Glyn Houston
Encyclopedia
Glyn Houston is an actor best known for his television
work. He is the brother of the late film actor Donald Houston
.
, and was briefly a stand-up comedian performing to soldiers during the war. He made his first film appearance in The Blue Lamp
in 1950.
. He appeared in a number of films including The Great Game
.
In the 1970s he played Lord Peter Wimsey
's valet Bunter opposite Ian Carmichael
in the teleplays of several of Dorothy Sayers tales. His performance was praised in the New York Times. In his critique of the 1980s BBC1 dramatization of the Harriet Vane
stories, reviewer Marvin Kitman mistakenly wrote that Houston was miscast in the role of Bunter. In fact, actor Richard Morant
portrayed the character in that series.
Other credits included My Good Woman (1973–1974), Inspector Morse
, It Ain't Half Hot Mum
, Minder
and Doomwatch
, as well as the recurring character "Det Supt Jones" in Softly, Softly.
He has also appeared twice as different characters in Doctor Who
— as "Professor Owen Watson" in The Hand of Fear
(1976) and as "Colonel Ben Wolsey" in The Awakening
(1984).
Houston has over two hundred television and film credits, dating back as early as 1950.
Houston won a BAFTA Cymru special award in April 2008. He released an autobiography titled Glyn Houston, A Black and White Actor in December 2009.
In May 2000, he unveiled a Mining Memorial in his native Rhondda at Rhondda Heritage Park
. He led the tributes to the thousands of miners who died and suffered during 150 years of mining in the South Wales coalfield
.
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
work. He is the brother of the late film actor Donald Houston
Donald Houston
Donald Daniel Houston was a Welsh actor whose first two films – The Blue Lagoon with Jean Simmons, and A Run for Your Money with Sir Alec Guinness – were highly successful...
.
Early life
Houston served in the army prior to and during World War IIWorld 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...
, and was briefly a stand-up comedian performing to soldiers during the war. He made his first film appearance in The Blue Lamp
The Blue Lamp
The Blue Lamp is a British crime film released in early 1950 by Ealing Studios, directed by Basil Dearden and produced by Michael Balcon. It stars Jack Warner as police constable George Dixon, Jimmy Hanley and Dirk Bogarde in an early role...
in 1950.
Career
Perhaps Glyn Houston's most notable role was as "Duncan Thomas", literary agent, in the 1980s British sitcom Keep It in the FamilyKeep It in the Family (TV series)
Keep It in the Family is a British comedy television series that aired for five seasons between 1980 and 1983. It was about a likable and mischievous British cartoonist, Dudley Rush. Also featured were Dudley's wife, Muriel and their two daughters, Jacqui and Susan...
. He appeared in a number of films including The Great Game
The Great Game (1953 film)
The Great Game is a 1953 British sports comedy-drama directed by Maurice Elvey and starring James Hayter, Thora Hird and Diana Dors. It was based on a play by Basil Thomas. Many of the scenes were shot at Griffin Park the home of Brentford F.C....
.
In the 1970s he played Lord Peter Wimsey
Lord Peter Wimsey
Lord Peter Death Bredon Wimsey is a bon vivant amateur sleuth in a series of detective novels and short stories by Dorothy L. Sayers, in which he solves mysteries; usually, but not always, murders...
's valet Bunter opposite Ian Carmichael
Ian Carmichael
Ian Gillett Carmichael, OBE was an English film, stage, television and radio actor.-Early life:Carmichael was born in Hull, in the East Riding of Yorkshire. The son of an optician, he was educated at Scarborough College and Bromsgrove School, before training as an actor at RADA...
in the teleplays of several of Dorothy Sayers tales. His performance was praised in the New York Times. In his critique of the 1980s BBC1 dramatization of the Harriet Vane
Harriet Vane
Harriet Deborah Vane, later Lady Peter Wimsey, is a fictional character in the works of British writer Dorothy L. Sayers ....
stories, reviewer Marvin Kitman mistakenly wrote that Houston was miscast in the role of Bunter. In fact, actor Richard Morant
Richard Morant
Richard Morant was an English actor.Morant was born in Shipston-on-Stour, Warwickshire. He was a nephew of actors Bill and Linden Travers, and a cousin of actress Penelope Wilton...
portrayed the character in that series.
Other credits included My Good Woman (1973–1974), Inspector Morse
Inspector Morse (TV series)
Inspector Morse is a detective drama based on Colin Dexter's series of Chief Inspector Morse novels. The series starred John Thaw as Chief Inspector Morse and Kevin Whately as Sergeant Lewis. Dexter makes a cameo appearance in all but three of the episodes....
