Allan Cuthbertson
Encyclopedia
Allan Cuthbertson was a naturalised Anglo-Australian actor.
, son of Ernest and Isobel Ferguson (Darling) Cuthbertson, he performed on stage and radio from an early age.
During World War II, he served as a Flight Lieutenant with the RAAF
from 6 December 1941 to 1 July 1947, based with 111 Squadron Air Sea Rescue Flight
.
at the Boltons. In London's West End
, he appeared as Laertes in Hamlet
, Aimwell in The Beaux Stratagem, and Octavius Robinson in Man & Superman, among many other roles.
He was often cast in military roles which was quite common in actors of his generation. He was Captain Eric Simpson in Tunes of Glory
(1960) as well as being cast as more stuffy regimental types in such films as The Guns of Navarone
(1961) and Carrington V.C. (1955), which also starred David Niven
. He also made a brief appearance as a harassed staff officer, who then gets blown up, at the beginning of Ice-Cold in Alex
(1958). He appeared four times in the television series The Avengers
.
Perhaps surprisingly Cuthbertson also had a talent for playing comedy, which led to his best known role as Colonel Hall in the "Gourmet Night
" episode of the hit sitcom Fawlty Towers
in 1975. He also appeared in many roles on British television, including with Tommy Cooper
, Dick Emery
and Frankie Howerd
, and in All Gas and Gaiters
, Danger Man
and Terry and June
, where he played annoying neighbour Tarquin Spry. He was also a regular guest on The Morecambe and Wise Show from 1973 to 1976. One of his last TV appearances was in Michael Palin
's East of Ipswich
in 1987.
One of his last stage roles was in The Corn is Green
by Emlyn Williams
at the Old Vic
in 1985.
, who had been a lawyer originally, but became a teacher in England. They had an adopted son.
Early life
Born Allan Darling Cuthbertson in Perth, Western AustraliaPerth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
, son of Ernest and Isobel Ferguson (Darling) Cuthbertson, he performed on stage and radio from an early age.
During World War II, he served as a Flight Lieutenant with the RAAF
Royal Australian Air Force
The Royal Australian Air Force is the air force branch of the Australian Defence Force. The RAAF was formed in March 1921. It continues the traditions of the Australian Flying Corps , which was formed on 22 October 1912. The RAAF has taken part in many of the 20th century's major conflicts...
from 6 December 1941 to 1 July 1947, based with 111 Squadron Air Sea Rescue Flight
No. 111 Air-Sea Rescue Flight RAAF
No. 111 Air-Sea Rescue Flight was a Royal Australian Air Force unit of World War II.It was formed at Madang in New Guinea on 13 December 1944 and was equipped with Consolidated Catalinas....
.
Career
Cuthbertson arrived in England in 1947, and appeared shortly thereafter as Romeo in Romeo and JulietRomeo and Juliet
Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy written early in the career of playwright William Shakespeare about two young star-crossed lovers whose deaths ultimately unite their feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's most popular archetypal stories of young, teenage lovers.Romeo and Juliet belongs to a...
at the Boltons. In London's West End
West End of London
The West End of London is an area of central London, containing many of the city's major tourist attractions, shops, businesses, government buildings, and entertainment . Use of the term began in the early 19th century to describe fashionable areas to the west of Charing Cross...
, he appeared as Laertes in Hamlet
Hamlet
The Tragical History of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, or more simply Hamlet, is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1599 and 1601...
, Aimwell in The Beaux Stratagem, and Octavius Robinson in Man & Superman, among many other roles.
He was often cast in military roles which was quite common in actors of his generation. He was Captain Eric Simpson in Tunes of Glory
Tunes of Glory
Tunes of Glory is a 1960 British film directed by Ronald Neame, based on the novel and screenplay by James Kennaway. The film is a "dark psychological drama" centring on events in a Scottish Highland regimental barracks in the period following World War II...
(1960) as well as being cast as more stuffy regimental types in such films as The Guns of Navarone
The Guns of Navarone (film)
The Guns of Navarone is a 1961 British-American Action/Adventure war film based on the 1957 novel of the same name about the Dodecanese Campaign of World War II by Scottish thriller writer Alistair MacLean. It stars Gregory Peck, David Niven and Anthony Quinn, along with Anthony Quayle and Stanley...
