Arthur Lowe

Arthur Lowe

actor, soundtrack

Arthur Lowe was born on Sep 22, 1915 in UK. Arthur Lowe's big-screen debut came with Dulcimer Street directed by Sidney Gilliat in 1948, strarring Commuter on Train (uncredited). Arthur Lowe is known for The Plank directed by Eric Sykes, Eric Sykes stars as Larger Workman and Arthur Lowe as Smaller Workman. Arthur Lowe has got 1 awards and 6 nominations so far. The most recent award Arthur Lowe achieved is BAFTA Awards. The upcoming new movie Arthur Lowe plays is Britannia Hospital which will be released on May 27, 1982.

Lowe, rotund and professionally indefatigable, rightly gained acclaim as an accomplished comedy character actor; fondly remembered as the irascible "Captain Mainwaring" in the Home Guard comedy series Dad's Army (1968-1977), and as Coronation Street (1960)'s "Leonard Swindley". The only child of a Derbyshire railworker, Lowe gained valuable experience by organising shows for a British army field entertainment unit, in the Middle East, during World War Two, before commencing his professional acting career, at the age of 30, in 1945, upon joining the "Manchester Repertory Theatre Company".In between endless tours for repertory and in major stage performances, Lowe utilised his character actor status - which writers identify as being aided by his bald head - in bit-parts for films including: the inspired "Ealing" black comedy Noblesse oblige (1949) and Une bombe pas comme les autres (1956). Later, whilst gathering fame - with the reputedly observational realist soap opera Coronation Street (1960) - he cemented a professional relationship with maverick film director Lindsay Anderson; using left-wing sensibilities for some of his films: including If.... (1968) and several characters in the avant-garde Le Meilleur des mondes possible ! (1973) (the latter earning Lowe an SFTA Award, for best supporting performance).As his son, and biographer, Stephen Lowe, intimated, finances governed and perpetuated his career, in the final stages of his life, in the 1970s; appearing in over 100, and possibly very lucrative, television advertisements and, not surprisingly, a surfeit of comedies including the sit-com Potter (1979) (1979-1983), the ribald film No sex please... Nous sommes Anglais! (1973) and to rave reviews for his stage performance as "Stephano", in "The Tempest" (1974), at the "National Theatre". Although Lowe received excellent notices for straight roles and appearances in plays such as John Osborne's "Inadmissible Evidence" (1963) at the "Royal Court", Dad's Army (1968) assured Lowe enduring appeal, as his character acting skills seamlessly compliment the show's comfortable sit-com structure.

  • Birthday

    Sep 22, 1915
  • Place of Birth

    Hayfield, Derbyshire, England, UK

Known For

Awards

1 wins & 6 nominations

BAFTA Awards
1974
Best Supporting Actor
Winner - BAFTA Film Award

Movies & TV Shows

All
Movies
TV Shows