Vincent Ball: Difference between revisions
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Ball wrote letters asking for auditions. One was to the [[Rank Organisation]] which, impressed with his enthusiasm, told him to come to England and they would give him a [[screen test]] for a part in the 1949 British version of ''[[The Blue Lagoon (1949 film)|The Blue Lagoon]]''. By the time he got to England, production was under way, but he got a job as stand in for [[Donald Houston]] in an underwater fight with an octopus.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article230931113 |title=Irish Brogue Did It |newspaper=[[The Sun (Sydney)|The Sun]] |issue=2468 |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=6 August 1950 |access-date=18 August 2020 |page=59 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0050482/|title=Vincent Ball|website=IMDb|access-date=2018-02-23}}</ref><ref name="trove"/> He was then cast as [[Jack Warner (actor)|Jack Warner]]'s son in ''Smiling Irish Eyes'', ''([[Talk of a Million]])''.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article18482956 |title=Harry Lauder's Life |newspaper=[[The Sunday Herald (Sydney)]] |issue=84 |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=3 September 1950 |access-date=18 August 2020 |page=4 (Features) |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> |
Ball wrote letters asking for auditions. One was to the [[Rank Organisation]] which, impressed with his enthusiasm, told him to come to England and they would give him a [[screen test]] for a part in the 1949 British version of ''[[The Blue Lagoon (1949 film)|The Blue Lagoon]]''. By the time he got to England, production was under way, but he got a job as stand in for [[Donald Houston]] in an underwater fight with an octopus.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article230931113 |title=Irish Brogue Did It |newspaper=[[The Sun (Sydney)|The Sun]] |issue=2468 |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=6 August 1950 |access-date=18 August 2020 |page=59 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0050482/|title=Vincent Ball|website=IMDb|access-date=2018-02-23}}</ref><ref name="trove"/> He was then cast as [[Jack Warner (actor)|Jack Warner]]'s son in ''Smiling Irish Eyes'', ''([[Talk of a Million]])''.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article18482956 |title=Harry Lauder's Life |newspaper=[[The Sunday Herald (Sydney)]] |issue=84 |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=3 September 1950 |access-date=18 August 2020 |page=4 (Features) |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> |
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He then won a scholarship to [[RADA]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/vincent_ball/|title=Vincent Ball|website=www.rottentomatoes.com|language=en|access-date=2017-01-04}}</ref> Having moved to [[Stowting]], [[Kent]], he appeared in supporting and uncredited movie roles in the UK for the next two and a half decades. He was a juvenile lead in ''[[Rain Before Seven]]'', ''[[Barnett's Folly]]'' and [[Nitro (1955 film)|''Nitro'']], before moving into slightly larger parts in films such as ''A Town Like Alice'', ''[[Robbery Under Arms]]'', ''[[Sea of Sand]]'', and ''[[Danger Within]]''. In 1969, he played Cecil Carpenter in [[Where Eagles Dare]], alongside [[Richard Burton]] and [[Clint Eastwood]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b9f130e43|title=Vincent Ball|website=BFI}}</ref> His television credits in Britain include ''[[Compact (TV series)|Compact]]'', ''[[Man in a Suitcase]]'', ''[[The Troubleshooters]]'', and ''[[Dixon of Dock Green]]'', and a recurring role on the long-running UK soap opera ''[[Crossroads ( |
He then won a scholarship to [[RADA]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/vincent_ball/|title=Vincent Ball|website=www.rottentomatoes.com|language=en|access-date=2017-01-04}}</ref> Having moved to [[Stowting]], [[Kent]], he appeared in supporting and uncredited movie roles in the UK for the next two and a half decades. He was a juvenile lead in ''[[Rain Before Seven]]'', ''[[Barnett's Folly]]'' and [[Nitro (1955 film)|''Nitro'']], before moving into slightly larger parts in films such as ''A Town Like Alice'', ''[[Robbery Under Arms]]'', ''[[Sea of Sand]]'', and ''[[Danger Within]]''. In 1969, he played Cecil Carpenter in [[Where Eagles Dare]], alongside [[Richard Burton]] and [[Clint Eastwood]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b9f130e43|title=Vincent Ball|website=BFI}}</ref> His television credits in Britain include ''[[Compact (TV series)|Compact]]'', ''[[Man in a Suitcase]]'', ''[[The Troubleshooters]]'', and ''[[Dixon of Dock Green]]'', and a recurring role on the long-running UK soap opera ''[[Crossroads (British TV series)|Crossroads]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.aveleyman.com/ActorCredit.aspx?ActorID=886|title=Vincent Ball|website=www.aveleyman.