Sam Kydd
Encyclopedia
Sam Kydd was an Ulster-born English
actor. An army officer's son, he was born in Belfast
, but moved to London
, England
when he was a child. He was educated at Dunstable Grammar School
in Dunstable
, Bedfordshire
, England.
. He would warm up audiences with jokes and impressions and even some tap dance routines then introduce the other singers and attractions on the bill. During the late 1930s he had joined the Territorial Army
and when war broke out he was called up for active service.
Early in the war
, he went to France
with the British Expeditionary Force
but was quickly captured, spending the rest of the war in Stalag XX-A
, a camp near Thorn
in German-occupied western Poland
. Kydd later wrote of his experiences as a POW in his autobiographical book For You The War Is Over.
During his internment in the Polish prisoner-of-war camp, where he remained for the next five years, he took command of the camp's theatrical activities - devising and staging plays. He felt so strongly about his work there that, when he was offered repatriation after three years, he turned it down to continue with his theatrical work. In recognition of his valuable services during these years, he was awarded a pair of drama masks made by the Red Cross from barbed wire.
. He went on to appear in many more films, including such memorable films as The Blue Lamp
, Father Brown
, The 39 Steps
and I'm All Right Jack
. He often played the part of a strong and resilient cockney
. He is best remembered as a character actor in films such as Chance of a Lifetime
, The Cruel Sea
, Sink the Bismarck
, Too Late the Hero
, The Yangtse Incident
, Reach for the Sky
, Eye of the Needle
and Steptoe and Son Ride Again
.
He married Pinkie Barnes, an ex-international table tennis
champion. She was also one of England's first women advertising copywriters. Born Lavender Rosamund Marguerite Barnes, the nickname 'Pinkie' apparently referred to her babyhood complexion. Pinkie didn't like the short forms of any of her three Christian names and was keen to be called a nickname. She played for England 11 times between 1946 and 1950 and won various trophies including the Championship of the Netherlands
. She was British Doubles Finalist with the then World Champion, Hungary
's Gizi Farkas].
Kydd took part in more than 100 films and TV plays/series including, 'Pickwick Papers', Mess Mates, Arthur Askey
, Benny Hill
, Charlie Drake
, Harry Worth
, The Expert, Dixon of Dock Green
, Crane
and Orlando in 1963. In Crane Kydd had appeared as the lovable smuggler Orlando O'Connor. The programme starred Patrick Allen
, as a Briton who moved to Morocco
to run a cafe and had an aversion to smuggling. Kydd's character was so popular that when 'Crane' finished he was given his own programme, Orlando, a children's adventure series.
He also appeared in the Fossett Saga, and Curry and Chips
, as well as the big-screen versions of Dad's Army
and Till Death Do Us Part. Amongst his many television appearances were The Tony Hancock Show
, critically acclaimed series Minder
, Orlando, Crane
, Crossroads, Coronation Street
(playing the part of Mike Baldwin's father, Frankie), The Eric Sykes
Show, and Follyfoot
. In 1974, Kydd played the part of a Cabbie in Thames Television's 'A Dickens of a Christmas'.
Kydd died of a respiratory ailment. His son, Jonathan Kydd
, has followed him into the acting profession.
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. An army officer's son, he was born in Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
, but moved to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, 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...
when he was a child. He was educated at Dunstable Grammar School
Dunstable Grammar School
Dunstable Grammar School was a grammar school in the market town of Dunstable, Bedfordshire, England. Opened in 1888, it was closed in 1971.-Foundation:...
in Dunstable
Dunstable
Dunstable is a market town and civil parish located in Bedfordshire, England. It lies on the eastward tail spurs of the Chiltern Hills, 30 miles north of London. These geographical features form several steep chalk escarpments most noticeable when approaching Dunstable from the north.-Etymology:In...
, Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire is a ceremonial county of historic origin in England that forms part of the East of England region.It borders Cambridgeshire to the north-east, Northamptonshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the west and Hertfordshire to the south-east....
