TV show walk-ons in films

[GRAEME]

Had to laugh when right in the middle of Vault of Horror the other night, Geoffrey Davies & Robin Nedwell pop up as a pair of impecunious medical students straight out of their Doctors... TV series.

Got me to wondering about other examples of TV characters (or close "types") turning up in Films - especially British ones. Not actual film versions of TV shows, but just stray characters, popular at the time, who pop up in somebody else's movie.

I guess you could have Phil Silvers' Bilko-esque turn in Follow That Camel?

Any good ones come to mind?

[Mr Sloane]

Gilbert Harding played himself in Left Right and Centre and Expresso Bongo amongst others.

Well not in a film but Morecambe and Wise returned the compliment of Thaw and Waterman appearing on their show by joining The Sweeney for an episode.

[icetorch]

Tim Willcox, BBC News 24 presenter, had a brief part as a TV journalist, along with others, in 102 Dalmatians. Apparently he's appeared in other films and TV shows:

NewsWatch | Profiles | Tim Willcox

[Gerald Lovell]

Ealing's Meet Mr. Lucifer (1953) has quite a few television personalities of the time "playing themselves", such as chef Philip Harben, announcer McDonald Hobley and pundit Gilbert Harding.

[smudge]

Jack Smethurst and Rudolph Walker appear as themselves, playing chess (IIRC) in the restaurant at 'Thames TV' in the film version of MAN ABOUT THE HOUSE. Spike Milligan also makes a cameo appearance.

Smudge

[GRAEME]

Bruce Seton as Fabian of the Yard in Norman Wisdom's film Man of the Moment

As are the Grove Family

Those are great examples!

[cornershop15]

Robert Q. Lewis in 'An Affair to Remember' (1957)

The presenter appeared as himself, interviewing Cary Grant and 'fiancee' Neva Patterson for TV:

"Oh hello there! Welcome to another House to House program(me )"

A nice close-up of the once-popular host, highlighting his trademark horn-rimmed glasses:

"Today our cameras are placed at the home of Miss Lois Clark (Neva Patterson)."

Sadly, Neva died only last month (14th December 2010) at the age of 90. I will post an alternative capture from this scene at her obituary thread after this.

I first saw An Affair to Remember in 1986, recording the film from an ITV transmission, and it was earlier that year that I first saw Robert Q. Lewis, in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (1967). If I remember rightly (and I haven't seen it since) he's one of the executives who sings Gotta Stop That Man.

Sadly, Robert died in 1991. An interesting personality from the past I'd like to see some more. How about this for a coincidence? One of his most successful shows was called The Name's the Same! The title of one of my most recent threads.

R.I.P., Robert

Robert Q. Lewis - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[RogerThornhill]

Looking as saintly as ever here is Malcolm Muggeridge as himself in I'm All Right Jack.
He also appeared as a cleric in Heavens Above.