| Actor | |
| |
|---|---|
| Eric Longworth | |
| Born | 20th July 1918 |
| Died | 20th August 2008 (aged 90) |
| First appearance | Time On My Hands |
| Last appearance | Knights of Madness |
| Series | 5 - 9 |
| Episode count | 8 |
Edward Sinclair (20th July 1918 – 20th August 2008) was best known for playing Mr. Gordon the Town Clerk in the television series of Dad's Army from 1972 until 1977.
Biography[]
Early life and career[]
Eric Longworth was born in Shaw near Oldham, Lancashire. He had had ambitions to become an actor quite early on, but they had to be put aside for a while when he was 17, so that he could support his family after the passing of his father. However whilst he was working as a salesman for a printing company in Shaw, he joined the Crompton Stage Society's local amateur company and played various characters in their productions until he was called up to the army in 1939. Whilst out in Bombay (1943-4), he got invloved with the dramatic society and once he was demobbed in 1946, he went on to purse his acting career.
Early acting career[]
Eric's first professional job as an actor was eleven years at the Oldham Rep. Whilst acting and directing at both the Oldham Coliseum Threatre and the old Guildford Theatre, he was also a manager at the two venues. He managed the Coliseum from 1951 to 1957.
Having left the theatres in 1963, Eric started acting for television.
Dad's Army[]
Eric Longworth as the Town Clerk in Dad's Army
Eric first appeared in Dad's Army for the fifth season finale as Mr. Gordon the Town Clerk, succeeding Edward Evans who played the previous town clerk, Mr. Rees.
In 1976, Eric also played the Town Clerk in the stage show at Billingham and London's West End as well as Private Woods and the Happidrome Announcer (this character first appeared in the West End). He was also to be Arthur Lowe's understudied but was never actually needed for this in the end. Eric did not join the cast when the show went on tour; the parts of Private Woods and the Town Clerk were cut from the story and Bill Pearson took his place as the Happidrome Annoucer.
The Town Clerk in Dad's Army was best known for appearing the seventh season episode The Godiva Affair, when he said that the woman portraying would be wearing "fleshings"; in Eric's later years whenever he would meet up with the general public, they would say to him "Will you say 'fleshings'?"
Other acting work and later career[]
Eric also appeared in one episode of Lollipop and Hi-de-Hi!, both written by Jimmy Perry. In the 1980's he finished acting for films and television programmes and during the 90's stuck to commericals until 1998 when he retired from acting altogether.
Final years and death[]
Eric Longworth continued to appear at various Dad's Army themed events throughout the rest of his life. His last public appearance was at the Imperial War Museum in London for the celebrations of Dad's Army's 40th birthday in 2008. He later died on August 20th in Peterborough, Cambridgeshire at the aged of 90. His funeral was held on September 5th.
Trivia[]
- He appeared with Pat Coombs, Erik Chitty and Larry Martyn in Lollipop.
- He appeared with Jeffrey Holland and Felix Bowness in Hi-de-Hi!
- He appeared with Arthur Lowe and Edward Sinclair in No Sex Please: We're British.