Ferdy Mayne
Encyclopedia
Early life
He was born Ferdinand Philip Mayer-Horckel, in MainzMainz
Mainz under the Holy Roman Empire, and previously was a Roman fort city which commanded the west bank of the Rhine and formed part of the northernmost frontier of the Roman Empire...
, Germany. His German father was the Judge of Mayence, and his half-English
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...
mother gave singing lessons. Because his family was Jewish, he was sent to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
to protect him from the Nazis, and he stayed with his aunt
Aunt
An aunt is a person who is the sister or sister-in-law of a parent. A man with an equivalent relationship is an uncle, and the reciprocal relationship is that of a nephew or niece....
, the photographer and sculptress Lee Hutchinson. His parents were detained in Buchenwald, but because of his mother's connections could then leave Germany for England. When 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...
broke out, he worked as an informant for MI5
MI5
The Security Service, commonly known as MI5 , is the United Kingdom's internal counter-intelligence and security agency and is part of its core intelligence machinery alongside the Secret Intelligence Service focused on foreign threats, Government Communications Headquarters and the Defence...
. Significant clues to his work for MI5 were provided by Joan Miller in her posthumously published memoir One Girl's War (1986). He had also acted as a witness at Miller's marriage in 1945.
Career
Mayne appeared in 230 films and TV shows. In 1967 he became world famous by starring as Count von Krolock in Roman PolanskiRoman Polanski
Roman Polanski is a French-Polish film director, producer, writer and actor. Having made films in Poland, Britain, France and the USA, he is considered one of the few "truly international filmmakers."...
's The Fearless Vampire Killers
The Fearless Vampire Killers
The Fearless Vampire Killers is a 1967 comedy horror film directed by Roman Polanski, written by Gérard Brach and Polanski, produced by Gene Gutowski and co-starring Polanski with future wife Sharon Tate...
. In 1977, he appeared in the It Pays To Advertise episode of Are You Being Served?
Are You Being Served?
Are You Being Served? is a British sitcom broadcast from 1972 to 1985. It was set in the ladies' and gentlemen's clothing departments of Grace Brothers, a large, fictional London department store. It was written mainly by Jeremy Lloyd and David Croft, with contributions by Michael Knowles and John...
in the role of "The Ten Pound Perfume". In that episode, he purchased a bottle of perfume for 10 British pounds and shocked Mrs. Slocombe
Mrs. Slocombe
Mrs. Betty Slocombe is a fictional character from the BBC One comedy show, Are You Being Served?. She was played by Mollie Sugden.-Role:...
when he told her in a somewhat effeminate voice that he wasn't buying it for his wife but for himself. He then strutted off in a stereotypical homosexual way. Mayne would later move to America and have a semi-regular role as "Albert Grand" in the Cagney and Lacey television series.
Selected filmography
- Meet Sexton BlakeMeet Sexton BlakeMeet Sexton Blake is a 1945 British drama film directed by John Harlow and starring David Farrar, Manning Whiley, Dennis Arundell and John Varley.-Cast:* David Farrar - Sexton Blake* Manning Whiley - Raoul Sudd* Dennis Arundell - Johann Sudd...
(1945) - Hotel SaharaHotel SaharaHotel Sahara is a 1951 British comedy film directed by Ken Annakin and starring Yvonne De Carlo, Peter Ustinov and David Tomlinson.-Cast:* Yvonne De Carlo as Yasmin Pallas* Peter Ustinov as Emad* David Tomlinson as Captain Puffin Cheyne...
(1951) - The Blue ParrotThe Blue ParrotThe Blue Parrot is a 1953 British crime film directed by John Harlow and starring Dermot Walsh, Jacqueline Hill, Ballard Berkeley, Richard Pearson and John Le Mesurier.British crime reporter Percy Hoskins provided the story.-Cast:...
(1953) - You Know What Sailors Are (1954)
- Third Party RiskThird Party RiskThird Party Risk is a 1954 British thriller film, directed by Daniel Birt and starring Lloyd Bridges, Simone Silva and Finlay Currie...
(1954) - Value for MoneyValue for MoneyValue for Money is a 1955 British comedy film directed by Ken Annakin and starring John Gregson, Donald Pleasence, Leslie Phillips, Joan Hickson, Derek Farr and Diana Dors.-Cast:* John Gregson as Chayley Broadbent* Diana Dors as Ruthine West...
(1955) - The Narrowing CircleThe Narrowing CircleThe Narrowing Circle is a 1956 British crime film directed by Charles Saunders and starring Paul Carpenter, Hazel Court and Russell Napier. A crime writer finds himself accused of murder, and has to clear his name.-Cast:* Paul Carpenter - Dave Nelson...
(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 End of the LineThe End of the Line (1957 film)The End of the Line is a 1957 British crime film starring Alan Baxter, Barbara Shelley, Ferdy Mayne, Jennifer Jayne, Arthur Gomez, Charles Clay and directed by Charles Saunders. The film was released in the United States in 1959...
