Glyn attended Llwynypia Elementary School and was a voracious reader studying subjects such as history and philosophy at his local library. He nearly died at the age of eleven after suffering a burst appendix and a subsequent case of peritonitis - a deadly infection before the advent of antibiotics. He responded well to treatment and when he had recovered he showed a flair for football before eventually becoming the captain of his school rugby team. As a teenager Glyn helped to run his grandmother’s milk round as well as becoming an amateur boxing champion.
After leaving school he briefly left Wales to live in Weston Super Mare to work as a small components engineer in the Bristol Aeroplane Company. Tiring of his job he returned home to Wales and with no work forthcoming he volunteered to serve in the Fleet Air Arm as an air gunner during World War Two. He was called up for National Service in 1944 and served in the army as a military policeman, a role that he would later call upon during his many roles as a policeman over his acting career. Houston was assigned to serve as security in various docks including Birkenhead, Glasgow and Leith. Eventually he was transferred to the Royal Signals Regiment and was assigned to Singapore. It was whilst he was stationed in Singapore that he was given the task of staging a show to welcome the entertainer Tommy Trinder. As part of the show Houston performed a stand-up comedy routine.
Following this he joined CSE (Combined Services Entertainment), formerly known as ENSA (Entertainments National Service Association), and was promoted to the level of Acting Sergeant. He devised and produced an entire show, Flags Are Flying, which was toured to the armed forces in India. The show featured a young man called Jimmy Perry, who would later become a successful television comedy scriptwriter create the series It Ain’t Half Hot Mum, which he based on his experiences in Houston’s entertainment troop.
On being demobbed Houston decided to follow in his older brother Donald’s footsteps and go into the acting business. Donald had become an actor when he was sixteen after being spotted singing in a boy’s club stage production. Glyn settled in London and took jobs such as working as a waiter in a restaurant whilst attending auditions. In 1949 his older brother Donald decided to pull a few strings to help his younger brother’s career which resulted in a position as an assistant stage manager with the Guildford Repertory Theatre. For the next few months he learnt the craft of stage acting and theatre production as the repertory company toured around the country.
A chance encounter with the director Basil Dearden at Ealing Studios led to the creation of a character specifically for Houston to play in Dearden’s latest film, The Blue Lamp. Making his big screen debut Glyn played a Cockney barrow boy in an uncredited performance, though he had made his screen debut previous to this in the one-off BBC comedy drama Choir Practice (30th July and remounted 2nd August 1949). This was once again thanks to his older brother Donald who appeared in the production in the prominent role of Cliff Lloyd. Glyn was further down the cast as Ianto Davies. The production boasted an all-Welsh cast, including Stanley Baker, and was later remade as the film Valley of Song (1953).
More bit part roles in British films followed with an uncredited role as a sailor in Waterfront Women (1950) directed by Michael Anderson, portmanteau drama Trio (1950) as Ted in the segment “The Verger”, the noirish thriller The Clouded Yellow (1950) as a bus conductor, an uncredited role in the mystery thriller Home To Danger (1951) directed by Terence Fisher, early cold war thriller High Treason (1951) as a railway worker and parole officer drama I Believe In You (1952) from the makers of The Blue Lamp. Throughout this period Houston was much in demand in the world of theatre with appearances such as Tommy Trouble, a stage version of a popular radio show, at the Theatre Royal, Exeter during October 1950 and appearing as Slasher Mulligan in a production of Nuts in May in Bournemouth during March and April 1952.
His screen roles began to get a little larger, and though still modest, at least his characters began to have credited names including George in the quota quickie Wide Boy (1952), Dai Thomas in the comedy Girdle of Gold (1952), Ned Rutter in the football comedy The Great Game (1953) and as Phillips in the World War Two blockbuster The Cruel Sea (1953).
Houston was by now established as a dependable supporting or bit part actor and he would find himself very much in demand for such role in the next few years. Roles included playing the character Bob, who gives Joan Collins her first ever onscreen kiss, in the film Turn The Key Softly (1953), appearing opposite Stanley Baker and Alan Ladd in Hell Below Zero (1954), horse racing drama The Rainbow Jacket (1954) and the Joseph Losey[2] directed thriller The Sleeping Tiger (1954) opposite Dirk Bogarde. He was in several other film productions during 1954; Betrayed (1954) in a small uncredited role as an army corporal, Knox in the war drama The Sea Shall Not Have Them (1954) and he appeared alongside his brother Donald in the drama The Happiness of Three Women (1954) playing the role of Morgan, a chauffeur.
1956 would be Houston’s most prolific year since his film and TV career started. It began with a small role as a bus driver in missing baby drama Tears for Simon (1956). This was followed with the role of Benny in 'Deadlock' (6th February 1956), an episode of the series Steve Hunter, Trouble Merchant. Further TV work for the year also took in playing a salesman in 'For Want of Nourishment' (14th March 1956) - an episode of The Grove Family, a reporter in 'The Ends of Justice' (19th December 1956) – an episode of Theatre Royal, and playing Peter Ridgway in 'The Stolen Crime' (4th July 1956) – an episode of Colonel March of Scotland Yard. On 31st March, 1956 he married Shirley Lawrence, an actor and model, and the couple would remain married until his death in 2016. The couple had two daughters, Leigh and Karen.
