In 1935 he made his professional stage debut in a production of Shakespeare’s Henry IV for the Little Theatre in Cape Town. Further stage productions whilst still in South Africa include Six Characters in Search of an Author, The Merry Wives of Windsor, George Washington Slept Here and The Wind of Heaven. In 1939 he was made the director of the University of Cape Town theatre and toured Brazil and Hong Kong with productions. He also became a popular presence in radio plays.
He immigrated to the UK in 1947, tempted by potential work in the post-war British film industry, and carved a career playing characters that were often older than his real age. Thick set, and usually sporting a moustache, he quickly established himself in roles as hard working men, policemen, officials or hard headed businessmen (his role in Beasts capitalises on these character roles). Later in his career he became well known for his portrayal of Winston Churchill in four different productions; TV series Edward and Mrs Simpson (1978), Ike: The War Years (1979), Suez 1956 (1979) and F.D.R.: The Last Year (1980).
On arriving in England Pithey found work with the Manchester Library Theatre repertory company which led to his West End theatre debut with Odet’s Rocket to the Moon. Touring work followed before a spell at the Bristol Old Vic theatre in such productions as The Admirable Crichton and As You Like It. When Pithey broke into film and television acting he continued to work on the stage throughout the rest of his career.
On arriving in England Pithey found work with the Manchester Library Theatre repertory company which led to his West End theatre debut with Odet’s Rocket to the Moon. Touring work followed before a spell at the Bristol Old Vic theatre in such productions as The Admirable Crichton and As You Like It. When Pithey broke into film and television acting he continued to work on the stage throughout the rest of his career.
Between 1961 and 1976 he appeared in a series of adverts for the Tchibo coffee company. Dressed in a black suit with a homburg hat he became well known as “der Tchibo Kaffee – Experte” who travelled to plantations in far off countries, accompanied the coffee as it was transported by sea and visited roasting facilities. He was coffee personified to the German general public and even to this day he is still closely associated with the brand in Germany. In January 1968 Pithey was interviewed by The Daily Mirror on the role “Five years ago I was told that someone was coming over from a German advertising agency looking for a fat man,” says Pithey who weighs 15 and half stone. “The German saw me, said: “Just the man” – and I’ve been appearing as a coffee expert in commercials ever since. My little moustache seems to intrigue them – I’m one of the few faces on German TV with a moustache. They’re not seen very often and you can guess why.[1]”
Pithey started a five decade long screen career with an uncredited role as an opera house attendant in the British period drama The Mark of Cain (1947). This inauspicious debut was followed by further small roles in London Belongs To Me AKA Dulcimer Street (1948) as an air raid warden and an uncredited role as a vicar in the comedy It’s Hard To Be Good (1948). Next was a small role as a jailer in the Cromwellian era set comedy Cardboard Cavalier (1949), a vehicle for forgotten music hall comedian Sid Field. His TV debut came with the BBC single drama The Gentle People (17th May 1949) playing a judge. Stage work for the period included a revival of Anna Christie in Manchester during January 1949 following a tour of the Welsh coalfields sponsored by the Arts Council. Later he appeared in Until The Thaw which debuted at the Palace Theatre, Plymouth in September 1949 before transferring to the West End. The play was produced by Reginald Tate, the first actor to play the role of Professor Bernard Quatermass.
Pithey started a five decade long screen career with an uncredited role as an opera house attendant in the British period drama The Mark of Cain (1947). This inauspicious debut was followed by further small roles in London Belongs To Me AKA Dulcimer Street (1948) as an air raid warden and an uncredited role as a vicar in the comedy It’s Hard To Be Good (1948). Next was a small role as a jailer in the Cromwellian era set comedy Cardboard Cavalier (1949), a vehicle for forgotten music hall comedian Sid Field. His TV debut came with the BBC single drama The Gentle People (17th May 1949) playing a judge. Stage work for the period included a revival of Anna Christie in Manchester during January 1949 following a tour of the Welsh coalfields sponsored by the Arts Council. Later he appeared in Until The Thaw which debuted at the Palace Theatre, Plymouth in September 1949 before transferring to the West End. The play was produced by Reginald Tate, the first actor to play the role of Professor Bernard Quatermass.
Back in the bustling British film industry Pithey had appearances in the comedy drama Your Witness (1950) and the crime drama Guilt Is My Shadow (1950) which also featured Elizabeth Sellars, who would go on to appear in the Beasts episode 'During Barty’s Party', amongst the cast. By now Pithey was appearing in West End theatre works such as Captain Carvallo at the Theatre Royal during March 1950, a version of Moliere’s Tartuffle at the Lyric, Hammersmith during June 1950 and The Seven Sleepers at His Majesty’s Theatre during July 1950 in the role of the Bishop of Sorrento.
His first regular television role came with a BBC version of Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women (12th December 1950 – 23rd January 1951) when Pithey undertook the role of Mr James Laurence. Also during January he appeared as the character Snooks in the singe drama The Powder Monkey (20th January 1951) and popped up in a single episode of the BBC family drama The Man in Armour, 'Play Acting' (7th March 1951), and in the second episode of the period adventure series Midshipman Barney (3rd July 1951). Pithey made his debut appearance in a BBC Sunday Night Theatre with the production 'Skipper Next To God' (7th October 1951) which was based on a play written by Jan de Hartog.
