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Dudley Foster

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Dudley Foster
Born
Frank Dudley Foster

(1924-08-07)7 August 1924
Knaresborough, Yorkshire West Riding, England[1]
Died8 January 1973(1973-01-08) (aged 48)
Hampstead, Greater London, England[2]
Burial placeHampstead Cemetery
Alma materUniversity of Leeds
OccupationActor
Years active1948–1973
Spouse
​
(m. 1952)​
[3]
Children2

Frank Dudley Foster (7 August 1924 – 8 January 1973) was an English actor.

Early life

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Frank Dudley Foster was born in Knaresborough, Yorkshire West Riding, England, on 7 August 1924, as the youngest child to Frank Geden Foster, a civil engineer, and his wife, Ruth Chapman (née Butler), a barmaid. He had two siblings, a brother, John Geden Foster, and a sister, Ruth Butler 'Jill' Foster. His family had established links with the theatre as both of his siblings also appeared on the stage.[4]

Foster attended Pocklington School, a private school, in Pocklington, East Riding of Yorkshire]. He began service as a navigator in the Royal Air Force when he left school. After he was demobbed, he went on to study chemistry at the University of Leeds.[4]

Career

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Foster joined the recently formed Bradford Civic Playhouse Theatre School in 1948. After turning professional, he spent several successful years with Northern repertory companies. From the late 1950s and into the early 1960s, he was a member of Joan Littlewood's Theatre Workshop, based at London's Theatre Royal Stratford East. In her autobiography, Joan's Book, Littlewood recalled that Foster had a wealthy father who financed some of the troupe's productions.[4]

Foster appeared in The Night Walker in 1966.[5]

Personal life

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Foster married Eileen Mary Kennally, an actress, in Sunderland, Durham, in April 1952. They had two sons together, Mark A Foster (b. 1953) and Benjamin Dudley Foster (b. 1965).[6]

Death

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On 8 January 1973, Foster died at his home 3 Holly Hill, Hampstead in Greater London. He was 48. His death was said to be a suicide by hanging.[7][8][9] His body was discovered by his wife, Eileen.[10] She found him hanging from the stairs at their home, she cut him down with a bread knife and tried to revive him with mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.[11][12] His father, who was said by a close family friend to be the driving force behind Foster in his career, had died at the age of 81, exactly a week prior to his son. The close family friend added: "He pushed Dudley on to better things and encouraged him all the way".[13] He was buried at Hampstead Cemetery in West Hampstead, London.