Film roles for 1956 included playing policemen in Who Done It? (1956) and The Long Arm (1956) starring Jack Hawkins. Houston completed the year with a run of BBC single dramas; Jinny Morgan (30th August 1956), Poison Pen (13th November 1956), The Rescuers[3] (6th December 1956) and The Light of the Heart (26th December 1956).
Houston’s first recurring character in a TV serial came with Wideawake (15th June – 20th July 1957), a six episode BBC crime thriller, which also starred Edward Judd and Terence Alexander. Houston featured throughout the series as in the role of Shon. He also appeared alongside Bernard Horsfall, his co-star in the Beasts episode 'The Dummy', in the British film High Flight (1957). Bernard Lee, who appears in 'Murrain', headlined. He was then back in police uniform for a brief turn in the movie The Birthday Present (1957). He also had two small uncredited roles in two celebrated British films; playing Harry ‘Hurricane’ in The One That Got Away (1957) and the boiler stoker in A Night to Remember (1958). Back on television he was now a popular choice for directors of single plays and could be seen as Harry Kane in The Quiet Ones (16th June 1957), John Robinson in The English Family Robinson #1: Night of the Tigers (27th October 1957), Morgan in Wishing Well (17th December 1957), Leonard Woods in Heroes Don’t Care (1st February 1958) and in a main role as Sir Owen Tudor in the BBC Wales single drama The Queen and The Welshman (28th August 1958).
Eight years after appearing in the film The Blue Lamp Houston was reunited with the actor Jack Warner who had gone on to national acclaim in the BBC TV series Dixon of Dock Green. Houston would make several appearances in this long running series starting with the role of Woody in the episode 'The Key of the Nick' (29th March 1958). As the decade came to an end Houston continued to balance his film roles with more substantial television roles. His film roles included another policeman in Tiger Bay (1959), man in a pub in Breakout (1959) and Michaels in Jet Storm (1959). Television work included episodes of The Flying Doctor and 'Murder on the Agenda' (14th February 1959), an episode of Saturday Playhouse. He then had a main role in the BBC Wales single drama Home Winner (29th April 1959) as Harry Vaughan, the manager of the football team Treparry Town AFC. This was followed by his second appearance in Dixon of Dock Green with the role of Alf Morgan in the episode 'The Lodgers' (19th September 1959) and a final appearance in an episode of the BBC Sunday Night Theatre as Bert Slaney in 'No Friendly Star' (29th November 1959). His final film of the year was Follow a Star (1959) which would be his first pairing with the comedian Norman Wisdom. Houston has an uncredited role as Fred.
His first film of 1960 was another small uncredited role as a seaman on the ship Prince of Wales in the classic war movie Sink The Bismarck (1960). Further film roles include playing a porter in the Peter Sellers vehicle The Battle of the Sexes (1960), a carnival barker in Circus of Horrors (1960), a factory worker in There Was a Crooked Man (1960) and a gym instructor in the Norman Wisdom film The Bulldog Breed (1960). On television he started the year with the regular role of Davy Morgan in a BBC adaptation of How Green Was My Valley (1st January – 19th February 1960) which featured an all-Welsh cast. His television guest roles for the year took in Detective Sergeant Bruce in 'Information Received' (19th April 1960), an episode of Scotland Yard, Detective Inspector Brown in 'One for the Road' (20th July 1960), an episode of Boyd QC and as Roy Gardner in an episode of Probation Officer (19th December 1960).
More substantial film roles came the following year with I Promised to Pay (1961), The Wind of Change (1961) as another policeman, The Green Helmet (1961) and Flame In The Streets (1961). Television offered more regular work on the series on twenty six episodes of Deadline Midnight in the lead role of newspaper editor Mike Grieves[4] and guest roles in 'Centenary Year' (10th December 1961), an episode of BBC Sunday Night Theatre, and 'The Case of the Studio Payroll' (21st December 1961), an episode of the crime series Stryker of the Yard.
One of the highlights of Houston’s resume for 1962 was the role of Inspector Sparrow in the British B film Solo for Sparrow (1962), which also figured a young Michael Caine in the cast, and emerged from Merton Park Studios. Caine played the villain of the piece who is shot dead by Houston’s policeman. Houston then stayed in the realm of low budget British film thrillers to play another policeman, Inspector Harris, in Emergency (1962), a suspense thriller about a little girl with a rare blood group desperately in need of a transfusion. On television he gained co-billing along with Leo McKern in the BBC play Leading the Blind (23rd February 1962) before moving on to guest star in the Z Cars instalment 'Hi-Jack!' (22nd May 1962) playing the role of Les Fielder. He also appeared in two episodes of the independently made TV series The Cheaters, though I cannot at present trace his billing. The episodes are 'A Hood from Ireland' (31st March 1962) and 'Diamond Studded Malaria' (23rd June 1962).