His first regular television role came with a BBC version of Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women (12th December 1950 – 23rd January 1951) when Pithey undertook the role of Mr James Laurence. Also during January he appeared as the character Snooks in the singe drama The Powder Monkey (20th January 1951) and popped up in a single episode of the BBC family drama The Man in Armour, 'Play Acting' (7th March 1951), and in the second episode of the period adventure series Midshipman Barney (3rd July 1951). Pithey made his debut appearance in a BBC Sunday Night Theatre with the production 'Skipper Next To God' (7th October 1951) which was based on a play written by Jan de Hartog.
He returned to cinema with an uncredited role in the romantic drama The Woman’s Angle (1952) and followed this with a pair of comedy films; Brandy For The Parson (1952) as a circus owner and Father’s Doing Fine (1952) in an uncredited role as a policeman. Pithey completed his credits for the year with the role of Sid the barman in the Hammer Films crime noir Lady in the Fog AKA Scotland Yard Inspector (1952). Theatre work for the year included Boule de Suif at the New Boltons theatre during April 1952 and The Trial of Mr Pickwick at the Westminster Theatre during May 1952 alongside Bartlett Mullins and Peter Copley.
His only appearance on film during 1953 was as a policeman (he would play many more in the years to come) in the Ealing comedy The Titfield Thunderbolt (1953). The rest of the year Pithey made several television appearances including playing Martineau in the BBC crime thriller Little Red Monkey (24th January 1953), headlining as Tom Pascoe in the BBC Wednesday Theatre episode 'For Want of A Nail…' (13th May 1953), portraying Mr Rogers in the single drama Badger’s Green (1st September 1953) and being cast as Mr Sampson in the play Fortune House (19th November 1953). His main role for the year also gave him a unique claim to fame. Pithey became the first actor to play Friar Tuck on British television when he took on the role for a BBC adaptation of Robin Hood (17th March – 21st April 1953). Playing the eponymous hero was Patrick Troughton who also became the first actor to play the role on UK TV. The role would benefit Pithey the following year as he was about to have his busiest period on television ever.
1954 started with an appearance playing Mr Parsons in 'Ragged Knights' (12th January 1954), an episode of the BBC drama series A Castle and Sixpence, and continued with the one off comedy drama Fool’s Paradise (23rd February 1954) in the role of Jarvis Brook. Next was the role of headmaster Doctor Lovibond in Whistle for Silence (11th March 1954) followed by role as an commandant in the single drama Let Me Ever Escape Them (2nd April 1954). He was cast as John Shakespeare for the biographical drama Tygers Heart (22nd March 1954) which retold the life of William Shakespeare. For the forgotten children’s period drama The Gentle Falcon he had a small role as an innkeeper in the second episode (20th July 1954). His final TV appearance for the year was in the prestigious single drama Montserrat (14th September 1954) playing Salas Ina amongst a cast that included Denholm Elliott and Donald Pleasence. Film credits for the year include an uncredited role as a police sergeant in the crime drama The Diamond AKA The Diamond Wizard (1954) and a return to the adventures of Robin Hood for the Hammer Films production The Men of Sherwood Forest (1954). Credited as 'Winsley Pithy' he did not play Friar Tuck, but instead took a different role as the character Hugo. He could also be seen playing Sam in the period romantic comedy Isn’t Life Wonderful AKA Uncle Willie’s Bicycle Shop (1954).
His career continued the following year with the one off BBC rural comedy drama Barnet’s Folly (22nd February 1955) as well as two episodes of the anthology series Douglas Fairbanks Jnr Presents filmed in the UK – 'Flight One Zero One' (29th June 1955) as an airport official and 'Enchanted Doll' (20th July 1955) playing the role of Jim Carter in a play adapted from a short story by Paul Gallico.
Moby Dick Rehearsed (1955) was a recording of the play within a play directed by Orson Wells and staged during June and July 1955 at the Duke of York’s Theatre in London. The play had a fantastic cast which included Wells, Christopher Lee, Kenneth Williams, Joan Plowright, Patrick McGoohan, Gordon Jackson and Peter Sallis. Welles filmed the production with the original cast at the Scala Theatre and Hackney Empire with the hope of sales to US TV networks. However, Welles was dissatisfied with the rushes and as a result abandoned filming despite having captured around and hour and quarter of footage. The uncompleted film is now consider lost with no record of the original footage. Pithey undertook the role of a middle aged actor who plays the character Stubbs in the play within the play.
