'Crossroads' Legends in Other Roles

[cornershop15]

I started a thread for http://www.britmovie.co.uk/forums/ac...-tv-roles.html on New Year's Day and think some of the actors in Crossroads deserve acknowledgement for their other work too.

The reason I included 'TV' in the title of the earlier thread, by the way, is because there is a separate one for films (created by bhowells), but we can accomodate both mediums here. Looking at the filmographies of a few Legends there isn't much else than the Soap with many of them, but what there is will hopefully be of interest.

I remember Angus Lennie (camp chef Shughie McFee) in the famous War films The Great Escape and 633 Squadron, for example, and Paul Henry (Benny) as a villain in an episode of The Sweeney! Susan Hanson, who he usually addressed as 'Miss Diane', appeared in the Dave Clark film Catch Us If You Can and the original version of Nell Dunn's Up the Junction (a Wednesday Play ).

Noele Gordon presented a couple of TV shows before achieving Soap fame. I've only seen one clip from Lunchbox as well as a few TVTimes articles and listings. I already knew Jane Rossington ('daughter' Jill) was a regular in Emergency Ward 10, as I've seen some pictures of her as one of the nurses, but didn't know she played a character named Kate Ford - like the Coronation Street actress (one for 'The Name's the Same').

As with a few of the Coronation Street stars, there might be one or two from Crossroads who either have, or should have their own threads, like Sandor Eles. I know Gabrielle Drake has one because I posted there recently, but Sue Lloyd doesn't. She is most definitely an ITC legend, notably as Cordelia Winfield in The Baron. I guess Gabrielle is as well, on account of her recurring role in UFO, though it was not nearly as strong.

My first subject is Sue's late husband (on and eventually off-screen), the much-missed Ronald Allen. I have done a few captures of him in two of his films. This one is from A Night to Remember (1958), in which Ronald played Mr. Clarke, one of the doomed passengers on the Titanic. With him in this scene is Jill Dixon as his wife:


From the Encyclopedia Titanica website:

Mr Charles Valentine Clarke, 29, from Colaba-Grange Lane, Netley Abbey, England, boarded the Titanic at Southampton as second class passenger together with his wife Ada Maria. To reach their destination San Francisco, California, they bought ticket number 2003 for £26.

Mr Clarke died in the sinking. His body, if recovered, was never identified.

Unfortunately, I'm not allowed to copy the photos of the real Mr. and Mrs. Clarke here but you can still see them on their profile pages:

Mr Charles Valentine Clarke | Encyclopedia Titanica

Eight years later, Ronald played Dr. Chris Mitchel (one L), the assistant of mad scientist
Bryant Haliday (one L) in the underrated Science-Fiction film The Projected Man (1966):


There are some good two-shots with leading lady (and cult favourite) Mary Peach that I'd like to post later in the week.

More memories here: The Ronald Allen Tribute Page

R.I.P.

[Rick C]

Cornershop, I'm eager to highlight a website mentioned to other Crossroads devotees in the Autumn of last year (2010).

Since the series was produced here in Birmingham by ATV and its other incarnations, the triumvirate formed by the archives of the regional universities which themselves had Independent TV studios (Birmingham, Nottingham, and Leicester) has 'webbed-up' their stock of Crossroads interviews and behind-the-scenes mini-videos.

One link which specifically features Ronald Allen is here: www.macearchive.org.uk/Media.html?Title=29630

The other features can be accessed by referring to the 'you might also like to see' list; or alternatively on the Home Page (MACE - the Media Archive for Central England) putting 'Crossroads' in the Search Box (top line,right) and selecting 'titles WITH video' from the drop-down box adjacent. Each mini-video can be stop-started by clicking on the mini-screen itself.

The cataloguing is a bit eclectic to say the least, but get back to me anyone if you need further help. At least once weekly the archive posts up new videos on anything Midlands without warning and there is no 'new postings' section!

[GRAEME]

Ronald Allen was also hilarious as "wicked" Uncle Quentin in the Comic Strip's Five Go Mad in Dorset.

[jimw1]

Ronald Allen was also hilarious as "wicked" Uncle Quentin in the Comic Strip's Five Go Mad in Dorset.

He certainly was........

[cornershop15]

Cornershop, I'm eager to highlight a website mentioned to other Crossroads devotees in the Autumn of last year (2010).

One link which specifically features Ronald Allen is here: www.macearchive.org.uk/Media.html?Title=29630

Many thanks for these great links, Rick. I've never seen that party sequence before. This must have been to celebrate the 3,000th episode if I saw the number on the cake correctly.

Sorry to admit that seeing the stars in such good spirits was a fairly bittersweet experience, bearing in mind all the tragedies that have surrounded the show and its cast since then. I still can't believe most of the episodes are lost. Nor understand why Larry Grayson and Noele Gordon had to die. They look really close in that film. Roger Tonge (Sandy) died a couple of years later and both Susan Hanson and Sue Lloyd have both been widowed. All very sad.