(1957) - Our Man in HavanaOur Man in Havana (film)Our Man in Havana is a 1959 film directed and produced by Carol Reed and starring Alec Guinness, Burl Ives, Maureen O'Hara, Ralph Richardson, Noel Coward and Ernie Kovacs. The film is adapted from the novel of the same name by Graham Greene...
(1959) - Ben-HurBen-Hur-Fiction:*Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ is an 1880 novel by American general and author Lew Wallace** Ben Hur , a one-reel silent version** Ben-Hur , an MGM silent film starring Ramon Novarro...
(1959) - The Spider's WebThe Spider's Web (1960 film)The Spider's Web is a 1960 British mystery film directed by Godfrey Grayson and starring Glynis Johns, John Justin, Cicely Courtneidge and Jack Hulbert...
(1960) - The Green HelmetThe Green HelmetThe Green Helmet is a 1961 British film starring Bill Travers, Ed Begley and Sid James. The film is centred around a British motor racing team. It is based on a novel by Australian author Jon Cleary.-Cast:* Bill Travers as Rafferty...
(1961) - Three Spare WivesThree Spare WivesThree Spare Wives is a 1962 British comedy film directed by Ernest Morris and starring Susan Stephen, John Hewer, Robin Hunter. It was based on a play by Talbot Rothwell.-Cast:* Susan Stephen - Susan* John Hewer - Rupert* Robin Hunter - George...
(1962) - The Password Is CourageThe Password is CourageThe Password Is Courage is a 1962 World War II film, directed, produced and written by Andrew L. Stone, and starring Dirk Bogarde. The film is a lighthearted take on the true story of Sergeant-Major Charles Coward, and the screenplay is based on the biography of Coward written by John...
(1962) - Operation CrossbowOperation Crossbow (film)Operation Crossbow is a British 1965 spy thriller and World War II film, made from a story from Duilio Coletti and Vittoriano Petrilli and filmed at MGM-British Studios...
(1965) - Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying MachinesThose Magnificent Men in Their Flying MachinesThose Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines, Or How I Flew from London to Paris in 25 Hours 11 Minutes is a 1965 British comedy film starring Stuart Whitman and directed and co-written by Ken Annakin...
(1965) - Promise Her AnythingPromise Her AnythingPromise Her Anything is a 1965 British romantic comedy film directed by Arthur Hiller. The screenplay by William Peter Blatty is based on a story by Arne Sultan and Marvin Worth.-Plot:...
(1965) - The Fearless Vampire KillersThe Fearless Vampire KillersThe Fearless Vampire Killers is a 1967 comedy horror film directed by Roman Polanski, written by Gérard Brach and Polanski, produced by Gene Gutowski and co-starring Polanski with future wife Sharon Tate...
(1967) - The BoboThe BoboThe Bobo is a 1967 British comedy film starring Peter Sellers and co-starring his then-wife Britt Ekland. Based on the 1959 novel Olimpia by Burt Cole, also known as Thomas Dixon, Sellers is featured as the would-be singing matador, Juan Bautista...
(1967) - Les grandes vacances (1967)
- Gates to Paradise (1968)
- Where Eagles DareWhere Eagles DareWhere Eagles Dare is a 1968 World War II action-adventure spy film starring Richard Burton, Clint Eastwood and Mary Ure. It was directed by Brian G. Hutton and shot on location in Upper Austria and Bavaria....
(1968) - The Best House in LondonThe Best House in LondonThe Best House in London is a 1969 British comedy film directed by Philip Saville and starring David Hemmings, Joanna Pettet, George Sanders, Warren Mitchell, John Bird, Maurice Denham and Bill Fraser.-Cast:...
(1969) - The Magic ChristianThe Magic Christian (film)The Magic Christian is a 1969 British comedy film directed by Joseph McGrath and starring Peter Sellers and Ringo Starr, with noteworthy appearances by John Cleese, Raquel Welch, Christopher Lee, Richard Attenborough and Roman Polanski. It was loosely adapted from the 1959 comic novel of the same...
(1969) - The Adventurers (1970)
- The Walking StickThe Walking StickThe Walking Stick is a 1970 film directed by Eric Till and starring David Hemmings and Samantha Eggar. It is based on the novel of the same name written by Winston Graham...
(1970) - The Vampire LoversThe Vampire LoversThe Vampire Lovers is a 1970 British Hammer Horror film directed by Roy Ward Baker and starring Peter Cushing, Ingrid Pitt, Madeline Smith, Kate O'Mara, and Jon Finch. It is based on the J. Sheridan Le Fanu novella Carmilla and is part of the so-called Karnstein Trilogy of films. The other films in...
(1970) - When Eight Bells TollWhen Eight Bells Toll (1971 film)When Eight Bells Toll is a 1971 action film set in Scotland, based upon Scottish author Alistair MacLean's 1965 novel of the same name. Producer Elliott Kastner planned to produce a string of realistic gritty espionage thrillers to rival the James Bond series, but the film's poor box office...