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.atvtoday.co.uk/p29176/|title=They were in Crossroads?|date=3 April 2013}}</ref> |
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===Career in Australia=== |
===Career in Australia=== |
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Revision as of 00:14, 14 October 2022
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Vincent Ball | |
|---|---|
| Born | Vincent Martin Ball 4 December 1923 Wee Waa, New South Wales, Australia |
| Education | Royal Academy of Dramatic Art |
| Occupation(s) | Actor, writer |
| Years active | 1949–2003, 2015 |
| Spouse | Doreen Harrop (married 1949) |
| Children | 3 |
Vincent Martin Ball OAM (born 4 December 1923)[1] is an Australian retired character actor of radio, stage and screen, active in the industry for nearly 55 years (with a brief return) firstly in Britain and then his native Australia. He has also authored a number of books.[2]
He is best known for film roles in British and Australian films and TV movies, including A Town Like Alice, Breaker Morant, Phar Lap, Muriel's Wedding and The Man Who Sued God[3]
He appeared in numerous TV roles, primarily in cameo guest roles, but had recurring roles in serials like Rush, The Young Doctors and A Country Practice [3]
Early life
Born in the town of Wee Waa, New South Wales, in 1923, to a father who worked as a linesman on the New South Wales Government Railways, Ball said he wanted to be an actor from an early age, particularly a "cowboy in the movies".[4]
With the outbreak of the Second World War, Ball left his job with the Australian General Electric Company and, after military training in Canada, became a wireless air gunner with the Royal Australian Air Force, serving in Britain.[4]
After the war, he returned to Australia and his old job, but soon decided to try amateur dramatics. To correct his accent, which had by then morphed into part Canadian, part Cockney and part Australian he took elocution lessons. He met (and later married) his teacher, leading Sydney actress Doreen Harrop.[1][5] They have three children and live at Chittaway Point, New South Wales.
Acting career in Britain
Ball wrote letters asking for auditions. One was to the Rank Organisation which, impressed with his enthusiasm, told him to come to England and they would give him a screen test for a part in the 1949 British version of The Blue Lagoon. By the time he got to England, production was under way, but he got a job as stand in for Donald Houston in an underwater fight with an octopus.[6][7][1] He was then cast as Jack Warner's son in Smiling Irish Eyes, (Talk of a Million).[8]
He then won a scholarship to RADA.[9] Having moved to Stowting, Kent, he appeared in supporting and uncredited movie roles in the UK for the next two and a half decades. He was a juvenile lead in Rain Before Seven, Barnett's Folly and Nitro, before moving into slightly larger parts in films such as A Town Like Alice, Robbery Under Arms, Sea of Sand, and Danger Within. In 1969, he played Cecil Carpenter in Where Eagles Dare, alongside Richard Burton and Clint Eastwood.[10] His television credits in Britain include Compact, Man in a Suitcase, The Troubleshooters, and Dixon of Dock Green, and a recurring role on the long-running UK soap opera Crossroads.[11][12]
Career in Australia
Ball returned to Australia in 1973.[13] He was soon very busy acting in films, theatre and television.[14]
He is best known for his work in Australian films and television series, including film roles in A Town Like Alice, Phar Lap, Breaker Morant, and Muriel's Wedding.[15] His credits in Australian television serials include Cop Shop, The Sullivans, The Young Doctors, The Flying Doctors, Grass Roots and All Saints.[3] His many roles in Australian mini-series or made for television films include Against the Wind, and the epic Anzacs.
