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External links

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	==External links==		==External links==
	~~{{Commons category\|Windsor Davies}}~~
	*{{IMDb name\|id=0204034\|name=Windsor Davies}}		*{{IMDb name\|id=0204034\|name=Windsor Davies}}
	* {{~~discogs~~ artist\|Windsor Davies}}		*{{Discogs artist\|Windsor Davies}}
	*{{Screenonline name\|479696\|Windsor Davies}}		*{{Screenonline name\|479696\|Windsor Davies}}

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External links

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	* {{discogs artist\|Windsor Davies}}		* {{discogs artist\|Windsor Davies}}
	*{{Screenonline name\|479696\|Windsor Davies}}		*{{Screenonline name\|479696\|Windsor Davies}}

	~~{{Authority control}}~~

	{{DEFAULTSORT:Davies, Windsor}}		{{DEFAULTSORT:Davies, Windsor}}

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	\| name = Windsor Davies		\| name = Windsor Davies
	\| image = Windsor Davies.jpg		\| image = Windsor Davies.jpg
	\| caption = ~~Davies during filming of ''[[Never the Twain]]''~~		\| caption =
	\| birth_date = 28 ~~August 1930~~		\| birth_date = {{Birth date\|1930\|08\|28\|df=y}}
	\| birth_place = [[Canning Town]], [[London]], England		\| birth_place = [[w:Canning Town\|Canning Town]], [[w:London\|London]], England
	\| death_date = {{death date and age\|2019\|1\|17\|1930\|8\|28\|df=y}}		\| death_date = {{death date and age\|2019\|1\|17\|1930\|8\|28\|df=y}}
	\| death_place = France<ref>{{cite news \| url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-46931129 \| title=Windsor Davies: It Ain't Half Hot Mum actor dies aged 88 \| work=BBC News \| date=19 January 2019 }}</ref>		\| death_place = France<ref>{{cite news \| url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-46931129 \| title=Windsor Davies: It Ain't Half Hot Mum actor dies aged 88 \| work=BBC News \| date=19 January 2019 }}</ref>

Kurt: 1 revision imported

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← Older revision	Revision as of 19:08, 25 September 2022
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en>Natg 19: Disambiguating links to New Statesman (disambiguation) (link changed to The New Statesman (1987 TV series)) using DisamAssist.

2022-09-14T05:03:14Z

Disambiguating links to New Statesman (disambiguation) (link changed to The New Statesman (1987 TV series)) using DisamAssist.

New page

{{short description|Welsh actor (1930–2019)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2019}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Windsor Davies
| image = Windsor Davies.jpg
| caption = Davies during filming of ''[[Never the Twain]]''
| birth_date = 28 August 1930
| birth_place = [[Canning Town]], [[London]], England
| death_date = {{death date and age|2019|1|17|1930|8|28|df=y}}
| death_place = France<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-46931129 | title=Windsor Davies: It Ain't Half Hot Mum actor dies aged 88 | work=BBC News | date=19 January 2019 }}</ref>
| occupation = Actor
| years_active = 1961–2004
| website =
| spouse = {{marriage|Eluned Evans|1957|2018|end=d.}}
| children = 5
}}
'''Windsor Davies''' (28 August 1930 – 17 January 2019)<ref name="BBC Arts">{{cite web|title = Stage and screen: Windsor Davies|publisher=BBC WalesArts|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/arts/sites/windsor-davies/|access-date=4 July 2012}}</ref> was a Welsh actor. He is best remembered for playing [[Battery Sergeant Major]] Williams in the sitcom ''[[It Ain't Half Hot Mum]]'' (1974–1981) over its entire run. The show's popularity resulted in Davies and his co-star [[Don Estelle]] achieving a UK [[chart-topper|number one]] hit with a version of "[[Whispering Grass]]" in 1975. He later starred with [[Donald Sinden]] in ''[[Never the Twain]]'' (1981–1991), and his deep [[Welsh English|Welsh-accented]] voice was heard extensively in advertising voice-overs.

