Big Red Book

Celebrating television's This Is Your Life

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THIS IS YOUR LIFE - Stratford Johns, actor, was surprised by Eamonn Andrews at the BBC Television Centre, while rehearsing a scene for the BBC series, Z Cars.

Stratford was born and grew up in South Africa, where his parents had emigrated. After serving in the South African navy during the Second World War, he worked for a time in accountancy, but soon became involved in amateur theatre. In 1948, he bought a one-way ticket to Britain and learned his craft working in repertory theatre for almost five years.

He began to appear in British films from the mid-1950s, including a role in the classic Ealing comedy The Ladykillers. In 1962 he won the starring role of Detective Inspector Charlie Barlow in the innovative and long-running BBC police series Z-Cars, and soon became one of the most familiar and popular faces on British television.

programme details...

• Edition No: 227
• Subject No: 228
• Broadcast date: Thu 3 Oct 1963
• Broadcast time: 8.35-9.00pm
• Recorded: Wed 18 Sep 1963 8.45pm
• Repeated: Sun 8 Sep 1991 6.00pm
• Venue: Studio 4, BBC Television Centre
• Series: 9
• Edition: 1

on the guest list...

• Joan Sims
• David MacDonald – brother
• Joan Francis
• Spike Finander
• Iris Sadler
• Valerie Dean (Mrs Cartmel)
• Paco Ruiz
• Teresa Maisal
• Nannette Ryder
• Frith - daughter
• Peta - daughter
• Alan – son
• Frank Windsor
• Colin Welland
• James Ellis
• Joseph Brady
• Brian Blessed
Filmed tributes:
• Mrs Johns – mother
• Rupert Davies

related appearances...

• Pete Murray - Dec 1973
• Frank Windsor - Dec 1975
• Anthony Newley - Dec 1992

production team...

• Researcher: Nickola Sterne
• Writer: Nickola Sterne
• Director: Michael Goodwin
• Producer: Vere Lorrimer
• Executive Producer: T Leslie Jackson

• names above in bold indicate subjects of This Is Your Life

An Actor's Life For Me

spotlight on the stars

Rupert Davies

James Ellis

Frank Windsor

Screenshots of Stratford Johns This Is Your Life