Most Famous Guest Stars?

[Anglo]

An impossible task, I know, but interesting to hear others' opinions.

The Robert Dorning discussion leads to trying to evaluate just how much of a big name he was at the time of filming.

Who do you think were the biggest names to appear in a single episode, and in order?

Here's my Top Ten in order to start with:

Freddie Trueman
Barbara Windsor
Robert Dorning
Sam Kydd
Carmen Silvera
Peter Butterworth
Philip Madoc
Eric Chitty
Ronnie Brody
Arthur Brough

[JM2461]

A very good question and post/thread.

Freddie Trueman would have been a pretty big name in 1970 when The Test was made, he had retired from international cricket in 1965, but still would have been fairly well known, even by people who didn't follow cricket.

It's near impossible to work out how "big" someone was at a certain time, like Robert Dorning, for example. I'd doubt he was a "superstar" actor or anything like that, but he was probably "well respected" in the business, as they say, but that doesn't make someone a big name or a "household name".

Recently I was thinking about John Cleese and how "big" he was prior to Fawlty Towers, and naturally I couldn't come up with an answer. Of course he did Monty Python's Flying Circus (or most of it) and a few things like The Frost Report, but how well known was he really (prior to FT)? I think it was FT that certainly gave him legendary status.

You could say the same about Arthur Lowe. Before DA, well yes he was in Coronation Street, and was known to some degree surely, but it was as Captain Mainwaring that made him the proverbial superstar, a term I'm sure he probably would have despised.

Some people become more famous in retrospect.

Was Carmen Silvera that well known before you-know-what (Allo Allo)? Barbara Windsor is a hard one, I'm not sure how well known she was, or how many Carry-Ons she did by 1968. I have the feeling that by 1978 she would have deemed a smallish part in a TV sitcom beneath her. I sometimes think Philip Madoc was best known for that scene in DA and little else, despite his impressive list of credits. 

[Alan Hayes]

I'm not sure that many of those actors were household names by the time they appeared in Dad's Army.

Philip Madoc, for instance, was a young actor who was establishing himself at the time of Dad's Army. Probably his best known roles outside of Dad's Army are as the star of A Mind to Kill and in Doctor Who.

I think it's fair to say that DA didn't often go in for 'stunt casting' and as such there were familiar faces in the series, rather than familiar names - character actors who would be recognisable but who were not necessarily names that rolled off the viewer's tongue: Tim Barrett, Martin Wyldeck, Campbell Singer, Carmen Silvera, Arnold Diamond, Norman Mitchell, etc.

I'd say that the best known 'star names' that appeared in the programme were (no particular order):

Fred Trueman

Barbara Windsor
Peter Butterworth
(both very well known for the Carry On films) (in answer to JM2461's question, she was obviously famous by time she appeared in DA, hence her 'Special Guest Star' billing)

J.G. Devlin (very well-respected Irish character actor)

Arthur English (known previously as a comedian)

Derek Bond (well known film and television actor, maybe best known on TV as Hunter in Callan)

Alvar Lidell (wartime BBC radio announcer)

Edward Underdown (well known film actor)

And of course probably the most famous person to appear as a guest star in Dad's Army was Nigel Hawthorne, but his fame came much later. Another, arguably, is Timothy Carlton, father of Benedict Cumberbatch. Later 'famers' also include Wendy Richard, Queenie Watts and Bill Treacher, all of whom were household names for EastEnders.

Of course many went on to fame in Croft and Perry/Lloyd shows too, including Michael Knowles, Wendy Richard (again!) and Jeffrey Holland.

[JM2461]

Feb 6, 2019 21:38:22 GMT 12 Alan Hayes said:

And of course probably the most famous person to appear as a guest star in Dad's Army was Nigel Hawthorne, but his fame came much later.

I keep forgetting about Nigel Hawthorne being in it, it was such a small part. He probably became the biggest of all the future "stars", much to Paul Eddington's chagrin perhaps. Although maybe Wendy Richard would challenge this though, with AYBS and Eastenders.