==Early life==
Davies was born on 28 August 1930 in [[Canning Town]], [[East London]], to Welsh parents. In 1940 they returned to their native village of [[Nant-y-moel]], [[Bridgend County Borough|Bridgend]].<ref name="Gdn20190120">{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2019/jan/20/windsor-davies-obituary|title=Windsor Davies obituary|first=Meic|last=Stephens|date=20 January 2019|work=The Guardian|access-date=12 June 2020}}</ref> Davies studied at [[Ogmore School|Ogmore Grammar School]] and worked as a coal miner.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.walesonline.co.uk/lifestyle/nostalgia/windsor-davies-one-greatest-living-10955253|title=Why Windsor Davies is a Welsh icon (even if he's really English)|first=Nathan|last=Bevan|date=27 February 2016|website=Walesonline.co.uk|access-date=26 October 2018}}</ref> He performed his [[Conscription in the United Kingdom#After 1945|National Service]] in Libya and Egypt, with the [[East Surrey Regiment]], between 1950 and 1952.<ref>{{cite web |last=Pratt |first=Vic |url=http://www.screenonline.org.uk/people/id/479696/ |title=Davies, Windsor (1930-) Biography|work=BFI Screenonline|date=2003–14|access-date=29 October 2016}}</ref> Following teacher training at [[Bangor Normal College|Bangor Teacher Training College]],<ref name="BBC Arts" /> he taught English and Maths at [[Leek, Staffordshire|Leek]] in [[Staffordshire]],<ref name="BBC20190119">{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-38497286|title=Comedy actor Windsor Davies dies|date=19 January 2019|work=BBC News}}</ref> and at a school in [[Elephant and Castle]], south London.<ref name="Timesobit" />

Davies had become active in amateur dramatics, including the [[Bromley Little Theatre]], and took a short drama course with a [[Kew]] theatre company.<ref name="BBC20190119" /> He became a professional actor at the age of 31 and began working at the [[Cheltenham]] [[Repertory theatre|Rep]] in 1961.<ref name="Timesobit" />

==Career==
=== Television ===
Davies' best known role was as Battery Sergeant Major Williams in the [[British sitcom]] ''[[It Ain't Half Hot Mum]]'' (1974–1981).<ref name="BBC Arts" /> Modelled on similar individuals Davies had met as a soldier during his National Service. "Bastards, real bastards some of them were. They knew it too, and took pride in it," he once said.<ref name="Timesobit" /> Among his character's catchphrases was "Shut Up!!", delivered as an [[eardrum]]-shattering military scream.<ref>{{cite web|title=It Ain't Half Hot Mum|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/itainthalfhotmum/ |access-date=5 August 2011|publisher=BBC }}</ref> Another phrase was "Oh dear, how sad, never mind", delivered in a dry, ironic manner, and used when others around him had problems. Davies and co-star [[Don Estelle]] had a number one hit in the UK with a semi-comic version of "[[Whispering Grass]]" in 1975.<ref name="BBC Arts" /> Journalist Neil Clark, contributing to ''[[The Times]]'' in 2005, described his performance as the "definitive portrayal of a bullying and uneducated sergeant-major" and reported [[Spike Milligan]] was of the opinion that Davies' role was "the funniest comic performance he had ever" watched.<ref>{{cite news|last=Clark|first=Neil|url=https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/listen-and-repeat-after-me-ncjlj2rpbcr|title=Listen and repeat after me . . .|work=The Times|date=1 September 2005|access-date=14 October 2018}} {{subscription required}}</ref>

Other television roles included the sailor Taffy in the first of the BBC-series ''[[The Onedin Line]]'' (1971), a boat captain in an episode of ''[[Special Branch (TV series)|Special Branch]],'' a special branch detective in ''[[Callan (TV series)|Callan]]'' (1972) and the [[Antiques|antique]] dealer Oliver Smallbridge in ''[[Never the Twain]]'' (1981–1991), with [[Donald Sinden]].<ref name="BFI">{{cite web |title=Windsor Davies |url=https://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2ba02da5eb |publisher=British Film Institute |access-date=19 January 2019}}</ref> In the field of science fiction television, Davies appeared in the 1967 ''[[Doctor Who]]'' story ''[[The Evil of the Daleks]]'' as Toby;<ref name=who>{{cite web |title=The Evil of the Daleks |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/classic/episodeguide/evildaleks/detail.shtml |publisher=BBC |access-date=19 January 2019}}</ref> and was the voice of Sergeant Major Zero (a spherical robotic soldier in charge of 100 other spherical robotic soldiers) in the 1983 Gerry Anderson-Christopher Burr production ''[[Terrahawks]]''.<ref name="BBC Arts" />

He was the subject of ''[[This Is Your Life (British TV series)|This Is Your Life]]'' in 1976 when he was surprised by [[Eamonn Andrews]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www2.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b821f19f1|title=Windsor Davies (1976)|website=BFI}}</ref>

In September–October 1985, Davies played the lead role of George Vance, a museum custodian elevated to the peerage, in the six-part [[BBC Two|BBC2]] comedy series ''[[The New Statesman (1984 TV series)|The New Statesman]]''.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p02zy165|title=The New Statesman|publisher=BBC | access-date=26 January 2020}}</ref> This was based on the play by [[Douglas Watkinson]]<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b74c45011|title=The New Statesman (1985)|publisher=BFI | access-date=26 January 2020}}</ref> and is not to be confused with [[The New Statesman (1987 TV series)|the later sitcom of the same name]]. ([[Colin Blakely]] played the role of Vance in a pilot episode transmitted on BBC2 in December 1984.)<ref>{{cite news |url=https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/8459b66a95e94f37a261237788abaf12|title=The New Statesman|publisher=BBC Genome | access-date=26 January 2020}}</ref>

Davies also featured in the BBC comedy sitcom ''[[Oh, Doctor Beeching!]]'', written by [[David Croft (TV producer)|David Croft]] and [[Richard Spendlove]], as the Lord Mayor in an episode broadcast in 1997.

