Michael Gwynn
Back «
Born: Thursday 30th of November 1916
Died: Thursday 29th of January 1976
Michael Gwynn (30 November 1916 in Bath, Somerset - 29 January 1976 in London) was an English actor. He attended Mayfield College near Mayfield, Sussex. During the Second World War he served in East Africa as a major and was adjutant to the 2nd (Nyasaland) Battalion of the King's African Rifles.
He is perhaps best remembered in contemporary culture as the shyster "Lord" Melbury who attempts to con £200 and a set of British Empire coins from the unsuspecting Basil Fawlty, in the first ever episode of the BBC comedy Fawlty Towers. In the world of cult films, he did three Hammer horror films: Never Take Sweets from a Stranger (1960), a rare drama film for the studio, The Revenge of Frankenstein (1958) where he was Karl, and Scars of Dracula (1970) where he was a priest determined to battle Dracula.
Gwynn also appeared on several adaptations of plays on the Caedmon Records label. Among them were Cyrano de Bergerac, in which he played Le Bret, and Julius Caesar, in which he played Casca. Both productions starred Ralph Richardson in the title role.
He died on 29 January 1976 in London from a heart attack.