Jack Watson (actor)
Encyclopedia
Jack Watson was an English
actor
who appeared in many British films and television dramas from the 1950s onwards.
Watson was born in Thorney, Cambridgeshire
, the son of a Gaiety Girl
, Barbara Hughes, and music hall
comedian, Nosmo King
, with whom he often appeared on stage as straight man, known simply as Hubert. During World War II
, he was a physical training instructor in the Royal Navy
, and his physique was much in evidence in many of his subsequent screen roles. During the war he was resident compère of Navy Mixture.
After the war, his talent as an impersonator resulted in his becoming a regular on BBC
radio programmes such as Take it from Here
, Hancock's Half Hour
and The Clitheroe Kid
, gradually making the transition to television. His first major role was in Coronation Street
where he became Elsie Tanner
's (Pat Phoenix
) first lover. Probably his best-known television role was as Llud, Arthur's craggy sidekick in Arthur of the Britons
. His last major TV role was in the award-winning Edge of Darkness
(1985). He died 14 years later at the age of 84.
His films included Peeping Tom
, This Sporting Life
, Grand Prix, Tobruk
, The McKenzie Break
, The Devil's Brigade
and The Wild Geese
. In total he appeared in over 70 films.
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...
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...
who appeared in many British films and television dramas from the 1950s onwards.
Watson was born in Thorney, Cambridgeshire
Thorney, Cambridgeshire
Thorney is a village about 8 miles east of Peterborough in the City of Peterborough unitary authority, England, on the A47. Historically it was part of the Isle of Ely, which was considered part of Cambridgeshire but was transferred into the former county of Huntingdon and Peterborough and...
, the son of a Gaiety Girl
Gaiety Girls
Gaiety Girls were the chorus girls in Edwardian musical comedies, beginning in the 1890s at the Gaiety Theatre, London, in the shows produced by George Edwardes. The popularity of this genre of musical theatre depended, in part, on the beautiful dancing corps of "Gaiety Girls" appearing onstage in...
, Barbara Hughes, and music hall
Music hall
Music Hall is a type of British theatrical entertainment which was popular between 1850 and 1960. The term can refer to:# A particular form of variety entertainment involving a mixture of popular song, comedy and speciality acts...
comedian, Nosmo King
H. Vernon Watson
H. Vernon Watson , better known as his character Nosmo King, was a popular English variety artist. He was touring the music halls before World War I, but he remained relatively obscure until the 1920s, when he shot to fame as Nosmo King....
, with whom he often appeared on stage as straight man, known simply as Hubert. 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 was a physical training instructor 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...
, and his physique was much in evidence in many of his subsequent screen roles. During the war he was resident compère of Navy Mixture.
After the war, his talent as an impersonator resulted in his becoming a regular on BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
radio programmes such as Take it from Here
Take It From Here
Take It From Here was a British radio comedy programme broadcast by the BBC between 1948 and 1960. It was written by Frank Muir and Denis Norden, and starred Jimmy Edwards, Dick Bentley and Joy Nichols...
, Hancock's Half Hour
Hancock's Half Hour
Hancock's Half Hour was a BBC radio comedy, and later television comedy, series of the 1950s and 60s written by Ray Galton and Alan Simpson. The series starred Tony Hancock, with Sid James; the radio version also co-starred, at various times, Moira Lister, Andrée Melly, Hattie Jacques, Bill Kerr...
and The Clitheroe Kid
The Clitheroe Kid
The Clitheroe Kid was a long-running BBC radio comedy show featuring diminutive Northern comedian Jimmy Clitheroe in the role of a cheeky schoolboy, who lived with his family at 33 Lilac Avenue in an un-named town in the north of England. Jimmy's best friend was Ozzie, alias Oswald Higginbottom, a...
, gradually making the transition to television. His first major role was in 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...
where he became Elsie Tanner
Elsie Tanner
Elsie Tanner is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera Coronation Street, played by Patricia Phoenix from 1960 to 1973 and from 1976 until 1984. Elsie Tanner was one of the original core characters on Coronation Street and appeared in the very first episode...
