Feature Films

Jack never really broke into films, feature films that is, in a big way. His first film was something British and black and white I can't remember the title or who was in it, this is a sketchy recollection on my part but he was always pleased with it. It was a tiny bit part, almost an extra, thinking about it I believe it was a non speaking role so extra it would be. But the thing he was pleased about was the shot of him was framed between the leading man's legs (I think it was a big name of the day Alan Ladd, James Mason or similar) anyway it wasn't enough to fly to Hollywood!

[2026 update: The film, I have found in some of dad's career notes, was The Master of Ballantrae (1953) with Errol Flynn. I have watched the film and can see no such shot - but it's pretty long and boring with a lot of crowd scenes so I may have missed it.]

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He made a few movies in the sixties:

The Spy with a Cold Nose (1966) (uncredited) .... Zookeeper
Charlie Bubbles (1967) ... Old Man (Brabble). Filmed but cut out at editing stage but when I saw it on TV years later he was in it?! But not on the DVD??
Hammerhead (1968) .... Tookey Tate
Where's Jack? (1969) .... Mr. Woods

He also filmed in 1968 Chitty Chitty Bang Bang the role of Coggins the scrapyard man who sells the car to Potts and family. I still have the shooting script. However for reasons never found out it was reshot with Desmond Llewelyn, think it was bit of a surprise at the cinema when he wasn't in it and we could then never say "Oh he was in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang'.

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and a few in the seventies:

The Raging Moon (1971) .... Mr. Pritchard
Say Hello to Yesterday (1971) ....Boy's father - A film I only just found out he was in!
Death Line (1972) .... Platform Inspector ... aka Raw Meat (USA)
Gawain and the Green Knight (1973) .... Porter
Swallows and Amazons (1974) .... Old Billy

and he was up for John Durbeyfield in Polanski's Tess just before he died.

While we're on films Liz was in a film 'The Day will Dawn' (1942) with Deborah Kerr. A classic propaganda film. [2026 currently showing on itvX streaming platform]