Actors - Ernest Dudley

Home > Listing Index > Actors > Ernest Dudley

	Actors - Ernest Dudley

Ernest Dudley (23 July 1908 – 1 February 2006) was an English actor, dramatist, novelist, journalist and screenwriter.

Biography

The actor and scriptwriter Ernest Dudley was the creator of the hit BBC radio crime series "Dr Morelle" and also the television series "The Armchair Detective". The Dr Morelle - "the man you love to hate!" - series which was hugely popular during the 1940s and 1950s and originally starred Dennis Arundell in the title role. In the fifties the role was given to Cecil Parker, who co-starred with Sheila Sim.

He was born Vivian Ernest Coltman-Allen, in Dudley, Worcestershire and educated at Taplow School. He began his theatrical career acting in repertory in Ireland, later joining Charles Doran's Shakespeare company. He met and married the actress Jane Graham, while they were on tour in 1930.

Dudley created Dr Morelle for a BBC Radio anthology programme "Monday Night at Eight" during the Second World War. He featured the character in many short stories and numerous novels as well as a stage play "Dr Morelle", which he co-wrote with Arthur Watkyn.

He appeared in the West End in numerous small parts, before taking a job with "The Daily Mail" during the late 1930s as a society reporter. He also began writing plays and crime series for BBC Radio. His popular radio series "The Armchair Detective" attracted more than ten million listeners a week. A TV series followed, as well as a film in 1952.

He and his wife had a daughter together. He was widowed in 1981 and remained working on novels, stories and scripts until his death, aged 97.

Films

The Armchair Detective (1952)... as Himself

Novels

The Harassed Hero (1954)

Radio Plays

Crime Chasers Ltd
SOS Sally
Mr Walker Wants to Know
Monday Night at Eight ... Dr Morelle, with Dennis Arundell
The Armchair Detective (1942)
The House of Unspeakable Secrets (1967), with Leslie Phillips
Proof (1977), with Nigel Havers

Screenplays

Concerning Mr Martin (1937)

Lassie from Lancashire (1938)
The Armchair Detective (1952)

Schlitz Playhouse of Stars...Secrets of the Old Bailey (1958)...television episode (story)

Stage Plays

Dr Morelle

Television Series

The Armchair Detective''

[ Visit the complete Wikipedia entry for Ernest Dudley ]

This page is based on the copyrighted Wikipedia article Ernest Dudley; it is used under the GNU Free Documentation License. You may redistribute it, verbatim or modified, providing that you comply with the terms of the GFDL.

Searches on eBay