Geoffrey Bayldon obit

Geoffrey Bayldon: Catweazle actor dies aged 93

 

He was not on the list.

British actor Geoffrey Bayldon has died at the age of 93, his agency has confirmed.

He was best known for playing the lead role in TV series Catweazle, and the Crowman in Worzel Gummidge.

The actor's film credits include To Sir With Love and The Pink Panther Strikes Again, as well as big-screen versions of Porridge and Steptoe and Son.

He famously turned down the lead role in Doctor Who twice, but did eventually make an appearance on the show in 1979.

Bayldon was born in Leeds on 7 January 1924.

After studying at the Hull College of Architecture, he began acting and trained at the Old Vic Theatre School.

He went on to star in a whole host of films and TV shows - including playing Q in 1967's Casino Royale, which was loosely based on Ian Fleming's first James Bond novel.

But it was his roles in Catweazle, which ran for two years from 1970, and Worzel Gummidge, which ran from 1979-81, that were his most famous.

Bayldon also made appearances in TV series including Z-Cars, The Avengers and The Tomorrow People and, more recently, Heartbeat, Casualty and My Family.

TV and film credits

 

The Stranger Left No Card (1952) as Hotel - Receptionist

Trent's Last Case (1952) as Reporter in Court (uncredited)

Sword of Freedom TV series (Episode, The Ship, 1957) as The Physician

Sword of Freedom TV series (Episode, The Lion and the Mouse, 1957) as Luigi

Sword of Freedom TV series (Episode, A Choice of Weapons, 1957) as Muzio

OSS TV series (Episode, Operation Dagger, 1957) as Abwehr Lieutenant

The Adventures of Robin Hood TV series (Episode, The Angry Village, 1957) as Cal

The Adventures of Robin Hood TV series (Episode, The Genius, 1958) as Count De Severne

The Camp on Blood Island (1958) as Foster – New Prisoner (uncredited)

Dracula (1958) as Porter

A Night to Remember (1958) as Wireless Operator Cyril Evans – Californian

The Two-Headed Spy (1958) as Dietz

Whirlpool (1959) as Wendel

Idol on Parade (1959) as Record Producer. (uncredited)

The Rough and the Smooth (1959) as Ransom

Libel (1959) as Second Photographer

Cone of Silence (1960) as Aircraft Controller (uncredited)

The Day They Robbed the Bank of England (1960) as The Bombardier bartender (uncredited)

An Age of Kings (miniseries, 1960) as Edmund of York / Worcester / Chief Justice

Man from Interpol (Episode, The International Diamond Incident, 1960) as Freddie

Suspect (1960) as Rosson

You Can't Win TV series (Episode, Epitaph on a Tin, 1961) as Mr Wishart

The Avengers (Episode, The Deadly Air, 1961) as Professor Kilbride

Greyfriars Bobby (1961) as The Vicar (uncredited)

Disneyland (Episode, The Prince and the Pauper: The Pauper King, 1962) as Sir Goeffrey

The Winter's Tale (1962) as Antigonus

The Webster Boy (1962) as Charlies Jamieson

Jigsaw (1962) as Constable at Murder Scene (uncredited)

The Longest Day (1962) as Officer at Eisenhower Briefing (uncredited)

The Amorous Prawn (1962) as 2nd Telephone – Operator

55 Days at Peking (1963) as Smythe

Z-Cars (Alarm Call, 1963) as Blake

Bomb in the High Street (1963) as Clay

Becket (1964) as Brother Philip (uncredited)

Detective (End of Chapter, 1964) as Stephen Protheroe

The Saint (The Scorpion, 1964) as Wilfred Garniman

Ghost Squad (Rich Ruby Wine, 1964) as Hartmann

The Massingham Affair (6 episodes, 1964) as Mr Lumley

Danger Man (A Very Dangerous Game, 1965) as Dickinson

Play of the Month (Luther, 1965) as Cajetan

King Rat (1965) as Squadron Leader Vexley

Life at the Top (1965) as Industrial Psychologist

Sky West and Crooked (1966) as Rev. Phillip Moss

Theatre 625 (The Family Reunion, 1966)

