John Bluthal obit

Vicar of Dibley and Pink Panther actor John Bluthal dies aged 89

He was not on the list.

The actor also appeared in Carry On and Pink Panther films, and made his final appearance opposite George Clooney in Hail, Caesar!

Dawn French has led the tributes to her Vicar of Dibley co-star John Bluthal, who has died at the age of 89.

The Polish-born actor - who also appeared in three Carry On films and two Pink Panther entries - was described by the comedy favourite as a "hilarious" talent.

She posted on Twitter: "Tons of happy laughs remembered today. Cheeky, naughty, hilarious. Bye darlin Bluey."

Her post was accompanied by a picture of Bluthal in the popular British sitcom, in which he played parish council secretary Frank Pickle.

Before making his debut in the series, he had enjoyed roles in a number of big screen productions, including the unofficial 1967 James Bond film Casino Royale, The Beatles' A Hard Day's Night and Help, and Superman III.

His final movie appearance came in the 2016 Coen Brothers' comedy Hail, Caesar!, which boasted an all-star cast featuring George Clooney, Josh Brolin, Ralph Fiennes, Scarlett Johansson and Tilda Swinton.

During the early part of his acting career, Bluthal held a number of high-profile roles in British theatre, including the part of Fagin in the original West End production of Oliver in 1960.

He had only moved to the UK that year, having emigrated to Australia with his family in 1938 and gone on to study drama at the University of Melbourne.

Confirming news of his death, talent agency The Artist's Partnership said: "We're sad to announce our wonderful client John Bluthal has passed away.

"Our thoughts are with his family at this time. John provided us all with years of laughter and entertainment. We will miss John hugely."

Film

Year       Title       Role       Director                Notes

1963      The Mouse on the Moon               Von Neidel          Richard Lester   

1963      Doctor in Distress             Railway Porter   Ralph Thomas    Uncredited

1964      This Is My Street               Joe         Sidney Hayers   

1964      Father Came Too!            Robert the Bruce              Peter Graham Scott        

1964      A Hard Day's Night           Car Thief              Richard Lester    Uncredited

1964      Carry On Spying                Head Waiter / Doctor Crow          Gerald Thomas Voice

1965      The Knack ...and How to Get It   Angry Father      Richard Lester   

1965      Help!     Bhuta    Richard Lester   

1966      A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum           Roman Chief Guard         Richard Lester   

1967      Casino Royale    Casino Doorman / MI5 Man                        

1967      Carry On... Follow That Camel     Cpl. Clotski          Gerald Thomas

1968      A Ghost of a Chance        Mayor's Assistant             Jan Darnley-Smith           

1968      Don't Raise the Bridge, Lower the River Dr. Pinto              Jerry Lewis         

1968      The Bliss of Mrs. Blossom             Judge    Joseph McGrath              

1969      The Undertakers                              Brian Cummins Short

1969      A Talent for Loving           Martinelli            Richard Quine   

1970      Doctor in Trouble             1st Cabbie           Ralph Thomas   

1971      Carry On Henry Royal Tailor         Gerald Thomas Uncredited

1972      Nightmare           Capt. John Tredinnick     Jeremy Summers            

1973      Never Mind the Quality, Feel the Width Manny Cohen    Ronnie Baxter   

1973      Digby, the Biggest Dog in the World         Jerry      Joseph McGrath              

1973      The Flying Sorcerer          Uncle Charlie     Harry Booth       

1974      The Over-Amorous Artist              Pakistani Salesman          Maurice Hamblin             

1975      The Great McGonagall   Mr. Giles / MacDuff / Hercules Paint / British Soldier / Policeman / McLain / Sheriff / Judge    Joseph McGrath              