For television Pithey completed roles in two episodes of the early cop show Fabian of the Yard; 'The Golden Peacock' (20th April 1955) and 'Cocktail Girl' (30th January 1956). For the BBC he featured as Brother Jordan in the half hour single drama Our Lady’s Tumber (30th March 1956). Pithey then made his debut in an ITV Play of the Week production when he took on the role of Detective Inspector Pember in the episode 'Ten Minute Alibi' (14th May 1956). He had a small role in the second episode of a BBC production of David Copperfield (5th October 1956) as Mr Tungay and this was followed by his second appearance in a BBC Sunday Night Theatre episode, 'Pillars of Society' (25th November 1956), based on a Henrik Ibsen play. Tiger in the Smoke (1956) was a British film noir directed by Roy Ward Baker based on a novel by Margery Allingham. Pithey was cast as Detective Sergeant Pickett. He also had a small uncredited appearance in the crime thriller film You Can’t Escape (1956). Assignment Foreign Legion was an adventure TV series made by the independent production company Bartley Productions. Pithey appeared in the episode 'The Richest Man in the Legion' (8th February 1957) in the role of Captain Mercier.
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Film work for 1957 included playing Sam the poacher in the comedy film Doctor At Large (1957), crime drama Kill Me Tomorrow (1957), British noir thriller The Long Haul (1957) as Inspector Lane, an uncredited cameo as a Brigadier in Blue Murder at St Trinians (1957) and the bona fide classic Hell Drivers (1957) as the ill-fated Pop. His third, and final, appearance in a BBC Sunday Night Theatre production came with the episode 'Jonathan North' (19th May 1957) with a small role as Pollard-Jones. Next was another policeman role for the one-off BBC drama The Amorous Goldfish (30th May 1957) playing Police Sergeant Pritchard.
Overseas Press Club – Exclusive! was an anthology series based on the premise of a London club for the world’s leading newspaper reporters. Each week one of the reporters would recount a true story that they discovered during their investigative work. Pithey appeared in the instalment 'Santa Claus in a Jeep' (27th July 1957) as Father Tsouderos. Pithey’s most prominent role since the start of his career came with the role of Detective Inspector Charlesworth in the BBC crime drama Mister Charlesworth (4th September – 9th October 1957). Each week, along with his sidekick Sergeant Spencer (played by Nigel Davenport), would solve cases and catch criminals. The production was popular with viewers and spawned several sequels. Sadly the series is now sadly lost from the BBC archives.
Pithey’s second role for an instalment of the ITV Play of the Week was as Mr Read in “The Guinea Pig” (30th October 1957). Fresh from this appearance Pithey was cast in a guest role as Mr Vincent Crummles in the fourth episode of a BBC adaptation of Nicholas Nickleby (8th November 1957). After this he joined the ITV crime drama Shadow Squad to play Inspector Smith in the two part storyline 'The Missing Cheese”=' (28th November and 2nd December 1957). 1958 started with Pithey reprising his role as Inspector Charlesworth, along with Nigel Davenport as Sergeant Spence, for the crime drama Big Guns (1st January – 5th February 1958). This series is also missing from the archives. Pithey stayed with the BBC for his next TV role with a guest role in 'Buddy' (7th March 1958), an episode of the drama series Caxton’s Tales. He also popped up in the BBC biographical drama The Diary of Samuel Pepys (7th March – 13th June 1958) as Viscount Brouncker opposite Peter Sallis as Pepys. Children’s drama series The Firm of Girdlestone featured Pithey in its first two episodes, 'A Dangerous Promise' (24th June 1958) and 'Ruin Threatens' (1st July 1958), as Doctor Dimsdale. The ITC co-production with American TV, The New Adventures of Charlie Chan, featured Pithey in the episode 'Safe Deposit' (8th April 1958). He was then cast in another ITC adventure series, Ivanhoe, as the Earl of Pembroke in the episode 'The Masked Bandits' (7th September 1958).
He was also in an episode of the obscure suspense anthology series Target, appearing alongside David Graham and Adrienne Corri, in the instalment 'The Clean Kill' (19th September 1958). Pithey ended the year as he began, in the role of Inspector Charlesworth. Charlesworth At Large (16th August – 20th September 1958) saw the role of Sergeant Spence recast with Nigel Davenport replaced by Tony Church. Pithey also found time to make his debut appearance in an episode of Armchair Theatre with the instalment 'The Greatest Man in the World' (9th November 1959). Pithey was cast as Frank Evans in an intriguing story about the first American man on the moon who dies in an accident on his return to Earth. Given a prestigious funeral only the president and a few high ranking officials know what type of man he was. Donald Pleasence could be seen as the president whilst Patrick McGoohan played his chief advisor Jack Smurch.
During 1959 Pithey guest starred in an episode of the crime drama Dial 999, '24 Hours' (20th July 1959) and an episode of the BBC period drama The Last Chronicle of Barset, 'How Did He Get It?' (30th January 1959), in the role of Mr Walker. His next ITV Play of the Week appearance came with a version of the Agatha Christie play 'Ten Little Niggers' (13th January 1959) when Pithey played William Blore, his by now customary role as a detective. He was once again cast as a police sergeant for his role in the Terence Young directed film Serious Charge (1959) before reprising his popular role as Inspector Charlesworth for his final appearance as the character in the succinctly titled Charlesworth (4th April 1959 – 5th September 1959) which ran for an impressive 22 episodes. This would be the last time Pithey undertook the role.
