Ballard Berkeley

Actor Aug 6 (died age 83) Margate, Kent, England, UK 1930–2025 (95 year career)

5.9 avg rating

Biography

Ballard Berkeley made his professional stage debut in 1928, and performed for many years in London's West End and in New York theatres. He is best remembered as Major Gowen in the British television series "Fawlty Towers" (1975).

Known For

Film

Fawlty Towers

Major Gowen

Film

National Lampoon's European Vacation

English Motorist #2

Film

Little Lord Fauntleroy

Harry Lorradaile

Film

Stage Fright

Sergeant Mellish

Film

Night of the Demon

7.0 1957

Film

The BFG

Head of the Army (voice)

Film

In Which We Serve

Engineer Commander

Film

They Made Me a Fugitive

Rockliffe

Filmography

Acting (87)

Movies (54)

Britain and the Blitz

2025

7.2

The Funny Blokes of British Comedy

2005

as Major Gowen (archive footage) (uncredited)

6.0

The BFG

1990

as Head of the Army (voice)

6.4

National Lampoon's European Vacation

1985

as English Motorist #2

6.2

Little Lord Fauntleroy

1980

as Harry Lorradaile

7.4

The Wildcats of St Trinian's

1980

as Humphry Wills

3.9

Confessions from the David Galaxy Affair

1979

as Judge

2.5

Queen of the Blues

1979

as Uncle Fred (as Ballard Barclay)

3.0

The Playbirds

1978

as Trainer

4.5

Confessions of a Driving Instructor

1976

as Lord Edgar Snodley

The Weekend Murders

as Peter, the butler

Hostile Witness

as Clerk of Court

The Murder Game

as Sir Colin Chalmers

The Night Caller

as Cmdr. Savage

A Matter of Choice

as Charles Grant

Impact

as Bill MacKenzie

Cone of Silence

as Commissioner

Chain of Events

as Stockman

The Man Who Wouldn't Talk

1958

as Court Clerk (uncredited)

Further Up the Creek

as Whacker Payne

Night of the Demon

Yangtse Incident: The Story of H.M.S. Amethyst

1957

as Lieutenant Colonel Dewar-Curie

7.2

Just My Luck

1957

as Starter at Goodwood (uncredited)

After the Ball

as Andrews

The Betrayal

as Lawson

My Teenage Daughter

as Magistrate

The Stolen Airliner

as Mr Head

The Men of Sherwood Forest

as Walter

Dangerous Cargo

as Findley

Forbidden Cargo

as Cooper

The Weak and the Wicked

as Police Detective

Delayed Action

as Insp. Crane

The Blue Parrot

as Supt. Chester

3 Steps to the Gallows

as Insp. Haley

Operation Diplomat

as Inspector Austin

The Night Won't Talk

The Big Frame

as Doctor

The Frightened Man

as Inspector Bligh

Circumstantial Evidence

as Det. Insp. Hall

Blackmailed

as Dr. McCormick

The Long Dark Hall

as Supt. Maxey

Stage Fright

as Sergeant Mellish

They Made Me a Fugitive

as Rockliffe

Quiet Weekend

as Jim Brent

In Which We Serve

as Engineer Commander

6.8

The Flying Squad

1940

as Smuggler in Airplane

The Saint in London

as Richard Blake

Black Eyes

as Diner

The Gang's All Here

as Detective in Nightclub

Jennifer Hale

as Richard Severn

East Meets West

as Nazim

White Ensign

1934

The Chinese Bungalow

1930

as Richard Marquess

London Melody

1930

as Jan Moor

Television (33)

Fresh Fields

as Guy Penrose

That's My Boy

as Comm. Buckley

Terry and June

as Colonel Culpepper

To the Manor Born

as Hartley

Kelly Monteith

The New Avengers

as Colonel Foster

Mike Yarwood In Persons

Fawlty Towers

as Major Gowen

Oh, Father!

as Dr Grant

Sykes

as Lord Plunket-Taylor

6.4

Are You Being Served?

as Angler

Bless This House

as Group Captain

The Goodies

as Chairman of the British Olympic Committee

The Main Chance

as Major Dibbyn

Hadleigh

as Lord Cranford

All Gas and Gaiters

Till Death Us Do Part

1966

as Golfer

7.4

BBC Play of the Month

as Cornford

United!

The Wednesday Play

as First Committee Member

Story Parade

as General Sanctuary

Sherlock Holmes

as Sir James Damery

Ghost Squad

Coronation Street

as Colonel Cantrill

Maigret

as Dr. Pardon

The Cheaters

as Harry Tyler

No Hiding Place

1959

as Simmy Knowles

3.7

Ivanhoe

1958

as Rand the Goldsmith

6.3

The Buccaneers

1956

as Rafton

5.5

The Adventures of Sir Lancelot

1956

6.5

The Adventures of Robin Hood

as Count de Waldern

Dixon of Dock Green

as Mac

Sunday Night Theatre

as Bentley