Bryan Mosley
Encyclopedia
Bryan Mosley OBE (25 August 1931–9 February 1999) was a British
actor
, known best as grocer Alf Roberts
in the long-running ITV
soap opera
Coronation Street
.
, Yorkshire
, he attended Leeds Central High School and held a childhood ambition to become a missionary. Instead he won a scholarship to Leeds College of Art (1944–46) and afterwards worked as a commercial artist. He also worked in a bookshop and sold books door-to-door.
After National Service in the RAF, working in Air Traffic Control, he trained as an actor at the Bradford Civic Theatre and Esme Church
's Northern Theatre School.
in 1961 and 1963, then from 1971 onwards. His appearances in the soap opera became less frequent following a serious heart attack in 1991. Alf Roberts made his last appearance on New Year's Day 1999 dying peacefully on screen in his sleep. Mosley died just weeks later of a heart attack in Shipley
, West Yorkshire
aged 67.
As part of the show's 40th anniversary celebrations, heritage plaques were unveiled outside the Granada studios in 2000 to four of the soap opera's stars, including Mosley. The other plaques commemorated the lives of Doris Speed
, Pat Phoenix
and Violet Carson
.
(1962). He also appeared in Get Carter
(1971) playing local gangster Cliff Brumby. He is famously killed by Jack Carter (Michael Caine
) who beats him up and throws him from the roof of the infamous Trinity Square multi-storey car park
in Gateshead
, after discovering Brumby's involvement in his brother's death. He also starred in two stories in the series Doctor Who
in 1965 and 1966 and made two appearances in The Avengers
. Mosley also had a small role as the pub landlord in Queenie's Castle
.
in the film Far from the Madding Crowd
. He was a founder member of the Society of British Fight Directors and he arranged the Get Carter fight with Caine.
Bryan Mosley was sometimes credited as Buddy Windrush.
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...
actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
, known best as grocer Alf Roberts
Alf Roberts
Alfred Sidney "Alf" Roberts was a fictional character in the British ITV soap Coronation Street. He ran a grocery shop at No. 15 and was heavily involved in local politics, including two spells as mayor of Weatherfield...
in the long-running ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
Coronation Street
Coronation Street
Coronation Street is a British soap opera set in Weatherfield, a fictional town in Greater Manchester based on Salford. Created by Tony Warren, Coronation Street was first broadcast on 9 December 1960...
.
Early life
Born in LeedsLeeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
, Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
, he attended Leeds Central High School and held a childhood ambition to become a missionary. Instead he won a scholarship to Leeds College of Art (1944–46) and afterwards worked as a commercial artist. He also worked in a bookshop and sold books door-to-door.
After National Service in the RAF, working in Air Traffic Control, he trained as an actor at the Bradford Civic Theatre and Esme Church
Esme Church
Esme Church was a British actress and theatre director. In a long career she acted with the Old Vic Company, The Royal Shakespeare Company and on Broadway...
's Northern Theatre School.
Coronation Street
He appeared in Coronation StreetCoronation Street
Coronation Street is a British soap opera set in Weatherfield, a fictional town in Greater Manchester based on Salford. Created by Tony Warren, Coronation Street was first broadcast on 9 December 1960...
in 1961 and 1963, then from 1971 onwards. His appearances in the soap opera became less frequent following a serious heart attack in 1991. Alf Roberts made his last appearance on New Year's Day 1999 dying peacefully on screen in his sleep. Mosley died just weeks later of a heart attack in Shipley
Shipley, West Yorkshire
Shipley is a town in West Yorkshire, England, by the River Aire and the Leeds and Liverpool Canal, north of Bradford and north-west of Leeds....
, West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire is a metropolitan county within the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England with a population of 2.2 million. West Yorkshire came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972....
aged 67.
As part of the show's 40th anniversary celebrations, heritage plaques were unveiled outside the Granada studios in 2000 to four of the soap opera's stars, including Mosley. The other plaques commemorated the lives of Doris Speed
Doris Speed
Doris Speed, MBE was an English actress, best known for her role as snooty Rovers Return landlady Annie Walker on Coronation Street, a role she played from 1960 to 1983.-Early life and career:...
, Pat Phoenix
Pat Phoenix
Patricia "Pat" Frederica Phoenix was an English actress who became one of the first sex symbols of British television through her role of Elsie Tanner in Coronation Street.-Early life and career:Born in Ireland to Anna Maria Josephine Noonan and Tom Manfield, but moved to Manchester before...
and Violet Carson
Violet Carson
Violet Helen Carson OBE was an English actress, best known for playing Ena Sharples, one of the original characters in the British soap opera Coronation Street.-Early life and career:...
.
