Frederick Treves (actor)

Frederick William Treves BEM (29 March 1925 – 30 January 2012) was an English character actor with an extensive repertoire, specialising in avuncular, military and titled types.

Frederick Treves BEM
Treves in 2005
Born	Frederick William Treves (1925-03-29)29 March 1925 Cliftonville, Margate, Kent, England
Died	30 January 2012(2012-01-30) (aged 86) Mitcham, Surrey, England
Spouse(s)	Margaret Jean (née Stott)

Early life

Treves attended the Nautical College, Pangbourne and during World War II he served in the Merchant Navy. On his first voyage his ship, the freighter Waimarama, was part of the Operation Pedestal convoy to Malta. On 13 August 1942, the Waimarama was sunk by German bombers, the aviation fuel on deck burst into flame and the ship exploded, with 80 of the 107 crew killed. Cadet Treves helped save several of his shipmates, including the only ship's officer to survive the sinking, 3rd Wireless Operator John Jackson. Treves, then 17 years old, received the British Empire Medal[1] and the Lloyd's War Medal for Bravery at Sea for his actions.

After the war, he trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.[2]

Career

His over a hundred television credits included roles in A For Andromeda, The Cazalets, The Jewel in the Crown, A Dance to the Music of Time, The Politician's Wife, To Play the King, Lipstick on Your Collar, Summer's Lease, Bomber Harris, Trevor Griffiths' version of The Cherry Orchard, David Edgar's Destiny, The Naked Civil Servant and The Railway Children.[3]

Treves also guested in many continuing dramas, such as Rosemary & Thyme, Monarch of the Glen, The Bill, The New Adventures of Black Beauty, Silent Witness, Kavanagh QC, Jeeves and Wooster, Inspector Morse, Agatha Christie's Poirot, Lovejoy, Yes, Prime Minister, Bergerac, Midsomer Murders, Follyfoot, Miss Marple, Minder, Z-Cars, The Avengers, Doomwatch and in the Doctor Who story Meglos.[3]

His films included Freelance (1971), One Hour to Zero (1976), Sweeney 2 (1978), Charlie Muffin (1979), The Elephant Man (1980), Nighthawks (1981), Defence of the Realm (1985), Paper Mask (1990), The Fool (1990), Afraid of the Dark (1991), Mad Dogs and Englishmen (1995) and Sunshine (1999).[3]

As well as screen appearances, he also had a wide stage and radio career, and appeared with the National Theatre[2] from the late-1970s in David Hare's Plenty, Bernard Shaw's The Philanderer, Arnold Wesker's Caritas, Eugene O'Neill's The Iceman Cometh, and two Shakespeares - Leonato in Much Ado About Nothing (1981)[4] and Menenius in Coriolanus (1984).[5]

Personal life

Treves was from a medical family; his father was a physician and his great uncle was Frederick Treves, the surgeon who became famous for discovering Joseph Merrick, the "Elephant Man". In the David Lynch film The Elephant Man, the surgeon is played by Anthony Hopkins and Treves himself appeared in the character of Alderman.[2]

He married Jean Stott in 1956. He was survived by two sons and a daughter. His elder son is the actor Simon Treves.

Filmography

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1953	Wheel of Fate
1956	Jumping for Joy	Attendant	Uncredited
1956	The Long Arm	Detective Tailing Creasey	Uncredited
1956	High Terrace	Police Constable West
1957	The Mark of the Hawk	2nd Officer
1960	Carry on Constable	Radio Announcer	Voice, Uncredited
1971	Freelance	Car Driver
1976	One Hour to Zero	Supeintendent Parry
1976	Devices and Desires	Reverend Granville Moulton
1978	Sweeney 2	McKyle
1978	On a Paving Stone Mounted
1979	Charlie Muffin	Wilcox
1980	The Elephant Man	Alderman
1981	Nighthawks	Chief Police Inspector - London
1983	A Flame to the Phoenix
1986	Defence of the Realm	Arnold Reece
1986	The Natural World - The Man Eaters of Kumaon	Jim Corbett
1990	Paper Mask	Dr. Mumford
1990	The Fool	Samuel Simpson
1991	Afraid of the Dark	Eye Surgeon
1993	Closing Numbers	Anna's Father
1995	Mad Dogs and Englishmen	Sir Harry Dyer
1999	Sunshine	Emperor

References

1. "No. 35905". The London Gazette (Supplement). 12 February 1943. p. 824. "Frederick William Treves, Cadet. The ship was hit by bombs while in a convoy and burst into flames fore and aft. The fierceness of the fire forced an Officer who could not swim to jump overboard. Cadet Treves, who was on his first voyage, swam to where the Officer was struggling in the oily water, ordered him to keep still, and, taking him by the head, got him away from the ship. Treves then found a piece of wood, to which the man was able to cling for support until rescued. But for the coolness and skill of the Cadet the Officer would have drowned."
2. Treves on the Internet Movie Database
3. Filmography on the Internet Movie Database
4. Treves on the AHDS Performing Arts website
5. Treves in Coriolanus on the Ian McKellen website

• Obituary - Dr Who

External links

• Performances in the Theatre Archive, University of Bristol