, England.
Early career and military service
During the mid-1930s Kydd was as an MC for various big bands such as the Oscar Rabin BandOscar Rabin Band
The Oscar Rabin Band was a British Jazz dance band that was one of the most successful bands of the 1950s. Band leader Oscar Rabin played bass saxophone, an unusual instrument then as now. His friend Harry Davis, tall, elegant and good-looking, acted as compère and conductor.-Formation:Oscar...
. He would warm up audiences with jokes and impressions and even some tap dance routines then introduce the other singers and attractions on the bill. During the late 1930s he had joined the Territorial Army
Territorial Army
The Territorial Army is the part time volunteer force of the British Army. With around 35,500 members, the TA forms about a quarter of the overall manpower strength of the British Army. TA members regularly volunteer to serve overseas on operations, either with TA units, or as individuals...
and when war broke out he was called up for active service.
Early in the war
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 went to France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
with the British Expeditionary Force
British Expeditionary Force (World War II)
The British Expeditionary Force was the British force in Europe from 1939–1940 during the Second World War. Commanded by General Lord Gort, the BEF constituted one-tenth of the defending Allied force....
but was quickly captured, spending the rest of the war in Stalag XX-A
Stalag XX-A
Stalag XX-A was a German World War II PoW Camp located in Thorn/Toruń, Poland. It was not a single camp and contained as many as 20,000 men at its peak. The main camp was located in a complex of fifteen forts that surrounded the whole of the city...
, a camp near Thorn
Torun
Toruń is an ancient city in northern Poland, on the Vistula River. Its population is more than 205,934 as of June 2009. Toruń is one of the oldest cities in Poland. The medieval old town of Toruń is the birthplace of the astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus....
in German-occupied western Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
. Kydd later wrote of his experiences as a POW in his autobiographical book For You The War Is Over.
During his internment in the Polish prisoner-of-war camp, where he remained for the next five years, he took command of the camp's theatrical activities - devising and staging plays. He felt so strongly about his work there that, when he was offered repatriation after three years, he turned it down to continue with his theatrical work. In recognition of his valuable services during these years, he was awarded a pair of drama masks made by the Red Cross from barbed wire.
Film career
Returning to Britain after the war, Kydd resumed a budding film career, which had started back in 1940 with They Came by NightThey Came by Night
They Came by Night is a 1940 British crime film directed by Harry Lachman and starring Will Fyffe, Phyllis Calvert and Anthony Hulme. A man is blackmailed into taking his brother's place in a gang for a jewellry heist.-Cast:...
. He went on to appear in many more films, including such memorable films as 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...
, Father Brown
Father Brown (film)
Father Brown is a 1954 British mystery comedy film. Technically, the film is a remake of the 1934 Paramount picture Father Brown, Detective, starring Walter Connolly, Paul Lukas and Gertrude Michael, which was likewise based on "The Blue Cross," but confined the action to London...
, The 39 Steps
The 39 Steps (1959 film)
The 39 Steps is a 1959 British thriller film directed by Ralph Thomas, starring Kenneth More and Taina Elg. It is a remake of the 1935 Alfred Hitchcock film, based on the novel The Thirty-Nine Steps by John Buchan....
and I'm All Right Jack
I'm All Right Jack
I'm All Right Jack is a 1959 British comedy film directed and produced by John and Roy Boulting from a script by Frank Harvey, John Boulting and Alan Hackney, based on the novel Private Life by Hackney...
. He often played the part of a strong and resilient cockney
Cockney
The term Cockney has both geographical and linguistic associations. Geographically and culturally, it often refers to working class Londoners, particularly those in the East End...
. He is best remembered as a character actor in films such as Chance of a Lifetime
Chance of a Lifetime (film)
Chance of a Lifetime is a 1950 British film starring, produced, part-written and directed by Bernard Miles. It was nominated for the 1951 BAFTA for Best British Film, to which it was beaten by The Blue Lamp.-Plot:...