By now Houston must have started to feel typecast somewhat as he was cast as another policeman in Outbreak of Murder (21st July – 1st September 1962), a seven part BBC murder investigation drama, with Houston as Detective Inspector Mitchell. Houston possibly also felt stereotyped as a Welshman when he was cast as the character Taffy Rees in the No Hiding Place episode 'Night of the Game' (11th December 1962). His final television role for the year was a guest part as Bream in the Ghost Squad instalment 'The Green Shoes' (29th December 1962). He also had a final cinema assignment when he joined a cast consisting of Adam Faith, Carole Ann Ford, Donald Sinden and Alfred Burke for the crime thriller Mix Me a Person (1962), a vehicle for Faith to demonstrate his acting chops against more seasoned players.
During 1963 Houston appeared in two films. The first was another gritty British crime film, Panic (1963), whilst the second was his third outing with Norman Wisdom. A Stitch In Time (1963) gave Houston had a more substantial role as Corporal Welsh of the St John’s Ambulance Brigade and also enabled him to appear alongside his wife Shirley who played a nurse in the film.
On TV Houston could be seen as Isaac Pride in 'The Rescuers' (23rd September 1963), an episode of the BBC drama anthology Suspense. Houston has cited this appearance as a personal favourite from his career. He felt close to the project as it was based on a real life disaster which had taken place in the Rhondda. In April 1817 the Tynewydd in Porth was flooded, trapping fourteen miners underground. A rescue team, led by Isaac Pride, located five survivors and cut through a seam of coal to reach them. Unfortunately when the first hole was cut the force of the compressed air escaping led to one survivor being crushed to death. More survivors were located and the only option was to dig through 35 metres of coal. Working day and night it took the rescuers ten days to get to the survivors. Also noteworthy is the Drama 63 production 'Somebody’s Dying' (7th April 1963) which saw Houston as yet another policeman, Inspector Hastings, investigating the death from a gunshot wound of the young Tom Cameron – played by a fresh faced John Hurt. The play also features William Russell shortly before he was cast in a new science fiction series called Doctor Who.
1964 would see Houston take roles in episodes of The Plane Makers, anthology series Detective and the Sid James sitcom Taxi. To complete the year he played yet another policeman, Sergeant Carmichael, in 'To Catch a Tiger' (31st October 1964), an episode of Gideon’s Way. Now in its tenth season Dixon of Dock Green was still proving to be hugely popular with BBC audiences. Houston made a third appearance in the series playing Sam Barnes in the episode 'A Family Affair' (22nd February 1964). He could also be seen in 'End of Chapter' (20th April 1964), an episode of the BBC 2 anthology drama Detective. Houston played a detective called Nigel Strangeways who is called in to find out who tried to ruin a famous publishing company by involving it in a libel action. The play was adapted from the book of the same name by Nicholas Blake.
Houston began 1965 with a reprise of his role as Sergeant Carmichael, in a second episode of Gideon’s Way – 'Fall High, Fall Hard' (16th January 1965). He was also yet another copper, Detective Inspector Barnes, in the little seen British film comedy One Way Pendulum (1965) which also featured Eric Sykes, George Cole, Graham Crowden and Peggy Mount in the cast. In early 1965 he made further guest appearances in Dixon of Dock Green in the episode 'The Inside Man' (27th February 1965) and Z Cars in the episode 'Window Dressing' (10th March 1965). There was also another guest role, his third, in the police drama No Hiding Place playing the role of Harry Lavey in 'Smokey' (26th April 1965).
Next were two lesser recalled Hammer Films. Houston played Berry in the World War Two prisoner of war film The Secret of Blood Island (1965) and followed this appearance with The Brigand of Kandahar (1965), a tale of the British army defending themselves from rampaging locals during the 1850s riots in India. Having proved to be an ideal straight man for slapstick comedy due to his work with Norman Wisdom Houston was recruited to feature in two second season episodes of the Charlie Drake television show The Worker. He first appeared as Fred Higgs in the episode 'A Punting We Will Go' (23rd October 1965) and this was followed a week later as a police commander in 'Through A Glass Darkly' (30th October 1965). Also during October 1965 Houston could be seen in the stage play Countercrime at the Ashcroft Theatre in Croydon. He was cast as a policeman of course!
Cult science fiction film Invasion (1966), written by Robert Holmes and Roger Marshall, benefitted from another of Houston’s depictions of a policeman, this time as Police Sergeant Draycott. He was yet another policeman for his next television appearance, 'It’s Much Colder Where I Come From' (5th February 1966), an episode of the espionage series The Spies. Houston played Chief Inspector Matthews alongside series regular Simon Oates. The two actors would also appear together in the Beasts episode 'The Dummy'. He took a break from playing policemen with the role of Harris Munro in the Public Eye episode 'No, No, Nothing Like That' (3rd September 1966), but he was back in uniform for the six part BBC thriller Girl in a Black Bikini (4th February 1967 – 11th March 1967) as Detective Sergeant Napier. More police work followed with A Murder Is a Murder (20th April 1967) which featured Houston as Detective Inspector James. He also undertook the recurring role of Detective Superintendent Arthur Jones in the BBC series Softly Softly starting with the story 'Murder Reported' (23rd November 1966). The character would appear in another six episodes between 1966 and 1969. After all that police work Houston was perhaps glad of a change of uniform when he played a sailor in the Mickey Dunne episode 'Over The Hill' (3rd July 1967) and later the same month played a down on his luck character for 'Sisters and Brothers' (24th July 1967), part of the series Sanctuary.
