{{Short description|British actor (1909–1976)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=November 2020}} {{Infobox person | name = Campbell Singer | image = Actor_Campbell_Singer.jpeg | birth_name = Jacob Kobel Singer | birth_date = {{birth date|1909|03|16|df=y}} | birth_place = London, England | death_date = {{death date and age|1976|02|16|1909|03|16|df=y}} | death_place = London, England | occupation = Actor, writer | spouse = {{marriage|Gillian Maude|1954}} }}
'''Campbell Singer''' (born '''Jacob Kobel Singer'''; 16 March 1909 – 16 February 1976)<ref name="encyclopedia" /> was a British character actor who featured in a number of stage, film and television roles during his long career.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.aveleyman.com/ActorCredit.aspx?ActorID=16015|title=Campbell Singer|website=www.aveleyman.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.allmovie.com/artist/campbell-singer-p65943|title=Campbell Singer - Movies and Filmography - AllMovie|website=AllMovie}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://theatricalia.com/person/v7b/campbell-singer|title=Campbell Singer - Theatricalia|website=theatricalia.com}}</ref> He was also a playwright and dramatist.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-production/calculated-risk-2928|title=Calculated Risk – Broadway Play – Original - IBDB|first=The Broadway|last=League|website=www.ibdb.com}}</ref>
==Life== He was born in London in 1909
Singer was a regular in British post-war comedy films, often playing policemen.<ref>{{Cite web | url=http://movie-dude.co.uk/Campbell%20Singer.htm | title=Campbell Singer}}</ref> He first appeared on television in 1946, making regular appearances in the following three decades including several episodes of ''Hancock's Half Hour'', and played the lead, John Unthank, in the BBC drama series ''Private Investigator'' in 1958/59.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b9f568ba7|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170321185845/http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b9f568ba7|url-status=dead|archive-date=21 March 2017|title=Campbell Singer|publisher=}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xSmWVsDh8WEC&q=campbell+singer+private+investigator&pg=PA331|title=Famous Movie Detectives III|first=Michael R.|last=Pitts|date=28 October 2017|publisher=Scarecrow Press|via=Google Books|isbn=9780810836907}}</ref>
From the early 1960s he appeared more consistently on television. He played several roles in the 1966 ''Doctor Who'' story ''The Celestial Toymaker'', and made two appearances in different roles in the popular television series ''Dad's Army'', including as corrupt politician Sir Charles McAllister.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2009-03-13/the-celestial-toymaker/|title=The Celestial Toymaker ★★★★|publisher=}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HoqHel5bnfMC&q=campbell+singer+dad%27s+army&pg=PA193|title=Dad's Army: The Making of a TV Legend|first=Bill|last=Pertwee|date=3 November 2009|publisher=Bloomsbury USA|via=Google Books|isbn=9781844861057}}</ref> He appeared in the 1967 ''The Avengers'' episode entitled "Who's Who???" as Major B. He also featured as Mr Finney in a ''Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em'' Christmas Special, and played a lodger in an episode of ''On the Buses''.Singer also appeared as a bailiff in the Yorkshire Television series ''Rising Damp''<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IJQACAAAQBAJ&q=campbell+singer+some+mothers+do+%27ave+%27em+xmas+special&pg=PA510|title=The Kaleidoscope British Christmas Television Guide 1937-2013|first=Chris|last=Perry|date=3 February 2016|publisher=Lulu.com|via=Google Books|isbn=9781900203609}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VR25BAAAQBAJ&q=campbell+singer+dad%27s+army&pg=PA2092|title=On The Buses: The Complete Story|first=Craig|last=Walker|date=21 June 2011|publisher=Andrews UK Limited|via=Google Books|isbn=9781907792168}}</ref>
