Stratford Johns
| Stratford Johns | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Alan Edgar Stratford-Johns 22 September 1925 Pietermaritzburg, South Africa |
| Died | 29 January 2002 (aged 76) Heveningham, Suffolk, England, UK |
| Cause of death | Heart disease |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1955-1998 |
| Spouse(s) | Nanette Ryder (1955-2002) (his death) (4 children) |
Alan Edgar Stratford-Johns (22 September 1925 – 29 January 2002), known professionally as Stratford Johns, was a popular South African-born English stage, film and television actor who is best remembered for his starring role as Detective Inspector Charlie Barlow in the innovative and long-running BBC police series Z-Cars.
Johns was born and grew up in Pietermaritzburg. After serving as a deckhand in the South African navy during World War II, Johns worked for a time in accountancy, but soon became involved in amateur theatre.
In 1948, he bought a one-way ticket to Britain and learned his craft working in repertory theatre at Southend-on-Sea for almost five years. He began to appear in British films from the mid-1950s, including a role in the classic Ealing comedy The Ladykillers (1955). He ran a small hotel in London during the 1950s, and was a member of the English Stage Company at the Royal Court Theatre during the Angry Young Men period when new playwrights, including John Osborne, introduced new themes to British theatre. His most famous character, Barlow, was noted for his hard edges, owing much to the changes in characterisation pioneered at the Royal Court.
In 1962 he won the part of Barlow in Z-Cars and soon became one of the most familiar and popular faces on British television. During the long run (1962–1965) of Z-Cars, he transferred his character to the spin-off series, Softly, Softly (1966–1969), and later Softly, Softly: Taskforce (1969–1972). He also played the voice of the mysterious "Guvner" in The Great St Trinian's Train Robbery (1966).
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