- Peter Stephens
:"Not to be confused with the actor born in 1979"Infobox actor
name = Peter Stephens
imagesize =
caption =
birthname = Peter Stephens
birthdate = birth date|1920|01|03|df=y
location =England
deathdate = death date and age|1972|09|17|1920|01|03|df=y
deathplace =England
occupation =actor
othername =
website =
spouse =Peter Stephens (
3 January 1920 -17 September 1972 [ [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0827123/bio Birth and death dates] : IMDB.com website. Retrieved on23 February 2008 .] ) was an English stage,film andtelevision supporting actor , notable for his portrayal of the Bunteresque character, Cyril, in theBBC TV series "Doctor Who " series entitled "The Celestial Toymaker ". He was also the director of one film during his career.Career
Stephens first appeared in films playing Major Lench in the 1956 John Boulting offering, "
Private's Progress ", which starredRichard Attenborough as an innocent young recruit who gets involved with a gang of Armyspiv s. [ [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0049637/fullcredits#cast "Private's Progress (1956 film)"] , as Major Lench: IMDB.com website. Retrieved on23 February 2008 .] In the same year, he also made his first major television appearance as Hassan Ben Ali in "Albania", an episode of theITC Entertainment adventure serial "The Count of Monte Cristo". [ [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0547307/ "The Count of Monte Cristo (1956 TV serial)"] , one episode, as Hassan Ben Ali: IMDB.com website. Retrieved on23 February 2008 .] He took a lesser role in theITV "Television Playhouse" production of "Skipper Next to God", portraying a Dutch officer. [ [http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/title/827217?view=cast "Skipper Next to God (1956 TV play)"] , Television Playhouse: BFI.org.uk website. Retrieved on23 February 2008 .]In 1957, he switched to the
BBC , playing Monte in "No Shepherds Watched", the story of a bungling criminal family headed byWarren Mitchell , whose plans for a robbery are foiled by a cafe owner, played by Mitchell's future "Till Death Us Do Part " wife,Dandy Nichols . [ [http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/title/514048?view=cast "No Shepherds Watched (1957 TV film)"] , as Monte: BFI.org.uk website. Retrieved on23 February 2008 .]His only film appearance that year was in the
Columbia Pictures British black and white movie, "Kill Her Gently", directed by Charles Saunders but with no star names appearing in the main roles of a man, his wife, and his chance encounter with two known prison escapees, who he then tries to employ to murder his spouse. [ [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0050593/ "Kill Her Gently (1957 film)"] , as the Bank Manager: IMDB.com website. Retrieved on23 February 2008 .]He appeared in two TV series in 1958 - the 6-part "demob" saga from the BBC called "Fair Game", and the popular police programme "
Dixon of Dock Green " (playing Todd in "The Key of the Nick"). [ [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0827123/#actor1950 TV appearances, 1958] : IMDB.com website. Retrieved on23 February 2008 .]Directing one film
Peter Stephens' only film as a director, "Mustang!", [ [http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title.jsp?stid=84251&category=Overview "Mustang! (1959 film)"] , director: TCM movie database at their website. Retrieved on
23 February 2008 .] was released throughUnited Artists in 1959. It was based on the book "Capture of the Golden Stallion" by Rutherford Montgomery, [ [http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title.jsp?stid=84251&category=Screenplay%20Info Screenplay info] , "Mustang!": TCM movie database at their website. Retrieved on23 February 2008 .] and tells of the attempts by occupants of a ranch first to kill a troublesome wild mustang horse, and then to capture and tame it. He had been approached byfilm producer s Robert Franklyn and Sam Abarbanel to make the Western in the early 1950s, and shooting took place inCalifornia andOklahoma , with the final edit ready by 1955. Unfortunately, the picture quality was poor, reputedly because it had been shot with 16mm film and then enlarged to 35mm. [ [http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title.jsp?stid=84251&category=Notes Production notes] for "Mustang!": TCM movie database at their website. Retrieved on23 February 2008 .]Returning to acting
