Patrick Barr
Encyclopedia
Patrick David Barr was a British
film and television actor.
Born in Akola, India
, Patrick Barr went from stage to screen with The Merry Men of Sherwood (1932). He spent the 1930s
playing various beneficent authority figures and "reliable friend" types. As a conscientious objector
during the Second World War
, Barr helped people in the Blitz
in London
's East End
before serving with the Friends Ambulance Unit in Africa
. There he met his wife Anne "Jean" Williams, marrying her after ten days; it would have been sooner, but they had to get permission from London. They stayed together ever afterwards.
In 1946, he picked up where he left off, and in the early 1950s, he began working in British television, attaining popularity that had undeservedly eluded him while playing supporting parts in such films as The Case of the Frightened Lady (1940) and The Blue Lagoon
(1949).
This latter-day fame enabled Barr to insist upon better roles and command a higher salary for his films of the 1950s and 1960s: among the films in which he appeared during this period were The Dam Busters
(1955), Room in the House
Randall & Hopkirk Deceased 1968 episode "You can always find a fallguy"(1955), Saint Joan (1957), Next to Next Time (1960), Billy Liar
(1963), The First Great Train Robbery
(1979) and Octopussy
(1983). He also appeared in Doctor Who
in 1967 as Hobson in the serial entitled The Moonbase
; and appeared once in The Avengers
. In the 1981 BBC4 radio adaptation of The Lord of the Rings
, Barr voiced the role of Gamling
.
In 1985, Patrick Barr died in London
, at the age of 77.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
film and television actor.
Born in Akola, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, Patrick Barr went from stage to screen with The Merry Men of Sherwood (1932). He spent the 1930s
1930s
File:1930s decade montage.png|From left, clockwise: Dorothea Lange's photo of the homeless Florence Thompson show the effects of the Great Depression; Due to the economic collapse, the farms become dry and the Dust Bowl spreads through America; The Battle of Wuhan during the Second Sino-Japanese...
playing various beneficent authority figures and "reliable friend" types. As a conscientious objector
Conscientious objector
A conscientious objector is an "individual who has claimed the right to refuse to perform military service" on the grounds of freedom of thought, conscience, and/or religion....
during the Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Barr helped people in the Blitz
The Blitz
The Blitz was the sustained strategic bombing of Britain by Nazi Germany between 7 September 1940 and 10 May 1941, during the Second World War. The city of London was bombed by the Luftwaffe for 76 consecutive nights and many towns and cities across the country followed...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
's East End
East End of London
The East End of London, also known simply as the East End, is the area of London, England, United Kingdom, east of the medieval walled City of London and north of the River Thames. Although not defined by universally accepted formal boundaries, the River Lea can be considered another boundary...
before serving with the Friends Ambulance Unit in Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
. There he met his wife Anne "Jean" Williams, marrying her after ten days; it would have been sooner, but they had to get permission from London. They stayed together ever afterwards.
In 1946, he picked up where he left off, and in the early 1950s, he began working in British television, attaining popularity that had undeservedly eluded him while playing supporting parts in such films as The Case of the Frightened Lady (1940) and The Blue Lagoon
The Blue Lagoon (1949 film)
The Blue Lagoon is a 1949 British romance and adventure film produced and directed by Frank Launder, starring Jean Simmons and Donald Houston. The screenplay was adapted by John Baines, Michael Hogan and Frank Launder from the novel The Blue Lagoon by Henry De Vere Stacpoole...
(1949).
This latter-day fame enabled Barr to insist upon better roles and command a higher salary for his films of the 1950s and 1960s: among the films in which he appeared during this period were The Dam Busters
The Dam Busters (film)
The Dam Busters is a 1955 British Second World War war film starring Michael Redgrave and Richard Todd and directed by Michael Anderson. The film recreates the true story of Operation Chastise when in 1943 the RAF's 617 Squadron attacked the Möhne, Eder and Sorpe dams in Germany with Wallis's...