, The Cruel Sea
The Cruel Sea (film)
The Cruel Sea is a 1953 British film from Ealing Studios starring Jack Hawkins and Donald Sinden, with Denholm Elliott, Stanley Baker, Liam Redmond, Virginia McKenna and Moira Lister...
, Sink the Bismarck
Sink the Bismarck
"Sink the Bismark" is a song, written by country music singer Johnny Horton and Tillman Franks, based on the pursuit and eventual sinking of the German battleship Bismarck in May 1941, during World War II. Horton released this song in 1960, where it reached #3 on the charts...
, Too Late the Hero
Too Late the Hero
Too Late the Hero is a 1970 Anglo-American war film directed by Robert Aldrich, and starring Michael Caine, Henry Fonda, Cliff Robertson, Ken Takakura, Denholm Elliott, Ian Bannen, Lance Percival, Ronald Fraser, Harry Andrews and Percy Herbert.-Plot:...
, The Yangtse Incident
Yangtse Incident (1957 film)
Yangtse Incident: The Story of HMS Amethyst is a 1957 British war film that tells the story of the British frigate HMS Amethyst caught up in the Chinese Civil War....
, Reach for the Sky
Reach for the Sky
Reach for the Sky is a 1956 British biographical film of aviator Douglas Bader, based on the 1954 biography of the same name by Paul Brickhill. The film stars Kenneth More and was directed by Lewis Gilbert. It won the BAFTA Award for Best British Film of 1956.-Plot:In 1928, Douglas Bader, a...
, Eye of the Needle
Eye of the Needle (film)
Eye of the Needle is a 1981 film directed by Richard Marquand, based on the novel of the same title by Ken Follett, and starring Donald Sutherland...
and Steptoe and Son Ride Again
Steptoe and Son Ride Again
Steptoe and Son Ride Again is the 1973 sequel to the 1972 film Steptoe and Son. Again the film starred Wilfrid Brambell and Harry H. Corbett.-Plot:...
.
He married Pinkie Barnes, an ex-international table tennis
Table tennis
Table tennis, also known as ping-pong, is a sport in which two or four players hit a lightweight, hollow ball back and forth using table tennis rackets. The game takes place on a hard table divided by a net...
champion. She was also one of England's first women advertising copywriters. Born Lavender Rosamund Marguerite Barnes, the nickname 'Pinkie' apparently referred to her babyhood complexion. Pinkie didn't like the short forms of any of her three Christian names and was keen to be called a nickname. She played for England 11 times between 1946 and 1950 and won various trophies including the Championship of the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
. She was British Doubles Finalist with the then World Champion, Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
's Gizi Farkas].
Kydd took part in more than 100 films and TV plays/series including, 'Pickwick Papers', Mess Mates, Arthur Askey
Arthur Askey
Arthur Bowden Askey CBE was a prominent English comedian.- Life and career :Askey was born at 29 Moses Street, Liverpool, the eldest child and only son of Samuel Askey , secretary of the firm Sugar Products of Liverpool, and his wife, Betsy Bowden , of Knutsford, Cheshire...
, Benny Hill
Benny Hill
Benny Hill was an English comedian and actor, notable for his long-running television programme The Benny Hill Show.-Early life:...
, Charlie Drake
Charlie Drake
Charlie Drake was an English comedian, actor, writer and singer.With his small stature , curly red hair and liking for slapstick he was a popular comedian with children in his early years, becoming nationally-known for his "Hello, my darlings" catchphrase...
, Harry Worth
Harry Worth
Harry Worth was an English comedy actor and comedian...
, The Expert, Dixon of Dock Green
Dixon of Dock Green
Dixon of Dock Green was a popular BBC television series that ran from 1955 to 1976, and later a radio series. Despite being a drama series, it was initially produced by the BBC's light entertainment department.-Overview:...
