thumb|right|220px|Brian Wilde [[blue plaque in Ashton-under-Lyne]]

Brian George Wilde (13 June 1927 – 20 March 2008) was an English actor best known for his roles in television comedy, most notably Mr Barrowclough in Porridge (1974-1977) and Walter "Foggy" Dewhurst in Last of the Summer Wine (1976-1997). Although tall, his gentle demeanour became his hallmark. His lugubrious world-weary face was a staple of British television for forty years. Wilde was brought up in Devon and Hertfordshire and attended Hertford Grammar School.

Career

Wilde had an early uncredited role as a small-time crook in the film Forbidden Cargo (1954),

Wilde's first major television success was in 1970 as refuse depot manager "Bloody Delilah" in the ITV sitcom The Dustbinmen (1970).

Partial filmography

Film

  • Street Corner (1953) – Pinky – Bogus Detective Sgt (uncredited)
  • Will Any Gentleman...? (1953) – 1st Clerk
  • Forbidden Cargo (1954) – Smuggler at Airfield (uncredited)
  • Simon and Laura (1955) – Peter Harbottle
  • Now and Forever (1956) – Policeman (uncredited)
  • Tiger in the Smoke (1956) – Trumps
  • Interpol (1957) – The Monk
  • Night of the Demon (1957) – Rand Hobart
  • The Gypsy and the Gentleman (1958) – (uncredited)
  • Girls at Sea (1958) – Bill
  • Corridors of Blood (1958) – Man in Operating Theatre Audience (uncredited)
  • Subway in the Sky (1959)
  • Beyond the Curtain (1960) – Bill Seddon
  • Scotland Yard (film series) (1961) - The Never Never Murder - Porter
  • Life for Ruth (1962) – Newspaper Photographer (uncredited)
  • We Joined the Navy (1962) – Petty Officer Gibbons
  • On the Run – Chief Warder
  • West 11 (1963) – Speaker
  • The Informers (1963) – Lipson
  • The Man Who Finally Died (1963) – Cemetery Superintendent (uncredited)
  • The Bargee (1964) – Policeman
  • Rattle of a Simple Man (1964) – Fred
  • Darling (1965) – Willett
  • Morgan: A Suitable Case for Treatment (1966) – Mr. Gilbert (uncredited)
  • Rasputin the Mad Monk (1966) – Vassily's Father (uncredited)
  • The Jokers (1967) – Sgt. Catchpole
  • You Only Live Twice (1967) – 1st Policeman (uncredited)
  • Carry On Doctor (1967) – Man from Cox & Carter
  • Connecting Rooms (1970) – Ellerman
  • Goodbye Gemini (1970) – Taxi Driver
  • Carry On Henry (1971) – Warder (scenes deleted)
  • One Brief Summer (1971) – Lambert
  • No Sex Please, We're British (1973) – Policeman
  • Alfie Darling (1975) – Doctor
  • To the Devil a Daughter (1976) – Black Room Attendant
  • Adventures of a Taxi Driver (1976) – Harold
  • Play Safe (1978) – Owl (voice)
  • Porridge (1979) – Barrowclough
  • The Funny Side of Christmas (1982) – Foggy

Television

{| class="wikitable"

|-

! Year !! Title !! Role !! Notes

|-

| 1960 || The World of Tim Frazer || Tupper || 4 episodes

|-

| 1961 || Jango || Cemetery Attendant || Episode: "Treacle on Three Fingers"

|-

| 1963 || Hancock || Stan Lovegrove || 1 episode

|-

| 1964 || Melissa || Chief Inspector Carter || 6 episodes

|-

|1965–1966 || The Man in Room 17 || George Horton / Dr. Boddington || 2 episodes

|-

|1966 || The Baron || Paul Sutton || Episode: "Portrait of Louisa"

|-

|1966–1967 || Room at the Bottom || Mr Salisbury || 7 episodes

|-

| rowspan="2" |1967 || The Avengers || Jeremy Raven || Episode: "The Fear Merchants"

|-

| George and the Dragon || Policeman || 1 Episode

|-

| rowspan="2" |1970 || The Dustbinmen || Bloody Delilah || 14 episodes

|-

| Catweazle|| Vicar || Episode: The Telling Bone’’

|-

|1970–1973 || Special Branch || Professor Munro / Alan Pritchard || 2 episodes

|-

| rowspan="2" |1971 || Elizabeth R || Richard Topcliffe || Episode: "Horrible Conspiracies"

|-

| Justice|| David Latimer/Jeavons || To Help an Old School Friend

|-

|1972 || Ace of Wands || Mr Peacock || 3 episodes

|-

| rowspan="3" |1973 || Black & Blue || Major Forster || Episode: "Secrets"

|-

| Marked Personal || Stan Lyons || 2 episodes

|-

| Crown Court (TV series) || Mr. Appleby || Case 50 (Sept 1973): Episode "Public Lives"

|-

|1974–1977 || Porridge || Mr. Henry Barrowclough || 19 episodes

|-

|1975 || The Sweeney || Stanley Hedges || Episode: "Thin Ice"

|-

|1976–1985, 1990–1997 || Last of the Summer Wine || Walter "Foggy" Dewhurst || 116 episodes

|-

|1977 || The Ghosts of Motley Hall || Stamford Hives || Episode: "Horoscope"

|-

|1982|| The Kids International Show || Foggy || Episode: 1.1

|-

|1984|| The Kit Curran Radio Show || Roland Simpson || rowspan="2" | 6 episodes

|-

|1988 || Wyatt's Watchdogs || Major John Wyatt

|}

Radio

  • Say Something Happened (1989)

References

  • Wyatt's Watchdogs site
  • Photos on Pinterest

;Obituaries

  • The Independent, 21 March 2008
  • The Times, 21 March 2008
  • The Guardian, 24 March 2008