Donald Hewlett
Encyclopedia
Donald Marland Hewlett (30 August 1920 4 June 2011) was an English
actor
, born in Northenden
, Manchester
, and best known for his sitcom roles as Colonel Charles Reynolds in It Ain't Half Hot Mum
and Lord Meldrum in You Rang, M'Lord?
, both written by Jimmy Perry
and David Croft. He also had a number of parts in British film and television productions.
owned the Anchor Chemical Company which is based in Clayton
, Manchester
and is now a subsidiary of Air Products.
Hewlett was educated at Clifton College
followed by St John's College, Cambridge
where he was part of the Footlights
Revue. During World War II
he served in the Royal Navy
as a meteorologist and was stationed for several years in Kirkwall
in the Orkney Islands
where he was a founder member of the Kirkwall Arts Club. He was later posted to Singapore
.
and gained his first professional acting job in repertory theatre at the Oxford Playhouse where he worked alongside Ronnie Barker
. His first television acting role was the part of Lincoln Green in 1954's Orders are Orders
.
His television appearances included The Ronnie Corbett Show, The Ronnie Barker Playhouse, The Saint
, The Avengers
, The Dick Emery Show and the 1971 Doctor Who
story The Claws of Axos
. However, he gained his most prominent role in the Croft and Perry sitcom It Ain't Half Hot Mum
(1974–81) as Colonel Charles Reynolds. He was reunited with fellow actor Michael Knowles in another David Croft sitcom, the sci-fi spoof Come Back Mrs. Noah (1977–78), and later with the successful You Rang, M'Lord?
(1988–93) as Lord George Meldrum. Other roles included 'Winkworth' in Morris Minor's Marvellous Motors in 1989 and The Adventures of Brigadier Wellington-Bull
. His last TV appearance was in The Upper Hand
in 1995.
Hewlett made a number of film appearances including Spike Milligan
's Adolf Hitler - My Part in His Downfall
, A Touch of Class, Carry On Behind
and The First Great Train Robbery
.
Hewlett's previous marriages, to Christine Pollon and Diana Greenwood, ended in divorce. He had two sons and a daughter by Greenwood. Having previously lived for several years in Whitstable
, Kent
, he lived in Fulham
, SW London, with his third wife Therese McMurray-Hewlett, by whom he had a son and daughter.
His daughter, Siobhan Hewlett
, is an actress, best known for her role in Irina Palm
.
in West London aged 90. He is survived by his wife and his five children.
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
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...
, born in Northenden
Northenden
Northenden is a suburban area and electoral ward of the city of Manchester in North West England. It lies on the south side of both the River Mersey and the M60 motorway, west of Stockport and south of Manchester city centre. Northenden is bounded by the districts of Didsbury, Gatley and...
, Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
, and best known for his sitcom roles as Colonel Charles Reynolds in It Ain't Half Hot Mum
It Ain't Half Hot Mum
It Ain't Half Hot Mum was a British sitcom about the adventures of a Royal Artillery Concert Party, broadcast on the BBC between 1974 and 1981, and written by Jimmy Perry and David Croft, the creators of Dad's Army...
and Lord Meldrum in You Rang, M'Lord?
You Rang, M'Lord?
You Rang M'Lord? is a British television series written by Jimmy Perry and David Croft, the creators of Dad's Army, It Ain't Half Hot Mum and Hi-de-Hi! It was broadcast between 1990 and 1993 on the BBC...
, both written by Jimmy Perry
Jimmy Perry
Jimmy Perry OBE is an English writer, scriptwriter, producer, author and actor, most famous for devising and co-writing the BBC sitcoms Dad's Army with David Croft.-Education:...
and David Croft. He also had a number of parts in British film and television productions.
Early life
Hewlett was born into a wealthy family, his father Thomas HewlettThomas Hewlett
Thomas Henry Hewlett was a British Conservative Party politician and industrialist.He unsuccessfully contested the 1935 general election in Manchester Clayton, but after the death in 1940 of Peter Eckersley, the Member of Parliament for Manchester Exchange, Hewlett was elected unopposed in the...
owned the Anchor Chemical Company which is based in Clayton
Clayton, Greater Manchester
Clayton is a suburb of the city of Manchester, in North West England. It is situated about 3 miles east of the city centre, on Ashton New Road. Clayton takes its name from the Clayton family who owned large parts of land around the area, including Clayton Vale, through which the River Medlock flows...
, Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
and is now a subsidiary of Air Products.
Hewlett was educated at Clifton College
Clifton College
Clifton College is a co-educational independent school in Clifton, Bristol, England, founded in 1862. In its early years it was notable for emphasising science in the curriculum, and for being less concerned with social elitism, e.g. by admitting day-boys on equal terms and providing a dedicated...
followed by St John's College, Cambridge
St John's College, Cambridge
St John's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. The college's alumni include nine Nobel Prize winners, six Prime Ministers, three archbishops, at least two princes, and three Saints....
where he was part of the Footlights
Footlights
Cambridge University Footlights Dramatic Club, commonly referred to simply as the Footlights, is an amateur theatrical club in Cambridge, England, founded in 1883 and run by the students of Cambridge University....
