{{short description|British actor (1924-1991)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=November 2017}} {{Use British English|date=November 2017}} {{more footnotes|date=March 2013}} {{Infobox person |birth_name=Arthur William Pentelow |birth_date={{Birth date|1924|2|14|df=y}} |birth_place=[[Rochdale]], [[Lancashire]], England |death_date={{Death date and age|1991|8|6|1924|2|14|df=y}} |death_place=[[Birmingham]], England |occupation=[[Actor]] |years_active=1963–1991 |spouse = Jacqueline Pentelow |children = 2 }} '''Arthur William Pentelow''' (14 February 1924 – 6 August 1991) was an English [[actor]] who was best known for playing [[Henry Wilks]] in ''[[Emmerdale|Emmerdale Farm]]'', appearing from the first episode in 1972 until 1991.
==Early career== Born in [[Rochdale]], [[Lancashire]], Pentelow's love of drama began while he was studying [[Shakespeare]] at grammar school, but he started his working life as a cadet [[clerk (position)|clerk]] in the local [[police]] force. He later served in [[World War II]] in the [[Royal Navy]] and did radar work in [[Normandy]]. After peace was declared, Pentelow returned to Rochdale, where he became a student teacher. He started acting as an amateur with the Curtain Theatre Company, before becoming a member of the [[Bradford Playhouse|Bradford Civic Playhouse]] Theatre School.<ref name="IBA 1986">{{Cite book |year=1986 |editor-last=Melaniphy |editor-first=Mike |editor2-last=Eaglestone |editor2-first=Roger |title=Television & Radio 1986 - IBA Yearbook of Independent Broadcasting |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Television-&-Radio-ITV/IBA-Yearbook-1986.pdf |website=World Radio History |publisher=Independent Broadcasting Authority |page=36 |isbn=0-900485-50-7}}</ref> Between his theatre work he sold ice-cream and delivered laundry. He later went on to work in repertory theatre at the [[Bristol Old Vic]],<ref name="IBA 1986" /> [[Guildford]] and [[Northampton]], before joining the company at [[Birmingham]], where his fellow actors included [[Derek Jacobi]], [[Rosemary Leach]] and [[Albert Finney]].
==Film and television career== Pentelow appeared in a number of films during his career, these included, ''[[Charlie Bubbles]]'', ''Privilege'', and ''The Peace Game''. He also made appearances in popular television programmes, such as, ''[[Z-Cars]]'',<ref name="IBA 1986" /> ''[[The Troubleshooters (British TV series)|The Troubleshooters]]'',<ref name="IBA 1986" /> ''[[Emergency Ward 10]]'' and ''[[Hadleigh (TV series)|Hadleigh]]''.
Prior to appearing in the soap opera ''[[Emmerdale|Emmerdale Farm]]'' when it began in 1972, he had already appeared in ''[[Coronation Street]]'' as an old friend of [[Hilda Ogden]], played by the actress [[Jean Alexander]],<ref name="IBA 1986" /> as well as a sporting serial called ''[[United!]]'' as the [[association football|football]] supporters' club chairman. Pentelow also appeared in 1969's notorious gangland series for Granada "[[Big Breadwinner Hog]]" as the unflappable Detective Inspector Walker, one of the CID team on the trail of the trendy, up-and-coming gangland boss Hogarth of the title.
The character of [[Henry Wilks]] in ''Emmerdale Farm'' was a retired Bradford wool merchant who became a director of ''Emmerdale Farm'' when it became a limited company. He also became a joint-owner of the village public house, the Woolpack. After Pentelow's unexpected death, the programme had Wilks die off-screen; due to the advanced schedule of production this was not aired until October 1991.
==Personal life== Pentelow was married to Jacqueline, whom he had met when they were both studying acting. They had two sons - Nicholas and Simon. Their son Nick was one of the [[saxophone]] players for glam-rock band [[Wizzard]].
==Death== Pentelow died from a heart attack in 1991, at the age of 67, whilst driving from his family home in [[Birmingham]] to commence filming ''Emmerdale'' in [[Bradford]] and [[Leeds]]. He died in the ambulance on the way to hospital.
==Filmography== {| class="wikitable" |- ! Year ! Title ! Role ! Notes |- |1965|| ''[[Compact (TV series)|Compact]]'' || Langley || 3 episodes |- |1965|| ''[[Gideon's Way]]'' ||'The Prowler' Mr Lewis || |- |1965|| ''[[The Man in Room 17]]'' || Dr. Probyn || 1 episode |- |1967|| ''[[Privilege (film)|Privilege]]'' || Leo Stanley ||<ref name="IBA 1986" /> |- |1967|| ''[[The Newcomers (TV series)|The Newcomers]]'' || Morton-Hyde || 3 episodes |- |1968|| ''[[Charlie Bubbles]]'' || Man With Car ||<ref name="IBA 1986" /> |- |1969|| ''[[The Gladiators (1969 film)|The Gladiators]]'' || British General ||<ref name="IBA 1986" /> |- |1971|| ''[[Bel Ami (British TV series)|Bel Ami]]''<ref>{{cite web|url=https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/ce1afa839e704851a5f9fe797895b568 |title=Bel Ami: Part 1: Georges |date=8 May 1971 |publisher=[[BBC Genome Project]] |accessdate=28 March 2026}}</ref> || Tattle || 4 episodes |}
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * {{IMDb name|0672372}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Pentelow, Arthur}} [[Category:1924 births]] [[Category:1991 deaths]] [[Category:English male soap opera actors]] [[Category:Royal Navy personnel of World War II]] [[Category:Male actors from Rochdale]] [[Category:20th-century English male actors]] [[Category:Military personnel from the Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale]] [[Category:Royal Navy sailors]]