Dennis Burgess (February 18, 1926 – November 3, 1980) was a British television actor born in Neath, Glamorgan, Wales.[1] He married Glenys Maria Hare at Neath, in 1958.

Dennis Burgess
Born(1926-02-18)18 February 1926
Died3 November 1980(1980-11-03) (aged 54)
Occupation(s)Film actor
Television actor
Years active1972 - 1980

Burgess came from Port Talbot, attended Port Talbot Secondary School and worked as a drama teacher for most of his adult life. He dedicated a lot of his time to helping his father care for his invalid mother, and it wasn't until after she had died that Burgess became a professional actor at 47 years of age, moving from Wales to the south east of England. His first professional role was in a film starring his boyhood friend Richard Burton, who had helped him into the profession. Burton and Burgess had remained great friends, and a series of letters written by the screen legend to his old friend, have previously been exhibited at the National Library of Wales at Aberystwyth. They included an invitation to Burton's 50th birthday party in 1975, from his then wife Elizabeth Taylor.[2]

Burgess went on to feature in The Professionals, The Sandbaggers, and The Elephant Man, and played the recurring role of Flambeau in Father Brown.

His second career was to be a short one. On the evening of 3 November 1980, Dennis Burgess was driving to his home in Chesham when he suffered a massive heart attack and veered off the road. He was found dead at the wheel of his car, in the middle of a cricket pitch, in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, England. He was 54.

Filmography

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Film
Year Title Role Notes
1972 Bluebeard The Coroner
1973 Massacre in Rome Maj. Dobbrick
1980 The Elephant Man 1st Committee Man
Television
Year Title Role Notes
1974 Father Brown Hercule Flambeau 5 episodes
1975 Space: 1999 Neman 1 episode (Mission Of The Darians)
1978 Within These Walls Mr. Linton 2 episodes
1978 Off to Philadelphia in the Morning Sir William Crawley 1 episode
1980 Fox Mr. Pegram 2 episodes
1979-1980 The Professionals Galbraith / Dr. Forbes 2 episodes
1980 The Sandbaggers 'C' / Tower Gibbs 8 episodes
1981 Triangle George Terson 10 episodes

References

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