He returned to "Dixon of Dock Green" once more in 1959, though playing an entirely different character, Chapman, in "Over and Out". [ [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0562278/ "Dixon of Dock Green (1958 TV episode)"] , playing Chapman in "Over and Out": IMDB.com website. Retrieved on
23 February 2008 .] He also took the role of Mr Lirriper in "The Runaways", part of the "Tales from Dickens" presentations byFredric March . [ [http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/title/365589?view=cast "Tales from Dickens (1959 TV episode)"] , Mr Lirriper in "The Runaways": BFI.org.uk website. Retrieved on23 February 2008 .]His work in the early years of the 1960s included regular appearances in some well-known productions for television, such as "Maigret" (1960), "
Danger Man " (1961 and 1966), and the 1962 mini-series of "Oliver Twist " (featuring a very youngMelvyn Hayes as theArtful Dodger ) when Stephens played Mr Limbkins. He also played acouncillor in "Sir Francis Drake" in 1962, [http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/individual/183300?view=credit TV work in the 1960s] : BFI.org.uk website. Retrieved on23 February 2008 .] after which he took time out to appear on the stage.On
6 August 1964 , Stephens opened at the New Arts Theatre in theLondon premiere ofAlan Ayckbourn 's play "Mr Whatnot", portraying Herbert the Butler, amongst a cast which includedRonnie Barker , Ronnie Stevens andJudy Cornwell . [ [http://mrwhatnot.alanayckbourn.net/MrWhatnotProductions.htm "Mr Whatnot (1964 stage play)"] , London premiere, playing Herbert the Butler:Alan Ayckbourn 's website. Retrieved on23 February 2008 .] He did find time to play two characters on television that year, Mr Dawson in "My Late Dear Husband", an episode in the popular Scottish series "Dr Finlay's Casebook", [ [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0887460/ "Dr Finlay's Casebook (1964 TV series)"] , playing Mr Dawson in "My Late Dear Husband": IMDB.com website. Retrieved on23 February 2008 .] and Mr Jinkins in the BBC's 13 part serial "Martin Chuzzlewit ", adapted fromCharles Dickens ' novel. [ [http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/title/515309?view=cast "Martin Chuzzlewit (1964 TV series)] , playing Mr Jinkins: BFI.org.uk website. Retrieved on23 February 2008 .]1965 saw a brief return to the cinema for him, portraying Sir Giles Redman in the 30-minute "Scales of Justice"
featurette "The Hidden Face". [ [http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/title/62603?view=cast "The Hidden Face (1965 'featurette')"] ("Scales of Justice") playing Sir Giles Redman: BFI.org.uk website. Retrieved on23 February 2008 .] In television that year, he made appearances in single episodes of more anthology-style series, namely "The Man in Room 17", "Out of the Unknown ", "An Enemy of the State", and "Sir Arthur Conan Doyle".Doctor Who, and "Cyril"
Perhaps Stephens' best-remembered performances were in three episodes of season 3 of "
Doctor Who ", the long-running British sci-fi series featuring a time-travellingTime Lord played in this series byWilliam Hartnell . In the storyline popularly known as "The Celestial Toymaker ", he played both Cyril the kitchen boy and the animated playing card the Knave of Hearts. [ [http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/classic/episodeguide/celestialtoymaker/detail.shtml Playing the characters of Cyril and the Knave of Hearts] , three episodes of "Doctor Who ", 1966:BBC.co.uk website. Retrieved on23 February 2008 .] The producers subsequently received complaints from lawyers acting on behalf of the deceased author Charles Hamilton's estate. The character Cyril was said to bear a remarkable resemblance to William George Bunter, who Hamilton wrote many books about under the pen name Frank Richards. The BBC finally issued a disclaimer, saying that Cyril was merely "Bunter-like". [ [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0056751/trivia Cyril or Billy?] The resemblance causes allegations of plagiarism against "Doctor Who "’s producers, theBBC : IMDB.com website. Retrieved on25 February 2008 .]Stephens would portray a completely different character, Lolem, during episodes one and three of the four-part "