I'm not sure I can include myself as a "devotee", Rick! Apart from the ill-fated comeback and equally unsuccessful revamp about ten years ago, I've only seen occasional clips on TV (not even on YouTube) so have mostly relied on memories of the show's Seventies heyday.

I did recognise Lynette McMorrough*, the actress who played Glenda Brownlow, at that party, however, and vaguely remembered Sally Adcock without her trademark glasses. She was interviewed on some BBC2 show once and I think she was shown penning some Mills and Boon-type novels.

Can you confirm Jack Haig is one of the actors at that gathering and is that Doreen Mantle about ten seconds into the film?

*Lynette McMorrough Interview

[GoggleboxUK]

I recently got 3 episodes of The Masterspy, an espionage based ATV gameshow from 1979.

In one of the episodes Tony Adams plays a spy suspected of counter intelligence.

[GRAEME]

Ann George (Amy Turtle) apparently has a bit in the Frankie Howerd film A Touch of the Sun (1956)

[Rick C]

Sorry i can't answer the supplementaries Cornershop I'm afraid. Maybe any of the others can help out?

[A Pemberton]

Not sure if he qualifes for "legend "of Crossroads but John Forgeham Jim Baines the mechanic, almost always poses the question when the Italian Job is shown on television with my family "wasnt he in Crossroads?
He starred for three years in the show and was always was and is a regular im films and tv as usually a rogue/villian figure of fun actor

[ChuckEddie]

Also, prior to being in Crossroads, RA was in the BBC soap Compact.

[GRAEME]

Elizabeth Croft - the lovely Miss Tatum - was in a short called The Dress with Michael Palin

[wadey]

Not sure if he qualifes for "legend "of Crossroads but John Forgeham Jim Baines the mechanic, almost always poses the question when the Italian Job is shown on television with my family "wasnt he in Crossroads?
He starred for three years in the show and was always was and is a regular im films and tv as usually a rogue/villian figure of fun actor

I agree, a wonderful actor, wasn't he in the very original Prime Suspect ?

[kelp]

JACK WOOLGAR played "CARNEY". He was a gardner and night watchman and friend to dear "Benny" (Paul Henry). Jack was, as you know my friend and business partner for some years, and also a wonderful writer and poet. He was in many films and TV parts. See elsewhere on this forum. Certainly a Crossroads legend.

[cornershop15]

Catching Up with Posts

Thanks for your replies. Crossroads was the first thing I saw both John Forgeham and Jack Woolgar in (also Stan Stennett). Legends indeed. I'm aware John was in Footballer's Wives (his dying from a heart attack while in bed with Zoe Lucker is all I've seen) but am more familiar with his appearances in The Sweeney, Tales of the Unexpected and repeat viewings of The Italian Job. He's the one with the blond hair, next to George Innes, whose thread this was originally posted at:

"Look 'appy you stupid bastards!" says George.

The others are (L-R) Stanley Caine, Frank Jarvis, (looks like) Peter Gilmore ?, Robert Powell and Derek Ware

Kelp, I'll post more captures from Budgie at your http://www.britmovie.co.uk/forums/ac...k-woolgar.html thread soon. In the meantime,
I hope you like this one of him, as hotel porter Benskin, in the episode Grandee Hotel (1971):

Yet another show that was affected by the ITV colour strike. How many of them have I got on DVD? (A lot)

Finally, Carolyn Jones, best known as Sharon Metcalfe in the Soap, played Sarah Badel's
maid Patience Crabstick (!) in two episodes of The Pallisers. This is from Part 13 (1974):

Not to be confused with American actress Carolyn Jones (King Creole, Morticia in The Addams Family)

[Robin Davies]

Anthony Morton (Carlos Rafael) was good in Performance.

[kelp]

Cornershop many thanks. Wonderful picture. Incidentally John Forgeham used to pop into the green room now and again in a cape and a big hat similar to those worn by Orsen Wells. A bit out of place in ATV Holliday Street!

[Rowdon]

She's not really a legend as she was only in the Mark II and Mark III Crossroads, this century, but back in 2005 I translated a Spanish comedy musical hit into English for the Edinburgh Festival, and one of the stars was Di Sherlock, aka Oona Stocks. Tall and friendly with a lovely smile. The show didn't do that well, unfortunately.

[Gerald Lovell]

John Bentley, aka Hugh Mortimer, had quite an extensive career - he was even briefly in Hollywood - but is certainly fondly remembered as Paul Temple and as the hero in numerous other "B" films.

I seem to recall that when Meg and Hugh finally got married, Noele Gordon was furious with John and wouldn't speak to him for ages because he refused to go abroad for "honeymoon photographs" as he had a great dislike of air travel.

[Arfur Teacake]

Noele Gordon was a great host as well as actress, and she always seemed to have prominent musicians waiting for their turn to get on her Lunchbox

[GRAEME]

Jeremy Sinden had a major role early in his career as the slimy Anthony Mortimer, Meg's stepson.