, Crane
Crane (TV series)
Crane is a British black and white adventure series that aired on ITV from 1963 to 1965. It was shown on Monday nights at 8 PM.-Plot:The series was based around Richard Crane who was a successful city businessman who was tired of the big city rat race...
and Orlando in 1963. In Crane Kydd had appeared as the lovable smuggler Orlando O'Connor. The programme starred Patrick Allen
Patrick Allen
John Keith Patrick Allen was a British film, television and voice actor.-Life and career:Allen was born in Nyasaland , where his father was a tobacco farmer. After his parents returned to Britain, he was evacuated to Canada during World War II where he remained to finish his education at McGill...
, as a Briton who moved to Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
to run a cafe and had an aversion to smuggling. Kydd's character was so popular that when 'Crane' finished he was given his own programme, Orlando, a children's adventure series.
He also appeared in the Fossett Saga, and Curry and Chips
Curry and Chips
Curry and Chips is a controversial 1969 British sitcom from London Weekend Television.Set on a factory floor of 'Lillicrap Ltd', it starred a blacked up Spike Milligan as an Asian immigrant who went by the name of Kevin O'Grady. It also featured Eric Sykes as the foreman, Norman Rossington as the...
, as well as the big-screen versions of Dad's Army
Dad's Army
Dad's Army is a British sitcom about the Home Guard during the Second World War. It was written by Jimmy Perry and David Croft and broadcast on BBC television between 1968 and 1977. The series ran for 9 series and 80 episodes in total, plus a radio series, a feature film and a stage show...
and Till Death Do Us Part. Amongst his many television appearances were The Tony Hancock Show
The Tony Hancock Show
The Tony Hancock Show was a black-and-white British sketch show starring Tony Hancock that was broadcast for two series from 1956 to 1957. It was written by Eric Sykes, Larry Stephens and Ray Galton and Alan Simpson...
, critically acclaimed series 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...
, Orlando, Crane
Crane (TV series)
Crane is a British black and white adventure series that aired on ITV from 1963 to 1965. It was shown on Monday nights at 8 PM.-Plot:The series was based around Richard Crane who was a successful city businessman who was tired of the big city rat race...
, Crossroads, 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...
(playing the part of Mike Baldwin's father, Frankie), The Eric Sykes
Eric Sykes
Eric Sykes, CBE is an English radio, television and film writer, actor and director whose performing career has spanned more than 50 years. He frequently wrote for and/or performed with many other leading comedy performers and writers of the period, including Tony Hancock, Spike Milligan, Peter...
Show, and Follyfoot
Follyfoot
Follyfoot was a children's television series co-produced by the majority-partner British television company Yorkshire Television and the independent West German company TV Munich...
. In 1974, Kydd played the part of a Cabbie in Thames Television's 'A Dickens of a Christmas'.
Kydd died of a respiratory ailment. His son, Jonathan Kydd
Jonathan Kydd (actor)
Jonathan Kydd is a British actor. He is the son of the actor Sam Kydd.His first film was The Iron Maiden, in which he appeared aged six with his father. His mother, Pinkie, was one of England's first female advertising copywriters. She also played table tennis eleven times for England.Kydd was...
, has followed him into the acting profession.
Selected filmography
- The Captive HeartThe Captive HeartThe Captive Heart is a 1946 British war drama, directed by Basil Dearden for Ealing Studios. The film was entered into the 1946 Cannes Film Festival.-Plot:...
(1946) - Fortune LaneFortune LaneFortune Lane is a 1947 British family drama film directed by John Baxter and starring Douglas Barr, Billy Thatcher and Brian Weske. A boy tries to raise money so he can train to be an engineer, but ends up giving the money to a friend so he can visit an ill relative.-Cast:* Douglas Barr - Peter...
(1947) - They Made Me a FugitiveThey Made Me a FugitiveThey Made Me A Fugitive is a 1947 British film noir set in postwar England. Based on the Jackson Budd novel A Convict has Escaped, the black-and-white film was directed by Alberto Cavalcanti with brooding and atmospheric cinematography by noted cameraman Otto Heller...
