# John Arnatt

John Edwin Arnatt (9 May 1917 – 21 December 1999) was a British actor.

## Early life and education

John Arnatt was born in Petrograd, Russia on 9 May 1917. His parents were Francis and Ethel Marion (née Jephcott) Arnatt. He attended Epworth College. Arnatt trained for the stage at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.

## Career

One of Arnatt's most high-profile roles was as "The Deputy Sheriff of Nottingham" in the fourth and final series of 1955-60 TV series The Adventures of Robin Hood starring Richard Greene. His character filled in for Alan Wheatley, who played the regular sheriff. Arnatt's character was introduced and interacted with Wheatley's character in the episode "The Devil You Don't Know". In the 1962 film Dr Crippen, starring Donald Pleasence (who also had a recurring role in "The Adventures of Robin Hood" as Prince John), Arnatt played Chief Inspector Walter Dew. Arnatt also played an imitation "M" to Tom Adams' imitation James Bond in two films, Licensed to Kill and Where the Bullets Fly (1966). In 1967, Arnatt got something of a promotion when he played the High Sheriff of Nottingham opposite Barrie Ingham's Robin in the film A Challenge for Robin Hood.
Never well known, he amassed numerous television credits in programmes such as Steptoe and Son, Keeping Up Appearances, Dangerfield, Lovejoy, The Professionals, House of Cards, Thriller and Z-Cars. He had a recurring role in the first two series of the ITV legal drama, The Main Chance (1969–70) and in Doctor Who he was the second actor to play Time Lord Cardinal Borusa in the serial The Invasion of Time (1978). Later, in the television film, Marple: The Moving Finger (1985), he played Reverend Guy Calthrop.
In 1995 he was elected Master of the Green Room Lodge no. 2957.

## Death

John Arnatt died at the age of 82 on 21 December 1999.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
| 1948 | The Only Way | Marquis de Boulainvilliers | TV film |
| 1948 | Fly Away Peter | John Neilson | TV film |
| 1948 | At the Villa Rose | Harry Wethermill | TV film |
| 1949 | Meet Simon Cherry | Tommy | Uncredited |
| 1950 | Dick Barton at Bay | Jackson | |
| 1951 | Cry, the Beloved Country | Prison Warden | Uncredited |
| 1952 | Circumstantial Evidence | Steve Harrison | |
| 1953 | House of Blackmail | Pete Carter | |
| 1954 | Forbidden Cargo | Customs Officer | Uncredited |
| 1955 | The Star Without a Name | Grig | TV film |
| 1955 | Richard of Bordeaux | Henry Bolingbroke, Earl of Derby | TV film |
| 1956 | The End Begins | Hugh Pakenham | TV film |
| 1956 | For the Defence | Crawford | TV film |
| 1956 | Tearaway | Chief Inspector Ball | TV film |
| 1957 | The Trial of Mary Dugan | District Attorney Galwey | TV film |
| 1957 | The Passionate Stranger | Maurice Lamport | |
| 1957 | The Indifferent Shepherd | Hugh Wigmore | TV film |
| 1958 | Hunted | Doctor Hildo | TV film |
| 1958 | Background | Bill Ogden | TV film |
| 1960 | The Bulldog Breed | Briggs | Uncredited |
| 1961 | No Love for Johnnie | Gregson, BBC Reporter | Uncredited |
| 1961 | The Impersonator | Detective Superintendent Fletcher | |
| 1961 | Whistle Down the Wind | Superintendent Teesdale | |
| 1961 | The Third Alibi | Superintendent Ross | |
| 1962 | Only Two Can Play | Bill | |
| 1962 | Out of the Fog | Detective Superintendent Chadwick | |
| 1963 | Shadow of Fear | Sharp | |
| 1963 | Dr. Crippen | Inspector Dew | |
| 1963 | The Set Up | Superintendent Ross | |
| 1964 | Clash by Night | Inspector Croft | |
| 1965 | Joey Boy | Brigadier Charles Chapman | |
| 1965 | Hysteria | Mr. James | |
| 1965 | Licensed to Kill | Rockwell | |
| 1966 | Where the Bullets Fly | Rockwell | |
| 1967 | A Challenge for Robin Hood | Sheriff of Nottingham | |
| 1967 | Our Mother's House | Man Client | |
| 1971 | Crucible of Terror | Bill | |
| 1973 | Paganini Strikes Again | Inspector Mainwaring | |
| 1975 | A Suitable Case for Killing? | Public Prosecutor | TV film documentary |
| 1979 | Licensed to Love and Kill | Merlin | |
| 1997 | A Royal Scandal | Archbishop | TV film |