As a new decade dawned Pithey continued to be a popular film and television actor starting with the role of Mr Moffat in a two-part storyline for Probation Officer (4th and 11th January 1960) and continuing with his second Armchair Theatre role in the production 'The Girl in the Market Square' (20th March 1960) which saw him cast as Doctor Fenwick. Pithey made two appearances in ITV Play of the Week during 1960. The first was as Lapshin in the production 'In Search of Happiness' (19th January 1960) whilst the second was as 'Gilchrist in The Girl in the Window' (20th December 1960).
Pithey, Edward Woodward, Ewen Solon, Patrick Troughton and Rupert Davies were amongst the cast of The True Mistery of the Passion (sic) (14th April 1960) produced by the BBC to celebrate Easter. More television guest spots followed with Pithey featuring in episodes of Yorky, 'What’s in a Name?', (31st May 1960) and Armchair Mystery Theatre, 'The Man with a Feather in His Hat' (21st August 1960), which reunited him with Donald Pleasence. Pithey also dabbled in comedy roles with the role of George Potter in 'Unlucky Strike' (10th September 1960), the opening episode of the fourth season of The Larkins. 'The Four Dutchmen' (4th October 1960) was the opening instalment of a new season of anthology drama series The Somerset Maugham Hour. Pithey appeared as one of the eponymous Dutchmen. He was then seen as a cast member of the Granada Television play The Rag (20th December 1960).
Film roles for the year included an uncredited cameo as a police superintendent in Make Mine Mink (1960), playing a police chief constable in The Pure Hell of St Trinians (1960) and a small role as Jim Adams in the crime drama Snowball (1960), which marked the debut of actor Dennis Waterman. Pithey was also still extremely busy on stage with notable engagements including playing Sir Peter in a revival of The School For Scandal in Leatherhead during October 1960 and The Maimed staged at the Royal Court during December 1960 in the role of Senator Bart Harmse. He completed the year with a role in the BBC’s production of Persuasion (30th December 1960 – 13th January 1961) playing Mr Musgrove.
1961 would see Pithey very active on television starting with An Enemy of the People (17th – 31st January 1961) which was a BBC Schools drama series based on the novel by Henrik Ibsen. Pithey featured as the newspaper editor Hovstad alongside Douglas Wilmer as the Mayor of a Norwegian coastal town in 1882. Next was a guest role in 'The Slippery Deck' (3rd February 1961), an episode of the police drama No Hiding Place, followed by the Dixon of Dock Green episode 'The Glass of Fury' (25th March 1961).
Pithey was reunited with Patrick McGoohan for his appearance as Senor Lazar in the Danger Man story 'The Hired Assassin' (30th April 1961) before spoofing his police roles in the Harry Worth comedy series Here’s Harry by playing a policeman in the episode 'The Bicycle' (4th May 1961) dealing with Worth and his missing bicycle. Pithey then had a small, but pivotal role, as a hotel receptionist in the ITV Television Playhouse production 'The Reception' (18th May 1961) before appearing in the legal drama Boyd Q C playing Mr Woodhurst in the instalment 'The Needle Match' (24th May 1961). The guest roles continued apace with Pithey playing Frederick Hall in the Deadline Midnight episode 'The Unforgiven' (9th September 1961), which also featured future Beasts actor Glyn Houston in the lead role of newspaper editor Mike Grieves. Pithey’s next roles were explorer Davey Preston in the Sir Francis Drake episode 'The Lost Colony of Virginia' (19th November 1961) and Colonel Von Schwendi in the BBC Sunday Night Play production 'The Judge and His Hangman' (17th December 1961). His main TV role for the year was playing the chief police inspector in the BBC crime drama Jacks and Knaves (16th November – 7th December 1961).
The following year was not as busy for Pithey on television and he undertook a couple of film roles including Mr O in The Barber of Stamford Hill (1962), a remake of an ITV Television Playhouse production, and appearing as Mr Coulter in the crime drama The Boys (1962). Pithey was credited as 'Wensley Athey' for this role. On stage he was cast in Peter Ustinov’s play Photo Finish during April and May 1962. The play’s central character Sam was played by different actors to portray different stages of Sam’s lifetime. Pithey played the elderly Sam whilst Ustinov played the younger Sam.
Television roles for 1962 included being Mr Robbins in the Scales of Justice episode 'The Guilty Party' during November, ITV Play of the Week 'The Casualties' (21st August 1962) as a militant trade unionist facing the sack and appearing as comedic character Barrington Blizard, QC in the children’s entertainment series Playbox (4th October 1962 – 7th March 1963) which alternated weekly with Crackerjack. The programme introduced Tony Hart and his artwork to the viewing public, though both Playbox and Crackerjack were hosted by Eamon Andrews. After appearing in the ITV Play of the Week production 'The Search' (26th February 1963) more guest roles followed in top rated shows including the anthology series Suspense playing Bradwell, a gang leader who kidnaps a doctor, in 'Killer Lie Waiting' (8th April 1963), European President Ruschek in The Saint episode 'In The Picture' (8th June 1863) and as Inspector Claude Teal in The Saint escapade 'Starring The Saint' (26th September 1963). He also appeared in his penultimate ITV Play of the Week, 'Three Sisters' (3rd September 1963), playing Doctor Chebutikin. For the BBC half hour drama anthology Teletale he played Professor Bur-Malottke in 'Doctor Murke’s Collection of Silences' (15th November 1963) based on a short story by Heinrich Boll and also starring hellraiser actor Nicol Williamson in an early role.
