Michael Ripper
Michael Ripper | |
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 in The Plague of the Zombies (1966) | |
| Born | Michael George Ripper (1913-01-27)27 January 1913 Portsmouth, Hampshire, England |
| Died | 28 June 2000(2000-06-28) (aged 87) London, England |
| Occupation | actor |
| Years active | 1936–1992 |
| Spouse(s) | Jean Bramley (1934–1947) Catherine Finn (1972–1978) Cecelia Doidge (1995–2000) |
| Children | 2 |
Michael George Ripper (27 January 1913 – 28 June 2000) was an English character actor born in Portsmouth, Hampshire.
He began his film career in quota quickies in the 1930s and until the late 1950s was virtually unknown; he was seldom credited. He played one of the two murderers in the Olivier film version of Richard III (1955). Ripper became a mainstay in Hammer Film Productions playing supporting character roles: coachmen, peasants, tavern keepers, pirates and sidekicks. Appearing in more of the company's films than any other performer, these included The Camp on Blood Island (1958), The Revenge of Frankenstein (1958), The Mummy (1959), The Brides of Dracula (1960), Captain Clegg (1962), The Scarlet Blade (1963), The Reptile (1966), The Plague of the Zombies (1966) and The Mummy's Shroud (1967). Occasionally he was disguised almost beyond recognition, yet his raspy voice remained unmistakable. Some of his parts were little better than glorified bits (as in The Curse of the Werewolf), but his penultimate role for Hammer Films was a significant supporting part as a landlord in Scars of Dracula in 1970. (His very last Hammer role was as a railway worker in the atypical comedy That's Your Funeral two years later.)
He is also well remembered for his role as a jockey/horse trainer in The Belles of St Trinian's and the liftman in the next three of the St. Trinian's comedies, and on television for his role as Thomas the chauffeur in the BBC comedy Butterflies (1978–83) and as Burke, one of the two criminals in the youth television series Freewheelers (1968–71). His other TV roles include Mr Shepherd, Aunt Sally's owner, in Worzel Gummidge, Phunkey in The Pickwick Papers (1985) and the Drones Porter in Jeeves and Wooster (1990–91).
Partial filmography
Twice Branded (1936) - Minor role (uncredited)
Prison Breaker (1936) - (uncredited)
Not So Dusty (1936) - Bit Role (uncredited)
To Catch a Thief (1936) - (uncredited)
The Heirloom Mystery (1936)
Nothing Like Publicity (1936) - (uncredited)
Pearls Bring Tears (1937) - (uncredited)
Busman's Holiday (1937) - Crook
Farewell to Cinderella (1937) - Undetermined Role (uncredited)
Strange Adventures of Mr. Smith (1937) - Undetermined Role (uncredited)
Fifty-Shilling Boxer (1937) - (uncredited)
Father Steps Out (1937) - Minor Role (uncredited)
Why Pick on Me? (1937) - (uncredited)
Easy Riches (1938) - Cuthbert
Paid in Error (1938) - Minor Role (uncredited)
His Lordship Regrets (1938) - (uncredited)
You're the Doctor (1938) - (uncredited)
His Lordship Goes to Press (1938) - (uncredited)
Luck of the Navy (1938)
Miracles Do Happen (1938) - Morning Comet Reporter (uncredited)
Blind Folly (1939) - (uncredited)
Captain Boycott (1947) - Pat Nolan
Oliver Twist (1948) - Barney
The Dark Road (1948) - Andy Anderson
Noose (1948) - Nelson (uncredited)
The History of Mr. Polly (1949) - Third Store Employee Carrying Packages (uncredited)
The Rocking Horse Winner (1949) - 2nd Chauffeur (uncredited)
The Adventures of PC 49 Investigating the Case of the Guardian Angel (1949) - Fingers
Your Witness (1950) - Samuel 'Sam' Baxter
Let's Have a Murder (1950)
A Case for PC 49 (1951) - George Steele
Lady Godiva Rides Again (1951) - Joe (stage manager)
Old Mother Riley's Jungle Treasure (1951) - Jake
Secret People (1952) - Charlie
Treasure Hunt (1952) - Removal Man (uncredited)
Derby Day (1952) - 1st Newspaper Reporter (uncredited)
Folly to Be Wise (1952) - Drill Corporal
Alf's Baby (1953) - Mike
The Story of Gilbert and Sullivan (1953) - Louis