===Films===
In the cinema, Davies played major roles in two [[Carry On films]], ''[[Carry On Behind|Behind]]'' (1975) and ''[[Carry On England|England]]'' (1976), in the latter again as a sergeant major. He played Mog in the Welsh rugby film ''[[Grand Slam (1978 film)|Grand Slam]]'' (1978), and was a sergeant in the Highland Regiment in ''[[Adolf Hitler: My Part in His Downfall (film)|Adolf Hitler: My Part in His Downfall]]'' (1973) with [[Jim Dale]] and Spike Milligan.<ref name="BFI Filmog" /> In 1989, he revived the role of Sergeant Major Williams in a 30 minute [[Royal Air Force]] training film, ''Hazardous Ops''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/1060027178|title=HAZARDOUS OPS [MAIN TITLE]|publisher=Imperial War Museum}}</ref>

===Pantomime===
Davies appeared as Baron Hardup in the pantomime Cinderella in ''[[Bournemouth]]'', UK from 10th December 1992 to 17th January 1993.

===Voice work===
Davies' distinctive voice was heard in commercials for New Zealand's Pink Batts house insulations and confectionery ads for [[Cadbury Schweppes|Cadbury]]'s [[Cadbury Wispa|Wispa]]<ref>{{cite web |last1=Donohue |first1=Alex |title=Cadbury to resurrect Wispa after social network pressure |url=https://www.campaignlive.co.uk/article/cadbury-resurrect-wispa-social-network-pressure/732258 |access-date=19 January 2019 |date=20 August 2007}}</ref> and for Heinz Curried (Baked) Beans.<ref>{{cite web |title=Curried Beans Commercial: Windsor Davies |url=https://www.hatads.org.uk/catalogue/record/f8da0aeb-5245-4ff8-8d13-6f00b26bcca2 |publisher=History of Advertising Trust |access-date=19 January 2019}}</ref> He also appeared alongside New Zealand [[rugby union]] coach [[Alex Wyllie]] in New Zealand advertisements for [[Mitre 10]] hardware stores in the early 1990s.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ahAT_CGYdo4 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211212/ahAT_CGYdo4| archive-date=2021-12-12 |url-status=live|title=NZ Ad – Mitre 10 with Alex "Grizz" Wyllie |publisher=[[YouTube]] |date=15 October 2012 |access-date=29 October 2016}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Davies and Wyllie had worked together previously on the rugby-themed film ''[[Old Scores]]'' in 1991.<ref name=doodleman/>

In the 1970s, he read an edition of [[BBC Radio 4]]'s ''Morning Story'' programme,<ref name="BBC Arts" /> and also narrated the [[audiobook]] for the [[Ladybird Books|Ladybird]] children's classic ''[[Treasure Island]]''.<ref>{{cite web |title=Davies, Windsor (1930-) |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/people/908532?c=people |publisher=National Library of Australia |access-date=19 January 2019}}</ref> He sang and voiced many characters in the [[Paul McCartney]] film ''[[Rupert and the Frog Song]]'' in 1984, and appeared in that year's children's film ''[[Gabrielle and the Doodleman]]'' as three different characters (the Ringmaster, the Black Knight and an Ugly Sister).<ref name=doodleman>{{cite web |title=Gabrielle and the Doodleman (1984) |url=https://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b79325e08 |publisher=British Film Institute |access-date=19 January 2019}}</ref> 1984 also saw him audition to be the voice of the UK's [[speaking clock]].<ref name="BBC Arts" /> Davies was also the voice of Sergeant Major Zero in [[Gerry Anderson]]'s ''[[Terrahawks]]''.

