David Daker, busy character actor who formed a memorable double act with Michael Elphick in Boon
He was not on the list.
David Daker, who has died aged 90, was a burly, balding
character actor who appeared in dozens of television series, most enduringly
alongside Michael Elphick in Boon.
Daker's homely features were instantly recognisable, but,
although he became a fixture in the nation's living-rooms, many viewers would
have struggled to put a name to the face. "A couple of kids came up and
asked me for my autograph so I signed my name David Daker. They looked at it
and said 'Who's that?'," he told one interviewer.
He specialised in hardmen, and in 1977 appeared in the final
episode of Porridge as Jarvis (described in the script as "a tough,
unpleasant-looking inmate"), who endangers Godber's (Richard Beckinsale)
chances of parole by trying to goad him into a fight. Fletcher (Ronnie Barker)
tries to draw Jarvis's ire on himself instead by telling him: "Your old
lady's only been unfaithful to you twice... Once with the milkman and once with
the Household Cavalry."
Daker gave a masterclass in sneering villainy as Captain
Spiker, the corrupt nemesis of Richard O'Sullivan's highwayman in Dick Turpin
(1979-82), and was the Auschwitz commandant Rudolf Hoess in the miniseries
Holocaust (1978). Between 1981 and 1985 he had a number of stints in Coronation
Street as Gordon Lewis, the mini-Hitler relief manager at the Rovers Return.
"Lewis… suspended Fred Gee and made life so impossible
for Bet Lynch and Betty Turpin that they both walked out," Daker recalled.
"I got vitriolic letters from viewers asking how I dared to behave like
that."
He was a more genial presence in the ITV comedy-drama Boon,
as the hapless would-be entrepreneur Harry Crawford, constantly getting into
scrapes from which his motorcycle-riding fixer Ken Boon (Michael Elphick) has
to extract him.
It was Elphick, an old friend of Daker's, who suggested him
for the role, and he appeared in all 93 episodes between 1986 and 1995. The
Daily Telegraph judged that Harry and Boon had become "a partnership now
almost as durable and likeable as Arthur and Terry in Minder".
Colin David Daker was born in Bilston, in the Black Country,
on September 29 1935; he was the youngest of five children of Elijah Daker, who
worked in a shoe factory, and his wife Olive, née Cutler. At Etheridge
Secondary Modern School he was so impressive as Long John Silver in Treasure
Island that his parents were persuaded to send him for speech training lessons.
He worked as a draughtsman for two years before deciding
that his future lay on the stage, and trained at the Oxford Playhouse Theatre
School. He tried to iron out his Black Country accent: "I thought I
wouldn't get any good acting parts if I didn't speak posh, but since I became a
professional actor, I've used my own accent more than any other."
He played Reg Drummond in the original production of Peter
Nichols's Privates on Parade in 1977 during a stint with the Royal Shakespeare
Company, and was Chief Inspector Roach, boss of Ray Brooks's Sergeant Brook, in
the Radio 4 series Detective. His films included O Lucky Man!, Aces High,
Voyage of the Damned and Time Bandits.
Daker admitted to battles with alcoholism, and was
devastated by the death of his daughter from multiple sclerosis in 1997; the
following year he was convicted of assaulting a female neighbour over a parking
dispute, but given a conditional discharge.
He is survived by his second wife, Hilary, née Voisey, and
their daughter, as well as a son by his first marriage.
Filmography
Film
Year Title Role Notes
1973 O Lucky Man! Various
The Optimists of Nine Elms Bob
Ellis
1974 The Black
Windmill MI5 Man
Stardust Ralph
Woods
1976 Aces High Bennett
Voyage of the Dammed First
Officer
1979 That Summer! Pub Landlord
1981 Time Bandits Kevin's Father
1982 Britannia
Hospital Guest Workman
1990 I Bought a
Vampire Motorcycle Desk Sergeant
Television
Year Title Role Notes
1964 Detective Thomas Yaxley Episode: "The Loring Mystery"
1966 King of the
River Jack Flynn Episode: "Keeping the Old Spirit
Alive"
1967–1977 Z Cars PC Culshaw
Reg
Sgt. Milne 84
episodes
1968–1985 Coronation
Street Basil Griffin
Gordon Lewis 31
episodes
1969 ITV Sunday
Night Theatre Ken Episode: "Travelling Where?"
1969–1972 Dixon of
Dock Green Headmaster
Jock 2 episodes
1970 Parkin's Patch Det. Sgt. Milburn Episode: "The Spider's Web"
1971 UFO SHADO Guard (uncredited) Episode: "Flight Path"
Trial Prior Episode: "On the Evidence You Will
Hear"
1972 Villains George 6 episodes
1973 Full House Fedya in On the High Road Episode: #1.22
General Hospital Unknown Episode: #1.63
Hadleigh Ted
Prior Episode: "Gentleman and
Players"
Second City Firsts Peter Episode: "If a Man Answers"
1973–1974,
1979
Doctor Who Irongron
Rigg Serials:
"The Time Warrior" and "Nightmare of Eden"
1974 The Carnforth
Practice Tanker Driver Episode: "The Aristocrat"
Hunter's Walk Barry
Dawes Episode: "Villain"
Armchair Cinema Tusser Episode: "Regan"
Marked Personal Jack
Williams 2 episodes
Dial M for Murder Tony Episode: "Recording Angel"
ITV Sunday Night Drama Sussex Episode: "The Ceremony of Innocence"
1974–1976 Centre
Play Jacky Maddison
Max 2 episodes
1975 Churchill's
People John Bradwater Episode: "Shouts and
Murmurs"
The Hanged Man Piet
Hollander Episode: "The Bridge
Maker"
The Main Chance Jacobson Episode: "Survival"
The Rough with the Smooth Rudolph
Culpepper Episode: "The Broom
Cupboard"
Daft As a Brush Jack
Baker Television film
BBC Play of the Month Cpl.
