Ernest Clark
Encyclopedia
Ernest Clark was a British
actor of stage, television and film.
. After leaving school he became a reporter on a local newspaper in Croydon. He had always wanted to be an actor and when offered a job with the local rep, he took it and apart from six years in the army, he remained in the profession.
at both the West End
in London, and Broadway
in New York
.
In 1955 he appeared on stage in "Witness For The Prosection" at Henry Miller's Theatre in New York City.
He is perhaps best remembered for his role as the irascible Professor Geoffrey Loftus in the television comedy series Doctor in the House
, except for the sequel Doctor at Sea, in which he appeared as Captain Norman Loftus (the brother of Professor Loftus). He also appeared as the Dean
in the BBC sitcom All Gas and Gaiters
(1967–71).
Clark was President of the actors' trade union, Equity, from 1969 to 1973.
(née Margaret Julia Leon in 1941), the actress daughter of the British film star Margaret Lockwood, with whom he had four children, Tim, Nicholas, Lucy and Katharine.
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 of stage, television and film.
Early life
Clark was the son of a master builder in Maida Vale, and was educated nearby at St Marylebone Grammar SchoolSt Marylebone Grammar School
St Marylebone Grammar School was a grammar school in London from 1792 to 1981.-Philological School:Founded as the Philological School by Thomas Collingwood, under the patronage of the Prince Frederick, Duke of York and Albany, its object was to help "the heads of families, who by unexpected...
. After leaving school he became a reporter on a local newspaper in Croydon. He had always wanted to be an actor and when offered a job with the local rep, he took it and apart from six years in the army, he remained in the profession.
Career
His first stage appearance was at the Festival Theatre Cambridge and he went on to appear in playsPlay (theatre)
A play is a form of literature written by a playwright, usually consisting of scripted dialogue between characters, intended for theatrical performance rather than just reading. There are rare dramatists, notably George Bernard Shaw, who have had little preference whether their plays were performed...
at both the West End
West End theatre
West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London's 'Theatreland', the West End. Along with New York's Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English speaking...
in London, and Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
.
In 1955 he appeared on stage in "Witness For The Prosection" at Henry Miller's Theatre in New York City.
He is perhaps best remembered for his role as the irascible Professor Geoffrey Loftus in the television comedy series Doctor in the House
Doctor in the House (TV series)
Doctor in the House is the syndicated title given, by the United States, to a British television comedy series , based on a set of books and a movie of the same name by Richard Gordon about the misadventures of a group of medical students — and their later misadventures as doctors.The first...
, except for the sequel Doctor at Sea, in which he appeared as Captain Norman Loftus (the brother of Professor Loftus). He also appeared as the Dean
Dean (religion)
A dean, in a church context, is a cleric holding certain positions of authority within a religious hierarchy. The title is used mainly in the Anglican Communion and the Roman Catholic Church.-Anglican Communion:...
in the BBC sitcom 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...
(1967–71).
Clark was President of the actors' trade union, Equity, from 1969 to 1973.
Personal life
He married three times: one of his wives was actress Avril Hillyer, the first two marriages were dissolved. His third marriage, from 1972 until his death, was to Julia LockwoodJulia Lockwood
Julia Lockwood is a British actress. She was born in Bournemouth, the daughter of British film star Margaret Lockwood....
(née Margaret Julia Leon in 1941), the actress daughter of the British film star Margaret Lockwood, with whom he had four children, Tim, Nicholas, Lucy and Katharine.
Filmography
- Seven Days to NoonSeven Days to NoonSeven Days to Noon is a 1950 British drama / thriller film directed by John Boulting and Roy Boulting. Paul Dehn and James Bernard won the Academy Award for Best Story for this film.-Plot:The film is set in the early 1950s...
(1950) - The MudlarkThe MudlarkThe Mudlark is a 1950 film made in Britain by 20th Century Fox, is a fictionalized account of how Queen Victoria was eventually brought out of her mourning for her dead husband, Prince Albert...
(1950) - The Long MemoryThe Long MemoryThe Long Memory is a 1952 film directed by Robert Hamer and based on the 1951 novel of the same name by Howard Clewes. A crime thriller filmed on the North Kent Marshes on the Thames Estuary and the dingy backstreets of Gravesend its bleak setting and grim atmosphere have led to its acclaim as a...
(1952) - Doctor in the HouseDoctor in the HouseDoctor in the House is a 1954 British comedy film, directed by Ralph Thomas and produced by Betty Box. The screenplay, by Nicholas Phipps, Richard Gordon and Ronald Wilkinson, is based on the novel by Gordon, and follows a group of students through medical school.It was the most popular box office...