Guest parts continued with the role of Bill Ingram for The Plane Makers episode 'The Homecoming' (17th March 1964) and the comedy show Sykes and a Band (7th April 1964) as yet another policeman. For the Victorian era detective series Sergeant Cork he was cast as Sir Hector Bundy in the episode 'The Case of the Hero’s Return' (6th June 1964). Call The Gun Expert (2nd July – 6th August 1964) was a BBC police documentary drama in which real-life ballistics expert Robert Churchill, played by Wesley Pithey, investigated historical crimes. Churchill was a pioneering expert called upon by Scotland Yard to help solve murders involving firearms and the series. The series was based on the book The Other Mister Churchill by Macdonald Hastings. Anthology series Love Story cast Pithey as Jack Wightman for the episode 'An Apple for the Teacher' (15th September 1964) followed by another role as a policeman, Superintendent Bill Hemmingway, in 'Big Fish, Little Fish' (19th December 1964), an episode of Gideon’s Way.
1965 was a relatively quiet year for Pithey. He made one film appearance in The Knack…and How to Get It (1965) playing a teacher and appeared in episodes of TV series The Airbase, playing Mr Swearingen in 'The Natives Grow Restless' (31st March 1965), appearing in The Sullavan Brothers instalment 'This Town Is Mine' (4th September 1965) and 'Cobb' (19th November 1965), an episode of the anthology series Blackmail. Stage credits included The Philanderer at the Mermaid Theatre during January and February 1966. The revival of the Bernard Shaw play was directed by Don Taylor who would later oversee the Beasts episode 'During Barty’s Party'.
1966 was quieter for Pithey with a single television guest role in an episode of the drama series Mrs Thursday entitled 'A Ride in a Rolls Royce' (15th March 1966). The following year was busier. Vacant Lot was a forgotten ABC sitcom starring Alfie Bass, Bill Fraser and Arthur Mullard. Pithey appeared in the episode 'Criminal Negligence' (13th May 1967). He also made his last appearance in an episode of the ITV Play of the Week with the episode 'Little Moon of Alban' (16th May 1967) playing Doctor Clive. Pithey then appeared as a character called Old Crowkey in 'The Shooting War' (8th December 1967), part of an anthology of BBC plays themed around the emerging problems or urban living. This debut episode examined how the behaviour of footballers on the pitch may be reflected by the behaviour of the fans in the stands. Pithey returned later in the season of plays playing a new character, Alderman Sankey, in two other stories; 'Who Pays?' (19th January 1968) and 'Freedom of the City' (9th February 1968). 'Who Pays?' continued with the forward thinking storylines telling the story of who is responsible for the death and disfigurement of a scout troupe after they are mown down by a lorry. Is it the poorly sited road works, the driver or the scout master for allowing the boys on a main road?
His other television role for 1968 was in Her Majesty’s Pleasure. Produced by Granada, and now all but forgotten, the series was a sitcom forerunner to Porridge and was set within a prison. Pithey appeared as the prison governor in three out of the thirteen episodes including the series opener 'Bread and Circuses' (25th September 1968) followed by 'Uncertain Glory' (9th October 1968) and 'A Pearl in the Oyster' (13th November 1968). His only film role for the year was in the musical Oliver! (1968) playing Doctor Grimwig. Pithey’s next film was Richard Attenborough’s satire Oh! What A Lovely War (1969) in an uncredited role as Archduke Franz Ferdinand. Back on television Pithey seemed to be stuck in a cycle of playing policeman. He appeared as Detective Inspector Charwood in the Callan episode 'Land of Light and Peace' (19th February 1969), but his biggest police role for the year was as Detective Superintendent Eden in the first season of Special Branch (17th September 1969 – 17th December 1969). Also during December Pithey made his debut in an episode of the BBC Play of the Month with the role of Father Clement in 'The Marquise' (14th December 1969) which was adapted from a play by Noel Coward.
Pithey undertook just two TV roles in 1970; as Leonard Lomngbottom in an episode of the sitcom Nearest and Dearest, 'When Love Walks In' (4th June 1970), and as Lord Bennett in 'The Best Legal System in the World' (26th October 1970), an episode of the series The Main Chance. He garnered no film or TV credits for 1971 and his roles for 1972 were equally sparse with only guest spots in The Adventurer, 'Thrust and Counter Thrust', and Doomwatch, 'Flood' (31st July 1972), as well as the one-off drama To Encourage Other (28th March 1972). Fellow Beasts cast member Michael Sheard also starred in this production which was a dramatized reconstruction of the notorious Craig and Bentley murder case of 1952. The play was directed by notable television director Alan Clarke.
