The British actor Ben Williams was born 6th October 1892 in Glamorganshire, Wales as Benjamin Percy Williams.
Before becoming an actor he served in the Royal Artillery in Palestine during WW1 and then worked as a coal miner in the Swansea area.

He will be familiar to most people as he appeared in almost 170 film and TV productions although mostly in minor or uncredited roles.  He started his film career in 1933 when he appeared in The Good Companions and in the following year he appeared in Java Head.  In 1935 he appeared in 7 films including Boys Will be Boys, The man Without a Face and Blue Smoke.  In 1936 he appeared in nine films including Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Find the Lady, Land Without Music and Sensation.  He appeared in another nine films in 1937 including productions such as Landslide, Bulldog Drummond at Bay, Brief Ecstasy and the Return of the Scarlet Pimpernel.  In 1938 he appeared in seven films including Bank Holiday, The Terror, Luck of the Navy and The Clayton Treasure Mystery.  In 1939 he played the part of Detective Wilkins in The Saint in London.

For fans of Charters and Caldicott he appeared in 1940’s Night Train to Munich where he played the part of The Train Steward (pictured). 

Other films that he appeared in during the year include The Stars Look Down, Contraband, The Proud Valley and Let George Do It!  1941 was his most productive year appearing in 14 films including Freedom radio, The Ghost of St Michael’s, Love on the Dole, ‘Pimpernel Smith’, Cottage to Let, Ships With Wings and South American George.
During 1942 he appeared in several films including Gert and Daisy’s Week-end, The Day Will Dawn, They Flew Alone and Let the People Sing.

In 1943 he appeared in several films which included The Flemish Farm, We Dive at Dawn and The Lamp Still Burns; in the following year he appeared in The Way Ahead.  1945 saw him appearing in Waterloo Road, Murder in Reverse and Home Sweet Home.  Other films that he appeared in during the late 1940’s include Carnival (1946), The Grand Escapade (1947), Nightbeat (1947), My Brother’s Keeper (1948), Don’t Ever Leave Me (1949) and Boys in Brown (1949).

He was still very productive during the 1950’s; in 1950 he appeared in 11 films, 7 in 1951 and a further 11 in 1952 some of which are The Girl is Mine (1950), Lilli Marlene (1950), The Galloping Major (1951), No Highway in The Sky (1951), Trent’s Last Case (1952), The Voice of Merrill (1952) and Hindle Wakes (1952). Other films that he appeared in during the 1950’s include There Was a Young Lady (1953), Face the Music (1954), The Love Match (1955), Storm over the Nile (19555) Stranger in Town (1957), Hell Drivers (1957) and The One That Got Away (1957).
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He died in December 1960 in London.

Kathleen Tremaine was born on September 29, 1903 in Gainsborough, England as Kathleen Hannah Truscott. The actress had a very short film career appearing in just two films, the first being The Umbrella (1933).

In 1938 she played the role of Anna the maid in The Lady Vanishes.  The character’s friendliness and innocence as she moved her clothes from her room which was given to Charters and Caldicott for the night provided for amusing and embarrassing scenes for the two chaps.
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She died on 10th November 1980 in Los Angeles, USA.

The Anglo-Irish actor Peter Gawthorne in Ireland was born 1st September 1884.  He spent most of his career in the UK but made his film debut in Hollywood.  He is probably best known for his roles in the films of Will Hay and other popular British comedians of the 1930s and 1940s.  During this period, he was one of Britain's most called-upon supporting actors appearing in over 100 films.

He often played military officers and stern, authority figures, many of whom frequently clashed with the bumbling idiots played by the stars he appeared with such as Will Hay[2] and other well-known comedians such as George Formby, The Crazy Gang, Jack Hulbert, Cicely Courtneidge, Old Mother Riley, Tommy Trinder, and Arthur Askey.  He predominantly worked for Gainsborough Studios.
 