(1955), Room in the House
Room in the House
Room in the House is a 1955 film that was directed by Maurice Elvey. The film's screenplay, by Alfred Shaughnessy, is based on Eynon Evans's novel of the same name.-Cast and characters:...
Randall & Hopkirk Deceased 1968 episode "You can always find a fallguy"(1955), Saint Joan (1957), Next to Next Time (1960), Billy Liar
Billy Liar (film)
Billy Liar is a 1963 film based on the novel by Keith Waterhouse. It was directed by John Schlesinger and stars Tom Courtenay as Billy and Julie Christie as Liz, one of his three girlfriends. Mona Washbourne plays Mrs. Fisher, and Wilfred Pickles played Mr. Fisher...
(1963), The First Great Train Robbery
The First Great Train Robbery
The First Great Train Robbery — known in the U.S. as The Great Train Robbery — is a 1979 film directed by Michael Crichton, who also wrote the screenplay based on his novel The Great Train Robbery...
(1979) and Octopussy
Octopussy
Octopussy is the thirteenth entry in the James Bond series, and the sixth to star Roger Moore as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond. The film's title is taken from a short story in Ian Fleming's 1966 short story collection Octopussy and The Living Daylights...
(1983). He also appeared in Doctor Who
Doctor Who
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
in 1967 as Hobson in the serial entitled The Moonbase
The Moonbase
The Moonbase is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in four weekly parts from 11 February to 4 March 1967...
; and appeared once in 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...
. In the 1981 BBC4 radio adaptation of The Lord of the Rings
The Lord of the Rings (1981 radio series)
In 1981 the UK radio station BBC Radio 4 broadcast a dramatisation of J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings in 26 half-hour stereo instalments...
, Barr voiced the role of Gamling
Gamling
In J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, Gamling is a Man of Rohan. He appears in The Two Towers, the second volume of The Lord of the Rings. An older man , he was from the Westfold....
.
In 1985, Patrick Barr died in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, at the age of 77.
Selected filmography
- Midnight at Madame Tussaud'sMidnight at Madame Tussaud'sMidnight at Madame Tussaud's is a 1936 British thriller film directed by George Pearson and starring Lucille Lisle, James Carew and Charles Oliver. A daring explorer bets his friends he can spend a night in Madame Tussaud's chamber of horrors. Meanwhile, on the outside, his young female ward is in...
(1936) - Things to ComeThings to ComeThings to Come is a British science fiction film produced by Alexander Korda and directed by William Cameron Menzies. The screenplay was written by H. G. Wells and is a loose adaptation of his own 1933 novel The Shape of Things to Come and his 1931 non-fiction work, The Work, Wealth and Happiness...
(1936) - Wednesday's LuckWednesday's LuckWednesday's Luck is a 1936 British crime film directed by George Pearson and starring Wilson Coleman, Susan Bligh, Patrick Barr and Moore Marriott...
(1936) - East Meets WestEast Meets West (1936 film)East Meets West is a 1936 British drama film directed by Herbert Mason and starring George Arliss, Lucie Mannheim, Godfrey Tearle and John Laurie...
(1936) - Incident in ShanghaiIncident in ShanghaiIncident in Shanghai is a 1938 British drama film directed by John Paddy Carstairs and starring Margaret Vyner, Patrick Barr, Ralph Roberts and Derek Gorst.-Cast:* Margaret Vyner - Madeleine Linden* Patrick Barr - Pat Avon* Ralph Roberts - Robert Barlow...
(1938) - Yellow SandsYellow Sands (film)Yellow Sands is a 1938 British comedy drama film directed by Herbert Brenon and starring Marie Tempest, Belle Chrystall, Wilfrid Lawson and Robert Newton. A wealthy dying woman's relatives gather, unaware that they have all been cut out of the will...
(1938) - Marigold (1938)
- The Gaunt StrangerThe Gaunt StrangerThe Gaunt Stranger is a 1938 British mystery thriller film directed by Walter Forde and starring Sonnie Hale, Wilfrid Lawson, Louise Henry, Alexander Knox and Patrick Barr....
