Denis Shaw (7 February 1921 – 28 February 1971) was a British character actor who specialised in portraying slimy villains.

Denis Shaw
in The Prisoner episode Arrival (1967)
Born
Douglas Findlay Shaw

(1921-02-07)7 February 1921
Dulwich, London, England
Died28 February 1971(1971-02-28) (aged 50)
London, England

Biography edit

Shaw was born in Dulwich on 7 February 1921, as Douglas Findlay Shaw. In the 1950s and 1960s, he was frequently cast as villains in film and television, most memorably as the German guard Priem in The Colditz Story (1955). Shaw also appeared in a number of British horror films. These include Jack the Ripper (1959), The Mummy (1959) and The Curse of the Werewolf (1961). He was cast in the leading role of The Great Van Robbery (1959) as the judo-throwing Interpol detective Caesar Smith.

Shaw's many television credits include The Adventures of Robin Hood, The Avengers, Danger Man, Dixon of Dock Green, The Prisoner, Sherlock Holmes and Z-Cars.

Shaw died from a heart attack in London on 28 February 1971, at the age of 50. A familiar face around the bars of Soho in London, he is mentioned in Keith Waterhouse's play Jeffrey Bernard Is Unwell.

Filmography edit

Year Title Role Notes
1952 Girdle of Gold Choirmaster
1953 The Long Memory Shaw Uncredited
1953 House of Blackmail Bassett
1953 Scotland Yard (film series) ('The Candlestick Murder') Joe Hawkins Name on screen, but not next to rôle: October release
1954 Forbidden Cargo Ship's Cook Uncredited
1955 The Colditz Story Priem
1955 The Prisoner Plainclothesman Uncredited
1956 Who Done It? Professor Otto Stumpf
1956 Keep It Clean Slogger O'Reilly
1956 Port Afrique Grila
1956 The Weapon Groggins
1957 Stars in Your Eyes Heckler Uncredited
1957 The Flesh Is Weak Saradine
1957 Seven Thunders Umschlag Uncredited
1957 The Depraved Inspector Flynn
1958 Soapbox Derby Mr. Lender
1958 Blood of the Vampire Blacksmith
1958 Woman Possessed Bishop
1958 Moment of Indiscretion Inspector Marsh
1958 Links of Justice Heth
1958 Passport to Shame Mac
1958 The Great Van Robbery Caesar Smith
1959 Innocent Meeting Uncle
1959 The Bandit of Zhobe Hussu
1959 Jack the Ripper Simes
1959 No Safety Ahead Inspector
1959 The Man Who Could Cheat Death Tavern Customer Uncredited
1959 The Mummy Mike
1959 The Night We Dropped a Clanger Hammerstein
1960 Naked Fury Captain Horst
1960 Trouble with Eve George Rigby
1960 Beyond the Curtain Krumm
1960 Make Mine Mink Shanghai Harry Proprietor Uncredited
1960 The Two Faces of Dr. Jekyll Tavern Customer Uncredited
1960 The Criminal Taxi Customer at Racetrack Uncredited
1961 Ticket to Paradise Giuseppe
1961 The Night We Got the Bird Stooge to Manny
1961 The Hellfire Club Sir Richard Benlow
1961 Carry On Regardless Second Sinister Passenger Uncredited
1961 A Weekend with Lulu Bar Patron
1961 The Curse of the Werewolf Gaoler
1961 Nothing Barred Convict #4
1962 The Pirates of Blood River Silver Uncredited
1963 The Runaway Agent
1967 The Deadly Affair Wolfe Uncredited
1967 The Viking Queen Osiris
1967 The Prisoner Shopkeeper
1968 The Magnificent Six and 1/2 Heavyset Workman
1969 The File of the Golden Goose Vance

External links edit