Colin Gordon

• Name — Colin Gordon • Born — 27 April 1911 • Birthplace — British Ceylon • Died — 4 October 1972 • Place of death — Haslemere, Surrey, England • Occupation — Actor • Years Active — 1934–1972 • Children — 1

Gordon was born in British Ceylon, the son of William Arthur Gordon and his wife Lily Vera, née Troup. He was educated at Marlborough College and Christ Church, Oxford. He first appeared on the professional stage in repertory at the Palace Theatre, Watford from January to December 1934. He made his first West End appearance in 1934 as the hind legs of Alfred, the carthorse, in a production of Toad of Toad Hall at the Royalty Theatre. At the same theatre he played James in Frolic Wind (March 1935, described by The Stage as "a distinguished failure"), and Peter in Closing At Sunrise (September 1935). From 1936 to 1939 he directed the Fred Melville Repertory Company in Brixton. He served in the army during the Second World War for six years. Gordon was taken ill whilst working in South Africa and brought home to Surrey, where he died at the age of 61. He was buried with his wife at St Andrew's Church, Didling in West Sussex.

• Date — Theatre — Play — Role — Notes • Mar 1948 — Apollo — The Happiest Days of Your Life — Rupert Billings — received the Clarence Derwent Award • Mar 1951 — Wyndham's — The Love of Four Colonels — Colonel Desmond De S Rinder-Sparrow • Mar 1953 — Globe — The White Carnation — Sir Horace Duncan • Oct 1953 — Coronet — The Little Hut — Henry — Broadway debut • Mar 1955 — Duchess — Misery Me! — Julius Ring • Jul 1955 — Duke of York's — Wild Thyme — Seymour Verity • Dec 1956 — Aldwych — The Touch of Fear — Alec Barnes • Mar 1957 — Arts — The Wit to Woo — Percy Trellis • Mar 1959 — Guildford Repertory — Members Only — Percy — Also director • Nov 1959 — Theatre Royal, Windsor — Break for Commercials — Gregory Drake • May 1960 — Theatre Royal, Windsor — Handful of Tansy — Sir Matthew Carr • Jun 1960 — Everyman, Cheltenham — I Seem to Know Your Face — Percy — Also director • Oct 1961 — Theatre Royal, Windsor — Mr Rhodes — Dr Jameson • Mar 1964 — On tour — March Hares — Dr Unwin • Aug 1964 — On tour — Alibi for a Judge — Thomas Empton QC • Aug 1965 — Savoy — Alibi for a Judge — Thomas Empton QC • Nov 1967 — Duke of York's — Relatively Speaking — Philip — took over the part from Michael Hordern • Jun 1969 — Belgrade, Coventry — Never Say Die — Richard Blake • Mar 1970 — Royal Court — A Who's Who of Flapland — Cast member • Source: Who's Who in the Theatre

Gordon had a long career in British cinema and television from the 1940s to the 1970s, often playing government officials. His films include The Pink Panther and Casino Royale (both with Peter Sellers, alongside whom he made five films). In the ITC series The Prisoner (1967) he portrayed Number Two twice, in "The General" and "A. B. and C.". Gordon was a regular in another ITC production, The Baron, playing civil servant Templeton-Green opposite Steve Forrest. He also starred in The Invisible Man (1958 TV series) episode "Play to Kill", (series 1, episode 6, 1959); was the host and occasional narrator of the 1969 London Weekend Television series The Complete and Utter History of Britain, (which arose from a pre-Monty Python collaboration between Michael Palin and Terry Jones); and was the airport commandant in the 1967 Doctor Who story The Faceless Ones. He was also in Bachelor Father and made two guest appearances in Steptoe and Son. In 1961 he appeared as the doctor in "The Lift" episode of Hancock's Half Hour. In 1970 he appeared in the UFO episode "The Cat with Ten Lives". He also appeared as Walpole Gibb in the ATV/ITC series Hine in 1971.

For many years, from 1953 onwards, he played Tony Fellows, fictional husband to wife 'Ann ', played by Diana Churchill (actress), and brother-in-law to David Alexander Bliss, (played by George Cole (actor)), in ' A Life of Bliss '.