Personal Info
Known For:
Acting
Birthday:
May 12, 1913
Place of Birth:
Teigngrace, Devon, England, UK
Social Media
Thorley Walters
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.
Known For
Filmography
| Year | Movie | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Mrs. Weekley's Lover | Baron Von Richthofen |
| 1991 | A Murder of Quality | Bishop Harry |
| 1990 | He's Asking For Me | Uncle Harold |
| 1988 | Onassis: The Richest Man in the World | Winston Churchill |
| 1988 | The Dunroamin' Rising | Mr Finister |
| 1987 | Hammer: The Studio That Dripped Blood | Ludwig (archive footage) |
| 1985 | In the Secret State | Johnny Davenport |
| 1984 | The Little Drummer Girl | Ned Quilley |
| 1983 | The Sign of Four | Major John Sholto |
| 1982 | Spider's Web | Hugo Birch |
| 1982 | Soft Targets | Old Wedding Guest |
| 1980 | The Wildcats of St. Trinian's | Hugo Culpepper Brown |
| 1980 | A Cup O' Tea An' A Slice O' Cake - Worzel Gummidge Christmas Special | Colonel Bloodstock |
| 1979 | Henry V | Charles the Sixth, King of France |
| 1977 | The People That Time Forgot | Norfolk |
| 1977 | Silver Blaze | Dr. Watson |
| 1976 | James and the Giant Peach | Grasshopper |
| 1976 | Beasts: The Dummy | Sir Ramsey |
| 1975 | The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother | Dr. Watson |
| 1975 | The Apple Cart | Home Secretary |
| 1975 | Goodbye | Chalcott-Bentinck |
| 1975 | Chips with Everything | Wing Commander |
| 1974 | Soft Beds, Hard Battles | General Erhardt |
| 1973 | Ring Once for Death | Dr. Ledworth |
| 1972 | Vampire Circus | Burgermeister |
| 1972 | Young Winston | Major Finn |
| 1971 | Mr. Forbush and the Penguins | Mr. Forbush Sr. |
| 1970 | The Man Who Haunted Himself | Frank Bellamy |
| 1970 | There's a Girl in My Soup | Manager of Carlton Hotel |
| 1970 | Trog | Magistrate |
| 1970 | Bartleby | The Colleague |
| 1969 | Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed | Insp. Fritsch |
| 1969 | The Last Shot You Hear | Gen. Jowett |
| 1969 | Crooks and Coronets | Hubbard |
| 1969 | The Best House in London | Doctor Watson (uncredited) |
| 1969 | Oh! What a Lovely War | Staff Officer |
| 1968 | Twisted Nerve | Sir John Forrester |
| 1968 | On the Eve of Publication | Holland |
| 1967 | Frankenstein Created Woman | Dr. Hertz |
| 1966 | Dracula: Prince of Darkness | Ludwig |
| 1966 | The Psychopath | Martin Roth |
| 1966 | The Wrong Box | Patience |
| 1966 | The Family Way | Vicar |
| 1965 | Rotten to the Core | Chief Constable Preston |
| 1965 | Joey Boy | Col. Grant |
| 1964 | The Earth Dies Screaming | Edgar Otis |
| 1964 | Ring of Spies | Cmdr. Winters |
| 1964 | A Home of Your Own | Estate agent |
| 1963 | Heavens Above! | Tranquilax Executive |
| 1962 | The Phantom of the Opera | Lattimer |
| 1962 | Sherlock Holmes and the Deadly Necklace | Dr. Watson |
| 1961 | Murder She Said | Cedric Ackenthorpe |
| 1961 | Petticoat Pirates | Captain Jerome Robertson |
| 1961 | Invasion Quartet | |
| 1960 | The Pure Hell of St. Trinian's | Butters |
| 1960 | Suspect | Special Agent Prince |
| 1960 | Two-Way Stretch | Colonel Parkright |
| 1960 | A French Mistress | Colonel Edmonds |
| 1959 | Carlton-Browne of the F.O. | Colonel Bellingham |
| 1959 | Don't Panic Chaps! | |
| 1958 | Happy Is the Bride | Jim |
| 1958 | A Lady Mislaid | Mr. Smith |
| 1957 | The Passionate Stranger | Jimmy |
| 1957 | The Birthday Present | Photographer |
| 1957 | Second Fiddle | Charles |
| 1957 | The Truth About Women | Trevor Eaton |
| 1957 | Blue Murder at St. Trinian's | Major Whitehart |
| 1956 | You Can't Escape | Chadwick |
| 1956 | Private's Progress | Captain Bootle |
| 1956 | Who Done It? | Raymond Courtney |
| 1956 | The Baby and the Battleship | Lt. Setley |
| 1955 | Josephine and Men | Salesman |
| 1947 | Captain Boycott | Army Officer (uncredited) |
| 1945 | Waltz Time | Stefan Ravenne |
| 1945 | They Were Sisters | Channing |
| 1944 | Medal for the General | Andrew |
| 1940 | It Happened to One Man | Ronnie |
| 1939 | Design for Murder | Huey Frazer |
| 1939 | The Kindled Flame | Cleon |
| 1939 | Secret Journey | Max Von Reimer |
| 1938 | Life of St. Paul | Unidentified role |
| 1935 | The Love Test | Chemist |
| 1935 | Once in a New Moon | Beamish |
| Year | TV Show | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1994 | The World of Hammer | Self (archive footage) |
| 1986 | Paradise Postponed | |
| 1986 | David Copperfield | Richard 'Mr Dick' Babley |
| 1985 | Bulman | |
| 1979 | Tales of the Unexpected | Harry Gold |
| 1979 | Worzel Gummidge | Colonel Bloodstock |
| 1979 | Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy | |
| 1979 | Minder | Magistrate |
| 1978 | Strangers | |
| 1978 | Life of Shakespeare | Mr. Justice Fleminge |
| 1977 | Treasure Island | |
| 1977 | Raffles | Lord Lochmaben |
| 1976 | Beasts | Sir Ramsey |
| 1976 | The Duchess of Duke Street | |
| 1974 | Jennie: Lady Randolph Churchill | |
| 1973 | Thriller | Dr. Ledworth |
| 1972 | Crown Court | |
| 1972 | The Lotus Eaters | Maj. Edward Woolley |
| 1972 | The Edwardians | Edward, Prince of Wales |
| 1972 | The Edwardians | King Edward VII |
| 1971 | The Persuaders! | John Hatton |
| 1971 | Cousin Bette | Baron Hector Hulot |
| 1970 | Play for Today | Old Wedding Guest |
| 1970 | The Misfit | Forbes-Erskine |
| 1970 | The Adventures of Don Quick | Chief Dreamer |
| 1969 | Cribbins | |
| 1968 | Ooh La La! | The Prince |
| 1967 | Misleading Cases | Sir Joshua Hoot |
| 1965 | BBC Play of the Month | Col. Redfern |
| 1964 | The Wednesday Play | Holland |
| 1956 | Armchair Theatre | Professor Mortimer |
| 1951 | Hallmark Hall of Fame | Stanley Baldwin |