Mortlake Crematorium, London, England
The men and women who were cremated, interred or their ashes scattered at Mortlake Crematorium in Mortlake, London, England.
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- Actor
- Soundtrack
Richard Beckinsale was an English actor, primarily known for his roles in sitcoms. His best known characters were prison inmate Leonard Arthur "Lennie" Godber in "Porridge" (1974-1977) and its sequel series "Going Straight" (1978), and medical student Alan Moore in "Rising Damp" (1974-1978).
Beckinsale was born in the suburban town of Carlton, Nottinghamshire, which is part of the Borough of Gedling. His father Arthur John Beckinsale was Anglo-Burmese, while his mother Maggie Barlow was English. Beckinsale claimed to be a distant cousin of actor Charles Laughton (1899-1962).
Beckinsale attended College House Junior School in Chilwell, and performed in many school plays. His first notable role was that of Dopey the Dwarf in a school play adaptation of "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs". He also appeared in school plays while attending Alderman White Secondary Modern School. In 1962, he decided to drop out of school and pursue a career as a professional actor. At age 15, Beckinsale was too young to attend drama school. He financially supported himself through a series of odd jobs.
In 1963, Beckinsale was enrolled at Nottingham College, Clarendon, pursuing a drama teacher's training programme. In 1965, Beckinsale applied for training the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA). He was accepted there with his second audition, one of only 31 applicants accepted. During his training, Beckinsale accepted a comedy award. He graduated in 1968.
Following his graduation, Beckinsale started appearing in repertory theatre. He toured the United Kingdom with such roles as the Scarecrow in "The Wizard of Oz", Sir Andrew Aguecheek in "Twelfth Night", and the title role in Shakespeare's Hamlet. He made his television debut in 1969, playing a one-shot police officer character in the soap opera "Coronation Street". He next gained a minor role in the drama series "A Family at War" (1970-1972).
His first major television role was that of leading Geoffrey Scrimshaw in the sitcom "The Lovers" (1970-1971). The premise was having a mismatched couple, with a romantic girl paired with a sex-obsessed boyfriend. It was a minor ratings hit and brought some much-needed fame to Beckinsale.
Beckinsale's career reached new heights with the hit sitcoms "Porridge" and "Rising Damp". He also appeared in the sequel series "Going Straight", with the humorous concept of former prison inmates trying to rebuild their lives and seeking honest jobs. His final major role was as the leading actor in the sitcom "Bloomers", but only five episodes were completed before his death.
In December, 1978, while filming episodes for "Bloomers", Beckinsale suffered from dizzy spells. He was worried about his health and sought medical help, but his doctor reassured him that his only health problems were "an overactive stomach lining, and slightly high cholesterol". He subsequently had further signs of ill health, but he attributed them to his nerves.
By 18 March, 1979, Beckinsale was suffering from pain in his chest and arms, but decided against seeking further help. He went to bed, and was found dead the next morning. He had died during the night due to a heart attack. At the time of his death, his wife Judy Loe was recovering in hospital after having an operation. A post-mortem examination revealed that his recent health problems were the results of undiagnosed coronary artery disease. He was only 31 at the time of his death.
Beckinsale was cremated in Bracknell, Berkshire, and his remains were taken to Mortlake Crematorium. A memorial service for him was attended by 300 people, a testament to his popularity. In his will, he left about 65,000 pounds for his wife and daughters. Only 18,000 pounds were left after taxes.- Actor
- Writer
- Soundtrack
After leaving the army Tommy Cooper took up show business in 1947 and so started his long career of comedy derived around visual humour, magic tricks that didn't work and his trademark red fez, a prop that started from his days in the army. The BBC described him as an "Unattractive young man with an extremely unfortunate appearance" in an audition for new talent.
While making a series of 28 shows for ITV over a period of eight years, he suffered his first heart attack which forced him to give up his love for cigars. Tommy collapsed on the stage of Her Majesty's Theatre in April 1984, live on air. Ten minutes later he had died. He was later cremated and ashes scattered at Mortlake Crematorium, London.- Margaret Dale was born on 6 March 1876 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. She was an actress, known for One Exciting Night (1922), The Man with Two Faces (1934) and Second Youth (1924). She died on 23 March 1972 in New York City, New York, USA.
- Robin Day was born on 24 October 1923 in London, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Sykes and a Big Big Show (1971), ITN News (1955) and Midweek (1972). He was married to Kathryn Ainslie. He died on 6 August 2000 in London, England, UK.
