Mark Dignam
Mark Dignam (20 March 1909 – 29 September 1989) was a prolific English actor.[1][2]
Born in London, the son of a salesman in the steel industry, Dignam grew up in Sheffield, West Riding of Yorkshire[3], and was educated at the Jesuit College, where he appeared in numerous Shakespearean plays.
He learned his craft touring Britain and America with Ben Greet's Shakespeare company.[4] His range extended from the Louis Macneice radio play, The Dark Tower in the 1940s to the TV thriller, The XYY Man in the late 1970s.[5][6]
Along with Philip Guard and John Bryning, Dignam can be heard on the fade-out of the Beatles' song "I Am the Walrus", during which is played a 1967 BBC radio broadcast of King Lear, with Dignam in the role of the Earl of Gloucester.[7]
Dignam was married three times, divorced twice (his character in The XYY Man frequently complains about the expense of maintaining multiple ex-wives).[8]
Family
His brother Basil was also a well-known character actor and his sister-in-law was the actress Mona Washbourne.[9]
Dollis Hill
Mark Dignam lived in Dollis Hill, north-west London, from 1967 until his death in 1989.[10][11]
Selected filmography
- Train of Events (1949) - Bolingbroke (segment "The Actor")
- Murder in the Cathedral (1951) - First Knight
- The Maggie (1954) - The Laird
- Doctor in the House (1954) - Examiner at Microscope (uncredited)
- Beau Brummell (1954) - Mr. Burke
- Lease of Life (1954) - Mr. Black
- Passing Stranger (1954) - Inspector
- Carrington V.C. (1955) - Prosecutor
- The Prisoner (1955) - The Governor
- Escapade (1955) - Sykes
- They Can't Hang Me (1955) - Prison Governor
- The Adventures of Quentin Durward (1955) - Innkeeper (uncredited)
- Sink the Bismarck! (1960) - Captain (Ark Royal)
- The Pure Hell of St Trinian's (1960) - Prosecuting Counsel
- No Love for Johnnie (1961) - Earnley Constituent (uncredited)
- In Search of the Castaways (1962) - Rich Man at Yacht Party
- Lancelot and Guinevere (1963) - Merlin
- Siege of the Saxons (1963) - King Arthur
- Tom Jones (1963) - Lieutenant
- Dr. Syn, Alias the Scarecrow (1963) - The Bishop
- The Eyes of Annie Jones (1964) - Orphanage director
- Clash by Night (1964) - Sydney Selwyn
- A Jolly Bad Fellow (1964) - The Master
- Game for Three Losers (1965) - Attorney General
- The Taming of the Shrew (1967) - Vincentio
- Frozen Flashes (1967) - Sir John
- The Charge of the Light Brigade (1968) - Gen. Airey
- Isadora (1968) - (uncredited)
- Hamlet (1969) - Polonius
- There's a Girl in My Soup (1970) - Wedding Guest (uncredited)
- Jude the Obscure (1971) - Vicar
- Dead Cert (1974) - Clifford Tudor
- Memoirs of a Survivor (1981) - Newsvendor
- The Chain (1984) - Ambrose
- On the Black Hill (1988) - Reverend Latimer (final film role)
References
- "Mark Dignam". BFI.
- "Mark Dignam - Theatricalia". theatricalia.com.
- South Yorkshire did not exist prior to 1 April 1974
- Wearing, J. P. (15 May 2014). "The London Stage 1930-1939: A Calendar of Productions, Performers, and Personnel". Rowman & Littlefield – via Google Books.
- "BBC Radio 4 - The Dark Tower". BBC.
- "The Xyy Man Part 1 Law and Order (1977)". BFI.
- "Recording, mixing, editing: I Am The Walrus, Your Mother Should Know". The Beatles Bible. Retrieved 10 October 2014.
- McFarlane, Brian (16 May 2016). "The Encyclopedia of British Film: Fourth edition". Oxford University Press – via Google Books.
- "Basil Dignam - Biography, Movie Highlights and Photos". AllMovie.
- Walters, Max. "Campaign launched to save Old Oxgate Farm in Dollis Hill". Kilburn Times.
- "At Oxgate Farm - Spitalfields Life".