Houston began a new decade playing a policeman, Detective Inspector Bowen, in a two part Z Cars story, 'Tune on a Bent Trumpet' (5th January and 6th January 1970). He followed this with the role of Evan in the ITV Sunday Night Theatre episode 'The Exiles: Zo' (24th October 1970) and then returned to his Welsh roots with the BBC play Choir Practice (24th December 1970) playing Geraint. The guest roles continued the following year with the role of Gerald Marlowe in the Doomwatch episode 'Public Enemy' (22nd March 1971) and playing Morris in three episodes of the series Brett. He was yet another policeman, Detective Inspector Isaacs, in 'Man Charged' (12th October 1971) an episode of Armchair Theatre. Houston’s character led an investigation into the murder of a married woman found battered to death in a lodging house. His most notable theatre credit for the year was the role of the narrator in a production of Under Milk Wood staged at Arts Theatre during May 1971. Before the end of the year Houston remained busy with guest spots in 'A Load of Guilt' (21st October 1971), an episode of the series Trial, and playing Duffy in a two-part story, 'The Birdwatcher' (27th October and 28th October 1971), for the series Owen MD. He could have also been spotted in a short educational film, produced by the Central Office of Information and The Decimal Currency Board, to prepare the public for the upcoming changeover to decimal currency. Granny Gets The Point (1971) had Doris Hare play the granny in the title and Houston appears as Mr Collins.
Houston’s first television role for 1972 was in the debut episode of the BBC series The Befrienders, 'Allenby and Son, Limited' (19th February 1972), playing Michael Allenby, a successful estate agent who turns to the Samaritans after a twist of fate changes everything. Next was one of Houston’s signature roles playing Bunter, the sidekick to Ian Carmichael’s Lord Peter Wimsey, in the five part series 'Clouds of Witness' (5th April – 3rd May 1972). He then lent his dulcet tones to read the story 'Tecwyn – Last of the Welsh Dragons' (3rd June 1972) for the popular children’s show Jackanory. Houston’s main role for the year was in the children’s adventure drama The Long Chase (25th September – 18th December 1972) when he played the regular character Tom Corby, father to the teenage leads, across all thirteen episodes.
.jpg)
Country Matters was a Granada drama anthology based on the stories of H E Bates. The thirteen episodes across two seasons depicted various aspects of rural living. Houston appears in the second season instalment 'The Black Dog' (9th February 1973) which told the story of a well-bred Edwardian bachelor who falls in love with a girl he meets at a part at a country house. He becomes involved in a strange struggle with the girl and her father’s mistress. Just a few days later he could be seen playing Robert Ager in daytime courtroom drama Crown Court for the case 'A Crime In Prison: Regina v Ager and Lanigan' (14th – 16th February 1973). He then moved on to guest in the courtroom drama Justice in the episode 'Trespass to a Person' (4th May 1973) playing the part of Henry Curtis. A guest spot in two episodes of the afternoon drama series Harriet’s Back in Town followed with Houston playing Mr Parry-Jones (31st July and 1st August 1973). Amongst the regular cast was William Russell and Pauline Yates.
Houston had always had a preference to play comedy, though he had avoided many offers due to the advice of his agent who feared it may impact on his casting in dramatic roles. However, he did take the occasional comedy offer, and two prime examples were his playing in various roles in sketches for the first season of the now forgotten Reg Varney Show (15th August – 26th September 1973) and appearances in Thirty Minutes Worth (18th July and 21st November 1973) alongside comedian Harry Worth. He also appeared as Bob Berris in various episodes of the Lesley Crowther and Sylvia Syms headlined sitcom My Good Women between 1973 and 1974. Bob was the best friend of Lesley Crowther’s character and plots usually revolved around trying to find a girlfriend for Bob. To round off the year Houston took part in the All Star Comedy Carnival (25th December 1973), a festive special hosted by Jimmy Tarbuck and containing short sketches from ITV’s most popular comedy shows of the time including My Good Woman.
