Ernest Clark

Clark was the son of a master builder in Maida Vale, and was educated nearby at St Marylebone Grammar School. After leaving school he became a reporter on a local newspaper in Croydon.{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmovie.com/artist/ernest-clark-p85145|title=Ernest Clark | Biography, Movie Highlights and Photos|publisher=AllMovie}} He had always wanted to be an actor and when offered a job with the local rep, he took it and apart from six years in the army during World War II, during which he won the Military Cross, he remained in the profession.

His first stage appearance was at the Festival Theatre, Cambridge in 1937, and he went on to appear in plays at both the West End in London, and Broadway in New York.{{Cite web|url=https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/ernest-clark-96200|title=Ernest Clark – Broadway Cast & Staff | IBDB|publisher=Internet Broadway Database}}

In 1955 he appeared on stage in Witness for the Prosecution at Henry Miller's Theatre in New York City, and on film as Air Vice-Marshal The Honourable Ralph Cochrane AFC RAF, AOC, No. 5 Group RAF in The Dam Busters (1955).{{Cite web|url=https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-production/witness-for-the-prosecution-2485|title=Witness for the Prosecution – Broadway Play – Original | IBDB|publisher=Internet Broadway Database}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.screenonline.org.uk/film/id/483144/credits.html|title=BFI Screenonline: Dam Busters, The (1955) Credits|website=screenonline.org.uk}}

He is perhaps best remembered for his role as the irascible Professor Geoffrey Loftus in the television comedy series Doctor in the House and its sequels, apart from Doctor at Sea, in which he appeared as Captain Norman Loftus (the brother of Professor Loftus).{{Cite web|url=https://www.comedy.co.uk/tv/doctor_in_the_house/cast_crew/|title=Doctor in the House cast and crew credits|first=British Comedy|last=Guide|website=British Comedy Guide}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b86e3cda9|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190515143837/http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b86e3cda9|url-status=dead|archive-date=15 May 2019|title=Physician Heal Thyself (1974)|publisher=British Film Institute}} He also played the stern and ascetic Dean in two series of the BBC sitcom All Gas and Gaiters (1967–71),{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/allgasandgaiters/|title=All Gas and Gaiters|publisher=BBC}} although John Barron was the original Dean and returned for later series.

Clark was president of the actors' trade union Equity from 1969 to 1973.

He married three times: one of his wives was actress Avril Hillyer, the first two marriages were dissolved.{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=l_p1DwAAQBAJ&dq=ernest+clark+married+avril+hillyer&pg=PA129|title=Hammer Complete: The Films, the Personnel, the Company|first=Howard|last=Maxford|date=25 October 2018|publisher=McFarland|isbn=9781476670072|via=Google Books}} His third marriage, from 1972 until his death, was to Julia Lockwood (née Margaret Julia Leon, 1941-2019), the actress daughter of the British film star Margaret Lockwood, with whom he had four children, Timothy, Nicholas, Lucy and Katharine.{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lXnXDQAAQBAJ&dq=ernest+clark+The+Encyclopedia+of+British+Film%3A+Fourth+edition&pg=PA140|title=The Encyclopedia of British Film: Fourth edition|first=Brian|last=McFarlane|date=16 May 2016|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=9781526111975|via=Google Books}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/stage/tvandradioblog/2019/apr/05/julia-lockwood-obituary|title=Julia Lockwood obituary|first=Anthony|last=Hayward|date=5 April 2019|work=The Guardian}}

He died 11 November 1994 in Hinton St. George, Somerset, aged 82.

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• Private Angelo – (uncredited)
• Obsession – (uncredited)
• Seven Days to Noon (1950) – Barber (uncredited)
• The Mudlark (1950) – Hammond (uncredited)
• The Long Memory (1952) – Prosecuting Counsel (uncredited)
• Doctor in the House (1954) – Dr. Parrish
• Father Brown (1954) – Bishop's Secretary
• Beau Brummell (1954) – Dr. Warren
• The Dam Busters (1955) – Air Vice-Marshall Ralph Cochrane. AOC, No.5 Group RAF
• 1984 (1956) – Outer Party Announcer
• Reach for the Sky (1956) – Wing Commander Beiseigel
• The Baby and the Battleship (1956) – Cmdr. Geoffrey Digby
• Stars in Your Eyes (1956) – Ronnie
• The Man in the Sky (1957) – Maine
• Time Without Pity (1957) – Under Secretary – Home Office
• The Birthday Present (1958) – Barrister
• A Tale of Two Cities (1958) – Stryver
• I Accuse! (1958) – Prosecutor – 1st Dreyfus trial
• The Safecracker (1958) – Major Adbury
• A Woman of Mystery (1958) – Harvey
• Blind Spot (1958) – F. G. Fielding
• A Touch of Larceny (1959) – Cmdr. Bates
• Sink the Bismarck! (1960) – Captain (Suffolk)
• No Love for Johnnie (1961) – M.P. (uncredited)
• Three on a Spree (1961) – Col. Drew
• Partners in Crime (1961) – Ashton
• Edgar Wallace Mysteries (Time to Remember) episode (1962) – Cracknell
• The Wild and the Willing (1962) – Vice Chancellor
• Tomorrow at Ten (1962) – Dr. Towers
• Master Spy (1963) – Doctor Pembury
• Billy Liar (1963) – Prison Governor
• Ladies Who Do (1963) – Stockbroker
• A Stitch in Time (1963) – Prof. Crankshaw
• Nothing But the Best (1964) – Roberts
• The Devil-Ship Pirates (1964) – Sir Basil Smeeton
• Boy with a Flute (1964) Short)
• Masquerade (1965) – Minister
• The Secret of My Success (1965) – Earl of Aldershot's solicitor
• Arabesque (1966) – Beauchamp
• Finders Keepers (1966) – Air Marshall
• It! (1967) – Harold Grove
• Cuckoo Patrol (1967) – Marshall
• Attack on the Iron Coast (1968) – Air Vice Marshall Woodbridge
• Salt and Pepper (1968) – Col. Balson
• Castle Keep (1969) – British Colonel (uncredited)
• The Executioner (1970) – Roper
• Song of Norway (1970) – Councilman
• Gandhi (1982) – Lord Hunter
• Memed, My Hawk (1984) – Father
• The Pope Must Die (1991) – Abbot

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• {{IMDb name|id=0163919|name=Ernest Clark}}
• {{IBDB name|96200}}

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Category:1912 births

Category:1994 deaths

Category:English male film actors

Category:English male stage actors

Category:English male television actors

Category:Actors from the City of Westminster

Category:Male actors from London

Category:People educated at St Marylebone Grammar School

Category:British Army personnel of World War II

Category:20th-century English male actors

Category:People from Maida Vale