- Actor
- Writer
- Soundtrack
In the 1960s and 1970s, Dick Emery was one of the most successful comics on the box. He was voted BBC TV Personality of the Year, thanks to creations such as his toothy vicar, sex-starved spinster Hettie, crusty old Lampwick, outrageously camp Clarence, who coined the phrase: "Hallo honky tonks". Perhaps the most memorable of all was Mandy, a busty middle-aged woman whose repressed nature was usually betrayed by a sudden affectionate slap and a cry of: "Ooh, you are awful. But I like you!".
While his creations left millions howling, in private Emery was a man with a terrible fear of failure. He was often sick before performances and would sleep to escape stage nerves prior to a performance. Bob Monkhouse once incurred his wrath by accidentally waking him before a Royal Variety Performance. Emery exploded in a torrent of abuse as Monkhouse recalled in his book 'Over the Limit'. Emery used to spend hours in analysis, was hypnotised, tried many sedatives and drugs to cure his tension - though the pills scared him as much as the fear of failure.
He once told friend and co-star Roy Kinnear: "I don't just envy the confidence that other comics seem to have, I resent it. I hate them for it, just like my dad did. If there's such a thing as a chip off the old block, it's on my shoulder."
Emery married five times and left his last wife to live with a showgirl 30 years younger than him. His BBC show was axed after 12 years in 1979 and he died four years later.- Writer
- Actor
- Music Department
Kenny Everett was born on 25 December 1944 in Seaforth, Liverpool, England, UK. He was a writer and actor, known for Bloodbath at the House of Death (1984), Bohemian Rhapsody (2018) and Dateline Diamonds (1965). He was married to Lee Middleton. He died on 4 April 1995 in London, England, UK.- Actor
- Director
- Cinematographer
Coming from a theatrical family (although not related to the famous Edwardian actor Sir Charles Hawtrey, he did "borrow" his last name), Charles Hawtrey made his stage debut at age 11 after having spent several years in a prestigious acting school. A string of stage roles followed, and by 1929 his success led him to move into radio. His success in that medium led to his entry into films, often working alongside noted comedian Will Hay. He continued his stage, radio and film work, although he scored more success on stage.
In 1958 he began work in the series for which he would achieve his greatest fame, the "Carry On" comedies. His stringy build, birdlike features, what has been described as his "outrageously posh" voice and his somewhat fey character's eccentricities made him one of the most popular of the "Carry On" gang. However, that very popularity indirectly led to his exit from the series. He believed that his character's prominence, and the fact that he had more experience in the business than most of his co-stars, entitled him to receive a higher billing in the series than he was getting. The producers didn't see it that way, and after Carry on Abroad (1972), he departed the series. Hawtrey was, by most accounts, almost as eccentric in real life as his character in the "Carry On" series was; one of his characteristics was to speak in an unintelligible language of his own making, which was only understood by a few of his closest friends. After he left the series he semi-retired from the business, making an occasional appearance in a movie or TV show. He had suffered from arthritis for a long time, and by 1988 his doctors told him that the condition had become so serious that his legs would have to be amputated in order to save his life. He refused, and died almost a month later. He was 73.Plot: Ashes were scattered in Plot 50C- Writer
- Actor
Russell Hoban's parents were immigrants from Ukraine. His father was the advertising manager of a newspaper, as well as the director of a Philadelphia drama guild. Russell served in the US infantry during World War II. After the war, he taught art in New York and Connecticut. He began publishing children's books in 1958 and produced more than 50 of them, including seven books that chronicled a badger named Frances. He was also praised for his adult fiction. In 1969, Russell moved to London where he spent the rest of his life. He died in 2011 of congestive heart failure in London, England, UK- Actress
- Writer
- Soundtrack
A raven-haired, sometimes blonde (particularly in the earlier years) pretty actress, Dilys Laye was capable of a wide range of roles, from straight drama to comedy. She began in the 1950s, like most other British screen actresses of the era, in studio-system-style films. One of her first films was Paper Gallows (1950) and she continued in popular movies like Blue Murder at St. Trinian's (1957) and Doctor at Large (1957).
Today she is often remembered for her appearances in the "Carry On.." films. Her first "Carry On..." appearance was in Carry on Cruising (1962), where along with Esma Cannon she stole many of the best comedy scenes from the regular cast; the bar scene is an example of this. She took over the role at four days' notice when Joan Sims was unable to appear because of ill health. Her next 'Carry On...' appearance saw her take on a sinister and darker role in Carry on Spying (1964) as Lila. She even sang, in a café-bar scene. In Carry on Doctor (1967) she played patient Mavis Winkle, who is searching for love and finds it in the unusual place of the hospital ward, and in Carry on Camping (1969) she appeared alongside "Carry On..." legend Joan Sims. They were perfectly cast together and complement each other's performances throughout the movie.
