Peter Ewen Solon (7 September 1917 – 7 July 1985) was a New Zealand-born actor, who worked extensively in both the United Kingdom and Australia.
At the outbreak of World War II, Solon became a member of the First Echelon, 2nd NZEF that saw service in the Middle East. Later appointed as a commissioned officer, he married Frances Gwendolyne Hughes, a New Zealander; also serving in Egypt during the War.
After training as a primary school teacher he travelled overseas to pursue an acting career. Film credits include: Rob Roy, the Highland Rogue, The Dam Busters, Murder Anonymous 1955 (part of the Scotland Yard film series), The Hound of the Baskervilles, The Terror of the Tongs, The Curse of the Werewolf, The Message, Unidentified Flying Oddball and The Wicked Lady.
On television, he was a series regular on Maigret; playing Sergeant Lucas, the eponymous commissaire's right-hand man, in 50 of the series' 52 episodes. Early in the filming, he broke his leg in a stunt while jumping from a wall. Subsequent scripts for the BBC TV series had to be rewritten to account for the obvious damage which could not be hidden or shot around.
His other appearances include: The Four Just Men, A Mask for Alexis, Man of the World, Danger Man, Dixon of Dock Green, Doctor Who (in the serials The Savages and Planet of Evil), The Troubleshooters, Redcap, The Revenue Men, Bellbird, Virgin of the Secret Service, Journey to the Unknown, Matlock Police, Spyforce, Division 4 and Into the Labyrinth.
Solon married a second time in 1965, to an English actress, Vicki Woolf.
Selected filmography
London Belongs to Me (1948) - Clerk (uncredited) The Naked Heart (1950) The Clouded Yellow (1950) - Coniston police sergeant (uncredited) Highly Dangerous (1950) - Enemy scientist (uncredited) The Rossiter Case (1951) - Inspector The Dark Man (1951) - Police driver Assassin for Hire (1951) - Fred Mystery Junction (1951) - Detective Sgt. Peterson Valley of Eagles (1951) - Det. Anderson The Card (1952) - Bookstall attendant at Llandudno (uncredited) The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men (1952) - Merrie man Hunted (1952) - Radio operator Crow Hollow (1952) - Sgt. Jenkins Ghost Ship (1952) - Plain clothes man The Sword and the Rose (1953) - Guardsman Rob Roy, the Highland Rogue (1953) - Maj. Gen. Wightman The End of the Road (1954 film) (1954) - Policeman As Long as They're Happy (1955) - Reporter (uncredited) The Dark Avenger (1955) - D'Estell The Dam Busters (1955) - Flight Sergeant G. E. Powell Lost (1956) - Bus inspector (uncredited) Jumping for Joy (1956) - Haines 1984 (1956) - Outer Party orator Who Done It? (1956) - Police radio announcer (uncredited) Behind the Headlines (1956) - Superintendent Faro There's Always a Thursday (1957) - Inspector Bradley Yangtse Incident: The Story of H.M.S. Amethyst (1957) - ERA Williams RN Account Rendered (1957) - Detective Inspector Marshall The Story of Esther Costello (1957) - Christine Brown's father (uncredited) The Long Haul (1957) - Minor role Robbery Under Arms (1957) - Sergeant Arthur The Mark of the Hawk (1957) - Inspector The Devil's Pass (1957) - Job Jolly The Silent Enemy (1958) - Willowdale captain The Big Money (1958) - Detective in Pub (uncredited) The Hound of the Baskervilles (1959) - Stapleton Jack the Ripper (1959) - Sir David Rogers The Stranglers of Bombay (1959) - Camel vendor (uncredited) Tarzan the Magnificent (1960) - Dexter The Sundowners (1960) - Halstead The Terror of the Tongs (1961) - Tang How - Tong leader's aide The Curse of the Werewolf (1961) - Don Fernando Mystery Submarine (1963) - Lt. Cmdr. Kirklees The Sandwich Man (1966) - Blind man Infamous Conduct (1966) - Dixon Section 7 (1972) - Hugh Lacking Moving On (1974) - George Collier The Message (1977) - Yasser Unidentified Flying Oddball (1979) - Watkins A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square (1979) - Commander Ford Lion of the Desert (1980) The Wicked Lady (1983) - Clergyman at Tyburn Nutcracker (1983) - Monsieur Demaurault (final film role)
References
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