Alfred Burke (28 February 1918 – 16 February 2011) was an English actor who played Frank Marker in the drama series Public Eye, which ran on television for ten years.
Early life Born in London's southeast district of Peckham, the son of Irish parents Sarah Ann O'Leary and William Burke,Alfred Burke Film Reference biography Burke was educated at Leo Street Boys' School and Walworth Central School. Burke started work aged 14, working in a railway repair firm in the City of London after leaving school. He became a club steward and also worked in a silk warehouse, joining a local amateur dramatics group before moving to Morley College and winning a scholarship to RADA in 1937.
Burke's acting career started two years later at the Barn Theatre in Shere, Surrey. His budding career was interrupted by the Second World War, when he registered as a conscientious objector, and was directed to work on the land.
Career In the late 1940s, Burke worked with the Young and Old Vic and other companies. His London debut was in 1950 at the Watergate Theatre, appearing in Pablo Picasso's play Desire Caught by the Tail. He then spent three years with Birmingham Repertory Theatre (1950–53) and appeared in the 1954 West End hit Sailor Beware!.
Burke built a solid reputation across a wide range of character roles in films and on television. His acting career included: The Angry Silence, Touch and Go, Interpol, Yangtse Incident and Buccaneers, as well as such televised plays as The Tip and Treasure Island.
Burke's most famous role was the enquiry agent Frank Marker in the ABC/Thames television series Public Eye, which ran from 1965 to 1975. His low-key, understated but always compelling portrayal of the down-at-heel private eye made the series one of the most popular and highly rated detective dramas on British television.
After Public Eye ended Burke appeared in a host of guises, from Long John Silver to Pope John Paul II's father. In the television series Minder he appeared in the episode Come in T-64, Your Time Is Ticking Away as Kevin, partner to Arthur Daley in his latest scheme, a minicab service. He was also the formidable headmaster "Thrasher" Harris in Home To Roost. He played Major (later Oberst) Richter in both series of Enemy at the Door and Dr Anderson in the Bergerac episode "Poison". Later he was seen as Armando Dippet in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.
On stage Burke appeared in several productions by the Royal Shakespeare Company, including Richard II, Romeo and Juliet, Roberto Zucco, The Tempest, Peer Gynt, Measure for Measure, Troilus and Cressida, Two Shakespearean Actors, All's Well That Ends Well and Antony and Cleopatra. In 2008 he appeared at the National Theatre as the Shepherd in a new version of Sophocles' Oedipus by Frank McGuinness.
In 2022 a documentary tribute to Burke was released entitled Alfred Burke is Frank Marker.
Death Burke died from a chest infection on 16 February 2011, twelve days before his 93rd birthday, and was cremated at Golders Green Crematorium. He was survived by his wife, Barbara (née Bonelle) and their four children: Jacob and Harriet (twins), and Kelly and Louisa (twins).