Sporting Scenes was a comedy drama anthology from the BBC. Houston popped up in the episode 'Up and Under' (20th January 1974) which featured the Welsh national sport rugby. The cast also included a role for John Rhys Davies who would provide voice work for the Beasts episode 'During Barty’s Party'. Next was his final appearance in Dixon of Dock Green in 'Snout' (9th March 1974), an episode of the twentieth season. Houston played the character Luckhurst. He also returned to the role of Bunter opposite Ian Carmichael’s Lord Peter Wimsey in a production of 'The Nine Tailors' (22nd April – 13th May 1974). Houston combined his comedy ability with his dependable playing of policemen for the role of PC Jackson in 'Just a Roll of Lino Please' (3rd June 1974), an episode of the comedy series My Name Is Harry Worth. Next where another couple of comedy credits; playing an army sergeant in an episode of The Tommy Cooper Hour (25th December 1974) and as the Reverend Llewellyn-Owen in an episode of Love Thy Neighbour, 'The Opinion Poll' (8th May 1975). Following this he returned to the role of Lord Peter Wimsey sidekick Bunter for another case for the upper-class sleuth in 'Five Red Herrings' (23rd July – 13th August 1975).
Next was The Saint episode 'The House of Dragon’s Rock' (13th April 1968) which cast Houston as a Welsh villager, Dylan Williams, along with Anthony Bate who would appear in the Beasts episode 'During Barty’s Party'. He continued playing Welshmen in his next television credit, 'The Corn Is Green' (14th April 1968), a BBC Play of the Month instalment based on the play by Emlyn Williams which told the story of a young Welsh boy guided to success by his village school teacher. More television police work followed with the Softly Softly episode 'Obstruction' (12th December 1968). Houston played the role of Detective Superintendent Jones. He made a rare excursion into playing a man of the cloth, Father Ignacious, in The Thirty Minute Theatre play 'Where Have They Gone, All the Little Children?' (6th January 1969). Houston played a priest in Biafra waiting for a supply plane to arrive- though will it contain guns or food? The rest of the year ticked over with the usual guest roles in established series including The Borderers – 'Fugitive' (28th January 1969), The Expert – 'Death in the Rain' (30th May 1969) and The Wednesday Play – 'There Is Also Tomorrow' (19th November 1969). The Wednesday Play production gave Houston a leading role as Colonel Ronald Sutherland, the commanding officer of an army unit assigned to handle nuclear materials. Sutherland is shocked to see his daughter amongst a crowd of protestors to nuclear weapons.
Theatre wise Houston played the leading part in the first production outside of London of John Hopkins’ play This Story of Yours which was originally presented at The Royal Court with Michael Bryant in the lead. The Welsh Theatre Company production toured Wales taking in venues in Swansea, Cardiff, and Newport during March 1969. Another specifically Welsh role was in Dennis Potter’s play 'Where The Buffalo Roam' (2nd November 1966), a stand out episode of The Wednesday Play strand which featured Hywel Bennett as a disturbed Welsh teenager obsessed with Western films. Houston’s final role for the year was in an episode of the series Paul Temple – 'Which One Of Us Is Me?' (28th December 1969) portraying the role of Calvin Good.
Houston began a new decade playing a policeman, Detective Inspector Bowen, in a two part Z Cars story, 'Tune on a Bent Trumpet' (5th January and 6th January 1970). He followed this with the role of Evan in the ITV Sunday Night Theatre episode 'The Exiles: Zo' (24th October 1970) and then returned to his Welsh roots with the BBC play Choir Practice (24th December 1970) playing Geraint. The guest roles continued the following year with the role of Gerald Marlowe in the Doomwatch episode 'Public Enemy' (22nd March 1971) and playing Morris in three episodes of the series Brett. He was yet another policeman, Detective Inspector Isaacs, in 'Man Charged' (12th October 1971) an episode of Armchair Theatre. Houston’s character led an investigation into the murder of a married woman found battered to death in a lodging house. His most notable theatre credit for the year was the role of the narrator in a production of Under Milk Wood staged at Arts Theatre during May 1971. Before the end of the year Houston remained busy with guest spots in 'A Load of Guilt' (21st October 1971), an episode of the series Trial, and playing Duffy in a two-part story, 'The Birdwatcher' (27th October and 28th October 1971), for the series Owen MD. He could have also been spotted in a short educational film, produced by the Central Office of Information and The Decimal Currency Board, to prepare the public for the upcoming changeover to decimal currency. Granny Gets The Point (1971) had Doris Hare play the granny in the title and Houston appears as Mr Collins.
.jpg)
Country Matters was a Granada drama anthology based on the stories of H E Bates. The thirteen episodes across two seasons depicted various aspects of rural living. Houston appears in the second season instalment 'The Black Dog' (9th February 1973) which told the story of a well-bred Edwardian bachelor who falls in love with a girl he meets at a part at a country house. He becomes involved in a strange struggle with the girl and her father’s mistress. Just a few days later he could be seen playing Robert Ager in daytime courtroom drama Crown Court for the case 'A Crime In Prison: Regina v Ager and Lanigan' (14th – 16th February 1973). He then moved on to guest in the courtroom drama Justice in the episode 'Trespass to a Person' (4th May 1973) playing the part of Henry Curtis. A guest spot in two episodes of the afternoon drama series Harriet’s Back in Town followed with Houston playing Mr Parry-Jones (31st July and 1st August 1973). Amongst the regular cast was William Russell and Pauline Yates.