Pithey also undertook a semi-regular role in Coronation Street as school headmaster Wilfred Perkins which started in January 1972 and continued in blocks of episodes into 1973. Pithey had a guest role in four episodes of the second season of the comedy series Sykes during October to December 1973. During 1974 Pithey would make his final appearance as school teacher Wilfred Perkins in Coronation Street during May. His other TV appearance during the year was as Inspector Duggan in 'Sting Sting Scorpio' (25th March 1974) an episode of the series Zodiac. Following stage roles in Somerset Maugham’s The Circle during December 1974 and Death of a Salesman at the Yvonne Arnaud during January 1975 he returned to cinema work with the Walt Disney live action family adventure film One of Our Dinosaurs Is Missing (1975) in the role of Bromley. On TV he appeared as Jeffrey Clymer in two episodes of Poldark (3rd and 10th July 1975). Whilst his two episodes of Poldark were being transmitted Pithey was supporting a headlining Honour Blackman in a touring theatre production of The Gentle Hook during June and July 1975.
His role as Mr Liversedge in the Beasts episode 'Special Offer' was his only television role for 1976. The following year he was cast once more as a policemen for 'A Hymn to Jim' (29th September 1977) playing Chief Inspector Lymington in an episode of the BBC series Premiere. Stage work for this period he appeared in Sir Is Winning at Cottesloe Theatre, London during August and September 1977. He then went on to Riverside Studios in a revival of The Cherry Orchard during January 1978. Pithey played the jovial character Lopakhin. For the BBC historical drama The Devil’s Crown Pithey was cast as Saladin in the episode 'Lion of Christendom' (11th June 1978). Pithey’s first attempt at playing Winston Churchill came with the Thames Television period drama Edward and Mrs Simpson. Pithey appeared as the prime minister in three episodes during November and December 1978. The above role led to Pithey being cast as Churchill for a second time by the producers of the American television mini-series Ike: The War Years (1979). For UK screens Pithey played the role of Franklyn for The Return of the Saint over two episodes; 'The Brave Goose' (7th January 1979) and 'The Sixth Man' (14th January 1979). These two episodes were later edited into a feature length film and released under the title The Saint and the Brave Goose (1979).
Film roles for the year included an uncredited cameo as a police superintendent in Make Mine Mink (1960), playing a police chief constable in The Pure Hell of St Trinians (1960) and a small role as Jim Adams in the crime drama Snowball (1960), which marked the debut of actor Dennis Waterman. Pithey was also still extremely busy on stage with notable engagements including playing Sir Peter in a revival of The School For Scandal in Leatherhead during October 1960 and The Maimed staged at the Royal Court during December 1960 in the role of Senator Bart Harmse. He completed the year with a role in the BBC’s production of Persuasion (30th December 1960 – 13th January 1961) playing Mr Musgrove.
1961 would see Pithey very active on television starting with An Enemy of the People (17th – 31st January 1961) which was a BBC Schools drama series based on the novel by Henrik Ibsen. Pithey featured as the newspaper editor Hovstad alongside Douglas Wilmer as the Mayor of a Norwegian coastal town in 1882. Next was a guest role in 'The Slippery Deck' (3rd February 1961), an episode of the police drama No Hiding Place, followed by the Dixon of Dock Green episode 'The Glass of Fury' (25th March 1961).
Pithey was reunited with Patrick McGoohan for his appearance as Senor Lazar in the Danger Man story 'The Hired Assassin' (30th April 1961) before spoofing his police roles in the Harry Worth comedy series Here’s Harry by playing a policeman in the episode 'The Bicycle' (4th May 1961) dealing with Worth and his missing bicycle. Pithey then had a small, but pivotal role, as a hotel receptionist in the ITV Television Playhouse production 'The Reception' (18th May 1961) before appearing in the legal drama Boyd Q C playing Mr Woodhurst in the instalment 'The Needle Match' (24th May 1961). The guest roles continued apace with Pithey playing Frederick Hall in the Deadline Midnight episode 'The Unforgiven' (9th September 1961), which also featured future Beasts actor Glyn Houston in the lead role of newspaper editor Mike Grieves. Pithey’s next roles were explorer Davey Preston in the Sir Francis Drake episode 'The Lost Colony of Virginia' (19th November 1961) and Colonel Von Schwendi in the BBC Sunday Night Play production 'The Judge and His Hangman' (17th December 1961). His main TV role for the year was playing the chief police inspector in the BBC crime drama Jacks and Knaves (16th November – 7th December 1961).
The following year was not as busy for Pithey on television and he undertook a couple of film roles including Mr O in The Barber of Stamford Hill (1962), a remake of an ITV Television Playhouse production, and appearing as Mr Coulter in the crime drama The Boys (1962). Pithey was credited as 'Wensley Athey' for this role. On stage he was cast in Peter Ustinov’s play Photo Finish during April and May 1962. The play’s central character Sam was played by different actors to portray different stages of Sam’s lifetime. Pithey played the elderly Sam whilst Ustinov played the younger Sam.
