Jack May

Born: 1922-04-23

Jack May was a mellifluous-voiced actor best known for playing butlers and establishment figures, often representing Britain's interests in far-flung corners of the empire. With regards the former, he memorably played William E. Simms, former music hall artise turned manservant to Gerald Harper's titular swashbuckling adventurer in '60s TV cult classic Adam Adamant Lives! as well as providing the voice of Igor, the long-suffering valet in Cosgrove Hall's 1980s animation Count Duckula. His film credits included the district commissioner in 1975's The Man Who Would Be King and the prosecuting naval attorney in the remake of The Bounty (1984). For many, May was Nelson Gabriel 'the most disreputable character in Ambridge' in BBC Radio 4's long-running soap The Archers. May took the role of the shady rogue, later antique dealer and wine bar owner, in 1952 and continued to play him right up until the year of his death, 1997. This 45 year stint made May, at the time, the fourth-longest serving soap opera star in the world. He died at the age of 75, on 19 September 1997, survived by his wife, the actress Petra Davies, his daughter Henrietta, and son David.


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Brief Encounter

as Boat Rental Man (uncredited)
Released: 1945-11-24

Returning home from a shopping trip to a nearby town, bored suburban housewife Laura Jesson is...

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as Steerage Passenger (uncredited)
Released: 1958-07-03

The sinking of the Titanic is presented in a highly realistic fashion in this tense British...

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See!

The Bounty

as Richter
Released: 1984-05-04

The familiar story of Lieutenant Bligh, whose cruelty leads to a mutiny on his ship. This...

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The Seven-Per-Cent Solution

as Dr. Schultz
Released: 1976-10-24

Concerned about his friend's cocaine use, Dr. Watson tricks Sherlock Holmes into travelling to...

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The Man Who Would Be King

as District Commissioner
Released: 1975-12-03

A robust adventure about two British adventurers who take over primitive Kafiristan as "godlike"...

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A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum

as Shopkeeper
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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How I Won the War

as Toby
Released: 1967-10-18

An inept British WWII commander leads his troops to a series of misadventures in North Africa...

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The Blue Lamp

as Old Man in Crowd (Uncredited)
Released: 1950-01-19

P.C. George Dixon is a long-serving traditional copper who is due to retire shortly. He takes a...

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Trog

as Dr. Selbourne
Released: 1970-10-24

Anthropologist Dr. Brockton unearths a primitive troglodyte -- an Ice Age "missing link":...

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This Happy Breed

as Mourner
Released: 1944-05-28

In 1919, Frank Gibbons returns home from army duty and moves into a middle-class row house,...

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Goodbye, Mr. Chips

as Price (uncredited)
Released: 1969-11-05

Academy Award-honoree Peter O'Toole stars in this musical classic about a prim English...

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The Return of the Soldier

as Brigadier General
Released: 1983-01-06

The horrors of World War I have robbed returning veteran Chris Baldry of his memory. The...

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Johnny Frenchman

as Choir Member (uncredited)
Released: 1945-10-29

The fisherman from a Cornish village have a friendly rivalry with the fishermen (and one...

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The Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy

as Garkbit (Head Waiter)
Released: 1981-02-09

An Earth Man and his alien friend escape an exploding Earth, and set forth on an odd adventure...

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Henry VIII

as Lord Chancellor
Released: 1979-02-25

Henry is a proud monarch who flies in the face of the church in seeking to divorce Queen...

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Pool of London

as uncredited
Released: 1951-02-20

Jewel thieves, murder, and a manhunt swirl around a sailor off a cargo ship in post-war London.

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Cat Girl

as Richard Johnson
Released: 1957-09-01

A psychiatrist treats a woman who is convinced that she turns into a killer leopard because of a...

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Hard Road

as Psychiatrist
Released: 1988-01-01

When Kelly and Max, two 13-year olds from widely different social backgrounds, form an unlikely...

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The Doctor and the Devils

as Dr Stevens
Released: 1985-10-04

In Victorian England, two grave robbers supply a wealthy doctor with bodies to research anatomy...

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The Silent Enemy

as Navy Doctor
Released: 1958-03-04

The Mediterranean, 1941/42 - Axis forces are using frogmen and manned torpedoes to attack...

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The Men of Sherwood Forest

as uncredited
Released: 1954-11-01

Robin Hood is persuaded by two nobles whom he believes to be loyal to King Richard to recover...

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Millions Like Us

as Old Man
Released: 1943-06-01

When Celia Crowson is called up for war service, she hopes for a glamorous job in one of the...

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A Prize of Arms

as MO
Released: 1962-12-11

A criminal gang sets out to pull off the heist of a large army payroll.

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There Was a Crooked Man

as Police Sergeant
Released: 1960-08-31

When a law-abiding demolition expert is duped by a gang of criminals into helping them he is...

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Willie's War

as Grandfather
Released: 1994-01-01

When 10-year-old Willie is evacuated from the East End of London, he is chosen by Zander,...

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The Gentle Sex

as Postman (uncredited)
Released: 1943-05-23

During the War seven women from very different backgrounds find themselves together in the...

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The Shooting Party

as Sir Harry Stamp
Released: 1985-02-01

1913, shortly before the outbreak of WWI. A group of aristocrats gathers at the estate of Sir...