(1954) - Father BrownFather Brown (film)Father Brown is a 1954 British mystery comedy film. Technically, the film is a remake of the 1934 Paramount picture Father Brown, Detective, starring Walter Connolly, Paul Lukas and Gertrude Michael, which was likewise based on "The Blue Cross," but confined the action to London...
(1954) - Beau BrummellBeau Brummell (film)Beau Brummell is a historical film released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. It was directed by Curtis Bernhardt and produced by Sam Zimbalist from a screenplay by Karl Tunberg, based on the play Beau Brummell by Clyde Fitch. The music score was by Richard Addinsell with Miklós Rózsa...
(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) - Stars in Your EyesStars in Your EyesStars in Your Eyes is a 1956 British musical film directed by Maurice Elvey.-Plot:As the world of vaudeville gradually loses its attraction, more and more entertainers are losing their jobs. In hopes of fixing their financial problems, a group of entertainers band together and buy a run-down...
(1956) - 19841984 (1956 film)1984 is a 1956 film based on the novel of the same name by George Orwell. This is the first cinema rendition of the story, directed by Michael Anderson, and starring Edmond O'Brien, Donald Pleasence, Jan Sterling, and Michael Redgrave...
(1956) - Reach for the Sky (1956)
- The Baby and the BattleshipThe Baby and the BattleshipThe Baby and the Battleship is a colour 1956 British comedy film directed by Jay Lewis and starring John Mills, Richard Attenborough and André Morell. It is based on the 1956 novel by Anthony Thorne with a screenplay by Richard De Roy, Gilbert Hackforth-Jones and Bryan Forbes...
(1956) - The Birthday PresentThe Birthday PresentThe Birthday Present is a 1957 British drama film directed by Pat Jackson. It stars Tony Britton, a top toy salesmen returning from a business trip to Germany with a watch hidden inside a toy, intended as a birthday present for his wife Sylvia Syms. He is caught by customs, arrested, and sentenced...
(1957) - Man in the SkyMan in the SkyMan in the Sky is a 1957 film produced by Ealing Studios and starring Jack Hawkins.-Plot:...
(1957) - Time Without PityTime Without PityTime Without Pity is a thriller about a father trying to save his son from execution for murder.It stars Michael Redgrave, Ann Todd, and Leo McKern.-Plot:David Graham has only 24 hours to save his son, Alec, from hanging...
(1957) - A Woman of MysteryA Woman of MysteryA Woman of Mystery is a 1958 British crime film directed by Ernest Morris and starring Dermot Walsh, Hazel Court, and Ferdy Mayne. It also featured an early performance from Michael Caine....
(1958) - A Tale of Two CitiesA Tale of Two Cities (1958 film)A Tale of Two Cities is a 1958 British film of the Charles Dickens novel A Tale of Two Cities. It starred Dirk Bogarde and Dorothy Tutin, and was directed by Ralph Thomas.-Cast:*Dirk Bogarde as Sydney Carton*Dorothy Tutin as Lucie Manette...
(1958) - The SafecrackerThe SafecrackerThe Safecracker is a 1958 British crime film directed by Ray Milland and starring Ray Milland, Barry Jones and Victor Maddern.-Cast:* Ray Milland as Colley Dawson* Barry Jones as Bennett Carfield* Jeanette Sterke as Irene* Victor Maddern as Morris...
(1958) - I Accuse!I Accuse!I Accuse! is a 1958 biographical drama film directed by and starring José Ferrer. The film is based on the true story of the Dreyfus Case, in which a Jewish captain in the French Army is falsely accused of treason.-Plot synopsis:...
(1958) - A Touch of LarcenyA Touch of LarcenyA Touch of Larceny is a 1959 British comedy film directed by Guy Hamilton and starring James Mason, George Sanders, Vera Miles, Harry Andrews, Rachel Gurney, and John Le Mesurier. It is based on a diverting and mildly cynical novel, The Megstone Plot , by Paul Winterton under the pseudonym Andrew...
(1959) - Sink the Bismarck!Sink the Bismarck!Sink the Bismarck! is a 1960 black-and-white British war film based on the book, the "Last Nine Days of the Bismarck" by C. S. Forester. It stars Kenneth More and Dana Wynter and was directed by Lewis Gilbert. To date, it is the only movie made that deals directly with the operations, chase, and...