The Underwater Menace " storyline whilePatrick Troughton was playing the re-generated Doctor Who in early 1967. [ [http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/classic/episodeguide/underwatermenace/detail.shtml "Doctor Who (1967 TV series)"] , playing Lolem in "The Underwater Menace": BBC.co.uk website. Retrieved on23 February 2008 .]Final years
Stephens made further 1967 television appearances in "
Adam Adamant Lives! ", "Dr Finlay's Casebook" (for the second time, but as a different character), and played Felix Delmer in one episode of the BBC drama "Champion House ". [ [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0827123/#actor1960 TV appearances, 1967] : IMDB.com website. Retrieved on23 February 2008 .]He continued his movie career in 1967 by appearing in a 38 minute short film called "Money-Go-Round", based on dealings at the
Stock Exchange , and in which he played atycoon . [ [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0295449/ "Money-Go-Round (1967 short film)] , as a tycoon: IMDB.com website. Retrieved on23 February 2008 .] He followed this in the same year with a more prominent role as Farson in the full-length film "Herostratus", whose plot involves issues onsuicide , [ [http://www.allmovie.com/cg/avg.dll?p=avg&sql=1:95053~T0 Plotline - "Herostratus (1967 film)"] , involving suicide: Allmovie.com website. Retrieved on23 February 2008 .] and featured minor roles for a youngHelen Mirren , andMalcolm Muggeridge , who played himself. [ [http://www.allmovie.com/cg/avg.dll?p=avg&sql=1:95053~T2 "Herostratus"] , as Farson: Allmovie.com website. Retrieved on23 February 2008 .]In the "Wednesday Play" series, he appeared as Captain Carruthers in the final part of
Alan Plater 's 1968 trilogy, "To See How Far It Is", about a "humble pen-pusher in a cardboard factory" who, in his attempts to brighten up his life, ends up surrounded by "a little feminine company" on a cruise ship. [ [http://www.startrader.co.uk/wed_play/wed_ep_09.htm "The Wednesday Play" (1968 TV anthology series)] , "To See How Far It Is" (trilogy, part three), as Captain Carruthers: "The Wednesday Play" section at the "Startrader.co.uk" website. Retrieved on23 February 2008 .] He could also be seen on TV in that year in anotheranthology series , "ITV Playhouse ", playing Mr Morrow alongsideNicky Henson andRonald Fraser inPeter Wildeblood 's play "Rogues' Gallery: The Lives and Crimes of Jonathan Wild and Jack Sheppard". [ [http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/title/550007?view=cast "ITV Playhouse (1968 TV anthology series)] , "Rogues' Gallery: The Lives and Crimes of Jonathan Wild and Jack Sheppard" (play), as Mr Morrow: BFI.org.uk website. Retrieved on23 February 2008 .]Stephens' only cinema appearance of 1969 was as the Abbott of St Mary's in the Hammer/LWT co-production "Wolfshead". [ [http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/title/400716?view=cast "Wolfshead (1968 film)"] , as the Abbott: BFI.org.uk website. Retrieved on
23 February 2008 .] He was very busy on the small screen however. He took the parts of Bellchamber in "Love All", an episode of the quirky ITV series "The Avengers", [ [http://theavengers.tv/forever/king-20.htm "The Avengers (1969 TV series"] , "Love All" (episode), as Bellchamber: "The Avengers Forever!" website. Retrieved on23 February 2008 .] Quintin Blythe in one episode ofYorkshire Television 's "The Flaxton Boys" serial, [ [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0947251/ "The Flaxton Boys (1969 TV series)"] , "1854: The Tutor" (episode), as Quintin Blythe: IMDB.com website. Retrieved on23 February 2008 .] and Sir Timothy Grange in "When Did You Start to Stop Seeing Things?", from the offbeat ghost-related television series "Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) ". [ [http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/title/326484?view=cast "Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) (1969 TV series)"] , "When Did You Start to Stop Seeing Things?" (episode), as Sir Timothy Grange: BFI.org.uk website. Retrieved on23 February 2008 .] He also played Mr Bailey in seven instalments of the TV series "Mr Digby Darling", which starredPeter Jones andSheila Hancock . [ [http://epguides.com/MrDigbyDarling/ "Mr Digby Darling (1969 TV series)"] , seven episodes, as Mr Bailey: "EPGuides.com" website. Retrieved on23 February 2008 .]After portraying Don Gutierre in the BBC's epic historical drama "