(1947) - A Song for TomorrowA Song for TomorrowA Song for Tomorrow is a 1948 drama film directed by Terence Fisher, in his first directed film. It stars Evelyn Maccabe and Ralph Michael.-Cast:*Evelyn Maccabe as Helen Maxwell*Ralph Michael as Roger Stanton*Shaun Noble as Derek Wardell...
(1948) - Trouble in the Air (1948)
- To the Public Danger (1948)
- Colonel BogeyColonel Bogey (film)Colonel Bogey is a 1948 fantasy film directed by Terence Fisher. It stars Jack Train and Mary Jerrold.-Cast:*Jack Train as Uncle James*Mary Jerrold as Aunt Mabel*Jane Barrett as Alice Graham*John Stone as Wilfred Barriteau*Ethel Coleridge as Emily...
(1948) - Fly Away Peter (1948)
- Love in WaitingLove in WaitingLove in Waiting is a 1948 British comedy film film directed by Douglas Pierce, and starring David Tomlinson.-Plot:In a busy restaurant during the food rationing period in the wake of WWII three waitresses fall in love with the manager , the garbage man and the downstairs neighbour, while trying to...
(1948) - It's Hard to Be GoodIt's Hard to Be GoodIt's Hard to Be Good is a 1948 British comedy film directed by Jeffrey Dell and starring Jimmy Hanley, Anne Crawford and Raymond Huntley. An ex-army officer and do-gooder finds his attempts to improve the world leads invariably to disasters.-Cast:...
(1948) - A Piece of CakeA Piece of CakeA Piece of Cake is a 1948 British fantasy comedy film directed by John Irwin and starring the husband and wife team of Cyril Fletcher and Betty Astell as well as Laurence Naismith and Jon Pertwee.-Plot:...
(1948) - Scott of the Antarctic (1948)
- Portrait from LifePortrait from LifePortrait from Life is a 1948 British drama film directed by Terence Fisher. It stars Mai Zetterling and Robert Beatty.-Cast:* Mai Zetterling as Lidia* Robert Beatty as Campbell Reid* Guy Rolfe as Major Lawrence* Herbert Lom as Fritz Kottler Hendlemann...
(1948) - Badger's GreenBadger's Green (1949 film)Badger's Green is a 1949 British comedy film directed by John Irwin and starring Barbara Murray, Brian Nissen, Garry Marsh and Kynaston Reeves. It is based on the play Badger's Green by R.C. Sheriff...
(1949) - Poet's PubPoet's PubPoet's Pub is a 1949 British comedy film directed by Frederick Wilson.-Plot:An Oxford poet is convinced to become manager of a country inn, after complaining about the food and service.-Cast:*Derek Bond as Saturday Keith*Rona Anderson as Joanna Benbow...
(1949) - ForbiddenForbidden (1949 film)Forbidden is a British thriller film, directed by George King in Technicolor, and starring Ronald Shiner, Hazel Court, and Douglass Montgomery...
(1949) - Vengeance Is Mine (1949)
- Chance of a LifetimeChance of a Lifetime (film)Chance of a Lifetime is a 1950 British film starring, produced, part-written and directed by Bernard Miles. It was nominated for the 1951 BAFTA for Best British Film, to which it was beaten by The Blue Lamp.-Plot:...
(1950) - Treasure IslandTreasure Island (1950 film)Treasure Island is a 1950 Disney adventure film, adapted from the Robert Louis Stevenson's novel Treasure Island. It starred Bobby Driscoll as Jim Hawkins, and Robert Newton as Long John Silver...
(1950) - Seven Days to NoonSeven Days to NoonSeven Days to Noon is a 1950 British drama / thriller film directed by John Boulting and Roy Boulting. Paul Dehn and James Bernard won the Academy Award for Best Story for this film.-Plot:The film is set in the early 1950s...