1975      The Return of the Pink Panther Blind Beggar       Blake Edwards  

1976      Fantasm               Professor Jungenot A. Freud       Richard Bruce    Uncredited

1977      Survival Kit                          Karin Altmann   Short

1978      The Irishman      Dave      Donald Crombie               

1978      Revenge of the Pink Panther       Guard at Cemetery          Blake Edwards  

1980      Touch and Go    Anatole                Peter Maxwell  

1981      Alison's Birthday               Uncle Dean Findlay          Ian Coughlan     

1983      Superman III       Pisa Vendor        Richard Lester   

1983      The Return of Captain Invincible                Deli Owner          Philippe Mora   

1986      Labyrinth             Goblin   Jim Henson         Voice, Uncredited

1992      Stan and George's New Life         Stan Senior         Brian McKenzie

1995      Leapin' Leprechauns!     Michael Dennehy             Ted Nicolaou     

1996      Spellbreaker: Secret of the Leprechauns                Ted Nicolaou     

1997      The Fifth Element             Professor Pacoli                Luc Besson         

1998      Dark City              Karl Harris           Alex Proyas        

1998      RPM       Grinkstein           Ian Sharp            

2000      Beware of Greeks Bearing Guns Stephanos           John Tatoulis     

2004      Love's Brother   Pepe      Jan Sardi             

2008      Pigeonhole         Old Man               Nicole Tanzabel                 Short

2014      Milk & Honey     Umberto              Andrea Demetriades

Louisa Mignone                Short

2016      Hail, Caesar!       Prof. Marcuse    Joel and Ethan Coen       

2017      Jungle   Uncle Nissim      Greg McLean     

TV series

Year       Title       Role       Notes

1958      Miss Mabel         The Gardener    Television film

1959      Lady in Danger Inspector Marsh               Television film

1960      Man in a Blue Vase          Herman                Television film

1960      Citizen James     Charlie 5 episodes

1961      Sykes and A...     Mr. Kelly              3.04 "Sykes and a Bath"

4.01 "Sykes and a Mission"

1961-1963          It's a Square World          Various Characters          14 episodes

1961      Hancock               Radio voice         1.03 "The Radio Ham"

1962-1963          Fireball XL5         Commander Wilbur Zero

Jock Campbell   Various Characters          39 episodes

1963      The Benny Hill Show       Willie The Kid     2.06 "The Shooting of Willie the Kid"

1963      Best of Friends                  01.03 "Stars and Strife"

1963      The Larkins         Martinez              5.01 "Cafe Ole"

1964-1965          The Mavis Bramston Show           Various                

1964      Festival                 Justin Thyme      1.25 "Justin Thyme"

1964      A Child's Guide to Screenwriting                Various                 Voice, Television film

1964      HMS Paradise    Gus        1.11 "And a Happy Bastille Day to You Too"

1964      ITV Play of the Week                       10.15 "Drill Pig"

1964      The Saint             Guido Naccaro   3.13 "The Damsel in Distress"

1965      Night Train to Surbiton Ward     Television miniseries

1965      The Saint             Ziggy Zaglan        3.23 "The Happy Suicide"

1965      Not Only... But Also                         1.07 "Episode #1.7"

1965      The Avengers    Ivenko 4.12 "Two's a Crowd"

1967      Armchair Theatre             Emmanuel "Manny" Cohen          7.04 "Never Mind the Quality, Feel the Width"

1967      The Baron            Giuseppe Borzo                1.26 "The Long Long Day"

1967-1971          Never Mind the Quality, Feel the Width Manny Cohen    41 episodes

1968      City '68 Arthur Somerset               1.05 "The Visitors"

1968      George and the Dragon Salesman             3.03 "The TV Set"

1968      Man in a Suitcase             Berger   1.22 "Jigsaw Man"

1968      ITV Playhouse    Kondu   1.28 "The Brahmin Widow"

1969      Q5          Various characters           4 episodes

1969      All Star Comedy Carnival               Manny Cohen    Television film

1970      Oh In Colour       Various characters           6 episodes

1972-1973          Milligan in...       Various characters           1.01 "Milligan in Autumn"

1.02 "Milligan in Winter"

1.03 "Milligan in Spring"

1973      The Pathfinders                Corporal John Tredinnick              1.12 "Nightmare"

1973      Matlock Police   Eric Sumner        3.108 "How Does Your Garden Grow?"

1973-1976          BBC2 Playhouse                Sam Nicholls / Mr. Mockler / Lieberman / Dr. Einstein      4 episodes

