The English actor Valentine Dyall was born 7th May 1908.  He was a character actor in many British film productions but his distinctive voice made him especially popular as a voice actor and he was known for many years as "The Man in Black", the narrator of the BBC Radio horror series Appointment with Fear.

It was as a BBC narrator (pictured) that he appeared in the mad-cap comedy film Helter Skelter in 1949.

One of his more memorable roles was in 1946, as the character Stephen Lynn in the romantic film drama Brief Encounter; Lynn is protagonist Alec Harvey's friend whose unexpected arrival spoils Alec's opportunity of consummating his romance.
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Some of the other notable films that he appeared in include The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp (1943), The Silver Fleet (1943), Yellow canary (19430 – he played the role of a German U-Boat Commander while his father played the Captain of the ship that the U-Boat was pursuing.  Other films he appeared in include; I Know Where I'm Going! (1945), Pink String and Sealing Wax (1945), Night Boat to Dublin (1946), My Brother’s keeper (1948), The Case of Charles Peace (1949),  Man in Black (1949),  Doctor Morelle (1949), Ivanhoe (1952),  Night Train for Inverness (1960) and Casino Royale (1967) where he voiced the character of Vesper Lynd's Assistant, the evil Dr. Noah.
His film acting career continued in to the 1970’s with appearances in Lust for a Vampire (1971), The Slipper and the Rose (1976), Come Play with Me (1977) and Arabian Adventure 1979.
He also had a productive TV career with appearances in Secret Army as Dr Pascal Keldermans, Blackadder (1983) and various roles in BBC’s Doctor Who.

He died 24th June 1985.

The actor Peter Haddon was born 31st March 1898 in Rawtenstall, Lancashire as Peter Tildsley.

He was a Moustachioed English character actor of the 1930's, the son of a vicar. Initially a medical student at Cambridge University, he became a member of Footlights, acting on stage from 1920. In films, he usually appeared as top-hatted 'silly ass' types.

Some of his more notable films include Alf’'s Button 1930, Death at Broadcasting House 1934, The Silent Passenger 1935, The House of the Spaniard 1936, Over the Moon 1939, Moulin Rouge 1952 (pictured) and The Second Mrs. Tanqueray 1952.
For fans of Basil Radford and Naunton Wayne he appeared in 1949’s Helter Skelter in the role of Major Basil Beagle.

He was married to Rosaline Courtneidge and the Brother-in-law of actress, Cicely Courtneidge.

​He died 7th September 1962.

Patricia Raine was born on March 29, 1929 in London. As an actress she appeared in films from the late 1940’s including Vice Versa 1948, It Happened in Soho 1948, Fools Rush In 1949; her final film in the 1940’s was in the mad-cap film Helter Skelter 1949 where she played the role of Amber.

Other films that she went on to appear in include Madeleine 1950, Encore 1951 (pictured), Pandora and the Flying Dutchman 1951, Love’s a Luxury 1952, The Beggar's Opera 1953 and a Day to Remember 1953.

She also appeared in a small number of TV movies and series throughout the 1950’s and 1960’s.

She was married to the actor Basil Henson.
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She died on July 19, 1993 in Kent, England.
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​William Walton, born 29th March 1902 in Oldham Lancashire, came from a musical family. He entered Christ Church, Oxford at the early age of sixteen but left without a degree in 1920. A fine musician, he was essentially self-taught as a composer.  In addition to his own genius for harmonies and texturing, he was influenced by the works of Stravinsky, Sibelius, and jazz. The use of the latter brought some early snubbing as a modernist among conservative music critics. But during some lean years of the 1920s, Walton helped support himself playing piano at jazz clubs.

His first ventures into film music were in association with the Hungarian director/producer Paul Czinner. Walton did four scores for him, including Walton's first Shakespearean effort, As You Like It (1936) which starred Laurence Olivier. With the outbreak of World War II, Walton entered military service but was given leave to compose music for propaganda films based. One of these film tasks put him back in acquaintance with Olivier on Shakespeare's Henry V (1944). Having scored five war period films so far, this would be the first of three scores for Olivier's filmed Shakespeare plays. The score was nominated for an Oscar, and it remains perhaps the best known of Walton's film music.

