Terry-Thomas
Encyclopedia
Thomas Terry Hoar Stevens (14 July 1911 – 8 January 1990) was a distinctive English
comic
actor
, known as Terry-Thomas. He was famous for his portrayal of disreputable members of the upper classes, especially cad
s and toffs
, with the trademark gap in his front teeth
, cigarette holder
, smoking jacket
, and catch-phrases such as "What an absolute shower!", "Good show!", "You dirty rotter" and "Hard cheese."
, North London
, England
, the son of Ellen Elizabeth (née Hoar) and Ernest Frederick Stevens, a business executive. He was educated at Ardingly College
. He began his working life as a clerk with Union Cold Storage Co, before drifting into show business. Terry-Thomas worked in cabaret
and as a film extra
before finding success as an entertainer during World War II
. After the war, he worked in TV, radio and variety, but it was during the mid-1950s that he developed his famous persona
, first in his television
series, How Do You View?, and then in films. His performance as Major Hitchcock in John and Roy Boulting
's Private's Progress
(1956) gave birth to his catchphrase, "you're an absolute shower", and made him a favourite in British comedy films for the next decade. He reprised the role of Hitchcock in I'm All Right Jack
(1959), and appeared in several of the Boultings' other films, including Lucky Jim
and Brothers in Law
.
Although Terry-Thomas was renowned for his caddish persona, he was a gifted voice actor with a range of accents in his repertoire. It was reported that the voice actor Ivan Owen
based his voice for Basil Brush
on Terry-Thomas's distinctive voice.
, he reversed this to Terry Thomas. In 1948, he affected a hyphen
between the two names in order to be more distinctive, largely to stop people calling him "Mr. Thomas" (which he disliked) and, according to biographer Graham McCann, "because it felt right".
; Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines
; Monte Carlo or Bust
; How Sweet It Is!
; Jules Verne's Rocket to the Moon
). In the 1970s he reprised his character from the first two of the films above along with Eric Sykes
to make high quality cinema and TV advertisements for Benson and Hedges cigarettes.
In 1966, he played a notable but very different role as an RAF
airman travelling through occupied France – and nicknamed "Big Moustache" by his French helpers – in the French film La Grande Vadrouille
, which for over forty years remained the most successful film in the history of cinema in France.
In 1971 Thomas was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease
, and by 1977 he had retired. During the 1980s he spent periods on and off working with ghost writer Terry Baum on an autobiography, Terry-Thomas Tells Tales, which was published posthumously in 1992. In 1989, actor Jack Douglas
and Richard Hope-Hawkins, organised a benefit concert for Thomas, after discovering he was living in virtual obscurity and ill health. The gala, held at London's Theatre Royal, ran for five hours, Phil Collins
topping the bill along with 120 artists. Michael Caine
was the gala chairman. The show raised over £75,000 for Thomas and Parkinson's UK. The actor Richard Briers
was a second cousin of Terry-Thomas, and became President of Parkinson's UK as a result of his disease.
Towards the end of his life, he resided at Busbridge Hall nursing home, Godalming
, Surrey
. He died there in January 1990 at the age of 78. The funeral service was held in Busbridge's St. John the Baptist Church. He was cremated at Guildford Crematorium.
In the United States, the corresponding term is the 'David Letterman sign'.
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...
comic
Comedy
Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...
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...
, known as Terry-Thomas. He was famous for his portrayal of disreputable members of the upper classes, especially cad
Rake (character)
A rake, short for rakehell, is a historic term applied to a man who is habituated to immoral conduct, frequently a heartless womanizer. Often a rake was a man who wasted his fortune on gambling, wine, women and song, incurring lavish debts in the process...
s and toffs
Toff
In British English slang, a toff is a mildly derogatory term for someone with an aristocratic background or belonging to the landed gentry, particularly someone who exudes an air of superiority...
, with the trademark gap in his front teeth
Diastema (dentistry)
Diastema is a space or gap between two teeth. Many species of mammals have diastemata as a normal feature, most commonly between the incisors and molars.-In humans:...