Filmography

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Year Title Role Notes
1954 Six Characters in Search of an Author The Stage Carpenter Television film
1955 Fast and Loose Episode: "Episode #2.4"
Othello
1956 The Tamer Tamed Television film
1957 No Road Back Fingerprint Man
1958 The Two-Headed Spy Gestapo Agent
Incident at Echo Six Sergeant Carmichael Television film
1958, 1960–1961, 1965 Play of the Week Warden Regan, Harry Smith, Inspector Beecroft, Sweeney 4 episodes
1959 The Invisible Man Cable Car Operator Episode: "Odds Against Death"
Operation Bullshine Gunner
The Four Just Men Luigi Episode: "The Crying Jester"
Interpol Calling Killer In Hat Episode: "Last Man Lucky"
1959–1962 ITV Television Playhouse Mr. Gregory, Bamford, Paul Munning, George, Harry 5 episodes
1960 Scotland Yard Detective Inspector Hodgson Episode: "Special Duty"
Man in the Moon N.A.R.S.T.I Security Guard
Julius Caesar Casca 2 episodes
Police Surgeon George Bates Episode: "Operation Mangle"
Saturday Playhouse Harry Migglewood Episode: "A Run for the Money"
1960–1962 BBC Sunday-Night Play Lance-Cpl. Broughton, Gherea, Ed Horner, Roberts, Mr. Miller 5 episodes
1960–1961, 1967, 1971 Armchair Theatre Hugo, George Gladwin, Tom Fenton 4 episodes
1961 Jango Store Manager Episode: "The Itching Fingers of Lady Ffoukes"
No Thoroughfare Fotheringay Television film
Sykes and a... Episode: "Sykes and a Surprise"
Coronation Street Tom Hayes 7 episodes
Echo Four Two Tom Dukes Episode: "Frozen Fire"
Ghost Squad Vic Diamond Episode: "The Eyes of the Bat"
The Wakefield Shepherd's Play First Shepherd Short film
1962 Term of Trial Det. Sgt. Kiernan
Bootsie and Snudge Capt. Chepstow Episode: "The Importance of Being Jumbo"
1962–1863, 1965 Drama 61-67 Gilbert Platt, Sam Carver, Inspector Morris 3 episodes
1962, 1964, 1971 Z-Cars Det. Insp. Dunn, Supt. Dunn, Leonard Smith 16 episodes
1963 It Happened Like This Hickman Episode: "The Hill of Lions"
The Plane Makers Harry Episode: "The Silent and the Damned"
Ricochet Peter Dexter
Moonstrike Philippe Episode: "Round Trip"
24-Hour Call George Manning Episode: "People Are So Kind"
Zero One Abdul Pasha Episode: "Triple Cross"
Festival Eisenring Episode: "The Fire Raisers"
1963–1964 First Night John Farley, Anderson 2 episodes
1963–1964 Edgar Wallace Mysteries Peter Dexter, Philip Teasdale 2 episodes
1963, 1965, 1970 Steptoe and Son Martin, Mr. Stonelake, Car Salesman, The Detective 4 episodes
1964 Comedy Playhouse Mr. Gibson Episode: "The Mascot"
Crane Charles Episode: "Two Rings for Danger"
Taxi! Eddie Ryder Episode: "We've Got to Live in the Winter"
The Hidden Truth Ernest Malet Episode: "The Boiler Suite Shape"
Story Parade Adam Harpur Episode: "A Dragon to Kill"
1965 The Villains Dave Williams Episode: "Three to a Cell"
The Sullavan Brothers Rand Episode: "The Gallows in My Garden"
Thursday Theatre Sgt. Maj. Tommy Lodge Episode: "Celebration"
The Worker Mr. Grey Episode: "A Democratic Democratism"
Never Mention Murder Philip Teasdale
The Saint Jones Episode: "The Abductors"
The Little Ones Supt. Carter
Six of the Best Otto Mulchrone Episode: "Porterhouse: Private Eye"
Here's Harry Episode: "The Indentification Parade"
A Study in Terror Home Secretary
The Mask of Janus Ernest Fox Episode: "The Public Interest"
Blackmail Joe Griffin Episode: "First Offender"
Barney Is My Darling Episode: "The Twenty Six Year Itch"
A Letter for Liz Video
1965, 1967, 1969 The Avengers Philip Leas, Mr. Goat, Parker 3 episodes
1965, 1969 The Wednesday Play Antrobus, The Expert 2 episodes
1965–1966, 1972 Public Eye Mr. Paggot, Gordon Ansell, Major Thursby-Byers 3 episodes
1966 Danger Man Giorgio Episode: "The Contessa"
Theatre 625 Kirill Episode: "The Twelth Hour"
Three Rousing Tinkles Short, Near, Sharp Man Episode: "The Best I Can Do for You by Way of a Gate-leg Table Is a Hundred-weight of Coal"
No Hiding Place Bowdler Episode: "The Night Walker"
Cooperama Episode: "Episode Five"
Bat Out of Hell Inspector Clay 5 episodes
Horizon Edward Hastings Episode: "Hand Me My Sword, Humphrey"
1966–1968 Harry Worth Baker, William J. Rankin, Mr. Boothroyd, Neville Culpepper 4 episodes
1966, 1969 Thirty-Minute Theatre Frank, Mr. Burton 2 episodes
1967 Uncle Charles C.S.M. Lee Episode: "Gentle Counsels"
Who Is Sylvia? Episode: "A Pool of Blood and a Red Carnation"
The Newcomers Mr. Fielding 6 episodes
Mickey Dunne Specs Logan Episode: "Over the Hill"
The Informer James Hughes Episode: "Here's Where Who Takes Over?"
For Schools and Colleges: Drama Book-Keeper Episode: "Bad Business"
A Hundred Years of Humphrey Hastings Humphrey Hastings, Edward Hastings 6 episodes
1968 City '68 Jim Ralston Episode: "The Old Country"
The Gamblers Other man Episode: "Try a Little Tenderness"
1968–1969 Life with Cooper Various 2 episodes
1969 Where's Jack? Blueskin
Doctor Who Maurice Caven 5 episodes
The Expert Albert Carr Episode: "Flesh and Blood"
Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) George Foster Episode: "All Work and No Pay"
Moon Zero Two Whitsun
1970 Foreign Exchange Leo
Codename Bazna Episode: "Have a Word with Greco"
If It Moves, File It Foster 6 episodes
The Rise and Rise of Michael Rimmer Federman
Wuthering Heights Mr. Green
It's a Terrible Waste of an Egg Humphrey Hastings Television film
1971 Play for Today Darkly Episode: "Billy's Last Stand"
That's Your Funeral Grimthorpe 2 episodes
Catweazle Hector Kenley Episode: "The Ghost Hunters"
Birds on the Wing Sir George West Episode: "Episode #1.2"
Dulcima Symes
Quest for Love Grimshaw
The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes Chief Supt. Vyvyan Episode: "The Duchess of Wiltshire's Diamonds"
The Persuaders! Heather Episode: "Anyone Can Play"
The Fenn Street Gang Mr. Stringer Episode: "All Mod Cons"
I Can See It All Humphrey Hastings Television film
1972 Jason King Ackroyd
It's Murder But Is It Art Inspector Hook 6 episodes
Follow Me! Mr. Mayhew Episode: "An Author in Search of Two Characters"
Stage 2 Strange passenger, Eberkopf Episode: "Peer Gynt"
Harriet's Back in Town Stanley Pemberton 2 episodes
That's Your Funeral Grimthorpe
1973 Mistress Pamela Jonathan Posthumous release

