The Late Great Ron Glass

It is a rare thing that an actor stars in more than one of my favourite television shows. Most of the time they only star in one. Ron Glass was one of those actors who starred in more than one of my favourite television shows. I first encountered him on television on a regular basis on Barney Miller, on which he played Detective Ron Harris. I would later see him on the short-lived, cult, sci-fi series Firefly, on which he played Shepherd Derrial Book. The two shows couldn't have been more different. One was a situation comedy centred on a police station in Greenwich Village in New York City. The other was a space Western set in a star cluster in 2517. The two characters couldn't have been more different either. Detective Harris was an intellectual with a taste for fashion. While Shepherd Book was also an intellectual, he was a Christian preacher who does not mind a more ascetic lifestyle. In between these shows Ron Glass appeared on an number of series, both as a regular and a guest star. Sadly, Ron Glass died on November 25 2016 at the age of 71. The cause was respiratory failure.

Ron Glass was born in Evansville, Indiana on July 10 1945. He graduated from Saint Francis Seminary in 1964 and then received a bachelor's degree from the University of Evansville . He made his debut on stage at the Guthrie Theatre in Minneapolis. It was in 1972 that he made his television debut in the Sanford and Son episode "The Card Sharks". It was followed by guest appearances on such shows as Maude, Hawaii Five-O, The Bob Newhart Show, Good Times, When Things Were Rotten, and The Streets of San Francisco. It was in 1975 that he first played Detective Harris on Barney Miller. In 1982 he was nominated for the Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy or Variety or Music Series for the role. He remained with Barney Miller for the entirety of its run.

In the Eighties Ron Glass played the role of perpetual neat freak Felix Unger on the short-lived, African American version of The Odd Couple. He guest starred on such shows as The Love Boat; The Twilight Zone; 227; and Amen. He narrated the film Sound of Sunshine - Sound of Rain (1983) and appeared in the film Deep Space (1988).

In the Nineties he starred on the short-lived sitcom Rhythm & Blues, the sitcom Mr. Rhodes, and the sitcom Teen Angel. He provided the voice of neighbour Randy Carmichael on the long running animated series Rugrats. He guest starred on such shows as Amen; Murder, She Wrote; The Royal Family; Designing Women; Friends; The Practice; and Star Trek: Voyager. He appeared in the films Houseguest (1995), It's My Party (1996), Back in Business (1997), and Unbowed (1999).

In the Naughts Ron Glass was cast as Shepherd Book on Firefly. While the show was very swiftly cancelled by Fox, it developed a large cult following and remains popular to this day. He reprised the role in  the film based on the series, Serenity (2005). He continued to voice Randy Carmichael on Rugrats and later on its spinoff All Grown Up!. He guest starred on such shows as Rude Awakening, The Education of Max Bickford, The Proud Family, Shark, and Dirty Sexy Money. In addition to Serenity he appeared in the films Lakeview Terrace (2008) and Death at a Funeral (2010). He provided a voice for the video game Fable II.

In the Teens Mr. Glass guest starred on the shows CSI: NY, Major Crimes, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. He appeared in the film Just Another Man's Story (2013). He provided a voice for the video game Ancient Space.

I won't deny that this had been one of the harder eulogies for me to write this year. As I mentioned earlier, Ron Glass starred in two of my favourite television shows of all time, Barney Miller and Firefly. He also appeared on many other shows, from Sanford and Son to Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. I have admired him since childhood. I was not prepared for a world without Ron Glass. I sincerely thought he would be with us for many more years to come.

Of course, I am sure I am not alone in this. It is not simply a case of Mr. Glass starring in several beloved shows. The simple fact is that he was an extremely talented actor. This can be seen in his two most famous roles. On Barney Miller Detective Ron Harris was an intellectual who may well have loved writing more than police work. Not only was he easily the smartest man in the squad room, he was also easily the best dressed.  On Firefly Shepherd Book was also an intellectual, but for him spirituality was the most important thing in life. He served as the voice of reason and the moral compass for the sometimes rambunctious crew of Serenity. The two characters are quite different, and yet Ron Glass played them both very well.

