amos hames
Dedicated Member
Just heard this tragic news goodbye truly and to a summerwine legend
R.i.p frank thornton
- Thread starter amos hames
- Start date
amos hames
Dedicated Member
One of my faves too he was a great actor in whatever he was in.
amos hames
Dedicated Member
This topic is in the wrong place its that i was so shocked i stuck it in this catogary.
C
Compo
Guest
I just heaerd it on the news a few minutes ago. He was 92 years old. There must be a department store up in Heaven that needs his assistance. he was a good actor and will be missed so much....
Radio Cab Murder (1954)
Battle of the V-1 (1958)
Tarnished Heroes (1961)
Victim (1961)
Trial and Error (1962)
The Wild Affair (1963)
The Comedy Man (1964)
Gonks Go Beat (1965)
The Big Job (1965)
The Early Bird (1965)
The Murder Game (1965)
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (1966)
Carry On Screaming! (1966)
Lucy in London (1966)
Danny the Dragon (1967)
The Assassination Bureau (1969)
Crooks and Coronets (1969)
The Bed-Sitting Room (1969)
Some Will, Some Won't (1970)
The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes (1970)
The Rise and Rise of Michael Rimmer (1970)
Up the Chastity Belt (1971)
Bless This House (1972)
The Three Musketeers (1973)
No Sex Please, We're British (1973)
Spanish Fly (1975)
Are You Being Served? (1977)
Gosford Park (2001)
Early life
Frank Thornton Ball (he would later drop his surname professionally) was born in Dulwich, London, the son of Rosina Mary (née Thornton) and William Ernest Ball.[1] His father was organist at St Stephen's church, Dulwich[2] and Frank learned to play for a short while. Music proved too difficult for Frank. However he wanted to act from an early age, but his father, who worked in a bank, wanted him to get a 'proper' job and so he got a job working in insurance after leaving Alleyn's School.[3] He soon enrolled at a small acting school, the London School of Dramatic Art, and did evening classes. After two years working at the insurance company, Frank Thornton was invited to become a day student at the acting school and persuaded his father to finance his studies.[3]
During the Second World War Thornton was evacuated along with the drama school and his first job was touring with four plays in Ireland.[3] On 5 June 1945, he married actress Beryl Jane Margaret Evans[3] in West Wickham, London, and they had a daughter, Jane.[4] He served during World War II as an officer in the Royal Air Force and was demobilised in 1947.[3] Almost immediately after, Thornton joined a rep company. His first credited role was in the 1954 film Radio Cab Murder.
[edit] Career
After working on stage and in films during the 1950s, Thornton became a familiar face on British television, specialising in comedy. He was a regular on It's a Square World, and appeared in classic British sitcoms such as Hancock, Sykes, The Goodies and Love Thy Neighbour. He also appeared in the Danger Man episode "The Assassin" as Pepe in 1961.
He appeared alongside Benny Hill, Frankie Howerd, Harry Worth, Reg Varney and Spike Milligan in their comedy shows. He appeared in five episodes of Steptoe and Son during its original run from 1962 to 1965, and in 1973 appeared in the film Steptoe and Son Ride Again and that year's television Christmas special, the most recurring actor in the series other than the main stars Wilfrid Brambell and Harry H. Corbett. In 1974 he made a rare appearance in television drama, as Prince Albert in the second episode of Fall of Eagles. From 1966 to 1968, he starred in the BBC radio comedy The Embassy Lark, a spin-off of The Navy Lark.
He continued to appear in films, mostly comedies, during the 1960s and 1970s, including Carry On Screaming!, alongside Steptoe and Son star Harry H. Corbett The Early Bird, The Bed Sitting Room, Up the Chastity Belt, Some Will, Some Won't alongside Thora Hird, Wilfrid Brambell and Ronnie Corbett and No Sex Please, We're British, as well as TV sitcom spin-off films. He also appeared, albeit uncredited in the 1970 film The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes as the one-armed doorman for the Diogenes Club. He was the most recurring guest star in the series Steptoe and Son.
Thornton was best known for playing Captain Peacock in the long-running BBC comedy series Are You Being Served? from 1972 to 1985, and he later reprised his role for Grace & Favour from 1992 to 1993. In 1984 he starred as Sir John Treymane in the hit London musical Me and My Girl earning rave reviews and an Olivier Award nomination.
In 1980, he joined John Cleese in the BBC Television Shakespeare production of The Taming of the Shrew. In 1997 he took the role of Herbert 'Truly' Truelove in Last of the Summer Wine, replacing Brian Wilde who had suggested him for the role. He can also be seen in the film Gosford Park (2001) as Mr. Burkett.
Frank was the subject of This Is Your Life in 1998 when he was surprised by Michael Aspel at Pinewood Studios.
He twice appeared as the character of Bert Dingle in the British soap opera Emmerdale, once in March 2000 and again in October 2002.