Where the Spies Are (1966) as Lecturer

The Saint (The Art Collectors, 1967) as Marcel Legrand

Theatre 625 (Incantation of Casanova, 1967) as Don Antonio Capitani

The Avengers (Escape in Time, 1967) as Clapham

Casino Royale (1967) as Q

Theatre 625 (Kittens Are Brave, 1967) as Gordon Shiplake

To Sir, with Love (1967) as Theo Weston

Two a Penny (1968) as Alec Fitch

Theatre 625 (To See How Far It Is, 1968) as Palmer

Assignment K (1968) as The Boffin

Inspector Clouseau (1968) as Gutch

A Dandy in Aspic (1968) as Lake

The Wednesday Play as Mr Mileson ("A Night with Mrs Da Tanka", 1968)

The First Lady ("King of Furness", 1968) as Albert Craig

Play of the Month (Saint Joan, 1968) as Archbishop of Rheims

Z-Cars (Breakdown: Part 1 & 2, 1968) as Mr Smayles

Otley (1968) as Inspector Hewett

The Wednesday Play ("A Child and a Half", 1969) as Henry Ramsden

Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed (1969) as Police Doctor

Journey to the Unknown (1969) as Mr Plimmer (Episode "The Last Visitor")

Special Branch ("The Promised Land", 1969) as Alex Rushmer

The Bushbaby (1969) as Tilison

Prisoners of the Sun (1969) as Calculus (English version, voice only, uncredited)

Codename (Opening Gambit, 1970) as Blair

Danton (1970) as Couthon

Scrooge (1970) as Pringle

Say Hello to Yesterday (1971) as Makelaar, Estate Agent

The Raging Moon (1971) as Mr Latbury

The House That Dripped Blood (1971) as Theo Von Hartmann (segment 4, "The Cloak")

Catweazle (26 episodes, 1970–1971) as Catweazle

Play of the Month (Platonov', 1971) as Sergei Voinitsev

The Magnificent Seven Deadly Sins (1971) as Vernon (segment "Envy")

Tales from the Crypt (1972) as Guide

Van der Valk ("Blue Notes", 1972) as Joseph Kettner

Au Pair Girls (1972) as Mr Howard

Asylum (1972) as Max (segment: "Mannikins of Horror")

Born To Boogie (1972) as Waiter

The Adventures of Black Beauty (The Viking Helmet: Parts 1 & 2, 1972) as Professor Miles

The Strauss Family (Revolution, 1972) as Schlumberger

The Pathfinders ("Unusual Ally", 1973) as Dr Pers Anderson

Special Branch ("All the King's Men", 1973) as Sumner

Gawain and the Green Knight (1973) as Wiseman

Steptoe and Son Ride Again (1973) as Vicar

Armchair Theatre ("That Sinking Feeling", 1973) as Uncle Norman

Orson Welles Great Mysteries (The Ingenious Reporter, 1973) as Magistrate

Napoleon and Love (miniseries, 1974) as Prince van Mecklenburg

Alice Through the Looking-Glass (television film, 1974) as White Knight

Comedy Playhouse (Franklyn and Johnnie, 1974) as Franklyn Sims

Play of the Month ("The Wood Demon", 1974) as Dyadin

Crown Court ("The Murder Monitor", 1975)

Edward the King (miniseries, 1975) as Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman

The Slipper and the Rose (1976) as Archbishop

Space: 1999 – Number Eight ("One Moment of Humanity", 1976)

BBC2 Playhouse (The Mind Beyond: The Man with the Power, 1976) as Mr Smythe

The Pink Panther Strikes Again (1976) as Dr. Claude Duval

Charleston (1977) as Uncle Fred

Just William (1977 TV series) ("William's Lucky Day", 1977) as Great Man

The Duchess of Duke Street ("Shadows", 1977) as Collinghurst

Sky Hunter (1978) as Mr Charles Trim

The Famous Five ("Five Go to Billycock Hill", 1978) as Mr Gringle

All Creatures Great and Small ("Pride of Possession", 1978) as Roland Partridge

Worzel Gummidge (1979–81) as The Crowman

Porridge (1979) as the Prison Governor

Doctor Who- Organon ("The Creature from the Pit", 1979)