(1938) - The Case of the Frightened Lady (1940)
- The Blue LagoonThe Blue Lagoon (1949 film)The Blue Lagoon is a 1949 British romance and adventure film produced and directed by Frank Launder, starring Jean Simmons and Donald Houston. The screenplay was adapted by John Baines, Michael Hogan and Frank Launder from the novel The Blue Lagoon by Henry De Vere Stacpoole...
(1949) - Golden ArrowGolden Arrow (film)Golden Arrow is a 1949 British comedy film directed by Gordon Parry and starring Burgess Meredith, Jean-Pierre Aumont and Kathleen Harrison. On a journey from Paris to London, an Englishman, a Frenchman and an American bond with each other and indulge in a romantic fantasy about a girl they...
(1949) - The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie MenThe Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie MenThe Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men is a 1952 live action Disney version of the Robin Hood story in Technicolor which was filmed in Buckinghamshire, England...
(1952) - Black OrchidBlack Orchid (1953 film)Black Orchid is a 1953 British mystery film directed by Charles Saunders and starring Ronald Howard, Olga Edwardes and John Bentley. A doctor is implicated in the death of his wife which allowed him to marry her sister.-Cast:...
(1953) - Sailor of the KingSailor of the KingSailor of the King is a 1953 war film based on the novel Brown on Resolution by C. S. Forester and filmed in the Mediterranean Sea...
(1953) - Black 13Black 13Black 13 is a 1953 British crime drama film directed by Ken Hughes and starring Peter Reynolds, Rona Anderson, Patrick Barr and John Le Mesurier....
(1953) - Murder at Scotland YardMurder at Scotland YardMurder at Scotland Yard is 1953 British crime film directed by Victor M. Gover and starring Tod Slaughter, Patrick Barr and Tucker McGuire. It is a sequel to the 1952 film King of the Underworld and depicts the continuing battle between the master criminal Terence Reilly and Inspector Morley of...
(1953) - Escape by NightEscape by Night (1953 film)Escape by Night is a 1953 British crime film directed and written by John Gilling.-Plot:Gino Rossi is an Italian crime boss on the run who hides in a theater with a British journalist who wants to extract his life story.-Cast:...
(1953) - Seagulls Over SorrentoSeagulls Over SorrentoSeagulls Over Sorrento is a 1954 British wartime drama film made by the Boulting Brothers based on the play of the same name by Hugh Hastings. The film stars Gene Kelly and was one of three made by Kelly in Europe over an 18 month period in order to make use of frozen MGM funds...
(1954) - Time Is My EnemyTime Is My EnemyTime Is My Enemy is a 1954 British crime film directed by Don Chaffey. It stars Dennis Price and Renée Asherson.It is also notable that the initials spell T.I.M.E.-Cast:*Dennis Price as Martin Radley*Renée Asherson as Barbara Everton...
(1954) - The Dam BustersThe Dam Busters (film)The Dam Busters is a 1955 British Second World War war film starring Michael Redgrave and Richard Todd and directed by Michael Anderson. The film recreates the true story of Operation Chastise when in 1943 the RAF's 617 Squadron attacked the Möhne, Eder and Sorpe dams in Germany with Wallis's...
(1955)
- Room in the HouseRoom in the HouseRoom in the House is a 1955 film that was directed by Maurice Elvey. The film's screenplay, by Alfred Shaughnessy, is based on Eynon Evans's novel of the same name.-Cast and characters:...
(1955) - It's Never Too LateIt's Never Too Late (1956 film)It's Never Too Late is a 1956 British comedy film directed by Michael McCarthy and starring Phyllis Calvert, Patrick Barr, Susan Stephen and Guy Rolfe...