In 2014, aged 91, he came out of retirement briefly to play a Second World War veteran named Tom Knight, in the Australian soap Home and Away, whom Alf Stewart (played by Ray Meagher) meets in hospital. The scenes went to air during April 2015, just before ANZAC Day[16]
Publications (selected)
![[icon]](/enwiki/wiki/File:Wiki_letter_w_cropped.svg){kind=small} | This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (April 2021) |
| Title | Year/Release | Publisher | ISBN |
| Words of Silence | 21 May 2008 | DoctorZed Publishing | ISBN 9780646983837 paperback (320 pages) |
| The Ivory Starr Collection | 12 October 2008 | Xlibris | ISBN 9781436358224 Hardback ) also available paperback edition) 317 pages |
| Regency Rebel | 01 March 2014 | Equilibrium Books (Rockingham, Australia | ISBN 9781921456909 paperback 165 pages |
| The Cathedral Tree | 06 May 2013 | Equilibrium Books | ISBN 9781921456848 paperback 325 pages |
| Buck Jones: Where are You | 01 September 2014 | Equilibrium Books | ISBN 9780992435806 paperback (also available audio CD) 270 pages |
| Patrick Downs | 31 July 2013 | Equilibrium Books | ISBN 9781921456855 paperback 275 pages |
Honours
Ball was honoured with the OAM in the 2016 Australia Day honours list.[17]
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1949 | Warning to Wantons | Footman | Uncredited |
| Stop Press Girl | Hero | featuring in "cinema sequence" | |
| Poet's Pub | Stacey | Uncredited | |
| The Interrupted Journey | First Workman | ||
| 1950 | Come Dance with Me | Secretary | |
| 1951 | Talk of a Million | Jack Murnahan | |
| Encore | Young Husband | segment : "Winter Cruise" | |
| 1952 | Made in Heaven | Man at Party | Uncredited |
| 1953 | The Drayton Case | Henley's Assistant | Short film |
| 1954 | The Dark Stairway | Sergeant Gifford | Short film |
| Imposter's Gold | Leonard Hughes | TV film | |
| Dangerous Voyage | John Drew | ||
| Devil's Point | Williams | ||
| The Black Rider | Ted Lintott | ||
| 1955 | Barnet's Folly | Richard Barnet | TV film |
| Nitro | Jeff | TV film | |
| John and Julie | Digger | ||
| The Stolen Airliner | Flight Sergeant Watkins | ||
| Stolen Time | Johnson | ||
| The Blue Peter | Digger | ||
| 1956 | A Town Like Alice | Ben | |
| The Secret of the Forest | Mr. Lawson | ||
| The Long Arm | P.C. at Hospital | uncredited | |
| Reach for the Sky | Thelma's cousin | uncredited | |
| The Baby and the Battleship | Second Sailor at Dance | uncredited | |
| The Battle of the River Plate | Barnes - HMS Achilles | uncredited | |
| 1957 | Face in the Night | Bob Meredith | |
| Robbery Under Arms | George Storefield | ||
| 1958 | Blood of the Vampire | John Pierre | |
| Sea of Sand | Sergeant Nesbitt | ||
| 1959 | Danger Within | Captain Pat Foster | |
| Summer of the Seventeenth Doll | Dowd | ||
| 1960 | Identity Unknown | Ken | |
| Dead Lucky | Mike Billings | ||
| Dentist in the Chair | Michaels | ||
| 1961 | Feet of Clay | David Kyle | |
| Very Important Person | Higgins | uncredited | |
| Nearly a Nasty Accident | Sergeant at Crybwyth | ||
| Highway to Battle | Ransome | ||
| A Matter of WHO | Dr. Blake | ||
| Middle Course | Cliff Wilton | ||
| 1962 | The Slaughter of St Teresa's Day | Horrie Darcel | TV film |
| Carry On Cruising | Jenkins | ||
| 1963 | The Mouse on the Moon | Pilot | |
| Echo of Diana | Bill Vernon | ||
| 1967 | Follow That Camel | Ship's Officer | |
| 1968 | Nobody Runs Forever | Australian Policeman | uncredited |
| Where Eagles Dare | Carpenter | ||
| 1969 | Oh! What a Lovely War | Australian Soldier | |
| 1971 | Not Tonight, Darling | Alex | |
| Clinic Exclusive | Bernard Wilcox | ||
| 1974 | The Spiral Bureau | TV film | |
| Lindsay's Boy | Jim Lindsay | TV film | |
| 1975 | Games for Parents and Other Children | TV film | |
| 1976 | Arena | Bill Scott | TV film |
| Deathcheaters | Commander Carson | ||
| 1978 | The Irishman | Bailey Clark | |
| Bit Part | Sherry | TV film | |
| 1979 | Demolition | Ainsley | TV film |
| 1980 | Breaker Morant | Colonel Hamilton | |
| 1981 | Alison's Birthday | Dr. Jeremy Lyall | |