Revue. During World War II
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...
he served in the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
as a meteorologist and was stationed for several years in Kirkwall
Kirkwall
Kirkwall is the biggest town and capital of Orkney, off the coast of northern mainland Scotland. The town is first mentioned in Orkneyinga saga in the year 1046 when it is recorded as the residence of Rögnvald Brusason the Earl of Orkney, who was killed by his uncle Thorfinn the Mighty...
in the Orkney Islands
Orkney Islands
Orkney also known as the Orkney Islands , is an archipelago in northern Scotland, situated north of the coast of Caithness...
where he was a founder member of the Kirkwall Arts Club. He was later posted to Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
.
Career
Following his demobilization, Hewlett trained at RADARoyal Academy of Dramatic Art
The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art is a drama school located in London, United Kingdom. It is generally regarded as one of the most renowned drama schools in the world, and is one of the oldest drama schools in the United Kingdom, having been founded in 1904.RADA is an affiliate school of the...
and gained his first professional acting job in repertory theatre at the Oxford Playhouse where he worked alongside Ronnie Barker
Ronnie Barker
Ronald William George "Ronnie" Barker, OBE was a British actor, comedian, writer, critic, broadcaster and businessman...
. His first television acting role was the part of Lincoln Green in 1954's Orders are Orders
Orders Are Orders
Orders Are Orders is a 1954 British comedy film directed by David Paltenghi, and featuring Peter Sellers, Sid James, Tony Hancock, Raymond Huntley, Donald Pleasence and Eric Sykes. It was a remake of the 1933 film Orders Is Orders.-Synopsis:...
.
His television appearances included The Ronnie Corbett Show, The Ronnie Barker Playhouse, The Saint
The Saint (TV series)
The Saint was an ITC mystery spy thriller television series that aired in the UK on ITV between 1962 and 1969. It centred on the Leslie Charteris literary character, Simon Templar, a Robin Hood-like adventurer with a penchant for disguise. The character may be nicknamed The Saint because the...
, 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...
, The Dick Emery Show and the 1971 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...
story The Claws of Axos
The Claws of Axos
-Writing:In late 1969, script editor Terrance Dicks contacted new writing duo Bob Baker and Dave Martin after reading a draft script they had sent around the BBC for another production, A Man's Life. After offering the duo a seven-part story in November 1969 for Doctor Whos eighth season, Baker and...
. However, he gained his most prominent role in the Croft and Perry sitcom It Ain't Half Hot Mum
It Ain't Half Hot Mum
It Ain't Half Hot Mum was a British sitcom about the adventures of a Royal Artillery Concert Party, broadcast on the BBC between 1974 and 1981, and written by Jimmy Perry and David Croft, the creators of Dad's Army...
(1974–81) as Colonel Charles Reynolds. He was reunited with fellow actor Michael Knowles in another David Croft sitcom, the sci-fi spoof Come Back Mrs. Noah (1977–78), and later with the successful You Rang, M'Lord?
You Rang, M'Lord?
You Rang M'Lord? is a British television series written by Jimmy Perry and David Croft, the creators of Dad's Army, It Ain't Half Hot Mum and Hi-de-Hi! It was broadcast between 1990 and 1993 on the BBC...
(1988–93) as Lord George Meldrum. Other roles included 'Winkworth' in Morris Minor's Marvellous Motors in 1989 and The Adventures of Brigadier Wellington-Bull
The Adventures of Brigadier Wellington-Bull
The Adventures of Brigadier Wellington-Bull was a short-lived black-and-white British sitcom that starred Alexander Gauge and Valerie Singleton that lasted only one series...
. His last TV appearance was in The Upper Hand
The Upper Hand
The Upper Hand is a sitcom, produced by Central Independent Television and broadcast by ITV from 1990 to 1996. The programme was adapted from the American sitcom Who's the Boss?....
in 1995.
Hewlett made a number of film appearances including Spike Milligan
Spike Milligan
Terence Alan Patrick Seán "Spike" Milligan Hon. KBE was a comedian, writer, musician, poet, playwright, soldier and actor. His early life was spent in India, where he was born, but the majority of his working life was spent in the United Kingdom. He became an Irish citizen in 1962 after the...
's Adolf Hitler - My Part in His Downfall
Adolf Hitler: My Part in His Downfall (film)
Adolf Hitler: My Part in His Downfall is a film adaptation of the similarly titled first volume of Spike Milligan's autobiography. It starred Jim Dale as the young Terence "Spike" Milligan. Spike played the part of his father, Leo Milligan....
, A Touch of Class, Carry On Behind
Carry On Behind
Carry On Behind is the twenty-seventh Carry On film and was released in 1975. The film was the first not to feature Sid James since Follow That Camel seven years previously. It was also the first not to be scripted by Talbot Rothwell since Carry On Cruising 13 years previously. James was busy...
and 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...