His prior television credit before appearing in Beasts was another comedy role – a guest part as a workman in the Bless This House episode 'Well, Well, Well' (1st April 1976). Post-Beasts his comedy guest spots continued with playing, of course, a policeman in the Robin’s Nest episode 'A Matter of Note' (15th February 1977) and appearing as a Mexican bandit, Cesar Rodriguez, in the film version of Are You Being Served (1977). However, his most notable and well-remembered credit for the period was in the Tom Baker era Doctor Who adventure 'The Hand of Fear' when he appeared in episodes two (9th October 1976) and three (16th October 1976) as Professor Watson. Also during 1976 Houston hosted the Sunday morning BBC religious programme Sing for Joy which debuted on 11th July. Between December 1976 and January 1977 Houston took part in the pantomime Babes in the Wood at the Grand Theatre in Swansea.
Back on television he undertook the role of Tom Moody in three episodes of the second season of the
ITV crime thriller The XYY Man; 'When We Were Very Greedy' (25th July 1977), 'Now We Are Dead' (1st August 1977) and 'Whisper Who Dares' (8th August 1977). He followed this role with a guest spot in another gritty TV series, Target, appearing as Mostyn Price in the episode 'Rogues Gallery' which opened the second season. Following his role as Bunter Esquire magazine had run a feature on Houston as Bunter. The magazine was popular in America and this led to Houston to visit the country in the pursuit of employment. He had discussions with many agents and producers but they all led to nothing. Whilst in America he received a call from his agent in the UK and accepted a role in a new series called A Horseman Riding By. Before this series was transmitted it was back to comedy for the role of Mr Wright for the third season opening episode of Some Mothers Do Have Them – 'Moving House' (11th November 1978).
His major role for the year was in the aforementioned thirteen part BBC drama A Horseman Riding By (24th September 1978 – 17th December 1978) based on the novels by R F Delderfield. Houston appeared as estate manager John Rudd opposite the headlining Nigel Havers. In an interview with the newspaper The Daily Mirror it was revealed that Houston had took riding lessons shortly before production began on the series. “I thought I’d better get some practice. The only other time I was asked to ride a horse was in a film called The Brigand of Kandahar. I was supposed to be a Times reporter but the camera had to cut away every time I put my foot in the stirrups.[5]”
Following this he appeared in the dual role of Gus / Coates in the ITV Playhouse episode 'The Purple Twilight' (2nd June 1979), the story of a crew of a Lancaster bomber in World War Two. His other TV credit for the year was Major Ross Hansford in 'Higher Ground' (14th October 1979), a first season episode of the BBC private eye drama Shoestring. He was then seen as C S Bert Sinclair in 'The Family Affair' (11th January – 15th February 1980), one of two cases for Detective Inspector Sam Harvey (Martin Jarvis) to solve under the programme title Breakaway. His main television role for the year was playing Duncan Thomas in the sitcom Keep It in the Family. Houston was a regular cast member between 1980 and 1983 across five seasons and a total of twenty seven episodes. Thomas was the agent of the cartoonist Dudley Rush played by Robert Gillespie.
He was assigned the role of Peters in the Second World War film The Sea Wolves (1980) which also starred Gregory Peck, Roger Moore and David Niven. His role in Shoestring had led directly being cast as one of the producers had seen Houston in his guest role in the series. His remaining television credits for 1980 saw Houston guest as a Brigadier in the sitcom It Ain’t Half Hot Mum in the seventh season episode 'Class of 1945' (14th November 1980) and an appearance as Harry Thompson in 'Caught In The Act, Fact' (27th November 1980), an episode of Minder. Thompson is a self-made millionaire whose wife is a compulsive shop lifter.
Houston’s only TV credit for 1981 was in If You Go Down To the Woods Today (29th April 1981), a silent comedy written, directed and starring Eric Sykes. Houston played a railway ticket collector. He also appeared in an episode of The Jim Davidson Show (26th January 1982) and played Chief Inspector Griffiths in an episode of Crown Court – 'Soldier, Soldier' (25th May 1982). During August and September 1982 Houston appeared in the comedy play Key for Tea at the Vaudeville Theatre. For the next year Houston took on stage roles which included such work as Arthur Miller’s All My Sons at the Sherman Theatre, Cardiff during December 1983. He returned television and the world of Doctor Who for the Peter Davison era adventure 'The Awakening' (19th and 20th January 1984) playing Colonel Ben Wolsey. Following this he was cast as Professor Meynert in the BBC biographical drama Freud (14th September – 19th October 1984) opposite David Suchet who played Freud.
Theatre and stage roles occupied Houston for the next few years. Highlights included Alan Ayckbourn’s Season’s Greetings at Cardiff’s Sherman Theatre during January and February 1985 and a revival of the Noel Coward play South Sea Bubble at the Connaught Theatre in Worthing during October 1986. Most notably was Chunk and Chips which began as a one-man stage show written and performed by Houston as a tribute to the Welsh writer Gwyn Thomas. Houston spent the mid to late 1980s touring the show. A performance was filmed and transmitted as part of a series of dramatic stage performances featuring Welsh actors under the title of Singular Performances in 1987. Other thespians featured in the series included Philip Madoc performing When Christ Was Born on Dowlais Top. Houston’s TV performance by Sir Geraint Hughes with the musical backing of a full male Welsh choir. The series was never transmitted nationally and was only seen on the HTV franchise area. In between performances of Chunk and Chips Houston was next seen on television in an episode of Inspector Morse, 'Last Seen Wearing' (8th March 1988), playing the role of George Craven.
