Graham Crowden

Graham Crowden
Born	Clement Graham Crowden (1922-11-30)30 November 1922 Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland
Died	19 October 2010(2010-10-19) (aged 87) Edinburgh, Lothian, Scotland
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1956–2008
Spouse(s)	Phyllida Hewat (1952–2010; his death)
Children	4

Clement Graham Crowden (30 November 1922 – 19 October 2010) was a Scottish actor. He was best known for his many appearances in television comedy dramas and films, often playing eccentric "offbeat" scientist, teacher and doctor characters.

Early life

Graham Crowden was born in Edinburgh, the son of University of Edinburgh-educated schoolmaster Harry Graham Crowden (d. 1938) and Anne Margaret (née Paterson). He was educated at Clifton Hall School and the Edinburgh Academy before serving briefly in the Royal Scots Youth Battalion of the army until he was injured in an accident. During arms drill he was shot by his platoon sergeant, when the sergeant's rifle discharged. The sergeant reportedly enquired "What is it now, Crowden?", to which Crowden replied "I think you've shot me, sergeant." He later found work in a tannery.

Acting career

Crowden had a long theatrical career, most notably at Laurence Olivier's National Theatre where he performed as The Player King in Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, the play by Tom Stoppard.

He occasionally played mad scientists in film, taking the role of Doctor Millar in the Mick Travis films of director Lindsay Anderson, O Lucky Man! (1973) and Britannia Hospital (1982) and also playing the sinister Doctor Smiles in the film of Michael Moorcock's first Jerry Cornelius novel, The Final Programme (1973). He also played the eccentric history master in Anderson's if.... (1968). In 1970, he appeared in the popular Thames Television series Callan as The Groper, a de-registered doctor, who had been in Wormwood Scrubs called on by Callan, when unofficial medical assistance was required (e.g. Series 3, "A Village Called G" and likely others between 1967–73 though some are now lost).

In 1975, he made an appearance in "No Way Out" – an episode of the British sitcom Porridge alongside Ronnie Barker, Brian Wilde, Richard Beckinsale and Fulton Mackay, as the prison doctor when Fletcher was complaining of an injured leg.

He was offered the role of the Fourth Doctor in Doctor Who in 1974, when Jon Pertwee left the role but turned it down, informing producer Barry Letts that he was not prepared to commit himself to the series for three years. The role ultimately went to Tom Baker. He appeared in The Horns of Nimon (1979) as a villain opposite Baker. This was the reason why Ian Marter was originally hired, as the producers and directors considered Crowden too old to be seen running about and taking on a larger physical role.

A regular role was in the BBC comedy-drama A Very Peculiar Practice (1986–88) as the alcoholic Jock McCannon. In 1990, he appeared as a lecherous peer in the BBC comedy Don't Wait Up and in 1991 he played a modest role in the Rumpole of the Bailey episode "Rumpole and the Quacks", portraying Sir Hector MacAuliffe, the head of a medical inquest into the potential sexual misconduct on the part of Ghulam Rahmat (portrayed by Saeed Jaffrey).

In 1990, he landed the role of Tom Ballard in the sitcom Waiting for God, opposite Stephanie Cole's character Diana Trent, as the two rebellious retirement home residents. The show ran for five years and was a major success.

In 1994, Crowden played the part of Professor Pollux in the BBC TV adaptation of the John Hadfield novel Love on a Branch Line.

Crowden then voiced the role of Mustrum Ridcully in the 1997 animated Cosgrove Hall production of Terry Pratchett's Soul Music.

In 2001, he guest-starred in the Midsomer Murders episode "Ring Out Your Dead" and also played The Marquis of Auld Reekie in The Way We Live Now. Between 2001 and 2002, he played a role in the BBC Radio 4 comedy series The Leopard in Autumn. In 2003, he made a cameo appearance as a sadistic naval school teacher in The Lost Prince. In 2005–08, he starred in the BBC Radio 4 sci-fi comedy Nebulous as Sir Ronald Rolands. In 2008, he appeared as a guest star in Foyle's War.

For many years towards the end of his life, he lived in Mill Hill, London NW7.

