Sighted: Ah There You Are!

[James Thomas]

Thanks for the welcome, Marcus and Gerald! Yes, there are definitely some masters around here who are excellent identifying people-I generally only recognise the uglier people like Dido Plumb and Jim Brady! In terms of SOS Titanic, I see Gerald that you did in fact cover it a couple of years ago- interestingly, this actor I'm thinking of remains elusive. There are two wireless operators on the Titanic- one is is aforementioned Peter Bourke, but the other one- the "chief"- remains uncredited and unknown, despite having dialogue at one point. Strange how some actors get left off the credits of movies, despite having speaking parts...

[Gerald Lovell]

No speaking parts either here:


Barry Evans, George Layton and Geoffrey Davies are quite glum about it, but that's Rodney Cardiff downing a pint behind them as Richard O'Sullivan and Ernest Clark compare notes


And Brian Stirner has even longer lockdown hair than Barry when Ralph Michael checks the temperature of Len Saunders in DOCTOR AT LARGE "Operation Loftus".

[Tigon Man]

Welcome to the finest movie site on Earth James. I've seen SOS Titanic, interestingly David Warner is in it and Cameron's Titanic. I think it was Philly who spotted the most people in A Night to Remember. I've been on this extras forum since 2008 but Philly, Gerald etc have disturbingly keen eyes for spotting the most obscure of names. I'm still a novice!

Welcome to the site James, we love our extras at Britmovie!
Marcus is being very modest. His field of expertise is Guy Standeven, a very prolific extra.
Do you have a favourite extra James?

[MarcusHeslop(Stonfan)]

Welcome to the site James, we love our extras at Britmovie!
Marcus is being very modest. His field of expertise is Guy Standeven, a very prolific extra.
Do you have a favourite extra James?

Thank you Paul. I would say I'm an expert on Guy Standeven as I've written a book about him! My wife is currently proof reading it before it's available on Amazon to buy. She's up to the mid 70's. It is a niche interest and it won't make me rich but I think it's a good read. Inside you will hear stories from everyone from Harry Enfield to assistant director Michael Stephenson and even Guy himself. Of course I will let this site (which has been instrumental in its very existence) know when its available.

[James Thomas]

Thanks Tigon, it's great to find sites like this and Moviedude and Aveleyman that help to rediscover all these people. Due to the fact that I don't have eagle eyes, I'd have to say that my favourite extra would be one of the more "obvious" people, such as Dido Plumb- you can't really miss a face like that! Speaking of unmistakable faces, I was watching the movie Dr Syn: The Scarecrow of Romney Marsh (1963) recently- one of those Disney productions that were filmed in the UK back in the day- and noticed the ever-smiling Jim Brady as one of the jailers, and Jerold Wells as a Press Gang Leader, complete with piratical eye-patch.

[Gerald Lovell]

Frustratingly few to spot inhabiting Jamaica Inn (1939):


Emlyn Williams and Leslie Banks have a chat about it, but I'm sure that's Skelton Knaggs as a member of their gang


And as Charles Laughton attempts to shanghai Maureen O'Hara, it's Philip Ray as the unwitting steward.

IMDb has the uncredited Robert Adair down as Captain Murray, but the character is actually played by the credited George Curzon.

[Gerald Lovell]

A selection from "The Chocolate Box" of AGATHA CHRISTIE'S POIROT:


Japp is in Brussels with Poirot to collect an award. He's so full of himself, he doesn't see Tommy Winward at the table behind him. Nor does he see Tommy again when he pops up later as a guest at the luncheon in his honour


At that luncheon, good old Reg Thomason is savouring the wine


And George Ballantine is having a good time too


As is Jill Goldston at the restaurant where Poirot, Japp and Claude Chantalier (Jonathan Hackett) review an old case of chocolates (not Maltesers).

[Gerald Lovell]

You Can't Escape (1956): Another visit down the Feathers Inn now it's open again (well, tomorrow in Scotland):


Joining Sam Kydd, Hal Osmond and Peter Reynolds is Arthur Dibbs.

[Gerald Lovell]

The short-lived ITC series THE ZOO GANG must be so undercover that I can't do screencaps, but in "Revenge: Post-dated" (tx: 05.04.1974) when we get from my once frequent holiday haunt Nice to Pinewood soundstages, familiar faces that appear in addition to those shown on IMDb include:

Lady Shopper: Joan Ingram
Hercule: Michael Da Costa
Café Patrons: Phil Parkes, Harry Phipps
Art Gallery Visitors: Bunny Seaman, John Doye, Charles Adey-Gray, Sonnie Willis
Negresco (looking little like its Nice reality) Diners: Lewis Alexander, Mike Reynell
Negresco Waiter: Michael Anthony.

I didn't see our old chum Aitch in this episode, though.

[Gerald Lovell]

Back to pictures and IMDb has quite a decent list of uncredited extras for the DOCTOR AT LARGE episode "Mother and Father Doing Well" (tx: 18.07.1971), but of the extras I recognise:


There's Fred Davis as a patient patient in St. Swithin's casualty. I'm wondering if the lady in front of him is Anita Waterton. It's Ursula Barclay and Barry Evans in the foreground. But Fred is listed as "Freddie Davies" and indeed, he's been put on the IMDb page for Freddie "Parrot Face" Davies.

[Gerald Lovell]

The Laughing Lady (1946) is really no laughing matter to sit through, but there's a huge call of extras. The bad news is, what with blurry Technicolor, wigs and costumes, hardly anyone is recognisible:


But there's Jack Mandeville between Anne Ziegler and Peter Graves at a magnificent ball. Jack often turns up in dancing scenes. Francis L. Sullivan and Felix Aylmer are the bookends. Not in the screencap is Ralph Truman who curiously plays Lord Mandeville


Webster Booth commiserates with French nobleman Frederick Kelsey for having to appear in the film. It's a far, far better thing not to watch it at all, as the lady on right clearly realises.

[Gerald Lovell]

Miraculous apparitions from another visitation of The Angel Who Pawned Her Harp (1953):


Jack Sharp as a boozer down June Ellis's pub


Richard Nellor as (something like) Mr. Wallen, the local youth club host. The previously-sighted Arthur Howell props up the Beaconsfield soundstage wall: he is on double duty as a passerby later. Philip Guard is the wimp and the object of his retarded affection is Sheila Sweet


Carl Duering, also previously sighted, Freddie Watts and the angel herself, Diane Cilento, have really gone to the dogs, but so has bespectacled bookie George Hilsdon.

[MarcusHeslop(Stonfan)]

Seriously Gerald you should work in forensics or something. Your eye for spotting people is incredible. I thought that’s not George Hilsdon but on zooming in I’m now sure it is.

[Tigon Man]

Looks like George Spence, next to Jack Sharp in the first picture.

[Gerald Lovell]

Looks like George Spence, next to Jack Sharp in the first picture.

Sadly, it's not George.