George Sewell

George Sewell (31 August 1924 – 2 April 2007) was an English actor, best known for his television roles, but also active on stage and in films.[1]

For other people named George Sewell, see George Sewell (disambiguation).

George Sewell
Born	(1924-08-31)31 August 1924 Hoxton, London, UK
Died	2 April 2007(2007-04-02) (aged 82) London, UK
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1963–2006
Spouse(s)	Helen Logan Davies (1961–2007; his death)
Children	1

Early life and career

The son of a Hoxton printer and a florist,[2] Sewell left school at the age of 14 and worked briefly in the printing trade before switching to building work, specifically the repair of bomb-damaged houses. He then trained as a Royal Air Force pilot, though too late to see action during the Second World War.[2]

Following his demob, Sewell joined the Merchant Navy, serving as a steward for the Cunard Line on the RMS Queen Mary and RMS Queen Elizabeth for their Atlantic crossings to New York. He worked as a street photographer, assisted a French roller-skating team, and was drummer and assistant road manager of a rumba band.[2] He also travelled Europe as a motor coach courier for a holiday company.[3]

Acting career

Theatre

Sewell had not considered acting until, aged 35,[2] he met the actor Dudley Sutton by chance in a pub.[3] Sutton recommended that Sewell audition for a production by Joan Littlewood's Theatre Workshop of Fings Ain't Wot They Used T'Be. Sewell did so, and made his acting debut as a policeman in the show both at the Theatre Royal, Stratford East and in the West End.[3] He went on to star in two other Littlewood productions, Sparrers Can't Sing (1962) and as Field Marshal Haig in Oh! What a Lovely War (1963), which later opened in Paris and on Broadway.[3] The experience garnered from stage acting led to a long career in both film and television.

Television

For many years, Sewell was the gritty face of crime and law enforcement in a huge array of television series. Amongst his early roles, he was the tallyman in the television play Up The Junction (1965), a criminal who runs off with a teenage girl in Softly, Softly (1966), a hard-nosed building engineer in The Power Game (1965–66), a cowardly informer in Man in a Suitcase (1967), and a seedy private eye in Spindoe (1968). In 1969 he played an escaped convict called Jansen in the Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) episode called "Vendetta for a dead man".[4] In 1970, he played Colonel Alec Freeman in Gerry Anderson's live-action science-fiction drama UFO.[5] Also in 1970 he played resistance leader Pierre Allard in three episodes of the ITV series Manhunt – 14 (One Way Home), 17 (The Ugly Side of War) and 22, (Intent to Steal) which were filmed in 1969 and aired in January 1970.[6][7][8]

In 1973, Euston Films re-invigorated the TV series Special Branch, formerly a videotaped series starring Derren Nesbitt.[9] Sewell was brought in to play the lead character of DCI Alan Craven.[10] The show ran for two seasons with Sewell, and served as a stylistic forerunner of crime drama The Sweeney (in which Sewell also appeared, this time as a villain). Sewell was to parody this role as Supt Frank Cottam in the Jasper Carrott/Robert Powell comedy, The Detectives.[11]

He also played a Detective Baker who turned out to be a burglar in the Rising Damp episode The Prowler.[12]

Later roles

Later television appearances include Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (1979), in which he played Mendel, and the Doctor Who story Remembrance of the Daleks (1988), in which he played builder's merchant and fascist leader Ratcliffe.[13][14] He also appeared frequently in films, notably This Sporting Life (1963), Poor Cow (1967) and Get Carter (1971).[15]

He was the subject of This Is Your Life in 1973 when he was surprised by Eamonn Andrews while filming scenes for the TV series Special Branch.[16]

Personal life and death

George Sewell died from cancer on 2 April 2007 at the age of 82.[17] His brother, Danny Sewell, a former boxer, also became an actor.[17]