### Television

| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
| 1953-1957 | Sunday Night Theatre | Various roles | 6 episodes |
| 1954 | Emney Enterprises | | 1 episode |
| 1955 | The Granville Melodramas | Captain Skinner | Episode: "The Silver King" |
| 1955 | Colonel March of Scotland Yard | Wesley | Episode: "The Case of the Misguided Missal" |
| 1955 | London Playhouse | Finch | Episode: "Fighting Chance" |
| 1955-1961 | ITV Television Playhouse | Various roles | 4 episodes |
| 1956 | My Friend Charles | Detective Inspector Dane | Recurring role |
| 1956 | The Adventures of the Big Man | Owen Carrigan | Episode: "Rich Girl" |
| 1956 | The Other Man | Harry Vincent | 2 episodes |
| 1956 | ITV Play of the Week | Bernard K. Froy | Episode: "I Killed the Count" |
| 1957 | Escape | Tom | 2 episodes |
| 1957 | Sword of Freedom | Count Ugo | Episode: "The Woman in the Picture" |
| 1957 | Dixon of Dock Green | Inspector Dix | Episode: "Silver Jubilee" |
| 1958 | The Diary of Samuel Pepys | Duke of Albemarie | Series regular |
| 1958 | The Royalty | John Andrews | Series regular |
| 1959 | The Last Chronicle of Barset | Mr. Robarts | Recurring role |
| 1959 | The Invisible Man | Lord Peversham | Episode: "The Big Plot" |
| 1959 | Armchair Theatre | Dr. Lederer | Episode: "A House of His Own" |
| 1960 | The Adventures of Robin Hood | Deputy Sheriff of Nottingham | Series regular |
| 1961 | Probation Officer | Sergeant Conway | 1 episode |
| 1961 | ITV Play of the Week | Alec | Episode: "Doctor Everyman's Hour" |
| 1961 | Deadline Midnight | Pearce | Episode: "Take Over" |
| 1961 | BBC Sunday-Night Play | Superintendent Harding | Episode: "The Test" |
| 1962 | Sir Francis Drake | Duke of Cordova | 2 episodes |
| 1962 | Armchair Theatre | General von Schiltz | Episode: "Night Conspirators" |
| 1962 | Probation Officer | Ralph Cooper | 1 episode |
| 1962 | The Saint | Major Fanshire | Episode: "The Arrow of God" |
| 1962 | Edgar Wallace Mysteries | Superintendent Ross | Episode: "The Set Up" |
| 1963 | The Human Jungle | Recorder | Episode: "Time-Check" |
| 1963 | The Plane Makers | Peter Humphreys | Episode: "Too Much to Lose" |
| 1963-1964 | Emergency Ward 10 | Doctor Fitzgerald | Series regular |
| 1964 | Miss Adventure | | Episode: "The Velvet Touch" |
| 1964 | Fire Crackers | Station Officer Blazer | Recurring role |
| 1964 | Sykes and a... | | Episode: "Sykes and a Bird" |
| 1965 | The Airbase | Air Commodore | Episode: "Peace at Any Price" |
| 1965 | The Third Man | Count Hagar | Episode: "Man at the Top" |
| 1965 | Z-Cars | Briggs | Episode: "A Matter of Give and Take" |
| 1966 | Dixon of Dock Green | John Chiltern | Episode: "The Fourth Finger" |
| 1968 | Z-Cars | Frank Bowers | Episode: "Blame It on Father Christmas" |
| 1969 | Callan | High Commissioner | Episode: "Blackmailers Should Be Discouraged" |
