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Mark Dignam

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Cuthbert Mark Dignam (20 March 1909 – 29 September 1989) was a prolific English actor.[1][2]

Born in London, the son of a salesman in the steel industry, Dignam grew up in Sheffield, and was educated at the Jesuit College, where he appeared in numerous Shakespearean plays.

He learned his craft touring Britain and America with Ben Greet's Shakespeare company.[3] His range extended from the Louis Macneice radio play, The Dark Tower in the 1940s to the TV thriller, The XYY Man in the late 1970s.[4][5]

Along with Philip Guard and John Bryning, Dignam can be heard on the fade-out of the Beatles' song "I Am the Walrus", during which is played a 1967 BBC radio broadcast of King Lear, with Dignam in the role of the Earl of Gloucester.[6]

Dignam was married three times, divorced twice (his character in The XYY Man frequently complains about the expense of maintaining multiple ex-wives).[7]

Family

His brother Basil was also a well-known character actor and his sister-in-law was the actress Mona Washbourne.[8]

Dollis Hill

Mark Dignam lived in Dollis Hill, north-west London, from 1967 until his death in 1989.[9][10]

Selected filmography

References

  1. ^ "Mark Dignam". BFI.
  2. ^ "Mark Dignam - Theatricalia". theatricalia.com.
  3. ^ Wearing, J. P. (15 May 2014). "The London Stage 1930-1939: A Calendar of Productions, Performers, and Personnel". Rowman & Littlefield – via Google Books.
  4. ^ "BBC Radio 4 - The Dark Tower". BBC.
  5. ^ "The Xyy Man Part 1 Law and Order (1977)". BFI.
  6. ^ "Recording, mixing, editing: I Am The Walrus, Your Mother Should Know". The Beatles Bible. Retrieved 10 October 2014.
  7. ^ McFarlane, Brian (16 May 2016). "The Encyclopedia of British Film: Fourth edition". Oxford University Press – via Google Books.
  8. ^ "Basil Dignam - Biography, Movie Highlights and Photos". AllMovie.
  9. ^ Walters, Max. "Campaign launched to save Old Oxgate Farm in Dollis Hill". Kilburn Times.
  10. ^ "At Oxgate Farm - Spitalfields Life".