Wikipedia / Dudley Foster
Wikipedia / Dudley Foster
Frank Dudley Foster (7 August 1924 – 8 January 1973) was an English actor.
Early life
Frank Dudley Foster was born in Knaresborough, Yorkshire West Riding, England, on 7 August 1924, as the youngest child to Frank Geden Foster, a civil engineer, and his wife, Ruth Chapman (née Butler), a barmaid. He had two siblings, a brother, John Geden Foster, and a sister, Ruth Butler 'Jill' Foster. His family had established links with the theatre as both of his siblings also appeared on the stage.
Foster attended Pocklington School, a private school, in Pocklington, East Riding of Yorkshire. He began service as a navigator in the Royal Air Force when he left school. After he was demobbed, he studied chemistry at the University of Leeds.
Career
Foster joined the recently formed Bradford Civic Playhouse Theatre School in 1948. After turning professional, he spent several successful years with Northern repertory companies. From the late 1950s and into the early 1960s, he was a member of Joan Littlewood's Theatre Workshop, based at London's Theatre Royal Stratford East. In her autobiography, Joan's Book, Littlewood recalled that Foster had a wealthy father who financed some of the troupe's productions.
Foster appeared in The Night Walker in 1966.
Personal life
Foster married Eileen Mary Kennally, an actress, in Sunderland, Durham, in April 1952. They had two sons together, Mark A Foster () and Benjamin Dudley Foster ().
Death
On 8 January 1973, Foster died at his home 3 Holly Hill, Hampstead in Greater London. He was 48. His death was said to be a suicide by hanging. His body was discovered by his wife, Eileen. She found him hanging from the stairs at their home, cut him down with a bread knife and tried to revive him with mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. His father, who was said by a close family friend to be the driving force behind Foster in his career, had died at the age of 81, exactly a week before his son. The close family friend added: "He pushed Dudley on to better things and encouraged him all the way". He was buried at Hampstead Cemetery in West Hampstead, London.
Filmography
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
1954 | Six Characters in Search of an Author | The Stage Carpenter | Television film |
1955 | Fast and Loose | Episode: "Episode #2.4" | |
1956 | The Tamer Tamed | Television film | |
1957 | Fingerprint Man | ||
1958 | Gestapo Agent | ||
Sergeant Carmichael | Television film | ||
1958, 1960–1961, 1965 | Warden Regan, Harry Smith, Inspector Beecroft, Sweeney | 4 episodes | |
1959 | Cable Car Operator | Episode: "Odds Against Death" | |
Gunner | |||
Luigi | Episode: "The Crying Jester" | ||
Killer In Hat | Episode: "Last Man Lucky" | ||
1959–1962 | Mr. Gregory, Bamford, Paul Munning, George, Harry | 5 episodes | |
1960 | Detective Inspector Hodgson | Episode: "Special Duty" | |
N.A.R.S.T.I Security Guard | |||
Julius Caesar | Casca | 2 episodes | |
George Bates | Episode: "Operation Mangle" | ||
Harry Migglewood | Episode: "A Run for the Money" | ||
1960–1962 | Lance-Cpl. Broughton, Gherea, Ed Horner, Roberts, Mr. Miller | 5 episodes | |
1960–1961, 1967, 1971 | Hugo, George Gladwin, Tom Fenton | 4 episodes | |
1961 | Store Manager | Episode: "The Itching Fingers of Lady Ffoukes" | |
No Thoroughfare | Fotheringay | Television film | |
Episode: "Sykes and a Surprise" | |||
7 episodes | |||
Echo Four Two | Tom Dukes | Episode: "Frozen Fire" | |
Vic Diamond | Episode: "The Eyes of the Bat" | ||
The Wakefield Shepherd's Play | First Shepherd | Short film | |
1962 | Det. Sgt. Kiernan | ||
Capt. Chepstow | Episode: "The Importance of Being Jumbo" | ||
1962–1863, 1965 | Gilbert Platt, Sam Carver, Inspector Morris | 3 episodes | |
1962, 1964, 1971 | Det. Insp. Dunn, Supt. Dunn, Leonard Smith | 16 episodes | |
1963 | It Happened Like This | Hickman | Episode: "The Hill of Lions" |
