Frederick Treves 1925-2012

[Gerald Lovell]

I'm saddened to learn of the death of Frederick Treves, another wonderful character actor it was always a pleasure to see.

[Nick Dando]

From the Guardian

Frederick Treves obituary | Television & radio | The Guardian

Nick


Frederick Treves obituary
A familiar face on stage and screen, he often played authority figures
Gavin Gaughan
The Guardian, Friday 3 February 2012




Frederick Treves as the head of the Berlin station in the spy trilogy Game Set and Match (1988).


In an acting career that lasted for well over half a century, Frederick Treves, who has died aged 86, specialised in playing men in positions of authority – senior police officers, peers, admirals, colonels and scientists. He was a tall man with a heavily jowled, amiable face, a hawk-like profile and a patrician bearing. A regular National Theatre player, he supported many television dramas, including The Regiment (1973), a BBC series set in India; Destiny, David Edgar's 1978 Play for Today; The Jewel in the Crown (1984); The Invisible Man (1984); Poirot (1991); Hetty Wainthropp Investigates (1997); and The Rector's Wife (1994). In all of these disparate productions, he played a colonel.

Treves was the great-nephew of Sir Frederick Treves, the surgeon who rescued Joseph Merrick, the "Elephant Man" (he also had a role as an alderman in David Lynch's 1980 film about the case). He was born in Margate, Kent, the son of a doctor, and saw second world war service in the royal and merchant navies. When his ship was sunk in a torpedo attack on its way to Malta, Treves rescued several comrades, and was awarded the British Empire Medal. He later wrote a play about the incident, Operation Pedestal (1974), broadcast on Radio 4.

In 1948 he joined Newquay repertory theatre in Cornwall, treading the boards with Kenneth Williams. He made his West End debut in Adventure Story, by Terence Rattigan, at the St James's theatre in 1949. From 1956 until 1962, he was part of the Repertory Players, a "Sunday play-producing society" intended as a shop window for actors and playwrights that staged six new plays a year.

Treves's director at Newquay had been Richard West, who gave him his first television part, in the early BBC soap The Grove Family, in 1956. He appeared in the TV series Maigret (1960) and in the stage play Maigret and the Lady (Strand theatre, 1965), both with Rupert Davies in the title role. He was Jenny Agutter's imprisoned father in the BBC serial of The Railway Children (1968). One of Alun Owen's last television plays, Lucky (1974), was set in a prison with Treves as the governor. Memorably, he was a plain-clothes inspector confronting Quentin Crisp (John Hurt) in The Naked Civil Servant (1975).

In 1979 he played Anthony Head, secretary of war, in Ian Curteis's large-scale Suez 1956. Then he was Gayev, with Judi Dench as his sister, in The Cherry Orchard (1981), adapted by Trevor Griffiths and directed by Richard Eyre.

Treves worked on several occasions with John Thaw. After playing a villain in a helicopter in The Sweeney (1976), he was at his most august in the film spin-off Sweeney 2 (1978). In an early episode of Inspector Morse (1987), he was a dean to whom Morse discloses his suspicions. As Air Chief Marshal Sir Charles Portal, he differed on tactics with Thaw, in the title role, in Bomber Harris (1989). He was notable as a Polish doctor accused of having conducted experiments in Dachau, in Kavanagh QC (1997).

Private Dreams, Public Nightmares (1957), combining the voices of Treves and Andrew Sachs with electronic effects, was among the first productions of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop. As a member of the BBC radio drama repertory company, Treves featured in several of the Paul Temple adventures. His long association with radio also extended into writing scripts. He wrote and co-starred with June Whitfield in My Favourite Broad (Radio 4, 1969), a light comedy about a botched honeymoon.

Highlights of his four National Theatre seasons included David Hare's Plenty (1978) and Bill Bryden's staging of The Passion in 1980. He was cast by Peter Hall as Menenius Agrippa to the Coriolanus of Ian McKellen in 1984. Despite injuring his back and having to be replaced by his understudy, he returned when the play was restaged in Athens in 1985.

One of Treves's best roles was as the father of Sarah Layton (Geraldine James) in The Jewel in the Crown. Against type, he was a killer unmasked by Miss Marple in Sleeping Murder (1987). In Game, Set and Match (1988), adapted from Len Deighton's spying trilogy and starring Ian Holm, he was the head of Berlin station. He seemed to be required casting in dramas depicting political chicanery such as For the Greater Good (1991); To Play the King (1993); and The Politician's Wife (1995). He had a regular role in the period drama The Cazalets (2001).

Treves is survived by his wife, Jean, along with two sons, Simon (who followed him into acting) and Patrick; a daughter, Jeni; and 11 grandchildren.

• Frederick William Treves, actor and writer, born 29 March 1925; died 30 January 2012

[David Challinor]

So am I - how marvellous it was that he was in The Elephant Man (1980) as he was the great nephew of Dr Treves who helped Joseph Merrick

[Windthrop]

RIP Fred

An actor of gravitas and real character

[Freddy]

Very sad, always gave me the impression he was a lovely chap, my sympathy to his family.

