Ray Barrett
Australian actor (1927–2009)
Audrey Bettanay
(m. 1951, divorced)Miren Cork
(m. 1969, divorced)Gaye O'Brien
(m. 1986)Raymond Longford Award (2005)
Raymond Charles Barrett (2 May 1927 – 8 September 2009) was an Australian actor. During the 1960s, he was a leading actor on British television, where he was best known for his appearances in The Troubleshooters (1965–1971). From the 1970s, he appeared in lead and character roles in Australian films and television series.
Early life
Barrett was born in Brisbane, Queensland and was educated at Windsor State Primary School and at Brisbane State High School. Fascinated by radio from an early age, he won an on-air talent competition in 1939 at the age of 12 for an eisteddfod that was broadcast on 4BH radio, with a musical monologue about a dog called "Paddy". This was to place him on a path different from his dream of becoming a boatbuilder.
In 1949, Barrett was initiated into Freemasonry as an initiate and member of Empire Lodge #197 of the United Grand Lodge of Queensland.[citation needed]
Acting career
United Kingdom
Ray Barrett first appeared on radio in Brisbane, and later in Sydney, to where he moved in 1954. In 1957, he moved to Britain, where his background as a singer earned him a part in a revue alongside Beryl Reid, Patrick Wymark and Sheila Hancock.[3]
Owing to his supposedly tough look, Barrett was given character and tough guy roles from an unusually young age. In Britain, he played one of the lead roles in the TV series Emergency Ward 10 and later one of the main characters, the hard-nosed oil worker Peter Thornton, in the long-running BBC series The Troubleshooters.[3]
While Barrett mostly appeared in television, he also made several films including Hammer's The Reptile (1966).[4]
He also voiced characters in Gerry Anderson-produced "Supermarionation" series of the 1960s: Stingray (1964–65), as Commander Shore and Titan, and Thunderbirds (1965–66) as John Tracy, the Hood and various extras. Also in 1965, he appeared as Bennett/Koquillion in the Doctor Who serial The Rescue.[5] Also as a bankrupt businessman in a 1972 edition of Public Eye.
Australia
In later years, Barrett starred in film and TV roles in his native Australia, living on Stradbroke Island, Queensland during the 1970s. He appeared as the Prime Minister (a character who is assassinated) in Burn the Butterflies, and as a miner in Golden Soak. In 1980, he played the part of the controversial Australian historical figure Governor Bligh in the ABC Television production The Timeless Land.[3] He had secondary roles in many other productions, including Something in the Air.
Barrett also appeared in such films as Don's Party and The Carmakers (about the 1973 release of the Leyland P76 car, co-starring Noel Ferrier and Nick Tate). In 2005, he received an Australian Film Institute Longford Life Achievement Award.[6]
Death
Barrett died on 8 September 2009 at the Gold Coast Hospital in Southport, Queensland, aged 82, after suffering a brain haemorrhage.[7] His final acting appearance had been in the 2008 film Australia.
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1954 | The Desperate Women | Agent | |
| 1960 | The Sundowners | Uncredited | |
| 1961 | Touch of Death | Maxwell | |
| 1962 | Edgar Wallace Mysteries: Time to Remember (aka Edgar Wallace Mystery Theatre) | Sammy | |
| 1962 | Mix Me a Person | Insp. Wagstaffe | |
| 1962 | Jigsaw | Sgt. Gorman | |
| 1962 | Scales of Justice: Moment of Decision | Anthology series, episode 3 | |
| 1963 | Edgar Wallace Mysteries: To Have and to Hold (aka: Edgar Wallace Mystery Theatre) | Henry Fraser | |
| 1963 | 80,000 Suspects | Health Inspector Bennett | |
| 1964 | Valley of the Kings | Mr. Marsh | |
| 1966 | The Reptile | Harry George Spalding | |
| 1966 | Thunderbirds Are Go | John Tracy / The Hood (voice) | |
| 1967 | Just Like a Woman | Australian | |
| 1971 | Revenge | Harry | |
| 1972 | Peer Gynt | Button moulder | |
| 1973 | Little Laura and Big John | Cates | |
| 1975 | The Amorous Milkman | John | |
| 1975 | The Hostages | Joe Blake | |
| 1976 | Don's Party | Mal | |
| 1976 | Let the Balloon Go | Dr. McLeod | |
| 1978 | No Room to Run | Jack Deakin | TV movie |
| 1978 | The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith | Farrell | |
| 1979 | Burn the Butterflies | Prime Minister | TV movie |
| 1979 | Tim | Man outside hotel (uncredited) | |
| 1980 | The Earthling | Parnell | |
| 1980 | Departmental | TV movie | |
| 1982 | A Shifting Dreaming | ||
| 1982 | A Dangerous Summer | F.C.O. Webster | |
| 1983 | Goodbye Paradise | Michael Stacy | |
| 1984 | Where the Green Ants Dream | Cole | |
| 1984 | Conferenceville | TV movie | |
| 1985 | The Empty Beach | MacLeary | |
| 1985 | Rebel | Bubbles | |
| 1985 | Relatives | Geoffrey | |
| 1987 | Frenchman's Farm | Harry Benson | |
| 1987 | Contagion | Bael | |
| 1988 | As Time Goes By | J.L. Weston | |