(1960) - No Love for JohnnieNo Love for JohnnieNo Love for Johnnie is a 1961 British drama film directed by Ralph Thomas. It was based on the book of the same title by the Member of Parliament Wilfred Fienburgh and stars Peter Finch....
(1961)
- Three on a SpreeThree on a SpreeThree on a Spree is a 1961 British comedy film directed by Sidney J. Furie.-Cast:* Jack Watling as Michael Brewster* Carole Lesley as Susan* Renee Houston as Mrs. Gray* John Slater as Sid Johnson* Colin Gordon as Mitchell* John Salew as Mr...
(1961) - 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) - Ladies Who DoLadies Who DoLadies Who Do 1963 British comedy film starring Peggy Mount, Robert Morley and Harry H. Corbett.-Cast:*Peggy Mount as Mrs. Cragg*Robert Morley as Colonel Whitforth*Harry H. Corbett as James Ryder*Miriam Karlin as Mrs. Higgins...
(1963) - A Stitch in TimeA Stitch in Time (film)A Stitch in Time is a 1963 Norman Wisdom comedy film set in a children's hospital. It was directed by Robert Asher and edited by Gerry Hambling. The cast includes Edward Chapman, Jeanette Sterke, Jerry Desmonde, Jill Melford, Glyn Houston, Vera Day, Patsy Rowlands, Peter Jones, Ernest Clark,...
(1963) - Nothing But the Best (1964)
- The Devil-Ship PiratesThe Devil-Ship PiratesThe Devil-Ship Pirates is a 1964 pirate adventure film made in the UK by Hammer Films. It concerned pirates from a vessel from the defeated Spanish Armada terrorizing citizens on the English coast. All goes well until the villagers realize the Spaniards have been defeated and revolt...
(1964) - Master SpyMaster SpyMaster Spy is a 1964 British spy film directed by Montgomery Tully and starring Stephen Murray, June Thorburn and Alan Wheatley.-Partial cast:* Stephen Murray as Boris Turganev* June Thorburn as Leila* Alan Wheatley as Paul Skelton...
(1964) - Tomorrow at TenTomorrow at TenTomorrow at Ten is a 1964 British thriller film directed by Lance Comfort and starring John Gregson, Robert Shaw, Kenneth Cope and William Hartnell in his final film appearance.-Plot:...
(1964) - Masquerade (1965)
- The Secret of My Success (1965)
- ArabesqueArabesque (film)Arabesque is a 1966 thriller starring Gregory Peck and Sophia Loren. The movie is based on Gordon Cotler's novel The Cypher and directed by Stanley Donen.-Plot:Professor David Pollock is an expert in ancient hieroglyphics at Oxford University...
(1966) - Finders Keepers (1966)
- It!It! (1966 film)It! is a 1966 horror film made by Seven Arts Productions and Gold Star Productions, Ltd. that features the Golem of Prague as its main subject. The film was made in the style of the Hammer Studios films both in sound and cinematography...
(1966) - Cuckoo PatrolCuckoo PatrolCuckoo Patrol is a 1967 British musical comedy film directed by Duncan Wood and starring Freddie Garrity, Victor Maddern, John Le Mesurier and Kenneth Connor.-Cast:* Freddie Garrity as Himself* Kenneth Connor as Wick* Victor Maddern as Dicko...
(1967) - Attack on the Iron CoastAttack on the Iron CoastAttack on the Iron Coast is a 1967 British-American Oakmont Productions international co-production war film directed by Paul Wendkos in the first of his five picture contract with Mirisch Productions, and starring Lloyd Bridges, Andrew Keir, Sue Lloyd, Mark Eden and Maurice Denham...
(1968) - Salt and Pepper (1968)
- Castle Keep (1969)
- Song of NorwaySong of Norway (film)Song of Norway is a 1970 film adaptation of the successful operetta of the same name, directed by Andrew L. Stone.Like the play from which it derived, the film tells of the early struggles of composer Edvard Grieg and his attempts to develop an authentic Norwegian national music...
(1970) - GandhiGandhi (film)Gandhi is a 1982 biographical film based on the life of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, who led the nonviolent resistance movement against British colonial rule in India during the first half of the 20th century. The film was directed by Richard Attenborough and stars Ben Kingsley as Gandhi. They both...
(1982) - The Pope Must DieThe Pope Must DieThe Pope Must Die is a 1991 comedy film starring Robbie Coltrane, Adrian Edmondson, Annette Crosbie, Alex Rocco and Peter Richardson who also directed.-Plot:...
(1991)