's (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...
) first lover. Probably his best-known television role was as Llud, Arthur's craggy sidekick in Arthur of the Britons
Arthur of the Britons
Arthur of the Britons is a British television show about the historical King Arthur. Produced by the HTV regional franchise, it consisted of two series, released between 1972 and 1973...
. His last major TV role was in the award-winning Edge of Darkness
Edge of Darkness
Edge of Darkness is a British television drama serial, produced by BBC Television in association with Lionheart Television International and originally broadcast in six fifty-five minute episodes in late 1985...
(1985). He died 14 years later at the age of 84.
His films included Peeping Tom
Peeping Tom (film)
Peeping Tom is a 1960 British psychological thriller directed by Michael Powell and written by the World War II cryptographer and polymath Leo Marks. The title derives from the slang expression 'peeping Tom' describing a voyeur...
, This Sporting Life
This Sporting Life
This Sporting Life is a 1963 British film based on a novel of the same name by David Storey which won the 1960 Macmillan Fiction Award. It tells the story of a rugby league footballer, Frank Machin, in Wakefield, a mining area of Yorkshire, whose romantic life is not as successful as his sporting...
, Grand Prix, Tobruk
Tobruk (film)
Tobruk is a 1967 American war film starring Rock Hudson and George Peppard and directed by Arthur Hiller. The film was written by Leo Gordon and released through Universal Pictures....
, The McKenzie Break
The McKenzie Break
The McKenzie Break is a 1970 British war drama film directed by Lamont Johnson, starring Brian Keith as Jack Connor, an intelligence officer investigating recent disturbances at a German prisoner of war camp in Scotland...
, The Devil's Brigade
The Devil's Brigade (film)
The Devil's Brigade is a 1968 American war film based on the 1966 book of the same name co-written by American novelist and historian Robert H. Adleman and Col...
and The Wild Geese
The Wild Geese
The Wild Geese is a British 1978 film about a group of mercenaries in Africa. It stars Richard Burton, Roger Moore, Richard Harris and Hardy Krüger...
. In total he appeared in over 70 films.
Filmography
- Peeping TomPeeping Tom (film)Peeping Tom is a 1960 British psychological thriller directed by Michael Powell and written by the World War II cryptographer and polymath Leo Marks. The title derives from the slang expression 'peeping Tom' describing a voyeur...
(1960) - KongaKonga (film)Konga is a 1961 British science fiction film directed by John Lemont and starring Michael Gough, Margo Johns and Austin Trevor. It was distributed in the United States by American International Pictures....
(1961) - The Queen's GuardsThe Queen's GuardsThe Queen's Guards is a 1961 military drama film directed by Michael Powell from a script by Simon Harcourt-Smith and Roger Milner. It stars Daniel Massey, Raymond Massey, Robert Stephens, and Ursula Jeans.-Plot:...
(1961) - Fate Takes a Hand (1962)
- On the BeatOn the Beat (1962 film)On the Beat is a 1962 British comedy film starring Norman Wisdom, and directed by Robert Asher.-Plot:Norman Pitkin works at Scotland Yard as a car cleaner but dreams of becoming a policeman like his late father....
(1962) - This Sporting LifeThis Sporting LifeThis Sporting Life is a 1963 British film based on a novel of the same name by David Storey which won the 1960 Macmillan Fiction Award. It tells the story of a rugby league footballer, Frank Machin, in Wakefield, a mining area of Yorkshire, whose romantic life is not as successful as his sporting...
(1963) - 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) - The GorgonThe GorgonThe Gorgon is a 1964 British horror film directed by Terence Fisher for Hammer.It stars Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee, Barbara Shelley and Richard Pasco. The film was photographed by Michael Reed, and designed by Bernard Robinson. For the score James Bernard combined a soprano with a little-known...
