Barrie Ingham obit

Barrie Ingham, actor and voice of ‘Great Mouse Detective,’ dies at 83

He was not on the list.

Barrie Ingham, the distinguished Shakespearean actor whose career took him from London’s West End to New York’s Broadway to Disney’s animated screen, died early Friday at his home in Palm Beach Gardens.

Mr. Ingham, leading man of many a stage production who voiced the Basil of Baker Street character in Disney’s 1986 animated film “The Great Mouse Detective,” passed away after a brief illness just two-and-a-half weeks shy of his 83 birthday.

“He was one of the kindest people I’ve ever known — and one of the smartest. He lived life to the fullest, right to the end,” said family friend Pat Crowley.

Born in Halifax, in the West Yorkshire county of England, Mr. Ingham co-starred in 16 plays with the Oscar-winning actress Judi Dench, who remained one of his closest friends. He performed in 11 leading roles for the Royal Shakespeare Company and five leading roles on Broadway.

Perhaps more notable to sci-fi fans is the fact that his hundreds of TV and film appearances included two roles on the “Doctor Who” series and a guest appearance in “Star Trek: The Next Generation.” Mr. Ingham met those superfans at “Doctor Who” and “Star Trek” conventions, where they lined up for autographed glossies of the actor as the Alydon character in the 1965 film “Dr. Who and the Daleks,” in which he wore blue eyeshadow and a blond wig.

Locally, the actor, who had lived in a gated Palm Beach Gardens community for nearly five years, offered drama appreciation lectures at the Society of The Four Arts. (An appearance scheduled for last Thursday, as well as one set for Feb. 10 were marked “cancelled” on the Four Arts website.)

Family friend Crowley said the actor had plans to expand his lecturing program. “He had big plans for this year. He was a very generous man with his time and his knowledge.”

Profiled in a December 2013 story in The Palm Beach Post’s Accent section, Mr. Ingham was asked to define utter happiness.

“Happiness? Oh, so mushy. Being with my family, which is an oasis in what could easily be a very insane world,” he said.

He was asked to describe what he would do if he had just six months to live.

“Ahhhhh, I would spend half the time with my dear wife, who has been very neglected for all the show biz, and then I’d stand on stage at the Royal Shakespeare Company acting out every leading part in the 36 plays and then die … on stage,” he replied.

Mr. Ingham is survived by his wife, Tarne, daughters, Catrin, Liane, Francesca and Mali, and eight grandchildren. Funeral arrangements are pending.

His Filmography

Film

Year       Title       Role       Notes

1961      Edgar Wallace Mysteries               Gordon (hairdresser)      Episode: "The Fourth Square"

1965      Dr. Who and the Daleks                 Alydon

Invasion               Major Muncaster            

1966      The Scales of Justice        Major MacDonald            Episode: "Company of Fools"

1967      A Challenge for Robin Hood         Robin Hood       

1973      Steptoe and Son               Terry     Uncredited

The Day of the Jackal      George St. Clair

1983      Sparkling Cyanide             Eric Kidderminster          

1984      George Washington        General Clinton                

1986      The Great Mouse Detective         Basil of Baker Street        Voice

1995      Josh Kirby... Time Warrior: Chapter 1, Planet of the Dino-Knights                Irwin 1138          

Josh Kirby... Time Warrior: Chapter 2, the Human Pets   

Josh Kirby... Time Warrior: Chapter 3, Trapped on Toyworld         

Josh Kirby... Time Warrior: Chapter 4, Eggs from 70 Million B.C.  

1996      Josh Kirby... Time Warrior: Chapter 5, Journey to the Magic Cavern          

Josh Kirby... Time Warrior: Chapter 6, Last Battle for the Universe             

1996      The Bruce            Gloucester         

Television

Year       Title       Role       Notes

1965      Doctor Who        Paris      The Myth Makers

1966      The Baron            Roland Haswell Episode: "Long Ago and Far Away"

1967      The Avengers    George Unwin   Episode: "You Have Just Been Murdered"

1969      The Power Game             Garfield Kane     4 episodes

1970      Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased)                Emil Cavallo-Smith           Episode: "Vendetta for a Dead Man"

1971      Hine       Joe Hine              

1978      The Sweeney (Episode Jack or Knave)      DCS Canning      

1982      Camelot (TV)      Pellinore             

1982      “The Jeffersons’’                              Episode: “Death Smiles on a Dry Cleaner”

1983      Remington Steele            Derek Vivyan      Episode: "Scene Steelers"

Antony and Cleopatra    Enobarbus           Movie

1984      Airwolf Vladimir Kinskov               Episode: "Fallen Angel"

1985      The A-Team        Chuck LeCraw    Episode: "Members Only"

1985      My Wicked, Wicked Ways: The Legend of Errol Flynn       John Barrymore               

1985-1993          Murder, She Wrote         Brian Dunbar

Insp. Roger Crimmins      2 episodes

1987      Matlock                Butler    Episode: "The Billionaire"

1989      Webster               Hastings               Episode: "The Visitor"

1989      Star Trek: The Next Generation Danilo Odell       Episode: "Up the Long Ladder"

2001      Jekyll & Hyde - The Musical          Sir Danvers         Movie

2005      The Triangle       Doug Weist         Episode #1.1