That having been said, Ron Glass played much more than Detective Harris and  Shepherd Book. Short of Tony Randall, he was perhaps the best Felix Unger ever on television and in  film.  In Unbowed he played President Duquesne, the head of an all-black college who must deal with the conflict between Lakota Sioux who have enrolled there and the black students. In the Eighties Twilight Zone episode "I of Newton" he played the Devil himself. Over the years Ron Glass played everything from medical doctors to politicians to lawyers, and he played all of them well.

Beyond being a very talented actor, it must be said that Ron Glass was also a very good man. The cast of Firefly always had the best things to say about him, always remarking on his kindness, his gentleness, and his generosity. His fans said the same things about him. He always had a way of making fans feel important and special. In many respects he was a lot like Shepherd Book--a genuinely honourable man who was always kind to others. Indeed, Mr. Glass devoted much of his time to the Wooten Centre, a non-profit organisation in Los Angeles that helps students from grades 3 to 12 prepare for college. He served on its board of directors and was its chairman from 1993 to 2005. Despite all the years he was involved with the Wooten Centre, he never publicised it.  In the end Ron Glass was not simply a very talented actor. He was also a truly great gentleman.

Lyndsy Spence Talks About Her New Book on Doris Delevingne

If you are a regular reader of A Shroud of Thoughts, then chances are good that you are familiar with author Lyndsy Spence. Miss Spence has a talent for writing books on interesting women. She made her debut with a book about the Mitford Sisters, The Mitford Girls' Guide to Life. She followed it up with biographies of the controversial Diana Mosley (Mrs Guinness: The Rise and Fall of Diana Mitford) and beloved film legend Margaret Lockwood (Margaret Lockwood: Queen of the Silver Screen). Her current book, The Mistress of Mayfair: Men, Money and the Marriage of Doris Delevingne, is about scandalous Twenties and Thirties socialite Doris Delevingne, Lady Castlerosse. Lady Castlerosse was linked to some of the most powerful men of the era: Sir Winston Churchill; Sir Cecil Beaton; Sir Alfred Beit; and others. In her social circle were included everyone from British aristocrats to Hollywood royalty. I had a chance to ask Lyndsy Spence a few questions about The Mistress of Mayfair: Men, Money and the Marriage of Doris Delevingne.

A lot of my American readers probably aren't familiar with Doris Delevingne, so could you explain who she was?

Much like modern celebrities, the 1920s and 30s was an era when one could be famous for doing very little, especially if one were a debutante. Or, in Doris's case, for courting infamy. She clawed her way to the top of the social ladder and progressed from selling second-hand evening dresses to chorus girls, to working as a show girl, and then becoming a courtesan. Of course, today Cara Delevingne (Doris's great-niece) has put the family's name on the map, but Doris was quite the star in her day.

What drew you to Doris Delevingne as a subject?

Her name often pops up in biographies but very little was known about Doris, and was has been written about her is quite often misconstrued. Doris herself was very candid about her exploits and I discovered her confessions in various letters locked away in archives. The latter is the reason I enjoy the research stage so much. Anyhow, I love that Doris was practically self-made and she was unapologetic about her lifestyle. She was a trailblazer in an era when women of her class were expected to marry and have children, and she literally grabbed life by the scruff of the neck. I also admire her flaws and, I think, that makes her all the more human. She was just an ordinary girl who set out to be an extraordinary woman.

Doris had affairs with several important men. What appeal do you think she held for them?

I think she was the polar opposite of a debutante and of the women they were expected to, and did, marry. She spoke her mind, had her own money, was not afraid to call the shots. I think men found that appealing and terribly exciting. She was imitating how those men lived and had adopted their point of view, all the while looking very feminine. I also think her profession had something to do with it!

Doris knew some fairly famous people. Who were some of her acquaintances?

Doris knew EVERYONE! Amongst her famous admirers were Winston and Randolph Churchill, Cecil Beaton, Lord Beaverbrook, Gerald Berners, Noel Coward, Michael Arlen, Diana and Nancy Mitford, the Aly Khan, Maxine Elliot, and, of course, her husband Viscount Castlerosse – then the most famous gossip columnist in 20s and 30s London.

What are some of your other projects on which you are currently working?

I am working on a collection of mini biographies of high society women who appear in my books and who deserve wider recognition. Although the portraits are not full-length biographies, I am doing a lot of original research and I have chosen various fun ladies such as Marg of Arg, Enid Lindeman and Mariga Guinness. There will be about 12 in total. I'm also researching my new book, which will be on a group of socialites who lived in a far-off land.