[chuffnobbler]

I had a great letter from him once. He's unforgettable in Miss Marple, and had such a long and varied career that I must have dozens of hours of his work sitting on my DVD shelves.

Thanks for the entertainment, Mr Treves.

[susanduic]

I'm very sad too. When it comes to it, it doesn't help much that 86 is "a good age"..........

[Tom Weston]

I'm very sad too. When it comes to it, it doesn't help much that 86 is "a good age"..........

Always believable in character and most watchable. Love and Respect Mr Treves

[Dame Starry]

Frederick Treves.

Thinking of Simon and family.

[Windyridge]

A memorable actor, with many great theatre and tv roles. RIP.

[Tigon Man]

A fine fine actor, added a touch of gravitas to everything he did.

[Richard_in_wales]

Another one gone, I dread coming on this site these days with all the loss of talent reported.

R.I.P. Sir.

[mrs_emma_peel]

Very sad news ... Frederick was very fine actor indeed.
I particularly remember his superb and crucial perfomances in Inspector Morse - The Silent World of Nicholas Quinn and in Agatha Christie's Sleeping Murder.
RIP Frederick Treves
Emma

[wellendcanons]

Very sad news ... Frederick was very fine actor indeed.
I particularly remember his superb and crucial perfomances in Inspector Morse - The Silent World of Nicholas Quinn and in Agatha Christie's Sleeping Murder.
RIP Frederick Treves
Emma

Like you Mrs Peel, Frederick's fine acting really stood out in these two roles. He was also a delight to watch in The Sweeney, Randall & Hopkirk (Deceased), Midsomer Murders and The Invisible Man. A versatile actor who will be much missed.

RIP Frederick Treves.

wec

[julian_craster]

Frederick Treves
DT:
06 Feb 2012

Frederick Treves - Telegraph



Frederick Treves, who has died aged 86, was a prolific character actor whose performances could overshadow those of the better-known stars appearing alongside him — a fact that he attributed his “projection of personality”.
It was, he thought, the fruit of many years spent in repertory in the 1950s and 1960s. In this training ground he learned to bring to life a huge gallery of characters, and he went on to enjoy many successes on television, for example as the crusty, ageing head of the family in The Cazelets and as Colonel Leyton in the hit series The Jewel in the Crown.

Frederick William Treves was born at Margate, Kent, on March 29 1925, the son of a GP who had commanded the South-East Mounted Field Ambulance Brigade in the Middle East during the Great War. Freddie’s great-uncle was Sir Frederick Treves, 1st Bt, Serjeant Surgeon to Edward VII, whose appendix he removed two days before the Coronation planned for June 26 1901 ; Sir Frederick was also noted for bringing Joseph Merrick (“The Elephant Man”) to live at the London Hospital in the 1880s.

After the Nautical College, Pangbourne, Freddie joined the Merchant Navy at the age of 17. While serving in a convoy seeking to relieve Malta, he was one of the few survivors when his freighter, Waimarama, which was carrying high explosives and aviation fuel, was sunk on August 13 1942. Treves saved the life of Radio Officer John Jackson, and was awarded a BEM.

After the war he went to Rada, where he won the Emile Littler prize. His first West End role was as a Persian soldier in Terence Rattigan’s The Adventure Story in 1949. He then played extensively in rep around the country and had various West End parts. In 1976 he appeared in Tom Stoppard’s long-running Dirty Linen at The Arts.

After joining the National Theatre in 1978, Treves was in Shaw’s Philanderer and played Sir Andrew Charleson in David Hare’s Plenty. Other National roles included Leonato in Much Ado About Nothing (Olivier) and Menenius Agrippa to Ian McKellen’s Coriolanus (Olivier, 1984).

But it was on television that Treves really made his mark, appearing in countless series that became the staple diet of British audiences, among them Rumpole of the Bailey, Kavanagh QC, Heartbeat, Casualty, Bergerac, The Bill, Lovejoy, Yes, Prime Minister and Jeeves and Wooster . One year, he “died” on screen no fewer than seven times.

His films included Defence of the Realm; Nighthawks; and The Elephant Man, in which his great-uncle was played by Anthony Hopkins and Treves appeared in the character of an alderman.

He married, in 1956, Jean Stott, who survives him with two sons and a daughter. One of his sons is the actor Simon Treves.

Frederick Treves, born March 29 1925, died January 30 2012

[julian_craster]

Frederick Treves: Actor best known as Colonel Layton in 'The Jewel in the Crown'




Anthony Hayward

INDEPENDENT
Frederick Treves: Actor best known as Colonel Laytonin 'The Jewel in the Crown' - Obituaries - News - The Independent
Wednesday 08 February 2012


A prolific screen character actor for half a century, Frederick Treves was most often seen as authority figures, from military types, barons and professors to doctors and headmasters. A doctor's son himself – and great-nephew of Sir Frederick Treves, the surgeon who discovered the "Elephant Man", Joseph Merrick – Treves fitted such roles like a glove, playing them in an easy, relaxed manner, with never a hint of over-acting.

