Ron Blanchard

Ronald Blanchard (born 1945) is an Australian stage, television and film actor. He is best known as a character actor, and for his starring roles in five popular children's television series Breakfast-a-Go-Go, The Lost Islands, Alexander Bunyip's Billabong, Watch This Space and Professor Poopsnagle's Steam Zeppelin. A well-known character actor, Blanchard had numerous appearances on television series and film's from the late 1960s up until the late 1990s, most especially, his recurring guest role as Lenny Sawyer on A Country Practice but has since returned to theatre work. He made his film debut in a supporting role in Caddie in 1976 and appeared in the 1997 film Oscar and Lucinda

Ron Blanchard
Blanchard wearing his most favourite hat
Born
Ronald Blanchard

1945 (age 7475)
OccupationTheatre, television and film actor
Years active1957-present

Biography

Blanchard got his first big break on the small screen when he appeared on the children's variety show Breakfast-a-Go-Go in 1969 as "Witless Wonder", the comedic sidekick of new host Sue Smith. In 1972 he appeared as a guest star on the soap opera Number 96 and on the comedy series Snake Gully with Dad and Dave. He continued working on-and-off for the next several years and, in 1976, Blanchard landed the part of the villainous Quell on the children's adventure series The Lost Islands. As one of the show's main antagonists, the series provided his breakout role.

As well as appearing on The Outsiders, in the same year he also made his film debut with a supporting role in Caddie.[1][2][3][4] He followed this with appearances on The Garry McDonald Show (1977), Alexander Bunyip's Billabong (1978),[5] Doctor Down Under (1979) and, most notably, co-starring with Paul Chubb in the children's science fiction series Watch This Space (1982). He began to work more regularly during the early 1980s and had parts in the television movie Chase Through the Night (1983), television miniseries The Last Bastion (1984) [6] and films Silver City (1984),[7] Warming Up (1985) and Burke & Wills (1985).[1][8]

In January 1986, he joined former co-star Paul Chubb and Perry Quinton in a children's pantomime called Humpty Dumpty. It featured the fictional characters of the Harry and Ralph Show at the Footbridge Theatre.[9] In the same year, he starred in yet another children's television series, the popular but short-lived Professor Poopsnagle's Steam Zeppelin. After a supporting role in the thriller film Dark Age (1987),[10] he returned to television acting with guest appearances in Mother and Son (1988), True Believers (1988) and G.P. (1991). That same year, he also had a minor role in the action film Gotcha (1991).

Beginning in 1992, Blanchard had a recurring role as Lenny Sawyer on the television series A Country Practice. His last regular acting role was in the film Country Life (1994),[11] although he made appearances in the television movie Hart to Hart: Harts in High Season (1996) and the romance film Oscar and Lucinda (1997).[1][12]

For the past 12 years he's been travelling the world playing the role of an English butler for the famous Swedish illusionist Joe Labero.

Selected filmography

Production Year Role
Breakfast-a-Go-Go (TV series)1969Witless Wonder
Snake Gully with Dad and Dave (TV series)1972Doug Creedy (episode: Hold that Tiger)
Number 96 (TV series)1973Dennis Parker (epiosde
Certain Women (TV series)1974episode 26th June
Caddie (film)1976Bill
Alvin Purple (TV series)1976Curly
The Outsiders (TV series)1976Hannan (episode: Ghost Town)
The Lost Islands (TV series)1976Quell (26 episodes)
The Garry McDonald Show1977Various
Doctor Down Under (TV series)1979First Wardsman (episode Identity Crisis)
Tickled Pink (TV series)1981Episode: Three Blind Mice)
Chase Through the Night (TV movie)1982Mert
Silver City (TV series)1984Arthur Calwell
The Last Bastian (TV mini-series)Arthur Caldwell
Burke and Wills1985Bill Patton
Warming Up1986Len
Professor Poopsnaggle and His Flying Zeppelin1985Murk (24 episodes)
Dark Ahe1987Bluey Noakes
Rock 'n' Roll Cowboys (TV movie)1987Uncle Sam
Mother and Son (TV series)1988Emile the fridge repairman (episode The Fridge)
True Believer's (TV mini-series)1988Arthur Calwell (7 episodes)
Rafferty's Rules (TV series)1991Jones Worthington (episode Best and Brighest)
G.P. (TV series)1991Ron Slater
Gotcha (TV film short)1991Tuba Player
A Country Practice1985Kevin Crooke (4 episode)
A Country Practice1992-1993Norman Leonard "Lennie" Sawyer (12 episodes)
Home and Away (TV series)1989-1993Peter Braithwaite
Country Life1994Wally Wells
Harts to Hart1994(TV movie)
Oscar and Lucinda (Film)1997Steamer Captain

References

  1. All Movie Guide (2009). "Ron Blanchard filmography". Movies & TV. New York Times.
  2. Canby, Vincent (8 February 1981). "'Caddie,' An Australian Woman On Her Own". Cultural Desk. New York Times.
  3. Reade, Eric. History and Heartburn: The Saga of Australian Film, 1896-1978. Sydney: Harper & Rowe, 1981. (pg. 248) ISBN 0-8386-3082-0
  4. Daily Variety. Variety's Film Reviews: 1975-1977. New York: R.R. Bowker, 1983. ISBN 0-8352-2794-4
  5. Library Association of Australia. "Item notes." Orca. Vol. 15-16. (1979): 44+.
  6. Willis, John. Screen World 1986 Film Annual. Vol. 37. New York: Random House, 1986. (pg. 171) ISBN 0-517-56257-X
  7. Maslin, Janet (17 May 1985). "Screen: Australia's 'Silver City'". Weekend Desk. New York Times.
  8. Murray, Scott and Raffaele Caputo. Australian Film, 1978-1992: A Survey of Theatrical Features. Melbourne: Oxford University Press, 1993. (pg. 153, 165, 179) ISBN 0-19-553584-7
  9. "Kids' Theatre". Sydney Morning Herald. 3 Jan 1986.
  10. Lentz, Harris M. Science Fiction, Horror & Fantasy Film and Television Credits. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland, 1994. (pg. 396) ISBN 0-89950-927-4
  11. Ebert, Roger. Roger Ebert's Video Companion. 13th ed. Kansas City: Andrews & McMeel, 1997. (pg. 173) ISBN 0-8362-3688-2
  12. Willis, John. Screen World 1998 Film Annual. Vol. 49. Milwaukee: Hal Leonard Corporation, 1999. (pg. 257) ISBN 1-55783-342-7
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