1. Theatre, Film, and Television Biographies
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Alan Bates Biography (1934-)

Full name, Alan Arthur Bates; born February 17, 1934, in Allestree, Derbyshire, England; son of Harold Arthur (an insurance broker) and Florence Mary (a homemaker; maiden name, Wheatcroft) Bates; married Victoria Valerie Ward (an actress), 1970 (died, 1992); children: Benedick (an actor and model), Tristan(an actor and model; died, 1990). Addresses: Agent: Chatto & Linnit, Prince of Wales Theatre, Coventry St., London W1V 7FE, England; International Creative Management, 8942 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills, CA 90211.

Nationality

British

Gender

Male

Occupation

Actor

Birth Details

February 17, 1934

Allestree, Derbyshire, England

Famous Works

• CREDITS
• Film Appearances
• It's Never Too Late, Pathe/Associated British, 1956
• Frank Rice, The Entertainer, Bryanston/British Lion, 1960
• Arthur Blakey, Whistle down the Wind, Pathe, 1961
• Vic Brown, A Kind of Loving, Governor, 1962
• Stephen Maddox, The Running Man (also known as Carol Reed'sThe Running Man), Columbia, 1963
• Mick, The Caretaker (also known as The Guest), Janus, 1964
• Jimmy Brewster, Nothing but the Best, Royal, 1964
• Basil, Zorba the Greek (also known as Alexis Zorbas), International Classics, 1964
• Narrator, Insh'Allah, 1965
• Jos, Georgy Girl, Columbia, 1966
• Gabriel Oak, Far from the Madding Crowd, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1967
• Private Charles Plumpick, Le roi de coeur (also known as King of Hearts and Tutti pazzio meno io), Lopert/United Artists, 1967
• Rece do gory (also known as Hands Up!), \[Poland\], 1967
• Yakov Bok, The Fixer, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1968
• Rupert Birkin, Women in Love, United Artists, 1969
• Colonel Vershinin, Three Sisters, American Film Theatre, 1970
• Ted Burgess, The Go-Between, Columbia, 1971
• Bri, A Day in the Death of Joe Egg, Columbia, 1972
• Second Best (short film), 1972
• Harry, Story of a Love Story (also known as Impossible Object, L'impossible objet, and Questo impossibile oggetto), Valoria, 1973
• Ben Butley (title role), Butley, American Film Theatre, 1974
• Mikis Theodorakis: A Profile of Greatness, 1974
• Andrew Shaw, In Celebration, American Film Theatre, 1975
• Rudi von Starnberg, Royal Flash, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1975
• Charles Crossley, The Shout, Films, Inc., 1978
• Saul Kaplan, An Unmarried Woman, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1978
• Rudge, The Rose, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1979
• Sergei Diaghilev, Nijinsky, Paramount, 1980
• H. J. Heidler, Quartet, New World Pictures, 1981
• Mr. Macready, Brittania Hospital, Universal, 1982
• Captain Chris Baldry, Return of the Soldier, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1983
• Captain Jerry Jackson, The Wicked Lady, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/UnitedArtists, 1983
• David Cornwallis, Duet for One, Cannon, 1986
• Dandy Jack Meehan, A Prayer for the Dying, Samuel Goldwyn Company,1987
• Frank Meadows, We Think the World of You, Cinecom International, 1988
• Say Anything, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1989
• Malcolm Forrest, Force majeure (also known as Uncontrollable Circumstances), Fildebroc, 1989
• Inspector Felix Detweiler, Mr. Frost, Triumph Releasing, 1990
• Claudius, Hamlet, Warner Bros., 1990
• Dr. Marsfeldt and guru, Club Extinction (also known as Dr. M. and Docteur M.), Prism Entertainment, 1990
• John, Secret Friends, Briar Patch Film Corporation, 1992
• James Prentis, Shuttlecock (also known as Entre chien et loup), \[Great Britain and France\], 1992
• Eamon McCree, Silent Tongue, Trimark Pictures, 1994