The Six Wives of Henry VIII ", [ [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0066714/ "The Six Wives of Henry VIII (1970 TV series)"] , as Don Gutierre: IMDB.com website. Retrieved on23 February 2008 .] he made a cinema film alongsideJean Simmons called "Say Hello to Yesterday", in which he played a businessman. [ [http://www.allmovie.com/cg/avg.dll?p=avg&sql=1:43037~T2 "Say Hello to Yesterday (1970 film)] , playing a businessman: Allmovie.com website. Retrieved on23 February 2008 .]1971 saw many television appearances from Stephens. The list included "Doctor in the House", "Brett", "
Z-Cars ", [ [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0827123/#actor1970 List of appearances in 1971] : IMDB.com website. Retrieved on23 February 2008 .] and portraying Beppo Bowles in "Eyeless in Gaza ". [ [http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/title/201902?view=cast "Eyeless in Gaza (1971 TV series)"] , as Beppo Bowles: BFI.org.uk website. Retrieved on23 February 2008 .]He made a major movie in 1971 with
Pier Paolo Pasolini , "I Racconti di Canterbury", anItalian language adaptation of Chaucer's "The Canterbury Tales ", playing Justinus. [ [http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/title/325342?view=cast "I Racconti di Canterbury (1971 Italian film)"] , based on Chaucer's "The Canterbury Tales ", playing Justinus: BFI.org.uk website. Retrieved on23 February 2008 .] He had previously appeared as afriar in the BBC's bawdy 1969 TV version. The friar turned up in episode 5, entitled "The Wife of Bath's Tale/The Clerk's Tale". [ [http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/title/684236?view=cast "The Canterbury Tales (1969 TV series)"] , episode 5, playing afriar : BFI.org.uk website. Retrieved on23 February 2008 .]In late 1971 another film,
Hammer Films ’ "Twins of Evil ", was released, starringPeter Cushing , and in which Stephens supported as a member of the Brotherhood, a fictional sect which fought vampirism in middle Europe in the nineteenth century. [ [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0069427/combined "Twins of Evil (1971 film)] , playing a member of the Brotherhood: IMDB.com website. Retrieved on23 February 2008 .]In the final year of his life, he secured a regular role as the Chairman of the Board of St. Swithin's hospital in four episodes of "Doctor in Charge", the ITV comedy series based on Richard Gordon's books, and starring
Robin Nedwell ,George Layton ,Geoffrey Davies andRichard O'Sullivan . [ [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0068065/fullcredits#cast "Doctor in Charge (1972 TV series)"] , 4 episodes, as the Chairman of the Board: IMDB.com website. Retrieved on23 February 2008 .]His last ever film was "Go for a Take", an inward-looking treatment satirising the movie industry, in which he took the part of a film director who has to contend with two men 'on the run' invading a set, pretending to be film extras. [ [http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/title/34892?view=cast "Go for a Take (1972 film)"] , portraying a film director: BFI.org.uk website. Retrieved on
23 February 2008 .]Peter Stephens died on
17 September 1972 ; however, one further appearance occurred posthumously — his portrayal of Amlodd inHTV 's historical adventure series "Arthur of the Britons ". The episode he had completed before his death, "In Common Cause", was not broadcast until24 October 1973 . [ [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0515432/combined "Arthur of the Britons (1973 TV series)"] , "In Common Cause" (episode), posthumous appearance as Amlodd: IMDB.com website. Retrieved on23 February 2008 .]Filmography
*"
Private's Progress " (1956)
*"Kill Her Gently" (1957)
*"Mustang!" (1959) (director)
*"The Hidden Face" ("Scales of Justice" featurette) (1965)
*"Money-Go-Round" (short film) (1967)
*"Herostratus" (1967)
*"Wolfshead" (1969)
*"Say Hello to Yesterday" (1971)
*"The Canterbury Tales" (1971)
*"Twins of Evil " (1971)
*"Go for a Take" (1972)References
External links
*imdb|0827123
Persondata
NAME= Stephens, Peter
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=
SHORT DESCRIPTION=
DATE OF BIRTH=3 January 1920
PLACE OF BIRTH=England
DATE OF DEATH=17 September 1972
PLACE OF DEATH=England
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