Television roles for 1962 included being Mr Robbins in the Scales of Justice episode 'The Guilty Party' during November, ITV Play of the Week 'The Casualties' (21st August 1962) as a militant trade unionist facing the sack and appearing as comedic character Barrington Blizard, QC in the children’s entertainment series Playbox (4th October 1962 – 7th March 1963) which alternated weekly with Crackerjack. The programme introduced Tony Hart and his artwork to the viewing public, though both Playbox and Crackerjack were hosted by Eamon Andrews. After appearing in the ITV Play of the Week production 'The Search' (26th February 1963) more guest roles followed in top rated shows including the anthology series Suspense playing Bradwell, a gang leader who kidnaps a doctor, in 'Killer Lie Waiting' (8th April 1963), European President Ruschek in The Saint episode 'In The Picture' (8th June 1863) and as Inspector Claude Teal in The Saint escapade 'Starring The Saint' (26th September 1963). He also appeared in his penultimate ITV Play of the Week, 'Three Sisters' (3rd September 1963), playing Doctor Chebutikin. For the BBC half hour drama anthology Teletale he played Professor Bur-Malottke in 'Doctor Murke’s Collection of Silences' (15th November 1963) based on a short story by Heinrich Boll and also starring hellraiser actor Nicol Williamson in an early role.
Guest parts continued with the role of Bill Ingram for The Plane Makers episode 'The Homecoming' (17th March 1964) and the comedy show Sykes and a Band (7th April 1964) as yet another policeman. For the Victorian era detective series Sergeant Cork he was cast as Sir Hector Bundy in the episode 'The Case of the Hero’s Return' (6th June 1964). Call The Gun Expert (2nd July – 6th August 1964) was a BBC police documentary drama in which real-life ballistics expert Robert Churchill, played by Wesley Pithey, investigated historical crimes. Churchill was a pioneering expert called upon by Scotland Yard to help solve murders involving firearms and the series. The series was based on the book The Other Mister Churchill by Macdonald Hastings. Anthology series Love Story cast Pithey as Jack Wightman for the episode 'An Apple for the Teacher' (15th September 1964) followed by another role as a policeman, Superintendent Bill Hemmingway, in 'Big Fish, Little Fish' (19th December 1964), an episode of Gideon’s Way.
1966 was quieter for Pithey with a single television guest role in an episode of the drama series Mrs Thursday entitled 'A Ride in a Rolls Royce' (15th March 1966). The following year was busier. Vacant Lot was a forgotten ABC sitcom starring Alfie Bass, Bill Fraser and Arthur Mullard. Pithey appeared in the episode 'Criminal Negligence' (13th May 1967). He also made his last appearance in an episode of the ITV Play of the Week with the episode 'Little Moon of Alban' (16th May 1967) playing Doctor Clive. Pithey then appeared as a character called Old Crowkey in 'The Shooting War' (8th December 1967), part of an anthology of BBC plays themed around the emerging problems or urban living. This debut episode examined how the behaviour of footballers on the pitch may be reflected by the behaviour of the fans in the stands. Pithey returned later in the season of plays playing a new character, Alderman Sankey, in two other stories; 'Who Pays?' (19th January 1968) and 'Freedom of the City' (9th February 1968). 'Who Pays?' continued with the forward thinking storylines telling the story of who is responsible for the death and disfigurement of a scout troupe after they are mown down by a lorry. Is it the poorly sited road works, the driver or the scout master for allowing the boys on a main road?
Pithey undertook just two TV roles in 1970; as Leonard Lomngbottom in an episode of the sitcom Nearest and Dearest, 'When Love Walks In' (4th June 1970), and as Lord Bennett in 'The Best Legal System in the World' (26th October 1970), an episode of the series The Main Chance. He garnered no film or TV credits for 1971 and his roles for 1972 were equally sparse with only guest spots in The Adventurer, 'Thrust and Counter Thrust', and Doomwatch, 'Flood' (31st July 1972), as well as the one-off drama To Encourage Other (28th March 1972). Fellow Beasts cast member Michael Sheard also starred in this production which was a dramatized reconstruction of the notorious Craig and Bentley murder case of 1952. The play was directed by notable television director Alan Clarke.
Pithey also undertook a semi-regular role in Coronation Street as school headmaster Wilfred Perkins which started in January 1972 and continued in blocks of episodes into 1973. Pithey had a guest role in four episodes of the second season of the comedy series Sykes during October to December 1973. During 1974 Pithey would make his final appearance as school teacher Wilfred Perkins in Coronation Street during May. His other TV appearance during the year was as Inspector Duggan in 'Sting Sting Scorpio' (25th March 1974) an episode of the series Zodiac. Following stage roles in Somerset Maugham’s The Circle during December 1974 and Death of a Salesman at the Yvonne Arnaud during January 1975 he returned to cinema work with the Walt Disney live action family adventure film One of Our Dinosaurs Is Missing (1975) in the role of Bromley. On TV he appeared as Jeffrey Clymer in two episodes of Poldark (3rd and 10th July 1975). Whilst his two episodes of Poldark were being transmitted Pithey was supporting a headlining Honour Blackman in a touring theatre production of The Gentle Hook during June and July 1975.
