Post by Teleadm on Dec 29, 2023 21:55:39 GMT
He was a familiar face in many movies from the 1940's to the 1970's, but it took a TV-series playing a butler to make him famous, even earning an Emmy Award, then he became familiar to many who recognized him in many of his older movies.
He had no intentions whatsoever to become an actor, he was a school drop-out, who at age 15 became a draughtsman at Rolls-Royce, no less.
When British Ealing studios searched for someone who looked Scottish, he got a part in The Foreman Went to France 1942 without any acting experience, thinking it was a one time experience he went back to Rolls-Royce, but was soon asked to be in more movies and decided that acting could be a career to live on, something it turned out to be.
This year we celebrate this real laddie on his birthdate 100 years ago in Glasgow, Scotland, UK.
Gordon Jackson (1923-1990)
He acted in around 140 movie and television productions during his career, sometimes in very small roles, uncredited roles, and a few times in lead roles, even if they were few. Until bone cancer took him away from us.
Far from complete examples...
Nearly shaking hands in movie debut, The Foreman Went to France 1942 starring popular comedian Tommy Trinder.
Whisky Galore aka Tight Little Island 1948.
Death Goes to School 1953 was a rare leading role about a police detective who tries to solve a murder at an all-girls school, but is beaten by a teacher solving the case.
The Quatermass Xperiment aka The Creeping Unknown 1955 as a BBC producer.
British trucker or lorry noir Hell Drivers 1957, co-starring up-and-coming Sean Connery.
Another rare leading role was in Snowball 1960 about a small incident that becomes big news in local press.
Tunes of Glory 1960
Most of his roles was in big movies during the 1960's.
Greyfriars Bobby 1961
Mutiny on the Bounty 1962.
The Great Escape 1963
The Ipcress File 1965.
The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie 1969 probably gave him the best movie role of his career, as the music teacher who want's to marry Miss Brodie.
The role that made him more familiar, at least for us who grew up in the 1970's, as butler Hudson in Upstairs Downstairs between 1971 and 1975 TV-series. In America it was showed under the banner Masterpiece Theater on PBS. For his role he won an Emmy Award in 1976.
His other long-running TV-series, perhaps lesser remembered today, was hard hitting police drama TV-series The Professionals 1977 - 1983.
With actress Rona Anderson in Floodtide 1949, that's were they met and two years later they were married, a marriage that would last until he passed away. She would outlive him until 2013.
Thanks for watching!
Opinions of all kinds are as usual very welcome, even if the subject was a bit unusual this time!
He had no intentions whatsoever to become an actor, he was a school drop-out, who at age 15 became a draughtsman at Rolls-Royce, no less.
When British Ealing studios searched for someone who looked Scottish, he got a part in The Foreman Went to France 1942 without any acting experience, thinking it was a one time experience he went back to Rolls-Royce, but was soon asked to be in more movies and decided that acting could be a career to live on, something it turned out to be.
This year we celebrate this real laddie on his birthdate 100 years ago in Glasgow, Scotland, UK.
Gordon Jackson (1923-1990)
He acted in around 140 movie and television productions during his career, sometimes in very small roles, uncredited roles, and a few times in lead roles, even if they were few. Until bone cancer took him away from us.
Far from complete examples...
Nearly shaking hands in movie debut, The Foreman Went to France 1942 starring popular comedian Tommy Trinder.
Whisky Galore aka Tight Little Island 1948.
Death Goes to School 1953 was a rare leading role about a police detective who tries to solve a murder at an all-girls school, but is beaten by a teacher solving the case.
The Quatermass Xperiment aka The Creeping Unknown 1955 as a BBC producer.
British trucker or lorry noir Hell Drivers 1957, co-starring up-and-coming Sean Connery.
Another rare leading role was in Snowball 1960 about a small incident that becomes big news in local press.
Tunes of Glory 1960
Most of his roles was in big movies during the 1960's.
Greyfriars Bobby 1961
Mutiny on the Bounty 1962.
The Great Escape 1963
The Ipcress File 1965.
The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie 1969 probably gave him the best movie role of his career, as the music teacher who want's to marry Miss Brodie.
The role that made him more familiar, at least for us who grew up in the 1970's, as butler Hudson in Upstairs Downstairs between 1971 and 1975 TV-series. In America it was showed under the banner Masterpiece Theater on PBS. For his role he won an Emmy Award in 1976.
His other long-running TV-series, perhaps lesser remembered today, was hard hitting police drama TV-series The Professionals 1977 - 1983.
With actress Rona Anderson in Floodtide 1949, that's were they met and two years later they were married, a marriage that would last until he passed away. She would outlive him until 2013.
Thanks for watching!
Opinions of all kinds are as usual very welcome, even if the subject was a bit unusual this time!
