English version)
*''[[Shoestring (TV series)|Shoestring]]'' (1980) – Jake Rivere

==Discography==
*1963 – Riviera Cayf / You're Joking of Course (7", Single) [Parlophone – R 5032]
*1963 – The Beetroot Song / Dancing in the Streets Tonight (7", Single) [Parlophone – R 5071]
*1965 – There's Another One Behind / Shame and Scandal in the Family (7", Single) [Parlophone – R 5335]
*1966 – If I Had Wings / My Girl, My Shirll (7", Single) [Parlophone – R 5417]
*1966 – End of the Season / Our Jim (7", Single) [Parlophone – R 5517]
*1967 – I'm Beautiful / I've Been Left Behind (7", Single) [Parlophone – R 5657]
*1967 – The Maharajah of Brum / Taking the Maharajah Apart (7", Single) [Parlophone – R 5587]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{IMDb name|0672886}}
* [https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-30746784 Obituary] at [[BBC]]
* [https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2015/jan/09/lance-percival Obituary] at ''[[The Guardian]]''
* [https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/lance-percival-comedy-performer-whose-topical-calypsos-helped-make-that-was-the-week-that-was-a-satirical-smash-9971141.html Obituary] at ''[[The Independent]]''

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Percival, Lance}}
[[Category:1933 births]]
[[Category:2015 deaths]]
[[Category:English male television actors]]
[[Category:English male film actors]]
[[Category:English male writers]]
[[Category:English male singers]]
[[Category:People educated at Sherborne School]]
[[Category:People from Sevenoaks]]
[[Category:Calypsonians]]
[[Category:Musicians from Kent]]
[[Category:Male actors from Kent]]
[[Category:Seaforth Highlanders officers]]
[[Category:20th-century English singers]]
[[Category:20th-century English writers]]
[[Category:20th-century British male singers]]
[[Category:20th-century British Army personnel]]

Lance Percival - Revision history

Kurt: /* Obituaries */

Kurt: /* External links */

Kurt at 20:52, 25 September 2022

Kurt: 1 revision imported

158.115.189.178: /* Television */