William Mervyn
Known for Acting · 60 credits
- Born
- 1912-01-03
- Died
- 1976-08-06
- Place of birth
- Nairobi, Kenya
- Also known as
- William Mervyn Pickwoad
Biography
William Mervyn Pickwoad (3 January 1912 – 6 August 1976) was an English actor best known for his portrayal of the bishop in the clerical comedy All Gas and Gaiters, the old gentleman in The Railway Children and Inspector Charles Rose in The Odd Man and its sequels.
Mervyn was born in Nairobi, British East Africa, but educated in Britain at Forest School, Snaresbrook, before embarking on a stage career, spending five years in provincial theatre. He made his West End debut in The Guinea Pig at the Criterion Theatre in 1946, before parts in plays such as Lend Me Robin at the Embassy Theatre, the comedy Ring Round the Moon, The Mortimer Touch, A Woman of No Importance by Oscar Wilde at the Savoy Theatre in 1953 and Charley's Aunt.
Mervyn's later stage roles included those of O'Trigger in The Rivals, Lord Greenham in the comedy Aren't We All? and Sir Patrick Cullen in The Doctor's Dilemma. Although he was admired in the theatre, it was with television that he became really well known. One of his first major small screen roles was Sir Hector in the 1962 series Saki. Four years later, he played the Bishop of St. Ogg's in the comedy series All Gas and Gaiters. It was, at that time, breaking with tradition, allowing a laugh at the expense of the established church.
He also played the police chief inspector Charles Rose in the Granada TV series The Odd Man and its spin-offs It's Dark Outside and Mr Rose. He played the Hon. Mr. Justice Campbell in the Granada TV series Crown Court.
Having taken the part of a Chief Inspector in the 1949 Ealing Studios film The Blue Lamp, in which PC George Dixon first appears (only to be shot dead by a young Dirk Bogarde), he then reappeared in a 1960 Dixon of Dock Green episode "The Hot Seat". He was in the 1966 Doctor Who story The War Machines and several Carry On films in the late 1960s, and also appeared as Mr. Whitty in the Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) episode "A Disturbing Case" in 1969.
Known For
TV Shows (22)
Crown Court
1972
as The Hon. Mr. Justice Campbell
BBC Play of the Month
1965
as Sir Hector Rose
The Adventures of Robin Hood
1955
as Thomas / Judd
No Hiding Place
1959
as Colonel Frew / Ivor Naunton
The Persuaders!
1971
as Sir Charles Worthington
Maigret
1960
as Doctor
The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes
1971
as Sir Hector Drummond
Gideon's Way
1965
as Mr. Pater
Hancock's Half Hour
1956
as Council Official
Raffles
1977
as Osborne
The Ghosts of Motley Hall
1976
as Mr Brayling
The Odd Man
1960
as Chief Insp. Charles Rose
All Gas and Gaiters
1967
as The Bishop, The Right Reverend Cuthbert Hever
Oliver Twist
1962
as Mr. Grimwig
Armchair Theatre
1956
as Dr. Scott / Sir Edmund
It's Dark Outside
1964
as Chief Insp. Charles Rose
Persuasion
1960
as Admiral Croft
Mr. Rose
1967
as Charles Rose / Marcus Despard
Nicholas Nickleby
1957
as Mr. Witterly
Charlesworth
1959
as Charles Begbie
The Liars
1966
as Sir Gerald
The Young Lady from London
1959
as King Klaus
Movies (38)
Operation Crossbow
1965
as Dutch Technical Examiner
Follow That Camel
1967
as Sir Cyril Ponsonby
Murder Ahoy
1964
as Breeze-Connington
The Battle of the Sexes
1960
as Detective's Friend
Atlantic Wall
1970
as Protestant Bishop, Jeff's father
Deadlier Than the Male
1967
as Chairman of the Phoenician Board
Carry On Henry
1971
as Dr. Finlay
No Love for Johnnie
1961
as Postmaster-General (uncredited)
The Railway Children
1970
as Old Gentleman
Carve Her Name with Pride
1958
as Colonel Buckmaster
Circus of Horrors
1960
as Dr. Morley
The Long Arm
1956
as Manager of Festival Hall
The Blue Lamp
1950
as Chief Inspector Hammond (Uncredited)
The Ruling Class
1972
as Sir Charles Gurney
Hot Enough for June
1964
as Passenger on Plane
Upstairs and Downstairs
1959
as Kingsley
Carry On Again Doctor
1969
as Lord Paragon
The Bawdy Adventures of Tom Jones
1976
as Squire Alworthy
Salt & Pepper
1968
as Prime Minister
Hammerhead
1968
as Walter Perrin
Barnacle Bill
1957
as Captain
The Jokers
1967
as Uncle Edward
Blood Suckers
1971
as Marc Honeydew
The Legend of Young Dick Turpin
1965
as Lord Justice
Up the Front
1972
as Lord Twithampton
The Best House in London
1969
as Cabinet Minister (uncredited)
A Touch of Larceny
1960
as Capt. Balfour (uncredited)
The Loves of Joanna Godden
1947
as Huxtable
Doctor Who: The War Machines
1966
as Sir Charles Summer
Tons of Trouble
1956
as Roberts (MI5)
Old Man's Fancy
1965
as The Bishop
Watch It, Sailor!
1961
as Ship's Captain
The Christmas Messenger
1975
as (voice)
Stop Press Girl
1949
as Cinema Manager (uncredited)
Now Let Him Go
1957
as Sir Edmund
Four Men in Prison
1950
as (uncredited)
Conflict of Wings
1954
as Mr. Wentworth/Col. Wentworth
Kitty Clive
1956
as Colley Cibber
About William Mervyn
William Mervyn Pickwoad (3 January 1912 – 6 August 1976) was an English actor best known for his portrayal of the bishop in the clerical comedy All Gas and Gaiters, the old gentleman in The Railway Children and Inspector Charles Rose in The Odd Man and its sequels. Mervyn was born in Nairobi, British East Africa, but educated in Britain at Forest School, Snaresbrook, before embarking on a stage career, spending five years in provincial theatre. He made his West End debut in The Guinea Pig at the Criterion Theatre in 1946, before parts in plays… With 60 credits spanning from 1947 to 1977, William Mervyn has appeared in 38 films and 22 TV shows.
Fans searching for William Mervyn movies, William Mervyn filmography, or the latest projects starring William Mervyn can stream many of these titles on Bowood.TV, free and in HD, with no subscription required.
Most Popular William Mervyn Movies
- Operation Crossbow (1965) — as Dutch Technical Examiner
- Follow That Camel (1967) — as Sir Cyril Ponsonby
- Murder Ahoy (1964) — as Breeze-Connington
- The Battle of the Sexes (1960) — as Detective's Friend
- Atlantic Wall (1970) — as Protestant Bishop, Jeff's father
Where to Watch William Mervyn Films
Most William Mervyn movies and series are available to stream on Bowood.TV in full HD, completely free and without signup. Browse the complete filmography above to jump directly to any title. For more films and the latest web series featuring William Mervyn, check our movies catalogue and browse page.