| 1990 | Prisoners of the Sun (aka Blood Oath) | President of the Bench | |
| 1991 | Waiting | Frank | |
| 1994 | No Worries | Old Burkey | |
| 1995 | Hotel Sorrento | Wal Moynihan | |
| 1995 | Dad and Dave: On Our Selection | Dwyer | |
| 1995 | Asian Connection: Old Flames | ||
| 1996 | Brilliant Lies | Brian Connor | |
| 1996 | Hotel de Love | Jack Dunne | |
| 1997 | Heaven's Burning | Cam | |
| 1998 | In the Winter Dark | Maurice Stubbs | |
| 2002 | Dalkeith | Tarquin St John Smythe | |
| 2003 | Visitors | Bill Perry | |
| 2008 | Australia | Ramsden (final film role) |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1957 | The Adventures of Long John Silver | Paul | Series |
| 1959 | Educating Archie | Ray | Series |
| 1960 | Armchair Mystery Theatre | Detective-Sergeant Cullen | Anthology series |
| 1960–62 | Armchair Theatre | Alan Whint / Donnie / Ben | Anthology series |
| 1960–61 | Emergency Ward 10 | Dr. Don Nolan | Series |
| 1962 | Out of This World | Dr. Alan Whint | Series |
| 1962 | Man of the World | Charlie West | Series |
| 1963 | The Avengers | Strong | Series |
| 1963 | Z-Cars | Len Wilson | Series |
| 1963 | ITV Playhouse | Larry Ransome | Play |
| 1963 | First Night | Frank Angelo | Series |
| 1963–64 | ITV Play of the Week | Sergeant Weston / Jack Bailey | Play |
| 1963–64 | Ghost Squad | Peter Clarke / Mr. Hicks | Series |
| 1964 | The Saint | Willie Kinsall | Series |
| 1964–65 | The Brothers Karamazov | Mitya Karamazov | |
| 1965 | Doctor Who | Bennett / Koquillion | Series |
| 1965 | Thursday Theatre | Jacko | Anthology series |
| 1964–65 | Stingray | Commander Sam Shore / Sub-Lieutenant John Horatio Fisher / King Titan (voice) | Series |
| 1962–65 | Drama 61–67 | Captain Murchison | Anthology series |
| 1965 | BBC Play of the Month | Knight | Anthology series |
| 1965 | Blackmail | Patek | |
| 1965 | Gideon C.I.D. | Series | |
| 1963–65 | No Hiding Place | Johnny Crown / Larry Hobbs | Series |
| 1966 | The Spies | Walker | Series |
| 1966 | The Man in Room 17 | Al Gover | Series |
| 1965–66 | Thunderbirds | John Tracy / The Hood / Lieutenant Burroughs / Various characters (voice) | Series |
| 1967 | Till Death Us Do Part ('Till Closing Time us do Part ', episode) | Self | Series. (1 appearance). |
| 1969 | The Corbett Follies | ||
| 1965–72 | Mogul | Peter Thornton | Series |
| 1972 | Public Eye | Melville Hayden-Peters | Series |
| 1974 | Barlow at Large | Johnny Duchene | Series |
| 1974 | The Adventures of Black Beauty | T. Otis Waygood | Series |
| 1964–74 | Dixon of Dock Green | Phil Burgh / Nat Singer | Series |
| 1974 | Colditz | Flt. Lt. Jack Collins | Series |
| 1974 | The Double Dealers | Geoffrey Burch | |
| 1973 | Churchill's People | Leo Hennessey | Series |
| 1976 | Arena | Col Burrows | Miniseries |
| 1976 | The Outsiders | Harry | Series |
| 1976–77 | Moynihan | Series | |
| 1978 | Run from the Morning | Detective Sergeant Grogon | Miniseries, 6 episodes |
| 1979 | Golden Soak | Alec Hamilton | Miniseries |
| 1980 | The Timeless Land | Governor Bligh | Miniseries |
| 1981 | Levkas Man | Miniseries | |
| 1981 | Sporting Chance | Robbo | |
| 1984 | The Last Bastion | Gen. Thomas Blamey | Miniseries |
| 1984 | Five Mile Creek | Harry | Series |
| 1984 | Waterfront | Sam Elliott | Miniseries |
| 1986 | The Flying Doctors | Frank Watson | Series |
| 1986 | Tusitala | Harry Moors | Miniseries |
| 1986 | The Challenge | Robert McCullough | Miniseries |
| 1989 | G.P. | Rex Mitchell | Series. (2 episodes). |
| 1990 | The Paper Man | Maurice Grimm | Miniseries |
| 1995 | Correlli | Harry Powell | Series |
| 1995 | Bordertown | Colonel Forsythe | Miniseries |
| 1996 | Fire | Charles | Series |
| 1997 | Adrenaline Junkies | ||
| 2000 | Something in the Air | Len Taylor | Series |
| 2000 | Stingers | Mr. Rafferty | Series |
| 2003 | White Collar Blue | Barry Hill | Series |
| 2003 | After the Deluge | Old Cliff Kirby | Miniseries |
| 2004 | All Saints | Doc Connelly | Series. (1 episode). |
References
- ^ a b [1] [dead link]
- ^ "Veteran Australian actor Ray Barrett dies". Telegraph.co.uk. 9 September 2009.
- ^ a b c The Timeless Land, TV guide compiled by Kate Reid, photographs by Martin Webby, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, page 56, Sydney, 1980, ISBN 0642974691
- ^ Vagg, Stephen (28 June 2020). "Ten random Australian connections with Hammer Films". Filmink.
- ^ Howson, Spencer: Ray Barrett's Dr Who Episodes Released on DVD Archived 10 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine, ABC Radio and Regional Content, 11 May 2009.
- ^ AFI Raymond Longford Award Archived 20 September 2009 at the Wayback Machine, Australian Film Institute.
- ^ Veteran Actor Ray Barrett Dies at 82, Herald Sun, 8 September 2009.
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- Damon Herriman (2019)
- Toby Wallace (2020)
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- Aswan Reid (2023)
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