(1971) - Von Richthofen and BrownVon Richthofen and BrownVon Richthofen and Brown also known as The Red Baron, is a film directed by Roger Corman, and starring John Phillip Law and Don Stroud as the titular characters....
(1971) - Eagle in a CageEagle in a CageEagle in a Cage is a 1972 American and British historical drama film directed by Fielder Cook. Napoleon is played by Kenneth Haigh.An earlier version of the story had been made in 1965, when an episode of the television series Hallmark Hall of Fame depicted the events starring Trevor Howard as...
(1972) - Innocent BystandersInnocent Bystanders (film)Innocent Bystanders is a 1972 spy thriller directed by Peter Collinson. It stars Stanley Baker and Geraldine Chaplin. The screenplay was written by James Mitchell based on his 1969 novel of the same name...
(1972) - Barry LyndonBarry LyndonBarry Lyndon is a 1975 British-American period romantic war film produced, written, and directed by Stanley Kubrick based on the 1844 novel The Luck of Barry Lyndon by William Makepeace Thackeray which recounts the exploits of an 18th century Irish adventurer...
(1975) - The Eagle Has LandedThe Eagle Has Landed (film)The Eagle Has Landed is a 1976 film version of the novel The Eagle Has Landed by Jack Higgins. It was directed by John Sturges and starred Michael Caine, Donald Sutherland and Robert Duvall...
(1976) - FedoraFedora (film)Fedora is a 1978 American drama film directed by Billy Wilder. The screenplay by Wilder and I.A.L. Diamond is based on a novella by Tom Tryon included in his collection Crowned Heads, published in 1976.-Plot:...
(1978) - Revenge of the Pink PantherRevenge of the Pink PantherRevenge of the Pink Panther is the sixth film in the Pink Panther film series. Released in 1978, Revenge of was the last entry featuring series star Peter Sellers, who died in 1980...
(1978) - Hawk the SlayerHawk the SlayerHawk the Slayer is a sword and sorcery movie directed by Terry Marcel and starring John Terry and Jack Palance. The protagonist is Hawk, a hero in the Dark Age, where the Evil ruled the world.-Plot summary :...
(1980) - The Formula (1980)
- FrightmareFrightmare (1983 film)Frightmare is a 1983 American slasher-horror film written and directed by Norman Thaddeus Vane. It was Jeffrey Combs's film debut....
(1983) - The Black Stallion ReturnsThe Black Stallion ReturnsThe Black Stallion Returns is a 1983 film adaptation of the book of the same name by Walter Farley, and is a sequel to The Black Stallion. It is directed by Robert Dalva and produced by Francis Ford Coppola. The movie stars Kelly Reno, Vincent Spano and Teri Garr...
(1983) - YellowbeardYellowbeardYellowbeard is a 1983 comedy film by Graham Chapman, along with Peter Cook, Bernard McKenna and David Sherlock. It was directed by Mel Damski, and was Marty Feldman's last film appearance.-Plot:...
(1983) - The Secret Diary of Sigmund FreudThe Secret Diary of Sigmund FreudThe Secret Diary of Sigmund Freud is a 1984 comedy film directed by Danford B. Greene and starring Bud Cort.-Cast:* Bud Cort - Sigmund Freud* Carol Kane - Martha Bernays* Klaus Kinski - Dr. Max Bauer* Marisa Berenson - Emma Herrmann...
(1984) - Conan the DestroyerConan the DestroyerConan the Destroyer is a 1984 American action fantasy film directed by Richard Fleischer, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and Mako returning to resume their roles as Conan and Akiro the wizard, respectively. The cast also includes Grace Jones, Wilt Chamberlain, Tracey Walter and Olivia d'Abo. It is...
(1984) - Night Train to TerrorNight Train to TerrorNight Train to Terror is an independent horror film directed by John Carr, Phillip Marshak, Tom McGowan, Jay Schlossberg-Cohen, Gregg C. Tallas, and written by Academy Award winner Phillip Yordan that was released in 1985 and has since become an infamous cult classic of grade-Z movie fare.-Plot:God...
(1985) - Pirates (1986)
- Knight MovesKnight MovesKnight Moves is a 1992 American thriller film, directed by Carl Schenkel and written by Brad Mirman, about a chess grandmaster who is accused of several grisly murders.-Synopsis:...
(1992) - Warlock: The ArmageddonWarlock: The ArmageddonWarlock: The Armageddon, is a 1993 American horror film directed by Anthony Hickox, and produced by Peter Abrams. It is considered a sequel in-title-only to the 1989 film Warlock, and it stars Julian Sands returning in the title role....
(1993)
Personal life
In 1955, Mayne married Deirdre de Payer. Their daughter Belinda Mayne became an actress as well. The couple divorced in 1972. In the 1990s, Mayne suffered from Parkinson's diseaseParkinson's disease
Parkinson's disease is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system...
, from which he died on 30 January 1998 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...
.