James Hayter (23 April 1907 – 27 March 1983) was a British actor. He was born in Lonavala, India, brought up in Scotland and died in Spain. His best remembered film roles include Friar Tuck in the 1952 film The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men and Samuel Pickwick in The Pickwick Papers of the same year. His rotund appearance and fruity voice made him a natural choice for such roles. A pupil of Dollar Academy, he became a graduate of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, his film career began in 1936 in Sensation, but was interrupted by World War II during which he served in the Royal Armoured Corps. His later career included roles in TV series such as The Forsyte Saga (1967), The Onedin Line and Are You Being Served?. His 1946 television series Pinwright's Progress, shown on the BBC, is recognised as the first real example of the half-hour situation comedy format in the history of British television. He was also the original narrator of the UK television advertisements for Mr. Kipling cakes. In fact, these ads led to his departure from Are You Being Served?; the cake company paid him a significant bonus to withdraw from the series, as they felt his reputation lent an air of dignity to their snack advertisements. In the film Oliver!, he played Mr Jessop the book shop owner. He appeared in scenes when Dodger steals a gentleman's wallet outside the book shop and also when Oliver is in court charged with the robbery. Hayter used to have a tree house in his back garden where he would retire of an evening to learn and practise his lines from his current script. Description above from the Wikipedia article James Hayter, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Filmography

• 2005The Funny Blokes of British Comedy — Mr. Percival Tebbs (archive footage) (uncredited)
• 1978The Light Princess — Owl (voice)
• 1976The Bawdy Adventures of Tom Jones — Briggs
• Father Brown — Sir Aaron Armstrong
• Are You Being Served? — Mr. Tebbs
• 1972Burke & Hare — Dr. Selby
• 1971Blood on Satan's Claw — Squire Middleton
• 1971Not Tonight, Darling — Mr. Finlay / grocer owner
• 1971The Firechasers — Inspector Herman
• The Onedin Line — Captain Webster
• 1970Song of Norway — Butler to Berg
• The Adventures of Don Quick — Hendenno
• 1970The Horror of Frankenstein — Bailiff
• Wicked Women — Dr. Macrae
• 1969David Copperfield — Porter
• The Flaxton Boys — Nathan
• 1968Oliver! — Mr. Jessop
• 1967A Challenge for Robin Hood — Friar Tuck
• 1967Stranger in the House — Harry Hawkins
• The World of Wodehouse — Smithers
• 1962Go to Blazes — Pipe Smoker
• 1962Lawrence of Arabia — Sheik in Arab Council (uncredited)
• 1962Out of the Fog — Daniels
• The Avengers — Ticket Collector
• 1959The 39 Steps — Mr Memory
• 1959The Boy and the Bridge — Tugboat Skipper
• 1959The Captain's Table — Chief Engineer Earnshaw
• 1959You'll Never See Me Again — Joe Alden
• Fair Game — Mr Shaw
• 1958Gideon's Day — Robert Mason
• 1958I Was Monty's Double — Sgt. Adams
• 1958The Big Money — Mr Frith
• 1957Carry On Admiral — Sir Henry Tomkinson (uncredited)
• Huntingtower — Dickson McCunn
• 1957Mañana... — Silvestre
• 1957Sail Into Danger — Monty
• 1957Seven Waves Away — 'Cookie' Morrow
• 1957The Heart Within — Grandfather Willard
• Armchair Theatre — Bert Taylor, Arthur Tanner, Mayor, Joe Alden
• 1956It's a Wonderful World — Bert Fielding
• 1956Keep It Clean — Mr. Bouncenboy
• 1956Port Afrique — Nino
• 1955Land of the Pharaohs — Mikka
• The Adventures of Robin Hood — Tom the Miller
• 1955Touch and Go — Kimball
• 1954Beau Brummell — Mortimer
• 1954For Better, for Worse — Plumber
• Mark Saber — Longhair Smith
• 1954The Awakening — The Chief
• 1953A Day to Remember — Fred Collins
• 1953Always a Bride — Dutton
• 1953Four Sided Triangle — Dr. Harvey
• 1953Royal Review — Commentator (voice)
• 1953The Great Game — Joe Lawson
• 1953Will Any Gentleman...? — Dr. Smith
• 1952I'm A Stranger — Horatio Flowerdew
• 1952The Crimson Pirate — Prof. Elihu Prudence
• 1952The Pickwick Papers — Samuel Pickwick
• 1952The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men — Friar Tuck
• 1951Calling Bulldog Drummond — Bill
• 1951Flesh and Blood — Sir Douglas Manley
• 1951Tom Brown's Schooldays — Old Thomas
• 1950Morning Departure
• 1950Night and the City — Figler (uncredited)
• 1950Scrapbook for 1933 — (voice)
• 1950The Woman with No Name — Captain Bradshawe
• 1950Trio — Albert Foreman (segment "The Verger")
• 1950Waterfront — Ship's Captain
• 1950Your Witness — Prouty
• 1949All Over the Town — Councillor Baines
• 1949Dear Mr. Prohack — Carrell Quire
• 1949Don't Ever Leave Me — Man with Summons
• 1949For Them That Trespass — John Craigie 'Jocko' Glenn
• 1949Helter Skelter — Inn Landlord (uncredited)
• 1949Once a Jolly Swagman — Pa Fox
• 1949Passport to Pimlico — Commissionaire
• 1949Silent Dust — Pringle
• 1949The Blue Lagoon — Dr Murdock
• 1949The Spider and the Fly — Mayor
• 1948A Song for Tomorrow — Nicholas Klausmann
• 1948Bonnie Prince Charlie — Kingsburgh
• 1948My Brother Jonathan — Tom Morse
• 1948No Room at the Inn — Councilor Trouncer
• 1948Quartet — Foreman of the Jury (segment "The Alien Corn")
• 1948The Fallen Idol — Perry
• 1948Vice Versa — Bandmaster
• 1948Woman Hater — Mr. Burrell
• 1947Captain Boycott — Music Hall Comic (uncredited)
• 1947The End of the River — Chico
• 1947The Ghosts of Berkeley Square — Capt. Dodds (uncredited)
• 1947The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby — Ned and Charles Cheeryble
• 1947The Mark of Cain — Dr. White
• 1947The October Man — Garage Man
• 1946School for Secrets — Warrant Officer
• 1946The Laughing Lady — Ostler
• 1940Band Waggon — (uncredited)
• 1940Sailors Three — Hans
• 1939Come on George! — Barker
• 1939Murder in Soho — Nick Green
• 1938Big Fella — Chuck
• 1938Marigold — Peter Gloag
• 1938The Moon in the Yellow River — Captain Potts
• 1937Aren't Men Beasts! — Minor Role
• 1936Sensation — Jock

Appearances as themselves (1)

• The World of Hammer — Self (archive footage)