(1961) and Carrington V.C. (1955), which also starred David Niven
David Niven
James David Graham Niven , known as David Niven, was a British actor and novelist, best known for his roles as Phileas Fogg in Around the World in 80 Days and Sir Charles Lytton, a.k.a. "the Phantom", in The Pink Panther...
. He also made a brief appearance as a harassed staff officer, who then gets blown up, at the beginning of Ice-Cold in Alex
Ice-Cold in Alex
Ice-Cold in Alex is a British film based on the novel of the same name by British author Christopher Landon. Directed by J. Lee Thompson and starring John Mills, the film was a prizewinner at the 8th Berlin International Film Festival...
(1958). He appeared four times in the television series The Avengers
The Avengers (TV series)
The Avengers is a spy-fi British television series set in the 1960s Britain. The Avengers initially focused on Dr. David Keel and his assistant John Steed . Hendry left after the first series and Steed became the main character, partnered with a succession of assistants...
.
Perhaps surprisingly Cuthbertson also had a talent for playing comedy, which led to his best known role as Colonel Hall in the "Gourmet Night
Gourmet Night
"Gourmet Night" is the fifth episode in the first series of the BBC TV sitcom Fawlty Towers.-Cast:Episode credited cast:*John Cleese as Basil Fawlty*Prunella Scales as Sybil Fawlty*Andrew Sachs as Manuel*Connie Booth as Polly Sherman...
" episode of the hit sitcom Fawlty Towers
Fawlty Towers
Fawlty Towers is a British sitcom produced by BBC Television and first broadcast on BBC2 in 1975. Twelve television program episodes were produced . The show was written by John Cleese and his then wife Connie Booth, both of whom played major characters...
in 1975. He also appeared in many roles on British television, including with Tommy Cooper
Tommy Cooper
Thomas Frederick "Tommy" Cooper was a very popular British prop comedian and magician from Caerphilly, Wales.Cooper was a member of The Magic Circle, and respected by traditional magicians...
, Dick Emery
Dick Emery
Richard Gilbert "Dick" Emery was an English comedian and actor. Beginning on radio in the 1950s, an eponymous television series ran from 1963 to 1981. He was the brother of Ann Emery.-Life and career:...
and Frankie Howerd
Frankie Howerd
Francis Alick "Frankie" Howerd OBE was an English comedian and comic actor whose career, described by fellow comedian Barry Cryer as "a series of comebacks", spanned six decades.-Early career:...
, and in All Gas and Gaiters
All Gas and Gaiters
All Gas and Gaiters was a British television ecclesiastical sitcom which aired on BBC1 from 1966 to 1971. It was written by Pauline Devaney and Edwin Apps, a husband-and-wife team who used the pseudonym of "John Wraith" when writing the pilot...
, Danger Man
Danger Man
Danger Man is a British television series that was broadcast between 1960 and 1962, and again between 1964 and 1968. The series featured Patrick McGoohan as secret agent John Drake. Ralph Smart created the program and wrote many of the scripts...
and Terry and June
Terry and June
Terry and June is a British sitcom that was broadcast on BBC1 from 1979 to 1987. The programme is largely a continuation of Happy Ever After, and stars Terry Scott and June Whitfield as a middle-class suburban couple, Terry and June Medford...
, where he played annoying neighbour Tarquin Spry. He was also a regular guest on The Morecambe and Wise Show from 1973 to 1976. One of his last TV appearances was in Michael Palin
Michael Palin
Michael Edward Palin, CBE FRGS is an English comedian, actor, writer and television presenter best known for being one of the members of the comedy group Monty Python and for his travel documentaries....
's East of Ipswich
East of Ipswich
East of Ipswich was a BBC television drama from 1987 written by Michael Palin, based on his own memories of dreary holidays in English coastal towns in the 1950s....
in 1987.
One of his last stage roles was in The Corn is Green
The Corn is Green
The Corn Is Green is a semi-autobiographical play by Emlyn Williams.At its core is L. C. Moffat, a strong-willed English school teacher working in a small poverty-stricken coal mining town in the late 19th century...
by Emlyn Williams
Emlyn Williams
George Emlyn Williams, CBE , known as Emlyn Williams, was a Welsh dramatist and actor.-Biography:He was born into a Welsh-speaking, working class family in Mostyn, Flintshire....
at the Old Vic
Old Vic
The Old Vic is a theatre located just south-east of Waterloo Station in London on the corner of The Cut and Waterloo Road. Established in 1818 as the Royal Coburg Theatre, it was taken over by Emma Cons in 1880 when it was known formally as the Royal Victoria Hall. In 1898, a niece of Cons, Lilian...
in 1985.
