Sam Kydd

Prolific Film and TV actor 1945–82 Was in more films than any other British actor. 290 plus. And hundreds and hundreds of TV performances frequently as sidekicks. He moved seamlessly from comedy to drama playing cockneys and Irishmen but when in sketch series in the 50s and early 60s would show his immense versatility with a variety of different characters and accents ( he was originally an impressionist). He starred in Crane and Orlando on TV ( 14 episodes of Dixon of Dock Green as 11 different crooks with a heart of gold) and was known for being in classic films like I’m Alright Jack (As the stuttering shop steward) Cruel Sea (playing Carslake, having a big scene cut and also dubbing three other actors) Captive Heart, Hornblower, They Made me a Fugitive, Reach for The Sky, Treasure Island, Small Back Room, They Who Dare, etc. He has a website samkydd.com. His theatre work was sporadic as he earned more money on film and TV Though he started out in 1938 at Hammersmith Palais, spent 4 years doing shows in the Top Hat Theatre in prison camp (where he applied for an Equity card!) Was post war at Butlins Skegness as ASM/actor and did revue in Germany for the occupying forces and a brief stint at the Theatre Royal Windsor. He also did Kenneth Tynan’s first production. Once a star in the 70s he was in Laburnum Grove on tour and in the West End with Arthur Lowe and another tour of a play called Who Goes Bare and several pantos at Bromley and Preston and Whitehaven. He died from a lung complaint associated with emphysema.He wrote a book about his experiences as a POW called For You the War is Over which sold 50000 in 1973 (soon to be republished by his son Jonathan) and there is the first part of a series of memoirs available on Amazon Be a Good Boy Sam which covers his acting career 1945–52 a period in which he was in 119 films. The other volumes 1952–60 (Never Mind the Acting Just say the Words’ and 60 to 69 (Crane and Orlando and more) and 69 to 82 are soon to be published.