(1964) - The HillThe Hill (film)The Hill is a 1965 film directed by Sidney Lumet, set in a British army prison in North Africa in World War II. It stars Sean Connery, Harry Andrews, Ian Bannen, Ossie Davis, Ian Hendry, Alfred Lynch, Roy Kinnear and Michael Redgrave.-Plot:...
(1965) - The Night Caller (1965)
- The IdolThe iDol (film)The iDol is a 2006 film from independent filmmaker Norman England. A science fiction satire filmed entirely in Japan, The iDol tells the story of a Japanese collector who comes into possession of a figure with origins not of this world....
(1966) - Grand Prix (1966)
- Tobruk (1967)
- The Devil's BrigadeThe Devil's Brigade (film)The Devil's Brigade is a 1968 American war film based on the 1966 book of the same name co-written by American novelist and historian Robert H. Adleman and Col...
(1968) - The Strange AffairThe Strange AffairThe Strange Affair is a 1968 British crime film directed by David Greene.-Cast:* Michael York - Peter Strange* Jeremy Kemp - Peirce* Susan George - Frederika 'Fred' March* Jack Watson - Quince* George A. Cooper - Kingsley...
(1968) - Every Home Should Have OneEvery Home Should Have OneEvery Home Should Have One is a 1970 British comedy film directed by Jim Clark and starring Marty Feldman, Judy Cornwell, Patrick Cargill, Penelope Keith and Julie Ege. An advertising man is tasked by his boss with trying to come up with a sexy new image for porridge...
(1970) - The McKenzie BreakThe McKenzie BreakThe McKenzie Break is a 1970 British war drama film directed by Lamont Johnson, starring Brian Keith as Jack Connor, an intelligence officer investigating recent disturbances at a German prisoner of war camp in Scotland...
(1970) - KidnappedKidnapped (1971 film)Kidnapped is a 1971 British adventure film directed by Delbert Mann and starring Michael Caine and Trevor Howard, based on the novel Kidnapped and the first half of the sequel Catriona by Robert Louis Stevenson.-Plot of the film:...
(1971) - From Beyond the GraveFrom Beyond the GraveFrom Beyond the Grave is a 1974 British anthology horror film from Amicus Productions, directed by horror director Kevin Connor, produced by Milton Subotsky and based on stories by R. Chetwynd-Hayes...
(1973) - JuggernautJuggernaut (film)Juggernaut is a 1974 British thriller film. It was produced by David V. Picker Productions and released in 1974 by United Artists. The film was directed by Richard Lester, who took over after directors Bryan Forbes and Don Medford each left the project in pre-production.On taking over the film,...
(1974) - 11 Harrowhouse11 Harrowhouse11 Harrowhouse is a 1974 British film directed by Aram Avakian. It was adapted by Charles Grodin based upon the novel by Gerald A. Browne with the screenplay by Jeffrey Bloom...
(1974) - The Four MusketeersThe Four Musketeers (film)The Four Musketeers is a 1974 Richard Lester film that follows upon his film of the year before, The Three Musketeers, and covers the second half of Dumas' novel The Three Musketeers...
(1974) - The Wild GeeseThe Wild GeeseThe Wild Geese is a British 1978 film about a group of mercenaries in Africa. It stars Richard Burton, Roger Moore, Richard Harris and Hardy Krüger...
(1978) - North Sea HijackNorth Sea HijackNorth Sea Hijack is a British action film from 1979 starring Roger Moore, James Mason, Anthony Perkins, and Michael Parks. It was directed by Andrew V...
(1980) - 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) - TangiersTangiers (1982 film)Tangiers is a 1982 American-Morrocan thriller film directed by Michael E. Briant and starring Ronny Cox, Billie Whitelaw and Glynis Barber.-Cast:* Ronny Cox ... Bob Steele* Billie Whitelaw ... Louise* Glynis Barber ... Beth...
(1982)