As a writer, Singer co-wrote several plays with George Ross, including ''Guilty Party'', ''Difference of Opinion'' and ''Any Other Business'', some of which were also televised.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://theatricalia.com/play/b16/guilty-party|title=Guilty Party - Theatricalia|website=theatricalia.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b8de04d36|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180803014703/https://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b8de04d36|url-status=dead|archive-date=3 August 2018|title=Difference of Opinion (1967)|publisher=}}</ref><ref name="encyclopedia">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lXnXDQAAQBAJ&q=campbell+singer+The+Encyclopedia+of+British+Film%3A+Fourth+edition&pg=PA706|title=The Encyclopedia of British Film: Fourth edition|first=Brian|last=McFarlane|date=16 May 2016|publisher=Oxford University Press|via=Google Books|isbn=9781526111975}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b8034ece6|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210302090415/https://www2.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b8034ece6|url-status=dead|archive-date=2 March 2021|title=Any Other Business (1964)|publisher=}}</ref>
==Filmography== {| class="wikitable" |- ! Year ! Title ! Role ! Notes |- | rowspan="3" |1947|| ''Take My Life'' || Police Station Sergeant || Uncredited |- | ''Jim the Penman'' || Sutro || |- | ''The Woman in the Hall'' || Von Soll's servant || |- | rowspan="2" |1948|| ''Dick Barton - Special Agent'' || Sir George Cavendish || |- | ''Operation Diamond'' || Bert || |- | rowspan="2" |1949|| ''The Spider and the Fly'' || Belfort's Escort || Uncredited |- | ''Rover and Me'' || Mr. Jackson || |- | rowspan="6" |1950|| ''The Blue Lamp'' || Station Sergeant || Uncredited |- | ''Hangman's Wharf'' || Inspector Prebble || |- | ''Someone at the Door'' || Inspector Spedding || |- | ''Cage of Gold'' || A Policeman || |- | ''Dick Barton at Bay'' || Sir George Cavendish || |- | ''Blackout'' || Inspector || |- | rowspan="4" |1951|| ''The Quiet Woman'' || || |- | ''Pool of London''|| Station Sgt. || Uncredited |- | ''A Case for PC 49''|| Sgt. Wright || |- | ''The Case of the Missing Scene''|| Film Producer || |- | rowspan="5" |1952|| ''The Happy Family''|| Policeman || |- | ''Home at Seven''|| Inspector Hemingway || |- | ''Emergency Call''|| Sgt. Phillips || |- | ''Lady in the Fog''|| Inspector Rigby || |- | ''The Ringer''|| Station Sergeant Carter || |- | rowspan="7" |1953|| ''Time Bomb''|| Inspector Branson || |- | ''The Yellow Balloon''|| Potter || |- | ''Appointment in London''|| Flight Sergeant || |- | ''The Titfield Thunderbolt''|| Police Sergeant || |- | ''Street Corner''|| Desk Sgt. Bates || Uncredited |- | ''The Intruder''|| War Office Clerk || |- | ''The Girl on the Pier''|| Joe Hammond || |- | rowspan="3" |1954|| ''Conflict of Wings''|| Flt. Sgt. Campbell || |- | ''Forbidden Cargo''|| Sergeant Dodson, River Police || Uncredited |- | ''To Dorothy a Son''|| Pub Landlord || |- |1956|| ''Ramsbottom Rides Again'' || || Uncredited |- | rowspan="3" |1958|| ''Davy'' || Stage Doorkeeper || |- | ''The Square Peg'' || Sergeant Loder || |- | ''The Young and the Guilty'' || Joe Marshall || |- |1959|| ''No Trees in the Street'' || Inspector || |- | rowspan="2" |1960|| ''The Trials of Oscar Wilde'' || Inspector || |- | ''The Hands of Orlac'' || Inspector Henderson || |- |1961|| ''Girl on the Roof'' || Sir Archibald || Uncredited |- | rowspan="4" |1962|| ''The Pot Carriers'' || Prison Officer Mott || |- | ''The Wild and the Willing'' || Herbert Gilby || Uncredited |- | ''On the Beat'' || Bollington || |- | ''Flat Two'' || Hurley Brown || |- |1963|| ''The Fast Lady'' || Kingscombe || |- |1964|| ''Go Kart Go'' || Policeman || |}