Filmography
- Portrait of AlisonPortrait of AlisonPortrait of Alison is a 1955 British crime film directed by Guy Green and starring Robert Beatty, Terry Moore, William Sylvester, Geoffrey Keen, Henry Oscar and Terence Alexander. An artist and actress join forces to solve a murder and confront a deadly diamond-smuggling ring. It was based on a BBC...
(1955) - Carrington V.C. (1955)
- On Such a NightOn Such a Night (1956 film)On Such a Night is a 1956 British short comedy film directed by Anthony Asquith and starring David Knight, Josephine Griffin and Marie Lohr....
(1956) - Cloak Without DaggerCloak Without DaggerCloak Without Dagger is a 1956 British thriller film directed by Joseph Sterling and starring Philip Friend, Mary Mackenzie and Leslie Dwyer. It was also released as Operation Conspiracy.-Cast:* Philip Friend - Major Felix Gratton...
(1956) - Doublecross (1956)
- The Man Who Never WasThe Man Who Never WasThe Man Who Never Was is a nonfiction 1953 book by Ewen Montagu and a 1956 Second World War war film, based on the book and dramatising actual events...
(1956) - EyewitnessEyewitness (1956 film)Eyewitness is a 1956 British thriller film directed by Muriel Box and starring Donald Sinden, Muriel Pavlow, Belinda Lee, Michael Craig, Nigel Stock and Richard Wattis. It was made by the Rank Organisation.-Plot:...
(1956) - AnastasiaAnastasia (1956 film)Anastasia is a 1956 American historical drama film directed by Anatole Litvak for 20th Century Fox. The film stars Ingrid Bergman, Yul Brynner, and Helen Hayes. Supporting players include Akim Tamiroff, Martita Hunt, and, in a small role, Natalie Schafer...
(1956) - The Passionate StrangerThe Passionate StrangerThe Passionate Stranger is a 1957 British drama film, directed by Muriel Box and starring Margaret Leighton and Ralph Richardson. It uses the film within a film device, with the "real" part of the plot shot in black-and-white and the "fictional" element in colour...
(1957) - Yangtse Incident: The Story of H.M.S. Amethyst (1957)
- Barnacle Bill (1957)
- Law and DisorderLaw and Disorder (1958 film)Law and Disorder is a 1958 British comedy film directed by Charles Crichton and starring Michael Redgrave, Robert Morley, Joan Hickson, Lionel Jeffries and John Le Mesurier. It was based on the 1954 novel Smugglers' Circuit by Denys Roberts. The film was started by director Henry Cornelius who died...
(1958) - Ice-Cold in AlexIce-Cold in AlexIce-Cold in Alex is a British film based on the novel of the same name by British author Christopher Landon. Directed by J. Lee Thompson and starring John Mills, the film was a prizewinner at the 8th Berlin International Film Festival...
(1958) - I Was Monty's DoubleI Was Monty's Double (film)I Was Monty's Double is a 1958 film made by Associated British Picture Corporation . It was directed by John Guillermin, from a screenplay adapted by Bryan Forbes.- Plot :...
(1958) - Room at the Top (1959)
- Shake Hands with the DevilShake Hands with the Devil (1959 film)Shake Hands with the Devil is a 1959 film directed by the English director Michael Anderson.It is set in 1921 Dublin, where the Irish Republican Army battles the "Black and Tans," the ex-British soldiers sent to suppress the IRA with excessively harsh measures.The film stars James Cagney as Sean...
(1959) - The Crowning TouchThe Crowning TouchThe Crowning Touch is a 1959 British comedy film directed by David Eady and starring Ted Ray, Irene Handl and Greta Gynt.-Cast:* Ted Ray as Bert* Greta Gynt as Rosie* Griffith Jones as Mark* Sydney Tafler as Joe* Dermot Walsh as Aubrey Drake...
(1959) - The Devil's Disciple (1959)
- North West Frontier (1959)
- Killers of KilimanjaroKillers of KilimanjaroKillers of Kilimanjaro is a 1959 British CinemaScope adventure film directed by Richard Thorpe and starring Robert Taylor, Anthony Newley, Anne Aubrey and Donald Pleasence for Warwick Films. The story was inspired by actual incidents of the Tsavo maneaters recounted in the book African Bush...
