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Charles Victor

2022-06-11T13:04:51Z

2A02:C7C:1420:3A00:8125:F217:18DB:6155: /* Selected filmography */

{{short description|British actor}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Charles Victor
| image = Actor_Charles_Victor.jpg
| imagesize =
| caption = in ''[[Fast and Loose (1954 film)|Fast and Loose]]'' (1954)
| birth_name = Charles Victor Harvey
| occupation = Actor
| birth_date = 10 February 1896
| birth_place = [[Southport]], [[Lancashire]], England
| death_date = 23 December 1965 (aged 69)
| death_place = [[Putney]], [[London]], England
| othername =
| years_active = 1938–1965}}

'''Charles Victor''' (10 February 1896 – 23 December 1965) was a [[UK|British]] [[actor]] who appeared in many film and television roles between 1931 and 1965.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/individual/160112|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090114161633/http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/individual/160112|url-status=dead|archive-date=2009-01-14|title=Charles Victor|work=BFI}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.allmovie.com/artist/charles-victor-p73465|title=Charles Victor - Movies and Filmography|website=AllMovie}}</ref> He was born '''Charles Victor Harvey'''.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Room|first1=Adrian|title=Dictionary of Pseudonyms: 13,000 Assumed Names and Their Origins, 5th ed.|date=2010|publisher=McFarland|isbn=9780786457632|page=493|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eSIhzKnNUf4C&q=%22Charles+Victor+Harvey%22+actor&pg=PA493|accessdate=3 June 2017|language=en}}</ref>

Born in Southport, Lancashire, England,<ref>{{cite news |title=Charles Victor to Repeat In Alfred P. Doolittle Role |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/21631470/charles_victor/ |work=The News Journal |date=February 22, 1962 |location=Delaware, Wilmington |page=25|via = [[Newspapers.com]]|accessdate = July 6, 2018}} {{Open access}}</ref> Victor was a fourth-generation English music hall entertainer. He left school when he was 15 to team with his father in a song-and-dance act for five years. After leaving that act, he briefly worked with his brother in an automobile agency before going into English musical comedy. In 1929, he joined the [[Birmingham Repertory Theatre]], which was headed by [[Barry Jackson (director)|Barry Jackson]], and stayed with it for 10 years.<ref name="bs">{{cite news |last1=Gardner |first1=R.H. |title=Doolittle Gives A Lift To 'My Fair Lady' |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/21630580/the_baltimore_sun/ |work=The Baltimore Sun |date=November 27, 1960 |location=Maryland, Baltimore |page=46|via = [[Newspapers.com]]|accessdate = July 6, 2018}} {{Open access}}</ref>

Victor appeared in just over 100 films between 1938 and 1966. The size and importance of his roles varied greatly. For example, in 1957 he played the lead role, with top billing, in the comedy ''[[There's Always a Thursday]]'', whilst in the same year he had a bit part in the biopic ''[[After the Ball (1957 film)|After the Ball]]''.

Late in life, Victor toured internationally in the role of Alfred Doolittle in ''[[My Fair Lady]]'', performing the role on ''[[The Ed Sullivan Show]]'' on 19 March 1961 during a tribute to [[Alan Jay Lerner]] and [[Frederick Loewe]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.edsullivan.com/artists/my-fair-lady/|title=My Fair Lady - Ed Sullivan Show}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jp8xJxrfipEC&q=charles+victor+actor+toured+in+my+fair+lady&pg=PA179|title=Loverly: The Life and Times of My Fair Lady|isbn=9780199968145|last1=McHugh|first1=Dominic|date=2012-06-08}}</ref>