Appointment in London (1953) - Bomb Aimer
Blood Orange (1953) - Eddie
The Intruder (1953) - Mechanic
Personal Affair (1953) - Reporter (uncredited)
The Rainbow Jacket (1954) - Benny Loder
The Belles of St Trinian's (1954) - Albert Faning
The Sea Shall Not Have Them (1954) - Botterhill
Tale of Three Women (1954) - Simkins (segment "Thief of London' story)
The Constant Husband (1955) - Left Luggage Attendant
Geordie (1955) - Reporter
Secret Venture (1955) - Bill Rymer
Richard III (1955) - Forrest, 2nd murderer
1984 (1956) - Outer Party Orator
Yield to the Night (1956) - Roy, bar good-timer
Reach for the Sky (1956) - Warrant Officer West
The Green Man (1956) - Waiter
X the Unknown (1956) - Sgt. Harry Grimsdyke
The Steel Bayonet (1957) - Pvt. Middleditch
Quatermass 2 (1957) - Ernie
Woman in a Dressing Gown (1957) - Pawnbroker
These Dangerous Years (1957) - Pvt. Simpson
Not Wanted on Voyage (1957) - Steward Macy
The One That Got Away (1957) - J.E. Freeman - Greengrocer (uncredited)
The Naked Truth (1957) - J.E. Freeman - Greengrocer (uncredited)
Blue Murder at St Trinian's (1957) - Eric - The Liftman
The Camp on Blood Island (1958) - Japanese Driver
Up the Creek (1958) - Decorator
The Revenge of Frankenstein (1958) - Kurt
Girls at Sea (1958) - Jumper, Marine
Further Up the Creek (1958) - Ticket Collector
I Only Arsked! (1958) - Azim
Quatermass and the Pit (TV, 1959) - Sergeant
The Man Who Could Cheat Death (1959) - Morgue Attendant (uncredited)
Bobbikins (1959) - Naval Petty Officer (uncredited)
The Mummy (1959) - Poacher
The Ugly Duckling (1959) - Benny
Jackpot (1960) - Lenny Lane
Sink the Bismarck! (1960) - Able Seaman, Lookout 'Suffolk' (uncredited)
Dead Lucky (1960) - Percy Simpson
The Brides of Dracula (1960) - Coachman
Not a Hope in Hell (1960) - Sid
A Circle of Deception (1960) - Monsieur Chauvel
The Pure Hell of St Trinian's (1960) - Liftman
The Curse of the Werewolf (1961) - Old Soak
A Matter of WHO (1961) - Skipper
Petticoat Pirates (1961) - Tug
The Pirates of Blood River (1962) - Mack, a pirate
Captain Clegg (1962) - Jeremiah Mipps (coffinmaker)
The Phantom of the Opera (1962) - Longfaced Cabbie
Out of the Fog (1962) - Tich
A Prize of Arms (1962) - Cpl. Freeman
The Amorous Prawn (1962) - Angus
Two Left Feet (1963) - Uncle Reg
The Punch and Judy Man (1963) - Waiter
What a Crazy World (1963) - The Common Man
Swallows and Amazons (1963) - Old Billie
The Scarlet Blade (1963) - Pablo
The Devil-Ship Pirates (1964) - Pepe, a pirate
Every Day's a Holiday (1964) - Mr. George Pullman
The Curse of the Mummy's Tomb (1964) - Achmed
The Secret of Blood Island (1964) - Lt Tojoko
The Spy Who Came in from the Cold (1965) - Lofthouse (uncredited)
The Plague of the Zombies (1966) - Sergeant Jack Swift
Rasputin the Mad Monk (1966) - Waggoner (voice, uncredited)
The Reptile (1966) - Tom Bailey
The Great St Trinian's Train Robbery (1966) - The Liftman
Where the Bullets Fly (1966) - Angel
The Deadly Bees (1966) - David Hawkins
The Mummy's Shroud (1967) - Longbarrow
Torture Garden (1967) - Gordon Roberts (Framework Story)
Inspector Clouseau (1968) - Steven Frey
The Lost Continent (1968) - Sea Lawyer
Dracula Has Risen from the Grave (1968) - Max
Journey into Darkness (1968) - Albert Cole (episode 'Paper Dolls')
Moon Zero Two (1969) - 1st Card Player
Mumsy, Nanny, Sonny and Girly (1970) - Zoo attendant
Taste the Blood of Dracula (1970) - Cobb
Scars of Dracula (1970) - Landlord
That's Your Funeral (1972) - Arthur (Railway Porter)
The Creeping Flesh (1973) - Carter
No Sex Please, We're British (1973) - Traffic Warden
Legend of the Werewolf (1975) - Sewerman
The Prince and the Pauper (1977) - Edith's Servant
Sammy's Super T-Shirt (1978) - Gateman
Danger on Dartmoor (1980)
No Surrender (1985) - Tony Bonaparte
Revenge of Billy the Kid (1992) - Local Pub Old (final film role)
External links
Michael Ripper on IMDb
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