1974      Sykes     Henry    3.04 "The Band"

1974      The Last Turkey in the Shop Show             Various characters           Short film

1974      Charles Dickens' World of Christmas                        Television film

1975      The Goodies       Major Cheeseburger       5.02 "Clown Virus"

1975      Comedy Playhouse          Richard Armitage             15.01 "The Melting Pot"

1975      Q6          Various characters           6 episodes

1976      Whodunnit?       General Malkol 4.06 "A Deadly Tan"

1976      The Melting Pot                Richard Armitage             1.03 "Episode #1.3"

1976      Bluey     Newsman            1.06 "Wild Goose Chase"

1977      Spaghetti Two-Step         Sidney   Television film

1977      The Off Show     Doc Holliday       1.01 "Six of One"

1978-1980          Q...         Various characters           19 episodes

1978      BBC2 Play of the Week   Gleyne 2.11 "Renoir, My Father"

1979      BBC Play of the Month   Ernest Friedman               14.06 "Design for Living"

1979      Ride on Stranger               Joseph Litchin    3 episodes

1979      The Mismatch                    Television film

1979      Doctor Down Under        'Chalky' White   1.04 "I Gotta Horse"

1980      Home Sweet Home         Enzo Pacelli         2 episodes

1981      And Here Comes Bucknuckle       J.J. Forbes            6 episodes

1982      There's a Lot of It About                Various characters           6 episodes

1983      The Kenny Everett Television Show          Various characters           2 episodes

1983      Reilly, Ace of Spies           Krassin 1.09 "After Moscow"

1.12 "Shutdown"

1984      ABC Afterschool Special                                 12.05 "The Great Love Experiment"

1984      Squaring the Circle          Babiuch                Television film

1984      I Thought You'd Gone     Max van Damn 1.06 "Episode #1.6"

1984      'Allo 'Allo             Tailor     1.03 "Savile Row to the Rescue"

1985      Minder Solly Salmon       6.03 "The Return of the Invincible Man"

1986      The Life and Loves of a She-Devil               Angus    Television miniseries

1987      Super Gran          Inside Legg The Tailor     2.13 "Supergran and the Heir Apparent"

1988      Turn on to T-Bag               Big Ed Malone   1.02 "Gangsters"

1989      T.Bag and the Revenge of the T.Set          Herr Krimper      1.05 "Hazel Knutt's Muesli Bar"

1989      Storyboard          Van der Moeuwe             4.02 "Snakes & Ladders"

1989      In Sickness and in Health               Ricky      3 episodes

1990      Bergerac              Edward Emanuelson       8.02 "My Name's Sergeant Bergerac"

1990      One Foot in the Grave    Mr. Jellinek         1.04 "I'll Retire to Bedlam"

1990      T.Bag and the Pearls of Wisdom                 High Priest          1.07 "Tut Tut"

1990      Freddie and Max              Anatol Medved 1.02 "Episode #1.2"

1991      Rumpole of the Bailey    Gaston LeBlanc 6.01 "Rumpole a la Carte"

1991      Birds of a Feather             Pedro    3.13 "We'll Always Have Majorca"

1992      Virtual Murder Tonu      1.04 "A Torch for Silverado"

1992      Taggart                 Albert Newman                8.04 "Ring of Deceit Part One"

1993      Inspector Morse               Victor Ignotas    7.3 "Twilight of the Gods"

1994      A Pinch of Snuff                Maurice Arany   Television film

1994–2007          The Vicar of Dibley           Frank Pickle        2 series and 10 specials (20 episodes)

1994      Lovejoy                Popov   6.08 "Fruit of the Desert"

1995      Casualty               Mr. Malinowski                 10.05 "Halfway House"

1995      Last of the Summer Wine             Barber 17.10 "Brushes at Dawn"

1997      Jonathan Creek Jack Holiday        1.02 "Jack in the Box"

1998      Driven Crazy       Great Grandpa 1.06 "Listen Ear"

1999      Time and Tide    Harry     Television film

2003      Blue Heelers       Sid Harrison        10.28 "Too Good to Be True"

2005      Grange                 Television film

2010-2011          Spirited                Rocco    6 episodes