Harry | Episode: "The Silent and the Damned" | ||
Ricochet | Peter Dexter | ||
Philippe | Episode: "Round Trip" | ||
George Manning | Episode: "People Are So Kind" | ||
Abdul Pasha | Episode: "Triple Cross" | ||
Eisenring | Episode: "The Fire Raisers" | ||
1963–1964 | John Farley, Anderson | 2 episodes | |
1963–1964 | Peter Dexter, Philip Teasdale | 2 episodes | |
1963, 1965, 1970 | Martin, Mr. Stonelake, Car Salesman, The Detective | 4 episodes | |
1964 | Mr. Gibson | Episode: "The Mascot" | |
Charles | Episode: "Two Rings for Danger" | ||
Eddie Ryder | Episode: "We've Got to Live in the Winter" | ||
The Hidden Truth | Ernest Malet | Episode: "The Boiler Suite Shape" | |
Story Parade | Adam Harpur | Episode: "A Dragon to Kill" | |
1965 | The Villains | Dave Williams | Episode: "Three to a Cell" |
Rand | Episode: "The Gallows in My Garden" | ||
Sgt. Maj. Tommy Lodge | Episode: "Celebration" | ||
Mr. Grey | Episode: "A Democratic Democratism" | ||
Philip Teasdale | |||
Jones | Episode: "The Abductors" | ||
The Little Ones | Supt. Carter | ||
Six of the Best | Otto Mulchrone | Episode: "Porterhouse: Private Eye" | |
Here's Harry | Episode: "The Indentification Parade" | ||
Home Secretary | |||
Ernest Fox | Episode: "The Public Interest" | ||
Blackmail | Joe Griffin | Episode: "First Offender" | |
Episode: "The Twenty Six Year Itch" | |||
A Letter for Liz | Video | ||
1965, 1967, 1969 | Philip Leas, Mr. Goat, Parker | 3 episodes | |
1965, 1969 | Antrobus, The Expert | 2 episodes | |
1965–1966, 1972 | Mr. Paggot, Gordon Ansell, Major Thursby-Byers | 3 episodes | |
1966 | Giorgio | Episode: "The Contessa" | |
Kirill | Episode: "The Twelfth Hour" | ||
Three Rousing Tinkles | Short, Near, Sharp Man | Episode: "The Best I Can Do for You by Way of a Gate-leg Table Is a Hundred-weight of Coal" | |
Bowdler | Episode: "The Night Walker" | ||
Cooperama | Episode: "Episode Five" | ||
Inspector Clay | 5 episodes | ||
Edward Hastings | Episode: "Hand Me My Sword, Humphrey" | ||
1966–1968 | Harry Worth | Baker, William J. Rankin, Mr. Boothroyd, Neville Culpepper | 4 episodes |
1966, 1969 | Frank, Mr. Burton | 2 episodes | |
1967 | Uncle Charles | C.S.M. Lee | Episode: "Gentle Counsels" |
Episode: "A Pool of Blood and a Red Carnation" | |||
Mr. Fielding | 6 episodes | ||
Specs Logan | Episode: "Over the Hill" | ||
James Hughes | Episode: "Here's Where Who Takes Over?" | ||
For Schools and Colleges: Drama | Book-Keeper | Episode: "Bad Business" | |
A Hundred Years of Humphrey Hastings | Humphrey Hastings, Edward Hastings | 6 episodes | |
1968 | Jim Ralston | Episode: "The Old Country" | |
The Gamblers | Other man | Episode: "Try a Little Tenderness" | |
1968–1969 | Various | 2 episodes | |
1969 | Blueskin | ||
Maurice Caven | 5 episodes | ||
Albert Carr | Episode: "Flesh and Blood" | ||
George Foster | Episode: "All Work and No Pay" | ||
Whitsun | |||
1970 | Leo | ||
Bazna | Episode: "Have a Word with Greco" | ||
If It Moves, File It | Foster | 6 episodes | |
Federman | |||
Mr. Green | |||
It's a Terrible Waste of an Egg | Humphrey Hastings | Television film | |
1971 | Darkly | Episode: "Billy's Last Stand" | |
Grimthorpe | 2 episodes | ||
Hector Kenley | Episode: "The Ghost Hunters" | ||
Sir George West | Episode: "Episode #1.2" | ||
Symes | |||
Grimshaw | |||
Chief Supt. Vyvyan | Episode: "The Duchess of Wiltshire's Diamonds" | ||
Heather | Episode: "Anyone Can Play" | ||
Mr. Stringer | Episode: "All Mod Cons" | ||
I Can See It All | Humphrey Hastings | Television film | |
1972 | Ackroyd | ||
It's Murder But Is It Art | Inspector Hook | 6 episodes | |
Mr. Mayhew | Episode: "An Author in Search of Two Characters" | ||
Strange passenger, Eberkopf | Episode: "Peer Gynt" | ||
Stanley Pemberton | 2 episodes | ||
That's Your Funeral | Grimthorpe | ||
1973 | Jonathan | Posthumous release |
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