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David Spenser

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Full Name
  
David De Saram

Died
  
July 20, 2013, Spain

Role
  

Name
  
David Spenser

Years active
  
1945 - 1972

Siblings
  
Jeremy Spenser

David Spenser Original Just William radio star David Spenser dies aged 79 BBC News

Born
  
12 March 1934
ColomboCeylon

Occupation
  
Movies and TV shows
  
Similar People
  
Jeremy Spenser, Vernon Sewell, Roger Delgado, Terence Fisher, Robert Stevenson

David Spenser (born David De Saram: 12 March 1934 – 20 July 2013) was a Sri Lankan-born British actor, director, producer and writer. Spenser played the title role in a 1948 radio production of Richmal Crompton's Just William, and also appeared in popular films and TV series including Doctor Who. His documentary about Gwen Ffrangcon-Davies won an International Emmy Award. He was the elder brother of actor Jeremy Spenser.

David Spenser David Spenser obituary Television radio The Guardian

Aged 11 he appeared in plays on BBC radio's Children's Hour. He was cast in Just William by the author of the books, Richmal Crompton.

He played Harry in the first production of Benjamin Britten's opera Albert Herring.

One of his first TV appearances was in the ABC serial Secret Beneath the Sea. Spenser later appeared in episodes of Z-Cars, Dixon of Dock Green, and The Saint. In 1967 Spenser appeared as Thonmi in the Doctor Who serial The Abominable Snowmen alongside the second doctor, Patrick Troughton. Spenser later worked as a radio producer for the BBC. He produced several radio plays including Anthony Trollope's The Way We Live Now in 1988, and Christopher Isherwood's Mr Norris Changes Trains in 1984.

Spenser wrote a historical drama about the Egyptian pharaoh Akhnaton, The City of the Horizon. It was broadcast in 1972 and 1976. Spenser subsequently produced documentaries about figures such as Benny Hill, Angus Wilson, Dodie Smith and Gwen Ffrangcon-Davies.

He was survived by his brother, and by his partner Victor Pemberton.

Selected filmography

  • Conflict of Wings (1954) - Corporal, Flying Control
  • The Stranglers of Bombay (1959) - Gopali Das (uncredited)
  • Play It Cool (1962) - Reporter #1 (uncredited)
  • In Search of the Castaways (1962) - South American Guide
  • The Earth Dies Screaming (1964) - Mel
  • Battle Beneath the Earth (1967) - Maj. Chai
  • Some May Live (1967) - Inspector Sung
  • Carry On... Up the Khyber (1968) - Bungdit Din's servant
  • References

    David Spenser Wikipedia