, cigarette holder
Cigarette holder
A cigarette holder is a fashion accessory, a slender tube in which a cigarette is held for smoking. Most frequently made of silver, jade or bakelite , cigarette holders were considered an essential part of ladies' fashion from the mid-1910s through the early-1970s, and are still widely popular...
, smoking jacket
Smoking jacket
A smoking jacket is an overgarment designed to be worn while smoking tobacco, usually in the form of pipes and cigars, or for domestic leisure.-Design:The classic smoking jacket is a mid thigh-length jacket made from velvet or silk, or both...
, and catch-phrases such as "What an absolute shower!", "Good show!", "You dirty rotter" and "Hard cheese."
Early life and career
He was born Thomas Terry Hoar-Stevens at 53, Princes Avenue N3, FinchleyFinchley
Finchley is a district in Barnet in north London, England. Finchley is on high ground, about north of Charing Cross. It formed an ancient parish in the county of Middlesex, becoming a municipal borough in 1933, and has formed part of Greater London since 1965...
, North London
North London
North London is the northern part of London, England. It is an imprecise description and the area it covers is defined differently for a range of purposes. Common to these definitions is that it includes districts located north of the River Thames and is used in comparison with South...
, 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...
, the son of Ellen Elizabeth (née Hoar) and Ernest Frederick Stevens, a business executive. He was educated at Ardingly College
Ardingly College
Ardingly College is a selective independent co-educational boarding and day school, founded in 1858 by Canon Nathaniel Woodard, included in the Tatler list of top public schools. The college is located in the village of Ardingly near Haywards Heath, West Sussex, England, having moved to its present...
. He began his working life as a clerk with Union Cold Storage Co, before drifting into show business. Terry-Thomas worked in cabaret
Cabaret
Cabaret is a form, or place, of entertainment featuring comedy, song, dance, and theatre, distinguished mainly by the performance venue: a restaurant or nightclub with a stage for performances and the audience sitting at tables watching the performance, as introduced by a master of ceremonies or...
and as a film extra
Extra (actor)
A background actor or extra is a performer in a film, television show, stage, musical, opera or ballet production, who appears in a nonspeaking, nonsinging or nondancing capacity, usually in the background...
before finding success as an entertainer 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...
. After the war, he worked in TV, radio and variety, but it was during the mid-1950s that he developed his famous persona
Persona
A persona, in the word's everyday usage, is a social role or a character played by an actor. The word is derived from Latin, where it originally referred to a theatrical mask. The Latin word probably derived from the Etruscan word "phersu", with the same meaning, and that from the Greek πρόσωπον...
, first in his television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
series, How Do You View?, and then in films. His performance as Major Hitchcock in John and Roy Boulting
John and Roy Boulting
John Edward Boulting and Roy Alfred Clarence Boulting , known collectively as the Boulting brothers, were English filmmakers and identical twins who became known for their popular series of satirical comedies in the 1950s and 1960s.-Biography:The twin brothers were born in Bray, Berkshire, England...
's Private's Progress
Private's Progress
Private's Progress is a 1956 British comedy film based on the novel by Alan Hackney. It was directed and produced by John and Roy Boulting, from a script by John Boulting and Frank Harvey.-Plot:...
(1956) gave birth to his catchphrase, "you're an absolute shower", and made him a favourite in British comedy films for the next decade. He reprised the role of Hitchcock in 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...
(1959), and appeared in several of the Boultings' other films, including Lucky Jim
Lucky Jim
Lucky Jim is an academic satire written by Kingsley Amis, first published in 1954 by Victor Gollancz. It was Amis's first novel, and won the Somerset Maugham Award for fiction...
and Brothers in Law
Brothers in Law (film)
Brothers in Law is a 1957 British comedy film directed by Roy Boulting and starring Richard Attenborough, Ian Carmichael, Terry-Thomas and Jill Adams...
.
