Alfred Burke
Alfred Burke (28 February 1918 – 16 February 2011) was an English actor who played Frank Marker in the drama series Public Eye, which ran on television for ten years.
Alfred Burke

TV episode screenshot (ABC) · Public domain
- Name
- Alfred Burke
- Born
- 28 February 1918
- Birthplace
- Peckham, London, England
- Died
- 16 February 2011
- Place of death
- Barnes, London, England
- Occupation
- Actor
- Nationality
- United Kingdom
- Fields
- Shakespearean comedy
- Education
- Royal Academy of Dramatic Art
- Languages
- English
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Alfred Burke (28 February 1918 – 16 February 2011) was an English actor who played Frank Marker in the drama series Public Eye, which ran on television for ten years.
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Note VALÉORINE
Alfred Burke (1918–2011) was a British actor. Born in Peckham, the actor died in Barnes. Alfred Burke studied at Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.
Genres include Shakespearean comedy. Languages used include English.
Composed from admitted, traceable facts · 01 October 2026
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In this article
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Alfred Burke • Born — 28 February 1918 • Birthplace — Peckham, London, England • Died — 16 February 2011 • Place of death — Barnes, London, England • Occupation — Actor • Years Active — 1946–2003
Early life
Early life
Born in London's southeast district of Peckham, the son of Irish parents Sarah Ann O'Leary and William Burke, Burke was educated at Leo Street Boys' School and Walworth Central School. Burke started work aged 14, working in a railway repair firm in the City of London after leaving school. He became a club steward and also worked in a silk warehouse, joining a local amateur dramatics group before moving to Morley College and winning a scholarship to RADA in 1937. Burke's acting career started two years later at the Barn Theatre in Shere, Surrey. His budding career was interrupted by the Second World War, when he registered as a conscientious objector, and was directed to work on the land.
Career
Career
In the late 1940s, Burke worked with the Young and Old Vic and other companies. His London debut was in 1950 at the Watergate Theatre, appearing in Pablo Picasso's play Desire Caught by the Tail. He then spent three years with Birmingham Repertory Theatre (1950–53) and appeared in the 1954 West End hit Sailor Beware!. Burke built a solid reputation across a wide range of character roles in films and on television. His acting career included: The Angry Silence, Touch and Go, Interpol, Yangtse Incident and Buccaneers, as well as such televised plays as The Tip and Treasure Island. Burke's most famous role was the enquiry agent Frank Marker in the ABC/Thames television series Public Eye, which ran from 1965 to 1975. His low-key, understated but always compelling portrayal of the down-at-heel private eye made the series one of the most popular and highly rated detective dramas on British television. After Public Eye ended Burke appeared in a host of guises, from Long John Silver to Pope John Paul II's father. In the television series Minder he appeared in the episode Come in T-64, Your Time Is Ticking Away as Kevin, partner to Arthur Daley in his latest scheme, a minicab service. He was also the formidable headmaster "Thrasher" Harris in Home To Roost. He played Major (later Oberst) Richter in both series of Enemy at the Door and Dr Anderson in the Bergerac episode "Poison". Later he was seen as Armando Dippet in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. On stage Burke appeared in several productions by the Royal Shakespeare Company, including Richard II, Romeo and Juliet, Roberto Zucco, The Tempest, Peer Gynt, Measure for Measure, Troilus and Cressida, Two Shakespearean Actors, All's Well That Ends Well and Antony and Cleopatra. In 2008 he appeared at the National Theatre as the Shepherd in a new version of Sophocles' Oedipus by Frank McGuinness. In 2022 a documentary tribute to Burke was released entitled Alfred Burke is Frank Marker.
Death
Death
Burke died from a chest infection on 16 February 2011, twelve days before his 93rd birthday, and was cremated at Golders Green Crematorium. He was survived by his wife, Barbara (née Bonelle) and their four children: Jacob and Harriet (twins), and Kelly and Louisa (twins).