(1959) - The Stranglers of BombayThe Stranglers of BombayThe Stranglers of Bombay is a 1959 adventure/horror film directed by Terence Fisher for Hammer Films dealing with the British East India Company's investigation of the Cult of Thuggee stranglers in the 1830s...
(1960) - Tunes of GloryTunes of GloryTunes of Glory is a 1960 British film directed by Ronald Neame, based on the novel and screenplay by James Kennaway. The film is a "dark psychological drama" centring on events in a Scottish Highland regimental barracks in the period following World War II...
(1960) - The Guns of NavaroneThe Guns of Navarone (film)The Guns of Navarone is a 1961 British-American Action/Adventure war film based on the 1957 novel of the same name about the Dodecanese Campaign of World War II by Scottish thriller writer Alistair MacLean. It stars Gregory Peck, David Niven and Anthony Quinn, along with Anthony Quayle and Stanley...
(1961) - On the Double (1961)
- Solo for Sparrow (1962)
- Term of TrialTerm of TrialTerm of Trial is a 1962 British drama film made by Romulus Films Ltd. and distributed by Warner-Pathé. It was written and directed by Peter Glenville and produced by James Woolf with James H. Ware as associate producer from a screenplay based on the novel of the same name by James Barlow...
(1962) - The BrainThe Brain (1962 film)The Brain is a 1962 film directed by Freddie Francis. It stars Anne Heywood and Janette Scott. A UK-West German production The Brain differs from earlier film versions of the Curt Siodmak novel Donovan's Brain: in this remake, the dead man seeks his own murderer, through contact with the doctor...
(1962) - The BoysThe Boys (1962 film)The Boys is a 1962 British courtroom drama film, directed by Sidney J. Furie and with a screenplay by Stuart Douglass.-Plot:A night watchman at a garage is found murdered, and four teddy boys are put on trial for the crime...
(1962)
- Freud: The Secret Passion (1962)
- The Fast LadyThe Fast LadyThe Fast Lady is a 1962 British comedy film, directed by Ken Annakin. The screenplay was written by Henry Blyth and Jack Davies, based on a story by Keble Howard.It marked the film debut of Julie Christie.-Plot:...
(1963) - Bitter Harvest (1963)
- Nine Hours to RamaNine Hours to RamaNine Hours to Rama is 1963 CinemaScope British film, directed by Mark Robson, and based on a 1962 book by Stanley Wolpert of the same name. The film was written by Nelson Gidding and was filmed in England and parts of India...
(1963) - The Mouse on the MoonThe Mouse on the MoonThe Mouse on the Moon is a 1963 British comedy film, an adaptation of the novel The Mouse on the Moon by Irish author Leonard Wibberley. It was directed by Richard Lester and served as the sequel to The Mouse That Roared. In it, the people of the Duchy of Grand Fenwick, a microstate, attempt space...
(1963) - Tamahine (1963)
- The Running ManThe Running Man (1963 film)The Running Man is a 1963 British drama film directed by Carol Reed, starring Laurence Harvey as a man who fakes his own death in a glider accident, then runs into trouble when an insurance investigator starts taking a close interest....
(1963) - The InformersThe Informers (1963 film)The Informers is a 1963 British crime film produced and distributed in the UK by The Rank Organisation and distributed in the USA by Continental Film Distributors. It was directed by Ken Annakin, produced by William MacQuitty with the screenplay by Paul Durst and Alun Falconer from the novel...
(1963) - The 7th DawnThe 7th DawnThe 7th Dawn is a 1964 drama film starring William Holden, Capucine and Tetsuro Tamba. The film was based on the novel The Durian Tree by Michael Keon.-Plot:...
(1964) - Operation CrossbowOperation Crossbow (film)Operation Crossbow is a British 1965 spy thriller and World War II film, made from a story from Duilio Coletti and Vittoriano Petrilli and filmed at MGM-British Studios...
(1965) - Life at the TopLife at the Top (film)Life at the Top is a 1965 drama film made by Romulus Films and released by Columbia Pictures. It is a sequel to Room at the Top. It was directed by Ted Kotcheff and produced by James Woolf with William Kirby as associate producer. The screenplay was by Mordecai Richler, based on the novel Life at...
