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Hilary Wontner

Hilary Wontner

Actor

Born October 3, 1912 in Brentford, Middlesex, England, UK

Died June 25, 1984

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Biography

Hilary Arthur Wontner was born into a theatrical family on 4th October 1912. His mother was actress Rose Pendennis and his father the famous English actor Arthur Wontner, most notable for his portrayal of the famous detective Sherlock Holmes. He married Denise Judith Dean (b. 4 February 1915) in Kensington on the 6th May 1947.

He was educated at Oundle School in Northamptonshire, along with his elder brother Hugh (later Sir Hugh Wontner, Lord Mayor of London). Hilary then went to Poitiers University in France and finally returned to London where he studied acting at RADA, the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.

An actor from 1933, he was with the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre from 1935 and then the Birmingham Repertory Company from 1935 to 1937. From 1938 he appeared on the London and provincial stage, and had radio and television roles from 1938. He appeared in US television from 1962 to 1964.

At the outbreak of World War Two in 1939, he served in Field Security in France and Belgium. He was evacuated from Dunkirk in 1940. Later he was posted to the 5th/6th Punjab Regiment in the Indian Army, where he became a Captain in 1942. Between 1941 and 1943 he served in Burma, India and Iraq. He was editor of the Army journal in Bagdad before being seconded to the British Council in Iran in 1943 where he founded the Anglo-Iranian Dramatic Society in 1944.

After the war he became an announcer for 'Radio Normandy' in 1946 and 1947. He subsequently joined the South African Broadcasting Corporation in Johannesburg, where he was an announcer, scriptwriter and producer, going on to become an assistant programme organiser from 1950 to 1955.

On his return to England in 1957 he became a director of H. A. Wontner & Company.

He had two twin boys, born to his wife Denise on the 18th December 1947. Rupert Stephen Arthur Wontner and Nicholas St. John Hilary Wontner, and both Hilary's sons inherited their fathers gift for languages as well as his fiery red hair!

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Filmography

Actor

28

Type

Year

We'll Meet Again Poster

We'll Meet Again Mini-Series1982Sir Arthur Maylie

Suez 1956 Poster

Suez 1956 TV Movie1979Marquess of Salisbury

All Creatures Great and Small Poster

All Creatures Great and Small TV Series1978Major Headingley

Days of Hope Poster

Days of Hope Mini-Series1975Lord Reading

Shades of Greene Poster

Shades of Greene TV Series1975Henry MacDougall

Two's Company Poster

Two's Company TV Series19753rd Member

BBC2 Playhouse Poster

BBC2 Playhouse TV Series1974Colonel

The Pallisers Poster

The Pallisers Mini-Series1974Member of Parliament

Murder Must Advertise Poster

Murder Must Advertise Mini-Series1973Mountjoy

Scoop TV Series1972Sir Algernon

My Partner the Ghost Poster

My Partner the Ghost TV Series19691st Man in Steamroom

The Trygon Factor Poster

The Trygon Factor Feature Film1966Man at Hotel

A World of Comedy Mini-Series1965C.I.G.S.

Decision at Midnight Poster

Decision at Midnight Feature Film1965Forbes

Orlando TV Series19651 episode, 1965

Sherlock Holmes in the Singular Case of the Plural Green Mustache Short Film1965Narrator

A Comedy Tale of Fanny Hill Short Film1964

Crossroads Poster

Crossroads TV Series1964Sir Geoffrey Yuille

The Rogues Poster

The Rogues TV Series1964Mr. Beamer

The Bill Dana Show Poster

The Bill Dana Show TV Series1963Hilary Winkley

The Danny Kaye Show Poster

The Danny Kaye Show TV Series1963Player

Comedy Matinee Mini-Series1961Sir Hector

Dr. Kildare Poster

Dr. Kildare TV Series1961Lionel Grant

The Avengers Poster

The Avengers TV Series1961Dumayn

The Naked Edge Poster

The Naked Edge Feature Film19611st Customer in Clay's Bookshop

Somerset Maugham Hour Poster

Somerset Maugham Hour TV Series1960Mason

No Hiding Place Poster

No Hiding Place TV Series1959Mr. Pollock

The Wandering Jew TV Movie1947Godfrey, Duke of Normandy

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