Although Terry-Thomas was renowned for his caddish persona, he was a gifted voice actor with a range of accents in his repertoire. It was reported that the voice actor Ivan Owen
Ivan Owen
Ivan Owen was a British voice actor who created the vocal persona of the puppet Basil Brush.Born in South London, Owen had already developed expertise in puppet voices when he met Peter Firmin, Basil's designer, in the 1960s. He voiced Basil from his first appearance in 1963, which he modelled, it...
based his voice for Basil Brush
Basil Brush
Basil Brush is a fictional anthropomorphic fox raconteur, best known for his appearances on daytime British children's television. He is primarily portrayed by a glove puppet, but has also been depicted in animated cartoon shorts and comic strips...
on Terry-Thomas's distinctive voice.
Adoption of stage name
Initially billed as Thomas (or Thos) Stevens, he considered the stage name Thomas Terry, but fearing that this might be taken as an attempt to pass himself off as a relation of the actress Ellen TerryEllen Terry
Dame Ellen Terry, GBE was an English stage actress who became the leading Shakespearean actress in Britain. Among the members of her famous family is her great nephew, John Gielgud....
, he reversed this to Terry Thomas. In 1948, he affected a hyphen
Hyphen
The hyphen is a punctuation mark used to join words and to separate syllables of a single word. The use of hyphens is called hyphenation. The hyphen should not be confused with dashes , which are longer and have different uses, or with the minus sign which is also longer...
between the two names in order to be more distinctive, largely to stop people calling him "Mr. Thomas" (which he disliked) and, according to biographer Graham McCann, "because it felt right".
Career
He played a variety of exuberant, malevolent and silly characters during the 1960s and became famous for his humorous portrayal of the archetypal English upper-class cad and bounder (It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad WorldIt's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World
It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World is a 1963 American comedy film produced and directed by Stanley Kramer about the madcap pursuit of $350,000 in stolen cash by a diverse and colorful group of strangers...
; Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines
Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines
Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines, Or How I Flew from London to Paris in 25 Hours 11 Minutes is a 1965 British comedy film starring Stuart Whitman and directed and co-written by Ken Annakin...
; Monte Carlo or Bust
Monte Carlo or Bust
Monte Carlo or Bust is a 1969 comedy film. The story is based on the Monte Carlo Rally - first raced in 1911 - and the film recalls this general era, set in the 1920s. The film is a British/French/Italian co-production, and was released in the United States under the title Those Daring Young Men in...
; How Sweet It Is!
How Sweet It Is!
How Sweet It Is! is a 1968 comedy movie starring James Garner and Debbie Reynolds, with a supporting cast including Terry-Thomas and Paul Lynde. Garner plays a photographer who brings his wife, Jenny, and teenage son, David, along on a Paris shoot, with both husband and wife struggling to stay...
; Jules Verne's Rocket to the Moon
Jules Verne's Rocket to the Moon
Jules Verne's Rocket to the Moon is a 1967 British science fiction comedy film directed by Don Sharp and produced by Harry Alan Towers...
). In the 1970s he reprised his character from the first two of the films above along with 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...
to make high quality cinema and TV advertisements for Benson and Hedges cigarettes.
In 1966, he played a notable but very different role as an RAF
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
airman travelling through occupied France – and nicknamed "Big Moustache" by his French helpers – in the French film La Grande Vadrouille
La Grande Vadrouille
La Grande Vadrouille is a 1966 Franco-British comedy film about how the crew of a Royal Air Force B-17 shot down over Paris must then make their way through German-occupied France with the main help of two French citizens with very different mindsets.For over forty...
, which for over forty years remained the most successful film in the history of cinema in France.
Personal life
He was married twice. His first marriage was to Ida Patlansky, from 1938 to 1962, and he was married to Belinda Cunningham from 1963 until his death. He had two sons.In 1971 Thomas was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease
Parkinson's disease
Parkinson's disease is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system...