, 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...
, Minder
Minder (TV series)
Minder is a British comedy-drama about the London criminal underworld. Initially produced by Verity Lambert, it was made by Euston Films, a subsidiary of Thames Television and shown on ITV...
and Doomwatch
Doomwatch
Doomwatch is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC, which ran on BBC One between 1970 and 1972. The series was set in the then present-day, and dealt with a scientific government agency led by Doctor Spencer Quist , responsible for investigating and combating various...
, as well as the recurring character "Det Supt Jones" in Softly, Softly.
He has also appeared twice as different characters in 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...
— as "Professor Owen Watson" in The Hand of Fear
The Hand of Fear
The Hand of Fear is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in four weekly parts from 2 October to 23 October 1976...
(1976) and as "Colonel Ben Wolsey" in The Awakening
The Awakening (Doctor Who)
The Awakening is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was originally broadcast in two parts on 19 and 20 January 1984.-Synopsis:...
(1984).
Houston has over two hundred television and film credits, dating back as early as 1950.
Houston won a BAFTA Cymru special award in April 2008. He released an autobiography titled Glyn Houston, A Black and White Actor in December 2009.
Personal life
Houston is married to actress and model Shirley Lawrence and has two children.In May 2000, he unveiled a Mining Memorial in his native Rhondda at Rhondda Heritage Park
Rhondda Heritage Park
Rhondda Heritage Park, Trehafod, Rhondda, South Wales is a tourist attraction which offers an insight into the life of the coal mining community that existed in the area until the 1980s....
. He led the tributes to the thousands of miners who died and suffered during 150 years of mining in the South Wales coalfield
South Wales Coalfield
The South Wales Coalfield is a large region of south Wales that is rich with coal deposits, especially the South Wales Valleys.-The coalfield area:...
.
Selected filmography
- The Blue LampThe Blue LampThe Blue Lamp is a British crime film released in early 1950 by Ealing Studios, directed by Basil Dearden and produced by Michael Balcon. It stars Jack Warner as police constable George Dixon, Jimmy Hanley and Dirk Bogarde in an early role...
(1950) - Wide BoyWide Boy (film)Wide Boy is a 1952 British crime film directed by Ken Hughes and starring Sydney Tafler, Susan Shaw and Ronald Howard.-Cast:* Sydney Tafler - Benny* Susan Shaw - Molly* Ronald Howard - Inspector Carson* Melissa Stribling - Caroline...
(1952) - The Great GameThe Great Game (1953 film)The Great Game is a 1953 British sports comedy-drama directed by Maurice Elvey and starring James Hayter, Thora Hird and Diana Dors. It was based on a play by Basil Thomas. Many of the scenes were shot at Griffin Park the home of Brentford F.C....
(1953) - Turn the Key SoftlyTurn the Key SoftlyTurn the Key Softly is a 1953 British drama film, directed by Jack Lee and starring Yvonne Mitchell, Joan Collins, Kathleen Harrison and Terence Morgan...
(1953) - Hell Below ZeroHell Below ZeroHell Below Zero is a 1954 murder mystery film, starring Alan Ladd in the second of his films for Warwick Films.The film was directed by Mark Robson, and was written by Alec Coppel and Max Trell...
(1954) - River BeatRiver BeatRiver Beat is a 1954 British crime film directed by Guy Green and starring John Bentley, Phyllis Kirk and Leonard White. A river police inspector faces a moral dilemma when a woman he knows gets caught up in jewel smuggling.-Cast:...
(1954) - The Sleeping TigerThe Sleeping TigerThe Sleeping Tiger is a 1954 film noir starring Dirk Bogarde and Alexis Smith. It was Joseph Losey's first British feature, which he directed under the pseudonym of Victor Hanbury due to being blacklisted in the McCarthy Era.- Plot :...
(1954) - The Sea Shall Not Have ThemThe Sea Shall Not Have ThemThe Sea Shall Not Have Them is a 1954 British war film starring Michael Redgrave, Dirk Bogarde and Anthony Steel. It was directed by Lewis Gilbert and is based on the 1953 novel by John Harris, set during the Second World War. Musical soundtrack by composer Malcolm Arnold.A British aircraft is...
(1954) - Passage HomePassage Home-Cast:* Anthony Steel as First Mate Vosper* Peter Finch as Captain Lucky Ryland* Diane Cilento as Ruth Elton* Cyril Cusack as Bohannon the steward* Geoffrey Keen as Ike the bosun* Hugh Griffith as Pettigrew* Duncan Lamont as 1st Mate Llewellyn...