== Television == {| class="wikitable" |+ !Year !Title !Role !Notes |- |1951 |''The Man Who Disappeared'' |Dr. Watson |TV pilot |- |1951-59 |''BBC Sunday Night Theatre'' | rowspan="4" |Various |6 episodes |- |1956-63 |''ITV Television Playhouse'' |10 episodes |- |1957-59 |''Hancock's Half Hour'' |3 episodes |- |1957-64 |''ITV Play of the Week'' |7 episodes |- |1958 |''Dial 999'' |Major Turner-Smith |Episode: "Old Soldiers Never Die" |- |1958-63 |''Boyd Q.C.'' |Mr. Gill/Col. Berringer |3 episodes |- |1959 |''The Flying Doctor'' |Dan |Episode: "Ear Witness" |- | rowspan="4" |1960 |''Probation Officer'' |Mr. Curtis |1 episode |- |''Bootsie and Snudge'' |Sir Hubert Smythe |Episode: "Smudge's School Friend" |- |''Danger Man'' |General Abeijon / Colonel Segur |2 episodes |- |''Maigret'' |Inspector Pyke |Episode: "The Revolver" |- |1960-62 |''Citizen James'' | rowspan="2" |Various |6 episodes |- |1960-63 |''BBC Sunday-Night Play'' |2 episodes |- | rowspan="2" |1961 |''Armchair Theatre'' |Mr. Farber |Episode: "The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz" |- |''The Edgar Wallace Mystery Theater'' |Hurley Brown |Episode: "Flat Two" |- |1961-63 |''Coronation Street'' |Edwin Mason |3 episodes |- |1962 |''Thirty-Minute Theatre'' |Wally |Episode: "The Little Gold Mine" |- |1962-66 |''The Saint'' |Insp. Claud Teal/William Fenton |2 episodes |- | rowspan="3" |1963 |''Zero One'' |Lopez |Episode: "Stopover" |- |''The Plane Makers'' |Jack Sefton |Episodes: "All Part of the Job" |- |''That's My Boy'' |Police Sergeant |Episode: "It's a Plant" |- |1963-67 |''The Avengers'' |George Stanley/Major B | rowspan="2" |2 episodes |- |1963-72 |''Comedy Playhouse'' |Sir Rufus/Police Constable |- |1964 |''Crane'' |George Lewis |Episode: "The Man With the Big Feet" |- | rowspan="5" |1965 |''Six Shades of Black'' |Lord Henn |Episode: "The Good Woman of Chester Square" |- |''Armchair Mystery Theatre'' |Sgt. Cosley |Episode: "Man and Mirror" |- |''Our Man at St. Mark's'' |Geoffrey Rushton |Episode: "Edie's Acre" |- |''The Flying Swan'' |Colonel |Episode: "The Waiting Time" |- |''The Wednesday Play'' |Norman |Episode: "The Bond" |- | rowspan="3" |1966 |''Take a Pair of Private Eyes'' |Inspector Roth | rowspan="2" |4 episodes |- |''Quick Before They Catch Us'' |Captain Happy |- |''Doctor Who'' |Sgt. Rugg/King of Hearts/Joey the Clown |Serial: "The Celestial Toymaker" |- |1967 |''The Forsyte Saga'' |Lomax |4 episodes |- |1967-69 |''The Newcomers'' |Henry Burroughs |Regular |- |1970 |''Please Sir!'' |Recruiting Sergeant "Banger" King |Episode: "Enter Mr. Sibley" |- | rowspan="5" |1971 |''On the Buses'' |Mr. Nichols |Episode: "The Lodger" |- |''Doctor at Large'' |Police Sergeant |Episode: "You've Really Landed Me In It This Time" |- |''The Last of the Baskets'' |Mr. Kershaw |Episode: "Do Unto Others" |- |''The Persuaders!'' |Porter |Episode: "The Time and the Place" |- |''The Troubleshooters'' |Brigadier Worthington |Episode: "Monopoly With Real Money" |- |1971-72 |''Z-Cars'' |George Appleton/Edwards |2 episodes |- | rowspan="3" |1972 |''His and Hers'' |George Shewin |Episode: "Engagement" |- |''Nearest and Dearest'' |Magistrate |Episode: "A Pair of Bloomers" |- |''My Wife Next Door'' |Mr. Edwards |Episode: "Joint Assignment" |- |1972-75 |''Dad's Army'' |Sir Charles McCallister/Major General Menzies | rowspan="2" |2 episodes |- |1973 |''Sykes'' |Inspector |- |1974 |''The Dick Emery Show'' | |1 episode |- | rowspan="3" |1975 |''Dawson's Weekly'' |Colonel |Episode: "Les Miserables" |- |''Rising Damp'' |Flint |Episode: "The Last of the Big Spenders" |- |''Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em'' |Finney |Episode: "Learning to Drive" |}
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *{{IMDb name|0801907}} *{{IBDB name|95847}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Singer, Campbell}} Category:1909 births Category:1976 deaths Category:English male television actors Category:English male film actors Category:English male stage actors Category:20th-century English male actors Category:English male dramatists and playwrights Category:20th-century English male writers