==Selected filmography==
{{div col|colwidth=32em}}
* ''[[Return of the Frog]]'' (1938) as Customer in Night Club (uncredited)
* ''[[Hell's Cargo]]'' (1939) as Mr. Martin
* ''[[Where's That Fire?]]'' (1939) as Garage Owner (uncredited)
* ''[[Laugh It Off (1940 film)|Laugh It Off]]'' (1940) as Colonel
* ''[[Contraband (1940 film)|Contraband]]'' (1940) as Hendrick
* ''[[Dr. O'Dowd]]'' (1940) as Dooley
* ''[[Old Mother Riley in Society]]'' (1940) as Sir John Morgan
* ''[[You Will Remember]]'' (1941) as Pat Barrett
* ''[[Major Barbara (film)|Major Barbara]]'' (1941) as Bilton
* ''[[Old Mother Riley in Business]]'' (1941)
* ''[[East of Piccadilly]]'' (1941) as Editor
* ''[[This England (film)|This England]]'' (1941)
* ''[[Atlantic Ferry]]'' (1941) as Tim Grogan
* ''[[He Found a Star]]'' (1941) as Ben Marsh
* ''[[49th Parallel (film)|49th Parallel]]'' (1941) as Andreas
* ''[[Ships with Wings]]'' (1941) as MacDermott
* ''[[Rush Hour (1941 film)|Rush Hour]]'' (1941, Short) as Bus Inspector (uncredited)
* ''[[The Missing Million]]'' (1942) as Nobby Knowles
* ''[[Breach of Promise (1942 film)|Breach of Promise]]'' (1942) as Sir William
* ''[[The Next of Kin]]'' (1942) as Joe, Irish seaman
* ''[[The Foreman Went to France]]'' (1942) as Aircraft Spotter on Works Roof
* ''[[They Flew Alone]]'' (1942) as Postmaster
* ''[[Let the People Sing (film)|Let the People Sing]]'' (1942) as Bit Role (uncredited)
* ''[[Lady from Lisbon]]'' (1942) as Porter
* ''[[Seven Days' Leave (1942 film)|Seven Days' Leave]]'' (1942) as Mr. Charles Victor
* ''[[Those Kids from Town]]'' (1942) as Vicar
* ''[[The Peterville Diamond]]'' (1943) as Dan
* ''[[Squadron Leader X]]'' (1943) as Marks
* ''[[The Silver Fleet]]'' (1943) as Bastiaan Peters
* ''[[When We Are Married (film)|When We Are Married]]'' (1943) as Mr. Northrup
* ''[[The Bells Go Down]]'' (1943) as Bill, Dunkirk Survivor (uncredited)
* ''[[Undercover (1943 film)|Undercover]]'' (1943) as Sergeant
* ''[[The Saint Meets the Tiger]]'' (1943) as Bittle
* ''[[Rhythm Serenade]]'' (1943) as Mr. Martin
* ''[[Escape to Danger]]'' (1943) as Petty Officer Flanagan
* ''[[My Learned Friend]]'' (1943) as 'Safety' Wilson
* ''[[They Met in the Dark]]'' (1943) as Pub Owner
* ''[[San Demetrio London]]'' (1943) as Deckhand
* ''[[It Happened One Sunday]]'' (1944) as Frisco Kid
* ''[[The Man from Morocco]]'' (1945) as Bourdille
* ''[[I Live in Grosvenor Square]]'' (1945) as Taxi Driver
* ''[[The Way to the Stars]]'' (1945) as Corporal Fitter
* ''[[The Rake's Progress (film)|The Rake's Progress]]'' (1945) as Old Sweat
* ''[[Caesar and Cleopatra (film)|Caesar and Cleopatra]]'' (1945) as 1st. Porter
* ''[[Gaiety George]]'' (1946) as Danny Collier
* ''[[This Man Is Mine (1946 film)|This Man Is Mine]]'' (1946) as Hijacker
* ''[[The Magic Bow]]'' (1946) as Peasant Driver
* ''[[While the Sun Shines]]'' (1947) as Tube Train Conductor
* ''[[Woman to Woman (1947 film)|Woman to Woman]]'' (1947) as Stage Manager
* ''[[Meet Me at Dawn]]'' (1947) as 1st Client
* ''[[Temptation Harbour]]'' (1947) as Gowshall
* ''[[Green Fingers]]'' (1947) as Joe Mansel
* ''[[While I Live]]'' (1947) as Sgt. Pearne
* ''[[The Calendar (1948 film)|The Calendar]]'' (1948) as John Dory
* ''[[Broken Journey]]'' (1948) as Harry Gunn
* ''[[Vote for Huggett]]'' (1949) as Mr. Hall
* ''[[Fools Rush In (1949 film)|Fools Rush In]]'' (1949) as Mr. Atkins
* ''[[Landfall (1949 film)|Landfall]]'' (1949) as Mona's Father
* ''[[The Cure for Love]]'' (1949) as Henry Lancaster
* ''[[Waterfront (1950 film)|Waterfront]]'' (1950) as Bill
* ''[[The Woman in Question]]'' (1950) as Albert Pollard
* ''[[The Fighting Pimpernel]]'' (1950) as Colonel Winterbotham
* ''[[The Galloping Major (film)|The Galloping Major]]'' (1951) as Sam Fisher
* ''[[Calling Bulldog Drummond]]'' (1951) as Insp. McIver
* ''[[The Magic Box]]'' (1951) as Industry Man
* ''[[Encore (1951 film)|Encore]]'' (1951) as Mr. Bateman (segment "The Ant and the Grasshopper")
* ''[[The Frightened Man]]'' (1952) as Rosselli
* ''[[Something Money Can't Buy]]'' (1952) as Borough Treasurer
* ''[[The Ringer (1952 film)|The Ringer]]'' (1952) as Inspector Wembury
* ''[[Made in Heaven (1952 film)|Made in Heaven]]'' (1952) as Aubrey Topham
* ''[[Appointment in London]]'' (1952) as Dobbie
* ''[[Those People Next Door]]'' (1953) as Joe Higgins
* ''[[Street Corner (1953 film)|Street Corner]]'' (1953) as Muller
* ''[[Murder Without Tears]]'' (1953)
* ''[[The Saint's Return]]'' (1953) as Chief Insp. Claud Teal
* ''[[Meet Mr. Lucifer]]'' (1953) as Mr. Elder
* ''[[The Girl on the Pier]]'' (1953) as Inspector Chubb
* ''[[The Love Lottery]]'' (1954) as Jennings
* ''[[Fast and Loose (1954 film)|Fast and Loose]]'' (1954) as Lumper
* ''[[The Rainbow Jacket]]'' (1954) as Voss
* ''[[The Embezzler (1954 film)|The Embezzler]]'' (1954) as Henry Paulson
* ''[[For Better, for Worse (1954 film)|For Better, for Worse]]'' (1954) as Fred
* ''[[Police Dog (film)|Police Dog]]'' (1955) as Sergeant
* ''[[Value for Money]]'' (1955) as Lumm
* ''[[An Alligator Named Daisy]]'' (1955) as Police Sergeant (uncredited)
* ''[[Dial 999 (1955 film)|Dial 999]]'' (1955) as Tom Smithers
* ''[[Now and Forever (1956 film)|Now and Forever]]'' (1956) as Farmer Gilbert
* ''[[Charley Moon]]'' (1956) as Miller Moon
* ''[[The Extra Day]]'' (1956) as Bert
* ''[[Eyewitness (1956 film)|Eyewitness]]'' (1956) as Police Desk Sergeant
* ''[[Home and Away (film)|Home and Away]]'' (1956) as Ted Groves
* ''[[Tiger in the Smoke]]'' (1956) as Will
* ''[[There's Always a Thursday]]'' (1957) as George Potter
* ''[[The Prince and the Showgirl]]'' (1957) as Theatre Manager
* ''[[After the Ball (1957 film)|After the Ball]]'' (1957) as Stagehand
* ''[[Band of Angels]]'' (1957) as Officer (uncredited)
* ''[[Passion Holiday]]'' (1963) (uncredited)
* ''[[Made in Paris]]'' (1966) as Livingston (uncredited)
{{div col end}}

