Thorley Swinstead Walters (12 May 1913 – 6 July 1991) was an English character actor.
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.
External links
IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/nm0910381
Wikipedia: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2428927
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Filmography (Movies)
Mrs. Weekley's Lover
Character:Baron Von Richthofen
Release Date:05/08/2025
A Murder of Quality
Character:Bishop Harry
Release Date:04/10/1991
He's Asking For Me
Character:Uncle Harold
Release Date:18/02/1990
Onassis: The Richest Man in the World
Character:Winston Churchill
Release Date:01/05/1988
The Dunroamin' Rising
Character:Mr Finister
Release Date:19/02/1988
Hammer: The Studio That Dripped Blood
Character:Ludwig (archive footage)
Release Date:26/06/1987
In the Secret State
Character:Johnny Davenport
Release Date:10/03/1985
The Little Drummer Girl
Character:Ned Quilley
Release Date:19/10/1984
The Sign of Four
Character:Major John Sholto
Release Date:06/12/1983
Spider's Web
Character:Hugo Birch
Release Date:26/12/1982
Soft Targets
Character:Old Wedding Guest
Release Date:19/10/1982
A Cup O' Tea An' A Slice O' Cake - Worzel Gummidge Christmas Special
Character:Colonel Bloodstock
Release Date:27/12/1980
The Wildcats of St. Trinian's
Character:Hugo Culpepper Brown
Release Date:10/09/1980
Henry V
Character:Charles the Sixth, King of France
Release Date:23/12/1979
The People That Time Forgot
Character:Norfolk
Release Date:06/07/1977
Silver Blaze
Character:Dr. Watson
Release Date:20/01/1977
James and the Giant Peach
Character:Grasshopper
Release Date:28/12/1976
Beasts: The Dummy
Character:Sir Ramsey
Release Date:20/11/1976
The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother
Character:Dr. Watson
Release Date:14/12/1975
Chips with Everything
Character:Wing Commander
Release Date:28/09/1975
Goodbye
Character:Chalcott-Bentinck
Release Date:06/03/1975
The Apple Cart
Character:Home Secretary
Release Date:19/01/1975
Soft Beds, Hard Battles
Character:General Erhardt
Release Date:24/01/1974
Ring Once for Death
Character:Dr. Ledworth
Release Date:06/12/1973
Young Winston
Character:Major Finn
Release Date:20/07/1972
Vampire Circus
Character:Burgermeister
Release Date:30/04/1972
Mr. Forbush and the Penguins
Character:Mr. Forbush Sr.
Release Date:29/07/1971
There's a Girl in My Soup
Character:Manager of Carlton Hotel
Release Date:15/12/1970
Bartleby
Character:The Colleague
Release Date:30/10/1970
Trog
Character:Magistrate
Release Date:24/10/1970
The Man Who Haunted Himself
Character:Frank Bellamy
Release Date:17/09/1970
The Best House in London
Character:Doctor Watson (uncredited)
Release Date:01/06/1969
Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed
Character:Insp. Fritsch
Release Date:22/05/1969
The Last Shot You Hear
Character:Gen. Jowett
Release Date:14/05/1969
Crooks and Coronets
Character:Hubbard
Release Date:02/04/1969
Oh! What a Lovely War
Character:Staff Officer
Release Date:10/03/1969
Twisted Nerve
Character:Sir John Forrester
Release Date:20/12/1968
On the Eve of Publication
Character:Holland
Release Date:27/11/1968
Frankenstein Created Woman
Character:Dr. Hertz
Release Date:15/03/1967
The Family Way
Character:Vicar
Release Date:18/12/1966
The Wrong Box
Character:Patience
Release Date:19/06/1966
The Psychopath
Character:Martin Roth
Release Date:04/02/1966
Dracula: Prince of Darkness
Character:Ludwig
Release Date:09/01/1966
Rotten to the Core
Character:Chief Constable Preston
Release Date:14/07/1965
Joey Boy
Character:Col. Grant
Release Date:01/01/1965
A Home of Your Own
Character:Estate agent
Release Date:11/12/1964
The Earth Dies Screaming
Character:Edgar Otis
Release Date:14/10/1964
Ring of Spies
Character:Cmdr. Winters
Release Date:23/03/1964
Heavens Above!