Filmography
The Kid from Brooklyn (1946) – dancer (uncredited) The Constant Husband (1955) – porter (uncredited) Touch and Go (1955) – man on the bridge Yangtse Incident: The Story of H.M.S. Amethyst (U.S. title Battle Hell) (1957) – Petty Officer Interpol (U.S. title Pickup Alley) (1957) – Vincent Cashling Let's Be Happy (1957) – French Ticket Clerk The Long Haul (1957) – drunk in club (uncredited) Bitter Victory (1957) – Lt. Colonel Callander High Flight (1957) – Controller, Operations Room No Time to Die (U.S. title Tank Force!) (1958) – Captain Ritter Law and Disorder (1958) – Willis Pugh, poacher The Man Inside (1958) – Mr Pritchard The Man Upstairs (1958) – Mr Barnes Operation Amsterdam (1959) – dealer Model for Murder (1959) – Podd The Crowning Touch (1959) – Reg Moment of Danger ( Malaga) (1960) – Shapley The Angry Silence (1960) – Travers The Trials of Oscar Wilde (1960) – reporter Dead Lucky (1960) – Knocker Parsons The Pot Carriers (1962) – Lang Crooks Anonymous (1962) – Caulfield She Knows Y'Know (1962) – Mr Fox Mix Me a Person (1962) – Lumley On the Beat (1962) – Trigger O'Flynn The Small World of Sammy Lee (1963) – Big Eddie The Man Who Finally Died (1963) – Heinrich (uncredited) Farewell Performance (1963) – Marlon Children of the Damned (1964) – Colin Webster The Nanny (1965) – Dr Wills Night Caller from Outer Space (1965) (a.k.a. Blood Beast from Outer Space) – Detective Superintendent Hartley Guns in the Heather (1969) – Kersner One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich (1970) – Alyosha The House on Garibaldi Street (1979) – Adolf Eichmann A Midsummer Night's Dream (1996), filmed adaptation of the Royal Shakespeare Company's production – Egues Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002) – Professor Armando Dippet (final film role)
Television roles Comedy Year Title Role Notes1963 On the Knocker Frank 1985 Home to Roost Thrasher Harris Episode: "Bad Apples" 1994 Under the Hammer Peter Pomfret Episode: "The Fatal Attribution"
Documentary/Arts Year Title Role Notes1974 2nd House reader "The First Freedom"1977 The Lively Arts "Arnold Schoenberg: Bogey-Man - Prophet - Guardian 1: Crossing the Frontier 1874-1914", "Arnold Schoenberg : Bogey-Man - Prophet - Guardian 2: In Defence of Culture 1914-1951" 1978 The South Bank Show "Paganini Superstar" Vive a Venezia 1980 The Face Behind the Face (portrait of Dmitri Shostakovich)
Drama Year Title Role Notes1951–1956 Sunday Night Theatre (a.k.a. BBC Sunday Night Theatre) Various 6 episodes1954 Murder Over Draughts 1955–1956 Kathleen Seamus MacGomigal 1955–1959 ITV Television Playhouse (aka Television Playhouse) Various 4 episodes1955 The Adventures of Annabel Neb Episode: "Say It with Music" The Seventh Dungeon Ranulf 1956 Colonel March of Scotland Yard Minister Episode: "The Devil Sells His Soul" No Man's Land Private Schultz Theatre Royal (aka Lilli Palmer Theatre, or Lilli Palmer presents The Quality Theatre) John Episode: "Forecast Unsettled" London Playhouse Constable Lo Peng Episode: "The Black Judge" Without Love Hart The Bowl of Ramayama The Vizier 1956–1957 Assignment Foreign Legion Major Lebeque / Corporal Lescaux 1956–1958 The Adventures of Robin Hood Will Sharpe/Sir Simon 2 episodes1956–1964 ITV Play of the Week Various 13 episodes1957 Romantic Chapter Philip The Adventures of Aggie (U.S. title Aggie Paddy O'Rourke Episode; "Cock and Bull"` The Buccaneers Pirate Mate/Marsh 2 episodes Hour of Mystery Detective Sargeant Wilson Episode: "Confess, Killer" Overseas Press Club – Exclusive! Inspector Maron Episode: "The Billion Franc Mystery " The New Adventures of Martin Kane Greene Episode: "The Taxi Story" 1958–1960 Boyd Q.C. Prosecuting counsel 3 episodes1958 You're a Long Time Dead Harry The Royalty Sam 2 episodes Pringle Mr Byward The Adventures of William Tell Bolf Episode: "The Assassins" Murder Bag Two