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Ivor Dean

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Ivor Dean
1967 publicity still for The Saint
Born
Ivor Donald Dean

(1917-12-21)21 December 1917
London, UK
Died10 August 1974(1974-08-10) (aged 56)
Truro, Cornwall, UK
Years activeIn TV and film: 1954–1973

Ivor Donald Dean (21 December 1917 – 10 August 1974) was a British stage, film and television actor.[1][2]

Biography

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With his lugubrious demeanour he was often cast as world-weary police officers or butlers, and it is for the role of Chief Inspector Claud Eustace Teal in the 1960s series The Saint, opposite Roger Moore, that he is best known.[3] Dean played Teal for almost the entire run of the series, except three instances in early episodes where other actors were used. It was on the third occasion, in an episode called Starring The Saint which featured Dean in another role, that the producers saw the ideal actor for the part.[4]

Dean proved the ideal foil for Moore's Simon Templar, invariably one step behind and allegedly hoping for the day when he could pin something on Templar.[5] Dean's character however seemed to have a respect for his adversary nonetheless. Dean reprised the role in all but name in Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) (1968–69) in which he played Inspector Large, who had an even more adversarial relationship with (the much less suave) Jeff Randall.[6]

Dean also appeared in one-off roles in several other ITC series, including Jason King and The Persuaders!, he appeared as a butler in 3 episodes of the long-running LWT sitcom Doctor at Large and featured in three episodes of The Avengers.[7][8] In 1964 he played estate agent Alfred Wormold in the long-running soap opera Coronation Street, selling No. 13 Coronation Street to Stan Ogden and his wife Hilda.

Dean also portrayed Long John Silver in a Franco-German television adaptation of Treasure Island, entitled Die Schatzinsel / L' île au Tresor (1966).[9] He contributed to a follow-up script with Saint producer Robert S. Baker, but it never materialised before his death. Baker continued to develop the project and it was finally made as the 10 part serial Return to Treasure Island in 1986. It was scripted by John Goldsmith and the part of Long John Silver was played by Brian Blessed.[10]

His other film appearances include Theatre of Death and the 'Pride' segment of The Magnificent Seven Deadly Sins.[11][12]

In 1949, Dean married British actress Patricia Hamilton, with whom he had three daughters. He died of heart failure, aged 56, in Truro, Cornwall in August 1974.[13]

Selected filmography

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References

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  1. ^ "Ivor Dean". theatricalia.com.
  2. ^ "Ivor Dean". Archived from the original on 15 January 2009.
  3. ^ McFarlane, Brian (16 May 2016). The Encyclopedia of British Film: Fourth edition. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9781526111975 – via Google Books.
  4. ^ "The Saint: S2". aveleyman.com. Archived from the original on 5 November 2018. Retrieved 9 September 2017.
  5. ^ "BFI Screenonline: Saint, The (1962–69)". screenonline.org.uk.
  6. ^ "Randall and Hopkirk (Declassified) – Who's Who?". randallandhopkirk.org.uk.
  7. ^ TV.com. "Ivor Dean". TV.com. Archived from the original on 10 September 2017. Retrieved 9 September 2017.
  8. ^ "Ivor Dean – Movies and Filmography – AllMovie". AllMovie.
  9. ^ http://www.tv-nostalgie.de/sound/die%20schatzinsel.htm [dead link‍]
  10. ^ "John Silver's Return to Treasure Island Part 1 The Map (1986)". Archived from the original on 10 September 2017.
  11. ^ "Theatre of Death (1967)". Archived from the original on 21 September 2017.
  12. ^ "The Magnificent Seven Deadly Sins (1971)". Archived from the original on 10 September 2017.
  13. ^ John Willis' Screen World, book 26, p. 233
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