(1955) - Private's ProgressPrivate's ProgressPrivate's Progress is a 1956 British comedy film based on the novel by Alan Hackney. It was directed and produced by John and Roy Boulting, from a script by John Boulting and Frank Harvey.-Plot:...
(1956) - The Long ArmThe Long Arm (film)The Long Arm is a 1956 British crime film starring Jack Hawkins, directed by Charles Frend and produced by Michael Balcon. In the US it's known as The Third Key.-Plot:...
(1956) - The One That Got Away (1957)
- Follow a StarFollow a StarFollow a Star is a 1959 British comedy film directed by Robert Asher and starring Norman Wisdom.-Plot:The story is rather similar to the ending of Singin' in the Rain, where a singer fraudulently "borrows" the voice of Norman Wisdom's character....
(1959) - The Battle of the SexesThe Battle of the Sexes (1959 film)The Battle of the Sexes is a 1959 British comedy film starring Peter Sellers and directed by Charles Crichton, based on the short story The Catbird Seat, by James Thurber. The story was adapted by Monja Danischewsky.-Cast:* Peter Sellers as Mr...
(1959) - There Was a Crooked ManThere Was a Crooked Man (film)There Was a Crooked Man is a 1960 British comedy film directed by Stuart Burge. It starred Norman Wisdom, Alfred Marks, Andrew Cruickshank, Reginald Beckwith, and Susannah York. This is the only Norman Wisdom film that has not had a television viewing or released on video/DVD...
(1960) - The Bulldog BreedThe Bulldog BreedThe Bulldog Breed is a 1960 British comedy film starring Norman Wisdom and directed by Robert Asher.-Plot:Norman Puckle , a well-meaning but clumsy grocer's assistant, can't seem to do anything right. After being rejected by Marlene, the love of his life, he attempts suicide, but can't even do that...
(1960) - PayrollPayroll (film)Payroll is a 1961 British crime thriller starring Michael Craig, and based on the novel by Derek Bickerton. The story is about a gang of villains that stage a wages robbery, which turns into a disaster. Most of the film was shot on location in and around Gateshead and Newcastle upon Tyne...
(1961) - The Wind of ChangeThe Wind of Change (film)The Wind of Change is a 1961 British drama, directed by Vernon Sewell and starring Donald Pleasence, Johnny Briggs and Ann Lynn. Taking its title from the famous "Wind of Change" speech given by British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan in South Africa in February 1960, it is one of the earliest...
(1961) - 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) - Flame in the StreetsFlame in the StreetsFlame in the Streets is a 1961 British drama film directed by Roy Ward Baker and starring John Mills, Sylvia Syms, Brenda De Banzie, Earl Cameron and Johnny Sekka.-Synopsis:...
(1961) - Emergency (1962)
- Mix Me a PersonMix Me a PersonMix Me a Person is a 1962 British crime drama film directed by Leslie Norman and starring Anne Baxter, Donald Sinden, Adam Faith, Walter Brown and Carole Ann Ford. A young London criminal is faced with a hanging for murdering a policeman...
(1962) - 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) - One Way PendulumOne Way PendulumOne Way Pendulum is a 1964 British comedy film directed by Peter Yates and starring Eric Sykes and George Cole. It is an adaptation of the play by N. F. Simpson.-Cast:* Eric Sykes as Mr. Groomkirby* George Cole as Defense counsel/friend...
(1964) - The Brigand of KandaharThe Brigand of KandaharThe Brigand of Kandahar is a 1965 British action film directed by John Gilling and starring Ronald Lewis, Oliver Reed and Duncan Lamont. A mixed-race British officer is thrown out of his regiment when he is accused of cowardice in action. He then joins some tribesmen rebelling against the British...
(1965) - Are You Being Served?Are You Being Served? (film)Are You Being Served?: The Movie, is a 1977 motion picture based on the British sitcom Are You Being Served?, which follows the staff of Grace Brothers' Men's and Women's Department as they take a holiday in the fictional Costa Plonka while their department is renovated.The story is an adaptation...
(1977) - The Sea WolvesThe Sea WolvesThe Sea Wolves is a 1980 war film starring Gregory Peck, Roger Moore and David Niven. The film is based on the book Boarding Party by James Leasor, which itself is based on a real incident which took place in World War II...
(1980) - The Mystery of Edwin DroodThe Mystery of Edwin Drood (1993 film)The Mystery of Edwin Drood is a 1993 film, the fourth film adaptation of the Charles Dickens unfinished novel of the same title.-Cast:* Robert Powell as John Jasper* Jonathan Phillips as Edwin Drood* Peter Pacey as Septimus Crisparkle...
(1993)