Patrick Allen (actor)

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Patrick Allen
Allen in 2005
Born
John Keith Patrick Allen

(1927-03-17)17 March 1927
Nyasaland (now Malawi)
Died28 July 2006(2006-07-28) (aged 79)
London, England
OccupationActor
Years active1952–2005
Spouse
​
(m. 1960)​
Children2

John Keith Patrick Allen (17 March 1927 – 28 July 2006) was a British actor.

Life and career

Allen was born in Nyasaland (now Malawi), where his father was a tobacco farmer.[1] After his parents returned to Britain, he was evacuated to Canada during the Second World War where he remained to finish his education at McGill University in Montreal. Before returning to Britain, he gained experience as a local radio broadcaster and appeared on television in plays and documentaries.

Returning to the UK in 1953, Allen made his film debut in

Colonel Sebastian Moran in The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and The Return of Sherlock Holmes
.

He made regular appearances in ITC television series during the 1960s and early 1970s, including The Power Game, The Baron, The Champions, The Avengers, Gideon's Way and latterly UFO (in the episode "Timelash" 1971), although he never had an ongoing role in any of these series.[3] Alongside Roger Moore, he made one episode of The Saint ("The Man Who Could Not Die"), broadcast in the UK in July 1965.[4]

Allen also worked with the

Mr Gradgrind in a television production of Dickens' Hard Times in 1977.[citation needed
]

In 1967, he and his wife

Night of the Big Heat.[5] He and Lawson also played husband and wife in the BBC radio series, Stand By For West, based on the John Creasey novels about Scotland Yard Chief Inspector Roger West.[6]

Allen's distinctive, authoritative voice was familiar across the United Kingdom, even amongst those who did not recognize him as an actor.

Hammer film The Devil Rides Out.[8]

He narrated the British Government's

Barratt Homes and car manufacturers Ford and British Leyland among many others. His voice-over work led him to start up his own business, running a successful recording studio for voice-over work.[citation needed
]

He provided the narration (the voice of Captain Star) for the 1989 children's series TUGS. Allen remained uncredited for his work, which was revealed in an interview with the show's producer Robert D. Cardona.

Allen's voice was heard at the beginning of videocassettes distributed in the UK by Video Network in the 1980s, welcoming viewers and reading an anti-copying warning.

The Black Seal", as Edmund's nemesis, Phillip of Burgundy – known to his enemies as "The Hawk".[citation needed
]

Allen's voice became synonymous with British alternative comedy in the 1990's after his recurring role as the Announcer for shows written by and starring

Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer, including Vic Reeves Big Night Out, The Smell of Reeves and Mortimer and Bang, Bang, It's Reeves and Mortimer.[10]

In 2005, he became the voice of the British television channel

idents and promotions.[citation needed
]

He was also the voice of the

Galaxy Yorkshire and briefly Virgin Radio.[citation needed
]

Personal life

Allen married actress Sarah Lawson in 1960; the couple had two sons.[5][11]

Death

Allen died on the morning of 28 July 2006, aged 79.[1] He was survived by his wife (until her death on 18 August 2023) and their sons.[1]

Filmography

References

  1. ^ a b c "Obituary". The Times. 8 August 2006. (subscription required)
  2. ^ "Patrick Allen". 2.bfi.org.uk. Archived from the original on 29 September 2017.
  3. ^ "Patrick Allen". Aveleyman. Retrieved 29 August 2023.
  4. ^ "The Saint : The Man Who Could Not Die (1965) - Roger Moore | Synopsis, Characteristics, Moods, Themes and Related". AllMovie. Retrieved 29 August 2023.
  5. ^ a b Vallance, Tom (8 August 2006). "Patrick Allen". The Independent. Archived from the original on 25 May 2022. Retrieved 9 November 2009.
  6. ^ "BBC Programme Index". Genome.ch.bbc.co.uk. 10 June 1969. Retrieved 29 August 2023.
  7. ^ "Patrick Allen | Biography, Movie Highlights and Photos". AllMovie.com. Retrieved 29 August 2023.
  8. ISBN 978-0786446995
    .
  9. ^ Gale, Dan (7 March 2011). "70's and 80's VHS Distribution Logos". YouTube. Archived from the original on 12 December 2021. Retrieved 5 March 2021.
  10. ^ "Patrick Allen". BRITISH COMEDY GUIDE. Retrieved 30 April 2024.
  11. ^ "Obituary: Patrick Allen". The Guardian. 9 August 2006.

External links

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