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Brian Roper (actor)

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Full Name  Brian T. Roper
Years active  c. 1936 – 1960

Name  Brian Roper
Role  Film actor
Brian Roper smiling while lying on the grass with plants in the background in a scene from the 1949 film "The Secret Garden" and wearing a gray long sleeve shirt

Born
  19 August 1929 (1929-08-19) Doncaster, West Riding of Yorkshire, England, UK
Occupation  ActorReal estate businessman
Spouse  Barbara L. Eaton (m. 1967)
Marriage location  Los Angeles, California, United States
Movies  The Naked Heart, William Comes to Town, The Girl on the Pier, The Rainbow Jacket, Hong Kong Confidential
Similar People  Margaret O'Brien, Dean Stockwell, Allan Lockheed, Jack Northrop, Marc Allegret
Died  14 May 1994 (aged 64) Antibes, France

Brian T. Roper (19 August 1929 – 14 May 1994) was a British-American film and television actor, and, in later years, real estate agent.

Contents

Brian Roper as Dickon with Dean Stockwell as Colin Craven with a black pigeon resting on his shoulder, Herbert Marshall as Archibald Craven, and Margaret O'Brien as Mary Lennox in a scene from the 1949 film "The Secret Garden"

Biography

Roper played youthful parts during his career due to his young physique, which included his appearance as the animal-loving young boy "Dickon" with a pet fox in The Secret Garden (1949), starring Margaret O'Brien. The Secret Garden was prepared for MGM's 25th anniversary as a film studio and was heavily promoted in 1949–50. Newspapers at the time claimed his age as 14. He appeared this age but was actually five years older. Roper was noted for his reddish hair and some freckles.

Born in Doncaster, West Riding of Yorkshire, Roper left Britain on 5 October 1948 when he was 19 years old after his selection for The Secret Garden from more than 100 boys who were tested during a six-month search. Work on the film began on 4 October 1948 and was completed in late November. He later lived in both Britain and California, depending on the location of his acting work, and acted for 24 years.

Following his acting career he went briefly into the film industry agency business. Roper married Barbara L. Eaton (aka Barbara L. Stafsudd), in Los Angeles when he was 38 years old, on 30 December 1967. His wife was 13 years younger. Shortly after this marriage, Roper established the Roper School of Real Estate in 1968 in Hayward, California and served as its lecturer and instructor. He would go on to train new salespeople while serving as director of sales training for Red Carpet Realtors in Northern California.

Death

Brian Roper died in Antibes, France at the age of 64.

Filmography

Actor
1961
Pirates of Tortuga as
Merchant (uncredited)
1959
Adventures in Paradise (TV Series) as
Neal Baker / Potter / Stockman / ...
- Flamin' Lady (1961) - Neal Baker
- Hangman's Island (1960) - Potter
- Whip-Fight! (1960) - Stockman
- The Lady from South Chicago (1959) - Nicky
1960
The Lost World as
British Member of Zoological Institute Forum (uncredited)
1958
Hong Kong Confidential as
Dennis Brooks (uncredited)
1958
Matinee Theatre (TV Series) as
Messenger
- Much Ado About Nothing: Part I (1958) - Messenger
1958
Studio 57 (TV Series)
- A Source of Irritation (1958)
1957
The Adventures of Sir Lancelot (TV Series) as
Alan
- Witches Brew (1957) - Alan
1953
Billy Bunter of Greyfriars School (TV Series) as
Bob Cherry
- Bunter's Christmas Box (1956) - Bob Cherry
- Bunter on the Warpath (1956) - Bob Cherry
- Hunting Bunter (1956) - Bob Cherry
- Billy Bunter's Double (1956) - Bob Cherry
- Bunter the Bold (1956) - Bob Cherry
- Backing Up Bunter (1956) - Bob Cherry
- Bunter Knows How (1955) - Bob Cherry
- Bunter Takes the Blame (1955) - Bob Cherry
- Bunter Forgot (1955) - Bob Cherry
- Lord Billy Bunter (1955) - Bob Cherry
- Bunter the Hypnotist (1955) - Bob Cherry
- Bunter on the Run (1955) - Bob Cherry
1956
ITV Television Playhouse (TV Series) as
Gormy Evans
- Boys in Brown (1956) - Gormy Evans
1955
Navy Heroes as
Tony Mullins
1955
The Whiteoak Chronicles: Whiteoaks (TV Movie) as
George Fennel
1954
Stage by Stage (TV Series) as
Vasquez
- The Wonder: A Woman Keeps a Secret (1954) - Vasquez
1954
The Rainbow Jacket as
Ron Saunders
1954
The Martins' Nest (TV Movie) as
Brian Martin
1953
The Girl on the Pier as
Ronnie Hall
1953
BBC Sunday-Night Theatre (TV Series) as
Second Halberdier
- Harlequinade (1953) - Second Halberdier
1952
Time, Gentlemen, Please! as
Cyril
1952
The Secret Garden (TV Series) as
Dickon
- When the Sun Went Down (1952) - Dickon
- It Has Come (1952) - Dickon
- A Tantrum in the Night (1952) - Dickon
- The Door in the Wall (1952) - Dickon
1952
I Believe in You as
Hostel boy (uncredited)
1952
The Promoter as
Newsboy at Football Stadium (uncredited)
1951
Kaleidoscope (TV Series) as
Page Boy in Fools Rush In segment
- Episode #5.15 (1951) - Page Boy in Fools Rush In segment
1950
The Naked Heart as
Tit-Be Chapdelaine
1950
The Miniver Story as
Richard (uncredited)
1949
For the Children (TV Series) as
Roy Teezer
- Watching the Trains Go By (1949) - Roy Teezer
1949
The Secret Garden as
Dickon
1948
William Comes to Town as
Ginger
1948
The Last Load as
Charley (uncredited)
1948
Just William's Luck as
Ginger

References

Brian Roper (actor) Wikipedia