British actor Larry Dann became a household name in the 1980s through his wholly believable performance as the likeable and dependable sergeant, Alec Peters, reaching millions of viewers each week, in 229 episodes of ITV’s long-running police drama, The Bill (2500 episodes 1983-2010). His autobiography was published in 2023 by specialists in British television tie-ins, our friend and contributor Oliver Crocker’s Devonfire Books.
Several years before the publication of his memoir, Larry Dann sat for an interview in the early days of Oliver’s The Bill Podcast, which after over 100 episodes and approaching half a million plays, is now one of the top rating podcasts globally.
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In the days before internet and social media, it was too easy to assume that mature actors in high profile roles appeared out of nowhere, fully formed, but of course that wasn’t the case at all. Actors of Larry Dann’s generation learned their craft over many years, through determination, no shortage of courage, and sheer, unrelenting hard graft. Born in 1941, he worked as a child actor in movies, which included a brush with Spencer Tracy, Deborah Kerr and George Cukor, and studied at the Corona Academy stage school from where he built an enduring career on stage and screen.
One of many highlights in Larry Dann’s memoir is the fascinating window he affords us into the iconic Theatre Workshop, run by Joan Littlewood, and the production of their huge international hit, Oh What a Lovely War which, according to Michael Billington in The Guardian, not only changed attitudes toward the Great War, it also ‘remade British theatre’.
“…So what effect did Oh What a Lovely War have? It helped change attitudes to the First World War. Although we may have read the poetry of Sassoon and Wilfred Owen, we had never before seen popular entertainment express the disenchantment felt at the time by the average soldier. Looking back at the 1963 programme, it is also clear that the production was intended as a political provocation…On a purely theatrical level, the show also did a lot to loosen up the formal rigidity of the British theatre. It was active in demolishing the gap between stage and auditorium, promoted the growth of the musical documentary and encouraged actors to take responsibility for research and development…”
This clip from the BBC Archive provides a fascinating insight into what made the Theatre Workshop tick, and features Joan Littlewood herself and theatre manager Gerry Raffles, along with a few familiar faces.
Larry Dann’s diverse film career included some major Hollywood productions and a joyous experience working with David Niven who we learn was just as charming, generous and friendly as his image portrayed, and neatly bookended the Carry On franchise, appearing in one of the earliest offerings, Teacher (1959), and in the final three of the original run; Behind (1975), England (1977), and the widely maligned, notorious Emmannuelle (1978).
The Carry On franchise (31 movies 1958-78 and 1992, in addition to some television specials), produced by Peter Rogers and directed by Gerald Thomas, was an enormously profitable enterprise, released in cinemas initially through distributors Anglo-Amalgamated and then from 1967, through the J Arthur Rank Organisation. Each movie was done on a tight budget, all but a couple made a profit on their initial cinema release, and have been on constant television rotation internationally ever since. As Larry Dann points out, the talent, even the leading cast members, didn’t share in the financial windfall, being paid a modest one-off fee with no residuals. He offers fascinating and warm recollections of some of the iconic, much loved Carry On Gang, including Kenneth Williams and Kenneth Connor.
Larry Dann writes with pragmatic honesty about family troubles growing up, and the rollercoaster career of an actor even with major roles in their CV. In addition to his film, stage and television career, he also created a significant and lucrative body of work in television commercials, in the UK and beyond, with pioneering directors like Alan Parker, and Ridley and Tony Scott.
British actors were in demand internationally for advertising work. Fellow Corona alumni David Barry wrote in his memoir (Please Sir – The Official History) that, unlike European artistes, there was no snobbery from UK actors about appearing in advertising, and many reaped the financial benefit in an uncertain industry. Alan Parker, who went on to direct a series of incredibly successful films including Bugsy Malone, Midnight Express, Fame, Mississippi Burning and The Commitments, in an interview with fellow director Stephen Frears, looked back fondly upon the early years of television commercials, stating that the opportunity for ambition and creativity in 30 seconds could be even greater than in feature film.
Oh, What a Lovely Memoir is a thoroughly enjoyable, warm and engaging read with some wonderful insights into the evolution of entertainment in post-war Britain. It more than lives up to its title.
Post Edit: Brian Murphy, who wrote the forward to Oh What A Lovely Memoir, passed away February 2nd, 2025, aged 92.
Related Posts and Podcasts
Oliver Crocker: Remembering Actor and Playwright, Frank Williams
From Boycie to Burnside: The Bill Meets Only Fools and Horses
In Conversation with Oliver Crocker
Oliver Crocker’s The Bill Podcast
The Bill Podcast: A Playlist of Interviews with the Stars of the 1980s and 1990s
The DEC4 Podcast by George Fairbrother 