==Personal life and death==
In 1957, he married Eluned Lynne Evans; the couple had four daughters and a son. Eluned died in September 2018.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Busby |first1=Mattha |title=Windsor Davies, It Ain't Half Hot Mum actor, dies aged 88 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2019/jan/19/windsor-davies-it-aint-half-hot-mum-actor-dies-aged-88 |work=The Guardian |date=20 January 2019}}</ref><ref name="Timesobit">{{cite news|url=https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/windsor-davies-obituary-bkc97sn9d|title=Windsor Davies obituary|work=The Times|date=21 January 2019|access-date=12 June 2020}} {{subscription required}}</ref> Davies lived in the south of France,<ref name="Gdn20190120" /> and was a keen [[birdwatching|birdwatcher]].<ref name="Timesobit" />

He died on 17 January 2019, aged 88, four months after the death of his wife.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-46931129 |title=Windsor Davies: It Ain't Half Hot Mum actor dies aged 88 |work=BBC News |publisher=BBC |date=19 January 2019 |access-date=19 January 2019}}</ref> His estate was valued at £883,000.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.chortle.co.uk/news/2019/04/27/42897/windsor-davies-900-000-legacy|title=Windsor Davies' £900,000 legacy : News 2019 : Chortle : The UK Comedy Guide|first=Steve|last=Bennett|website=www.chortle.co.uk}}</ref>

==Filmography==
{{Div col|colwidth=25em}}
* ''[[The Pot Carriers]]'' (1962) - Police Constable
* ''[[Murder Most Foul (film)|Murder Most Foul]]'' (1964) - Sergeant Brick
* ''[[The Alphabet Murders]]'' (1965) - Dragbot
* ''[[Arabesque (1966 film)|Arabesque]]'' (1965) - Policeman in Car Crash (uncredited)
* ''[[The Family Way]]'' (1966) - Man in Crowd (uncredited)
* ''[[Drop Dead Darling]]'' (1966) - Radio Engineer
* ''[[Assignment K]]'' (1968) - Bill (uncredited)
* ''[[Hammerhead (film)|Hammerhead]]'' (1968) - Police Sergeant
* ''[[Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed]]'' (1969) - Police Sergeant
* ''[[The Mind of Mr. J.G. Reeder]]'' (1969–1971) - Chief Inspector Pyne
* ''[[Clinic Exclusive]]'' (1971) - Geoffrey Carter
* ''[[Endless Night (1972 film)|Endless Night]]'' (1972) - Sgt. Keene
* ''[[Adolf Hitler: My Part in His Downfall (film)|Adolf Hitler: My Part in His Downfall]]'' (1973) - Sgt. MacKay
* ''[[Soft Beds, Hard Battles]]'' (1974) - Bisset (uncredited)
* ''[[Mister Quilp]]'' (1975) - George
* ''[[Carry On Behind]]'' (1975)<ref name="BBC Arts" /> - Fred Ramsden
* ''[[Confessions of a Driving Instructor]]'' (1976) - Mr. Truscott
* ''[[Carry On England]]'' (1976)<ref name="BBC Arts" /> - Sergeant-Major 'Tiger' Bloomer
* ''[[Not Now, Comrade]]'' (1976) - Constable Pulford
* ''[[Grand Slam (1978 film)|Grand Slam]]'' (1978, TV Movie) - Mog Jones
* ''[[The Playbirds]]'' (1978) - Assistant Police Commissioner
* ''[[Gabrielle and the Doodleman]]'' (1984) - Ringmaster / Black Knight / Ugly Sister
* ''[[Rupert and the Frog Song]]'' (1985, Short) - Rupert's Father / Father Frog (voice)
* ''[[Old Scores]]'' (1991) - Evan Price
* ''[[The Thief and the Cobbler]]'' (1993) - Chief Roofless (voice)
* ''[[The Wind in the Willows (1995 film)|The Willows in Winter]]'' (1996, TV Movie) - Commissioner of Police (voice)<ref name="BFI Filmog">{{cite web|url=https://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2ba02da5eb |title=Windsor Davies |work=British Film Institute |access-date=19 January 2019}}</ref>
{{Div col end}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Windsor Davies}}
*{{IMDb name|id=0204034|name=Windsor Davies}}
* {{discogs artist|Windsor Davies}}
*{{Screenonline name|479696|Windsor Davies}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Davies, Windsor}}
[[Category:1930 births]]
[[Category:2019 deaths]]
[[Category:20th-century British male actors]]
[[Category:21st-century British male actors]]
[[Category:British expatriates in France]]
[[Category:British male comedy actors]]
[[Category:British male film actors]]
[[Category:British male television actors]]
[[Category:British male voice actors]]
[[Category:East Surrey Regiment soldiers]]
[[Category:British people of Welsh descent]]
[[Category:Male actors from Essex]]
[[Category:Male actors from London]]
[[Category:People from Canning Town]]

Windsor Davies - Revision history

Kurt: /* External links */

Kurt: /* External links */

Kurt at 00:11, 26 September 2022

Kurt: 1 revision imported

en>Natg 19: Disambiguating links to New Statesman (disambiguation) (link changed to The New Statesman (1987 TV series)) using DisamAssist.