 The Mistress of Mayfair: Men, Money and the Marriage of Doris Delevingne by Lyndsy Spence is available at Amazon, History Press, and other fine book sellers.

The Famous 3000th Post

Give or take a few posts that may have been lost along the way (Blogger wasn't always reliable in the early years), this is the 3000th post of A Shroud of Thoughts. Back when I began this blog on June 4 2004 I never dreamed I would reach 1000 posts, let alone 3000 posts. It seems a bit of miracle that I have. For those of you who are curious, I think that comes out to 240 posts a year or 4.6 posts a week.

In fact, provided I post nearly every day through December, 2016 is on course to break the record for the most number of posts in a year. The current record holder is 2010 with 272 posts. I figure if I keep up 7 posts a week, I'll reach 275 by the end of the year. Sadly, I swear most of this year's posts have been eulogies.

Over the years I can't say that A Shroud of Thoughts has evolved much. It has always been devoted to popular culture. That having been said, there have been a few changes over the years. I used to address more recent films, TV shows, and music in the blog, but I ceased doing so several years ago. This actually wasn't a conscious decision. I simply prefer writing about the films, TV shows, and music of yore to the films, TV shows, and music of today. Another change is that at one time I wrote a few more personal posts. I dropped those after about the first year. Besides being a very private person, I really don't think anyone is much interested in my life.

Another change for which I have never particularly cared is that I write many more eulogies in A Shroud of Thoughts than I did when I began. The sad fact is that the classic stars of film, television, and music are dying at a much faster rate than they were in 2004. I have to confess I have never much cared for writing eulogies. Quite simply, to do so means that someone has died. For those wondering why I call them "eulogies" rather than "obituaries", it is quite simple. To me an obituary is an objective announcement of someone's death, while a eulogy is a celebration of that individual's life. Given how emotional I can be in my eulogies, it would be improper to call them "obituaries".

I really don't have any regrets about having begun A Shroud of Thoughts save one. I wish I had chosen another name. "A Shroud of Thoughts"is taken from  Lord Byron's Childe Harold's Pilgrimage canto iii stanza 113. I chose it because at the time the trend in blog titles tended towards those including the word "thoughts" or a synonym thereof. In retrospect, I should have chosen a title more fitting a pop culture blog. I discovered the word "retrophilia" a few years after starting A Shroud of Thoughts. It means "a love of times left behind." I did use it for the title of my Tumblr blog. The simple fact is that by the time I'd thought of changing the title, A Shroud of Thoughts already had a readership. I was afraid a title change would confuse my readers.

Anyhow, I have enjoyed writing A Shroud of Thoughts over the past 12 and a half years. Given the length of my posts and how often I post, it has meant a substantial investment of time on my part. And I do wish I could actually make a living writing the blog. That having been said, as Confucius said, " Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life." I certainly do love writing A Shroud of Thoughts and I can't see giving it up any time soon. I hope that both A Shroud of Thoughts (and myself for that matter) are around for another 3000 posts.

Florence Henderson R.I.P.

Singer and actress Florence Henderson died on November 24 2016 at the age of 82. The cause was heart failure. She was a veteran of the TV shows Today and The Brady Bunch.

Florence Henderson was born on February 14 1934 in Dale, Indiana. She was the youngest of ten children, born to a tobacco sharecropper. Her mother taught her to sing at age 2. Her family being poor, she started working when she was only 8 years old, babysitting and cleaning houses. She would sometimes sing in order to get groceries. She attended  St. Francis Academy in Owensboro, Kentucky. After graduating she moved to New York City and attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts.

She made her debut on Broadway in Wish You Were Here in 1952. In the Fifties she also appeared on Broadway in Oklahoma! and Fanny. She made her television debut as part of the cast of Oklahoma in 1954 on the special General Foods 25th Anniversary Show: A Salute to Rodgers and Hammerstein. In the Fifties she appeared on such shows as The Big Record, The Patti Page Oldsmobile Show, Oldsmobile Music Theatre, The Voice of Firestone, The Bing Crosby Show, and I've Got a Secret. She guest starred on The U.S. Steel Hour. She was a regular on The Jack Paar Tonight Show.