| 1982 | The Highest Honor | Lieutenant Commander Hubert Marsham | |
| ..Deadline.. | Prime Minister | TV film | |
| 1983 | Phar Lap | Lachlan McKinnon | |
| 1986 | Whose Baby? | Robert Monahan, K.C. | TV film |
| Double Sculls | Stuart | TV film | |
| 1987 | The Year My Voice Broke | Headmaster | |
| Hot Ice | Harry Romano | TV film | |
| 1988 | The Boardroom | Jonathon Hutt | TV film |
| 1990 | Call Me Mr. Brown | Captain Richie | |
| 1991 | The Private War of Lucinda Smith | Colonel Foster | TV film |
| 1993 | Love in Limbo | Cyril Williams | |
| Frauds | Judge | ||
| Butterfly Island | Sergeant Pat Connolly | TV film | |
| 1994 | Sirens | Bishop of Sydney | |
| Muriel's Wedding | Priest | ||
| 1997 | Paradise Road | Mr. Dickson | |
| 2001 | The Man Who Sued God | Cardinal | |
| 2002 | Black and White | Chief Justice Napier | |
| 2003 | The Night We Called It a Day | Rex Hooper |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1952 | BBC Sunday Night Theatre | Young Officer | Episode: "Holiday in Berlin" |
| 1954 | George Grant | Episode: "Rain Before Seven" | |
| Douglas Fairbanks Presents | Harry | Episode: "The Wedding Veil" | |
| 1955 | BBC Sunday Night Theatre | Locke | Episode: "The Voices" |
| 1957 | Motive for Murder | John Blackmoor | Mini-series |
| 1958 | White Hunter | Trevor | Episode: "The Step-father" |
| 1959 | The Flying Doctor | Jeff Petersen | Episode: "The Revelation" |
| 1960 | International Detective | Joplin | Episode: "The Joplin Case" |
| No Man's Island | Denis Barker | Mini-series | |
| ITV Play of the Week | Mallow | Episode: "The Watching Eye" | |
| 1961 | The Cheaters | Jessup | Episode: "An Obituary for a Champion" |
| Theatre 70 | Martin Wade | Episode: "News From Jericho" | |
| BBC Sunday-Night Play | Digger | Episode: "The Hasty Heart" | |
| Deadline Midnight | Keith Durrant | Recurring role | |
| 1963 | Once Aboard the Luggar... | Dennis Barker | Episode: "The Girl Arrives" |
| Ghost Squad | Father Huggins | Episode: "The Big Time" | |
| The Plane Makers | Nelson | Episode: "The Testing Time" | |
| Zero One | Pilot | Episode: "The Stowaway" | |
| 1963-1965 | Compact | David Rome | Series regular |
| 1966 | Blue Light | Episode: "Target, David March" | |
| The Man in the Mirror | Austin | 2 episodes | |
| The Newcomers | Mr. Mackie | 3 episodes | |
| The Troubleshooters | Captain Grainger | Episode: "Operation Saigon" | |
| 1966-1973 | Crossroads: Kings Oak | Kevin McArthur | Series regular |
| 1967 | Dixon of Dock Green | Abel | Episode: "The Team" |
| 1968 | King | Episode: "Find the Lady" | |
| Man in a Suitcase | Dalby | Episode: "The Boston Square" | |
| Z-Cars | Foster | Episode: "Vigilance" | |
| 1969 | Dixon of Dock Green | Garry Kendrick | Episode: "The Set-Up" |
| 1970 | Jenkins | Episode: "Shadows" | |
| Softly, Softly: Taskforce | Scotland | Episode: "Private Mischief" | |
| 1971 | Play for Today | Simpson | Episode: "Traitor" |
| The Troubleshooters | Reg Walters | Episode: "A Touch of the Nelsons" | |
| 1972 | Dixon of Dock Green | Jack Stevens | Episode: "Time Out" |
| 1973 | Harriet's Back in Town | Kenneth Hammond | 4 episodes |
| The Dragon's Opponent | Captain McColm | Mini-series | |
| 1974 | Silent Number | Norris | Episode: "Cecelia" |
| 1975 | Certain Women | Horrie | 1 episode |
| Homicide | Patrick O'Brien | Episode: "Snails for Dinner" | |
| Ben Hall | Sergeant Garland | Series regular | |
| Shannon's Mob | Ashby | Episode: "There Was a Man" | |
| 1976 | Silent Number | White | Episode: "Yesterday's Friends" |
| Rush | Superintendent James Kendall | Recurring role | |
| King's Men | Episode: "Suffer Little Children" | ||
| The Sullivans | Admiral Spencer | ||
| Bluey | Muley Price | Episode: "Speak to Me Only" | |
| 1977 | Kenneth Granger | Episode: "A Political Animal" | |
| The Outsiders | Jack Gower | Episode: "Sophie's Mob" | |
| 1978 | Cop Shop | James Benedict | 2 episodes |
| Chopper Squad | John Williams | Episode: "Something to Shout About" | |
| Against the Wind | Governor Macquarie | Episode: "The Windfall Summer" | |
| 1979 | Cop Shop | David Hammond | 2 episodes |