[Alan Hayes]

I don't think anyone in Dad's Army had a role of the calibre of Hawthorne's in The Madness of King George, and I include the main cast in that, too, despite their impressive career achievements.

[Alan Hayes]

On the subject of Robert Dorning, he, like Fred Trueman and Barbara Windsor, received a "Special Guest Star" credit on Dad's Army, so I can only imagine he was a lot more famous than I ever gave him credit for!

[Andy Howells]

Special Guest Star of course usually refers to a guest artist who is making a one off appearance and not usually part of the regular company. Maybe the accolade was also associated with the fee paid to the particular actor for their appearance?

I think what we have to remember is that back when Dad's Army first appeared on our TV screens we only had 3 TV channels in the UK and the youngest of them was BBC2 (only 5 in 1969!). So, many actors would have been familiar to TV viewers including one such as Robert Dorning who regularly turned up in TV series (on BBC and ITV) and films including appearances with Harry Worth, a major role in the BBC's adaptation of Pride and Prejudice in 1967 and co-starring with Arthur Lowe in both Pardon The Expression and Turn Out The Lights. Robert of course would regularly appear on TV up until his death in 1989 and its fair to say his daughter, Stacey (who had a recurring role in the ITV sitcom Keep It In The Family also became as familiar to tv viewers in the 70s and 80s). If you look at IMDB you'll see Robert Dorning also made over a hundred appearances in various screen roles, (I would imagine he probably had lots of theatre and radio roles to his credit) I just think that he maybe isn't as well remembered now because much of the programmes he appeared in are rarely repeated (or sadly lost!). Lets face it, how many people would really know who James Beck is if it wasn't for the Dad's Army repeats?

Philip Madoc I think was reasonably well known by the time he got to making The Deadly Attachment, not only for appearances in The Saint, The Avengers and Doctor Who but also his role as an Indian Chief in BBC's Last Of The Mohicans which was so convincing, he later revealed, an Indian tribe had formed a fan club in his honour! His biggest success on TV would probably be the lead in the dramatization of The Life and Times of David Lloyd George.

Similarly, Fulton Mackay had been appearing on TV since the 1950s. Of course, his best remembered role as Mr Mackay in Porridge was months away (although they had probably already filmed the Pilot episode) when he made his first Dad's Army appearance in We Know our Onions but he was well known from Porridge when he returned in The Misers Hoard!

There are many who appeared who appeared in Dad's Army that were well known supporting actors in TV series, Alan Tilvern from Battle School and My British Buddy, springs to mind having made over a hundred screen appearances in his lifetime including The Saint and Doctor Who (and that's not counting theatre and radio).

I think Wendy Richard was reasonably well known by the time she appeared in Dad's Army, her earliest success was appearing on the pop record Come Outside in 1962 and had appeared in the BBC soap The Newcomers as a regular in the late 60s.

Of course, we are all sitting at the other end of the tunnel now, its like when you watch repeats of the Morecambe and Wise show some guest stars will be immediately recognisable while others you may need to Google because their memory may have dimmed slightly due to the fact we rarely see their work in the public eye anymore.

[Andy Howells]

Its also worth noting that Freddie Truman also turned up in a cricket themed 1970 episode of the ITV sitcom Two In Clover starring Victor Spinetti and Sid James (an episode that also featured a young John Inman!). Clearly Fred was carving out a career in guest TV roles at this time!

[Alan Hayes]

Trueman was clearly getting himself ready to present The Indoor League, television's least epic but strangely hypnotic sports programme ever.

Excellent post about the others. Good point about Philip Madoc re. the Mohicans and Lloyd George.

[Andy Howells]

The Indoor League - yep - essential lunchtime viewing in the mid 70s watching blokes knock blocks over! Loved it! Simpler times!

I'll see thee!

Cue fabulous theme tune!

[Alan Hayes]

The only sports programme that made you wait weeks between games of a darts or shove ha'penny match! Legendary. But in a very odd way.

Must have been quite a coup to get Trueman for Dad's Army. AFAIK it's one of only two dramatic performances he was engaged for (the other being that Two in Clover).

