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Actor

Bert Parnaby

4 Mar 1924Born
30 Jul 1992Died
68Age at death
28Credits

Biography

James Bertram "Bert" Parnaby (4 March 1924 – 30 July 1992) was a British actor who was notable for a string of TV and Film roles from the 1960s through the 1980s. His TV roles included performances in Blackadder, By the Sword Divided, Juliet Bravo, Inspector Morse and Last of the Summer Wine. In 1988, he appeared as Father Christmas in the BBC adaptation of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. His film credits included Prick Up Your Ears (1987), The Dressmaker (1988) and The Reunion (1989).

Whilst living in Didsbury, Bert was a schoolmaster at Manchester Grammar School during the 1950s and early 1960s. Teaching English, he was greatly involved in the production of teachers’ plays.

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He subsequently became an HMI (one of Her Majesty's Inspectors of Schools).

On leaving the education profession, Parnaby worked as a producer and performer for the BBC. His monologues on breakfast radio often started ‘I hate …’, for example the edition about the Post Office, which was based on the Didsbury branch, albeit unnamed.

Parnaby died in July 1992 at the age of 68, shortly after the death of his wife Jane. A bench in their memory was later erected in Drummer Street, Cambridge.

Known for

Filmography

  1. 2019Completely Bad NewsFilm: Neighbour
  2. 1991Gas and CandlesFilm: Bill
  3. 1990NightingalesSeries: The Inspector (1 episode)
  4. 1989ReunionFilm: Dr. Jakob Strauss
  5. 1988The DressmakerFilm: Mr Barnes
  6. 1988The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch & the WardrobeFilm: Father Christmas
  7. 1988The Chronicles of NarniaSeries: Father Christmas (1 episode)
  8. 1988The Play on OneSeries: Bill (1 episode)
  9. 1988The ContractSeries: Adam Percy (3 episodes)
  10. 1987Prick Up Your EarsFilm: Magistrate
  11. 1987On the PalmFilm: Slatterthwaite
  12. 1987Inspector MorseSeries: Ben (1 episode)
  13. 1986First Among EqualsSeries: George Bainbridge (4 episodes)
  14. 1986CasualtySeries: Billie Jennings (1 episode)
  15. 1986LovejoySeries: Sorrel (1 episode)
  16. 1985DaemonFilm: Mr. Crabb
  17. 1985FlightsFilm: Headmaster
  18. 1985Function RoomSeries (1 episode)
  19. 1984Unfair ExchangesFilm: Phone Poet
  20. 1984Rainy Day WomenFilm: Fleming
  21. 1984Dirty MovieFilm: Man
  22. 1983By the Sword DividedSeries: Sir Austin Fletcher (11 episodes)
  23. 1983BlackadderSeries: Dim Cain, a Peasant, Cain, a Blind Beggar (1 episode)
  24. 1983My Cousin RachelSeries: Seecombe (4 episodes)
  25. 1983Bad NewsFilm: Neighbor
  26. 1982The Comic Strip Presents...Series: Neighbour, Man (1 episode)
  27. 1981BergeracSeries: Doctor Ferns (1 episode)
  28. 1978All Creatures Great and SmallSeries: Colonel Jenkins (1 episode)

Biography and credits from TMDB. This website uses TMDB and the TMDB APIs but is not endorsed, certified, or otherwise approved by TMDB.