, and by 1977 he had retired. During the 1980s he spent periods on and off working with ghost writer Terry Baum on an autobiography, Terry-Thomas Tells Tales, which was published posthumously in 1992. In 1989, actor Jack Douglas
Jack Douglas (actor)
Jack Douglas, born John Roberton was an English actor most famous for his roles in the Carry On films.- Career :...
and Richard Hope-Hawkins, organised a benefit concert for Thomas, after discovering he was living in virtual obscurity and ill health. The gala, held at London's Theatre Royal, ran for five hours, Phil Collins
Phil Collins
Philip David Charles "Phil" Collins, LVO is an English singer-songwriter, drummer, pianist and actor best known as a drummer and vocalist for British progressive rock group Genesis and as a solo artist....
topping the bill along with 120 artists. Michael Caine
Michael Caine
Sir Michael Caine, CBE is an English actor. He won Academy Awards for best supporting actor in both Hannah and Her Sisters and The Cider House Rules ....
was the gala chairman. The show raised over £75,000 for Thomas and Parkinson's UK. The actor Richard Briers
Richard Briers
Richard David Briers, CBE is an English actor whose career has encompassed theatre, television, film and radio.He first came to prominence as George Starling in Marriage Lines in the 1960s, but it was in the following decade when he played Tom Good in the BBC sitcom The Good Life that he became a...
was a second cousin of Terry-Thomas, and became President of Parkinson's UK as a result of his disease.
Towards the end of his life, he resided at Busbridge Hall nursing home, Godalming
Godalming
Godalming is a town and civil parish in the Waverley district of the county of Surrey, England, south of Guildford. It is built on the banks of the River Wey and is a prosperous part of the London commuter belt. Godalming shares a three-way twinning arrangement with the towns of Joigny in France...
, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
. He died there in January 1990 at the age of 78. The funeral service was held in Busbridge's St. John the Baptist Church. He was cremated at Guildford Crematorium.
Radiology
Terry-Thomas's dental diastema provides the basis for naming a widening of the scapholunate space ("Terry-Thomas sign") in a traumatic wrist injury.In the United States, the corresponding term is the 'David Letterman sign'.
Filmography
- Once in a MillionOnce in a MillionOnce in a Million is a 1936 British comedy film directed by Arthur B. Woods and starring Charles 'Buddy' Rogers, Mary Brian and Jimmy Godden. A bank clerk left to guard a million pounds, fantasises about how he would spend the money.-Cast:...
(1935) - Rhythm in the AirRhythm in the AirRhythm in the Air is a 1936 British comedy dance film, directed by Arthur B. Woods and starring husband and wife dance partnership American Jack Donohue and Norwegian Tutta Rolf...
(1936) - Sam Goes Shopping (1939)
- For FreedomFor FreedomFor Freedom is a 1940 British drama film directed by Maurice Elvey and Castleton Knight. It was made largely for propaganda purposes during the Second World War. It featured Will Fyffe, Guy Middleton, and Terry-Thomas....
(1940) - If You Don't Save PaperIf You Don't Save PaperIf You Don't Save Paper is a 1948 British short film educating viewers on cutting down on paper wastage by using paper more efficiently. It starred Terry-Thomas, later famous for his roles in comedy films....
(1948) (short) as Shop Assistant - A Date with a DreamA Date with a DreamA Date with a Dream is a 1948 British musical comedy film directed by Dicky Leeman and starring Terry-Thomas, Jeannie Carson and Wally Patch. Its plot concerns a wartime group of musical entertainers who meet up a year after being demobbed and decide to reform their act...
(1948) - Melody ClubMelody ClubMelody Club is a Swedish pop/synth rock band from Växjö formed in January 2000. Their break-through came in 2002 with the song Palace Station, which was also a big success in Germany. The band has frequent radio airplay in Sweden, Germany, Japan, Norway and Denmark.Melody Club's style can be...
