Maurice Colbourne in "Doctor Who: Resurrection of the
Daleks"
Name's
familiar... The late Maurice Colbourne was a Sheffield-born actor
who, over the course of a tragically short screen career, managed to appear in a
lot of things. If you were watching British television between 1975 and 1989,
you probably saw him in something.
Fair
enough. What's this then? This is an archive of all the minor roles,
and the major but for some reason obscure roles, in which this actor has
appeared.
Hang on, I remember him now...
Not really a bit-part actor though, was he? I mean, Gangsters, Howards'
Way...Point taken, and to be fair, he's probably better
described as a "supporting cast" rather than a "bit-part" actor, at least as far
as television is concerned. But, given the continual lack of re-release of
certain classic programmes and films, a growing number of people don't remember
the name. So I'm doing my bit to remind them. Besides, "The Maurice Colbourne
Supporting and Obscure Roles Archive" doesn't have quite the same
ring.
Oh God, not another fan
site... Fair enough. But one thing that strikes me, looking at a lot
of fan sites, is their sheer humourlessness and dedication. Rather than go for a
serious tribute with pictures and eulogies (which you can only get away with if
your site's about someone like, say, Peter Cushing), I'm going for an
affectionate and faintly sarcastic celebration of a versatile career. OK, so you
might find the odd picture. And I'm pretty sure there's a eulogy on the Biography page. But you get the
idea.
So you're slagging off this poor guy,
who can't fight back, for having an obscure career. No, no! Quite the
contrary! This site is an exercise in nostalgia and tribute--when Colbourne was
good, he was brilliant, and when his role was somewhat less than could be
desired, he can never be accused of not giving it a good go. What actor can do
more? If my comments are sometimes critical, I have tried not to hurt anyone. So
please, just enjoy the site.
Bonus Feature:
Maurice Dale Colbourne A brief feature on someone you're less likely to have
seen, unless you're a fifties homegrown film buff, but who is relevant to this
site in a rather peculiar way...
Disclaimer:
All of the images reproduced on the pages of this site are copyright BBC 1999,
except the one on the Films page, which is copyright Walt Disney Productions
1999 and the one on the Biography page which is copyright The Daily Mirror 1989.
They are reproduced with the understanding that they are not to be used
for profit. Any advertising on this page is there as a result of my ISP's
Terms of Service; the presence of advertising on this page should not
be considered an endorsement, and we are not responsible for the content of external websites.
This website is a non-commercial tribute; no one remotely involved with the MCBPA has any
connection with or, for that matter, opposition to, any of the film or
television companies mentioned in it. Also, we're probably doing them more good
than harm by posting our reviews here. Live and let
live.