• Sir Hugo Coal, Gentlemen Don't Eat Poets (also known as Grave Indiscretion and The Grotesque), LIVE Entertainment, 1995
• Gayev, Varya (also known as The Cherry Orchard and La cerisaie), Les Films de l'Astre, 1999
• Film Work
• Coproducer, Second Best (short film), 1972
• Television Appearances
• Miniseries
• Michael Henchard (title role), The Mayor of Casterbridge, BBC, 1978 , then broadcast on Masterpiece Theatre, PBS, 1978
• Oliver, "Oliver's Travels," Mystery!, PBS, 1996
• Storyteller, Arabian Nights, ABC, 2000
• Movies
• Narrator, The Story of Jacob and Joseph, ABC, 1974
• Reginald "Reg" Green, Nicholas's Gift (also known as Il dono di Nicholas), CBS, 1998
• Calpornius, St. Patrick: The Irish Legend, Fox Family Channel, 2000
• Specials
• Duel for Love, ABC, 1959
• Three on a Gas Ring, ABC, 1959
• The Wind and the Rain, Granada Television, 1959
• The Square Ring, Associated Rediffusion Television, 1959
• The Juke Box, Associated Rediffusion Television, 1959
• A Memory of Two Mondays, Granada Television, 1959
• The Thug, ABC, 1959
• A Hero of Our Time (also known as Wednesday Play: A Hero of OurTime), BBC, 1966
• Peter, Plaintiffs and Defendants (also known as Play for Today:Plaintiffs and Defendants), BBC, 1975
• Charles, Two Sundays (also known as Play for Today: Two Sundays), BBC, 1975
• James, The Collection (also known as Laurence Olivier Presents:The Collection), Granada Television, 1976
• Cliff Lewis, Look Back in Anger, BBC, 1976
• Where Adam Stood, BBC, 1976
• Sir Jock Mellor, Very Like a Whale, 1981
• Siegmund, The Trespasser, 1981
• The son, A Voyage 'round My Father, PBS, 1982
• John Malcolm and Major Pollack, Separate Tables, HBO, 1983
• Guy Burgess, An Englishman Abroad, BBC, 1983 , then PBS, 1983
• Alfred Jones, Dr. Fischer of Geneva, BBC-2, 1984 , then broadcaston Great Performances, PBS, 1985
• One for the Road, 1986
• Stewart, "Pack of Lies," Hallmark Hall of Fame, CBS, 1987
• Blair, The Dog It Was That Died, Granada Television, 1988
• Host, One Man in His Time: A Tribute to Laurence Olivier, Arts andEntertainment, 1990
• Classic Mel: The Making of Mel Gibson's Hamlet, HBO, 1991
• Losing Track, BBC, 1991
• Marcel Proust, "102 Boulevard Haussmann," A & E Stage, Arts and Entertainment, 1991
• Hamish Partt, Unnatural Pursuits, BBC, 1991 , Arts and Entertainment, 1994
• Josiah Bounderby, Hard Times (also known as Charles Dickens' Hard Times), BBC, 1994 , then broadcast on Masterpiece Theatre,PBS, 1995
• Episodic
• John Fabian, "And So Died Riabouchinska," Ray Bradbury Theatre, HBO, 1985
• Stage Appearances
• You and Your Wife, Midland Theatre Company, Coventry, England, 1955
• Simon Fellowes, The Mulberry Bush, Royal Court Theatre, London, England, 1956
• Hopkins, The Crucible, English Stage Company, Royal Court Theatre,1956
• Cliff Lewis, Look Back in Anger, English Stage Company, Royal Court Theatre, 1956
• Mr. Harcourt, The Country Wife, English Stage Company, Royal CourtTheatre, 1956
• Stapleton, Cards of Identity, English Stage Company, Royal Court Theatre, 1956
• Monsieur le Cracheton, The Apollo de Bellac, English Stage Company, Royal Court Theatre, 1957
• Dr. Brock, Yes--and After, English Stage Company, Royal Court Theatre, 1957
• Cliff Lewis, Look Back in Anger, English Stage Company, World Youth Festival, Moscow, Soviet Union (now Russia), 1957 , then Edinburgh Festival, Edinburgh, Scotland, 1958 , later Lyceum Theatre, New York City, 1958
• Edmund Tyrone, Long Day's Journey into Night, Edinburgh Festival, Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh, Scotland, then Globe Theatre, London, England,both 1958
• Mick, The Caretaker, Arts Theatre, then Duchess Theatre, both London, England, 1960 , later Lyceum Theatre, New York City, 1961
• Richard Ford, Poor Richard, Helen Hayes Theatre, New York City, 1964
• Adam, The Four Seasons, Saville Theatre, London, England, 1965
