---
name: "Ballard Berkeley"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/ballard-berkeley"
fi1m_id: "ballard-berkeley"
imdb_id: "nm0075326"
tmdb_id: 129033
wikidata_id: "Q1990442"
roles: ["Actor"]
born: "6 August 1904"
died: "16 January 1988"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 4
average_fi1m_score: 69
average_as: "actor"
average_over: 4
updated: "2026-10-04T19:12:02.281937+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Ballard Berkeley

## Identity

Ballard Berkeley

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/ballard-berkeley
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** ballard-berkeley
- **IMDb ID:** nm0075326
- **TMDB ID:** 129033
- **Wikidata ID:** Q1990442
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ballard_Berkeley, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1990442, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0075326/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/129033

Actor. Born 6 August 1904 in Margate, Kent, England, UK. Died 16 January 1988.

## Details

- **Work:** Actor
- **Born:** 6 August 1904, Margate, Kent, England, UK
- **Died:** 16 January 1988
- **Active:** 1942–1985
- **Also known as:** Ballard Blascheck
- **Average Fi1m score:** 69, as actor, over 4 titles
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1940s 74 (1), 1970s 81 (2), 1980s 40 (1)
- **Score spread:** 1 at 80+, 2 at 60–79, 1 under 60
- **Lead roles:** 0 of 2 acting credits billed first or second
- **Genres:** Comedy 3, Adventure 1, Drama 1, War 1
- **Screen time:** 4 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $54m across 2 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ballard_Berkeley, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1990442, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0075326/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/129033

## Streaming the US now

- **BritBox:** [*Fawlty Towers*](https://film.one/tv/fawlty-towers.md) (90)
- **HBO Max:** [*In Which We Serve*](https://film.one/film/in-which-we-serve.md) (74)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Biography

Ballard Berkeley (born Ballard Blascheck) was an English actor. He was born on 6 August 1904 in Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent, and died on 16 January 1988 in Westminster, London. He is best known for playing the retired Major Gowen in the BBC sitcom *Fawlty Towers* (1975 and 1979).

Berkeley began his career on stage, making his professional debut in 1928 and appearing regularly in London's West End. His film roles included parts in *In Which We Serve* (1942) and *Stage Fright* (1950). He also appeared in television series such as *Coronation Street* and *Are You Being Served?*, and provided the voice of the Head of the Army in the animated film *The BFG* (1989). He was married to Dorothy Long from 1929.

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com.*

## On Fi1m (4)

- *National Lampoon's European Vacation* (1985), Fi1m 40, as English Motorist #2 — [page](https://film.one/film/national-lampoons-european-vacation.md)
- *Fawlty Towers* (1975), Fi1m 90, as Major Gowen — [page](https://film.one/tv/fawlty-towers.md)
- *Are You Being Served?* (1972), Fi1m 72, as Angler — [page](https://film.one/tv/are-you-being-served.md)
- *In Which We Serve* (1942), Fi1m 74, as Engineer Commander — [page](https://film.one/film/in-which-we-serve.md)