After that time her work was mainly on the stage with some television and film appearances. She made appearances in soaps such as Coronation Street (1960) and EastEnders (1985). Other character parts included Holby City (1999) and Doctors (2000).
She played Queen Elizabeth II in The Amazing Mrs Pritchard (2006).- Perhaps one of the most intriguing individuals associated with the Titanic because of the many unique events that happened both before and after the sinking. As a young man, he assured his sister the sea wasn't wet enough to drown him and went on to prove just that. Charles Lightoller's career at sea began in 1888 at the age of thirteen and was a harrowing one almost from the start. On his second voyage, his ship was demasted twice before running aground on a deserted island. In 1898, lured by the promise of riches, Lightoller left the sea to become one of the thousands who moiled for gold in the Klondike. Unfortunately, he was unsuccessful and after a brief stint as a cowboy, he rode the rails back east as a hobo before returning to England broke.
Eager to resume his sailing career, he joined the White Star Line around the turn of the century and was assigned as a junior officer on a run to Australia. It was on this run that he met his future wife Sylvia. He would later be assigned to the Titanic in 1912 and survived the ship's sinking by clinging to an overturned lifeboat in the freezing water with thirty other men all night before being rescued. Lightoller would survive still two more shipwrecks during World War I when the steamship Oceanic ran aground in 1914 and then again in 1918 when the destroyer Falcon. A month later, however, while commmanding the destroyer Garry, Lightoller rammed and sank a German U-Boat. Though badly damaged, the Garry remained afloat and Lightoller received a promotion for his actions.
After the war ended, Lightoller resumed service with the White Star Line, but found being associated with the Titanic had forever tainted him in his employer's eyes, dashing any hope of attaining a peacetime command. A disillusioned Lightoller quit the White Star Line and left the sea altogether, taking various jobs to support his family, including chicken farmer and owner of a guest home. The Lightoller family eventually acquired a small craft which Sylvia named the Sundowner, which was used by Lightoller, at the request of the British government, to survey the European coastline months before World War II broke out.
In June of 1940, he distinguished himself one final time by taking his beloved Sundowner across the English channel to rescue a hundred and twenty-seven men at the evacuation of Dunkirk. Lightoller spent his final years managing a boatyard used by the London River Police. The man the sea couldn't claim died on December 8, 1952 at the age of seventy-eight.Plot: Ashes scattered in the Garden of Remembrance. - Music Artist
- Composer
- Music Department
English songwriter and singer Kristy MacColl had hits with such albums as "Kite" (1989), "Titanic Days" (1994) and "Tropical Brainstorm" (2000). Her first hit as a songwriter was "They Don't Know" for Tracey Ullman in 1983. Her trademark style is a sharp wit allied to strong melodies. Her work combines these with Cuban and Brazilian rhythms, creating her most upbeat collection yet. She has written and performed theme songs for three British TV series. Surprisingly for such a gifted writer, her biggest single hits have been cover versions, notably "Days" by Ray Davies, Billy Bragg's "New England" and of course "Fairytale of New York" with The Pogues.- TV presenter whose irreverent wit earned him many fans around the world, who tuned into the BBC's nightly entertainment programme Liquid News (2000) to hear Price's caustic comments on the day's celebrity gossip.
After earning a degree in languages from Reading University, Price began his broadcasting career as a journalist on a BBC local radio station. His talents were soon spotted and he was quickly promoted to national radio, being part of the team who launched the BBC's 24 hour news station, Radio 5 Live.
In 1997 Price joined the BBC's new digital news channel BBC News 24 (1997) as a newsreader on the overnight shift. His demeanour suited the channel, which at the time aimed to be less formal than the traditional BBC news bulletins.
During his stint at News 24 he was given the opportunity to present a new entertainment slot: _"Entertainment 24" (1998)_, soon renamed "Zero 30" after its timeslot, 0030 hours.
Meanwhile, another BBC digital channel, BBC Choice, was suffering from low ratings and critical disdain. Searching for something to boost the figures, channel controller Stuart Murphy decided to transfer Price and the Zero 30 production team from News 24 and into a more prominent 8pm slot. The new show, named Liquid News (2000), debuted in 2000 and, by BBC Choice standards, was a huge hit, with most of this success directly attributable to its host.
