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Wikipedia / Moray Watson

Moray Robin Philip Adrian Watson (25 June 1928 – 2 May 2017) was an English actor from Sunningdale, Berkshire, whose career spanned over six decades on stage, television, and film. He is best known for his role as Brigadier Arthur Maiford in The Darling Buds of May (1991–1993) and as George Frobisher in Rumpole of the Bailey (1978–1992). His film work included Operation Crossbow and The Grass Is Greener, in which he starred alongside Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr. He also undertook three one-man shows during his career and published an autobiography, Looking Back and Dropping Names, in 2016.

Life

Watson was born in Sunningdale, Berkshire, to Gerard Arthur Watson (1901–1940), a ship broker, who was killed during World War II at Anzegem in Belgium as a Captain in the Royal Sussex Regiment, and Jean, née McFarlane. His two elder brothers - the younger being J. N. P. Watson (1927-2008), author, hunting correspondent for Country Life magazine and formerly polo correspondent for The Times - were Majors in the British Army. He was educated at Eton College.

He met his future wife Pam, daughter of silent film star Percy Marmont, at The Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art. They went on to marry in 1955 and had two children, Emma in 1957 and Robin in 1959, both of whom went into the theatre world.

Career

Watson made his first appearance on stage while still a student at the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art at a matinee performance in memory of Ellen Terry at Hythe, Kent. After appearances in repertory, he appeared on the West End stage, including The Doctor's Dilemma and in The Rivals by Sheridan both at the Haymarket Theatre.

In 1963, he went to New York City to appear in The Private Ear and The Public Eye. He played the part of the Art Editor in the BBC series Compact for some years.

He appeared in several films, including Operation Crossbow and The Grass Is Greener, in which he played opposite Cary Grant, Deborah Kerr, Robert Mitchum and Jean Simmons.

Watson had a series of television credits to his name, most notably as Brigadier Arthur Maiford, MC (ret.) (but always known to the Larkins as "The General") in The Darling Buds of May (1991–1993); and George Frobisher in Rumpole of the Bailey (1978–1992). He also appeared as Sir Robert Muir in the Doctor Who story Black Orchid; and had a small role in Yes Minister. He also appeared in the 1974 version of The Pallisers as Barrington Erle and in the Albert Campion mystery The Case of the Late Pig as the Chief Constable. He also played a Chief constable in the 1977 BBC series Murder Most English and Mr Bennet in the 1980 BBC series Pride and Prejudice.

In addition to his long career on stage, television and film Moray Watson undertook three one-man shows. The first in the 1970s was The Incomparable Max based on the life and work of Max Beerbohm, written for him by Sheilah Ward and Peter Ling. Years later in the early 2000s he took on Ancestral Voices, based on the diaries of James Lees-Milne written by Hugh Massingberd. His final one-man show was written and devised by himself based on his own life as an actor, entitled Looking Back and Dropping Names, which was published in book form in September 2016. Watson died at the age of 88 on 2 May 2017.

Partial TV and filmography

Publications

  • Looking Back and Dropping Names An autobiography, published in September 2016.

References