Thorley Walters
Born: 1913-05-12 in Teigngrace, Devon, England, UK
Died: 1991-07-06
Known For: Acting
Biography
Thorley Swinstead Walters (12 May 1913 – 6 July 1991) was an English character actor. He is probably best remembered for his comedy film roles such as in Two-Way Stretch and Carlton-Browne of the FO. He also appeared in the acclaimed TV drama Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy. Walters played Sherlock Holmes sidekick Doctor Watson in four unrelated films: Sherlock Holmes and the Deadly Necklace (1962), The Best House in London (1969), The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother (1975), and Silver Blaze (1977). He featured in three of the St Trinian's movies, starting as an army major in Blue Murder at St Trinian's. He later appeared as Butters, assistant to Education Ministry senior civil servant Culpepper-Brown (Eric Barker) in The Pure Hell of St Trinian's and played the part of Culpepper-Brown in The Wildcats of St Trinian's. In the 1960s he also appeared in several Hammer horror films, including The Phantom of the Opera (1962), Dracula, Prince of Darkness (1966), Frankenstein Created Woman (1967) and Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed (1969). In the DVD commentary to The Man Who Haunted Himself, Roger Moore mentioned that co-star Walters lived in Dolphin Square, the prestigious apartment block in Pimlico, London in which some scenes of the film were shot. Thorley and Richard Hope-Hawkins visited the ailing Terry-Thomas in Barnes, London in 1989. Walters had starred with Terry in the Boulting Brother's film Carlton-Browne of the F.O., and was shocked at his appearance (he was ill with Parkinson's Disease). That visit resulted in the "Terry-Thomas Gala" held in the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane in the same year which raised funds to help Terry live the rest of his life in comfort. Hope-Hawkins was with Walters and actress Siobhan Redmond, when he died in a London nursing home. Actor Ian Bannen gave the main address at his funeral held at Golders Green. Description above from the Wikipedia article Thorley Walters, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Filmography
2025
- Mrs. Weekley's Lover as Baron Von Richthofen
1994
- The World of Hammer as Self (archive footage)
1991
- A Murder of Quality as Bishop Harry
1990
- He's Asking For Me as Uncle Harold
1988
- The Play on One as Mr Finister
- Onassis: The Richest Man in the World as Winston Churchill
- The Dunroamin' Rising as Mr Finister
1987
- Hammer: The Studio That Dripped Blood as Ludwig (archive footage)
1986
- Paradise Postponed
- David Copperfield as Richard 'Mr Dick' Babley
1985
- Bulman as Bill Dugdale
- In the Secret State as Johnny Davenport
1984
- The Little Drummer Girl as Ned Quilley
1983
- The Sign of Four as Major John Sholto
1982
- Soft Targets as Old Wedding Guest
- Spider's Web as Hugo Birch
1980
- Cribb as CI Jowett
- The Wildcats of St Trinian's as Hugo Culpepper Brown
- A Cup O' Tea An' A Slice O' Cake - Worzel Gummidge Christmas Special as Colonel Bloodstock
1979
- Minder as Magistrate
- Tales of the Unexpected as Harry Gold
- Worzel Gummidge as Colonel Bloodstock
- Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy as Tufty Thessinger
- Malice Aforethought as Sir Francis Lee-Bannerton
- Henry V as Charles the Sixth, King of France
1978
- Strangers as Bill Dugdale
- Life of Shakespeare as Mr. Justice Fleminge
- Will Shakespeare as Mr Justice Fleminge
1977
- Raffles as Lord Lochmaben
- The Sunday Drama as Dr John Watson
- The People That Time Forgot as Norfolk
- Treasure Island
- Silver Blaze as Dr. Watson
1976
- The Duchess of Duke Street as Bulstrode
- Beasts as Sir Ramsey
- James and the Giant Peach as Grasshopper
- Beasts: The Dummy as Sir Ramsey
1975
- The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother as Dr. Watson
- The Apple Cart as Home Secretary
- Chips with Everything as Wing Commander
- Goodbye as Chalcott-Bentinck
1974
- Jennie: Lady Randolph Churchill
- Soft Beds, Hard Battles as General Erhardt
1973
- Thriller as Dr. Ledworth
- Orson Welles' Great Mysteries as Beecham
- Ring Once for Death as Dr. Ledworth
1972
- Crown Court
- The Edwardians as Edward, Prince of Wales
- The Lotus Eaters as Maj. Edward Woolley
- Young Winston as Major Finn
- Vampire Circus as Burgermeister
1971
- The Persuaders! as John Hatton
- Cousin Bette as Baron Hector Hulot
- Mr. Forbush and the Penguins as Mr. Forbush Sr.
