# Basil Dignam

Basil Dignam (24 October 1905 – 31 January 1979) was an English character actor.
Basil Dignam was born in Sheffield, West Riding of Yorkshire. Before the acting, he tried many jobs, from a company clerk to a journalist. He acted on film and television between 1948 and 1978. He often appeared as an authority figure, such as Mr Justice Poynter in Crown Court, as a police officer, army general or peer. Television appearances include The Prisoner: Checkmate (1967) and The Champions (1968), as Sir Frederick in episode 2 "The Invisible Man".

## Personal life

He was married to actress Mona Washbourne from 1940 until his death in 1979. His brother Mark Dignam was also a professional actor. Basil Dignam died, aged 73, in Westminster, London.

## Selected filmography

* Maytime in Mayfair (1949) – Commissionaire (uncredited)
* Smart Alec (1951) – Defending Counsel
* Two on the Tiles (1951) – Ship's Captain
* The Lady with a Lamp (1951)
* Appointment with Venus (1951) – R.A.M.C. Captain
* His Excellency (1952) – Security Officer
* Hammer the Toff (1952) – Superintendent
* There Was a Young Lady (1953)
* Carrington V.C. (1954)
* The Quatermass Xperiment (1955) – Sir Lionel Dean (uncredited)
* They Can't Hang Me (1955) – Wing Commander Riddle
* Touch and Go (1955) – Stevens
* The Narrowing Circle (1956) – George Pacey
* Private's Progress (1956) – Col. Martin (uncredited)
* Port of Escape (1956) – Det. Insp. Crawford
* The Intimate Stranger (1956) – Dr. Gray
* Reach for the Sky (1956) – Air Ministry Doctor (uncredited)
* The Weapon (1956) – (uncredited)
* The Counterfeit Plan (1957) – Police Commissioner
* You Pay Your Money (1957) – Currie
* Brothers in Law (1957) – Mr. Justice Emery
* Yangtse Incident: The Story of H.M.S. Amethyst (1957) – Sir Lionel Henry Lamb, British Ambassador at Nanking
* Man in the Shadow (1957) – Bit Part (uncredited)
* Three Sundays to Live (1957) – Davitt
* The Depraved (1957) – Tom Wilton
* Son of a Stranger (1957) – Dr. Delaney
* The Safecracker (1958) – Air Vice Marshal
* Them Nice Americans – Inspector Adams
* Innocent Sinners (1958) – Mr. Dyson – Olivia's Solicitor (uncredited)
* Up the Creek (1958) – Coombes
* The Spaniard's Curse (1958) – Guy Stevenson (uncredited)
* A Cry from the Streets (1958) – Police Inspector (uncredited)
* Carry On Sergeant (1958) – Third Specialist
* Further Up the Creek (1958) – Flagship Commander
* I Only Arsked! (1958) – (uncredited)
* Corridors of Blood (1958) – Chairman
* Room at the Top (1959) – Priest (uncredited)
* Carlton-Browne of the F.O. (1959) – Security Officer
* Sapphire (1959) – Doctor Burgess (uncredited)
* I'm All Right Jack (1959) – Minister of Labour
* A Touch of Larceny (1959) – Lt. Cmdr. Evans at P.R.O. (uncredited)
* The Spider's Web (1960) – Hugo
* Suspect (1960) – Dr Childs
* The Pure Hell of St Trinian's (1960) – Army Officer
* Sentenced for Life (1960) – Ralph Thompson
* Gorgo (1961) – Admiral Brooks
* The Secret Partner (1961) – Lyle
* The Fourth Square (1961) - Inspector Forbes
* The Court Martial of Major Keller (1961) – Morrell
* Fate Takes a Hand (1961) – Wheeler
* Life for Ruth (1962) – Lawyer Mapleton
* Lawrence of Arabia (1962) – Cavalry General at Field Briefing (uncredited)
* Seven Seas to Calais (1962) – Sir Francis Walsingham
* Master Spy (1963) – Richard Horton
* Heavens Above! (1963) – Prison Governor
* 80,000 Suspects (1963) – Medical Officer Boswell
* Ring of Spies (1964) – 2nd Member at Lord's (uncredited)
* Joey Boy (1965) – General
* The Amorous Adventures of Moll Flanders (1965) – Lawyer
* Rotten to the Core (1965) – The General
* Where the Spies Are (1965) – Major Harding
* Naked Evil (1966) – Jim Benson
* The Jokers (1967) – Bank Manager
* Cuckoo Patrol (1967) – Snodgrass
* I'll Never Forget What's'isname (1967)
* Assignment K (1968) – Howlett
* Twisted Nerve (1968) – Doctor
* Laughter in the Dark (1969) – Dealer
* Battle of Britain (1969) – Tactical Records Officer (uncredited)
* The Great White Hope (1970) – English Official (uncredited)
* 10 Rillington Place (1971) – Medical Board
* Persuasion (1971) - Sir Walter Elliot
* A Lizard in a Woman's Skin (1971) – The Commissioner (uncredited)
* Young Winston (1972) – Joseph Chamberlain
* Soft Beds, Hard Battles (1974) – Brigadier
* Edward the Seventh (1975) - Prime Minister Asquith