[gingerfruit]

I'll chuck in Carl Jaffe and Alan Tilvern who both appeared in many films and TV programmes in the 50s and 60s

[Andy Howells]

Eric Woodburn (George Jones in Museum Piece) was also well known and had a recurring role in Dr Finlay's Casebook as Dr Snoddie!

Of course there was also John Ringham who played Bracewell in episode one and reappeared as Captain Bailey later! Ringham's career went back to the 1950s and he appeared in everything from Doctor Who to Dixon of Dock Green!

[Alan Hayes]

Ringham was absolutely stunning in Doctor Who as Tlotoxl in The Aztecs (1964). One of the standout villainous performances in the series.

[JM2461]

Feb 8, 2019 9:15:28 GMT 12 gingerfruit said:

I'll chuck in Carl Jaffe and Alan Tilvern who both appeared in many films and TV programmes in the 50s and 60s

Alan Tilvern is an interesting one, in between his two DA appearances, he appeared in the Australian police drama Matlock Police (ep 49 - It Could Have Been Anyone) playing yet another person with an accent. How he came to be cast in that is anyone's guess. The Australian Actors Equity used to get stroppy about overseas actors appearing in Australian productions, especially in TV and movie roles. He wasn't a complete stranger to Australian productions though, he appeared in the 1959 Australian/British movie, Siege of Pinchgut.

[gingerfruit]

I hadn't seen Siege of Pinchgut for over 30 years until it was on in the UK last year. Very good film. As for other stars from film i'll also add Anthony Sagar

[Alan Hayes]

Feb 8, 2019 18:36:34 GMT 12 JM2461 said:

Alan Tilvern is an interesting one, in between his two DA appearances, he appeared in the Australian police drama Matlock Police (ep 49 - It Could Have Been Anyone) playing yet another person with an accent. How he came to be cast in that is anyone's guess. The Australian Actors Equity used to get stroppy about overseas actors appearing in Australian productions, especially in TV and movie roles. He wasn't a complete stranger to Australian productions though, he appeared in the 1959 Australian/British movie, Siege of Pinchgut.

Ooh, that sounds like a good reason for me to pick up the baton again with Matlock Police, which I love but have fallen out of the habit of watching.

[Dave Homewood]

Don't forget that Leon Cortez who appeared in Museum piece and Many Hunt was a big star of variety as a comedian and a musician with his Costar Band in the 1930's and 40's.

And there was also Bud Flanagan, one of the most famous musicians of the 1930's and WWII.

Amy Dalby was also an accomplished film actress before she appeared in the series.

[Andy Howells]

Feb 8, 2019 22:46:22 GMT 12 gingerfruit said:

I hadn't seen Siege of Pinchgut for over 30 years until it was on in the UK last year. Very good film. As for other stars from film i'll also add Anthony Sagar

Anthony Sagar - yes! Another actor of the period who regularly turned up in TV shows such as Dixon of Dock Green and Z Cars and featured in Carry On Film's and The Loneliness of The Long Distance Runner, usually cast in Sergeant /policeman roles and sadly seems to have had a lot of unaccredited appearances in films (and in the case of Carry On Henry, deleted!

He was in both Fallen Idol and Room At The Bottom as well as the Dad's Army movie and I usually enjoy his appearances.

Apparently he was cast alongside Arthur Lowe in the lost BBC series Its Murder, But Is It Art? in 1972 and was also the foreman in the radio series The Motorway Men which starred James Beck and Bill Pertwee.

Sadly Anthony Sagar died in January 1973 at the age of 52.

[Andy Howells]

Feb 8, 2019 23:45:17 GMT 12 Dave Homewood said:

Amy Dalby was also an accomplished film actress before she appeared in the series.

I hadn't realised that Amy Dalby literally died two days after her one and only appearance as Dolly in The Battle of Godfrey's Cottage (March 8, 1969) on March 10 1969. She was aged between 80-81. Makes you appreciate how good it is to have her one and only appearance in Dad's Army back with us after been missing for so many years.