Following the death of Trevor Bannister on 14 April 2011, Thornton was one of the two last surviving members (the other being Nicholas Smith) of the original cast of Are You Being Served?.[5][6] Thornton died on 16 March 2013, aged 92.[7]
Radio Cab Murder (1954)
Battle of the V-1 (1958)
Tarnished Heroes (1961)
Victim (1961)
Trial and Error (1962)
The Wild Affair (1963)
The Comedy Man (1964)
Gonks Go Beat (1965)
The Big Job (1965)
The Early Bird (1965)
The Murder Game (1965)
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (1966)
Carry On Screaming! (1966)
Lucy in London (1966)
Danny the Dragon (1967)
The Assassination Bureau (1969)
Crooks and Coronets (1969)
The Bed-Sitting Room (1969)
Some Will, Some Won't (1970)
The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes (1970)
The Rise and Rise of Michael Rimmer (1970)
Up the Chastity Belt (1971)
Bless This House (1972)
The Three Musketeers (1973)
No Sex Please, We're British (1973)
Spanish Fly (1975)
Are You Being Served? (1977)
Gosford Park (2001)
Early life
Frank Thornton Ball (he would later drop his surname professionally) was born in Dulwich, London, the son of Rosina Mary (née Thornton) and William Ernest Ball.[1] His father was organist at St Stephen's church, Dulwich[2] and Frank learned to play for a short while. Music proved too difficult for Frank. However he wanted to act from an early age, but his father, who worked in a bank, wanted him to get a 'proper' job and so he got a job working in insurance after leaving Alleyn's School.[3] He soon enrolled at a small acting school, the London School of Dramatic Art, and did evening classes. After two years working at the insurance company, Frank Thornton was invited to become a day student at the acting school and persuaded his father to finance his studies.[3]
During the Second World War Thornton was evacuated along with the drama school and his first job was touring with four plays in Ireland.[3] On 5 June 1945, he married actress Beryl Jane Margaret Evans[3] in West Wickham, London, and they had a daughter, Jane.[4] He served during World War II as an officer in the Royal Air Force and was demobilised in 1947.[3] Almost immediately after, Thornton joined a rep company. His first credited role was in the 1954 film Radio Cab Murder.
[edit] Career
After working on stage and in films during the 1950s, Thornton became a familiar face on British television, specialising in comedy. He was a regular on It's a Square World, and appeared in classic British sitcoms such as Hancock, Sykes, The Goodies and Love Thy Neighbour. He also appeared in the Danger Man episode "The Assassin" as Pepe in 1961.
He appeared alongside Benny Hill, Frankie Howerd, Harry Worth, Reg Varney and Spike Milligan in their comedy shows. He appeared in five episodes of Steptoe and Son during its original run from 1962 to 1965, and in 1973 appeared in the film Steptoe and Son Ride Again and that year's television Christmas special, the most recurring actor in the series other than the main stars Wilfrid Brambell and Harry H. Corbett. In 1974 he made a rare appearance in television drama, as Prince Albert in the second episode of Fall of Eagles. From 1966 to 1968, he starred in the BBC radio comedy The Embassy Lark, a spin-off of The Navy Lark.
He continued to appear in films, mostly comedies, during the 1960s and 1970s, including Carry On Screaming!, alongside Steptoe and Son star Harry H. Corbett The Early Bird, The Bed Sitting Room, Up the Chastity Belt, Some Will, Some Won't alongside Thora Hird, Wilfrid Brambell and Ronnie Corbett and No Sex Please, We're British, as well as TV sitcom spin-off films. He also appeared, albeit uncredited in the 1970 film The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes as the one-armed doorman for the Diogenes Club. He was the most recurring guest star in the series Steptoe and Son.
Thornton was best known for playing Captain Peacock in the long-running BBC comedy series Are You Being Served? from 1972 to 1985, and he later reprised his role for Grace & Favour from 1992 to 1993. In 1984 he starred as Sir John Treymane in the hit London musical Me and My Girl earning rave reviews and an Olivier Award nomination.
In 1980, he joined John Cleese in the BBC Television Shakespeare production of The Taming of the Shrew. In 1997 he took the role of Herbert 'Truly' Truelove in Last of the Summer Wine, replacing Brian Wilde who had suggested him for the role. He can also be seen in the film Gosford Park (2001) as Mr. Burkett.
Frank was the subject of This Is Your Life in 1998 when he was surprised by Michael Aspel at Pinewood Studios.
He twice appeared as the character of Bert Dingle in the British soap opera Emmerdale, once in March 2000 and again in October 2002.
Following the death of Trevor Bannister on 14 April 2011, Thornton was one of the two last surviving members (the other being Nicholas Smith) of the original cast of Are You Being Served?.[5][6] Thornton died on 16 March 2013, aged 92.[7]