Character:Tranquilax Executive
Release Date:20/05/1963
Sherlock Holmes and the Deadly Necklace
Character:Dr. Watson
Release Date:30/11/1962
The Phantom of the Opera
Character:Lattimer
Release Date:25/06/1962
Petticoat Pirates
Character:Captain Jerome Robertson
Release Date:01/11/1961
Murder She Said
Character:Cedric Ackenthorpe
Release Date:26/09/1961
Invasion Quartet
Character:
Release Date:01/09/1961
The Pure Hell of St. Trinian's
Character:Butters
Release Date:22/12/1960
Two-Way Stretch
Character:Colonel Parkright
Release Date:20/12/1960
Suspect
Character:Special Agent Prince
Release Date:15/11/1960
A French Mistress
Character:Colonel Edmonds
Release Date:25/08/1960
Carlton-Browne of the F.O.
Character:Colonel Bellingham
Release Date:10/03/1959
Don't Panic Chaps!
Character:
Release Date:01/01/1959
Happy Is the Bride
Character:Jim
Release Date:04/03/1958
A Lady Mislaid
Character:Mr. Smith
Release Date:01/01/1958
Blue Murder at St. Trinian's
Character:Major Whitehart
Release Date:10/12/1957
The Birthday Present
Character:Photographer
Release Date:31/10/1957
The Truth About Women
Character:Trevor Eaton
Release Date:01/10/1957
Second Fiddle
Character:Charles
Release Date:10/06/1957
The Passionate Stranger
Character:Jimmy
Release Date:04/03/1957
The Baby and the Battleship
Character:Lt. Setley
Release Date:01/06/1956
Who Done It?
Character:Raymond Courtney
Release Date:20/03/1956
Private's Progress
Character:Captain Bootle
Release Date:17/02/1956
You Can't Escape
Character:Chadwick
Release Date:01/01/1956
Josephine and Men
Character:Salesman
Release Date:09/11/1955
Captain Boycott
Character:Army Officer (uncredited)
Release Date:26/08/1947
Waltz Time
Character:Stefan Ravenne
Release Date:13/08/1945
They Were Sisters
Character:Channing
Release Date:02/07/1945
Medal for the General
Character:Andrew
Release Date:06/11/1944
It Happened to One Man
Character:Ronnie
Release Date:12/10/1940
Secret Journey
Character:Max Von Reimer
Release Date:02/10/1939
The Kindled Flame
Character:Cleon
Release Date:29/08/1939
Design for Murder
Character:Huey Frazer
Release Date:27/03/1939
Life of St. Paul
Character:Unidentified role
Release Date:30/09/1938
The Love Test
Character:Chemist
Release Date:30/06/1935
Once in a New Moon
Character:Beamish
Release Date:01/01/1935
Television Appearances
The World of Hammer
Character:Self (archive footage)
David Copperfield
Character:Richard 'Mr Dick' Babley
Paradise Postponed
Character:
Bulman
Character:
Minder
Character:Magistrate
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Character:
Tales of the Unexpected
Character:Harry Gold
Worzel Gummidge
Character:Colonel Bloodstock
Life of Shakespeare
Character:Mr. Justice Fleminge
Strangers
Character:
Treasure Island
Character:
Raffles
Character:Lord Lochmaben
Beasts
Character:Sir Ramsey
The Duchess of Duke Street
Character:
Jennie: Lady Randolph Churchill
Character:
Thriller
Character:Dr. Ledworth
The Edwardians
Character:Edward, Prince of Wales
The Edwardians
Character:King Edward VII
Crown Court
Character:
The Lotus Eaters
Character:Maj. Edward Woolley
The Persuaders!
Character:John Hatton
Cousin Bette
Character:Baron Hector Hulot
The Adventures of Don Quick
Character:Chief Dreamer
Play for Today
Character:Old Wedding Guest
The Misfit
Character:Forbes-Erskine
Cribbins
Character:
Ooh La La!
Character:The Prince
Misleading Cases
Character:Sir Joshua Hoot
BBC Play of the Month
Character:Col. Redfern
The Wednesday Play
Character:Holland
Armchair Theatre
Character:Professor Mortimer
Hallmark Hall of Fame
Character:Stanley Baldwin
Images