After the war Walton continued to be a public favourite; once again Olivier wanted a score, now for his Hamlet (1948). The film was a landmark for the time and garnered four Oscars with Walton again being nominated for the score. He continued work on an opera (Troilus and Cressida, 1954) and his general musical output, which comprised over 75 works. Walton did no more film work until Olivier requested him for the third and final time for a score for Shakespeare’s Richard III (1955). Although the film proved to be the most popular and perhaps influential of Olivier's trilogy, it received only one nomination as best picture.

He scored the music for Battle of Britain (1969), but it was replaced only two weeks before the film was released. Walton composed his last big screen score-again for Olivier-this time for Three Sisters (1970).

Walton was knighted in 1951 and received the Order of Merit in 1968.
For fans of Basil Radford and Naunton Wayne, he made one acting appearance – this was in 1942’s Next of Kin where he played the uncredited part of a Soldier at the Security Briefing.
He died 8th March 1983.

Jimmy Edwards, the actor with the large handlebar moustache, was born 23rd March 1920 in London – the actor and writer’s real name was James Keith O'Neill Edwards.

He served as a Flight Lieutenant in the Royal Air Force during the Second World War, winning the DFC (Distinguished Flying Cross) – his moustache was nurtured during his time in the RAF.
 
He made his stage debut at the Windmill Theatre in London after World War II and also acted on radio from 1947.  One of his first film roles was as Dr Edwards (pictured) in 1949’s Helter Skelter.  Other films that he appeared in include Trouble in the Air 1948, Treasure Hunt 1952, Three Men in a Boat 1956, Bottoms Up 1960, The Plank 1967 and A Ghost of a Chance 1968.
 
His many TV appearances include roles in The Faces of Jim series throughout the 1960’s, as Bernie Briggs in the Bold as Brass series, as Professor Jimmy Edwards in Whack-O!, the title role in 1973’s Sir Yellow and as father in The Glums in 1979
 
He died on 7th July 1988 in London.
 

Hilda Davies was born 5th March 1889 in Manchester, England.

The British actress appeared in a small number of films up to the early 1950’s including Turn of the Tide 1935, Millions Like Us – as Miss Hodge – in 1943, The Happiest Days of Your Life - The 1947/1949 TV film not to be congfused with 1950 version starring Alistair Sim– she played the part of Mrs Peck, Possession 1947, It’s Hard to be Good 1948 and 1951’s The Bronte Family.

She died 16th February 1959 in Childs Hill, London.

Judith Furse was born on 4th March 4 1912 in Surrey, England – her father was Lieutenant-General Sir William Furse. She was an actress, who in her later acting career was often cast as a bossy overbearing type. Although one of her more sympathetic roles was as Flora, Greer Garson's concerned travelling companion, in the original Goodbye, Mr Chips (1939).

Other films that she appeared in include A Canterbury Tale 1944, Johnny Frenchman 1945, as Sister Briony (pictured) in 1947’s Black Narcissus, as Mrs Martin in Helter Skelter in 1949, Mad About Men 1954, Doctor at Large 1957, Sands of the Desert 1960, The Iron Maiden 1962 and Sky West and Crooked 1966.

She appeared in a number of the Carry On films: as the Headmistress in Carry On Regardless 1961, as the Battle-axe Rider in Carry On Cabby 1963 and as Doctor Crow in Carry On Spying 1964.

She appeared in several TV productions during the 1960’s and in 1972 she made her last film appearance, as a drag king, in the Australian film The Adventures of Barry McKenzie.

She died 29th August 1974 in Canterbury, Kent, England.

Barry Steele was born on 3rd March 3 1921 in Sussex, England as Peter John Henry Gardiner Steele.

One of his first films that he appeared in was 1943’s Millions Like Us – he played the part of Percy Hoskins.

Other films that he appeared in include; Pink String and Sealing Wax 1949, The Mudlark 1950, The Cruel Sea 1953, as Fred Smith (pictured) in The Belles of St Trinians 1954, Reach for the Sky 1956, Cat and mouse 1958 and Jigsaw 1962.

He died on 30th September 1982 in Brighton, Sussex.