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The Traitors

as Burton
Released: 1962-05-01

The cat and mouse game between government agents and a spy ring that has taken secret documents...

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A Twist of Sand

as Inspector Seekert
Released: 1968-11-01

A former British Naval Officer now makes his living by smuggling goods around the Mediterranean....

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Big Zapper

as Jeremiah Horn
Released: 1973-07-05

A female private detective, Harriet Zapper, is hired by a rich old man to find his missing...

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Doctor Who: The Space Pirates

as General Hermack
Released: 1969-04-12

The TARDIS materialises in Earth's future on a space beacon just before it is attacked by...

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Emma's Time

as Emma's father
Released: 1970-05-13

After the death of novelist Robert Kelvin, his mistress Emma tries to adjust and reflects upon...

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A Swarm in May

as Mr. Ardent - the Headmaster
Released: 1983-12-26

John Owen returns to the Choir School at the start of term to find that he is the youngest...

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Deadlock

as Postman
Released: 1943-10-01

A murderous twin gets his comeuppance.

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Solo for Sparrow

as Inspector Hudson
Released: 1962-09-01

A group of crooks accidentally kill an elderly shop assistant while stealing the keys to the...

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The Life and Times of David Lloyd George

as Lord Runciman
Released: 1981-03-04

The Life and Times of David Lloyd George charts the life of the controversial Liberal politician...

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Night After Night After Night

as Judge Lomax
Released: 1969-01-01

There's a killer on the loose in London, and whilst our typically craggy copper DI Rowan...

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The Professionals

as Edwards
Released: 1960-01-01

A renowned safecracker and his crew try to rob a bank by entering the vault through the sewer...

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The Avengers

as uncredited
First aired: 1961-01-07

The Avengers is a British television series created in the 1960s. It initially focused on Dr....

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Dr. Finlay's Casebook

as uncredited
First aired: 1962-08-16

Dr Finlay's Casebook is a television series that was broadcast on the BBC from 1962 until 1971....

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Scarecrow and Mrs. King

as uncredited
First aired: 1983-10-03

Scarecrow and Mrs. King is an American television series that aired from October 3, 1983, to May...

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All Creatures Great and Small

as Reverend Henty
First aired: 1978-01-08

All Creatures Great and Small is a British television series, based on the books of the British...

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UFO

as English Delegate
First aired: 1970-09-16

A secret, high-technology international agency called SHADO defends Earth from alien invaders.

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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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BBC Television Shakespeare

as uncredited
First aired: 1978-12-03

The BBC Television Shakespeare is a series of British television adaptations of the plays of...

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Van der Valk

as Minister
First aired: 1972-09-13

Van der Valk is a British television series that was produced by Thames Television for the ITV...

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The Main Chance

as Derrick Asher
First aired: 1969-06-18

The Main Chance was a British television series which first aired on ITV between 1969,1970,1972...

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The Main Chance

as Harry Turner
First aired: 1969-06-18

The Main Chance was a British television series which first aired on ITV between 1969,1970,1972...

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The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes

as James Ladbroke, Q.C.
First aired: 1971-09-20

Adaptations of mystery stories written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's contemporary rivals in the genre.

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Jeeves and Wooster

as Vicar
First aired: 1990-04-22

Jeeves and Wooster is a British comedy-drama series adapted by Clive Exton from P.G. Wodehouse's...

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The Adventures of Sir Lancelot

as Caradoc
First aired: 1956-09-15

The Adventures of Sir Lancelot is a British television series first broadcast in 1956, produced...

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An Age of Kings

as uncredited
First aired: 1960-04-28

A linking together of Shakespeare's history plays chronicling the rise and fall of monarchs over...

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Softly, Softly

as uncredited
First aired: 1966-01-05

Softly, Softly is a British television drama series, produced by the BBC and screened on BBC 1...

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The Adventures of the Scarlet Pimpernel

as Citizen (uncredited)
First aired: 1955-09-28

The second collection of short stories written by Baroness Orczy about the gallant English hero,...

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The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

as uncredited
First aired: 1981-01-05

Don't Panic! The story of Arthur Dent, an average Englishman who life was spared by his friend,...

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The Agatha Christie Hour

as uncredited
First aired: 1982-09-07

This ten episode program was based on ten short stories written by Agatha Christie but with...

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Count Duckula

as Igor
First aired: 1988-09-06

Count Duckula is a vegetarian vampire duck, coming into the world as an accident. Unlike his...

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Shoestring

as uncredited
First aired: 1979-09-30

Shoestring was a BBC television show set in Bristol. It featured a private detective with his...

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Adam Adamant Lives!

as uncredited
First aired: 1966-06-23

Adam Adamant Lives! is a British television series which ran from 1966 to 1967 on the BBC,...

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Pride and Prejudice

as Mr. Collins
First aired: 1958-01-24

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A Horseman Riding By

as uncredited
First aired: 1978-09-24

Having been invalided out of the Boer War, Paul Craddock buys Shallowford, a manor house and...

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Dawson's Weekly

as uncredited
First aired: 1975-06-12

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Target

as uncredited
First aired: 1977-09-09

A crime drama set in Southampton following a team of detectives and the cases they solve.

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You Can't Win

as uncredited
First aired: 1966-07-07

You Can't Win was a 1966 British television series made by ITV as an adaptation of the novels...

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