Peter Swanwick
Encyclopedia
Peter Swanwick was a British
actor best remembered as the "Supervisor" (sometimes called the Controller) in the 1967 TV series, The Prisoner
. The image of the bald-headed actor intoning "Orange alert" is considered iconic of the series.
Swanwick's film career began in 1951 with bit parts in films such as The African Queen, and he became a recognizable face on British TV during the mid-1960s when he guest starred in a number of popular shows, including The Avengers
and Danger Man
where he first worked with later Prisoner star and co-creator, Patrick McGoohan
.
According to several biographies Swanwick endured major health problems in the 1960s that resulted in him undergoing undisclosed operations that left him with a short time to live.
Swanwick played the non-singing part of Herr Zeller in the original London stage production of The Sound Of Music.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
actor best remembered as the "Supervisor" (sometimes called the Controller) in the 1967 TV series, The Prisoner
The Prisoner
The Prisoner is a 17-episode British television series first broadcast in the UK from 29 September 1967 to 1 February 1968. Starring and co-created by Patrick McGoohan, it combined spy fiction with elements of science fiction, allegory and psychological drama.The series follows a British former...
. The image of the bald-headed actor intoning "Orange alert" is considered iconic of the series.
Swanwick's film career began in 1951 with bit parts in films such as The African Queen, and he became a recognizable face on British TV during the mid-1960s when he guest starred in a number of popular shows, including The Avengers
The Avengers (TV series)
The Avengers is a spy-fi British television series set in the 1960s Britain. The Avengers initially focused on Dr. David Keel and his assistant John Steed . Hendry left after the first series and Steed became the main character, partnered with a succession of assistants...
and Danger Man
Danger Man
Danger Man is a British television series that was broadcast between 1960 and 1962, and again between 1964 and 1968. The series featured Patrick McGoohan as secret agent John Drake. Ralph Smart created the program and wrote many of the scripts...
where he first worked with later Prisoner star and co-creator, Patrick McGoohan
Patrick McGoohan
Patrick Joseph McGoohan was an American-born actor, raised in Ireland and England, with an extensive stage and film career, most notably in the 1960s television series Danger Man , and The Prisoner, which he co-created...
.
According to several biographies Swanwick endured major health problems in the 1960s that resulted in him undergoing undisclosed operations that left him with a short time to live.
Swanwick played the non-singing part of Herr Zeller in the original London stage production of The Sound Of Music.
Selected filmography
- Time Gentlemen, Please!Time Gentlemen, Please!Time Gentlemen, Please! is a 1952 British comedy film directed by Lewis Gilbert and starring Eddie Byrne, Hermione Baddeley, Raymond Lovell and Sid James.-Cast:* Eddie Byrne as Dan Dance* Jane Barrett as Sally* Robert Brown as Bill Jordan...
(1952) - Circumstantial EvidenceCircumstantial Evidence (1952 film)Circumstantial Evidence is a 1952 British crime film directed by Daniel Birt and starring Rona Anderson, Patrick Holt and John Arnatt.-Plot:A woman seeks evidence that will give her grounds for divorce from her husband, so she can marry another man....
(1952) - Albert R.N. (1953)
- The Black RiderThe Black Rider (film)The Black Rider is a 1954 British thriller film directed by Wolf Rilla and starring Jimmy Hanley, Rona Anderson and Leslie Dwyer. A gang of smugglers use a haunted castle as their base, detering curious locals by pretending to be ghosts.-Cast:...
(1954) - The Colditz StoryThe Colditz StoryThe Colditz Story is a 1955 prisoner of war film starring John Mills and Eric Portman and directed by Guy Hamilton.It is based on the book written by P.R...
(1955) - The Love MatchThe Love MatchThe Love Match is a 1955 British comedy film directed by David Paltenghi and starring Arthur Askey, Glenn Melvyn, Thora Hird and Shirley Eaton. Two football-mad railway engine drivers are desperate to get back in time to see a match. It was based on a play by Glenn Melvyn.-Cast:* Arthur Askey ... ...
(1955) - The March HareThe March Hare (film)The March Hare is a 1956 British comedy film directed by George More O'Ferrall and starring Peggy Cummins, Terence Morgan, Martita Hunt and Cyril Cusack. The film follows the efforts in Ireland to turn a seemingly useless racing horse into a Derby-winner. It was based on a novel by T. H...
(1956) - The Two-Headed SpyThe Two-Headed SpyThe Two-Headed Spy is a 1958 British spy thriller, set in World War II. It starred Jack Hawkins and was directed by Andre De Toth. It also starred Gia Scala, Erik Schumann and Alexander Knox.-Plot:...
(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) - The Desperate ManThe Desperate ManThe Desperate Man is a 1959 British crime film directed by Peter Maxwell and starring Conrad Phillips, Jill Ireland, William Hartnell, Charles Gray and Peter Swanwick...
(1959) - Circus of HorrorsCircus of HorrorsCircus of Horrors is a 1960 British horror film directed by Sidney Hayers. It starred Anton Diffring, Yvonne Monlaur, Erika Remberg, Kenneth Griffith, Jane Hylton, Conrad Phillips, Yvonne Romain and Donald Pleasence....
(1960) - Double BunkDouble BunkDouble Bunk is a 1961 British black-and-white comedy set on a houseboat, that stars Ian Carmichael and Sid James.The musical score was composed by Stanley Black and the title song, sung by Sid James and Liz Fraser, was by Stanley Black, Jack Fishman and Michael Pratt.-Plot:When newlyweds Jack and...
(1961) - The Devil's DaffodilThe Devil's DaffodilThe Devil's Daffodil is a 1961 German crime film directed by Ákos Ráthonyi and starring Joachim Fuchsberger.-Cast:* Joachim Fuchsberger - Jack Tarling...
(1961) - The Devil Rides OutThe Devil Rides Out (film)The Devil Rides Out is a 1968 British film based on the 1934 novel The Devil Rides Out by Dennis Wheatley...
(1968)