The publicly-funded BBC was criticised in 2001 when bosses offered Price a large pay rise to stay with the channel for the foreseeable future. Some sections of the press considered his £280,000 a year salary to be too much for a presenter on a digital channel. However, the BBC recognised Price's potential and were keen to keep him from "defecting" to a rival network.
Under his new contract, Price hosted extra editions of Liquid News for BBC One, BBC Prime and BBC America, raising his profile further. Under proposals which were awaiting government approval, Price and Liquid News would have been the centrepiece of a new BBC channel, BBC Three.
Sadly it was not to be. Price hosted his last edition of Liquid News on Tuesday, April 16, 2002. For the rest of the week he was replaced by a guest host while he was ill with an inner ear infection. He was scheduled to return to the show on the following Monday, but never arrived for work that morning. Concerned colleagues went to his home in Shepherd's Bush, London, where they found him collapsed. Paramedics pronounced him dead at the scene two hours later.
Investigations concluded that Price had died from overdosing on his prescribed medication, but police where unable to conclude whether this was accident or a deliberate suicide. Friends who had seen Price immediately prior to his death said that he seemed cheerful and upbeat, but he had been prone to mood swings and bouts of depression in the past.
There can be no doubt that Christopher Price's death at the age of 34 was a great loss for British broadcasting. In a Liquid News special broadcast the day after his death, celebrities as diverse as comic actor Ralf Little, game show host Anne Robinson and BBC newsreader Huw Edwards paid tribute to him. Within a few days of his death, the BBC website had received over 5000 e-mails paying tribute to him. - Gordon Reid was born on 6 September 1939 in Hamilton, Lanarkshire, Scotland, UK. He was an actor, known for Mansfield Park (1999), The Others (2001) and Doctor Who (1963). He died on 26 November 2003 in London, England, UK.
- Robert Tear was born on 8 March 1939 in Barry, Glamorgan, Wales, UK. He was an actor, known for Les contes d'Hoffmann (The Tales of Hoffmann) (1981), Death in Venice (1990) and Il ritorno d'Ulisse in patria (1985). He died on 29 March 2011 in London, England, UK.
- Actor
- Writer
- Soundtrack
Sir Michael Redgrave was of the generation of English actors that gave the world the legendary John Gielgud, Ralph Richardson and Laurence Olivier, Britain three fabled "Theatrical Knights" back in the days when a knighthood for thespian was far more rare than it is today. A superb actor, Redgrave himself was a charter member of the post-Great War English acting pantheon and was the sire of an acting dynasty. He and his wife, Rachel Kempson, were the parents of Vanessa Redgrave, Corin Redgrave and Lynn Redgrave and the grandparents of Natasha Richardson, Joely Richardson and Jemma Redgrave.he was cremated at Mortlake Crematorium in London, England. His ashes were later removed and buried at St. Pauls Church, Covent Garden. ” - Syl- Actor
- Soundtrack
Angus Lennie was born on 18 April 1930 in Glasgow, Scotland, UK. He was an actor, known for The Great Escape (1963), Doctor Who (1963) and Para Handy - Master Mariner (1959). He died on 14 September 2014 in Acton, London, England, UK.- Suzan Farmer was born on 16 June 1942 in Kent, England, UK. She was an actress, known for Die, Monster, Die! (1965), Dracula: Prince of Darkness (1966) and The Tenant of Wildfell Hall (1968). She was married to Ian McShane. She died on 17 September 2017 in England, UK.
- Actor
- Writer
- Soundtrack
After leaving the army Tommy Cooper took up show business in 1947 and so started his long career of comedy derived around visual humour, magic tricks that didn't work and his trademark red fez, a prop that started from his days in the army. The BBC described him as an "Unattractive young man with an extremely unfortunate appearance" in an audition for new talent.