.
Hewlett's previous marriages, to Christine Pollon and Diana Greenwood, ended in divorce. He had two sons and a daughter by Greenwood. Having previously lived for several years in Whitstable
Whitstable
Whitstable is a seaside town in Northeast Kent, Southeast England. It is approximately north of the city of Canterbury and approximately west of the seaside town of Herne Bay. It is part of the City of Canterbury district and has a population of about 30,000.Whitstable is famous for its oysters,...
, Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
, he lived in Fulham
Fulham
Fulham is an area of southwest London in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, SW6 located south west of Charing Cross. It lies on the left bank of the Thames, between Putney and Chelsea. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London...
, SW London, with his third wife Therese McMurray-Hewlett, by whom he had a son and daughter.
His daughter, Siobhan Hewlett
Siobhan Hewlett
Siobhan Hewlett is an English actress.Siobhan Hewlett was born in London. Her father was the actor Donald Hewlett. She trained in acting at the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art in London...
, is an actress, best known for her role in Irina Palm
Irina Palm
Irina Palm is a tragicomedy film starring Marianne Faithfull and Miki Manojlović. It is a co-production of five countries . The film premiered, to great acclaim, at the 2007 Berlin International Film Festival...
.
Death
Hewlett died from pneumonia at the Chelsea and Westminster HospitalChelsea and Westminster Hospital
Chelsea and Westminster Hospital is a public hospital located on Fulham Road, in the Chelsea area of London, England. It is managed by the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, and opened in May 1993.-History:...
in West London aged 90. He is survived by his wife and his five children.
Selected television roles
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1959 | The Adventures of Brigadier Wellington-Bull The Adventures of Brigadier Wellington-Bull The Adventures of Brigadier Wellington-Bull was a short-lived black-and-white British sitcom that starred Alexander Gauge and Valerie Singleton that lasted only one series... |
Captain Sooty Pikington |
| 1974–1981 | It Ain't Half Hot Mum It Ain't Half Hot Mum It Ain't Half Hot Mum was a British sitcom about the adventures of a Royal Artillery Concert Party, broadcast on the BBC between 1974 and 1981, and written by Jimmy Perry and David Croft, the creators of Dad's Army... |
Lieutenant-Colonel Charles Reynolds |
| 1977–1978 | Come Back Mrs. Noah | Carstairs |
| 1988–1993 | You Rang, M'Lord? You Rang, M'Lord? You Rang M'Lord? is a British television series written by Jimmy Perry and David Croft, the creators of Dad's Army, It Ain't Half Hot Mum and Hi-de-Hi! It was broadcast between 1990 and 1993 on the BBC... |
George, Lord Meldrum |
Filmography
- Orders Are OrdersOrders Are OrdersOrders Are Orders is a 1954 British comedy film directed by David Paltenghi, and featuring Peter Sellers, Sid James, Tony Hancock, Raymond Huntley, Donald Pleasence and Eric Sykes. It was a remake of the 1933 film Orders Is Orders.-Synopsis:...
(1954) - Bottoms UpBottoms Up (1960 film)Bottoms Up is a 1960 British comedy film.It stars Jimmy Edwards in a spin-off of his TV comedy series Whack-O!, playing a seedy headmaster.The plot involves Melvyn Hayes playing a Cockney youth who tries to impersonate an Indian prince.-Cast list:...
(1960) - Adolf Hitler - My Part in His DownfallAdolf Hitler: My Part in His Downfall (film)Adolf Hitler: My Part in His Downfall is a film adaptation of the similarly titled first volume of Spike Milligan's autobiography. It starred Jim Dale as the young Terence "Spike" Milligan. Spike played the part of his father, Leo Milligan....
(1972) - A Touch of Class (1973)
- MomentsMoments (film)Moments is a 1974 British drama film directed by Peter Crane and starring Keith Michell, Angharad Rees and Donald Hewlett. A man who has lost his wife and daughter in a car crash returns to a hotel where he had once enjoyed happiness.-Cast:...
(1974) - Carry On BehindCarry On BehindCarry On Behind is the twenty-seventh Carry On film and was released in 1975. The film was the first not to feature Sid James since Follow That Camel seven years previously. It was also the first not to be scripted by Talbot Rothwell since Carry On Cruising 13 years previously. James was busy...
(1975) - Confessions of a Driving InstructorConfessions of a Driving InstructorConfessions of a Driving Instructor is a 1976 British sex-farce film. This was the third instalment of the Confessions sequence on the erotic adventures of Timothy Lea, based on the novels published under the name by Christopher Wood.-Premise:...
(1976) - 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) - Saving GraceSaving Grace (1985 film)Saving Grace is a 1985 film produced by Herbert F. Solow, directed by Robert M. Young and starring Tom Conti, Giancarlo Giannini and Edward James Olmos.It is based on a novel by Celia Gittelson with screenplay by Richard Kramer.-Plot:...
(1986)