(1956) - Saint Joan (1957)
- At the Stroke of NineAt the Stroke of NineAt the Stroke of Nine is a 1957 British crime film directed by Lance Comfort and starring Patricia Dainton, Stephen Murray, Patrick Barr and Dermot Walsh...
(1957) - Lady of Vengeance (1957)
- Urge to KillUrge to Kill (film)Urge to Kill is a 1960 British B-movie serial killer film, directed by Vernon Sewell and starring Patrick Barr, Ruth Dunning and Terence Knapp. The film is based on the novel Hughie Roddis and play Hand in Glove, both by Gerald Savory...
(1960) - The Longest DayThe Longest Day (film)The Longest Day is a 1962 war film based on the 1959 history book The Longest Day by Cornelius Ryan, about "D-Day", the Normandy landings on 6 June 1944, during World War II....
(1962) - Billy LiarBilly Liar (film)Billy Liar is a 1963 film based on the novel by Keith Waterhouse. It was directed by John Schlesinger and stars Tom Courtenay as Billy and Julie Christie as Liz, one of his three girlfriends. Mona Washbourne plays Mrs. Fisher, and Wilfred Pickles played Mr. Fisher...
(1963) - Ring of SpiesRing of SpiesRing of Spies is a 1964 British spy film based on the real-life case of the Portland Spy Ring.-Plot:A dissatisfied Navy clerk begins handling secret documents when he is approached by secret Czech intelligence to hand over documents to them. Although he is being black-mailed, he agrees to do so...
(1964) - Last of the Long-haired BoysLast of the Long-haired BoysLast of the Long-haired Boys is a 1968 British drama film directed by Peter Everett and starring Richard Todd, Gillian Raine and Patrick Barr. After the end of the Second World War an RAF pilot struggles to adjust to civillian life.-Cast:...
(1968) - Guns in the HeatherGuns in the HeatherGuns in the Heather is a 1969 British-American family film directed by Robert Butler. It stars Glenn Corbett and Alfred Burke.-Cast:*Glenn Corbett as Tom*Alfred Burke as Kersner*Kurt Russell as Rich*Patrick Dawson as Sean*Patrick Barr as Lord Boyne...
(1969) - The Flesh and Blood ShowThe Flesh and Blood ShowThe Flesh and Blood Show is a 1972 British thriller film directed by Pete Walker and starring Ray Brooks, Jenny Hanley and Luan Peters. A group of young actors rehearsing a new play in a derelict theatre at the end of a seaside pier begin being murdered one by one.-Cast:* Ray Brooks ... Mike*...
(1972) - The Satanic Rites of DraculaThe Satanic Rites of DraculaThe Satanic Rites of Dracula is a 1974 Hammer Horror film directed by Alan Gibson. It is the eighth film in the Hammer Dracula series, and the seventh and final to feature Christopher Lee as Dracula. The film also the third film to reunite Peter Cushing as Van Helsing with Christopher Lee together...
(1973) - The Black WindmillThe Black WindmillThe Black Windmill is a 1974 British spy thriller directed by Don Siegel and starring Michael Caine, John Vernon, Janet Suzman and Donald Pleasence The screenplay by Leigh Vance is based on Clive Egleton's novel Seven Days to a Killing. The story involves a British secret service agent, John...
(1974) - Home Before MidnightHome Before MidnightHome Before Midnight is a 1978 British drama film directed by Pete Walker and starring James Aubrey, Alison Elliott and Richard Todd. A songwriter is put on trial for having sex with an underage girl.-Cast:* James Aubrey - Mike Beresford...
(1978) - The First Great Train RobberyThe First Great Train RobberyThe First Great Train Robbery — known in the U.S. as The Great Train Robbery — is a 1979 film directed by Michael Crichton, who also wrote the screenplay based on his novel The Great Train Robbery...
(1979) - OctopussyOctopussyOctopussy is the thirteenth entry in the James Bond series, and the sixth to star Roger Moore as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond. The film's title is taken from a short story in Ian Fleming's 1966 short story collection Octopussy and The Living Daylights...
(1983)