Bill Kerr

Born: 1922-06-10

​From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.   William Henry Kerr (10 June 1922 – 28 August 2014) was a British and Australian film and television actor. He was born into a performing arts family in Cape Town, South Africa, but grew up in Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, Australia. He began working as a child actor in depression era Australia, taking his first major role in The Silence of Dean Maitland, one of Australia's first talking films. After serving in the Second World War, Kerr moved to England to further his acting career, and during the 1940s he was regularly featured in the BBC radio series Variety Bandbox. His trademark was his catch phrase "I'm only here for 4 minutes..." In the 1950s, he had a recurring role as an Australian lodger in the BBC radio comedy series Hancock's Half Hour. Initially sharper than Hancock's characterisation, it was developed into a more dim-witted character who became the butt of Hancock's jokes. His television appearances in Britain include a 1968 Doctor Who story called The Enemy of the World, with Patrick Troughton, and a long running part in the early 1960s BBC-TV soap, Compact. Bill Kerr had much theatrical success in Britain, playing The Devil in the original West End production of Damn Yankees, directed by Bob Fosse, and Cole. He also worked with Spike Milligan. He appeared in Milligan and John Antrobus's stage play The Bed-Sitting Room, which opened at the Mermaid Theatre on 31 January 1963. A subsequent production opened on 3 May 1967 at the Saville Theatre, and "a cast containing an unusually high proportion of Australian actors including Bill Kerr and David Nettheim." Then in 1972 he co-starred with Anthony Newley in the long running Newley/Bricusse musical, The Good Old Bad Old Days. In 1975, Kerr took the part of Bluey Notts, described as "an Australian bookie's clerk, a crude racialist", in The Melting Pot. This was a sitcom written by Spike Milligan and Neil Shand, which was cancelled by the BBC after just one episode had been broadcast. He also appeared in several British films, including The Dam Busters and The Wrong Arm of the Law, before moving back to Australia. Although probably best known as a comic actor, and especially for his appearances in Hancock's Half Hour, he has since played a number of serious roles, notably in Peter Weir's films Gallipoli (1981) and The Year of Living Dangerously (1982). He also worked on the Australian stage in the 1980s, in musicals such as My Fair Lady, where he received excellent reviews as Alfred Doolittle. In 2001, he appeared in the Australian comedy Let's Get Skase. Kerr also appeared in Glenview High and the 1998 television comedy series Minty. Kerr has also been involved in documentaries, providing the narration for No Survivor - The Mysterious Loss of HMAS Sydney Nine Network Australia (1995), Malice or Mutiny for the ABC Australia 2003 and Animal X Natural Mystery Unit series for Discovery in the US, TV2 Norway and many others. Description above from the Wikipedia article Bill Kerr, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.


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Peter Pan

as Fairy Guide
Released: 2003-12-18

In stifling Edwardian London, Wendy Darling mesmerizes her brothers every night with bedtime...

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Gallipoli

as Jack
Released: 1981-08-13

As World War I rages, brave and youthful Australians Archy and Frank—both agile runners—become...

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The Coca-Cola Kid

as T. George McDowell
Released: 1985-07-14

An eccentric marketing guru visits a Coca-Cola subsidiary in Australia to try and increase...

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The Year of Living Dangerously

as Colonel Henderson
Released: 1982-12-17

Australian journalist Guy Hamilton travels to Indonesia to cover civil strife in 1965. There—on...

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The Dam Busters

as Flight Lieutenant H. B. Martin, D.S.O., D.F.C., A.F.C.
Released: 1955-05-16

The story of the conception of a new British weapon for smashing the German dams in the Ruhr...

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A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum

as Gladiator-in-Training
Released: 1966-10-16

A wily slave must unite a virgin courtesan and his young smitten master to earn his freedom.

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Razorback

as Jake Cullen
Released: 1984-04-19

In the Australian outback a vicious wild boar kills and causes havoc to a small community.

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The Lighthorsemen

as Gen. Sir Harry Chauvel
Released: 1987-09-10

Palestine, 1917. The British advance has been stopped by the Turkish line running from Gaza to...

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The Wrong Arm of the Law

as Jack Coombes
Released: 1963-03-17

The crooks in London know how it works. No one carries guns and no one resists the police. Then...

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The Night My Number Came Up

as Soldier
Released: 1955-03-22

British Air Marshal Hardie is attending a party in Hong Kong when he hears of a dream, told by a...

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House of Mortal Sin

as Mrs. Davey
Released: 1976-02-03

Also known as 'The Confessional', another of Pete Walkers's critiques of institutional...

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House of Mortal Sin

as Mr. Davey
Released: 1976-02-03

Also known as 'The Confessional', another of Pete Walkers's critiques of institutional...

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The Shiralee

as Shopkeeper (uncredited)
Released: 1957-07-11

An Australian "swagman" finds his wife with another man, so he takes the daughter, Buster, with...

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Doctor in Distress

as Australian Sailor
Released: 1963-07-30

"Doctor in Distress" is the fifth of the seven films in the "Doctor" series, and focuses on Sir...

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Appointment in London

as Bill Brown
Released: 1953-02-17

Wing-commander Tim Mason leads a squadron of Lancaster bombers on almost nightly raids from...

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Ghost in the Noonday Sun

as Giacomo
Released: 1973-01-01

A pirate crewman kills his captain after learning where he has hidden his buried treasure....

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Doctor in Clover

as Digger
Released: 1966-03-08

Doctor in Clover is another 'Doctor' movie, but this time Leslie Phillips is the main doctor in...