(1949) as Freddy Forrester - What's Cooking (1951) (short) as Husband
- The Green ManThe Green Man (film)The Green Man is a 1956 British comedy-drama film based on the play Meet A Body by Frank Launder and Sidney Gilliat, who produced and adapted the big-screen version.-Plot:...
(1956) Charles Boughtflower - Private's ProgressPrivate's ProgressPrivate's Progress is a 1956 British comedy film based on the novel by Alan Hackney. It was directed and produced by John and Roy Boulting, from a script by John Boulting and Frank Harvey.-Plot:...
(1956) as Major Hitchcock - Lucky JimLucky JimLucky Jim is an academic satire written by Kingsley Amis, first published in 1954 by Victor Gollancz. It was Amis's first novel, and won the Somerset Maugham Award for fiction...
(1957) as Bertrand Welch - Brothers in LawBrothers in Law (film)Brothers in Law is a 1957 British comedy film directed by Roy Boulting and starring Richard Attenborough, Ian Carmichael, Terry-Thomas and Jill Adams...
(1957) as Alfred Green - The Naked TruthThe Naked Truth (1957 film)The Naked Truth is a 1957 British film comedy starring Peter Sellers, Terry-Thomas and Dennis Price. Peggy Mount, Shirley Eaton and Joan Sims also appear...
(1957) as Lord Mayley - Blue Murder at St Trinian'sBlue Murder at St Trinian'sBlue Murder at St Trinian's is British comedy film set in the fictional St Trinian's School. Directed by Frank Launder and written by him and Sidney Gilliat, it was the second of the series of five films and stars Terry-Thomas, George Cole, Joyce Grenfell, Lionel Jeffries and Richard...
(1957) as Captain Romney Carlton-Ricketts - 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) as Policeman - tom thumbTom thumb (film)Deliberately uncapitalised, tom thumb is a 1958 fantasy-musical film directed by George Pal and released by MGM. It was based on the fairy tale of the same name...
(1958) as Ivan - I'm All Right JackI'm All Right JackI'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...
(1959) reprising the role of Major Hitchcock - Carlton-Browne of the FO (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) as Billy Gordon - Make Mine MinkMake Mine MinkMake Mine Mink is a 1960 British comedy directed by Robert Asher and featuring Terry-Thomas, Athene Seyler, Hattie Jacques, Billie Whitelaw, Elspeth Duxbury, Jack Hedley and Raymond Huntley, with cameos by Kenneth Williams and Irene Handl. A group of misfits go on a spree, stealing mink coats...
(1960) as Major Albert Rayne - School for ScoundrelsSchool for Scoundrels (1960 film)School for Scoundrels is a 1960 British comedy film inspired by the "Gamesmanship" series of books by Stephen Potter. The main character, Henry Palfrey , is a failure in sport and love, and victim of conmen. He enrols at the "School of Lifemanship" in Yeovil, run by Dr...
(1960) - A Matter of WHOA Matter of WHOA Matter of WHO is a 1961 British thriller film directed by Don Chaffey and starring Terry-Thomas as a World Health Organisation employee trying to trail the source of a deadly virus. It also featured Sonja Ziemann, Alex Nicol, Richard Briers, Honor Blackman and Carol White....
(1961) as Bannister - His and HersHis and Hers (film)His and Hers is a 1960 British comedy film directed by Brian Desmond Hurst and starring Terry-Thomas, Janette Scott and Wilfrid Hyde-White. An eccentric author tries to impose his lifestyle on his reluctant wife.-Cast:* Terry-Thomas - Reggie Blake...
(1961) as Reggie Blake - Operation SnatchOperation SnatchOperation Snatch is a British comedy film starring Terry-Thomas and George Sanders and directed by Robert Day. The story takes place in Gibraltar, and is based on a local legend: if the resident Barbary Apes were ever to leave, the British Empire would collapse. This wartime comedy has...
(1962) as Lt. 'Piggy' Wigg - The Wonderful World of the Brothers GrimmThe Wonderful World of the Brothers GrimmThe Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm is a 1962 American film directed by Henry Levin and George Pal. The latter was the producer and also in charge of the stop motion animation. The film was one of the highest grossing films of 1962. It won one Oscar and was nominated for three additional...