His finest was Colonel Layton, commanding officer of the 1st Pankot Rifles, in ITV's sumptuous production of The Jewel in the Crown (1984), based on Paul Scott's Raj Quartet, set during the turbulent, final days of British rule in India. The character, Chillingborough-educated and patriarch of the Layton family, was the epitome of Empire – and Treves's portrayal of the "decent" British officer contrasted to great dramatic effect with Tim Piggott-Smith's as the sadistic, grammar school-educated police chief Ronald Merrick.

Later, the actor switched to comedy as the Chief of Defence Staff in Yes, Prime Minister (1986, 1987). In one episode, he was seen opposing the relocation of services personnel from the south to the north of England on the grounds that it would deprive senior officers and their wives of social events such as Wimbledon and Ascot.

Treves' background set him up well for such roles. He was born in the Cliftonville area of Margate in 1925 and educated at the Nautical College, Pangbourne, where he became head of house and chief cadet captain. From there, in 1942, he joined the Merchant Navy as a junior officer on a ship converted for wartime service that became part of an Allied convoy heading for Malta with vitally needed supplies.

Most of the ships were destroyed by German bombers and submarines and, when Treves's vessel was hit, he was blown across the deck. There were 19 survivors out of a crew of 109, and for his courage in saving an officer from drowning after jumping overboard Treves was awarded the British Empire Medal. After the war, he wrote Operation Pedestal, a play about the incident that was eventually broadcast on BBC radio in 1974.

He completed his wartime service in the Navy as a senior midshipman, then sub-lieutenant, and acted in a troops show in Sri Lanka, which inspired him to train at Rada on demob. His first professional experience was with Amersham Repertory Company. "I was there for a month but got the sack when I let the counterweight slip through my fingers," he recalled. "I nearly killed the leading lady."

Treves then found work with a company in Newquay, Cornwall, before making his West End début a year later as a Persian soldier in the Terence Rattigan play Adventure Story (St James's Theatre, 1949). There followed a season with Birmingham Repertory Company (1952-53), which performed Henry VI both at its own venue and the Old Vic Theatre, London, before appearances in The Devil's General (Savoy Theatre, 1953), The Dark is Light Enough (Aldwych Theatre, 1954), The Country Wife (Adelphi Theatre, 1956-57) and Maigret and the Lady (Strand Theatre, 1965).

Between 1978 and 1985, Treves took various roles in plays at the National Theatre, including Sir Andrew Charleson in Plenty (1978) and Manenius Agrippa, alongside Ian McKellen, in Coriolanus (1984-85), although he had to pull out after injuring his back. By then, he had established himself as one of the screen's most prolific actors, sometimes seen with a moustache but always with an ever-receding hairline, which eventually disappeared.

Following his début in the 1953 B-film drama Wheel of Fate, Treves made a handful of appearances on the big screen – and was heard as a radio announcer in Carry on Constable (1960) – before television made most use of his talents. He was one of the repertory company of actors in myriad roles in The Adventures of Sir Lancelot (1956) and took one-off parts in dozens of series, including Maigret (1960), The Avengers (1967), Softly Softly (three roles, 1968, 1972, 1976) and The Liver Birds (1972). He also had short runs as the father in the BBC's 1968 adaptation of The Railway Children and Sam Lockwood (1973), an unscrupulous horse trader, in the third series of the children's drama Follyfoot.

When producers and directors needed someone with military bearing or an air of authority, Treves became one of a small band of actors on whom they regularly called. He played Colonel Cranleigh-Osborne, with the British Army in India at the start of the 20th century, throughout the second series of The Regiment (1973), the War Secretary in Ian Curteis's play Suez 1956 (1979), the all-encouraging headmaster in Stalky & Co (1982), based on Rudyard Kipling's autobiographical book about public school life, a feared brigadier in Dennis Potter's Lipstick on Your Collar (1993), Lord Quillington in To Play the King (1993), the second in the House of Cards trilogy, Colonel Richardson in The Rector's Wife (1994) and William, the autocratic father known as "The Brig", in The Cazalets (2001).

Complete with beard, Treves played Lieutenant Brotadac, a member of a band of near-human mercenaries who abduct a human, in the 1980 Doctor Who story "Meglos". He was also seen in the Len Deighton Cold War thriller Game, Set & Match (1988) as Frank Harrington, the head of the Berlin field unit who has affairs with younger women. Treves' final screen role was as a blind professor fatally taking on builders who want to develop his allotment in an episode of Rosemary & Thyme (2003).

His films included The Elephant Man (1980), in which he played an alderman trying to close down a freak show featuring the deformed Merrick, with Anthony Hopkins acting his real-life grandfather. Treves' son, Simon, is also an actor.

Frederick William Treves, actor: born Margate, Kent 29 March 1925; BEM 1943; married 1956 Margaret Stott (two sons, one daughter); died Mitcham, Surrey 30 January 2012.