==References==
<references/>

==External links==
*{{IMDb name|nm0896094}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Victor, Charles}}
[[Category:English male film actors]]
[[Category:English male television actors]]
[[Category:1896 births]]
[[Category:1965 deaths]]
[[Category:People from Southport]]
[[Category:Male actors from Lancashire]]
[[Category:20th-century British male actors]]
[[Category:20th-century English male actors]]

Harry Towb

2022-06-10T21:21:51Z

2A02:C7C:1420:3A00:8125:F217:18DB:6155: /* Selected filmography */

{{Short description|Northern Irish actor (1925–2009)}}
{{EngvarB|date=October 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2013}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Harry Towb
| birth_date = {{birth date|1925|7|27|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Larne]], [[County Antrim]], Northern Ireland
| death_date = {{death date and age|2009|7|24|1925|7|27|df=y}}
| death_place = [[London]], England
| spouse = {{marriage|[[Diana Hoddinott]]|1965}}
| children = 3
| occupation = Stage, film and TV actor
| yearsactive = 1950–2009
}}

'''Harry Towb''' (27 July 1925 – 24 July 2009)<ref>{{cite news|url=http://breakingnews.iol.ie/entertainment/actor-harry-towb-dies-420059.html|title=Actor Harry Towb dies|publisher=breakingnews.iol.ie|date=25 July 2009|access-date=25 July 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090728011723/http://breakingnews.iol.ie/entertainment/actor-harry-towb-dies-420059.html|archive-date=28 July 2009|url-status=dead}}</ref> was an actor from [[Northern Ireland]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmovie.com/artist/harry-towb-p71514|title=Harry Towb | Biography, Movie Highlights and Photos|website=AllMovie.com|access-date=30 July 2020}}</ref>