Filmography

Film

Film
Year	Title	Role	Notes
1963	This Sporting Life	Jeff
1963	Sparrows Can't Sing	Bert
1963	A Place to Go	Market Trader	Uncredited.
1963	The Informers	Fred Hill
1966	Kaleidoscope	Billy
1967	Deadlier Than the Male	Car Park Assassin	Uncredited.
1967	Robbery	Ben
1967	Poor Cow	Customer in Pub	Scenes deleted.
1968	The Vengeance of She	Harry
1969	The Haunted House of Horror	Bob Kellett
1969	Doppelgänger	Mark Neuman
1971	Get Carter[18]	Con McCarty
1973	Diamonds on Wheels	Henry Stewart
1973	UFO - Allarme rosso... attacco alla Terra!	Col. Alec E. Freeman	Italian-language series UFO compilation film.
1973	Kill Straker, a Question of Priorities	Col. Alec E. Freeman	UFO compilation film, known in the Italian-language series as "UFO - Distruggete Base Luna".
1974	UFO - Prendeteli vivi!	Col. Alec E. Freeman	Italian-language series UFO compilation film.
1974	UFO - Contatto Radar... stanno atterrando...!	Col. Alec E. Freeman	Italian-language series UFO compilation film.
1974	Invasion: UFO	Col. Alec E. Freeman	UFO compilation film, known in the Italian-language series as "UFO - Annientate SHADO... Uccidete Straker... Stop".
1975	Operation Daybreak	Heinz Panwitz, Chief Investigator
1975	Barry Lyndon	Barry's Second
1979	Running Blind	Slade
1979	Winterspelt	Colonel
1981	If You Go Down in the Woods Today	Knocker
1998	Let's Stick Together	Carter

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1965-1967	Z-Cars	Det. Insp. Brogan/Joe Carter/Harris
1969-1971	Paul Temple	Sammy Carson
1969	Public Eye	Jakeman	episode: Welcome to Brighton?
1970	Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased)	Eric Jansen	episode: Vendetta for a Dead Man
1970	Manhunt	Pierre Allard
1970	UFO	Col. Alec Freeman
1971	Public Eye	Harry Brierly
1972	Home and Away	Winslow Scott
1973-1974	Special Branch	Det. Chief Insp. Alan Craven
1975	Rising Damp	Baker	"The Prowler", 10 January 1975
1978	The Sweeney	Vic Tolman	"Bait", 19 October 1978
1979	Running Blind	Slade
1979	Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy	Mendel
1981	Minder	Frank	episode: Rembrandt Doesn't Live Here Any More
1982-1983	Andy Robson	Peter Mueller
1984	Hammer House of Mystery and Suspense	Det. Inspector Grant	episode: Mark of the Devil
1987-1990	Home James!	Robert Palmer
1988	Doctor Who	Ratcliffe	Remembrance of the Daleks
1993-1997	The Detectives	Superintendent Cottam

References

1. "Obituary at www.thestage.co.uk".
2. Purser, Philip (11 April 2007). "Guardian, 11 April 2007". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 3 May 2010.
3. "The Times, 14 April 2007". London. 14 April 2007. Retrieved 3 May 2010.
4. "George Sewell". www.aveleyman.com.
5. "BFI Screenonline: U.F.O. (1970-71)". www.screenonline.org.uk.
6. "One Way Home (1970)". BFI.
7. "The Ugly Side of War (1970)". BFI.
8. "Intent to Steal (1970)". BFI.
9. "BFI Screenonline: Special Branch (1969-74)". www.screenonline.org.uk.
10. "A Copper Called Craven (1973)". BFI.
11. "Never without Protection (1994)". BFI.
12. "The Prowler (1975)". BFI.
13. "BFI Screenonline: Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (1979) Credits". www.screenonline.org.uk.
14. "BBC - Doctor Who Classic Episode Guide - Remembrance of the Daleks - Details". www.bbc.co.uk.
15. "George Sewell". BFI.
16. "George Sewell". www.bigredbook.info.
17. Purser, Philip (10 April 2007). "Obituary: George Sewell" – via www.theguardian.com.
18. Sewell obit in The Telegraph

External links

• George Sewell on IMDb
• The Guardian obituary
• George Sewell's appearance on This Is Your Life