---
name: "Stratford Johns"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/stratford-johns"
fi1m_id: "stratford-johns"
imdb_id: "nm0424368"
tmdb_id: 32161
wikidata_id: "Q2784298"
roles: ["Actor"]
born: "22 September 1925"
died: "29 January 2002"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 3
average_fi1m_score: 64
average_as: "actor"
average_over: 2
updated: "2026-10-04T17:10:11.206946+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."
---

# Stratford Johns

## Identity

Stratford Johns

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/stratford-johns
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** stratford-johns
- **IMDb ID:** nm0424368
- **TMDB ID:** 32161
- **Wikidata ID:** Q2784298
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stratford_Johns, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2784298, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0424368/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/32161

Actor. Born 22 September 1925 in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa. Died 29 January 2002.

## Details

- **Work:** Actor
- **Born:** 22 September 1925, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa
- **Died:** 29 January 2002
- **Active:** 1976–1980
- **Also known as:** Alan Edgar Stratford Johnson
- **Titles on Fi1m:** 3: 2 acting, 1 other
- **Average Fi1m score:** 64, as actor, over 2 titles
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1950s 86 (1), 1970s 90 (1), 1980s 38 (1)
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stratford_Johns, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2784298, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0424368/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/32161

## Biography

Stratford Johns (born Alan Edgar Stratford Johns) was a South African-born British actor. He moved to Britain in 1948 and trained in repertory theatre at Southend-on-Sea for nearly five years before beginning his screen career in the mid-1950s.

He became widely known for playing the abrasive Detective Chief Inspector Charlie Barlow in the BBC series *Z-Cars* (1962–65) and its spin-offs *Softly, Softly* (1966–69), *Softly Softly: Task Force* (1969–76) and *Barlow at Large* (1971–73). His film roles included a security guard in *The Ladykillers* (1955) and Ismail in *The Fiendish Plot of Dr. Fu Manchu* (1980). Other television appearances encompassed *Doctor Who*, *I, Claudius* (1976) and *Neverwhere* (1996).

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

## On Fi1m (3)

### Performed in (2) — the average rests on these

- *The Fiendish Plot of Dr. Fu Manchu* (1980), Fi1m 38, as Ismail — [page](https://film.one/film/the-fiendish-plot-of-dr-fu-manchu.md)
- *I, Claudius* (1976), Fi1m 90, as Piso — [page](https://film.one/tv/i-claudius.md)

### Also credited (1) — thanks, archive footage, uncredited

- *The Ladykillers* (1955), Fi1m 86, as Security Guard (uncredited) — [page](https://film.one/film/the-ladykillers.md)