Houston was then cast in a pair of HTV plays written by Robert Pugh and directed by Alan Clayton – Better Days and Ballroom – both broadcast in 1988. Better Days cast Houston as a Welsh valleys farmer who has to sell his family home and who moves in with his posh barrister son. A Culture clash ensues. 1989 saw Houston appear in The Play on One, the replacement slot for the long running Play for Today. Houston appears in 'Heartland' (21st February 1989) playing Old Jack opposite Anthony Hopkins as Jack. This was followed by We Are Seven, a HTV drama series about a single mother living in a Welsh village during the 1930s. Houston supplied narration for the first season of six episodes transmitted during June and July 1989. Conspiracy (1989) was a low budget British thriller film which cast Houston as William Brain. Based on true events about the blackmailing of a high level government official (Houston). During the filming Houston won the Best Actor Award at the Monte Carlo TV and Film Festival for the HTV production Better Days. Houston was unable to attend due to the filming and he had high hopes for the film. It was only ever released straight to video.
A new decade saw Houston claim another comedy guest role playing Clifford in an episode of After Henry, 'The Dinner Party' (20th February 1990), followed by Troublemakers (14th February – 21st March 1990), a six part BBC drama series which cast Houston in the role of Albert Griggs. Thatcher: The Final Days (11th September 1991) was a Granada dramatization of the events leading up to the resignation of Margaret Thatcher as played by Sylvia Sims. Glyn Houston was cast as Bernard Ingham, the bushy eyebrowed ex-journalist who was Thatcher’s long-running press secretary from 1979 to 1990. Also in the cast was Houston’s 'The Dummy' co-star Bernard Horsfall who played Conservative MP Alan Clark. Alan Clayton, who had previously directed Houston in the HTV plays Ballroom and Better Days, cast the actor as Aneurin Morgan in Old Scores (25th September 1991). A co-production between HTV and New Zealand’s South Pacific Pictures the programme won a BAFTA Cymru Award for Best Drama as well as New Zealand Film and TV Awards for Best Film Score, Best Screenplay and Best Performance in a Supporting Role for the actor John Bach. The production told the story of a rugby official who, on his death bed, admits that a penalty given during a Wales v New Zealand match was not actually a penalty. The decision led to Wales winning the game. To stop a diplomatic incident it is decided that the game should be restaged with the exact same players 25 years later.
Roles became sparse on screen during the remainder of the 1990s. The Mystery of Edwin Drood (1993) was a film based on an unfinished Charles Dickens story. Houston featured as the character Grewgious. 'Awaydays' (20th May 1993) was an episode of The Bill guest starring Houston as George Taft. During July 1996 Houston was awarded the Fellowship of the Welsh College of Music and Drama for his contribution to Welsh arts and drama. Houston’s final TV appearance was for BBC Wales’ A Light in the Valley (December 1998) as an old miner who dies during the night. The play was directed by Michael Bogdanov, scripted by Ian Rowlands and gave a dignified and satisfactory conclusion to his television career. Houston was active on radio and took the occasional theatre role for the next few years. In April 2008 Houston was awarded BAFTA Cymru special Lifetime Achievement award to recognise his long career on film and television. The award was presented by writer Russell T Davies. He released his autobiography, Glyn Houston, A Black And White Actor, in December 2009.
Houston retired in 2013, aged 88, with his final role as the renowned Welsh poet Danny Abse in BBC 4 Radio drama The Presence (March 2009), based on Abse’s life after the death of his wife in a car crash. The play told of the grief Abse experienced and the poetry that comforted him. Houston had been a personal friend of Abse and the role was a perfect one for the actor to take a final curtain call. Houston died just over ten years later, on 30th June 2019, aged 93.
Back on television he undertook the role of Tom Moody in three episodes of the second season of the
ITV crime thriller The XYY Man; 'When We Were Very Greedy' (25th July 1977), 'Now We Are Dead' (1st August 1977) and 'Whisper Who Dares' (8th August 1977). He followed this role with a guest spot in another gritty TV series, Target, appearing as Mostyn Price in the episode 'Rogues Gallery' which opened the second season. Following his role as Bunter Esquire magazine had run a feature on Houston as Bunter. The magazine was popular in America and this led to Houston to visit the country in the pursuit of employment. He had discussions with many agents and producers but they all led to nothing. Whilst in America he received a call from his agent in the UK and accepted a role in a new series called A Horseman Riding By. Before this series was transmitted it was back to comedy for the role of Mr Wright for the third season opening episode of Some Mothers Do Have Them – 'Moving House' (11th November 1978).
