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)

1983

The Sign of Four as Major John Sholto

1982

Soft Targets as Old Wedding Guest
Spider's Web as Hugo Birch

1980

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
Henry V as Charles the Sixth, King of France
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Worzel Gummidge as Colonel Bloodstock

1978

Strangers
Life of Shakespeare as Mr. Justice Fleminge

1977

Silver Blaze as Dr. Watson
The People That Time Forgot as Norfolk
Raffles as Lord Lochmaben
Treasure Island

1976

Beasts: The Dummy as Sir Ramsey
The Duchess of Duke Street
James and the Giant Peach as Grasshopper
Beasts as Sir Ramsey

1975

The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother as Dr. Watson
The Apple Cart as Home Secretary
Goodbye as Chalcott-Bentinck
Chips with Everything as Wing Commander

1974

Soft Beds, Hard Battles as General Erhardt
Jennie: Lady Randolph Churchill

1973

Thriller as Dr. Ledworth
Ring Once for Death as Dr. Ledworth

1972

Crown Court
Young Winston as Major Finn
The Edwardians as Edward, Prince of Wales
The Lotus Eaters as Maj. Edward Woolley
Vampire Circus as Burgermeister

1971

The Persuaders! as John Hatton
Mr. Forbush and the Penguins as Mr. Forbush Sr.
Cousin Bette as Baron Hector Hulot

1970

Play for Today as Old Wedding Guest
The Man Who Haunted Himself as Frank Bellamy
Trog as Magistrate
The Misfit as Forbes-Erskine
Bartleby as The Colleague
There's a Girl in My Soup as Manager of Carlton Hotel
The Adventures of Don Quick as Chief Dreamer

1969

Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed as Insp. Fritsch
The Best House in London as Doctor Watson (uncredited)
Oh! What a Lovely War as Staff Officer
Crooks and Coronets as Hubbard
Cribbins
The Last Shot You Hear as Gen. Jowett

1968

On the Eve of Publication as Holland
Ooh La La! as The Prince
Twisted Nerve as Sir John Forrester

1967

Misleading Cases as Sir Joshua Hoot
Frankenstein Created Woman as Dr. Hertz

1966

The Psychopath as Martin Roth
The Family Way as Vicar
The Wrong Box as Patience
Dracula: Prince of Darkness as Ludwig

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
The Earth Dies Screaming as Edgar Otis
Ring of Spies as Cmdr. Winters
A Home of Your Own as Estate agent

1963

Heavens Above! as Tranquilax Executive

1962

Sherlock Holmes and the Deadly Necklace as Dr. Watson
The Phantom of the Opera as Lattimer

1961

Petticoat Pirates as Captain Jerome Robertson
Murder She Said as Cedric Ackenthorpe
Invasion Quartet

1960

Suspect as Special Agent Prince
Two-Way Stretch as Colonel Parkright
The Pure Hell of St. Trinian's as Butters
A French Mistress as Colonel Edmonds

1959

Don't Panic Chaps!
Carlton-Browne of the F.O. as Colonel Bellingham

1958

Happy Is the Bride as Jim
A Lady Mislaid as Mr. Smith

1957

Second Fiddle as Charles
Blue Murder at St. Trinian's as Major Whitehart
The Birthday Present as Photographer
The Truth About Women as Trevor Eaton
The Passionate Stranger as Jimmy

1956

The Baby and the Battleship as Lt. Setley
Who Done It? as Raymond Courtney
Private's Progress as Captain Bootle
You Can't Escape as Chadwick
Armchair Theatre as Professor Mortimer

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

Secret Journey as Max Von Reimer
The Kindled Flame as Cleon
Design for Murder as Huey Frazer

1938

Life of St. Paul as Unidentified role

1935

Once in a New Moon as Beamish
The Love Test as Chemist