==Early life and career==
Towb was born in [[Larne]], [[County Antrim]], to a [[History of the Jews in Russia|Russian-Jewish]] father and an [[History of the Jews in Ireland|Irish-Jewish]] mother; he once claimed he was the only [[Jews|Jew]] ever born in Larne. After his parents divorced, he moved with his mother and sister to north [[Belfast]], where he attended the Finiston School and Technical College. He enlisted in the [[British Army]] during [[World War II]] and managed a military canteen, but was discharged once it emerged that he had lied about his age.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.newulsterbiography.co.uk/index.php/home/viewPerson/1866|title=Harry Towb (1925-2009): Actor|website=The Dictionary of Ulster Biography}}</ref> He then appeared on stage with a touring theatre company in Ireland, in [[repertory theatre]] in England and in [[London]]'s [[West End theatre|West End]], where he had a role in the musical adaptation of ''[[Bar Mitzvah Boy (musical)|Bar Mitzvah Boy]]''. He also appeared in ''[[A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum]]'' at the [[Royal National Theatre|National Theatre]] in 2004.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2009/jul/30/harry-towb-obituary|title=Harry Towb|first=Michael|last=Coveney|date=30 July 2009|newspaper=[[The Guardian]]}}</ref>

He made numerous appearances on [[Television in the United Kingdom|UK television]] including popular UK TV series ''[[Callan (TV series)|Callan]]'', the [[Ronald Howard (British actor)|Ronald Howard]] led ''[[Sherlock Holmes (1954 TV Series)|Sherlock Holmes]]'', ''[[The Avengers (TV series)|The Avengers]]'', ''[[Home James!]]'', ''[[Casualty (TV series)|Casualty]], [[The Bill]]'', ''[[Minder (TV series)|Minder]]'', ''[[Doctor Who]]'' and ''[[Heartbeat (UK TV series)|Heartbeat]]''. His film appearances include ''[[Above Us the Waves (film)|Above Us the Waves]]'' (1955), ''[[The Blue Max]]'' (1966), ''[[Prudence and the Pill]]'' (1968), ''[[Patton (film)|Patton]]'' (1970) and ''[[Lamb (1985 film)|Lamb]]'' (1985).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2ba582c274|title=Harry Towb|website=Bfi.org.uk|access-date=30 July 2020}}</ref> In 1959 he appeared in a radio episode of ''[[Hancock's Half Hour]]'', "Fred's Pie Stall". In December 2008, Towb appeared in two episodes of the BBC soap opera ''[[EastEnders]]'' as [[List of EastEnders characters (2008) #David|David]], [[Janine Butcher]]'s fiancé. He also appeared on the long-running BBC [[music hall]] show, ''[[The Good Old Days (British TV series)|The Good Old Days]]''.

Harry Towb was also a regular presenter on the [[BBC Schools]]' programme ''[[You and Me (British TV series)|You and Me]]'' featuring with Cosmo and Dibs. In the late 1970s, Towb appeared in a series of TV commercials advertising Younger's Tartan Special beer, which were shown on very heavy rotation in Scotland.

He appeared in the 1983 London production of the hit stage musical Little Shop of Horrors, starring the original American lead Ellen Greene, based on Roger Corman's low-budget horror movie.

==Personal life==
Harry Towb was married to the actress [[Diana Hoddinott]], with whom he had three children.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/8168967.stm|title=Actor Harry Towb dies of cancer|date = 25 June 2009|access-date = 14 August 2021|work= [[BBC News]]}}</ref> He died at his home in [[London]] from complications due to [[cancer]]. As his obituary in ''[[The Times]]'' said, "Asked, once, why he had become an actor, Harry Towb said it was because he had always wanted to be someone else." His "being fascinated by others... made him one of the finest character actors of his day", ''The Times'' continued. Towb, said one critic, "can be relied upon to add distinction to any production".<ref>Obituary. [http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/obituaries/article6730710.ece 'Harry Towb: Actor'], ''The Times''. 29 July 2009.</ref> Towb continued to identify with his Jewish background, and in 1983 recorded a documentary, ''Odd Men In'', about Belfast's Jewish community. He would describe his interview with Belfast-born [[Chaim Herzog]] for this documentary as his proudest moment.<ref>[http://www.thejc.com/news/uk-news/actor-harry-towb-dies Actor Harry Towb dies] from ''[[The Jewish Chronicle]]''</ref>

