Ian Hendry

[cassidy]

I also met him in a pub in Golders Green Road just by Princes Park Avenue, possibly the same one but I thought it was called the Prince of Wales. I was introduced by a mutual friend who was a great pal of Ian's. He spoke a lot about "Live Now Pay Later, but his main gripe was that he was offered the part of Cowley in The Professionals which he had to turn down due to prior commitments. He came across as a lovely guy.

I saw him in the Prince Albert pub in Golders Green Road.He was totally pissed and lurched up to me and asked if he could serve me.This was not that long before his death

[Arfur Teacake]

Annette Andre is quoting as saying that when she worked with him, they broke for lunch, after dinner he came back drunk as a skunk and had to be steered to the film set, the rest of the crew thought it was going to be a very long day - but as soon as the camera switched on and action was called,he was word perfect and everything went to schedule.

Its such a pity that The Informer has been totally lost,as he got the lead he deserved.

[captainhaddock]

he stole the show in mc vicar as the hard nosed detective putting the frightners on billy murray to give up roger daltreys whereabouts
a great film for people who are mostly known for singing careers but thank god he was there to give a solid performance that added some gritty realism
would it be the same film without him ?

[didi-5]

I wondered if The Informer was lost - pity. With most of his Police Surgeon and Avengers episodes, plus the play A Suitable Case for Treatment (filmed with David Warner) going the same way a lot of good stuff is missing. Ever the way for those working in the sixties but a shame.

[Stonefan]

On the Omen 2 DVD commentary the producer,Harvey Bernard, says he was extremely drunk during filming. Its a shame but he was terrific actor.

[didi-5]

On the Omen 2 DVD commentary the producer,Harvey Bernard, says he was extremely drunk during filming. Its a shame but he was terrific actor.

I haven't watched Omen II for years but seem to recall his role was fairly pointless and I don't think he was even credited! Not a high point in his career, sad to say. Or indeed in anybody's. Is the commentary on the recent box set which groups all the original films with the remake of the first one?

[Stonefan]

Yes, it's on that boxed set. He's only in the opening sequence with Leo McKern. He looks rough but he still gives a fairly good performance. I like him in Theatre of Blood and Get Carter. He was a smashing actor.

[didi-5]

No one has mentioned the Thriller episode Killer With Two Faces either. Not a great episode, and Donna Mills isn't my cup of tea, but he's good as the good/bad twins. Like many others episodes in that series it has a stretch of tedium, but it is a watchable episode, IMO.

[Tigon Man]

No one has mentioned the Thriller episode Killer With Two Faces either. Not a great episode, and Donna Mills isn't my cup of tea, but he's good as the good/bad twins. Like many others episodes in that series it has a stretch of tedium, but it is a watchable episode, IMO.

I watched this episode a couple of weeks ago Didi. Granted it's a weakish episode, but I thought IH's performance was also disappointing, pretty one note for both twins. He also filmed the first Sweeney episode not long before Thriller in which he gave a bizarre slurred performance. Dennis Waterman noted in his biog that IH was drinking half pints of brandy between scenes. He was obviously in decline and it's sad to watch.

[didi-5]

Tigon - I have seen The Sweeney episode you mention. Yes, it is a mess. However I think that in many of his roles, Ian did successfully hide his alcohol problems. That was a strength in some ways and means that we have a few late jewels (like McVicar, like For Maddie With Love) when clearly he wasn't functioning OK off the screen but it didn't matter.

I prefer to ignore the more disturbing footage - I've never watched the McNee This is Your Life clip, for example. I don't want to. I want to remember this actor for the good work he produced (and happily, there is lots of it). The rediscovery of some early Avengers episodes showcases this young talent, and hopefully might go some way to rehabilitating his image.

I avoided watching The Lotus Eaters until recently despite people saying it was good because I knew it was done just after the death of Janet Munro and the real start of Ian Hendry's money and drink problems. Yet - as Wanda Ventham confirms in her brief interview on that set - he didn't let alcohol fog that job. As a fan of course I am sad to think of anyone coming to such a sad end, but when they produce such great work? It makes it bittersweet, somehow.

I would like to hear more about the work and less about the personal issues of this underrated artist. Maybe less of the tragic stuff and more about the potential he showed.

Incidentally IMDb says his daughter Sally is a TV producer of reality stuff - is that so, does anyone know?

[didi-5]

Took the afternoon to blog my tribute to Ian Hendry - it needs a bit of polishing and definitely some screencaps and such, but here it is:

The original Avenger: a tribute to Ian Hendry « LouReviews

What I don't have at the moment is a copy of 'Theatre of Blood' I can easily get grabs from - can anyone help please? Thanks!

[Euryale]

Ian with Maddie Smith and Diana Rigg in Theatre of Blood:






E.

[Euryale]

More of Ian in TOB:








E.

[didi-5]

Lovely, many, many thanks Euryale!

[Euryale]

Lovely, many, many thanks Euryale!

Glad to have helped, Didi!


E.

[Euryale]

Incidentally IMDb says his daughter Sally is a TV producer of reality stuff - is that so, does anyone know?

I don't think the Sally Hendry linked to Ian at the IMDB is his daughter - and it all turns on a middle initial!

I found the career resume of the IMDB Sally on another website and her middle initial is 'A'. Ian and Janet's daughter was born Sally Fiona Hendry in Watford in 1964.

Sally F. got married in Watford in 1987 and now lives under her married name. She has two sons born in the 1990s - one bears the middle name 'Munro', obviously in memory of grandmother Janet and her family.


E.

[didi-5]

That's what I thought - never believe the IMDb! Thanks again.

[Steve Crook]

That's what I thought - never believe the IMDb! Thanks again.

Not without checking anything you're not sure about. Especially trivia items like the one linking Ian Hendry & Sally Hendry.

The information on the IMDb is supplied by film fans like us. The people who run the IMDb never claim it's 100% accurate so nobody should think that it is. But it's a good starting point for research

Steve

[didi-5]

OT I know but a while ago some friends added a lot of spurious info to the IMDb to see if it was easily accepted. It was. Removing it was far more difficult and to this day a couple of those items remain.

I never believe anything on sites like IMDb or Evilpedia, as the level of research there is generally poor. In this case though I'm surprised the other Sally's representatives haven't noticed the error!

[Steve Crook]

OT I know but a while ago some friends added a lot of spurious info to the IMDb to see if it was easily accepted. It was. Removing it was far more difficult and to this day a couple of those items remain.

It's people like that who damage a noble attempt to use the collective knowledge of film fans like us.
I wouldn't call people who do things like that "friends"

Yes, it's possible to add spurious info to the IMDb, especially if it's not in a very important section, like Trivia. But when the error is discovered the people who "playfully" entered the false data will find it much harder to get any other data added

I never believe anything on sites like IMDb ...

That's a shame. Don't you even believe that Trevor Howard and Celia Johnson were in Brief Encounter?

Steve