In the Sixties she guest starred on I Spy. She appeared in such shows as The Gary Moore Show, The Dean Martin Show, Hollywood Palace, To Tell the Truth, and The Ed Sullivan Show. She was the host of The Bell Telephone Hour and a regular and The Today Show and The Jack Paar Programme. It was in 1969 that she was cast as Carol Brady on the highly successful sitcom The Brady Bunch. She appeared on Broadway in The Girl Who Came to Supper.

In the Seventies she continued to appear on The Brady Bunch. She also appeared in the spinoff The Brady Bunch Variety Hour. She guest starred on Medical Centre, 3 Girls 3, Good Heavens, and The Love Boat. She appeared in the film Song of Norway (1970).

In the Eighties Miss Henderson guest starred on such shows as Hart to Hart, Police Squad!, Alice, Fantasy Island, Glitter, Day By Day, and Murder, She Wrote.  She reprised her role as Carol Brady on The Brady Brides and The Bradys. In the Nineties she appeared in the films Shakes the Clown (1991), Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult (1994), The Brady Bunch Movie (1995), and For Goodness Sake II (1996). She guest starred on such shows as  Roseanne, Dave's World, Ellen, Hercules, Ally McBeal, and King of Queens.

In the Naughts she appeared in such films as Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star (2003), For Heaven's Sake (2008), The Christmas Bunny (2010), and Venus & Vegas (2010). In the Teens she guest starred on such shows as The Cleveland Show, Happily Divorced, 30 Rock, Trophy Wife, Sofia the First, K.C. Undercover, and The Eleventh. She appeared in the film Fifty Shades of Black (2016).

As many of you know, I was never a fan of The Brady Bunch, not even as a lad. That having been said, I always have liked Florence Henderson. What many forget is that she was a wonderful singer. She had a simply incredible voice. Had she been born in an earlier era, I rather suspect she would have been a star of Hollywood musicals. Florence Hendrson was also bright and gifted a wickedly twisted sense of humour. I loved seeing her on talk shows and game shows, as I swear she could make me laugh more than many professional comedians. Miss Henderson's sense of humour came in use in the many sitcoms on which she guest starred, not to mention the comedy films in which she appeared. She was a very talented lady, and one who was always guaranteed to bring smiles to people's faces.

Godspeed John Carson

John Carson, who starred in the Sixties TV series The Troubleshooters, guest starred on such shows as The Avengers, Adam Adamant Lives!, The Saint, and Department S, and appeared in such films as The Plague of Zombies (1966) and Kronos (1974), died on November 5 2016 at the age of 89.

John Carson was born on February 28 1927 in Colombo, Ceylon (now Sri Lanka). His parents were British subjects. His father worked on various  tea and rubber plantations. Mr. Carson was educated in Australia. He returned to the United Kingdom to fulfil his national service as an artillery officer in an anti-aircraft unit in 1944-45. Afterwards he worked as a pianist's page turner at Covent Garden, and he studied law at Queen’s College in Oxford. He then moved to New Zealand where he performed in amateur theatre. Before long he got professional work in radio shows. He joined the New Zealand Players.

John Carson returned to the United Kingdom in the Fifties. He had made his film debut in Teheran in 1946. He made his television debut episodes of Boston Blackie in 1952. In the Fifties he appeared in such films as Quentin Durward (1955), Ramsbottom Rides Again (1956), Intent to Kill (1958), and The Lady Is a Square (1959).  He starred in the TV series Emergency-Ward 10 in 1959. He guest starred on such shows as Sword of Freedom, Ivanhoe, William Tell, The Invisible Man, Armchair Theatre, BBC Sunday-Night Theatre, Formula for Danger, and The Adventures of Robin Hood.

In the Sixties John Carson starred in the mini-series Oliver Twist. He starred on the shows It's Dark Outside, Hereward the Wake, The Troubleshooters, and Dombey and Son. He guest starred on such shows as The Pursuers, Out of This World, Man of the World, Suspense, Ghost Squad, First Night, Maigret, The Protectors, The Avengers, Court Martial, The Baron, Public Eye, Adam Adamant Lives!, The Saint, Man in a Suitcase, The Champions, and Department S. He appeared in the films Seven Keys (1961), Locker 69 (1962), Guns of Darkness (1962), Master Spy (1963), Accidental Death (1963), The Set Up (1963), Smokescreen (1964), Act of Murder (1964), The Night Caller (1965), The Plague of the Zombies (1966), The Man Who Haunted Himself (1970), and Taste the Blood of Dracula (1970).

