blacknorth

Hello everyone

I'm currently engaged and doing some research into prolific British character actor, Colin Blakely.

As an actor he is affiliated with much of the new wave of theatre and television from Arden to Pinter to Dennis Potter (he was superb as Jesus in Son Of Man). But for an actor with such a high-profile in life, he seems to have had a very low profile since passing away.

Much of his work was for television, of course, and therefore rarely seen now. I have very vague memories of his turn as Stalin in Jack Gold's Red Monarch, but as a teenager he made a great impression on me in that role.

Outside of back issues of Plays And Players it's quite difficult to find information about Blakely. I was wondering if anyone here had any experience of him, or any personal anecdotes they might like to share.

Thank you.

Windthrop

His principal work was on stage - I saw him in A Chorus of Disaproval in London in part (taking over from Michael Gambon) which Anthony Hopkins later played on film. Blakely was better. He was well known as a drinker and I have read a story which I can't reference at the mo that as he was walking along the passageways at the National on his way to the stage he was so drunk he would ricochet form wall to wall but when he reached the stage he was fine. His son also works as an actor.

At the time of his death he was in a pilot for a sitcom The New Statesman which IMDB don't list for him. After his death Windsor Davies took over the role for one series. He was certainly very high profile at the time of his death.

Thats the joke that killed the Music Hall !

blacknorth

Thanks, Windthrop, that's just the kind of stuff I need to gain a sense of him. Drink seems to go with the territory but that's a particularly powerful image you gave.

I believe his son is named Corin and, yes, is an actor.

I did read Blakely did a stint with the Bangor Operatic Co and then went to England in the late 1950's, starting out as a puppeteer touring around schools and then auditioning for acting roles - his crumpled sort of features were passably fashionable in the kitchen-sink era and he found a way in.

Thanks again.

smudge

CB was one of the handful of actors who gained the respect of the taciturn method actor, Richard Bradford, when they made two episodes of MAN IN A SUITCASE together back in the 60s. I have an old RB interview somewhere and I THINK he refers to CB by name in it. I shall try to dig it out and will PM you if I find it...

Smudge

Welcome to my house. Enter freely, and of your own will...

blacknorth

That's great, Smudge, thanks. I went over to IMDb to check which episodes - I haven't seen those two.

The method at ITC - who'd have thought it?

stevie boy

Yes he does mention Blakely in the extras on the Man in a Suitcase box set. Blakely was in Saturday Night & Sunday Morning early on in a drinking contest with Albert Finney. He was credited as Drunk Man, He was a fine actor.

stevie boy

Just checked the credit on SNASM and it says Loud Mouth

blacknorth

And as 'German Goon # 1' in The Password Is Courage.

booby trap

The name of his son is Cameron, he has just finished here in Mamma Mia, and played the part of Master of the House in Les Mis, when it was on tour a few years ago. Infact i have a picture of him on stage with my other half, when the Les Mis cast held a charity night a few years back.

alan gowdy

Colin Blakely did indeed start his career in the aptly named Little Theatre in Bangor (my home town!). I found a picture of it: http://www.ul.ie/~roberth/theatre/little.htm
James Ellis (of Z-Cars) was another who trod the boards there in his young days, possibly as a contemporary of Blakely though I'm not sure about the dates.

Nick Dando

It seems feasible as they were born within a couple of months of each other.

Nick

stevie boy

Jimmy Ellis seemed a nice guy, met him once at Dudley Zoo when he was making a VET series (Not all Creatures) God, what a name dropper I am

Steve Crook

Presumably the series One by One, the story of David Taylor

James Ellis also did the wonderfully surreal Nightingales with Robert Lindsay & David Threlfall

Stevfe

stevie boy

thats the one Stevfe

blacknorth

Nightingales was a wonderful series, I was delighted with the DVD set.

Thanks for the link to the Little Theatre - I haven't been in Bangor for some years. Liam Neeson mentioned Blakely recently when he was in Belfast for the closing and renovation of the Lyric Theatre but I'm not sure what their professional relationship could have been as Blakely was long gone from the North by the time Neeson emerged.

I'm intrigued by the 1986 TV production of The Birthday Party with Pinter as Goldberg and Blakely as McCann - seems like perfect casting. Having seen a couple of clips Blakely seems to be playing McCann very much as Northern Irish rather than simply Irish, which is a character shift and a significant one.