appearances Episode: "Lockhart Plays with Fire", "Case 27" Crime Sheet Episode: "Lockhart Rings the Bell" Charlesworth Stringer Episode: "All That Glitters" International Detective Mr Molinskys Episode: "The Carrington Case" You Are There: The Ordeal of Christabel Pankhurst 1959–1969 Armchair Theatre Various 6 episodes1959 The Invisible Man Bob Episode: "Point of Destruction" Probation Officer Grantham 2 episodes Interpol Calling Martin Becker Episode: "The Angola Brights"1960–1965 The Third Man Inspector Dugaine 2 episodes1960 ITV Sunday Night Drama Clay Episode: "Theatre 60: The Devil Makes Sunday" No Hiding Place Alf Jenkins/Frank Baines 2 episodes Danger Man Craven Episode: "The Conspirators"1961–1963 Edgar Wallace Mysteries (aka The Edgar Wallace Mystery Theatre) Various 4 episodes1961–1966 The Avengers 3 episodes1961 One Step Beyond (aka Alcoa Presents: One Step Beyond) Scholl Episode: "The Sorcerer" Ghost Squad Kane Episode: "Bullet with My Name on It" Top Secret X Episode: "X" Sir Francis Drake (aka The Adventures of Sir Francis Drake) Sir Amyas Paulet Episode: "Queen of Scots"1962–1964 Z-Cars Two appearances "Day Trip" (1962) Harold Singleton, "Whistle and Come Home" (1964) Arnie Winter1962 BBC Sunday Night Play Zach Toombs Episode: "The Day Before Atlanta" Man of the World High Lama Episode: "The Frontier" Maigret Police Officer Lecoeur Episode: "Seven Little Crosses"1963–1964 The Saint Jack Groom/Harry Shannet 2 episodes1963 The Plane Makers Len Gower Episode: "One of Us" The Human Jungle Sergeant Major Bennett Episode: "A Friend of the Sergeant Major" The Odd Man Brother Paul Episode: "This Stuff's Thicker Than Water" Drama 61-67 Mr Foley Episode: "Drama '63: Night of the Leopard" Zero One Jenkins Episode: "The Switch" Espionage Gustave Kolstrom Episode: "Covenant with Death"1964 The Indian Tales of Rudyard Kipling Naboth Episode: "A Bank Fraud"1965–1975 Public Eye Frank Marker 1965 Thirty-Minute Theatre First Man Episode: "That's Not My Name"1966 The Plane Makers Joe Panton Episode: "The Switch" 1968 The Gamblers Harry Jarman Episode: "The Day the Banana Threw a Gorilla at Rachel" The Magical World of Disney Kersner Episode: "The Secret of Boyne Castle" (parts 1-3)1969 Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) Henry Foster Episode: "All Work and No Pay" As You Like It: An Introduction Jacques 1970–1972 ITV Sunday Night Theatre Edgar/Leo Nottage4 episodes1970 Big Brother Max HughesEpisode: "A Little Bit Like a God"1972 Love Story Kapek Episode: "Night of the Tanks" Crime of Passion Paul Fayjac Episode: "Paul"1973 The Brontes of Haworth The Reverend Patrick Brontë The Power of Dawn Leo Tolstoy 1976 Jackanory Storyteller Episode: "Mr Moon's Last Case" The Lady of the Camellias Monsieur Duval 2 episodes1977 Centre Play Snow "The Tip" Treasure Island Long John Silver1978–1980 Enemy at the Door Major Dieter Richter 1979 Minder Kevin Episode: "Come in T-64, Your Time Is Ticking Away" Orestia Adolf Eichmann The House on Garibaldi Street Leader of the Old Men Episode: "Agamemnon"1980 ITV Playhouse Harry Episode: "A Rod of Iron" Tales of the Unexpected Herbert Episode: "The Flypaper" A Question of Guilt Mr Blandy 6 Episodes1981 The Borgias Giuliano della Rovere 1983 Number 10 First Earl of Chatham Episode: "Bloodline" No Excuses Max 3 episodes Shades of Darkness Reverend Hibben Episode: "Bewitched" Storyboard Colonel Bressingham Episode: "Inspector Ghote Moves In"1984 Pope John Paul II Karol Wojtyla Sr. Kim Lurgan The Glory Boys Jones Unnatural Causes Colonel Waley Episode: "Ladies' Night"1986BergeracDr AndersonEpisode: "Poison"1988 Sophia and Constance Mr Critchlow 5 episodes1997The BillWalter LillyEpisode: "After All These Years"2000LongitudeRear Admiral2002Holby CityDerek GroombridgeEpisode: "We Band of Brothers"
Selected radio appearances Sources for this section include the BBC Archive.