• Mr. Ford, The Merry Wives of Windsor, Stratford Shakespearean Festival, Stratford, Ontario, Canada, 1967
• Title role, Richard III, Stratford Shakespearean Festival, 1967
• Andrew Shaw, In Celebration, Royal Court Theatre, 1969
• Jaffer, Venice Preserved, Bristol Old Vic Company, Royale Theatre,Bristol, England, 1969
• Title role, Hamlet, Nottingham Playhouse, Nottingham, England, 1971
• Ben Butley (title role), Butley, Criterion Theatre, London, England, 1971 , then Morosco Theatre, New York City, 1972
• Petruchio, The Taming of the Shrew, Royal Shakespeare Company, Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon, England, 1973
• Allott, Life Class, Royal Court Theatre, then Duke of York's Theatre, London, England, both 1974
• Simon Hench, Otherwise Engaged, Queen's Theatre, London, England, 1975
• Boris Trigorin, The Seagull, Duke of York's Theatre, 1976
• Robert, Stage Struck, Vaudeville Theatre, London, England, 1979
• Alfred Redl, A Patriot for Me, Chichester Festival Theatre, Chichester, England, then Haymarket Theatre Royal, London, England, both 1983 , later Center Theatre Group, Ahmanson Theatre, Los Angeles, CA, 1984
• Nicholas (the inquisitor), One for the Road (double-bill with Victoria Station), Lyric (Hammersmith) Theatre, London, England, 1984
• The cabbie, Victoria Station (double-bill with One for the Road), Lyric (Hammersmith) Theatre, 1984
• Edgar, The Dance of Death, Riverside Studios, London, England, 1985
• Title role (King David's nephew), Yonadab, National Theatre, London, England, 1985
• (With Patrick Garland) Down Cemetery Road (poetry recital), 1986
• Mark Melon (title role), Melon, Haymarket Theatre Royal, 1987
• Nikolai Ivanov (title role), Ivanov, Strand Theatre, London, England, 1989
• Benedick, Much Ado about Nothing, Strand Theatre, 1989
• A Muse of Fire (solo show), Edinburgh Festival, 1989
• Richard Fenchurch, Stages, Cottesloe Theatre, London, England, 1992
• Life Class, Royal Court Theatre, then Duke of York's Theatre,1993
• Rat in the Skull, London, England production, 1993
• Bruscon, The Showman, Almeida Theatre, London, England, 1993
• Halvard Solness, The Master Builder, Haymarket Theatre Royal, thenRoyal Alexandra Theatre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, both 1995
• Kuzovkin, Fortune's Fool, Chichester Festival Theatre, then Theatre Royal, Bath, England, both 1996
• Let's Keep in Touch (benefit revue for Tristan Bates Theatre),Actors Centre, Covent Garden, London, England, 1996
• Simon Hench, Simply Disconnected (sequel to Otherwise Engaged), Minerva Theatre, Chichester, England, then Malvern Festival Theatre, Malvern, England, both 1996
• J. G., Life Support, Aldwych Theatre, London, England, 1997
• Antony and Cleopatra, Royal Shakespeare Company, Stratford-upon-Avon, England, 1999
• Appeared in Look Back in Anger, New York City; also appeared in Fortune's Fool.
• Major Tours
• Ben Butley (title role), Butley, U.S. cities, 1975
• J. G., Life Support, British cities, 1997
• RECORDINGS
• Taped Readings
• Cassio, Othello, Caedmon, 1960 , HarperCollins Audio, 1995
• Florizel, A Winter's Tale, Caedmon, 1961 , HarperCollins Audio, 1995
• Mark Antony, Julius Caesar, Caedmon, 1964 , HarperCollins Audio, 1995
• Babii Yar and Other Poems, Caedmon, 1967
• Michael Henchard (title role), The Mayor of Casterbridge, Listen for Pleasure, 1981
• Oliver, Oliver's Travels, Hodder Headline Audiobooks, 1994
• Poems of William Blake, Reed Audio, 1995
• A Shropshire Lad, Hyperion, 1995
• Enobarbus and Duke Senior, The Prince's Choice, HighBridge Audio, 1996
• Also performed as Ben Butley (title role), Butley, Caedmon; and inEnglish Poets, Argo.

Further Reference

OTHER SOURCES

Periodicals:

• Premiere September, 1995 \[Great Britain\], .
• Seventeen, May, 1963 .

Other:

• The Alan Bates Archive, November 17, 1997 http://www.tiac.net/users/claret/bio.html.