Cyril Luckham (25 July 1907 – 8 February 1989) was a British film, television and theatre actor.Luckham played the White Guardian in the long running science fiction television series Doctor Who. He appeared in The Ribos Operation, the first serial in The Key to Time season, and Enlightenment. In the 1967 BBC serialisation of The Forsyte Saga, Luckham played Sir Lawrence Mont, father-in-law of Fleur Forsyte. He appeared in an episode of Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) (1969), as the villain. Luckham was a familiar face as a character actor in the 1970s: he appeared the 1978 TV series based on The Famous Five books by Enid Blyton, as the evil psychic Edward Drexel in the 1979 supernatural thriller series The Omega Factor, and as the equitable Chair of the school board of Bamfylde in the 1980 Andrew Davies adaptation To Serve Them All My Days. He also portrayed Archbishop Thomas Cranmer in the film adaptation of A Man for All Seasons (1966) and the long-suffering Father O'Hara in Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em. He also played the benevolent grandfather in The Cedar Tree, a series that ran on ATV from 1976 to 1977.Perhaps his most significant role was as the paternalist puppet prime minister in 1971's dialectical dystopian drama The Guardians in which Britain is plunged into a tacit Fascist state policed by the ubiquitous Guardians or 'G's' as they are referred to with disturbing familiarity. This series was recently released on DVD by Network.
Had intended a military career in the Royal Navy but was invalided out in 1931.
2
Trained with the Arthur Brough Players in Folkestone, where he made his theatrical debut in 'The Admirable Crichton'. Later worked in repertory in Liverpool, Manchester, Bristol and Coventry. On the London stage from 1948. Joined the Royal Shakespeare Company for three seasons in 1957.
3
A devotee of the poems and novels of Thomas Hardy, which he frequently recited both live on stage, and on British television.
4
Has played two highly contrasting characters involved in the conflict of Henry VIII: Archbishop Thomas Cranmer in "A Man for all Seasons" (who was one of the leading figures in supporting Henry's break of the Church) and Prior Houghton in "Anne of a Thousand Days" (who was among those that opposed Henry's break from the Church).
Actor
Title
Year
Status
Character
The Houseman's Tale
1987
TV Mini-Series
Creech
In Loving Memory
1986
TV Series
Wagstaff
Honour, Profit & Pleasure
1985
TV Movie
The Archbishop of Canterbury
Hallelujah!
1984
TV Series
Stanley Mason
Strangers and Brothers
1984
TV Series
Eustace Pilbrow
All for Love
1983
TV Series
Bishop
Doctor Who
1978-1983
TV Series
White Guardian / The Guardian
The Citadel
1983
TV Mini-Series
Sir William Dewar
The Barchester Chronicles
1982
TV Mini-Series
Bishop Grantly
L for Lester
1982
TV Series
The General
Q.E.D.
1982
TV Series
Crabtree
The Story of the Treasure Seekers
1982
TV Mini-Series
The Poor Indian
Celebrity Playhouse
1981
TV Series
Dr. Baston
Thank You, P.G. Wodehouse
1981
TV Movie
Lord Emsworth
Levkas Man
1981
TV Series
The Winter's Tale
1981
TV Movie
Antigonus
To Serve Them All My Days
1980-1981
TV Mini-Series
Sir Rufus Creighton
Tales of the Unexpected
1979-1980
TV Series
Mr. Gainsborough / Gavin / Rawlsden
Time of My Life
1980
TV Series
Judge
Jackanory Playhouse
1980
TV Series
Lord Albin
Donkeys' Years
1980
TV Movie
Sydney Birkett
BBC2 Playhouse
1979
TV Series
Dean Inge
The Camerons
1979
TV Series
Lord Leitch
Murder at the Wedding
1979
TV Mini-Series
Eric Russell
The Omega Factor
1979
TV Series
Edward Drexil
My Son, My Son
1979
TV Mini-Series
Reverend Oliver
Return of the Saint
1979
TV Series
Coroner
