Frank Thornton

Biography

Frank Thornton Ball (15 January 1921 - 16 March 2013), professionally known as Frank Thornton, was an English actor. He was known for playing Captain Peacock in Are You Being Served? (1972-1985) and its sequel Grace & Favour and as Herbert "Truly" Truelove in Last of the Summer Wine.

Known For

Coronation Street

Danny Roach

Hancock's Half Hour

The Avengers

Last of the Summer Wine

Truly

Blankety Blank

The Goodies

Waiter

The Goodies

Master of Ceremonies

Filmography

Year	Movie	Role
2022	Last Of The Summer Wine: 30 Years Of Laughs	Self (archive)
2022	Are You Being Served? Secrets & Scandals	Archive Footage
2020	We Love Are You Being Served?
2012	Run For Your Wife	Man on Bus
2002	The Making of 'Gosford Park'	Self (uncredited)
2001	Wendy Richard: A Life on the Box
2001	Gosford Park	Mr. Burkett
1995	The Old Curiosity Shop
1989	The BFG	Mr. Tibbs (voice)
1980	The Taming of the Shrew	Gremio
1979	Red, White, and Zero
1977	Are You Being Served? The Movie	Captain Stephen Peacock
1977	Ride of the Valkyrie
1976	Spanish Fly	Dr. Johnson
1975	Side by Side
1974	Keep It Up, Jack!	Mr. Clarke
1973	The Three Musketeers	Man in Small Carriage (uncredited)
1973	That Sinking Feeling	Arthur
1973	No Sex Please: We're British	Glass Shop Manager
1973	Digby, the Biggest Dog in the World	Estate Agent
1973	Steptoe & Son Ride Again	Mr. Russell
1972	Bless This House	Mr. Jones
1972	Our Miss Fred	British Colonel
1972	That's Your Funeral	Town Clerk
1970	The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes	Porter
1970	All the Way Up	Mr Driver
1970	Some Will, Some Won't	Purvis
1970	The Rise and Rise of Michael Rimmer	Tom Stoddart
1969	The Bed Sitting Room	The BBC
1969	Till Death Us Do Part	Valuation Officer
1969	The Assassination Bureau	Elevator victim (uncredited)
1969	Crooks and Coronets	Cyril
1969	The Magic Christian	Police Inspector
1968	30 Is a Dangerous Age, Cynthia!	Registrar
1968	If There Weren't Any Blacks You'd Have to Invent Them
1968	A Flea in Her Ear	Charles, the Butler
1968	The Bliss of Mrs. Blossom	Factory Manager
1966	Danny the Dragon
1966	Dannicaforilithermidor	Sergeant Bull
1966	Carry On Screaming!	Mr. Jones
1966	A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum	Slave Driver
1966	Lucy in London	Passport Officer
1965	The Wild Affair	Wine Shop Manager
1965	The Big Job	Bank Official
1965	Gonks Go Beat	Mr. A&R
1965	The Early Bird	Drunken Doctor
1964	The Comedy Man	Producer
1964	The Tomb of Ligeia	Peperel
1962	It's Trad, Dad!	TV Director
1962	Doomsday at Eleven	BBC Announcer
1962	Operation Stogie	Hotel receptionist (uncredited)
1961	Victim	George - Henry's Assistant (uncredited)
1961	The Impersonator	Police Sargeant
1956	Johnny, You're Wanted	Police Inspector
1956	Cloak Without Dagger	Mr. Markley
1955	Portrait of Alison	Police Photographer
1954	The Silent Witness	The Barman (uncredited)
1954	Radio Cab Murder	Inspector Finch
1935	The Florentine Dagger	(uncredited)
1931	Cracked Nuts	Revolutionary

Year	TV Show	Role
2001	Richard & Judy	Self
1992	Grace & Favour	Capt Stephen Peacock RASC (Ex)
1991	Pebble Mill	Self
1986	Casualty	Edward Gutheridge
1982	The Kenny Everett Television Show	Various
1980	The Gentle Touch	Leo
1979	Blankety Blank
1976	The New Avengers	Roland
1974	Fall of Eagles	Prince Albert
1973	Last of the Summer Wine	Truly
1972	Are You Being Served?	Captain Peacock
1972	Crown Court	Professor McIver
1972	Sykes	Dr. Taplow
1970	From a Bird's Eye View	Spinks
1970	The Goodies	Waiter
1970	The Goodies	Master of Ceremonies
1970	Ben Travers Farces	Claude Hickett MP
1968	The Champions	Clerk
1968	The World of Beachcomber	Various Roles
1965	The Man in Room 17	Chief Inspector Bascombe
1964	HMS Paradise	Commander Fairweather
1962	Suspense	Det Insp Gwilliam
1961	The Avengers
1961	It's a Square World
1960	The Cheaters	Long
1960	Coronation Street	Danny Roach
1960	The Dickie Henderson Show
1959	The Four Just Men	Clerk
1958	The Adventures of William Tell	Tax Collector
1958	The Adventures of William Tell	Heinburgher
1956	Hancock's Half Hour
1955	Dixon of Dock Green	PC Cox
1955	The Sooty Show	Mr Wolfe
1955	The Sooty Show	Dr. Hugh
1950	Sunday Night Theatre	Sailor