## Complete filmography (81)

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

- *Neverwhere* (1996), series, as Mr Stockton
- *Scarlet and Black* (1993), series, as Abbe Pirard
- *Splitting Heirs* (1993), as Butler
- *The Secret Agent* (1992), as Home Secretary
- *Heartbeat* (1992), series, as Cyril Isaiah Greengrass
- *The End* (1992), Actor
- *Murder Most Horrid* (1991), series, as Mr Maddox
- *A Demon in My View* (1991), as Stanley Caspian
- *'Itch* (1991), as Clive
- *The Fool* (1990), as Arthur Shillibeer
- *Shooting Stars* (1990), as Mr. Groves
- *Perfect Scoundrels* (1990), series, as Lord Keighley
- *A Small Mourning* (1989), as Arnold
- *The Lair of the White Worm* (1988), as Peters
- *Salome's Last Dance* (1988), as Herod / Alfred Taylor
- *Brond* (1987), series, as Brond
- *The Little Match Girl* (1986), as Rich Man
- *Foreign Body* (1986), as Mr. Plumb
- *ScreenPlay* (1986), series, as Arnold
- *The Secret Diaries of the Film Censors* (1986), as Colonel J.C. Hanna
- *Car Trouble* (1986), as Reg Sampson
- *Wild Geese II* (1985), as Mustapha El Ali
- *Dance with a Stranger* (1985), as Morrie Conley
- *Hitler's SS: Portrait in Evil* (1985), as Uncle Walter
- *The Beggar's Opera* (1983), as Peachum
- *Mr Moon's Last Case* (1983), as Mr Moon
- *Union Castle* (1982), series, Actor
- *Doctor Who: Four to Doomsday* (1982), as Monarch
- *Tales from the Thousand and One Nights* (1981), as Genie of the Lamp
- *Great Expectations* (1981), series, as Abel Magwitch
- *Winston Churchill: The Wilderness Years* (1981), series, as Lord Rothermere
- *Marriage* (1981), as Mr Omelet
- *Dear Brutus* (1981), as Matey
- *George & Mildred* (1980), as Harry Pinto
- *The Fiendish Plot of Dr. Fu Manchu* (1980), as Ismail — Fi1m 38, [page](https://film.one/film/the-fiendish-plot-of-dr-fu-manchu.md)
- *Minder* (1979), series, as Knowles
- *The Marti Caine Show* (1979), series, Actor
- *The Saint and the Brave Goose* (1979), as Duchamp
- *Return of the Saint* (1978), series, as George Duchamp
- *Blake's 7* (1978), series, as Belkov
- *The Strange Case of the End of Civilization as We Know It* (1977), as Chief Commisioner Blocker
- *The Sound of Laughter* (1977), series, as Albert Sculley
- *Ramsey* (1977), as Robert Kester
- *Jubilee 1977* (1977), series, as Robert Kester
- *I, Claudius* (1976), series, as Piso — Fi1m 90, [page](https://film.one/tv/i-claudius.md)
- *Second Verdict* (1976), series, as DCS Charles Barlow
- *Playhouse* (1974), series, as Mr. Omelet
- *Jack the Ripper* (1973), series, Actor
- *Barlow* (1971), series, as DCI Charles Barlow
- *Cromwell* (1970), as President Bradshaw
- *Softly Softly: Task Force* (1969), series, as Det. Chief Supt. Barlow, Det. Chief Supt. Charles Barlow
- *Department S* (1969), series, as Paul Trenton
- *Jules Verne's Rocket to the Moon* (1967), as Warrant Officer
- *The Plank* (1967), as Station Sergeant
- *The Great St Trinian's Train Robbery* (1966), as The Voice (voice)
- *Softly, Softly* (1966), series, as DCS Charles Barlow
- *Doctor Who* (1963), series, as Monarch — Fi1m 81, [page](https://film.one/tv/doctor-who.md)
- *Z-Cars* (1962), series, as Det. Chief Inspector Charles Barlow, Det. Chief Insp. Barlow, DCI Charlie Barlow
- *Two Letter Alibi* (1962), as Bates
- *Serjeant Musgrave's Dance* (1961), as Mayor
- *The Younger Generation* (1961), series, as Viney
- *Hand in Hand* (1961), as Farmer
- *The Avengers* (1961), series, as Sidney — Fi1m 83, [page](https://film.one/tv/the-avengers-1961.md)
- *Maigret* (1960), series, as Keller
- *The Days of Vengeance* (1960), series, as Sgt. Willis
- *The Professionals* (1960), as Lawson
- *International Detective* (1959), series, as The Registrar
- *Interpol Calling* (1959), series, as Inspector Chaublin
- *A Night to Remember* (1958), as Crewman on Upturned Lifeboat (uncredited) — Fi1m 85, [page](https://film.one/film/a-night-to-remember.md)
- *Violent Playground* (1958), as Police Constable (uncredited)
- *The One That Got Away* (1957), as Second Detective
- *Overseas Press Club - Exclusive!* (1957), series, as Tom Paddock
- *Tiger in the Smoke* (1956), as Police Constable
- *Armchair Theatre* (1956), series, as Curly, Police Inspector, Mr. Cornelius, Simpson
- *The Long Arm* (1956), as Constable (uncredited)
- *Who Done It?* (1956), as PC Coleman
- *The Count of Monte Cristo* (1956), series, as Gendarme
- *The Ladykillers* (1955), as Security Guard (uncredited) — Fi1m 86, [page](https://film.one/film/the-ladykillers.md)
- *Lilli Palmer Theatre* (1955), series, as Andrew
- *The Ship That Died of Shame* (1955), as Garage Worker (uncredited)
- *Burnt Evidence* (1954), as 2nd Fireman (uncredited)

## Gallery

- ![Stratford Johns](https://film.one/media/person/389173/gallery-760c64705a58.jpg) Stratford Johns — Image via TMDB
- ![Stratford Johns](https://film.one/media/person/389173/gallery-497b1b59d6c8.jpg) Stratford Johns — 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/stratford-johns