(1950) - Appointment in LondonAppointment in LondonAppointment in London is a 1952 war film starring Dirk Bogarde and set during World War II. The film was directed by Philip Leacock from a screenplay by John Wooldridge and Robert Westerby and based on an original story by Wooldridge...
(1952) - The Voice of MerrillThe Voice of MerrillThe Voice of Merrill is a 1952 British mystery film, directed by John Gilling and starring Valerie Hobson and James Robertson Justice. The Voice of Merrill was made by Tempean Films, the company owned by the film's producers Monty Berman and Robert S...
(1952) - Derby DayDerby Day (1952 film)Derby Day is a 1952 British drama film directed by Herbert Wilcox and starring Anna Neagle, Michael Wilding, Googie Withers, John McCallum and Alfie Bass. An ensemble piece, it portrays several characters on their way to the Derby Day races at Epsom Downs Racecourse...
(1952) - Trent's Last CaseTrent's Last Case (film)Trent's Last Case is a British detective film directed by Herbert Wilcox and starring Michael Wilding, Margaret Lockwood, Orson Welles and John McCallum. It was based on the novel Trent's Last Case by E. C...
(1952) - The Cruel SeaThe Cruel Sea (film)The Cruel Sea is a 1953 British film from Ealing Studios starring Jack Hawkins and Donald Sinden, with Denholm Elliott, Stanley Baker, Liam Redmond, Virginia McKenna and Moira Lister...
(1953) - The Steel KeyThe Steel KeyThe Steel Key is a 1953 British thriller film directed by Robert S. Baker and starring Terence Morgan, Joan Rice and Raymond Lovell.-Cast:* Terence Morgan - Johnny O'Flynn* Joan Rice - Doreen Wilson* Raymond Lovell - Inspector Forsythe...
(1953) - The Rainbow JacketThe Rainbow JacketThe Rainbow Jacket is a 1954 British drama film directed by Basil Dearden, and featuring Robert Morley, Kay Walsh, Bill Owen, Honor Blackman and Sid James.-Cast:* Robert Morley as Lord Logan* Kay Walsh as Barbara Crain...
(1954) - The Young LoversThe Young LoversThe Young Lovers is a 1954 British Cold War romance drama, directed by Anthony Asquith and starring Odile Versois and David Knight. The film was produced by Anthony Havelock-Allan, with cinematography from Jack Asher and screenplay by George Tabori and Robin Estridge...
(1954) - Final AppointmentFinal Appointment (1954 film)Final Appointment is a 1954 British film directed by Terence Fisher. It starred John Bentley, Eleanor Summerfield and Hubert Gregg. It also featured Arthur Lowe, later to become famous for his portrayal of Captain Mainwaring in Dad's Army, in an early role....
(1954) - Where There's a WillWhere There's a Will (1955 film)Where There's a Will is a 1955 British comedy film directed by Vernon Sewell and starring Kathleen Harrison, George Cole, Leslie Dwyer and Michael Shepley...
(1955) - 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) - Reach for the Sky (1956)
- Tiger in the SmokeTiger in the SmokeTiger in the Smoke is a 1956 British crime film directed by Roy Ward Baker and starring Donald Sinden, Muriel Pavlow, Tony Wright, Bernard Miles and Christopher Rhodes. It is based on the 1952 novel The Tiger in the Smoke by Margery Allingham, although the film omits the principal character of...
(1956) - The Yangtse IncidentYangtse Incident (1957 film)Yangtse Incident: The Story of HMS Amethyst is a 1957 British war film that tells the story of the British frigate HMS Amethyst caught up in the Chinese Civil War....
(1957) - The ScampThe ScampThe Scamp is a 1957 British drama film directed by Wolf Rilla and starring Richard Attenborough, Colin Petersen, and Dorothy Alison.-Cast:* Richard Attenborough as Stephen Leigh* Dorothy Alison as Barbara Leigh* Colin Petersen as Tod Dawson...
