Derek Farr

Derek Farr
Derek Farr
Born	Derrick Capel Farr; 7 February 1912; Brentford, Middlesex, England
Died	21 March 1986 (aged 74); Hillingdon, Middlesex, England
Occupation	Actor
Spouses	; Carole Lynne (m. 1939; div. 1945) ; Muriel Pavlow (m. 1947)

Derrick Capel Farr (7 February 1912 – 21 March 1986) was an English actor who appeared regularly in British films and television from 1938 until his death in 1986. His more famous roles include Group Captain John Whitworth in The Dam Busters.^[4]

Career

After working as a schoolteacher, he took to the stage in 1937, and in 1938 got his first film role. He served in the Second World War, and after the war resumed his acting career, mainly in character parts.^[4] He did, however, continue to appear as male leads and second male leads (with above-the-title billing) in a number of films in the late 1940s and 1950s, including Noose (1948), Murder Without Crime (1950) and Young Wives' Tale (1951). In 1952 he appeared in the West End in the thriller Murder Mistaken by Janet Green.

In the early 1980s he played 16 roles in The War of the Roses cycle in the BBC Television Shakespeare series.^[5]

Personal life

His second marriage was in 1947 to actress Muriel Pavlow, whom he met in 1941 while filming Quiet Wedding, and again on the set of The Shop at Sly Corner (1947). Their maid of honour was Glynis Johns, with whom they had both performed in Quiet Wedding.^[6] They remained married until Farr's death in March 1986, aged 74.^[7]^[8]

Partial filmography

Miracles Do Happen (1938) – Greenlaw's Secretary (uncredited)
The Outsider (1939) – (uncredited)
Q Planes (1939) – Minor Role (uncredited)
Black Eyes (1939) – Minor Role (uncredited)
Inspector Hornleigh on Holiday (1939) – Bridge Club Member (uncredited)
Freedom Radio (1941) – Hans
Quiet Wedding (1941) – Dallas Chaytor
Spellbound (AKA ' Passing Clouds ') (1941) – Laurie Baxter
Wanted for Murder (1946) – Jack Williams
Quiet Weekend (1946) – Denys Royd
Teheran (1946) – Pemberton Grant
Code of Scotland Yard (1947) – Robert Graham
Bond Street (1948) – Joe Marsh
Noose (1948) – Capt. Jumbo Hyde
The Story of Shirley Yorke (1948) – Gerald Ryton
Silent Dust (1949) – Maxwell Oliver
Man on the Run (1949) – Sgt. Peter Burden, alias Brown
Double Confession (1950) – Jim Medway
Murder Without Crime (1950) – Stephen
Young Wives' Tale (1951) – Bruce Banning
Reluctant Heroes (1952) – Michael Fone
Little Big Shot (1952) – Sergeant Wilson
Front Page Story (1954) – Teale
Eight O'Clock Walk (1954) – Peter Tanner
Bang! You're Dead (1954) – Detective Grey
The Dam Busters (1955) – Group Captain J. N. H. Whitworth, D.S.O., D.F.C.
Value for Money (1955) – Duke Popplewell
The Man in the Road (1956) – Ivan Mason / Dr. James Paxton
Town on Trial (1957) – Mark Roper
Doctor At Large (1957) – Dr. Potter-Shine
The Vicious Circle (1957) – Kenneth Palmer
The Truth About Women (1957) – Anthony
Attempt to Kill (1961) – Det. Insp. Minter
Deadline Midnight (1961) – Paul Vetter
The Saint (1962, TV Series) – John Clarron / Mrs. Jafferty
The Human Jungle
The Projected Man (1966) – Inspector Davis
30 Is a Dangerous Age, Cynthia (1968) – TV Announcer
The Johnstown Monster (1971) – Hamer
Pope Joan (1972) – Count Brisini
Crossroads (1972–1973, TV Series) – Timothy Hunter
Nightingale's Boys (1975, TV Series) – Bill Nightingale
Blake's 7 (1978, TV series) – Professor Ensor
Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em (1978, TV Series) – Dr Mender
Rumpole of the Bailey - Rumpole and the Man of God - (1979) - Rev Mordred Skinner
We, the Accused (1980, TV series) – Sir Kenneth Eddy