## Complete filmography (88)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *Britain and the Blitz* (2025), Actor
- *The Funny Blokes of British Comedy* (2005), as Major Gowen (archive footage) (uncredited)
- *The BFG* (1990), as Head of the Army (voice)
- *National Lampoon's European Vacation* (1985), as English Motorist #2 — Fi1m 40, [page](https://film.one/film/national-lampoons-european-vacation.md)
- *Me & My Girl* (1984), series, as Major D'Arcy Pendleton
- *Fresh Fields* (1984), series, as Guy Penrose
- *That's My Boy* (1981), series, as Comm. Buckley
- *Little Lord Fauntleroy* (1980), as Harry Lorradaile
- *The Wildcats of St Trinian's* (1980), as Humphry Wills
- *Kelly Monteith* (1979), series, Actor
- *Terry and June* (1979), series, as Colonel Culpepper, Sir Arthur Forster-Carter
- *Queen of the Blues* (1979), as Uncle Fred (as Ballard Barclay)
- *Spooner's Patch* (1979), series, as Bank Manager
- *Confessions from the David Galaxy Affair* (1979), as Judge
- *The Playbirds* (1978), as Trainer
- *Mike Yarwood In Persons* (1976), series, Actor
- *The New Avengers* (1976), series, as Colonel Foster
- *Confessions of a Driving Instructor* (1976), as Lord Edgar Snodley
- *Fawlty Towers* (1975), series, as Major Gowen — Fi1m 90, [page](https://film.one/tv/fawlty-towers.md)
- *Oh, Father!* (1973), series, as Dr Grant
- *Sykes* (1972), series, as Lord Plunket-Taylor
- *Are You Being Served?* (1972), series, as Angler — Fi1m 72, [page](https://film.one/tv/are-you-being-served.md)
- *The Goodies* (1970), series, as Chairman of the British Olympic Committee
- *The Weekend Murders* (1970), as Peter, the butler
- *Hadleigh* (1969), series, as Lord Cranford
- *The Main Chance* (1969), series, as Major Dibbyn
- *Hostile Witness* (1968), as Clerk of Court
- *All Gas and Gaiters* (1967), series, as Lord Ringmould
- *Till Death Us Do Part* (1966), series, as Golfer
- *The Night Caller* (1965), as Cmdr. Savage
- *The Murder Game* (1965), as Sir Colin Chalmers
- *BBC Play of the Month* (1965), series, as Cornford
- *United!* (1965), series, as Dr. Newkes
- *The Wednesday Play* (1964), series, as First Committee Member
- *Swizzlewick* (1964), series, as Major Lamb
- *Sherlock Holmes* (1964), series, as Sir James Damery, Sir Charles Baskerville
- *Story Parade* (1964), series, as General Sanctuary
- *Impact* (1963), as Bill MacKenzie
- *A Matter of Choice* (1963), as Charles Grant
- *Ghost Squad* (1961), series, Actor
- *The Cheaters* (1960), series, as Harry Tyler, Jefford, Mansion
- *Coronation Street* (1960), series, as Colonel Cantrill — Fi1m 74, [page](https://film.one/tv/coronation-street.md)
- *Maigret* (1960), series, as Dr. Pardon
- *Cone of Silence* (1960), as Commissioner
- *No Hiding Place* (1959), series, as Simmy Knowles
- *Further Up the Creek* (1958), as Whacker Payne
- *Chain of Events* (1958), as Stockman
- *The Man Who Wouldn't Talk* (1958), as Court Clerk (uncredited)
- *Ivanhoe* (1958), series, as Rand the Goldsmith
- *Just My Luck* (1957), as Starter at Goodwood (uncredited)
- *Night of the Demon* (1957), Actor
- *After the Ball* (1957), as Andrews
- *Yangtse Incident: The Story of H.M.S. Amethyst* (1957), as Lieutenant Colonel Dewar-Curie
- *The Betrayal* (1957), as Lawson
- *The Buccaneers* (1956), series, as Rafton
- *The Adventures of Sir Lancelot* (1956), series, as Sir Urgan
- *My Teenage Daughter* (1956), as Magistrate
- *The Adventures of Robin Hood* (1955), series, as Count de Waldern, Tybalt
- *Dixon of Dock Green* (1955), series, as Mr. Noakes, Mr. Briggs, Mac, Harry Bates, Joe Magnus, Charles Devenish, Victor Dowson, Colonel
- *The Stolen Airliner* (1955), as Mr Head
- *The Men of Sherwood Forest* (1954), as Walter
- *Delayed Action* (1954), as Insp. Crane
- *Forbidden Cargo* (1954), as Cooper
- *Dangerous Cargo* (1954), as Findley
- *The Weak and the Wicked* (1954), as Police Detective
- *3 Steps to the Gallows* (1953), as Insp. Haley
- *Operation Diplomat* (1953), as Inspector Austin
- *The Blue Parrot* (1953), as Supt. Chester
- *Circumstantial Evidence* (1952), as Det. Insp. Hall
- *The Night Won't Talk* (1952), Actor
- *The Big Frame* (1952), as Doctor
- *The Frightened Man* (1952), as Inspector Bligh
- *The Long Dark Hall* (1951), as Supt. Maxey
- *Blackmailed* (1951), as Dr. McCormick
- *Stage Fright* (1950), as Sergeant Mellish
- *Sunday Night Theatre* (1950), series, as Bentley
- *They Made Me a Fugitive* (1947), as Rockliffe
- *Quiet Weekend* (1946), as Jim Brent
- *In Which We Serve* (1942), as Engineer Commander — Fi1m 74, [page](https://film.one/film/in-which-we-serve.md)
- *The Flying Squad* (1940), as Smuggler in Airplane
- *The Saint in London* (1939), as Richard Blake
- *Black Eyes* (1939), as Diner
- *The Gang's All Here* (1939), as Detective in Nightclub
- *Jennifer Hale* (1937), as Richard Severn
- *East Meets West* (1936), as Nazim
- *White Ensign* (1934), Actor
- *The Chinese Bungalow* (1930), as Richard Marquess
- *London Melody* (1930), as Jan Moor

## Gallery

- ![Ballard Berkeley](https://film.one/media/person/60065/gallery-05308ad83c8f.jpg) Ballard Berkeley — Image via TMDB
- ![Ballard Berkeley](https://film.one/media/person/60065/gallery-73d3cf5485f0.jpg) Ballard Berkeley — Image via TMDB
- ![Ballard Berkeley](https://film.one/media/person/60065/gallery-abdd078c9b20.jpg) Ballard Berkeley — Image via TMDB

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/ballard-berkeley