Derek Francis

From The Goon Show Depository

Derek Francis
Derek Francis.jpg
Born(1923-11-07)7 November 1923
Brighton, Sussex, England
Died27 March 1984(1984-03-27) (aged 60)
Wimbledon, London, England
OccupationActor
Known forCarry On films

Derek Francis (7 November 1923 in Brighton – 27 March 1984 in Wimbledon, London) was an English comedy and character actor.[1]

Biography

He was a regular in the Carry On film players, appearing in six of the films in the 1960s and 1970s.[2] He appeared in The Tomb of Ligeia (1964), the last film in Roger Corman's Edgar Allan Poe series.[3] He also took roles in several BBC adaptations of Charles Dickens novels. His last role was in the 1984 version of A Christmas Carol.[4][5]

Other roles included parts in television series of the period such as Rising Damp, Bless Me, Father, Thriller, The Professionals, The Sweeney, Sherlock Holmes, The New Avengers, Danger Man, Jason King, Up Pompeii!, Wild, Wild Women, Coronation Street, and Z-Cars.[6] He also appeared as the Emperor Nero, a comic turn in the early Doctor Who story entitled The Romans opposite William Hartnell.[7] Possibly his most prominent role was as Father Bernard, the Master of Novices in Oh Brother!.

Among his stage roles was the title character in Cymbeline for the Old Vic in 1957.[8]

He died of a heart attack in Wimbledon, London.[9]

Selected filmography

References

  1. ^ "Derek Francis". BFI. Archived from the original on 2012-08-04.
  2. ^ Ross, Andrew (19 October 2011). Carry-On Actors. ISBN 9781908548153.
  3. ^ "' Tomb of Ligeia' Brings Vincent Price to Palace Screen". Nytimes.com. Retrieved 26 October 2018.
  4. ^ "Derek Francis movies, photos, movie reviews, filmography, and biography". AllMovie.
  5. ^ "Christmas Carol, A (1984) - Overview". Turner Classic Movies.
  6. ^ "A Short Biography of Derek Francis". Radiosoundsfamiliar.com.
  7. ^ "BBC – Doctor Who Classic Episode Guide – The Romans – Details". Bbc.co.uk.
  8. ^ Wearing, J. P. (16 September 2014). The London Stage 1950–1959. p. 452. ISBN 9780810893085.
  9. ^ "Overview for Derek Francis". Turner Classic Movies.

External links