Wensley Ivan William Frederick Pithey (21 June 1914 – 10 November 1993) was a South African-British character actor who had a long stage and film career.
Biography Pithey was born in Cape Town, South Africa. A graduate of the University of Cape Town where he studied music and drama, he travelled to Britain in 1947. He appeared in various Shakespearean roles in his long career (memorably as Sir Toby Belch) and appeared in Eugene O'Neill's Anna Christie. He also directed and produced plays in the West End and appeared in a range of roles on television including the 1976 drama Edward and Mrs Simpson (as Winston Churchill – a role he also played in the miniseries Ike) and Special Branch and Poldark. His British television appearances included Danger Man (1961) among others. He also played the title role of Detective Superintendent Charlesworth in a number of BBC series including Charlesworth at Large (1958) and its sequel Charlesworth the following year. In 1964 he played a ballistics expert in the BBC series Call the Gun Expert.
Between 1961 and 1976, Pithey appeared in German TV commercials as a fake coffee expert for Tchibo.
Filmography Film
The Mark of Cain (1947) as Opera House Attendant (uncredited) London Belongs to Me (1948) as First Warden It's Hard to Be Good (1948) as Vicar (uncredited) Cardboard Cavalier (1949) as Jailer Your Witness (1950) as Alfred Guilt Is My Shadow (1950) as Tillingham The Woman's Angle (1952) (uncredited) Brandy for the Parson (1952) as Circus Owner Father's Doing Fine (1952) as Policeman (uncredited) Lady in the Fog (1952) as Sid - the Barman The Titfield Thunderbolt (1953) as A Policeman The Diamond (1954) as Springwell Police Sergeant (uncredited) The Men of Sherwood Forest (1954) as Hugo Isn't Life Wonderful! (1954) as Sam You Can't Escape (1956) as Constable Wagstaff Tiger in the Smoke (1956) as Detective Sergeant Pickett Doctor at Large (1957) as Sam - Poacher Kill Me Tomorrow (1957) as Inspector Lane Hell Drivers (1957) as Pop The Long Haul (1957) as Minor Role Blue Murder at St Trinian's (1957) as Brigadier (uncredited) Serious Charge (1959) as Police Sergeant Make Mine Mink (1960) as Superintendent (uncredited) The Pure Hell of St Trinian's (1960) as Chief Constable Snowball (1960) as Jim Adams The Barber of Stamford Hill (1962) as Mr. O The Boys (1962) as Mr. Coulter The Knack ...and How to Get It (1965) as Teacher Oliver! (1968) as Dr. Grimwig Oh! What a Lovely War (1969) as Archduke Franz Ferdinand (uncredited) One of Our Dinosaurs Is Missing (1975) as Bromley The Saint and the Brave Goose (1979) as Franklyn Red Monarch (1983) as Voroshilov White Mischief (1987) as Sheridan American Friends (1991) as Cave
Television
Little Women (1950–1951) as Mr. James Laurence Midshipman Barney (1951) as Snarks Sunday Night Theatre (1951–1957) as Multiple roles Robin Hood (1953) as Friar Tuck Wednesday Theatre (1953) as Tom Pascoe A Castle and Sixpence (1954) as Mr. Parsons The Gentle Falcon (1954) as Innkeeper End of the Line (1956) as Narrator (BBC short film, broadcast August 15th.) Fabian of the Yard (1956) as Jerry Watson David Copperfield (1956) as Captain Mercier Mr. Tungay Play of the Week (1956–1967) as Multiple roles Assignment Foreign Legion (1957) as Captain Mercier Overseas Press Club – Exclusive! (1957) as Father Tsouderos Mister Charlesworth (1957) as Det. Chief Insp. Charlesworth Nicholas Nickleby (1957) as Vincent Crummles Shadow Squad (1957) as Inspector Smith Big Guns (1958) as Det. Supt. Charlesworth Caxton's Tales (1958) as Mortimer Benson The Diary of Samuel Pepys (1958) as Viscount Brouncker The Firm of Girdlestone (1958) as Dr. Dimsdale The New Adventures of Charlie Chan (1958) as James Collins Ivanhoe (1958) as Earl of Pembroke Charlesworth at Large (1958) as Det. Supt. Charlesworth Armchair Theatre (1958–1960) as Multiple roles The Last Chronicle of Barset (1959) as Mr. Walker Charlesworth (1959) as Det. Supt. Charlesworth Probation Officer (1960) as Mr. Moffat Yorky (1960) as Fred Piggott The Larkins (1960) as George Potter Somerset Maugham Hour (1960) as Willem Persuasion (1960–1961) as Mr. Musgrove No Hiding Place (1961) as Joe Smith Dixon of Dock Green (1961) as Paul Wigram Danger Man (1961) as Senor Lazar Here's Harry (1961) as Police Chief Boyd Q.C. (1961) as Mr. Wodhurst Deadline Midnight (1961) as Frederick Hall Sir Francis Drake (1961) as Davey Preston Jacks and Knaves (1961) as Chief Inspector BBC Sunday-Night Play (1961) as Col. Von Schwendi Zero One (1962) as Unknown role The Scales of Justice (1962) as Mr. Robbins Playbox (1962–1963) as Barrington Blizard, QC Suspense (1963) as Bradwell Man of the World (1963) as President Ruschek The Saint (1963) as Insp. Claude Teal Teletale (1963) as Prof. Bür-Malottke The Plane Makers (1964) as Bill Ingram Sergeant Cork (1964) as Bill Ingram Call the Gun Expert (1964) as Robert Churchill Love Story (1964) as Jack Wightman Gideon's Way (1964) as Supt. Bill Hemmingway The Airbase (1965) as Mr. Swearingen The Sullavan Brothers (1965) as Corcoran Blackmail (1965) as Eric Palmer Mrs Thursday (1966) as George Dunrich City '68 (1967–1968) as Alderman Sankey Her Majesty's Pleasure (1968) as Governor Callan (1969) as Det. Insp. Charwood Special Branch (1969) as Det. Supt. Eden Nearest and Dearest (1970) as Leonard Longbottom The Main Chance (1970) as Lord Bennett Doomwatch (1972) as Dr. Ericson The Adventurer (1972) as Nicholas Coronation Street (1972–1974) as Wilfred Perkins Sykes (1973) as Multiple roles Zodiac (1974) as Inspector Duggan Poldark (1975) as Jeffrey Clymer Beasts (1976) as Mr. Liversedge Premiere as Chief Insp. Lymington The Devil's Crown (1978) as Saladin Edward and Mrs. Simpson (1978) as Winston Churchill Return of the Saint (1979) as Franklyn Ike (1979) as Winston Churchill The Old Curiosity Shop (1979–1980) as The Single Gentleman The Gentle Touch (1982) as Dr. Quesne Number 10 (1983) as Edward VII Love and Marriage (1984) as Owen Merrick Howards' Way (1986) as George Johnson In Sickness and in Health (1987) as Equerry Blind Justice (1988) as Sir Charles Bingham Lipstick on Your Collar (1993) as Elderly Gentleman
References
External links Obituary in The Independent