| 1969 | Strange Report | Inspector Hughes | Episode: "Kidnap - Whose Pretty Girl Are You?" |
| 1969-1970 | The Main Chance | Sidney Bulmer | Series regular |
| 1970 | Take Three Girls | Doctor | Episode: "Variation on May and September" |
| 1970 | Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) | Uniformed Inspector | Episode: "Could You Recognise the Man Again?" |
| 1970 | Steptoe and Son | Copeland | Episode: "The Three Feathers" |
| 1972 | Doctor in Charge | Dr. Lanchbery | Episode: "Doctors' Lib" |
| 1972 | Man at the Top | Ogilvie | Episode: "Don't Rock the Boat" |
| 1972 | Thirty-Minute Theatre | Coroner | Episode: "The Seventh Juror" |
| 1972 | Softly, Softly: Task Force | Chief Constable Daniels | Episode: "On the Third Day" |
| 1972 | The Pathfinders | Wing Commander Alexander | Episode: "Sitting Ducks" |
| 1973 | Barlow | Chief Constable Daniels | Episode: "Publicity" |
| 1973 | Special Branch | Denning | Episode: "The Other Man" |
| 1973 | Freewheelers | Hassell | 3 episodes |
| 1974 | Marked Personal | James Lawrence | 2 episodes |
| 1974 | Thriller | Mr. Robinson | Episode: "Sign It Death" |
| 1974 | General Hospital | James Lytton | 1 episode |
| 1975 | Crown Court | Harold Gilman | Episode: "The Obsession" |
| 1975 | Doctor on the Go | Mr. Edwards | Episode: "Clunk Click" |
| 1977 | The Cedar Tree | General Von Heynig | 2 episodes |
| 1978 | Doctor Who | Borusa | The Invasion of Time |
| 1979 | Turning Year Tales | Cyril Muncaster | Episode: "Clubs" |
| 1979 | Thundercloud | Vicar | Episode: "Bats in the Belfry" |
| 1979 | The Onedin Line | Mr. Ramsden | Episode: "Storm Clouds" |
| 1980 | The Professionals | Humber | Episode: "Black Out" |
| 1980 | Rings on Their Fingers | Mr. Taylor | Episode: "Ladies Man" |
| 1981 | Shelley | Thomas Humphries | Episode: "Signing On" |
| 1981 | Wilfred and Eileen | Major | 1 episode |
| 1981-1986 | The Kenny Everett Television Show | Various roles | 10 episodes |
| 1982 | King's Royal | Sir James Spence | 1 episode |
| 1982 | Jackanory | King | Episode: "Ivan the Ninny" |
| 1983 | The Cleopatras | Sophron | Episode: "80 BC" |
| 1983 | Don't Wait Up | Man at cricket match | 1 episode |
| 1984 | Tripper's Day | Customer | Episode: "Special Offers" |
| 1985 | Miss Marple | Reverend Guy Calthrop | Episodes: "The Moving Finger" |
| 1986 | Bluebell | Pierre | 2 episodes |
| 1990 | House of Cards | Sir Jasper Grainger | Miniseries |
| 1992 | Covington Cross | Doctor 1 | Episode: "The Persecution" |
| 1993 | Lovejoy | Stanley Barton | Episode: "Lovejoy Loses It" |
| 1993 | Alleyn Mysteries | Nash | Episode: "The Nursing Home Murder" |
| 1993 | Keeping Up Appearances | Sir Edward | Episode: "Looking at Properties" |
| 1993 | If You See God, Tell Him | National Telephone Grandad | 1 episode |
| 1995 | Dangerfield | Harry Campbell | Recurring role |
| 1999 | Dad | Mr. Jarrold | Episode: "Securidad" |