Hill Episode: "Chips with
Everything"
Thriller Charlie
Draper Episode: "Kill Two Birds"
Softly Softly: Task Force Walters Episode: "Dorothy's
Birthday"
1975–1984 Play for
Today Various 8 episodes
1976 Widowing of
Mrs. Holroyd Mr. Holroyd Television film
Three Days in Szczecin Workers'
spokesman Television film
1976–1981 When the
Boat Comes In Chater
Sid Meek
2 episodes
1977 Eleanor Marx Will Thorne 2
episodes
Warship PO
Asdale Episode: "Counter
Charge"
Porridge Jarvis Episode: "Final Stretch"
Rising Damp Mr. Brent Episode: "That's My Boy"
The Dick Emery Show Unknown Episode: #16.2
Target Mike Ansell Episode: "Vandraggers"
BBC2 Play of the Week Max Episode: "The Kitchen"
1978 Hazell Dave Ryman Episode:
"Hazell and the Rubber-Heel Brigade"
Holocaust Rudolf
Hoess Episode: "Part 4:
1944–1945"
Strangers Roy
Stephens Episode: "Right and
Wrong"
1979 All Creatures
Great and Small Mr. Barratt Episode: "Puppy Love"
Charlie Muffin Bolton Television film
Two People Len
Fletcher 5 episodes
Saint Joan Poulengey Television film
1979–1982 Dick
Turpin Captain Nathan Spiker 13 episodes
1980 The Enigma
Files Major Mike Clark Episode: "The Full Flying Carpet
Treatment"
1980–1985 Minder Alex Brompton
Sir Ronald Bates 2
episodes
1981 The Gentle
Touch Sam Taylor Episode: "Doubt"
BBC2 Playhouse Alf Episode: "The Grudge Fight"
1981–1985 Juliet
Bravo Charlie Pendle
Chris Oldham
Colin Bright 3
episodes
1982 Legacy of
Murder Mechanic Episode: "Who Do You Voodoo?"
ITV Playhouse 'Dogfood'
Dan Milton Episode: "Dogfood Dan and
the Camarthen Cowboy"
Only Fools and Horses Tommy
Mackay Episode: "No Greater
Love"
1983 BBC Television
Shakespeare Various Episodes: Henry VI and Richard III
To the Lighthouse Mr.
Trevorrow Television film
Give us a Break Ron
Palmer 7 episodes
1984 Crown Court Harry Barber Serial:
"There Was an Old Woman"
Moonfleet Elzevir
Block 6 episodes
Hallelujah! Brother
Benjamin
Bob Scratchitt
8 episodes
1985 Summer Season Leo Lyon Episode: "Urban Jungle"
1986 Sorry! Byron Hadlee Episode:
"The Primal Scene, So to Speak"
Love and Marriage Maurice
Bannister Episode: "A Walk
Under Ladders"
1986–1995 Boon Harry Crawford 93 episodes
1987 Up Line Leon Targett 4 episodes
Screen Two Mr.
Plant Episode: "The Children
of Dynmouth"
1988 Blind Justice Det. Insp. Gee Episode: "A Death in the Family"
1989 The Woman in
Black Josiah Freston Television film
1995 Crown
Prosecutor Ben Campbell 10 episodes
Resort to Murder Sam
Penny 4 episodes
Pigeon Summer Uncle
Charley TV mini-series
1995–2000 The Bill Laurie Coleman
Mick Davies 2
episodes
1996 The Vet Gerry Leadbetter Episode: "Out of the Past"
Paul Merton in Galton and Simpson's... Farmer Episode:
"Twelve Angry Men"
Casualty Jim
Porteous Episode:
"Waterwings"
1997 Dangerfield Ken Markham Episode:
"Perfect Witness"
1998 Midsomer
Murders Harry Vellacott Episode: "Faithful unto
Death"
1999 The Ruth
Rendell Mysteries Stanley Clayton Episode: "The Fallen
Curtain"
2000 Dalziel and
Pascoe Jack Turton Episode: "A Sweeter Lazarus"
Heartbeat Matty
Lovell Episode: "War Stories"
2001 Where the Heart
Is Peter Lampard Episode: "Pound of Flesh"
Hearts and Bones Mr.
Rose 2 episodes
Big Bad World Ernest 3 episodes
2002–2007 Doctors Eric Barbar
Jim Young 2
episodes
2004 The Last
Detective Jervis Beauchamp Episode: "Benefit to Mankind"
Powers Mike Knowles Episode: "The Future Is Yours"
2004–2009 Holby
City Bill Gibbs
Mr Frisby 2
episodes
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