While making a series of 28 shows for ITV over a period of eight years, he suffered his first heart attack which forced him to give up his love for cigars. Tommy collapsed on the stage of Her Majesty's Theatre in April 1984, live on air. Ten minutes later he had died. He was later cremated and ashes scattered at Mortlake Crematorium, London.He was later cremated and ashes scattered at Mortlake Crematorium, London.- Director
- Cinematographer
- Camera and Electrical Department
During his last years at school he spent most of his time writing a thesis on 'the future of film' On leaving school he joined Gaumont British Studios at Lime Grove as an apprentice to a stills photographer for a year. He claimed this taught him more about the art of photography than any other form of training could. He then became a clapper boy at B.I.P. Studios at Elstree then moved to British Dominion where he became a a camera assistant. Next was a move to Pinewood and his call up for war duty much of which was spent as a one man film unit based at Aldershot where he learnt more about his craft than about soldering.. After the war he returned to Shepperton Studios to work for Alexander Korda and Powell and Pressburger. He also worked for John Huston on 'Moby Dick' for which he was responsible for all the second unit photography and special effects.- Actor
- Soundtrack
Richard Briers was born on 14 January 1934 in Merton, Surrey, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Watership Down (1978), Much Ado About Nothing (1993) and Peter Pan (2003). He was married to Ann Davies. He died on 17 February 2013 in London, England, UK.- Actor
- Writer
- Producer
Gianluca Vialli was born on 9 July 1964 in Cremona, Italy. He was an actor and writer, known for Lords of Football (2013), Dumar (2013) and Ramud Volume 2 (2018). He was married to Cathryn White-Cooper. He died on 6 January 2023 in London, England, UK.- Additional Crew
- Director
- Actress
Wendy Toye was born on 1 May 1917 in London, England, UK. She was a director and actress, known for The Stranger Left No Card (1952), On the Twelfth Day... (1955) and Follow the Star (1979). She was married to Edward Selwyn Sharp. She died on 27 February 2010 in Hillingdon, Middlesex, England, UK.- Actress
- Soundtrack
Although British actress Kathleen Harrison was born in 1892 in the Lancashire town of Blackburn, she was fondly known for her cockney characters throughout her career. Trained for the stage at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art she first married and lived overseas in Argentina for nearly eight years. Upon her return she made her initial stage appearance in "The Constant Flirt" in 1926. In the 30s she found her way onto the screen, taking many of her delightful theatre roles to film, including Line Engaged (1935), Night Must Fall (1937) (probably her most noteworthy), and Who Is Guilty? (1939). She added immeasurable Dickensian flavor as various maids and mums to such classics as Oliver Twist (1948), A Christmas Carol (1951) and The Pickwick Papers (1952).
She was also openly received as Mrs. Huggett in the "Huggett Family" series that ran a few years in the late 40s. In her five decade career, Kathleen 'toiled' as various servile characters in nearly 80 films. As popular in England as similar 'working class' as character player Thelma Ritter was in America, Kathleen also enjoyed a slight shot of TV popularity late in her career, notably in the brief series Mrs Thursday (1966) as a cleaning lady who inherits her boss's vast fortune. Kathleen's last years were spent in a nursing home, living to the ripe old age of 103.- Diminutive, red-haired London-born stage and screen character actress Maria Charles was born of Jewish ancestry as Maria Zena Schneider, the daughter of hairdresser David Schneider and his wife Celia (née Ashken - originally Ashkenaza). A RADA graduate of 1946, her career spanned more than six and a half decades, beginning in 1945. The following year, she made her debut on the West End stage in Pick-up Girl, a play penned by Russian-American dramatist Elsa Shelley. Her first lengthy theatrical run (April 1953 to February 1959) was in the role of Dulcie, one of the 'perfect young ladies', in Sandy Wilson's hit musical The Boy Friend.
Charles made her first screen appearance in 1947. She went on to amass numerous credits in miniseries and episodic television, in the course of which she acquired a solid reputation for roles as fussy or over-protective Jewish matriarchs (Bea Fisher in ITV's sitcom Agony (1979), Rita Green in Bar Mitzvah Boy (1976)), Dickensian characters ("The Infant Phenomenon" Miss Ninetta Crummles in Nicholas Nickleby (1957), Miss Havisham's fawning relative Sarah Pocket in Great Expectations (1974), workhouse matron Mrs. Corney in the Oliver Twist episode of The Wonderful World of Disney (1997)]) and (latterly) kindly old ladies and grandmothers. She had recurring roles on TV in Crown Court (1972), Secret Army (1977), Never the Twain (1981) (as the clumsy Mrs. Sadler) and Coronation Street (1960), as well as occasional supporting parts on the big screen, notably in Revenge of the Pink Panther (1978), Cuba (1979), Savage Hearts (1995) and Hot Fuzz (2007) (as farmer Reaper's wife).
Between 1952 and 1966, Charles was married to English actor Robin Hunter. The union produced two daughters, one of whom is the award-winning actress Kelly Hunter.