The Saint and the Brave Goose
1979
Coroner
Wodehouse Playhouse
1975-1978
TV Series
Bishop / Bishop of Bognor
The Professionals
1978
TV Series
Judge Hall
Selwyn
1978
TV Series
Duke
The Famous Five
1978
TV Series
Mr. Luffy
The Cedar Tree
1976-1977
TV Series
Charles Ashley
Providence
1977
Doctor Mark Eddington
Mr. Big
1977
TV Series
Bishop of Unchukubu
Victorian Scandals
1976
TV Series
Sir Alexander Cockburn
The Flight of the Heron
1976
TV Series
General Guest
North & South
1975
TV Mini-Series
Mr. Benn
The Doll
1975
TV Series
Sir Arnold Wyatt
Village Hall
1975
TV Series
Colonel Dean
The Loner
1975
TV Series
Lord Ross / Cromarty
The Venturers
1975
TV Series
Lord Kilvern
Crown Court
1975
TV Series
Sir Walter Hutton
Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em
1973-1974
TV Series
Father O'Hara / Fr. O'Hara
Father Brown
1974
TV Series
Lord Galloway
Jennie: Lady Randolph Churchill
1974
TV Mini-Series
Duke of Marlborough
BBC Play of the Month
1968-1974
TV Series
Orlovsky / Roebuck Ramsden
Justice
1974
TV Series
Justice Briggs
The Protectors
1973
TV Series
Alec Weston
Crime of Passion
1973
TV Series
Comte de Rouart
The Flaxton Boys
1973
TV Series
Peter Weeks
Scotch on the Rocks
1973
TV Series
Lord Thorganby
The Adventurer
1973
TV Series
Lord Franklin
ITV Playhouse
1968-1972
TV Series
Charles Randolph / Mr. Webber
ITV Sunday Night Theatre
1970-1972
TV Series
Stanley Winterton / Mulberry / Geoffrey
Cry of the Penguins
1971
Tringham
The Guardians
1971
TV Series
Sir Timothy Hobson
Public Eye
1971
TV Series
Charles Luce
Thirty-Minute Theatre
1971
TV Series
Dr. Pelham
Paul Temple
1971
TV Series
The Master
Fraud Squad
1970
TV Series
Ryan International
1970
TV Series
Henri Bersac
One More Time
1970
Magistrate
Kate
1970
TV Series
Geoffrey Stenton
Oh Brother!
1970
TV Series
My Partner the Ghost
1969
TV Series
Laverick
Anne of the Thousand Days
1969
Prior Houghton
Department S
1969
TV Series
Walker
Hadleigh
1969
TV Series
Sir George Hewson
Detective
1969
TV Series
Sir Luke Frinsby
W. Somerset Maugham
1969
TV Series
Sir Philip Brandower
Imperial Palace
1969
TV Movie
Sir Henry Savott
Happy Deathday
1968
Josiah Swineyard
The Company of Five
1968
TV Series
Norman Gritter / Lewis Black / Stan Sinclair / ...
Sanctuary
1968
TV Series
The Bishop
The Spanish Farm
1968
TV Movie
Baron D'Archeville
Virgin of the Secret Service
1968
TV Series
Theodor Green
The Gamblers
1967
TV Series
Sir Charles Heppitt
Angel Pavement
1967
TV Series
Mr. Smeeth
The Naked Runner
1967
Cabinet minister
Blandings Castle
1967
TV Series
Vicar
Softly Softly
1966-1967
TV Series
Det. Chief Supt. Keith Orton
The Forsyte Saga
1967
TV Mini-Series
Sir Lawrence Mont
A Man for All Seasons
1966
Archbishop Cranmer
ITV Play of the Week
1956-1966
TV Series
Arthur Mounteney / Cardinal Dean / Egeus / ...
The Wednesday Play
1964-1965
TV Series
Hugh Archibald-Lake / General-Colonel Ludwig Beck
Blackmail
1965
TV Series
Lord Granstead
R3
1965
TV Series
Furness
The Flying Swan
1965
TV Series
Jonathan Wilkinson
The Alphabet Murders
1965
Sir Carmichael Clarke
Mogul
1965
TV Series
Charles Andrews
The Mind of the Enemy
1965
TV Mini-Series
Sir Henry Blake
It's Dark Outside
1965
TV Series
Sir Hardie Manners
Thursday Theatre
1964
TV Series
Bishop Gardiner
Victoria Regina
1964
TV Mini-Series
Lord Melbourne
The Indian Tales of Rudyard Kipling
1964
TV Series
The Viceroy
The Sleeper
1964
TV Movie
Sir John
Mary Barton
1964
TV Series
Mr. Carson
The Pumpkin Eater
1964
Doctor
First Night
1964
TV Series
Lord Huberton
Crane
1964
TV Series
Moulay Ahmed
Espionage
1964
TV Series
Admiral Bond
The Saint
1963
TV Series
Jack Hardy
BBC Sunday-Night Play
1960-1963
TV Series
Sir Francis Getliffe / Adam Sylvester / John Pearce / ...