(1957) - Just My LuckJust My Luck (1957 film)Just My Luck is a 1957 British sports comedy film directed by John Paddy Carstairs and starring Norman Wisdom as a worker in a jewellery shop.- Plot :...
(1957)
- Happy is the BrideHappy is the BrideHappy is the Bride is a 1958 British comedy film written and directed by Roy Boulting and starring Ian Carmichael, Janette Scott, Cecil Parker, Terry-Thomas and Joyce Grenfell...
(1958) - Up the CreekUp the Creek (1958 film)Up the Creek is a 1958 British comedy film written and directed by Val Guest which starred David Tomlinson, Peter Sellers, Wilfrid Hyde-White, David Lodge and Lionel Jeffries.-Plot synopsis:...
(1958) - The Price of SilenceThe Price of Silence (1959 film)The Price of Silence is a 1959 British crime film directed by Montgomery Tully and starring Gordon Jackson, June Thorburn, Maya Koumani and Terence Alexander.-Cast:* Gordon Jackson - Roger Fenton* June Thorburn - Audrey Truscott...
(1959) - The Captain's TableThe Captain's TableThe Captain's Table is a 1959 British comedy film directed by Jack Lee from a novel by Richard Gordon. It starred John Gregson, Donald Sinden, Peggy Cummins, Maurice Denham, Joan Sims, John Le Mesurier and June Jago...
(1959) - The 39 Steps (Uncredited..Train Steward) (1959)
- Too Many CrooksToo Many CrooksToo Many Crooks is a 1959 British comedy film about a bunch of inept crooks who kidnap the wrong woman. It stars George Cole as the leader of the gang, Brenda De Banzie as the victim, and Terry-Thomas as her husband...
(1959) - Upstairs and DownstairsUpstairs and DownstairsUpstairs and Downstairs is a 1959 British comedy drama film directed by Ralph Thomas and starring Michael Craig, Anne Heywood, Mylène Demongeot, Claudia Cardinale, James Robertson Justice, Joan Sims, Joan Hickson and Sid James...
(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) - Life Is a CircusLife is a Circus (1960 film)Life is a Circus is a 1960 British comedy film directed by Val Guest and starring Bud Flanagan, Teddy Knox, Jimmy Nervo, Shirley Eaton and Lionel Jeffries. A down-on-its-luck circus use an Aladdin's Magic Lamp to try and save their business....
(1960) - Dead LuckyDead LuckyDead Lucky is a 1960 British crime film directed by Montgomery Tully and starring Vincent Ball, Betty McDowall, John Le Mesurier, Alfred Burke and Michael Ripper...
(1960) - Follow That Horse!Follow That Horse!Follow That Horse! is a 1960 British comedy film directed by Alan Bromly from a screenplay by William Douglas-Home. It starred David Tomlinson, Cecil Parker, Richard Wattis, Mary Peach and Dora Bryan.-Cast:* David Tomlinson as Dick Lanchester...
(1960) - 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) - SuspectSuspect (1960 film)Suspect is a 1960 British thriller film directed by Roy Boulting and John Boulting. It starred Tony Britton, Virginia Maskell, Ian Bannen, Peter Cushing and Donald Pleasence...
(1960) - The House in Marsh RoadThe House in Marsh RoadThe House in Marsh Road is a 1960 British suspense film directed by Montgomery Tully and starring Tony Wright, Patricia Dainton and Sandra Dorne...
(1960) - The Iron Maiden (1962)
- The Young Detectives (1963)
- The Projected ManThe Projected ManThe Projected Man is a British science fiction film starring Mary Peach, Bryant Haliday, Norman Wooland, and Ronald Allen. It was released in the United States by Universal Studios, as a double bill with Island of Terror. The plot revolves around a scientist, Dr...
