Michael Darbyshire
English actor (1917–1979)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Michael Darbyshire (15 October 1917 – 20 November 1979) was an English actor of stage and screen.[1][2] He played the role of Hubert Davenport, the Victorian ghost, in the BBC TV children's comedy series Rentaghost[2][3] and one of the eccentric inventors in the 1968 film Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.[4] On stage, he appeared in the original West End cast of the musical Pickwick in 1963, its Broadway transfer in 1965, and a BBC TV adaptation in 1969.[5][1][6]
Michael Darbyshire | |
|---|---|
Photo: 1939 Malvern Festival programme | |
| Born | 15 October 1917 |
| Died | 20 November 1979 (aged 62) |
He was a member of the Players Theatre Company based in London in Villiers Street, appearing regularly and also on many occasions on the BBC TV series The Good Old Days.[7][8][9]
Michael Darbyshire died in 1979, during the interval of the first performance of a production of the Ray Cooney farce, Chase Me Comrade, at the Theatre Royal, Windsor, aged 62.[1][10] On the opening night, he played the first act splendidly. When he failed to respond to the call for the second act, he was found dead in his dressing room.[11]
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1949 | Vengeance Is Mine | Policeman | |
| 1956 | Charley Moon | Footman | Uncredited |
| 1963 | The Gentle Terror | Ticket clerk | |
| 1968 | Chitty Chitty Bang Bang | Inventor | |
| 1969 | Lock Up Your Daughters | La Verole | |
| 1971 | She'll Follow You Anywhere | Doctor | |
| 1976 | The Slipper and the Rose | Dancer |