Death

Crowden died on 19 October 2010 in Edinburgh after a short illness. Crowden is survived by his wife, Phyllida Hewat, whom he married in 1952, a son and three daughters, one of whom, Sarah, followed him into acting.

Filmography

Television roles

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1957	Nicholas Nickleby	Mr. Pyke
1964	HMS Paradise	Commander Shaw
1964	Redcap: The Patrol	Major Fraser
1965	Danger Man:That's Two Of Us Sorry	Commander Braithwaite
1970	Catweazle:The Enchanted King	Gobbling
1971	The Guardians:The Dirtiest Man in the World	The Dirtiest Man
1973	The Adventures of Black Beauty: Goodbye Beauty	Mr. Crevace
1975	Porridge: Christmas Special – "No Way Out"	Prison Physician
1977	'1990': Decoy	Dr. Sondeberg
1977	Raffles: Home Affairs	Sir Arthur Rumbold
1979–1980	Doctor Who: The Horns of Nimon	Soldeed
1985	Bleak House	Lord Chancellor
1986–1988	A Very Peculiar Practice	Dr. Jock McCannon
1986	All Passion Spent	Herbert
1990–1994	Waiting for God	Tom Ballard
1991	Rumpole of the Bailey	Sir Hector MacAuliffe
1992	The Alleyn Mysteries: Final Curtain	Sir Henry Ancred
1994	Love on a Branch Line	Professor Pollux
1996	Gulliver's Travels	Professor of Politics
2000	The 10th Kingdom	Old Retainer
2001	Dr. Terrible's House of Horrible (Episode 'Curse of the Blood of the Lizard of Doom')	Professor MacLewton
2001	The Way We Live Now	The Marquis of Auld Reekie
2002	Midsomer Murders (Episode Ring Out Your Dead)	Reggie Barton
2007	Waking the Dead (Episode Deus ex Machina)	Sir Cyril Barrett
2008	Foyle's War (Episode 'Broken Souls')	Sir John Sackville	(final television appearance)

Film roles

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1959	The Bridal Path	Man Giving Directions to the Beach	Uncredited
1961	Don't Bother to Knock	Scoutmaster	Uncredited
1962	We Joined the Navy		Uncredited
1965	One Way Pendulum	Prosecuting Counsel / Caretaker
1966	Morgan - A Suitable Case for Treatment	Counsel
1968	If....	History Master: Staff
1969	The File of the Golden Goose	Smythe
1969	The Virgin Soldiers	Medical Officer
1970	Leo the Last	Max
1970	The Rise and Rise of Michael Rimmer	Bishop of Cowley
1971	Percy	Alfred Spaulton
1971	The Night Digger	Mr. Bolton
1972	Something to Hide	Lay Preacher
1971	Up the Chastity Belt	Sir Coward de Custard
1972	The Ruling Class	Kelso Truscott
1972	The Amazing Mr Blunden	Mr. Clutterbuck
1973	O Lucky Man!	Stewart / Prof. Millar / Meths Drinker
1973	The Final Programme	Dr. Smiles
1974	The Abdication	Cardinal Barberini
1974	The Little Prince	The General
1974	Romance with a Double Bass	Count Alexei
1975	The New Spartans
1977	Hardcore	Lord Yardarm
1977	Jabberwocky	Fanatics' Leader
1977	Three Dangerous Ladies	The Butler	(segment "The Island")
1981	For Your Eyes Only	First Sea Lord
1982	Britannia Hospital	Professor Millar
1982	The Missionary	The Reverend Fitzbanks
1984	The Company of Wolves	Old Priest
1985	Code Name: Emerald	Sir Geoffrey Macklin
1985	Out of Africa	Lord Belfield
1988	A Handful of Dust	Mr. Graceful
1996	The Innocent Sleep	George
1998	The Sea Change	Chairman of The Board
1998	I Want You	Old Man
2002	Possession	Sir George
2003	Calendar Girls	Richard

References

Michael Palin, Halfway to Hollywood, p. 162

External links

• Graham Crowden at IMDb
• Obituary in The Guardian
• Obituary in The Independent
• Graham Crowden at British Comedy Guide