In the Seventies Mr. Carson starred in the mini-series Emma and Kidnapped. He guest starred on such shows as Paul Temple, Out of the Unknown, Love Story, The Adventures of Black Beauty, Thriller, Dixon of Dock Green, The New Avengers, Raffles, The Famous Five, The Professionals, Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson, Tales of the Unexpected, and Hammer House of Horror. He appeared in the films Male Bait (1971) and Kronos (1974).

In the Eighties John Carson starred in the programmes Frost in May and Shaka Zulu. He guest starred on Sunday Night Thriller, Cribb, King's Royal, Doctor Who, and Screen One. He appeared in the films Skating on Thin Uys (1985), An African Dream (1987), City of Blood (1987), Tenth of a Second (1987), Survivor (1987), Diamonds High (1988), and Schweitzer (1990).

In the Nineties he appeared in such films as My Daughter's Keeper (1991), The Sheltering Desert (1991), Operation Delta Force 3: Clear Target (1998), and I Dreamed of Africa (2000). He appeared on the mini-series Death in the Family and Rhodes. He guest starred on the shows Maigret, The Adventures of Sinbad, and CI5: The New Professionals. In the Naughts and Teens he guest starred on Agatha Christie's Poirot, Doctors, Silent Witness, and Midsomer Murders. He appeared in the films Build (2004), Courts mais GAY: Tome 11 (2006), The Deal (2008), and Picture Perfect (2013). His last appearance was in the straight to video documentary Amicus: Vault of Horrors.

John Carson had an aristocratic mien that allowed him to play a wide variety of characters, from nobility to eccentrics to outright villains. What is more, he had the talent to play nearly anything. While he rarely played the lead character, his characters were often much more interesting than any given lead. He certainly played more than his share of bad guys. In The Plague of the Zombies he was the corrupt Squire Clive Hamilton, who had picked up a very unique skill set after living in Haiti for several years. In The Avengers episode "Dial a Deadly Number" he played the rather sinister back room boy Fitch, who is obsessed with clocks and murder. Of course, Mr. Carson played his share of good guys as well. In Kronos he played the good hearted and slightly eccentric, but ill-fated Dr. Marcus. Often the characters he played were neither good nor evil, but somewhere in between. In Taste the Blood of Dracula he played an English gentleman looking for cheap thrills. Unfortunately he crosses Dracula in the process. John Carson was an extremely talented actor who could play a wide variety of roles. What is more, he never gave a bad performance, regardless of the material.

Happy Thanksgiving 2016

Let's face it. 2016 has not been the best of years. Even so, I have to say that I still have much for which to be thankful: I am alive; I have a home; I have family who love me; and I have many dear friends. In the end, I think that may be more than many people have.

Regardless, it is a tradition here at A Shroud of Thoughts to post classic Hollywood pinups on major holidays. Thanksgiving is no different. Without further ado, here are this year's pinups!

First up is the lovely Ann Blyth with a Thanksgiving greeting.

Adele Jergens apparently prefers walking turkeys to feeding them!

And Vera-Ellen apparently prefers to feed her turkey to eating him!

Peggy Shannon has bagged her turkey!

Gale Robbins has put her turkey to work!

And, finally, Ann Miller is carving a turkey!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Michael Gough's Best Roles

It was 100 years ago today that English actor Michael Gough was born in  Kuala Lumpur, Federated Malay States (now Malaysia). Today Michael Gough is probably best known for playing Bruce Wayne's faithful butler Alfred Pennyworth in the "Batman" movies of the Nineties. While Alfred may be his biggest claim to fame these days, Mr. Gough was a prolific actor who played a large number of diverse roles. Not only did he appear in Hammer Films and horror movies from other companies, but he was also a fixture on British television in the Sixties, Seventies, an Eighties. In fact, many of Michael Gough's roles were closer to the supervillains Batman often faced than they were Alfred Pennyworth.