(1965) - Cast a Giant ShadowCast a Giant ShadowCast a Giant Shadow is a 1966 big budget, action movie based on the life of Colonel Mickey Marcus starring Kirk Douglas and Senta Berger. Yul Brynner, John Wayne, Frank Sinatra, and Angie Dickinson also appear in supporting roles...
(1966) - The Trygon FactorThe Trygon FactorThe Trygon Factor is a 1966 British-German comedy crime film directed by Cyril Frankel and starring Stewart Granger, Susan Hampshire and Robert Morley. Its German title was Das Geheimnis Der Weissen Nonne. It is based on the Edgar Wallace novel Kate Plus Ten.-Cast:* Stewart Granger - Supt...
(1966) - Press for TimePress for TimePress for Time is a 1966 British film starring Norman Wisdom. The screenplay was written by Eddie Leslie and Norman Wisdom, based on the 1963 novel Yea Yea Yea, by Angus McGill. It was partly filmed in Teignmouth in Devon. It was the last film Wisdom made for the Rank Organisation.- Plot :Norman...
(1966) - Half a SixpenceHalf a Sixpence (film)Half a Sixpence is a 1967 British musical film directed by George Sidney and choreographed by Gillian Lynne. The screenplay by Beverley Cross is adapted from his book for the stage musical of the same name, which was based on Kipps: The Story of a Simple Soul, a 1905 novel by H.G. Wells...
(1967) - Jules Verne's Rocket to the MoonJules Verne's Rocket to the MoonJules Verne's Rocket to the Moon is a 1967 British science fiction comedy film directed by Don Sharp and produced by Harry Alan Towers...
(1967) - Sinful DaveySinful Davey-Production:The film, directed by John Huston, is based on the autobiography of David Haggart entitled The Life Of David Haggart. The film, about a Scottish rogue, was filmed in Ireland and consequently much of the cast have Irish brogues instead of the more accurate Scottish accent.-Cast:*John...
(1969) - The Body StealersThe Body StealersThe Body Stealers is a 1969 British science fiction film directed by Gerry Levy, about the disappearance of British military paratroopers in mid-air whilst on a routine jump. Two investigators try to figure out what happened and uncover an alien plot to steal bodies of earthlings by snatching them...
(1969) - Captain Nemo and the Underwater CityCaptain Nemo and the Underwater CityCaptain Nemo and the Underwater City is a 1969 British film, featuring the character Captain Nemo and some of the settings of Jules Verne's novel Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea. It was written by Pip and Jane Baker and stars Robert Ryan as Nemo....
(1969) - The Adventurers (1970)
- One More TimeOne More Time (film)One More Time is a comedy film, directed by Jerry Lewis and starring Sammy Davis, Jr. and Peter Lawford. It was filmed in 1969 and released in May, 1970 by United Artists. It is a sequel to the 1968 film Salt and Pepper.-Synopsis:...
(1970) - PerformancePerformance (film)Performance is a 1968 British crime drama film; the film was produced in 1968 but not released until 1970. Directed by Donald Cammell and Nicolas Roeg, Performance stars James Fox and Mick Jagger of The Rolling Stones in his film acting debut.-Plot:...
(1970) - AssaultAssault (film)Assault is a 1971 British thriller film directed by Sidney Hayers and starring Suzy Kendall, Frank Finlay and Freddie Jones, with Lesley-Anne Down making an early screen appearance. It is based on the novel The Ravine by Kendal Young, and tells about a police attempt to track down a dangerous...
(1971) - The Outsider (1980)
- The Sea WolvesThe Sea WolvesThe Sea Wolves is a 1980 war film starring Gregory Peck, Roger Moore and David Niven. The film is based on the book Boarding Party by James Leasor, which itself is based on a real incident which took place in World War II...
(1980) - HopscotchHopscotch (film)Hopscotch is a 1980 American film directed by Ronald Neame and produced by Otto Plaschkes. It was written by Bryan Forbes and Brian Garfield, based on his novel of the same name....
(1980) - The Mirror Crack'dThe Mirror Crack'dThe Mirror Crack'd is a 1980 film British mystery film based on Agatha Christie's Miss Marple novel The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side...
(1980) - Invitation to the Wedding (1985)
Personal life
Cuthbertson was long married to Czech-born Dr Gertrude Willner, a refugee from Nazi-occupied CzechoslovakiaCzechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
, who had been a lawyer originally, but became a teacher in England. They had an adopted son.
External links
- http://www.filmreference.com/film/35/Allan-Cuthbertson.html