John Horsley (actor)
Encyclopedia
John L. Horsley is an English actor. He was born in Westcliff-on-Sea
, Essex
, England
.
He made his acting debut at the Theatre Royal in Bournemouth
. His early career saw him playing a succession of doctors and policemen, the former on film in Hell Drivers
(1957), the latter on television in Big Breadwinner Hog
(1969). He is best known, though, for his role as Doc Morrissey in the BBC
sitcom The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin
from 1976 to 1979. He reprised the role in The Legacy of Reginald Perrin in 1996. He also had the notable role of Sir Ralph Shawcross in the 1990s BBC sitcom You Rang, M'Lord?
He was a contender for the role of Lord President Borusa in the Doctor Who
serial Arc of Infinity
, but the role went to Leonard Sachs
.
Horsley married the actress June Marshall in 1948.
Westcliff-on-Sea
Westcliff-on-Sea is a suburb of Southend-on-Sea, a seaside resort in the East of England and unitary authority in Essex. It is situated on the northern bank of the Thames Estuary and about 34 miles east of London.-Geography:...
, Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
, 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...
.
He made his acting debut at the Theatre Royal in Bournemouth
Bournemouth
Bournemouth is a large coastal resort town in the ceremonial county of Dorset, England. According to the 2001 Census the town has a population of 163,444, making it the largest settlement in Dorset. It is also the largest settlement between Southampton and Plymouth...
. His early career saw him playing a succession of doctors and policemen, the former on film in Hell Drivers
Hell Drivers (film)
Hell Drivers is a 1957 British film directed by Cy Endfield starring Stanley Baker, Herbert Lom, Peggy Cummins, Patrick McGoohan and Sean Connery, produced by the Rank Organisation and Aqua Film Productions.-Plot:...
(1957), the latter on television in Big Breadwinner Hog
Big Breadwinner Hog
Big Breadwinner Hog is a British television thriller serial devised by Robin Chapman, produced by Granada TV and transmitted in eight parts, starting at 9.00pm on 11 April 1969 on the ITV network. It portrayed the ruthless rise through the criminal underworld of the trendy young London gangster...
(1969). He is best known, though, for his role as Doc Morrissey in the 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...
sitcom The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin
The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin
The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin is a series of novels which developed into a British sitcom starring Leonard Rossiter in the title role...
from 1976 to 1979. He reprised the role in The Legacy of Reginald Perrin in 1996. He also had the notable role of Sir Ralph Shawcross in the 1990s BBC sitcom 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...
He was a contender for the role of Lord President Borusa in the 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...
serial Arc of Infinity
Arc of Infinity
Arc of Infinity is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in four twice-weekly parts from 3 January to 12 January 1983...
, but the role went to Leonard Sachs
Leonard Sachs
Leonard Sachs was a British actor.-Early life and career:Sachs was born in South Africa in the town of Roodepoort, Transvaal...
.
Horsley married the actress June Marshall in 1948.
Selected filmography
- Appointment with VenusAppointment with Venus (film)Appointment with Venus is a 1951 film adaptation of the Jerrard Tickell novel of the same name. It was directed by Ralph Thomas, produced by Betty E. Box and its screenplay was written by the novelist Nicholas Phipps...
(1951) - 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) - Time BombTime Bomb (1953 film)Time Bomb is a 1953 British-made MGM post-war thriller film written by Kem Bennett and directed by Ted Tetzlaff. It starred Glenn Ford and Anne Vernon.-Plot:...
(1953) - Sailor of the KingSailor of the KingSailor of the King is a 1953 war film based on the novel Brown on Resolution by C. S. Forester and filmed in the Mediterranean Sea...
(1953) - Night People (1954)
- Above Us the Waves (1955)
- Little Red Monkey (1955)
- A Time to KillA Time to Kill (1955 film)A Time to Kill is a 1955 British crime film starring Jack Watling, Rona Anderson, John Horsley and John Le Mesurier.-Cast:* Jack Watling as Dennis Willows* Rona Anderson as Sallie Harbord* John Horsley as Peter Hastings...
(1955) - Circus Friends (1956)
- Hell DriversHell Drivers (film)Hell Drivers is a 1957 British film directed by Cy Endfield starring Stanley Baker, Herbert Lom, Peggy Cummins, Patrick McGoohan and Sean Connery, produced by the Rank Organisation and Aqua Film Productions.-Plot:...
(1957) - Barnacle Bill (1957)
- DunkirkDunkirk (film)Dunkirk is a 1958 British war film directed by Leslie Norman and starring John Mills, Richard Attenborough and Bernard Lee. It was based on two novels: Elleston Trevor's The Big Pick-Up and Lt. Col. Ewan Hunter and Maj. J. S...
(1958) - Operation AmsterdamOperation AmsterdamOperation Amsterdam is a 1959 British action film, directed by Michael McCarthy, and featuring Peter Finch, Eva Bartok and Tony Britton. It is based on a true story as described in the book Adventure in Diamonds, by David E Walker. The action of the story covers a few days in May 1940 when the...
(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) - JigsawJigsaw (1962 film)Jigsaw is a 1962 British crime drama film written and directed by Val Guest and starring Jack Warner and Ronald Lewis.-Plot:After a murder is committed in Brighton, two detectives comb the South Coast of England for the killer.-Cast:...
(1962) - The Comedy ManThe Comedy ManThe Comedy Man is a 1964 British drama film directed by Alvin Rakoff and starring Kenneth More, Cecil Parker, Dennis Price and Billie Whitelaw...
(1964) - The Fourth ProtocolThe Fourth Protocol (film)The Fourth Protocol is a 1987 Cold War spy film starring Michael Caine and Pierce Brosnan, based on the novel The Fourth Protocol by Frederick Forsyth.- Plot :The plot centres on a secret 1968 East-West agreement to halt nuclear proliferation...
(1987) - Poirot: Hercule Poirot's Christmas (1995)