Ron Blanchard
Ron Blanchard | |
|---|---|
| Born | Ronald Blanchard 1945 (age 78–79) Australia |
| Occupation(s) | Theatre, television and film actor |
| Years active | 1957–present |
Ronald Blanchard(born 1945) is an Australian stage, television and film actor. He is best known as a character actor, and for his starring roles in five popular children's television seriesBreakfast-a-Go-Go,The Lost Islands,Alexander Bunyip's Billabong,Watch This SpaceandProfessor Poopsnagle's Steam Zeppelin.A well-knowncharacter actor,Blanchard had numerous appearances on television series and films from the late 1960s up until the late 1990s, most especially, his recurring guest role as Lenny Sawyer onA Country Practicebut has since returned to theatre work. He made his film debut in a supporting role inCaddiein 1976 and appeared in the 1997 filmOscar and Lucinda.
Biography
[edit]Blanchard got his first big break on the small screen when he appeared on the children's variety showBreakfast-a-Go-Goin 1969 as 'Witless Wonder', the comedic sidekick of new host Sue Smith. In 1972 he appeared as a guest star on the soap operaNumber 96and on the comedy seriesSnake Gully with Dad and Dave.He continued working on-and-off for the next several years and, in 1976, Blanchard landed the part of the villainous Quell on the children's adventure seriesThe Lost Islands.As one of the show's main antagonists, the series provided his breakout role.
As well as appearing onThe Outsiders,in the same year he also made his film debut with a supporting role inCaddie.[1][2][3][4]He followed this with appearances onThe Garry McDonald Show(1977),Alexander Bunyip's Billabong(1978),[5]Doctor Down Under(1979) and, most notably, co-starring withPaul Chubbin the children's science fiction seriesWatch This Space(1982). He began to work more regularly during the early 1980s and had parts in the television movieChase Through the Night(1983), miniseriesThe Last Bastion(1984)[6]and filmsSilver City(1984),[7]Warming Up(1985) andBurke & Wills(1985).[1][8]
In January 1986, he joined former co-starPaul Chubband Perry Quinton in a pantomime calledHumpty Dumpty.It featured the fictional characters of theHarry and Ralph Showat the Footbridge Theatre.[9]In the same year, he starred in yet another children's television series, the popular but short-livedProfessor Poopsnagle's Steam Zeppelin.After a supporting role in the thriller filmDark Age(1987),[10]he returned to television acting with guest appearances inMother and Son(1988),True Believers(1988) andG.P.(1991). That same year, he also had a minor role in the action filmGotcha(1991).
Beginning in 1992, Blanchard had a recurring role as Lenny Sawyer on the television seriesA Country Practice.His last regular acting role was in the filmCountry Life(1994),[11]although he made appearances in the television movieHart to Hart: Harts in High Season(1996) and the romance filmOscar and Lucinda(1997).[1][12]
For the past 12 years, he has been travelling the world playing the role of an English butler for the famous Swedish illusionistJoe Labero.
Selected filmography
[edit]Film
[edit]| Production | Year | Role | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Caddie | 1976 | Bill | Feature film |
| Chase Through the Night | 1982 | Mert | TV movie |
| Silver City | 1984 | Arthur Calwell | Feature film |
| Burke & Wills | 1985 | Bill Patton | Feature film |
| Warming Up | 1986 | Len | Feature film |
| Dark Age | 1987 | Bluey Noakes | Feature film |
| Rock 'N' Roll Cowboys | 1987 | Uncle Sam | TV movie |
| Gotcha | 1991 | Tuba Player | TV short film |
| Country Life | 1994 | Wally Wells | Feature film |
| Hart to Hart: Harts in High Season | 1996 | TV movie | |
| Oscar and Lucinda | 1997 | Steamer Captain | Feature film |
Television
[edit]| Production | Year | Role | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breakfast-a-Go-Go | 1969 | Witless Wonder | TV series |
| Snake Gully with Dad and Dave | 1972 | Doug Creedy | TV series, episode: "Hold that Tiger" |
| Number 96 | 1973 | Dennis Parker | TV series |
| Certain Women | 1974 | TV series, 1 episode | |
| Alvin Purple | 1976 | Curly | TV series |
| The Outsiders | 1976 | Hannan | TV series, episode: "Ghost Town" |
| The Lost Islands | 1976 | Quell | TV series, 26 episodes |
| The Garry McDonald Show | 1977 | Various | TV series |
| Alexander Bunyip's Billabong | 1978-88 | Ron | TV series |
| Doctor Down Under | 1979 | First Wardsman | TV series, episode "Identity Crisis" |
| Tickled Pink | 1981 | TV series, episode: "Three Blind Mice" | |
| Watch This Space | 1982 | Ron | TV series |
| The Last Bastion | 1984 | Arthur | TV miniseries |
| Professor Poopsnaggle and His Flying Zeppelin | 1985 | Murk | TV series, 24 episodes |
| Mother and Son | 1988 | Emile the fridge repairman | TV series, episode "The Fridge" |
| True Believers | 1988 | Arthur Calwell | TV miniseries, episodes |
| Rafferty's Rules | 1991 | Jones Worthington | TV series, episode "Best and Brightest" |
| G.P. | 1991 | Ron Slater | TV series |
| A Country Practice | 1985 | Kevin Crooke | TV series, 4 episodes |
| A Country Practice | 1992-93 | Norman Leonard "Lennie" Sawyer | TV series, 12 episodes |
| Home and Away | 1989-93 | Athletic Official, Peter Braithwaite | TV series |
References
[edit]- ^abc"Ron Blanchard filmography".Movies & TV Dept.The New York Times.2012. Archived fromthe originalon 21 October 2012.
- ^Canby, Vincent (8 February 1981)."'Caddie,' An Australian Woman On Her Own ".Cultural Desk.The New York Times.
- ^Reade, Eric.History and Heartburn: The Saga of Australian Film, 1896-1978.Sydney: Harper & Rowe, 1981. (pg. 248)ISBN0-8386-3082-0
- ^Daily Variety.Variety's Film Reviews: 1975-1977.New York: R.R. Bowker, 1983.ISBN0-8352-2794-4
- ^Library Association of Australia."Item notes." Orca. Vol. 15-16. (1979): 44+.
- ^Willis, John.Screen World 1986 Film Annual.Vol. 37. New York: Random House, 1986. (pg. 171)ISBN0-517-56257-X
- ^Maslin, Janet (17 May 1985)."Screen: Australia's 'Silver City'".Weekend Desk.The New York Times.
- ^Murray, Scott and Raffaele Caputo.Australian Film, 1978-1992: A Survey of Theatrical Features.Melbourne: Oxford University Press, 1993. (pg. 153, 165, 179)ISBN0-19-553584-7
- ^"Kids' Theatre".The Sydney Morning Herald.3 January 1986.
- ^Lentz, Harris M.Science Fiction, Horror & Fantasy Film and Television Credits.Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland, 1994. (pg. 396)ISBN0-89950-927-4
- ^Ebert, Roger.Roger Ebert's Video Companion.13th ed. Kansas City: Andrews & McMeel, 1997. (pg. 173)ISBN0-8362-3688-2
- ^Willis, John.Screen World 1998 Film Annual.Vol. 49. Milwaukee: Hal Leonard Corporation, 1999. (pg. 257)ISBN1-55783-342-7