Blake Butler
English actor (1924-1981)
John David Blake Butler (22 October 1924, 15 April 1981) was an English actor best known for his role as the lecherous chief librarian Mr. Wainwright during the first and third series of Last of the Summer Wine in 1973 and 1976 respectively.
01Background
Butler was the second son of FitzWalter Butler (1889-1979), of Grantham, Lincolnshire, and Doris Emma (d. 1950), daughter of Robert Pollok, of Cavendish Park, Barrow-in-Furness. The Butler family were Irish landed gentry; Blake Butler's line, prominent in County Clare, descended from James Butler, 10th Baron Dunboyne.
02Career
In addition to his work on Last of the Summer Wine, Butler made guest appearances on such programmes as Dad's Army, Doctor at Large, Bless This House, The Good Life, Paul Temple, George and Mildred, Grange Hill and, in 1967, Crossroads playing assistant manager Maurice Raine.
03Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1961 | Rob Roy | Owen | 5 episodes |
| 1964 | Esther Waters | Mr. Ward | 3 episodes |
| 1966 | Death Is a Woman | Lift Operator | film |
| 1967 | The Mini-Affair | Customer | film |
| 1969 | Lock Up Your Daughters | Faithful | film |
| 1972 | Turnbull's Finest Half-Hour | Bernard Pratt | 5 episodes |
| 1973-1976 | Last of the Summer Wine | Mr. Wainwright (the librarian) | 5 episodes |
| 1978 | Grange Hill | Mr. Rankin (the Biology teacher) | Episode: #1.5 |
| 1978 | A Sharp Intake of Breath | Hotel Guest | Episode: "Seven Year Hitch" |
| 1978 | Rumpole of the Bailey | Mr. Thistleton | Episode: "Rumpole and the Heavy Brigade" |
04Personal life
Butler lived at 33, Bath Road, Bedford Park, London, when he died on 15 April 1981 at age 56.
Sources and credits
This article is adapted from the Wikipedia article “Blake Butler”, written by its contributors and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Fathomly has changed the layout, removed citation markers, navigation and maintenance notices, and adjusted punctuation. This adapted version is shared under the same license. For references, see the original article.
Images, from Wikimedia Commons:
- Partridge & Wainwright 6609.jpg by Unknown author, Fair use
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