| Skyways | Captain Fitzgerald | Episode: "The Legend" | |
| A Place in the World | Mini-series | ||
| The Young Doctors | Kevin McAllister | 2 episodes | |
| 1980 | Cop Shop | Adrian Cummins | 1 episode |
| Timelapse | Boyd Mackiel | Mini-series | |
| 1982 | A Country Practice | Bunny Wilcox | Episode: "Come Blow Your Horn" |
| 1983 | The Dismissal | Justin O'Byrne | 1 episode |
| 1984 | The Last Bastion | General Sturdee | Mini-series |
| Special Squad | Episode: "Counterfeit Lady" | ||
| Bodyline | Lyons - Prime Minister of Australia | Mini-series | |
| A Country Practice | Keith Fitzgerald | Episode: "Moment of Truth" | |
| 1985 | Anzacs | Sir Rupert Barrington | Mini-series |
| 1987 | Rafferty's Rules | Mathew | Episode: "Kids" |
| Vietnam | Dave the Spook | Mini-series | |
| 1987-1993 | A Country Practice | Ted Campbell | Recurring role |
| 1988 | The Dirtwater Dynasty | Eastwick Banker | Mini-series |
| 1989 | Mission: Impossible | Presenter | Episode: "The Golden Serpent" |
| Bangkok Hilton | British Attache | Mini-series | |
| 1990 | The Flying Doctors | Warren Price | Episode: "Daddy's Girl" |
| The Paper Man | Sir Evan Mason | Mini-series | |
| 1991 | G.P. | Dr. Thomas Radley | 3 episodes |
| 1995 | Blue Murder | Dr. Cumberland | Mini-series |
| 1998 | Children's Hospital | Keith Charrington | Episode: "Home Truths" |
| 2000 | Grass Roots | Monty Chesney | Episode: "April to July" |
| 2001 | All Saints | Bill Weiner | 2 episodes |
| 2015 | Home and Away | Tom Knight | 2 episodes |
References
- ^ a b c "Vince, Keep Your Face Away From The Camera". Retrieved 15 September 2019.
- ^ a b "Vincent Ball". bookdepository.com. Retrieved 22 April 2021.
- ^ a b c "'I might get a job now they know I'm alive'". www.dailytelegraph.com.au. 26 January 2016.
- ^ a b ""Vince, Keep Your Face Away From the Camera"". The Australian Women's Weekly. Vol. 41, no. 23. Australia. 7 November 1973. p. 4. Retrieved 18 August 2020 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "Australians Abroad Spanish Journeys For Many Sydney Travellers". The Sunday Herald (Sydney). No. 42. New South Wales, Australia. 6 November 1949. p. 10. Retrieved 18 August 2020 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "Irish Brogue Did It". The Sun. No. 2468. New South Wales, Australia. 6 August 1950. p. 59. Retrieved 18 August 2020 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "Vincent Ball". IMDb. Retrieved 23 February 2018.
- ^ "Harry Lauder's Life". The Sunday Herald (Sydney). No. 84. New South Wales, Australia. 3 September 1950. p. 4 (Features). Retrieved 18 August 2020 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "Vincent Ball". www.rottentomatoes.com. Retrieved 4 January 2017.
- ^ "Vincent Ball". BFI.
- ^ "Vincent Ball". www.aveleyman.com.
- ^ "They were in Crossroads?". 3 April 2013.
- ^ "Actor returns". The Canberra Times. Vol. 48, no. 13, 586. Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 8 November 1973. p. 22. Retrieved 18 August 2020 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "WORK FLOODS IN FOR PRINCE VINCENT". The Australian Women's Weekly. Vol. 48, no. 17. Australia. 24 September 1980. p. 21 (Your TV Magazine). Retrieved 18 August 2020 – via National Library of Australia. ,
- ^ "Vincent Ball | TV Guide". TVGuide.com.
- ^ Alf not the sole veteran in Home and Away's Anzac storyline. News.com.au, 19 April 2015. Accessed 30 April 2015
- ^ Collins, Terry (26 January 2016). "Australia Day 2016: Actor Vincent Ball reflects on fascinating movie career after receiving OAM honour". Central Coast Express Advocate.
External links
- Vincent Ball at IMDb
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
Categories:
- 1923 births
- Living people
- 20th-century Australian male actors
- Alumni of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art
- Australian male film actors
- Australian male television actors
- Royal Australian Air Force personnel of World War II
- Recipients of the Medal of the Order of Australia
- Royal Australian Air Force airmen
- Australian male novelists
- 21st-century Australian novelists