Filmography
Filmography
• The Kid from Brooklyn (1946) – dancer (uncredited) • The Constant Husband (1955) – porter (uncredited) • Touch and Go (1955) – man on the bridge • Yangtse Incident: The Story of H.M.S. Amethyst (U.S. title Battle Hell) (1957) – Petty Officer • Interpol (U.S. title Pickup Alley) (1957) – Vincent Cashling • Let's Be Happy (1957) – French Ticket Clerk • The Long Haul (1957) – drunk in club (uncredited) • Bitter Victory (1957) – Lt. Colonel Callander • High Flight (1957) – Controller, Operations Room • No Time to Die (U.S. title Tank Force!) (1958) – Captain Ritter • Law and Disorder (1958) – Willis Pugh, poacher • The Man Inside (1958) – Mr Pritchard • The Man Upstairs (1958) – Mr Barnes • Operation Amsterdam (1959) – dealer • Model for Murder (1959) – Podd • The Crowning Touch (1959) – Reg • Moment of Danger (Malaga) (1960) – Shapley • The Angry Silence (1960) – Travers • The Trials of Oscar Wilde (1960) – reporter • Dead Lucky (1960) – Knocker Parsons • The Pot Carriers (1962) – Lang • Crooks Anonymous (1962) – Caulfield • She Knows Y'Know (1962) – Mr Fox • Mix Me a Person (1962) – Lumley • On the Beat (1962) – Trigger O'Flynn • The Small World of Sammy Lee (1963) – Big Eddie • The Man Who Finally Died (1963) – Heinrich (uncredited) • Farewell Performance (1963) – Marlon • Children of the Damned (1964) – Colin Webster • The Nanny (1965) – Dr Wills • Night Caller from Outer Space (1965) (a.k.a. Blood Beast from Outer Space) – Detective Superintendent Hartley • Guns in the Heather (1969) – Kersner • One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich (1970) – Alyosha • The House on Garibaldi Street (1979) – Adolf Eichmann • A Midsummer Night's Dream (1996), filmed adaptation of the Royal Shakespeare Company's production – Egues • Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002) – Professor Armando Dippet (final film role)
Comedy
Comedy
• Year — Title — Role — Notes • 1963 — On the Knocker — Frank • 1985 — Home to Roost — Thrasher Harris — Episode: "Bad Apples" • 1994 — Under the Hammer — Peter Pomfret — Episode: "The Fatal Attribution"
Documentary/Arts
Documentary/Arts
• Year — Title — Role — Notes • 1974 — 2nd House — reader — "The First Freedom" • 1977 — The Lively Arts — "Arnold Schoenberg: Bogey-Man - Prophet - Guardian 1: Crossing the Frontier 1874-1914", "Arnold Schoenberg: Bogey-Man - Prophet - Guardian 2: In Defence of Culture 1914-1951" • 1978 — The South Bank Show — "Paganini Superstar" • Vive a Venezia • 1980 — The Face Behind the Face (portrait of Dmitri Shostakovich)
Drama
Drama
• Year — Title — Role — Notes • 1951–1956 — Sunday Night Theatre (a.k.a. BBC Sunday Night Theatre) — Various — 6 episodes • 1954 — Murder Over Draughts • 1955–1956 — Kathleen — Seamus MacGomigal • 1955–1959 — ITV Television Playhouse (aka Television Playhouse) — Various — 4 episodes • 1955 — The Adventures of Annabel — Neb — Episode: "Say It with Music" • The Seventh Dungeon — Ranulf • 1956 — Colonel March of Scotland Yard — Minister — Episode: "The Devil Sells His Soul" • No Man's Land — Private Schultz • Theatre Royal (aka Lilli Palmer Theatre, or Lilli Palmer presents The Quality Theatre) — John — Episode: "Forecast Unsettled" • London Playhouse — Constable Lo Peng — Episode: "The Black Judge" • Without Love — Hart • The Bowl of Ramayama — The Vizier • 1956–1957 — Assignment Foreign Legion — Major Lebeque / Corporal Lescaux • 1956–1958 — The Adventures of Robin Hood — Will Sharpe/Sir Simon — 2 episodes • 1956–1964 — ITV Play of the Week — Various — 13 episodes • 1957 — Romantic Chapter — Philip • The Adventures of Aggie (U.S. title Aggie — Paddy O'Rourke — Episode; "Cock and Bull"` • The Buccaneers — Pirate Mate/Marsh — |2 episodes • Hour of Mystery — Detective Sargeant Wilson — |Episode: "Confess, Killer" • Overseas Press Club – Exclusive! — Inspector Maron — |Episode: "The Billion Franc Mystery " • The New Adventures of Martin Kane — Greene — |Episode: "The Taxi Story" • 1958–1960 — Boyd Q.C. — Prosecuting counsel — 3 episodes • 1958 — You're a Long Time Dead — Harry — | • The Royalty — Sam — 2 episodes • Pringle — Mr Byward • The Adventures of William Tell — Bolf — Episode: "The Assassins" • Murder