Release CalendarTop 250 MoviesMost Popular MoviesBrowse Movies by GenreTop Box OfficeShowtimes & TicketsMovie NewsIndia Movie Spotlight
    What's on TV & StreamingTop 250 TV ShowsMost Popular TV ShowsBrowse TV Shows by GenreTV News
    What to WatchLatest TrailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsEmmysSan Diego Comic-ConOutfest LASTARmeter AwardsAwards CentralFestival CentralAll Events
    Born TodayMost Popular CelebsMost Popular CelebsCelebrity News
    Help CenterContributor ZonePolls
For Industry Professionals
  • Language
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
  • All
  • Titles
  • TV Episodes
  • Celebs
  • Companies
  • Keywords
  • Advanced Search
Watchlist
Sign In
Sign In
New Customer? Create account
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
  • Biography
  • Trivia
IMDbPro

Ballard Berkeley(1904-1988)

  • Actor
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
Ballard Berkeley in Fresh Fields (1984)
A young orphan girl, Sophie, gets taken away to a faraway land populated by Giants and Dreams.
Play trailer1:12
The BFG (1989)
1 Video
5 Photos
Ballard Berkeley made his professional stage debut in 1928, and performed for many years in London's West End and in New York theatres. He is best remembered as Major Gowen in the British television series "Fawlty Towers" (1975).
BornAugust 6, 1904
DiedJanuary 16, 1988(83)
BornAugust 6, 1904
DiedJanuary 16, 1988(83)
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank

Photos

Marlene Dietrich and Ballard Berkeley in Stage Fright (1950)
Ballard Berkeley, Alastair Sim, and Michael Wilding in Stage Fright (1950)
Ballard Berkeley, Alastair Sim, and Michael Wilding in Stage Fright (1950)
Ballard Berkeley in The Adventures of Robin Hood (1955)

Known for:

Fawlty Towers (1975)
Fawlty Towers
8.8
TV Series
  • Major Gowen
Marlene Dietrich, Richard Todd, Michael Wilding, and Jane Wyman in Stage Fright (1950)
Stage Fright
7.0
  • Sergeant Mellish
  • 1950
Leave It to Todhunter
TV Series
  • Det. Chief Insp. Moresby
Operation Diplomat (1953)
Operation Diplomat
6.4
  • Inspector Austin
  • 1953

Credits

Edit
IMDbPro

Actor

  • The BFG (1989)
    The BFG
    • Head Of The Army (voice)
    • 1989
  • The Archers (1950)
    The Archers
    • Colonel Danby
    • Podcast Series
    • 1987
  • Terry and June (1979)
    Terry and June
    • Sir Arthur Forster-Carter
    • Colonel Culpepper
    • TV Series
    • 1982–1987
  • Richard O'Sullivan in Me and My Girl (1984)
    Me and My Girl
    • Major D'Arcy Pendleton
    • TV Series
    • 1987
  • Fresh Fields (1984)
    Fresh Fields
    • Guy
    • Guy Penrose
    • TV Series
    • 1984–1986
  • Dramarama (1983)
    Dramarama
    • Rupert Berkeley-Urquhart
    • TV Series
    • 1986
  • Chevy Chase, Beverly D'Angelo, Dana Hill, and Jason Lively in European Vacation (1985)
    European Vacation
    • Second English Motorist
    • 1985
  • Lame Ducks (1984)
    Lame Ducks
    • Hector
    • TV Series
    • 1984
  • That's My Boy (1981)
    That's My Boy
    • Commander Buckley
    • TV Series
    • 1984
  • Su Pollard in Hi-de-Hi! (1980)
    Hi-de-Hi!
    • Gentleman
    • TV Series
    • 1983
  • Bullshot (1983)
    Bullshot
    • Hotel Guest
    • 1983
  • Trevor Bannister, Arthur Brough, John Inman, Wendy Richard, Mollie Sugden, and Frank Thornton in Are You Being Served? (1972)
    Are You Being Served?
    • Angler
    • TV Series
    • 1983
  • Kelly Monteith in Kelly Monteith (1979)
    Kelly Monteith
    • TV Series
    • 1982
  • Janet and Company
    • TV Series
    • 1982
  • Peter Bowles and Penelope Keith in To the Manor Born (1979)
    To the Manor Born
    • Hartley
    • TV Series
    • 1981

Videos1

Trailer
Trailer 1:12
Trailer

Personal details

Edit
  • Alternative names
    • Ballard Barclay
  • Height
    • 5′ 9″ (1.75 m)
  • Born
    • August 6, 1904
    • Tunbridge Wells, Kent, England, UK
  • Died
    • January 16, 1988
    • Westminster, London, England, UK(undisclosed)
  • Spouse
    • Dorothy Long1929 - ?
  • Other works
    Replaced late actor Norman Shelley as Colonel Freddy Danby in the long-running BBC Radio 4 series, "The Archers".

Did you know

Edit
  • Trivia
    Along with Jack Hulbert, he was a special constable with the London Metropolitan Police during World War II.

Related news

Contribute to this page

Suggest an edit or add missing content
  • Learn more about contributing
Edit page

More to explore

Production art
Photos
Do You Recognize These Rising Stars?
See the gallery
Production art
Photos
Brand New Movie & TV Posters
See more posters

Add demo reel with IMDbPro

Demo reel thumbnail
Make your IMDb page stand out by adding a demo reel
Upload your demo reel

Add demo reel with IMDbPro

Make your IMDb page stand out by adding a demo reel
Upload your demo reel
Demo reel thumbnail

How much have you seen?

Keep track of how much of Ballard Berkeley’s work you have seen. Go to your list.

Recently viewed

Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
Get the IMDb App
Sign in for more accessSign in for more access
  • Get the IMDb App
  • Help
  • Site Index
  • IMDbPro
  • Box Office Mojo
  • IMDb Developer
  • Press Room
  • Advertising
  • Jobs
  • Conditions of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Your Ads Privacy Choices
IMDb, an Amazon company

© 1990-2023 by IMDb.com, Inc.