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Sweet Talker

as 'Uncle' Cec
Released: 1991-05-10

When scam artist Harry Reynolds gets out of jail, he makes his way to the depressed coastal...

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Port of Escape

as Dinty Missouri
Released: 1956-05-01

Two sailors dock in London in search of a good time. But when one of them fatally stabs a man...

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The Captain's Table

as Bill Coke
Released: 1959-01-06

A captain is promoted by his company from tramp steamers to their flagship passenger liner....

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Penny Points to Paradise

as Digger Graves
Released: 1951-04-25

When Harry and Spike visit Bristol to spend the winnings from Harry's latest Pools win, the boys...

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Doctor Who: The Enemy of the World

as Giles Kent
Released: 1968-01-27

On Earth in 2018, the Doctor and his companions are enmeshed in a deadly web of intrigue thanks...

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Bushfire Moon

as Trevor Watson
Released: 1987-12-10

In the Australian outback, a small boy determines to see that a nasty, curmudgeonly miser gets...

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Dusty

as Tom Lincoln
Released: 1983-04-21

The eponymous Dusty is an appropriately named dingo, or wild dog. Roaming the fertile fields of...

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Tony Hancock: From East Cheam to Earls Court

as Self
Released: 1985-04-26

Ex-colleagues reflect on the comic genius and sometimes difficult character of Tony Hancock.

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Over the Hill

as Maurice
Released: 1992-06-30

Alma can't stand to have one more birthday without seeing her estranged daughter, Elizabeth, who...

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The Pirate Movie

as Major General
Released: 1982-08-06

A comedy/musical utilizing both new songs and parodies from the original (Gilbert and Sullivan's...

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My Death Is a Mockery

as Hansen
Released: 1952-08-01

A fisherman cannot make a decent living from his trawler so he decides to turn his hand to...

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Vigil

as Birdie
Released: 1984-10-01

Toss lives on a sheep farm with her father in New Zealand. When Toss's father dies in an...

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A Pair of Briefs

as Victor
Released: 1962-03-01

She's new in chambers, and he's a troublemaker. But what 'is' the true status of the old lady's...

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A Pair of Briefs

as Victor - Club Owner
Released: 1962-03-01

She's new in chambers, and he's a troublemaker. But what 'is' the true status of the old lady's...

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Rob Roy

as uncredited
Released: 1987-01-01

The tale of Scottish legend Rob Roy MacGregor is retold in beautiful animation. Rob Roy borrows...

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Save the Lady

as MacDuff
Released: 1981-12-28

A ragtag group of kids set out to save derelict steam ferry Lady Hope from destruction.

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Kokoda Crescent

as Russ
Released: 1989-06-01

The grandson of a war veteran is found dead from an overdose of heroin. He and his old army...

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Double Sculls

as Curly
Released: 1986-10-09

A man tries to rehabilitate his alcoholic friend by entering them both into the Australian...

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The Settlement

as Kearney
Released: 1984-07-19

Down-on-their-luck drifters Kearney and Martin wander into the small town of Cedar Creek looking...

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Great Expectations

as (Voice)
Released: 1983-03-31

The classic tale of the helpless orphan Pip and his anonymous benefactor is brought to life in...

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Deadline

as Willliam Ashby
Released: 1982-01-01

A journalist sets out to report on a minor earthquake in the Australian outback, and finds that...

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Girls Come First

as Hugh Jampton
Released: 1975-06-06

Up and coming portrait artist Alan Street is employed by the owner of a Soho Swingers Club to...

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Platypus Cove

as Mr. Anderson
Released: 1986-01-01

After saving a drowning boy's life, a fifteen-year-old orphan is taken aboard by the family as a...

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Let's Get Skase

as Mitchell Vendieks
Released: 2001-10-18

Christopher Skase. He ruled Australia and stole a fortune, fleeing to the coast of Spain. No one...

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Doctor Who

as Giles Kent
First aired: 1963-11-23

The adventures of The Doctor, a time-traveling humanoid alien known as a Time Lord. He explores...

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No Hiding Place

as uncredited
First aired: 1959-09-16

No Hiding Place is a British television series that was produced at Wembley Studios by...

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Hancock's Half Hour

as uncredited
First aired: 1956-07-06

Hancock's Half Hour is a BBC radio comedy, and later television comedy, series of the 1950s and...

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Return to Eden

as uncredited
First aired: 1983-09-27

Stephanie Harper is rich but insecure 40 year old heiress with two failed marriages behind her....

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Snowy

as Stuart McLachlan
First aired: 1993-09-08

The family lives of those working on Australia's Snowy Mountains dam in the 1950s.

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Anzacs

as General Monash
First aired: 1985-10-27

Anzacs was a 1985 5-part Australian miniseries set in World War I. The series follows the lives...

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The River Kings

as Captain Elijah
First aired: 1991-11-10

Filmed on South Australia's glorious River Murray, this television mini-series is set during the...

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Citizen James

as uncredited
First aired: 1960-11-24

Citizen James is a BBC sitcom that ran for three series between 24 November 1960 and 23 November...

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The New Adventures of Black Beauty

as Samuel Burton
First aired: 1990-09-01

The New Adventures of Black Beauty was the title of a television drama series produced in the...

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A Fortunate Life

as Narrator (voice)
First aired: 1986-04-27

At eight years old, an impoverished Bert Facey was forced to start the backbreaking,...

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Changi

as Older Eddie
First aired: 2001-10-14

Six young Australians go to war, full of confidence and bravado. They land in Singapore in 1942,...

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Animal X

as uncredited
First aired: 1997-01-01

Animal X is an Australian made documentary television series that aired in more than 120...

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