Other notable roles
Mosley made his screen debut in A Kind of LovingA Kind of Loving (film)
A Kind of Loving is a 1962 British drama film directed by John Schlesinger, based on the 1960 novel of the same name by Stan Barstow. It stars Alan Bates and June Ritchie as two lovers in 1960s West Yorkshire. The photography was by Denys Coop, and the music by Ron Grainer...
(1962). He also appeared in Get Carter
Get Carter
Get Carter is a 1971 British crime film directed by Mike Hodges and starring Michael Caine as Jack Carter, a gangster who sets out to avenge the death of his brother in a series of unrelenting and brutal killings played out against the grim background of derelict urban housing in the city of...
(1971) playing local gangster Cliff Brumby. He is famously killed by Jack Carter (Michael Caine
Michael Caine
Sir Michael Caine, CBE is an English actor. He won Academy Awards for best supporting actor in both Hannah and Her Sisters and The Cider House Rules ....
) who beats him up and throws him from the roof of the infamous Trinity Square multi-storey car park
Multi-storey car park
A multi-storey car-park is a building designed specifically to be for car parking and where there are a number of floors or levels on which parking takes place...
in Gateshead
Gateshead
Gateshead is a town in Tyne and Wear, England and is the main settlement in the Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead. Historically a part of County Durham, it lies on the southern bank of the River Tyne opposite Newcastle upon Tyne and together they form the urban core of Tyneside...
, after discovering Brumby's involvement in his brother's death. He also starred in two stories in the series 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 1965 and 1966 and made two appearances 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...
. Mosley also had a small role as the pub landlord in Queenie's Castle
Queenie's Castle
Queenie's Castle is a British sitcom set in early 1970s Leeds, West Yorkshire that aired on ITV from 1970 to 1972. The series featured popular British actress Diana Dors.- Plot :...
.
Filmography
- A Kind of LovingA Kind of Loving (film)A Kind of Loving is a 1962 British drama film directed by John Schlesinger, based on the 1960 novel of the same name by Stan Barstow. It stars Alan Bates and June Ritchie as two lovers in 1960s West Yorkshire. The photography was by Denys Coop, and the music by Ron Grainer...
(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) - Up Jumped a SwagmanUp Jumped a SwagmanUp Jumped a Swagman is a 1965 British musical comedy film directed by Christopher Miles and starring Frank Ifield, Annette Andre, Ronald Radd and Suzy Kendall...
(1965) - Where the Bullets FlyWhere the Bullets FlyWhere the Bullets Fly is a 1966 British comedy spy film directed by John Gilling and starring Tom Adams as Charles Vine and John Arnatt repeating their roles from Licensed to Kill/The Second Best Secret Agent in the Whole Wide World...
(1966) - Charlie BubblesCharlie BubblesCharlie Bubbles is a British film of 1967 starring Billie Whitelaw and Albert Finney, and also featuring a young Liza Minnelli. It was listed to compete at the 1968 Cannes Film Festival, but the festival was cancelled due to the events of May 1968 in France.The film made great play of its...
(1967) - Far from the Madding CrowdFar from the Madding Crowd (1967 film)Far from the Madding Crowd is a 1967 British drama film directed by John Schlesinger, adapted from the book of the same name by Thomas Hardy. It was Schlesinger's fourth film and marked a stylistic shift away from his earlier works which explored contemporary urban mores. The cinematography was by...
(1967) - Spring and Port WineSpring and Port WineSpring and Port Wine is a stage play by Bill Naughton which was turned into a film .It began life under the title My Flesh, My Blood as a BBC Radio play, broadcast on 17 August 1957 in the Saturday Night Theatre strand...
(1970) - Get CarterGet CarterGet Carter is a 1971 British crime film directed by Mike Hodges and starring Michael Caine as Jack Carter, a gangster who sets out to avenge the death of his brother in a series of unrelenting and brutal killings played out against the grim background of derelict urban housing in the city of...
(1971)
Fight arranger
He was also a fencer and a stage and film fight arranger. He fenced with Terence StampTerence Stamp
Terence Henry Stamp is an English actor. Since starting his career in 1962 he has appeared in over 60 films. His title role as Billy Budd in his film debut earned Stamp an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor and a BAFTA nomination for Best Newcomer.His other major roles include...
in the film Far from the Madding Crowd
Far from the Madding Crowd (1967 film)
Far from the Madding Crowd is a 1967 British drama film directed by John Schlesinger, adapted from the book of the same name by Thomas Hardy. It was Schlesinger's fourth film and marked a stylistic shift away from his earlier works which explored contemporary urban mores. The cinematography was by...
. He was a founder member of the Society of British Fight Directors and he arranged the Get Carter fight with Caine.
Bryan Mosley was sometimes credited as Buddy Windrush.