Ronald Allen

From Wikipedia the free encyclopedia Ronald Allen 16 December 1930 some sources say 1934 in Reading Berkshire 18 June 1991 was an established English character actor He studied at Leighton Park School in Reading and trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art RADA in London worked in repertory theatre had a season at the Old Vic London and made several films including the Titanic classic A Night to Remember as well as achieving fame as a soap opera star After roles in the BBC soaps United and Compact during the 1960s came his most famous role in the longrunning Crossroads Allen played David Hunter who together with Meg Mortimer Tish Hope and Bernard Booth was a shareholder of the Crossroads Motel He appeared in the series from 1969 to 1985 He also twice appeared as a lead actor in the science fiction programme Doctor Who in the stories The Dominators 1968 and The Ambassadors of Death 1970 Ronald Allen also made a number of guest appearances in The Comic Strip Presents In the first episode Five Go Mad in Dorset 1982 which spoofed Enid Blytons The Famous Five stories he makes a surprise appearance as Uncle Quentin deliberately sending up his staid image he most memorably told The Famous Five Your Aunt Fanny is an unrelenting nymphomaniac and I am a screaming homosexual The shows TV Times entry had listed him as Surprise Guest Allen reprised the role in the sequel Five Go Mad on Mescalin 1983 and also appeared in South Atlantic Raiders Part 2 1990 The Strike 1988 and Oxford 1990 in addition to the feature film The Supergrass 1985 There was much comic mileage to be gained from Allen sending up his ultraconservative image In a 1987 interview he said that he was approached by a very intimidatinglooking punk He shook his hand and said I thought you were really cool in The Supergrass Then as he was about to walk away he turned back and said almost apologetically I loved you in Crossroads too Other roles included televisions The Adventures of Robin Hood 1957 Danger Man 1960 1961 Bergerac 1990 and The Avengers 1964 Ronald Allen lived for many years with the actor Brian Hankins who also appeared in Crossroads He was also very close friends with his costar and onscreen wife Sue Lloyd When the British media started to intrude into their private lives they made it known they were a couple After Allen was told that his cancer was terminal they married He died three months later aged 60 Description above from the Wikipedia article Ronald Allen licensed under CCBYSA full list of contributors on Wikipedia