Thorley Walters
- Known for
- Acting
- Born
- May 12, 1913
- Died
- July 6, 1991
- Birthplace
- Teigngrace, Devon, England, UK
Thorley Swinstead Walters (12 May 1913 – 6 July 1991) was an English character actor. He is probably best remembered for his comedy film roles such as in Two-Way Stretch and Carlton-Browne of the FO. He also appeared in the acclaimed TV drama Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy. Walters played Sherlock Holmes sidekick Doctor Watson in four unrelated films: Sherlock Holmes and the Deadly Necklace (1962), The Best House in London (1969), The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother (1975), and Silver Blaze (1977). He featured in three of the St Trinian's movies, starting as an army major in Blue Murder at St Trinian's. He later appeared as Butters, assistant to Education Ministry senior civil servant Culpepper-Brown (Eric Barker) in The Pure Hell of St Trinian's and played the part of Culpepper-Brown in The Wildcats of St Trinian's. In the 1960s he also appeared in several Hammer horror films, including The Phantom of the Opera (1962), Dracula, Prince of Darkness (1966), Frankenstein Created Woman (1967) and Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed (1969). In the DVD commentary to The Man Who Haunted Himself, Roger Moore mentioned that co-star Walters lived in Dolphin Square, the prestigious apartment block in Pimlico, London in which some scenes of the film were shot. Thorley and Richard Hope-Hawkins visited the ailing Terry-Thomas in Barnes, London in 1989. Walters had starred with Terry in the Boulting Brother's film Carlton-Browne of the F.O., and was shocked at his appearance (he was ill with Parkinson's Disease). That visit resulted in the "Terry-Thomas Gala" held in the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane in the same year which raised funds to help Terry live the rest of his life in comfort. Hope-Hawkins was with Walters and actress Siobhan Redmond, when he died in a London nursing home. Actor Ian Bannen gave the main address at his funeral held at Golders Green. Description above from the Wikipedia article Thorley Walters, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Filmography
Mrs. Weekley's Lover 2025
as Baron Von Richthofen
A Murder of Quality 1991
as Bishop Harry
- He's Asking For Me
He's Asking For Me 1990
as Uncle Harold
Onassis: The Richest Man in the World 1988
as Winston Churchill
The Dunroamin' Rising 1988
as Mr Finister
Hammer: The Studio That Dripped Blood 1987
as Ludwig (archive footage)
In the Secret State 1985
as Johnny Davenport
The Little Drummer Girl 1984
as Ned Quilley
The Sign of Four 1983
as Major John Sholto
Spider's Web 1982
as Hugo Birch
Soft Targets 1982
as Old Wedding Guest
A Cup O' Tea An' A Slice O' Cake - Worzel Gummidge Christmas Special 1980
as Colonel Bloodstock
The Wildcats of St Trinian's 1980
as Hugo Culpepper Brown
Henry V 1979
as Charles the Sixth, King of France
The People That Time Forgot 1977
as Norfolk
Silver Blaze 1977
as Dr. Watson
James and the Giant Peach 1976
as Grasshopper
Beasts: The Dummy 1976
as Sir Ramsey
The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother 1975
as Dr. Watson
Chips with Everything 1975
as Wing Commander
Goodbye 1975
as Chalcott-Bentinck
- The Apple Cart
The Apple Cart 1975
as Home Secretary
Soft Beds, Hard Battles 1974
as General Erhardt
Ring Once for Death 1973
as Dr. Ledworth
Young Winston 1972
as Major Finn
Vampire Circus 1972
as Burgermeister
Mr. Forbush and the Penguins 1971
as Mr. Forbush Sr.
There's a Girl in My Soup 1970
as Manager of Carlton Hotel
Bartleby 1970
as The Colleague
Trog 1970
as Magistrate
The Man Who Haunted Himself 1970
as Frank Bellamy
The Best House in London 1969
as Doctor Watson (uncredited)
Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed 1969
as Insp. Fritsch
The Last Shot You Hear 1969
as General Jowett
Crooks and Coronets 1969
as Hubbard
Oh! What a Lovely War 1969
as Staff Officer
Twisted Nerve 1968
as Sir John Forrester
On the Eve of Publication 1968
as Holland
Frankenstein Created Woman 1967
as Dr. Hertz
The Family Way 1966
as Vicar
The Wrong Box 1966
as Patience
The Psychopath 1966
as Martin Roth
Dracula: Prince of Darkness 1966
as Ludwig
Rotten to the Core 1965
as Chief Constable Preston
Joey Boy 1965
as Col. Grant
A Home of Your Own 1964
as Estate agent
The Earth Dies Screaming 1964
as Edgar Otis
Ring of Spies 1964
as Cmdr. Winters
Heavens Above! 1963
as Tranquilax Executive
Sherlock Holmes and the Deadly Necklace 1962
as Dr. Watson
The Phantom of the Opera 1962
as Lattimer
Petticoat Pirates 1961
as Captain Jerome Robertson
Murder She Said 1961
as Cedric Ackenthorpe
Invasion Quartet 1961
Actor
The Pure Hell of St Trinian's 1960
as Butters
Two-Way Stretch 1960
as Colonel Parkright
Suspect 1960
as Special Agent Prince
A French Mistress 1960
as Colonel Edmonds
Don't Panic Chaps 1959
Actor
Carlton-Browne of the F.O. 1959
as Colonel Bellingham
Happy Is the Bride 1958
as Jim
A Lady Mislaid 1958
as Mr. Smith
Blue Murder at St. Trinian's 1957
as Major Whitehart
The Birthday Present 1957
as Photographer
The Truth About Women 1957
as Trevor Eaton
Second Fiddle 1957
as Charles
The Passionate Stranger 1957
as Jimmy
The Baby and the Battleship 1956
as Lt. Setley
Who Done It? 1956
as Raymond Courtney
Private's Progress 1956
as Captain Bootle
You Can't Escape 1956
as Chadwick
Josephine and Men 1955
as Salesman
Captain Boycott 1947
as Army Officer (uncredited)
Waltz Time 1945
as Stefan Ravenne
They Were Sisters 1945
as Channing
Medal for the General 1944
as Andrew
- It Happened to One Man
It Happened to One Man 1940
as Ronnie
- Secret Journey
Secret Journey 1939
as Max Von Reimer
- The Kindled Flame
The Kindled Flame 1939
as Cleon
Design for Murder 1939
as Huey Frazer
Life of St. Paul 1938
as Unidentified role
The Love Test 1935
as Chemist
Once in a New Moon 1935
as Beamish
Credits from TMDB.