(1966) - Island of TerrorIsland of TerrorIsland of Terror is a 1966 British horror film released by Planet Film Productions. The film was released in the US by Universal Studios on a double bill with The Projected Man . The idea for the film came when Richard Gordon read the screenplay The Night the Silicates Came from Gerry Fernback. He...
(1966) - Smashing TimeSmashing TimeSmashing Time is a 1967 British comedy film starring Rita Tushingham and Lynn Redgrave. It is a satire on the 1960s media-influenced phenomenon of Swinging London.It was written by George Melly and directed by Desmond Davis...
(1967) - The Last GrenadeThe Last GrenadeThe Last Grenade is a 1970 British war film directed by Gordon Flemyng and starring Stanley Baker and Alex Cord as two soldiers of fortune, formerly comrades, who now find themselves on opposite sides...
(1970) - Too Late the HeroToo Late the HeroToo Late the Hero is a 1970 Anglo-American war film directed by Robert Aldrich, and starring Michael Caine, Henry Fonda, Cliff Robertson, Ken Takakura, Denholm Elliott, Ian Bannen, Lance Percival, Ronald Fraser, Harry Andrews and Percy Herbert.-Plot:...
(1970) - Up the Chastity BeltUp the Chastity BeltUp the Chastity Belt is a 1971 British film, a spin-off from the TV series Up Pompeii! that starred Frankie Howerd and was directed by Bob Kellett.-Synopsis:...
(1971) - 10 Rillington Place (1971)
- Quest for Love (1971)
- Dad's ArmyDad's Army (film)Dad's Army is a 1971 feature film based on the BBC television sitcom Dad's Army. Directed by Norman Cohen, it was filmed between series three and four and was based upon material from the early episodes of the television series...
(1971) - The Alf Garnett SagaThe Alf Garnett SagaThe Alf Garnett Saga is a 1972 British comedy film directed by Bob Kellett and starring Warren Mitchell, Dandy Nichols, Paul Angelis and Adrienne Posta. The film was a film version of the TV series Till Death Us Do Part.-Cast:...
(1972) - Steptoe and Son Ride AgainSteptoe and Son Ride AgainSteptoe and Son Ride Again is the 1973 sequel to the 1972 film Steptoe and Son. Again the film starred Wilfrid Brambell and Harry H. Corbett.-Plot:...
(1973) - Confessions of a Window CleanerConfessions of a Window CleanerConfessions of a Window Cleaner is a 1974 British sex comedy film, directed by Val Guest.Like the other films in the Confessions series; Confessions of a Pop Performer, Confessions of a Driving Instructor and Confessions from a Holiday Camp, it concerns the erotic adventures of Timothy Lea, based...
(1974) - A Dickens of a Christmas (1974)
- Great ExpectationsGreat Expectations (1974 film)Great Expectations is a 1974 film made for television based on the Charles Dickens novel of the same name. It was directed by Joseph Hardy, with screenwriter Sherman Yellen and music by Maurice Jarre, starring Michael York as Pip and Sarah Miles as Estella...
(1974) - The Amorous MilkmanThe Amorous MilkmanThe Amorous Milkman is a 1975 British comedy film directed by Derren Nesbitt and starring Julie Ege, Diana Dors and Brendan Price. A young milkman enjoys a number of adventures with bored woman on his round.-Cast:* Julie Ege as Diana* Diana Dors as Rita...
(1975) - The Firefighters (1975)
- Yesterday's Hero (1979)
- The Mirror Crack'dThe Mirror Crack'dThe Mirror Crack'd is a 1980 film British mystery film based on Agatha Christie's Miss Marple novel The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side...
(1980) - Eye of the NeedleEye of the Needle (film)Eye of the Needle is a 1981 film directed by Richard Marquand, based on the novel of the same title by Ken Follett, and starring Donald Sutherland...
(1981)
External links
- Sam Kydd on Jonathan Kydd's website
- Sam Kydd's profile on the Cherished Television website
- Cherished television: Crane
- Kydd's son recollections of his father