(1962) - Bachelor FlatBachelor FlatBachelor Flat is a 1962 American comedy film starring Terry-Thomas, Tuesday Weld, Richard Beymer and Celeste Holm. Filmed in CinemaScope in Malibu, the film is a revised version of director Frank Tashlin's own Susan Slept Here of 1954.-Plot:...
(1962) as Professor Bruce Patterson - Kill or Cure (1962) as Jerry Barkey-Rynde
- It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad WorldIt's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad WorldIt's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World is a 1963 American comedy film produced and directed by Stanley Kramer about the madcap pursuit of $350,000 in stolen cash by a diverse and colorful group of strangers...
(1963) as Lt. Col. J. Algernon Hawthorne - The Mouse on the MoonThe Mouse on the MoonThe Mouse on the Moon is a 1963 British comedy film, an adaptation of the novel The Mouse on the Moon by Irish author Leonard Wibberley. It was directed by Richard Lester and served as the sequel to The Mouse That Roared. In it, the people of the Duchy of Grand Fenwick, a microstate, attempt space...
(1963) as Spender - The Wild AffairThe Wild AffairThe Wild Affair is a 1963 British comedy film directed by John Krish and starring Nancy Kwan, Gladys Morgan and Betty Marsden.-Cast:* Nancy Kwan as Marjorie Lee* Gladys Morgan as Mrs...
(1965) as Godfrey Deane - You Must Be Joking!You Must Be Joking! (1965 film)You Must Be Joking! is a 1965 British comedy film directed by Michael Winner.-Cast:* Michael Callan - Leuitenant Tim Morton* Lionel Jeffries - Sergeant Major McGregor* Denholm Elliott - Captain Tabasco* Wilfrid Hyde-White - General Lockwood...
(1965) Major Foskett - Strange BedfellowsStrange Bedfellows (1965 film)Strange Bedfellows is 1965 American comedy film directed by Melvin Frank and starring Rock Hudson, Gina Lollobrigida, Gig Young and Terry-Thomas....
(1965) - How to Murder Your WifeHow to Murder Your WifeHow to Murder Your Wife is a 1965 American comedy film starring Jack Lemmon and Virna Lisi. It was directed by Richard Quine, who also directed Lemmon in My Sister Eileen, It Happened to Jane, Operation Mad Ball and Bell, Book and Candle....
(1965) as Charles - Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying MachinesThose Magnificent Men in Their Flying MachinesThose Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines, Or How I Flew from London to Paris in 25 Hours 11 Minutes is a 1965 British comedy film starring Stuart Whitman and directed and co-written by Ken Annakin...
(1965) as Sir Percy Ware-Armitage - The Sandwich ManThe Sandwich ManThe Sandwich Man is a 1966 British comedy film starring Michael Bentine, Dora Bryan, Harry H. Corbett, Bernard Cribbins, Diana Dors, Norman Wisdom, Terry-Thomas and Ian Hendry. It was written by Bentine in conjunction with Robert Hartford-Davis...
(1966) as Scoutmaster - The Daydreamer (1966) as Brigadier Zachary Zilch
- Our Man in MarrakeshOur Man in MarrakeshOur Man in Marrakesh is a 1966 British comedy film directed by Don Sharp, starring Tony Randall and Senta Berger.-Plot:...
(1966) as El Caid - La Grande VadrouilleLa Grande VadrouilleLa Grande Vadrouille is a 1966 Franco-British comedy film about how the crew of a Royal Air Force B-17 shot down over Paris must then make their way through German-occupied France with the main help of two French citizens with very different mindsets.For over forty...
(1966) as Sir Reginald - Top Crack (1966)
- Munster, Go Home!Munster, Go Home!Munster, Go Home! is a 1966 American film based on the hit 1960s family television sitcom The Munsters. It was directed by Earl Bellamy, who also directed a number of episodes in the series...