1970
- Play for Today as Old Wedding Guest
- The Misfit as Forbes-Erskine
- The Adventures of Don Quick as Chief Dreamer
- The Man Who Haunted Himself as Frank Bellamy
- Trog as Magistrate
- There's a Girl in My Soup as Manager of Carlton Hotel
- Bartleby as The Colleague
1969
- Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed as Insp. Fritsch
- Cribbins
- Oh! What a Lovely War as Staff Officer
- The Best House in London as Doctor Watson (uncredited)
- Crooks and Coronets as Hubbard
- The Last Shot You Hear as General Jowett
1968
- Ooh La La! as The Prince
- Twisted Nerve as Sir John Forrester
- On the Eve of Publication as Holland
1967
- Misleading Cases as Sir Joshua Hoot
- Frankenstein Created Woman as Dr. Hertz
1966
- Dracula: Prince of Darkness as Ludwig
- The Family Way as Vicar
- The Psychopath as Martin Roth
- The Wrong Box as Patience
1965
- BBC Play of the Month as Col. Redfern
- Rotten to the Core as Chief Constable Preston
- Joey Boy as Col. Grant
1964
- The Wednesday Play as Holland
- A Home of Your Own as Estate agent
- The Earth Dies Screaming as Edgar Otis
- Ring of Spies as Cmdr. Winters
1963
- Espionage as Dr Cantlie
- Heavens Above! as Tranquilax Executive
1962
- The Phantom of the Opera as Lattimer
- Sherlock Holmes and the Deadly Necklace as Dr. Watson
1961
- Murder She Said as Cedric Ackenthorpe
- Petticoat Pirates as Captain Jerome Robertson
- Invasion Quartet
1960
- Two-Way Stretch as Colonel Parkright
- Suspect as Special Agent Prince
- A French Mistress as Colonel Edmonds
- The Pure Hell of St Trinian's as Butters
1959
- Carlton-Browne of the F.O. as Colonel Bellingham
- Don't Panic Chaps
1958
- Happy Is the Bride as Jim
- A Lady Mislaid as Mr. Smith
1957
- Blue Murder at St. Trinian's as Major Whitehart
- The Truth About Women as Trevor Eaton
- The Birthday Present as Photographer
- Second Fiddle as Charles
- The Passionate Stranger as Jimmy
1956
- Armchair Theatre as Professor Mortimer
- Private's Progress as Captain Bootle
- Who Done It? as Raymond Courtney
- The Baby and the Battleship as Lt. Setley
- You Can't Escape as Chadwick
1955
- Josephine and Men as Salesman
1951
- Hallmark Hall of Fame as Stanley Baldwin
1947
- Captain Boycott as Army Officer (uncredited)
1945
- Waltz Time as Stefan Ravenne
- They Were Sisters as Channing
1944
- Medal for the General as Andrew
1940
- It Happened to One Man as Ronnie
1939
- Design for Murder as Huey Frazer
- Secret Journey as Max Von Reimer
- The Kindled Flame as Cleon
1938
- Life of St. Paul as Unidentified role
1935
- Once in a New Moon as Beamish
- The Love Test as Chemist