Victor Maddern

Victor Jack Maddern (16 March 1928 — 22 June 1993 Hackney, Greater London ^[1]) was an English actor.

Maddern, born in Seven Kings, Ilford, Essex, was one of large group of dependable supporting actors that British film produced over the years.

Maddern joined the Merchant Navy at the age of 15 and served in the Second World War from 1943 until medically discharged in 1946. He subsequently trained for RADA. He made his first screen appearance in Seven Days to Noon in 1950, playing a reluctant soldier obliged to shoot a psychotic scientist.

One of his earliest stage roles was Sam Weller in The Trial of Mr Pickwick in 1952. As Helicon in the Albert Camus production of Caligula, in 1964, Maddern was singled out for critical praise, and in My Darling Daisy (1970) he brought a fine Cockney bravado and arrogance to the portrait of the notorious Frank Harris. He also did two stints in the highly successful Agatha Christie play The Mousetrap - the West End's longest-running play.

From 1950 to the early 1990s Maddern could be seen in any number of films and TV shows, often playing military types. He was usually cast as Sergeants or Corporals, as well as private soldiers, seaman or airmen, played straight or for broad comic effect. Among his many television roles, were Private Gross in Denis Cannan's Captain Carvallo and old Lampwick's son-in-law in the popular The Dick Emery Show.

In addition to acting, Maddern ran a printing business and in 1991 he opened a public speaking school. A lifelong Conservative voter, he offered special rates to Conservative MPs and constituency workers.

In his later years, Maddern devoted much of his time to charitable work. He was married with four daughters. He died from a brain tumour in 1993.

Selected filmography

• Seven Days to Noon (1950) – Jackson (trigger-happy soldier)
• Morning Departure (1950) – Leading Telegraphist Hillbrook
• High Treason (1951) – Anarchist
• Pool of London (1951) – First Tram Conductor
• The Franchise Affair (1951) – Mechanic
• The House in the Square (1951) – Geiger Man
• His Excellency (1952) – Soldier
• Angels One Five (1952) (uncredited) – Airman
• Malta Story (1953) (uncredited) – Soldier
• Terror on a Train (1953) – Saboteur
• The Sea Shall Not Have Them (1954) – Gus Westover
• The Cockleshell Heroes (1955) – Sergeant Craig
• The End of the Affair (1955) – 1st Orator
• Carrington V.C. (1955) – Sergeant Owen
• The Night My Number Came Up (1955) – Engineer
• Private's Progress (1956) – Pvt. George Blake
• A Hill in Korea (1956) – Pvt. Lindop
• Man in the Sky, aka Decision Against Time (1956) – Joe Biggs
• Barnacle Bill (1957) – Figg
• Saint Joan (1957) – English Soldier
• Carve Her Name with Pride (1958) – Parachute Training Sergeant
• The Safecracker (1958) – Morris
• Dunkirk (1958) – Merchant seaman in pub
• Blood of the Vampire (1958) – Carl
• I Was Monty's Double (1958) – Orderly Sergeant
• I'm All Right Jack (1959) – Knowles
• Please Turn Over (1959) – Manager
• Exodus (1960) – Sergeant
• Carry on Constable (1960) – Detective Sergeant Liddell
• Watch Your Stern (1960) – Sailor
• Sink the Bismarck! (1960) (uncredited) – Able Seaman
• Petticoat Pirates (1961) – CPO Nixon
• On the Fiddle (1961) – First Airman
• Carry on Regardless (1961) – First Sinister Passenger
• H.M.S. Defiant (1962) – Bosun Dawlish
• Carry on Cleo (1964) – Sergeant-Major
• Carry on Spying (1964) – Milchmann
• Bunny Lake Is Missing (1965) – Taxi Driver
• Circus of Fear (1966)
• Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968) – Junkman
• The Magic Christian (1969) – Hot dog vendor
• Cromwell (1970) – Executioner
• Steptoe and Son (1972) – Chauffeur
• Carry On Emmannuelle (1978) – Man in Launderette
• Freddie as F.R.O.7 (1992) – Old Gentleman Raven

Selected TV

• Fabian of the Yard (1954)
• The Adventures of Robin Hood (1960) – Hugo
• Fair Exchange (1962) – Tommy Finch
• Sir Francis Drake (1962)
• Perry Mason (1963) – Gilbert Tyrell
• Bonanza (1963) – Dave
• Crossroads (1964) – Bert Henderson
• The Troubleshooters (1965) – Rogers
• Gideon's Way (1965) – Charles Randle
• The Avengers (1966) – Jackson
• The Prisoner (1967) – Bandmaster
• The Baron (1967) – Dino
• The Wednesday Play (1967)
• The Saint (1967-8) – Enrico Montesino
• The Ugliest Girl in Town (1968) – Freddie
• Doctor Who - (Fury from the Deep) (1968) – Robson
• Softly Softly (1970)
• Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) (1970) – Det. Sgt. Watts
• The Dick Emery Show (1963) – Ernie (1971-1974)
• Paul Temple (1971) – Bill Stacey
• Crown Court (1973)
• 1990 (1977) – Sammy Calhoun
• Dixon of Dock Green
• In Loving Memory (1982) – Comic
• That's My Boy (1983) – Bluebird Johnny
• Marple: The Moving Finger (1985) – Police Constable Johnson
• The Beiderbecke Tapes (1987) – Sam Bentley
• C.A.B. (1988) – Private Tripe
• The Bill (1990) – Mr. Grant
• The Darling Buds of May (1992) – Fruity Pears

References

1. ^ GRO Register of Deaths: JUN 1993 B26F 237 HACKNEY - Victor Jack Maddern, DoB = 16 Mar 1928, aged 65

External links

• Victor Maddern at the Internet Movie Database