Bag — Two appearances — Episode: "Lockhart Plays with Fire", "Case 27" • Crime Sheet — Episode: "Lockhart Rings the Bell" • Charlesworth — Stringer — Episode: "All That Glitters" • International Detective — Mr Molinskys — Episode: "The Carrington Case" • You Are There: The Ordeal of Christabel Pankhurst • 1959–1969 — Armchair Theatre — Various — 6 episodes • 1959 — The Invisible Man — Bob — Episode: "Point of Destruction" • Probation Officer — Grantham — 2 episodes • Interpol Calling — Martin Becker — Episode: "The Angola Brights" • 1960–1965 — The Third Man — Inspector Dugaine — 2 episodes • 1960 — ITV Sunday Night Drama — Clay — Episode: "Theatre 60: The Devil Makes Sunday" • No Hiding Place — Alf Jenkins/Frank Baines — 2 episodes • Danger Man — Craven — Episode: "The Conspirators" • 1961–1963 — Edgar Wallace Mysteries (aka The Edgar Wallace Mystery Theatre) — Various — 4 episodes • 1961–1966 — The Avengers — 3 episodes • 1961 — One Step Beyond (aka Alcoa Presents: One Step Beyond) — Scholl — Episode: "The Sorcerer" • Ghost Squad — Kane — Episode: "Bullet with My Name on It" • Top Secret — X — Episode: "X" • Sir Francis Drake (aka The Adventures of Sir Francis Drake) — Sir Amyas Paulet — Episode: "Queen of Scots" • 1962–1964 — Z-Cars — Two appearances — "Day Trip" (1962) Harold Singleton, "Whistle and Come Home" (1964) Arnie Winter • 1962 — BBC Sunday Night Play — Zach Toombs — Episode: "The Day Before Atlanta" • Man of the World — High Lama — Episode: "The Frontier" • Maigret — Police Officer Lecoeur — Episode: "Seven Little Crosses" • 1963–1964 — The Saint — Jack Groom/Harry Shannet — 2 episodes • 1963 — The Plane Makers — Len Gower — Episode: "One of Us" • The Human Jungle — Sergeant Major Bennett — Episode: "A Friend of the Sergeant Major" • The Odd Man — Brother Paul — Episode: "This Stuff's Thicker Than Water" • Drama 61-67 — Mr Foley — Episode: "Drama '63: Night of the Leopard" • Zero One — Jenkins — Episode: "The Switch" • Espionage — Gustave Kolstrom — Episode: "Covenant with Death" • 1964 — The Indian Tales of Rudyard Kipling — Naboth — Episode: "A Bank Fraud" • 1965–1975 — Public Eye — Frank Marker • 1965 — Thirty-Minute Theatre — First Man — Episode: "That's Not My Name" • 1966 — The Plane Makers — Joe Panton — Episode: "The Switch" • 1968 — The Gamblers — Harry Jarman — Episode: "The Day the Banana Threw a Gorilla at Rachel" • The Magical World of Disney — Kersner — Episode: "The Secret of Boyne Castle" (parts 1-3) • 1969 — Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) — Henry Foster — Episode: "All Work and No Pay" • As You Like It: An Introduction — Jacques • 1970–1972 — ITV Sunday Night Theatre — Edgar/Leo Nottage — 4 episodes • 1970 — Big Brother — Max Hughes — Episode: "A Little Bit Like a God" • 1972 — Love Story — Kapek — Episode: "Night of the Tanks" • Crime of Passion — Paul Fayjac — Episode: "Paul" • 1973 — The Brontes of Haworth — The Reverend Patrick Brontë • The Power of Dawn — Leo Tolstoy • 1976 — Jackanory — Storyteller — Episode: "Mr Moon's Last Case" • The Lady of the Camellias — Monsieur Duval — 2 episodes • 1977 — Centre Play — Snow — "The Tip" • Treasure Island — Long John Silver • 1978–1980 — Enemy at the Door — Major Dieter Richter • 1979 — Minder — Kevin — Episode: "Come in T-64, Your Time Is Ticking Away" • Orestia — Adolf Eichmann • The House on Garibaldi Street — Leader of the Old Men — Episode: "Agamemnon" • 1980 — ITV Playhouse — Harry — Episode: "A Rod of Iron" • Tales of the Unexpected — Herbert — Episode: "The Flypaper" • A Question of Guilt — Mr Blandy — 6 Episodes • 1981 — The Borgias — Giuliano della Rovere • 1983 — Number 10 — First Earl of Chatham — Episode: "Bloodline" • No Excuses — Max — 3 episodes • Shades of Darkness — Reverend Hibben — | Episode: "Bewitched" • Storyboard — Colonel Bressingham — Episode: "Inspector Ghote Moves In" • 1984 — Pope John Paul II — Karol Wojtyla Sr. • Kim — Lurgan • The Glory Boys — Jones • Unnatural Causes — Colonel Waley — Episode: "Ladies' Night" • 1986 — Bergerac — Dr Anderson — Episode: "Poison" • 1988 — Sophia and Constance — Mr Critchlow — 5 episodes • 1997 — The Bill — Walter Lilly — Episode: "After All These Years" • 2000 — Longitude — Rear Admiral • 2002 — Holby City — Derek Groombridge — Episode: "We Band of Brothers"
