John Louis Mansi
Encyclopedia
John Louis Mansi was a British television and film actor whose career spanned the years from the early 1950s to the early 1990s.
He is best known for his role as Herr Engelbert von Smallhausen
(although in the BBC books he is named as Bobby Cedric von Smallhausen) in the popular BBC
sitcom 'Allo 'Allo!
in seasons 2 to 9. He also appeared in Department S
(as "Maxime" in the episode "The Treasure of the Costa del Sol", 1969), the Ripping Yarns
story "Across The Andes By Frog", The Hammer House of Horror
story "The Thirteenth Reunion", The Beatles
' movie Help!
, the original version of The Italian Job
and the film version of Tales from the Crypt
. After 'Allo 'Allo ended in 1992 he retired from acting.
He was often credited as Louis Mansi in his roles.
For six years he suffered from Parkinson's Disease
and in May 2010 was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer
. His interests included reading, letter writing, animal welfare and watching DVDs/videos of past favourite series/films.
He is best known for his role as Herr Engelbert von Smallhausen
Herr Engelbert Von Smallhausen
Herr Engelbert Von Smallhausen is a fictional character in the BBC sitcom Allo 'Allo!, which ran from 1982 to 1992. He was played by the actor John Louis Mansi...
(although in the BBC books he is named as Bobby Cedric von Smallhausen) in the popular 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 'Allo 'Allo!
'Allo 'Allo!
'Allo 'Allo! is a British sitcom broadcast on BBC One from 1982 to 1992 comprising eighty-five episodes. It is a parody of another BBC programme, the wartime drama Secret Army, and was created by David Croft, who also wrote the theme music, and Jeremy Lloyd. Lloyd and Croft wrote the first 6...
in seasons 2 to 9. He also appeared in Department S
Department S
Department S is a United Kingdom spy-fi adventure series produced by ITC Entertainment. The series consists of 28 episodes which originally aired in 1969–1970. It starred Peter Wyngarde as author Jason King , Joel Fabiani as Stewart Sullivan, and Rosemary Nicols as computer expert Annabelle Hurst...
(as "Maxime" in the episode "The Treasure of the Costa del Sol", 1969), the Ripping Yarns
Ripping Yarns
Ripping Yarns is a British television comedy series, shown on BBC 2 from 1976 to 1979. It was written by Michael Palin and Terry Jones of Monty Python fame...
story "Across The Andes By Frog", The Hammer House of Horror
Hammer Film Productions
Hammer Film Productions is a film production company based in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1934, the company is best known for a series of Gothic "Hammer Horror" films made from the mid-1950s until the 1970s. Hammer also produced science fiction, thrillers, film noir and comedies and in later...
story "The Thirteenth Reunion", The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
' movie Help!
Help! (film)
Help! is a 1965 film directed by Richard Lester, starring The Beatles—John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr—and featuring Leo McKern, Eleanor Bron, Victor Spinetti, John Bluthal, Roy Kinnear and Patrick Cargill. Help! was the second feature film made by the Beatles and is a...
, the original version of The Italian Job
The Italian Job
The Italian Job is a 1969 British caper film, written by Troy Kennedy Martin, produced by Michael Deeley and directed by Peter Collinson. Subsequent television showings and releases on video have established it as an institution in the United Kingdom....
and the film version of Tales from the Crypt
Tales from the Crypt (film)
Tales from the Crypt is a British horror movie, made in 1972 by Amicus Productions. It is an anthology film consisting of five separate segments, based on stories from EC Comics. Only two of the stories, however, are actually from EC's Tales from the Crypt...
. After 'Allo 'Allo ended in 1992 he retired from acting.
He was often credited as Louis Mansi in his roles.
For six years he suffered from Parkinson's Disease
Parkinson's disease
Parkinson's disease is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system...
and in May 2010 was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer
Lung cancer
Lung cancer is a disease characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissues of the lung. If left untreated, this growth can spread beyond the lung in a process called metastasis into nearby tissue and, eventually, into other parts of the body. Most cancers that start in lung, known as primary...
. His interests included reading, letter writing, animal welfare and watching DVDs/videos of past favourite series/films.