(1966) as Cousin Freddie Munster - Se Tutte le Donne del MondoSe Tutte le Donne del MondoSe Tutte le Donne del Mondo is a James Bond spoof movie released in 1966. Originally filmed under the title Operation Paradise from January to March 1966 in most of the world, the English title was If All the Women in the World. It was released in the U.S...
(1966) as James - Dr. CoppeliusDr. CoppeliusDr. Coppelius is a 1966 Spanish English-language comedy film based on the ballet Coppelius directed by Ted Kneeland and featuring Walter Slezak, Claudia Corday, and Terry-Thomas....
(1966) - Jules Verne's Rocket to the MoonJules Verne's Rocket to the MoonJules Verne's Rocket to the Moon is a 1967 British science fiction comedy film directed by Don Sharp and produced by Harry Alan Towers...
(1967) as Captain Sir Harry Washington-Smythe - ArabellaArabella (1967 film)Arabella is an Italian film comedy in the English language, starring Virna Lisi, Terry-Thomas and James Fox. It was directed by Mauro Bolognini....
(1967) as the hotel manager - Don't Raise the Bridge, Lower the RiverDon't Raise the Bridge, Lower the RiverDon't Raise the Bridge, Lower the River is a British made comedy film produced by Walter Shenson starring Jerry Lewis and was released on July 12, 1968 by Columbia Pictures. It was based on Max Wilk's novel of the same name with the original Connecticut locale moved to Swinging London and...
(1967) - A Guide for the Married ManA Guide for the Married ManA Guide for the Married Man is a 1967 American bedroom farce comedy film starring Walter Matthau, Robert Morse, and Inger Stevens. It was directed by Gene Kelly. It features a large number of cameos, including Lucille Ball, Jack Benny, Terry-Thomas, Jayne Mansfield, Sid Caesar, Carl Reiner, Joey...
(1967) as Technical Advisor - The Perils of PaulineThe Perils of Pauline (1967 film)The Perils of Pauline is a 1967 comedy film, which enjoyed neither the commercial nor critical success of the earlier Paulines. Inspired by the Batman TV series, with the same kind of florid villainy and dauntless heroics, this TV pilot starred Pamela Austin, best known for her appearances in Dodge...
(1967) as Sten Martin - Arriva Dorellik (1967) as Commissario Green
- Seven Times SevenSeven Times SevenSeven Times Seven is a 1968 Italian crime comedy caper directed by Michele Lupo and starring Gastone Moschin.-Cast:* Gastone Moschin - Benjamin Burton* Lionel Stander - Sam* Raimondo Vianello - Bodoni* Gordon Mitchell - Big Ben...
(1968) - DiabolikDanger: DiabolikDanger: Diabolik is a 1968 feature film from Italian filmmaker Mario Bava based on the Italian comic character Diabolik.- About the film :...
(1968) as the Minister of Finance - How Sweet It Is!How Sweet It Is!How Sweet It Is! is a 1968 comedy movie starring James Garner and Debbie Reynolds, with a supporting cast including Terry-Thomas and Paul Lynde. Garner plays a photographer who brings his wife, Jenny, and teenage son, David, along on a Paris shoot, with both husband and wife struggling to stay...
(1968) as Gilbert Tilly - Sette volte sette (1968) as Police Inspector
- Where Were You When the Lights Went Out?Where Were You When the Lights Went Out?Where Were You When the Lights Went Out? is a 1968 American comedy film with Doris Day, directed by Hy Averback. Although it is set in New York City during the major blackout of November 9, 1965, in which 25 million people scattered throughout seven northeastern states and Ontario, Canada lost...
(1968) as Ladislaus Walichek - Monte Carlo or BustMonte Carlo or BustMonte Carlo or Bust is a 1969 comedy film. The story is based on the Monte Carlo Rally - first raced in 1911 - and the film recalls this general era, set in the 1920s. The film is a British/French/Italian co-production, and was released in the United States under the title Those Daring Young Men in...