==Selected filmography==
{{Div col}}
* ''[[The Quiet Woman]]'' (1951) – Jim Cranshaw
* ''[[Gift Horse (film)|Gift Horse]]'' (1952) – Minor Role (uncredited)
* ''[[13 East Street]]'' (1952) – Ray
* ''[[Escape Route (film)|Escape Route]]'' (1952) – Immigration Officer (uncredited)
* ''[[Escape by Night (1953 film)|Escape by Night]]'' (1953) – Reporter (uncredited)
* ''[[Knave of Hearts (film)|Knave of Hearts]]'' (1954) – Stewart (uncredited)
* ''[[John Wesley (film)|John Wesley]]'' (1954) – Michael O'Rory
* ''[[The Sleeping Tiger]]'' (1954) – Harry, second criminal
* ''[[A Prize of Gold]]'' (1955) – Benny
* ''[[Above Us the Waves]]'' (1955) – McCleery
* ''[[The Time of His Life]]'' (1955) – Steele
* ''[[Doublecross (1956 film)|Doublecross]]'' (1956) – Publican
* ''[[The March Hare (1956 film)|The March Hare]]'' (1956) – P.C. Dooney (uncredited)
* ''[[Eyewitness (1956 film)|Eyewitness]]'' (1956) – Sugdon
* ''Circus Friends'' (1956) – Larry
* ''[[Stranger in Town (1957 film)|Stranger in Town]]'' (1957) – Café Attendant
* ''[[The End of the Line (1957 film)|The End of the Line]]'' (1957) – Vince
* ''[[Murder at Site 3]]'' (1958) – Kenney
* ''[[Dial 999 (TV series)]]'' - ('Rolling Racketeers', episode) - Harry
* ''[[The 39 Steps (1959 film)|The 39 Steps]]'' (1959) – Harold (uncredited)
* ''[[Crossroads to Crime]]'' (1960) – Paddy
* ''[[All Night Long (1962 film)|All Night Long]]'' (1962) – Phales
* ''[[The Scarlet Blade]]'' (1963) – Cobb (uncredited)
* ''[[The Blue Max]]'' (1966) – Kettering
* ''[[30 Is a Dangerous Age, Cynthia]]'' (1968) – Mr. Woolley
* ''[[Prudence and the Pill]]'' (1968) – Racetrack Official
* ''[[The Bliss of Mrs. Blossom]]'' (1968) – Doctor
* ''[[All Neat in Black Stockings]]'' (1968) – Issur
* ''[[The Mind of Mr. J.G. Reeder]]'', (Tv. episode) - (1969–1971) – Lew Kassio
* ''[[Patton (film)|Patton]]'' (1970) – American GI Cook (uncredited)
* ''[[Carry On at Your Convenience]]'' (1971) – Doctor in Film
* ''[[Some Kind of Hero (1972 film)|Some Kind of Hero]]'' (1972) – Mannie Greenbaum
* ''[[Digby, the Biggest Dog in the World]]'' (1973) – Ringmaster
* ''[[The Girl from Petrovka]]'' (1974) – American Reporter
* ''Sex Play'' (1974) – Four Star General
* ''[[Barry Lyndon]]'' (1975) – Innkeeper
* ''[[Rosie Dixon – Night Nurse]]'' (1978) – Mr. Phillips
* ''[[Lassiter (film)|Lassiter]]'' (1984) – Roger Boardman
* ''[[Lamb (1985 film)|Lamb]]'' (1985) – Priest
* ''[[Stowaways on the Ark]]'' (1988) – Noah
* ''[[Moll Flanders (1996 film)|Moll Flanders]]'' (1996) – Magistrate
* ''[[The Most Fertile Man in Ireland]]'' (2000) – Uncle Eugene
* ''[[Conspiracy of Silence (2003 film)|Conspiracy of Silence]]'' (2003) – Father Doherty
* ''[[Cheeky (film)|Cheeky]]'' (2003) – Mr. Oates
{{div col end}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{IMDb name|0869895}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20110518093536/http://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/Harry%20Towb+32190.twl National Theatre]
*[https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2009/jul/30/harry-towb-obituary Harry Towb Obituary in ''The Guardian'']

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Towb, Harry}}
[[Category:1925 births]]
[[Category:2009 deaths]]
[[Category:20th-century male actors from Northern Ireland]]
[[Category:21st-century male actors from Northern Ireland]]
[[Category:Male film actors from Northern Ireland]]
[[Category:People from Northern Ireland of Russian-Jewish descent]]
[[Category:Jews from Northern Ireland]]
[[Category:British Army personnel of World War II]]
[[Category:Jewish British male actors]]
[[Category:Male musical theatre actors from Northern Ireland]]
[[Category:Male stage actors from Northern Ireland]]
[[Category:People from Larne]]
[[Category:Male television actors from Northern Ireland]]
[[Category:20th-century male singers from Northern Ireland]]