His film career started in 1929 in the Charlie Chan film Behind That Curtain quickly followed by His Glorious Night, One Hysterical Night and Sunnyside Up all in the same year.  He appeared in several more pre-code films in the USA before returning to the UK to appear in 1932’s Jack’s the Boy.  During the same year in appeared in The Lodger; this is a remake of Hitchcock’s 1929 version.  Other notable films of the early 1930’s include The Flag Lieutenant (1932), The House of Trent (1933), Perfect Understanding (1933), My Old Dutch (1934), Girls, Please! (1934) and Murder at Monte Carlo (19340 starring Errol Flynn. 

In 1935 he made is first appearance in a George Formby film, No Limit where he played the part of Mr Higgins.  In the same year he also made his first appearance in a Will Hay film, Boys Will be Boys.  Other films that he appeared in during this period include Stormy Weather (1935), The Crouching Beast (1935), Everybody Dance (1936), The Man Behind the Mask (1936), The Cary Grant film, The Amazing Quest of Ernest Bliss, Brief Ecstasy (1937) starring Paul Lukas, Convict 99 (1938), Ask a Policeman (1939), Goodbye Mr Chips (1939), Dead Men are Dangerous (1939 (pictured) and Inspector Hornleigh (1939).  In 1940 he appeared in Two for Danger, Where’s That Fire?, Three Silent Men, Band Waggon, Laugh it Off and Cottage to Let.

For fans of Charters and Caldicott he appeared in their 3rd film Crook’s Tour (1941) in an uncredited minor role.

Other films that e appeared in include: Old Mother Riley’s Ghosts (1941), (Pimpernel Smith (1941), Gasbags (1941), They Flew Alone (1942), The Young Mr Pitt (1943), Bell Bottom George (1944), ,This man is Mine (1946), Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949), The Case of Charlie peace (1949), The Elusive Pimpernel (1950) and his final film which was Tale of Three Women in 1954.
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After a long and productive career, he died on 17th March 1962

Stuntman and bit player Peter Brace was born 30th August 1924 in Southwark, London.  He appeared in his first film in an uncredited minor part in 1947’s Holiday Camp performing a Jitterbug dance.  Other films followed including  Dick Barton: Special Agent (1948) and the basil Radford/Naunton Wayne film It's Not Cricket (1949) – Peter Brace played the part of a Bar Patron (1st photo).

He first began performing stunts in movies in 1952 but his career as both an extra and a stuntman encompassed several decades; it includes everything from doubling Peter Mayhew as Chewbacca for Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977) to performing stunts in various James Bond movies. Moreover, Brace was also an accomplished horseman and swordsman.

He appeared in dozens of films over the years, most notably; Ivanhoe (1952), Appointment in London (1953), Reach for the Sky (1956), Town on Trial (1957), Ill Met by Moonlight (1957), Quatermass 2 (1957), Blue Murder at St. Trinian's (1957) - New teacher (2nd photo), A Night to Remember (1958), Danger Within (1959), Crooks Anonymous (1962), We Joined the Navy (1962), Captain Sindbad (1963), The Sandwich Man (1966), A Challenge for Robin Hood (1967), Some Girls Do (1969), Crooks and Coronets (1969), Tommy (1975), Revenge of the Pink Panther (1976), Force 10 from Navarone (1978), Flash Gordon (1980) and Superman II (1980),

His stunt performances in films include Dr. No (1962), Lawrence of Arabia (1962), From Russia with Love (1963), Goldfinger (1964), Casino Royale (1967), You Only Live Twice (1967), Where Eagles Dare (1968), When Eight Bells Toll (1971), Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981). Curse of the Pink Panther (1983), Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984), Highlander (1986), Willow (1988), Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991), Chaplin (1992) and Braveheart (1995)
 
The actor died at age 94 on 29th October 2018. 

The British film producer Edward Black was born 18th August 1900 in Birmingham.

Best known for being head of production at Gainsborough Studios in the late 1930s and early 1940s, during which time he oversaw production of the Gainsborough melodramas but he specialized in making comedies, thrillers and low-budget musicals.  He had a lot of success making comedy vehicles for stars such as Will Hay and Arthur Askey. He also produced early films from Carol Reed and Alfred Hitchcock and was an early supporter of writer directors Sidney Gilliat and Frank Launder. 