Cribb (Something Old, Something New, 1980) as Oom Ezra Winter

Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson ("The Case of the Deadly Tower", 1980) as Hadlock

Tales of the Unexpected ("Fat Chance", 1980) as Dr Applegate

The Monster Club (1981) as Psychiatrist

Lady Killers (My Perfect Husband, 1981) as Dr. French

Juliet Bravo ("Journeys", 1981) as Jack Lord

Bergerac ("Relative Values", 1981) as Henry Bernard

Tales of the Unexpected ("Down Among the Sheltering Palms", 1983) as Sid

Hallelujah! ("Counselling" and "Luncheon Club", both 1983) as Mr Sedgewick

Bullshot (1983) as Colonel Hinchcliff

All Creatures Great and Small 1983 Christmas special (television film, 1983) as Mr Mason

Hallelujah! (A Goose for Mrs Scratchit, 1984) as Jacob Marley

Blott on the Landscape (miniseries, 1985) as Ganglion

Hold the Back Page ("Fathers, Sons and Lovers", 1985)

In Loving Memory ("Up in the World", 1986) as Balloonist

All Passion Spent (television film, 1986) as William

Cause célèbre (television film, 1987) as Humphreys

Rumpole of the Bailey ("Rumpole and the Judge's Elbow", 1987) as Brinsley Lampitt

Star Cops ("Other People's Secrets", 1987) as Ernest Wolfhartt

The Storyteller ("Sapsorrow", 1988) as Koning

Madame Sousatzka (1988) as Mr Cordle

The Tenth Man (television film, 1988)

Dramarama (The Pisces Connection, 1989) as Visser

All Creatures Great and Small ("Where Sheep May Safely Graze", 1989) as Geoff Hatfield

Prince Caspian and the Voyage of the Dawn Treader (television film, 1989) as Ramandu

Campion – Rev Swithin Cush ("Mystery Mile: Part 1", 1990)

Van der Valk ("The Little Rascals", 1991) as Nicolas Meijers

l'Amore necessario (1991) as Bernardo

Casualty (Facing Up, 1991) as Duncan Frain

Soldier Soldier (Further Education, 1994) as Jack Knight

Tom & Viv (1994) as Harwent

Asterix in America (1994) as Getafix (English version, voice)

Magic Grandad (1995) as Magic Grandad

Last of the Summer Wine ("Adopted by a Stray", 1995) as Mr Broadbent

Wycliffe ("Wild Oats", 1995) as Gilbert Rawle

Pie in the Sky ("Black Pudding", 1995) as Seymour Flint

The Biz (1995, TV Series) as Markov

Faith in the Future ("Art Lovers", 1996) as Mr. Quigley

Casualty ("Déjà Vu", 1997) as Alby James

Casualty ("A Taste of Freedom", 1997) as James Ellington

Wycliffe ("Old Crimes, New Times", 1997) as Rechter

Heat of the Sun (miniseries, 1998) as Rafe Goodwin

Heartbeat ("Spellbound", 1998) as Follett

Peak Practice ("Once in a Lifetime" and "A Change of View", both 1998) as Alby James

Where the Heart Is ("Love", 1998) as Edward Smith

Asterix & Obelix Take On Caesar (1999) as Additional voice (voice, uncredited)

Midsomer Murders (Blue Herrings, 2000) as Arthur Prewitt

Where the Heart Is ("Relative Strangers", 2002) as Wally Vernon

Fort Boyard (1998–2001) as Professor

Looking for Victoria (television film, 2003) as Sir Henry Ponsonby

Ladies in Lavender (2004) as Mr Penhaligan

Waking the Dead (In Sight of the Lord, 2004) as Edward Atkinson

Casualty ("Inside Out", 2004) as Ralph Michaels

Heartbeat ("Money, Money, Money", 2004) as Gilbert Percy

Casualty ("Needle", 2006) as Wilf Simpson

New Tricks ("God's Waiting Room", 2007) as Leonard Casey

My Family (The Son'll Come Out, 2010) as Joe (final appearance)