Frank Thornton Ball (15 January 1921 — 16 March 2013), better known as Frank Thornton, was an English actor best known for playing Captain Peacock in Are You Being Served? and Grace & Favour, and Truly in Last of the Summer Wine.
He began acting in The '30s for the Witney Repertory Players, which was followed by work in Donald Wolfit's Shakespeare Company. It was while working for Wolfit that Thornton met fellow actor Beryl Evans, who he later married. As World War II broke out, he got work for The BBC's information/propaganda radio broadcasts London Calling Europe, which was followed by a spell in the RAF.
After being demobilised, Thornton returned to acting. Disaster struck in 1947 when after an unexpected stammer threatened to cut his career short, but Thornton put an end to this quick. His first film role to be credited was in Radio Cab Murder in 1954; he had previously done a scene in Neutral Port as a soldier, but it was sadly deleted.
In The '60s, he began to appear on British TV, starting out as the compère for the Variety Show, The Centre Show. After working with Michael Bentine in the revue, Don't Shoot We're English, he was a regular on Bentine's series, It's a Square World, and was a familiar background face in Britcoms, memorably guest starring in five episodes of Steptoe and Son. In 1961, Thornton starred in a comedy Pilot, The Man in the Bed, that sadly was never transmitted.
From 1964 to 1965, he starred in the ITV naval series HMS Paradise as Commander Fairweather. At the same time, he continued to appear in popular comedy films, such as Gonks Go Beat, The Big Job, Carry On Screaming!, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, A Flea in Her Ear, The Bed Sitting Room, Up the Chastity Belt, No Sex Please, We're British, and Keep It Up, Jack!.
At the end of the '60s, Thornton was Sergeant Bull in the children's series, Danny the Dragon, and starred in two Spin-Offs of The Navy Lark — playing Henry Pettigrew in The Embassy Lark and Frank Bonniface in The Big Business Lark. He also provided support for Reg Varney in The Other Reg Varney and The Reg Varney Revue, and Spike Milligan in The World of Beachcomber.
In 1972, he was cast as Captain Peacock in Are You Being Served? and remained with the series until its final episode in 1985. He returned to the role in the film and in the After Show, Grace & Favour, while in 1984, he and his co-star, Mollie Sugden, both appeared in the playlet Holiday with Strings. A week after doing the AYBS? pilot, Thornton also played Mr. Gorridge in the By Jeorge pilot; unlike AYBS?, this was not a success. In 1979, he returned to radio and starred as the titular character in Ernest Fontwell Versus the Experts; later on, he was Russell Farrow in the radio comedy Mind Your Own Business!.
In 1996, Thornton appeared alongside Julian Clary in All Rise for Julian Clary as Geoffrey Parker-Knoll. In 1997, Brian Wilde left Last of the Summer Wine as he was suffering from shingles, so Thornton was brought onto the series to fill the "third man" void. Thornton played Truly, a retired policeman, and would stick with the role until the series ended in 2010.
He died in his sleep at the age of 92. In 2024, an authorised biography, To Be Frank..., was published.
Works on TV Tropes he appeared in:
Film
- Victim (1961) — George (Uncredited Role)
- A Hard Day's Night (1964) — Chauffeur (Deleted Role)
- The Tomb of Ligeia (1964) — Peperel
- The Wild Affair (1965) — Wine Shop Manager
- Carry On Screaming! (1966) — Mr. Jones
- A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (1966) — Brutal Slave Driver
- The Bliss of Mrs. Blossom (1968) — Factory Manager
- The Assassination Bureau (1969) — Count von Kissen (Uncredited Role)
- The Bed Sitting Room (1969) — The BBC
- The Magic Christian (1969) — Police Inspector (Uncredited Role)
- The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes (1970) — Porter
- The Rise and Rise of Michael Rimmer (1970) — Tom Stoddart
- Up the Chastity Belt (1972) — Master of Ceremonies
- Steptoe and Son Ride Again (1973) — Mr. Russell
- The Three Musketeers (1973) — Man in Small Carriage (Uncredited Role)
- Are You Being Served? (1977) — Captain Stephen Peacock
- The BFG (1989) — Mr. Tibbs
- Gosford Park (2001) — Mr. Burkett
- Run for Your Wife (2012) — Man Getting off Bus
- Dixon of Dock Green, episode "The New Skipper" (1957) — Police Constable Cox
- Danger Man, 2 episodes:
- "Find and Return" (1961) — Police Captain
- "The Hired Assassin" (1961) — Pepe
- Hancock's Half Hour, episode "The Blood Donor" (1961) — Mr. Johnson
- The Avengers, episode "Death on the Slipway" (1961) — Sir William Bonner
- Steptoe and Son, 5 episodes:
- "The Economist" (1962) — Seller
- "Sixty-Five Today" (1963) — Barman
- "Steptoe a la Cart" (1964) — Butler
- "Pilgrim's Progress" (1965) — Frenchman
- "The Party" (1973) — Travel Agency Clerk
- Coronation Street, 1 episode (1966) — Danny Roach
- The Champions, episode "The Night People" (1968) — Clerk
- Inside George Webley, episode "Hold Your Breath and Count to Fifty" (1968) — Maitre d'
- The Goodies, 2 episodes:
- "Farm Fresh Food" (1971) — Waiter
- "Rock Goodies" (1977) — Master of Ceremonies
- Love Thy Neighbour, episode "Refused a Drink" (1972) — Barman
- Are You Being Served?, 69 episodes (1972-85) — Captain Stephen Peacock
- Sykes, episode "Dream" (1972) — Dr. Taplow
- Crown Court, 1 episode of 3-episode story "A Case of Murder" (1974) — Professor McIver
- Fall of Eagles, episode "The English Princess" (1974) — Prince Albert
- Whodunnit?, episode "Nothing to Declare" (1975) — Gerald Harvey
- The New Avengers, episode "House of Cards" (1976) — Roland
- Jackanory Playhouse, 2 episodes:
- "Princess Griselda's Birthday Gift" (1978) — King Balthazar
- "The Knighties" (1984) — Sir Torrence
- The Sooty Show, 3 episodes:
- 2 episodesshow list (1984-87) — Dr. Hugh
- "Money Doesn't Grow on Trees" (1986) — Mr. Wolfe
- T-Bag Bounces Back, 2 episodesshow list (1987) — Count Boris
- T.Bag and the Revenge of the T.Set, episode "The Bard" (1989) — Will Wagadagger
- Grace & Favour, 12 episodes (1992-93) — Captain Stephen Peacock
- Noel's House Party, 1 episode (1994) — Neighbour
- The Upper Hand, episode "The Wedding" (1995) — Reverend Hale
- Last of the Summer Wine, 135 episodes (1997-2010) — Herbert "Truly" Truelove
- CASUAL+Y, episode "Heroes and Villains" (2001) — Edward Gutheridge
- Doctors, episode "A Soldier's Lot" (2003) — Gerard Mears
- Holby City, episode "We'll Meet Again" (2004) — Douglas Archer
- Children in Need, 1 episode (2007) — Restaurant Manager
- The Navy Lark, 2 episodes:
- "Pertwee and the Tratvian Beer" (1966) — Henry "Hot Lips" Pettigrew
- "The Phenomenal Pertwee Tug" (1970) — Chief Petty Officer Nathaniel Pertwee