Source(s): [14][15][16][17]

References

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  1. ^ England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1916-2007: JUL 1924 9a 169 KNARESBOROUGH — Frank D Foster
  2. ^ England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1916-2007: JAN 1973 5b 2081 HAMPSTEAD — Frank Dudley Foster
  3. ^ England & Wales, Civil Registration Marriage Index, 1916-2005: APR 1952 1a 1663 SUNDERLAND — Frank D Foster = Eileen M Kennally
  4. ^ a b c "The Avengers Forever: Dudley Foster". The Avengers. Retrieved 29 June 2025.
  5. ^ "BBC - The Space Pirates: Miscellaneous - Dudley Foster previously featured in The Night Walker (1966)…". BBC. Retrieved 29 June 2025.
  6. ^ "Benjamin Dudley FOSTER". gov.uk. Retrieved 29 June 2025.
  7. ^ "page 24". Newspapers.com. Evening Post. 8 January 1973. Retrieved 29 June 2025.
  8. ^ "page 5". Newspapers.com. Daily Mirror. 9 January 1973. Retrieved 29 June 2025.
  9. ^ "page 3". Newspapers.com. The Daily Telegraph. 9 January 1973. Retrieved 29 June 2025.
  10. ^ "page 7". Newspapers.com. The Guardian. 9 January 1973. Retrieved 29 June 2025.
  11. ^ "page 14". Newspapers.com. Evening Post. 11 January 1973. Retrieved 29 June 2025.
  12. ^ "page 5". Newspapers.com. Evening Standard. 11 January 1973. Retrieved 29 June 2025.
  13. ^ "page 5". Newspapers.com. Evening Standard. 9 January 1973. Retrieved 29 June 2025.
  14. ^ "Dudley Foster". British Comedy Guide. Retrieved 29 June 2025.
  15. ^ "Dudley Foster". IMDb. Retrieved 29 June 2025.
  16. ^ "Dudley Foster". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 29 June 2025.
  17. ^ "Dudley Foster". TV Guide. Retrieved 29 June 2025.
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