Selected radio appearances
Selected radio appearances
Sources for this section include the BBC Archive. • Year — Title — Role — Notes • 1951 — Portrait of an Airman — Neri — BBC Third Programme • 1962 — Mr. Larkspur rings the Bell — Fred Baker — Afternoon Theatre, BBC Home Service • 1975 — Proms '75 — Narrator — BBC Radio 3 • 1976 — Murder International — Dr Lancret — "The Fall", BBC Radio 4 • Cardinal Richelieu — Cardinal Richelieu — Afternoon Theatre, BBC Radio 4 • 1977 — Proms '77 — Reader — BBC Radio 3 • In Rehearsal: Uncle Vanya — Astrov — BBC Radio 4 • Schoenberg — Reader — BBC Radio 3 • 1978 — Call for the Dead — Mendel — Five episodes, BBC World Service • 1979 — Cirrhosis Park — Peter Hardinge — The Monday Play, BBC Radio 4 • 1980 — The Sitting Tenant — Granger — Afternoon Theatre, BBC Radio 4 • Haydn Quartet / Schoenberg Trio — Introduction — BBC Radio 3 • Geometry — George — Afternoon Theatre, BBC Radio 4 • Certain Souvenirs — Narrator • 1982 — Mainly for Pleasure — Introduction — BBC Radio 3 • Nothing To Declare — Peter Piper • 1983 — A Small Apocalypse — The Writer • 1986 — The Holy Experiment — Senor Querini — The Monday Play, BBC Radio 4 • La Peste — Fr Panaloux — BBC Radio 3 • All's Well That Ends Well — Lafew • Master Olof — Gert • 1987 — Mr Beluncle — Three episodes, BBC Radio 4 • The Spy Who Came In from the Cold — Karden — BBC Radio 4 • 2003 — The Six Mothers-In-Law Of Henry VIII — Chronicler — Six episodes, BBC Radio 4 • Nathan the Wise — The Patriarch — Drama on 3, BBC Radio 4
Selected theatre roles
Selected theatre roles
For a detailed list of Burke's many stage appearances 1947-2008 see his entry at Theatricalia. • 1964: The pastor in The Father by August Strindberg. Directed by Caspar Wrede, Piccadilly Theatre, London. • 1970: Henry in Henry IV by Luigi Pirandello. Directed by Bill Hays at the Leeds Playhouse (and later that year at the Edinburgh Festival). • 1971: August Strindberg in Pictures in a Bath of Acid by Colin Wilson. Directed by Bill Hays at the Leeds Playhouse. • 1977: Dr Rance in What the Butler Saw by Joe Orton. Directed by Braham Murray at the Royal Exchange, Manchester. • 1977: Serebryakov in Uncle Vanya by Anton Chekhov. Directed by Michael Elliott at the Royal Exchange, Manchester. • 1981: Vincentio in Measure for Measure. Directed by Braham Murray at the Royal Exchange, Manchester. • 1985: Piotr Sorin in The Seagull by Anton Chekhov. Directed by Charles Sturridge at Queen's Theatre, London.
Identity and overview
Identity and overview
The following is established of the heading itself.
Works and production
Works and production
The following works and productions are recorded by name or by count. Neueres über die Zentralisation der Funktionen im höheren Organismus: Akademische Rede zur Jahresfeier der Hessischen Ludwigs-Universität am 1. Institutional cataloguing adds that physiology and biochemistry in modern medicine / by J.J.R. Macleod; assisted by Roy G. Redfield, and N.B. The record continues: physiology and biochemistry in modern medicine / by J.J.R. Macleod; assisted by Roy G. Redfield and N.B. Physiology and biochemistry in modern medicine / by J.J.R. Macleod; assisted by Roy G.
Places
Named by the record
Places
Only places the record itself states, plotted where the house gazetteer settles their coordinates. Nothing is inferred from a name or a nationality.
Peckham.
Birth place
Barnes.
Death place
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Dennis Barker. Alfred Burke obituary. The Guardian. 18 February 2011.
- 2.Alfred Burke Film Reference biography
- 3.Hayward, Anthony. Alfred Burke: Actor best known for his portrayal of the seedy private detective Frank Marker in 'Public Eye'. The Independent. 19 February 2011.
- 4.Oedipus – Productions. National Theatre.
- 5.Programme Index (Alfred Burke). BBC.
- 6.Alfred Burke. Theatricalia.
References
Citations
References
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Secondary witness
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Died at
1- BarnesPlace
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