Simon Lack

Simon Lack (19 December 1913 – 8 August 1980) was a Scottish actor, working mostly in England.[1]

Simon Lack
in The Avengers: False Witness (1968)
Born	Alexander MacAlpine (1913-12-19)19 December 1913 Cleland, Lanarkshire, Scotland, UK
Died	8 August 1980(1980-08-08) (aged 66) London, England, UK
Occupation	Actor

He was born Alexander MacAlpine, in Cleland, Lanarkshire, Scotland.[2] Known locally as Alec, he was the youngest child and only son of his father, Alexander McAlpine (known as Sandy) and his mother Euphemia Ritchie. His sisters were Charlotte (Lottie), Mary, Euphemia (Euphie), Agnes (Nan), and Jenny. Another sister, Jessie, died in childhood. Sandy McAlpine was a stonemason but worked down the mines when there was no masonry work available, making Simon Lack's later role in Proud Valley particularly poignant to those who knew him from his youth. Euphemia Ritchie's family were somewhat wealthier, but she was disowned on account of her choice of husband, and the family lived for many years in a one-room flat (known in Scottish working class language as a 'single end'), although it seems eventually one of her uncles relented and came to their aid.[3] Alec's earliest ventures into acting were in local theatres.[4]

He seems to have chosen the pseudonym Simon Lack when he embarked upon the London stage.

He lost five years during the Second World War (as did so many British actors). He served in the European theatre, and was present at Monte Cassino.

After the war he returned to acting, getting back into stage work.[5]

He was also a member of the BBC Radio company during the late 1950s/early 1960s, and notably guest-starred in all but two of the Paul Temple serials (mysteries) that starred Peter Coke and Marjorie Westbury.[6]

His television roles included two Doctor Who serials; The Mind of Evil (1971) and The Androids of Tara (1978). He also guest-starred in episodes of The Saint, Jason King, and Doomwatch. He had co-starring roles in Telford's Change, Enemy at the Door and The Borgias.[7]

Filmography

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1938	They Drive by Night	Roy Allen - brother of man to be executed
1939	Goodbye, Mr. Chips	Wainwright	Uncredited
1939	Sons of the Sea	Philip Hyde
1940	The Proud Valley	Emlyn Parry
1940	Just William	Robert Brown
1947	Silver Darlings	Don
1948	Bonnie Prince Charlie	Young Alan of Moidart
1956	Port of Escape	Reporter	Uncredited
1960	Clue of the Twisted Candle	Jock
1960	Cone of Silence	Navigator #1
1961	On the Fiddle	Fl / Lt Baldwin
1961	The Court Martial of Major Keller	Wilson
1962	The Durant Affair	Roland Farley
1962	The Longest Day	Air Chief Marshal Sir Trafford Leigh-Mallory	Uncredited
1963	Dr. Syn, Alias the Scarecrow	Dragoon Corporal
1969	Battle of Britain	RAF Officer	Uncredited
1969	Night After Night After Night	Endell's Q.C.
1969	The Bushbaby	First Officer
1970	Trog	Colonel Vickers
1971	All at Sea	Mr Parker
1980	Love in a Cold Climate	Doctor

References

1. "Simon Lack". BFI. Archived from the original on 9 December 2007.
2. "National Portrait Gallery - Portrait - NPG x76211; Simon Lack (Alexander MacAlpine)". npg.org.uk.
3. McMurtrie, M (Great niece, from personal knowledge of 'Uncle Alec' and immediate family information)
4. "The Simon Lack Affair - Biography". volcanoseven.com.
5. Caroline Miniscule. "The Face and the Voice: Simon Lack - an Obit". thefaceadthevoice.blogspot.co.uk.
6. "Paul Temple And The Spencer Affair". radiolistings.co.uk.
7. "Simon Lack". TV.com. CBS Interactive.

External links

• Simon Lack on IMDb
• The Simon Lack Affair