His role as Mr Liversedge in the Beasts episode 'Special Offer' was his only television role for 1976. The following year he was cast once more as a policemen for 'A Hymn to Jim' (29th September 1977) playing Chief Inspector Lymington in an episode of the BBC series Premiere. Stage work for this period he appeared in Sir Is Winning at Cottesloe Theatre, London during August and September 1977. He then went on to Riverside Studios in a revival of The Cherry Orchard during January 1978. Pithey played the jovial character Lopakhin. For the BBC historical drama The Devil’s Crown Pithey was cast as Saladin in the episode 'Lion of Christendom' (11th June 1978). Pithey’s first attempt at playing Winston Churchill came with the Thames Television period drama Edward and Mrs Simpson. Pithey appeared as the prime minister in three episodes during November and December 1978. The above role led to Pithey being cast as Churchill for a second time by the producers of the American television mini-series Ike: The War Years (1979). For UK screens Pithey played the role of Franklyn for The Return of the Saint over two episodes; 'The Brave Goose' (7th January 1979) and 'The Sixth Man' (14th January 1979). These two episodes were later edited into a feature length film and released under the title The Saint and the Brave Goose (1979).
Nearly a decade after he had made his debut in a BBC Play of the Month production Pithey returned to the series playing George Booth in the episode 'The Voysey Inheritance' (4th February 1979). He was then cast as Winston Churchill for a third time with the single drama Suez 1956. The BBC production depicted the events around the Suez Crisis and had an all-star cast including Michael Gough as then present Prime Minister Sir Anthony Eden. Towards the end the year Pithey took part in the latest BBC version of Dicken’s The Old Curiosity Shop which stared transmission in December 1979 and continued into the New Year, ending in February 1980. For the American television movie F.D.R. : The Last Year (15th April 1980) Pithey played Winston Churchill for a fourth and final time with Jason Robards playing the President Franklin D Roosevelt. Back in the UK Pithey had a single television appearance during 1981 playing Pischik in a BBC production of Anton Chekhov’s The Cherry Orchard (13th October 1981) which was adapted by Trevor Griffiths and directed by Richard Eyre. Judi Dench, Bill Patteron and Anton Lesser also featured in the cast. 1982 was another quiet year for television appearance for the actor with only one role (uncredited), as Doctor Quesne, in 'Right of Entry' (22nd October 1982) an episode of The Gentle Touch.
By now Pithey was heading towards being seventy years old and so it was inevitable that the actor slowed down and took fewer roles. For the rest of the 1980s Pithey took only one or two roles a year including playing King Edward VII in an episode of the series Number Ten, 'The Asquiths' (13th March 1983), portraying Voroshilov in the UK television movie Red Monarch (16th June 1983), being cast as Owen Merrick in Yorkshire TV drama Love and Marriage in the episode 'Lucifer' (8th January 1984) and donning a dog collar to play a vicar in 'King and Castle' (20th August 1985), an episode of Storyboard. This production was directed by Richard Bramall who had also overseen Pithey’s Beasts episode 'Special Offer'.
Stage work for this period saw him play in a revival of Arthur Miller’s The Crucible at the Young Vic during December 1985 and January 1986. This was followed by the Man in the Moon Theatre presenting the play Eleanor and Felix during April 1986 and A Midsummer Night’s Dream at the Young Vic during May and June 1986. Pithey continued to be selective of screen roles during the second half of the decade with appearances in the BBC’s Howard’s Way (26th October 1986) and the sitcom In Sickness and In Health (26th November 1987). He made a rare cinema appearance with the small role of Sheridan in White Mischief (1987). For the BBC drama series Blind Justice (12th October – 9th November 1988) Pithey appeared in several episodes as Sir Charles Bingham
The Diamond Trap (20th November 1988) was a TV movie co-production between HTV in the UK and Columbia Pictures Television which was headlined by Brooke Shields with Pithey in a small role as a character called Basil. Pithey was then off our screens for a few years before returning to make his final feature film appearance in American Friends (1991), a comedy drama written by and starring Michael Palin. Pithey’s final television role was playing an elderly gentleman in the sixth episode of Dennis Potter’s drama series Lipstick on Your Collar (28th March 1993)
Pithey died on 10th November 1993, aged 79, in London. His obituary in The Independent newspaper published on 25th November 1993 summed up his acting strength in its first paragraph “Whenever Wensley Pithey came on stage or screen you could be sure of a touch of the truth. Something about his solid presence, his heavy build, his warm personality and his unaffected, naturalistic acting smacked of sincerity, whether he was being sincere was beside the point. He seemed so.”[2]
[1] “An Actor Who Owes A Lot to
Coffee” by Jack Bell, The Daily Mirror,
Friday 19th January 1968, page 15
[2] Wensley Pithey obituary by Adam Benedick
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/obituary-wensley-pithey-1506543.html (accessed 9th October 2017)
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