From The TV IV
Ballard Berkeley is a British actor best known for his role as Major Gowen in the British sitcom Fawlty Towers.
[edit] Biography
Ballard Berkeley was born Ballard Blascheck on August 6, 1904 in Margate, Kent, England. He was best known as a stage actor after he made his stage debut in 1928, and he continued to perform for the rest of his life in both London and New York. Among his many film and TV appearances, he played Major Gowen, the senile, drunken ex-British Army officer who was a permanent resident at the hotel Fawlty Towers in the series of the same name. Just as Major Gowen did for Basil Fawlty, Berkeley often kept co-star John Cleese apprised of cricket scores during filming, and Cleese recalls Berkeley standing off-camera, holding up his fingers to tell Cleese the scores as Cleese spoke his lines. Berkeley died at the age of 83 on January 16, 1988 in London.
[edit] Starring Roles
[edit] Guest Starring Roles
| Series
| Role
| Episode
| Airdate
|
| The Adventures of Robin Hood | Count De Waldern | 1x08 - Queen Eleanor | November 14, 1955
|
| Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., Presents | Edward Preston | 4x05 - The Immigrant | December 12, 1955
|
| Dixon of Dock Green | Mac | 2x03 - Didey's Dollar | June 23, 1956
|
| The Adventures of Sir Lancelot | Sir Urgan | 1x02 - The Ferocious Fathers | September 22, 1956
|
| Dixon of Dock Green | Harry Bates | 4x01 - Presented in Court | September 7, 1957
|
| Dixon of Dock Green | Joe Magnus | 4x20 - A Little Bit of French | January 25, 1958
|
| The Adventures of Robin Hood | Tybalt | 3x24 - Roman Gold | March 10, 1958
|
| Dixon of Dock Green | Mr. Noakes | 5x11 - The Pyromaniac | January 25, 1958
|
| Ivanhoe | Rand the Goldsmith | 1x35 - The Swindler | December 7, 1958
|
| Invisible Man | Manton | 1x06 - Play to Kill | July 18, 1959
|
| Dixon of Dock Green | Charles Devenish | 6x09 - George Drops the Book | November 7, 1959
|
| Dixon of Dock Green | Mr. Briggs | 7x14 - A Spot of Overtime | December 31, 1960
|
| The Cheaters | Tyler | 1x09 - Libel | February 11, 1961
|
| Dixon of Dock Green | Victor Dowson | 8x03 - A Quiet, Ordinary Woman | September 23, 1961
|
| The Cheaters | Jefford | 2x06 - The Mighty Warrior | January 27, 1962
|
| The Cheaters | Mansion | 2x23 - The Back of Beyond | May 26, 1962
|
| Maigret | | 4x05 - A Man Condemned | October 29, 1963
|
| Sherlock Holmes (1965) | Sir James Damery | 1x01 - The Illustrious Client | February 20, 1965
|
| The Wednesday Play | First Committee Member | 05/03/67 - Message for Posterity | May 3, 1967
|
| Detective (1964) | Assistant Commissioner | 2x02 - Dover and the Deadly Poison Pen Letters | May 24, 1968
|
| Sherlock Holmes (1965) | Sir Charles Baskerville | 2x04 - The Hound of the Baskervilles (1) | September 30, 1968
|
| Dixon of Dock Green | Colonel | 16x01 - The Paperhangers | September 6, 1969
|
| Father Dear Father | The Colonel | 3x02 - One Dog and His Man | May 19, 1970
|
| Bless This House | Group Captain | 2x06 - Strangers in the Night | March 27, 1972
|
| Wodehouse Playhouse | Sir Alexander | 1x04 - Unpleasantness at Bludleigh Court | May 14, 1975
|
| Just William | Major Franklin | 3x01 - William and the Sleeping Major | April 24, 1977
|
| The Goodies | | 8x02 - Saturday Night Grease | January 21, 1980
|
| The Goodies | Chairman of the British Olympic Committee | 8x03 - A Kick in the Arts | November 28, 1980
|
| To the Manor Born | Greville Hartley | 3x06 - Connections in High Places | November 22, 1981
|
| Terry and June | Colonel Culpepper | 5x02 - Swingtime | October 26, 1982
|
| Are You Being Served? | Fishing Customer | 9x03 - Memories Are Made of This | May 6, 1983
|
| Hi-De-Hi! | Gentleman | 5x03 - Empty Saddles | December 11, 1983
|
| That's My Boy | Commander Buckley | 3x05 - Unfair Dismissal | May 25, 1984
|
| Fresh Fields | Guy | 4x08 - Happy Returns | October 23, 1986
|
| Terry and June | Sir Arthur Forster-Carter | 9x03 - Episode Three (Season Nine) | August 3, 1987
|
[edit] Specials and Made-for-TV Movies
[edit] Talk, News and Game Show Appearances
[edit] Notable Film Roles
[edit] Memorable Moments
[edit] Awards and Accolades
[edit] Trivia