For fans of Charters and Caldicott, he produced three of the films that the characters appeared in; The Lady Vanishes (1938), Night Train to Munich (1940) and Millions Like Us (1943).
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Black has been called "one of the unsung heroes of the British film industry.  The accompanying list of films shows the range of classic British films that he made; unfortunately his career was cut short when he died on 30th November 1948 in London

Louis Matto was born 16th August 1910 in London as Luigi Alessandro Matto. He was an actor appearing in dozens of film and TV productions mostly in minor and uncredited parts.  His career spanned from the late 1940’s through to the early 1970’s.

One of his first film appearances was in in 1949’s Stop Press girl where he played the part of the Restaurant Waiter.

This role set the scene for him as he typically played waiters or bar stewards over forty times.  Just a few of the films that he appeared in include; Snowbound (1948), The Wooden Horse (1950), Highly Dangerous (1950), Laughter in Paradise (1951), The Lavender Hill Mob (1951), The Man Who Watched Trains Go By (1952), The Captain’s Paradise (1953), Delayed Action (1954), Doctor at Sea (1955), The Battle of the River Plate (1956), Town on Trial (1957), A Night to Remember (1958), Oscar Wilde (1960), The Boys (1962), From Russia With Love (1964) and Licensed to Kill (1965).

His TV career include appearances in 1959’s Four Just Men, 1960’s Interpol Calling, 1961 to 1964 Danger Man, 1968’s The Avengers and finally in 1971’s Softly Softly: Task Force.
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He died 16th April 1989 in Lincoln, England.

Jimmy Rhodes was an actor born 22nd July 1899 in Great Oakley, Essex, England as James Joseph Cecil Rhodes. Primarily he played minor roles in a small number of films during the 1940’s.
 
Films include Old Mother Riley Detective (1943), Fuel for Battle (1944), Appointment with Crime (1946), Jeans Plan (1946) and She Shall Have Murder (1950).
 
For fans of Basil Radford and Naunton Wayne he appeared alongside them playing the part of the Lorry Driver’s Mate in 1949’s Stop Press Girl (pictured)
 
He died in 1972 in Hammersmith, London, England.

Albert Chevalier was born 29th June 1897 in Brentford, England as Albert Douglas B. Chevalier.

One of his first film appearances was in Hitchcock’s Sabotage in 1936 where he played the minor part of the Cinema Commissioner.  In the following year he appeared in an uncredited role in Young and Innocent another Hitchcock fil.
Other films that he went on to appear in include; Strange Boarders (1938), Contraband (1940), The Missing Million (1942), The Day Will dawn (1942), Spitfire (1942) all in uncredited roles.  In 1943 he played the part of a roof spotter in 1943’s Millions Like Us.

His appearance in minor and uncredited roles continued through the 1940’s in films such as; Medal for the General (1944), Read All About It (1945), Appointment With Crime (1946), Spring Sone (1946), Oliver Twist (1948) and Obsession (194) where he played the part of the Liberal Club Porter (pictured).  Other films that he appeared in include Madelaine (1950), The Woman in Question (1950) and Trouble in the Glen (1954). 
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He died on 11th November 1959 in London.

24th May 1941 saw the US release of Cook’s Tour, the third film pairing of Charters and Caldicott.  T film was released in the UK in 1940.
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https://www.chartersandcaldicott.co.uk/crooks-tour.html
 

Arthur Hall was a British actor who in his early career appeared in relatively minor roles in a number of films.  He was born 21st May 1885 in London.
 
His first recorded appearance was as a room service waiter in 1938’s The Lady Vanishes – pictured. 
 
Another notable film appearance was as the Newgate Governor at the hanging scene in Haunted Strangler (or Grip of the Strangler) (1958) which starred Boris Karlof. 

​His career developed when he moved to South Africa during the mid-1950's where he learnt to speak Afrikaans.  He starred in Hou die Blink Kant Bo (translation Keep the Shiny Side Up) in 1960.  He continued acting appearing in a number of stage, films and TV productions right through to the late 1980's both in English and in Afrikaans.  At one point he became the chairman of teh South African Actors' Equity Association.was t