This was certainly true of what may well be the two most famous roles Michael Gough played on television. It was on The Avengers episode "The Cybernauts" that he played Dr. Armstrong, inventor of the nearly indestructible robots of the title. Dr. Armstrong was a wheelchair-bound former ministry scientist and current chairman of United Automation. Having developed the Cybernauts, he puts them to use killing off business rivals and pretty much anyone else who stands in his way. As played by Michael Gough, Dr. Armstrong is among the best villains ever faced by John Steed and his partner of the moment (in this case, the exquisite Emma Peel). Dr. Armstrong believes, in his own words, "We human beings are fallible, temperamental, and so often unreliable. The machine, however, is obedient and invariably more competent." As cold hearted as any of his machines, Dr. Armstrong was completely a technocrat who preferred automation to human interactions. "The Cybernauts" would prove popular enough to produce a sequel, "Return of the Cybernauts", in which the villain was also played by a Hammer alumnus: Peter Cushing.

Michael Gough's other famous television role was that of the Celestial Toymaker in the Doctor Who serial of the same name. Sadly, every episode of "The Celestial Toymaker" save for the last, "The Final Test", is missing. Fortunately audio of the serial recorded by fans has survived. From the surviving audio and the remaining episode it is clear that the Celestial Toymaker numbers among Michael Gough's best roles. The Celestial Toymaker is a powerful alien with nearly godlike powers who uses lesser beings as his playthings. To this end, he renders The Doctor invisible and then forces The Doctor and his companions to engage in various games before he will return them to the TARDIS (which, for simplicity's sake, can be described as The Doctor's time machine and spaceship). The Celestial Toymaker is at once arrogant and childish--he is never happy when he loses a game. Of course, it is probably very rare that the Celestial Toymaker ever loses, as he always rigs the games in his favour.

Michael Gough appeared on much more than television shows. He made a good many films as well. As mentioned earlier, he was a veteran of Hammer Films. It was in Hammer's Dracula (1958) that he played Arthur Holmwood, the wealthy socialite who ultimately assists Van Helsing in stopping Dracula. In Hammer's Phantom of the Opera (1962), Mr. Gough played  Lord Ambrose D'Arcy, a pompous aristocrat and patron of the opera. Although not a villain on the level of Dr. Armstrong or the Celestial Toymaker, D'Arcy is still a far cry from Alfred Pennyworth or Arthur Holmwood. He is self-important, lecherous, and wholly dishonest. In fact, he is so thoroughly unlikeable that I suspect most viewers are rooting for the Phantom to give him his comeuppance!

Michael Gough also appeared in horror films beyond those produced by Hammer Films. In fact, his part in Anglo-Amalgamated's Horrors of the Black Museum may be the most screen time he had in nay film. In the film Mr. Gough plays crime writer Edmond Bancroft. Seeking inspiration for his stories, he launches a series of grisly murders that draw upon Scotland Yard's Black Museum (a collection of crime artefacts) for inspiration. As villains go, Bancroft is among the most sinister ever played by Michael Gough. He is a writer so preoccupied with his writing that he is willing to kill for it. What is more, he owns his own, private black museum filled with weapons and instruments of torture. Michael Gough plays the role with plenty of relish, so much so that even Vincent Price could not have done better (in fact, producer Herman Cohen had wanted Mr. Price for the role, but Anglo-Amalgamated wanted a British actor).

Even in horror movies Michael Gough did not always play villains. In the portmanteau film Dr. Terror's House of Horrors (1965) he appeared in the segment "Disembodied Hand". Mr. Gough played the tragic painter Eric Landor who finds himself humiliated by art critic Franklyn Marsh (played by Christopher Lee). Of course, Marsh gets his comeuppance in the end.

With his aristocratic bearing, it should come as no surprise that Michael Gough was often cast as nobles. This was true of one of his earliest and best film roles, that of the Duke of Buckingham in The Sword and the Rose. The Duke of Buckingham has his heart set on marrying Mary Tudor, to the point that he is willing to kill to insure that he does. Mr. Gough's Duke of Buckingham is aristocratic, scheming, and entirely villainous. Of course, not all of the English gentlemen played by Michael Gough were villains. He played David Livingstone in BBC's 1971 mini-series The Search for the Nile and Anthony Eden in the television movie Suez.

Michael Gough was remarkable as Alfred Pennyworth in the "Batman" movies of the Nineties. In fact, aside from Alan Napier he may have been the best Alfred ever. That having been said, in a long career that spanned over sixty years he played many more roles, some of which were very different from the faithful doctor. He was an actor of such talent that he could elevate even the worst of films. While some of the films in which Mr. Gough appeared were not necessarily good, he always gave a great performance.