His major role for the year was in the aforementioned thirteen part BBC drama A Horseman Riding By (24th September 1978 – 17th December 1978) based on the novels by R F Delderfield. Houston appeared as estate manager John Rudd opposite the headlining Nigel Havers. In an interview with the newspaper The Daily Mirror it was revealed that Houston had took riding lessons shortly before production began on the series. “I thought I’d better get some practice. The only other time I was asked to ride a horse was in a film called The Brigand of Kandahar. I was supposed to be a Times reporter but the camera had to cut away every time I put my foot in the stirrups.[5]”
Following this he appeared in the dual role of Gus / Coates in the ITV Playhouse episode 'The Purple Twilight' (2nd June 1979), the story of a crew of a Lancaster bomber in World War Two. His other TV credit for the year was Major Ross Hansford in 'Higher Ground' (14th October 1979), a first season episode of the BBC private eye drama Shoestring. He was then seen as C S Bert Sinclair in 'The Family Affair' (11th January – 15th February 1980), one of two cases for Detective Inspector Sam Harvey (Martin Jarvis) to solve under the programme title Breakaway. His main television role for the year was playing Duncan Thomas in the sitcom Keep It in the Family. Houston was a regular cast member between 1980 and 1983 across five seasons and a total of twenty seven episodes. Thomas was the agent of the cartoonist Dudley Rush played by Robert Gillespie.
Houston was then cast in a pair of HTV plays written by Robert Pugh and directed by Alan Clayton – Better Days and Ballroom – both broadcast in 1988. Better Days cast Houston as a Welsh valleys farmer who has to sell his family home and who moves in with his posh barrister son. A Culture clash ensues. 1989 saw Houston appear in The Play on One, the replacement slot for the long running Play for Today. Houston appears in 'Heartland' (21st February 1989) playing Old Jack opposite Anthony Hopkins as Jack. This was followed by We Are Seven, a HTV drama series about a single mother living in a Welsh village during the 1930s. Houston supplied narration for the first season of six episodes transmitted during June and July 1989. Conspiracy (1989) was a low budget British thriller film which cast Houston as William Brain. Based on true events about the blackmailing of a high level government official (Houston). During the filming Houston won the Best Actor Award at the Monte Carlo TV and Film Festival for the HTV production Better Days. Houston was unable to attend due to the filming and he had high hopes for the film. It was only ever released straight to video.
A new decade saw Houston claim another comedy guest role playing Clifford in an episode of After Henry, 'The Dinner Party' (20th February 1990), followed by Troublemakers (14th February – 21st March 1990), a six part BBC drama series which cast Houston in the role of Albert Griggs. Thatcher: The Final Days (11th September 1991) was a Granada dramatization of the events leading up to the resignation of Margaret Thatcher as played by Sylvia Sims. Glyn Houston was cast as Bernard Ingham, the bushy eyebrowed ex-journalist who was Thatcher’s long-running press secretary from 1979 to 1990. Also in the cast was Houston’s 'The Dummy' co-star Bernard Horsfall who played Conservative MP Alan Clark. Alan Clayton, who had previously directed Houston in the HTV plays Ballroom and Better Days, cast the actor as Aneurin Morgan in Old Scores (25th September 1991). A co-production between HTV and New Zealand’s South Pacific Pictures the programme won a BAFTA Cymru Award for Best Drama as well as New Zealand Film and TV Awards for Best Film Score, Best Screenplay and Best Performance in a Supporting Role for the actor John Bach. The production told the story of a rugby official who, on his death bed, admits that a penalty given during a Wales v New Zealand match was not actually a penalty. The decision led to Wales winning the game. To stop a diplomatic incident it is decided that the game should be restaged with the exact same players 25 years later.
Roles became sparse on screen during the remainder of the 1990s. The Mystery of Edwin Drood (1993) was a film based on an unfinished Charles Dickens story. Houston featured as the character Grewgious. 'Awaydays' (20th May 1993) was an episode of The Bill guest starring Houston as George Taft. During July 1996 Houston was awarded the Fellowship of the Welsh College of Music and Drama for his contribution to Welsh arts and drama. Houston’s final TV appearance was for BBC Wales’ A Light in the Valley (December 1998) as an old miner who dies during the night. The play was directed by Michael Bogdanov, scripted by Ian Rowlands and gave a dignified and satisfactory conclusion to his television career. Houston was active on radio and took the occasional theatre role for the next few years. In April 2008 Houston was awarded BAFTA Cymru special Lifetime Achievement award to recognise his long career on film and television. The award was presented by writer Russell T Davies. He released his autobiography, Glyn Houston, A Black And White Actor, in December 2009.
[2] Losey is credited under the name Victor Hanbury
[3] The Rescuers also starred John Robinson who had previously played Quatermass in the BBC TV production
[4] The role enabled Houston and his wife to move out of rented accommodation and in to their first house
[5] “Lessons For Glyn To Go Riding By” by Jack Bell, The Daily Mirror, Saturday 14th October 1978, page 15
No comments:
Post a Comment