(1969) as Sir Cuthbert Ware-Armitage, son of Sir Percy of Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines - It's Your MoveIt's Your Move (1969 film)It's Your Move is a 1969 Italian comedy film directed by Robert Fiz and starring Edward G. Robinson and Terry-Thomas.-Cast:* Edward G. Robinson - Sir George McDowell* Adolfo Celi* Maria Grazia Buccella - Monique* George Rigaud* Manuel Zarzo...
(1969) as Il direttore Dorgeant - 2000 Years Later (1969) as Goodwyn
- 12 + 112 + 112 + 1 is an Italian comedy film starring Vittorio Gassman and Orson Welles. It was released in 1969....
(1969) as Albert - Arthur!Arthur! (1969)
- Mur de l'Atlantique, Le (1970) as Perry
- The Abominable Dr. PhibesThe Abominable Dr. PhibesThe Abominable Dr. Phibes is a 1971 horror film starring Vincent Price. Its art deco sets, dark humor and performance by Price has made the film and its sequel Dr. Phibes Rises Again classics.-Plot:...
(1971) - Dr. Phibes Rises AgainDr. Phibes Rises AgainDr. Phibes Rises Again! is a sequel to The Abominable Dr. Phibes. It was directed by Robert Fuest, and stars Vincent Price as Dr. Anton Phibes.-Plot:...
(1972) - The Cherry PickerThe Cherry PickerThe Cherry Picker is 1972 British drama film directed by Peter Curran and starring Lulu, Bob Sherman, Wilfrid Hyde-White, Patrick Cargill, Jack Hulbert, Fiona Curzon, Terry-Thomas and Marianne Stone. As of August 2010, the film is missing from the BFI National Archive, and is listed as one of the...
(1972) as Appleby - Special London Bridge Special (1972) as Bus Conductor
- Robin HoodRobin Hood (1973 film)Robin Hood is an 1973 American animated film produced by the Walt Disney Productions, first released in the United States on November 8, 1973...
(1973), as the voice of Sir Hiss (who had a gap between his teeth similar to Terry-Thomas) - The Vault of HorrorThe Vault of Horror (film)The Vault of Horror is a British portmanteau horror film made in 1973 by Amicus Productions. Like its predecessor, Tales from the Crypt, it is based on stories from the EC Comics series written by Al Feldstein and Bill Gaines...
(1973) as Critchit - Eroi, Gli (1973) as John Cooper
- Side by Side (1975) as Max Nugget
- Spanish FlySpanish Fly (1975 film)Spanish Fly is a 1975 British-Spanish comedy film directed by Bob Kellett and starring Terry-Thomas, Leslie Phillips, Graham Armitage, Sue Lloyd and Nadiuska...
(1975) as Sir Percy De Courcy - The Bawdy Adventures of Tom JonesThe Bawdy Adventures of Tom JonesThe Bawdy Adventures of Tom Jones is a 1976 British comedy film directed by Cliff Owen and starring Nicky Henson, Trevor Howard and Terry-Thomas. It is an adaptation of the eighteenth century novel Tom Jones by Henry Fielding, which follows the main character in a new series of...
(1976) - The Last Remake of Beau GesteThe Last Remake of Beau GesteThe Last Remake of Beau Geste is a 1977 American historical comedy film. It starred and was also directed and co-written by Marty Feldman. It is a satire loosely based on the novel Beau Geste, a frequently-filmed story of brothers and their adventures in the French Foreign Legion. The humor is...
(1977) - The Hound of the BaskervillesThe Hound of the Baskervilles (1978 film)The Hound of the Baskervilles is a 1978 British comedy film spoofing The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. It starred Peter Cook as Sherlock Holmes and Dudley Moore as Dr. Watson...
(1978), his last film role
External links
- Terry-Thomas at screenonline
- First complete site on Terry-Thomas
- Laughterlog.com – Biography plus list of appearances on stage, film, radio, television and record