Bernard Fox

A fifth generation performer, veteran character actor Bernard Fox appeared onstage for the first time at age 18 months and by the time he was 14 was not only acting but also working as an assistant stage manager for a repertory theater. After service in the Royal Navy during World War II, he resumed his career, soon joining the prominent York Repertory company and, later, London's Whitehall Farce Players. Fox made his screen debut in "Spin a Dark Web/Soho Incident" (1956) and played the man in the crow's nest of the Titanic who spots the iceberg in 1958's "A Night to Remember". He ended up on a BBC-TV series called "Three Live Wires", whose producer Ray Saffian Allen had American TV connections and promised to help the actor if he ever went to Hollywood. Once in Los Angeles, Fox acted first in the play "Write Me A Murder" (1962) before Allen (who along with partner Harvey Bullock wrote some scripts for "The Andy Griffith Show") got him a part on "The Danny Thomas Show" (CBS) as an inept waiter named Alfie.

If the 1950s in NYC were the Golden Age of Live TV, then 1960s' Hollywood could be considered the Golden Age of the TV Sitcom, and Fox was right in the middle of it. The spot on "Danny Thomas" led to his memorable role as Malcolm Merriweather in three episodes of "The Andy Griffith Show" (CBS). Over the next few years, he appeared in a wide array of the medium's best fare, including "The Dick Van Dyke Show" (CBS), "McHale's Navy" (ABC), "The Farmer's Daughter" (ABC) and "The Monkees" (NBC). The tremendous demand for his talents resulted in his simultaneously playing the recurring roles of physician-warlock Dr. Bombay on "Bewitched" (ABC) and Colonel Crittenden on "Hogan's Heroes" (CBS). Since then, Fox has acted in such features as "Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo" (1977) and "Private Eyes" (1980), both with Don Knotts, and landed guest spots on "M*A*S*H" (CBS) and "Murder, She Wrote" (CBS), among other series. He debuted on Broadway in "13 Rue de L'Amour" (1978) and rode the doomed luxury liner a second time as Archibald Grace in James Cameron's Oscar-winning "Titanic" (1997).

• Also Credited As:
  Bernard Lawson
• Born:
  May 11, 1927 in Portalbot, South Wales
• Job Titles:
  Actor, Writer, Assistant stage manager, Lumberjack, Postal worker

Milestones

• 1941 By age 14 was not only acting but serving as assistant stage manager of a repertory company (date approximate)
• 1943 Began serving in Royal Navy; did some entertaining of his fellow servicemen, but much time spent doing serious work aboard a minesweeper
• 1952 Joined London's Whitehall Farce Players, performing in "Reluctant Heroes", "Simple Spymen" and "Dry Rot", among other plays
• 1956 Film debut in "Spin a Dark Web"
• 1958 Played the man in the crow's nest who spots the iceberg in "A Night to Remember"; learned at its premier that his father had been a Titanic steerage passenger who had tried to guide passengers to safety
• 1959 Met his wife (also an actor) in Rome doing "The Amorous Prawn"
• 1962 First Hollywood stage performance, "Write Me a Murder"
• 1963 Acted in John Huston's "The List of Adrian Messenger"
• 1963 American TV debut on "The Danny Thomas Show" (CBS), playing an inept waiter named Alfie
• 1963 Portrayed Malcom Merriweather in "Andy's English Valet" episode of "The Andy Griffith Show" (CBS), the first of three appearances for the popular Merriweather character
• 1964 Appeared on episodes of "The Dick Van Dyke Show" (CBS), "McHale's Navy" (ABC) and "Twelve O'Clock High" (ABC)
• 1965 Performed in three episdoes of "The Farmer's Daughter" (ABC) as three different characters
• 1966 Acted in two "Man From U.N.C.L.E." (NBC) missions, one "The Mother Muffin Affair" with Boris Karloff in drag as Mother Muffin
• 1967 Played recurring role of the eccentric warlock Dr Bombay on "Bewitched" (ABC); had previously played Osgood Wrightmeyer, a supposed "witchbuster", in a 1966 episode
• 1972 Played Dr Watson to Stewart Granger's Sherlock Holmes in TV-movie "The Hound of the Baskervilles" (ABC)
• 1973 Portrayed Constable Hooks in the feature "Arnold"
• 1977 Appeared in "Herbie Rides Again", starring Don Knotts and Dean Jones
• 1977 Provided Chairman's voice in animated feature "The Rescuers"
• 1978 Broadway debut as Duchotel in "13 Rue de L'Amour"
• 1980 Portrayed Captain Chablat in TV-movie "Gaugin the Savage" (CBS)
• 1980 Reteamed with Don Knotts for "The Private Eyes"
• 1990 Lent his voice to the sequel "The Rescuers Down Under" (Chairmouse and Doctor)
• 1997 Second time on the doomed Titanic, this time as Colonel Archibald Gracie in James Cameron's "Titanic"
• Acted, was master of ceremonies, directed and wrote "A Night in an English Music Hall", a recreation of a Victorian Music Hall at Santa Monica's Mayfair Theatre; later distilled portions he had written into a one-man show "Miniature Music Hall", which he performed in a variety of venues
• Carried onstage at 18 months
• Cast in children's roles in productions such as "Richard III" (playing the little prince) and "Two Little Vagabonds"
• Had recurring role as Colonel Crittenden on "Hogan's Heroes" (CBS)
• Moved to L.A.
• Performed in London production of Shaw's "Misalliance", with Roger Livesey, Alan Webb and Donald Pleasance
• Returned to acting after World War II and worked his way up to the prominent York Repertory company
• Went to work with mother in Ireland, eventually returning to England
• Worked on a TV series called "Three Live Wires", meeting its producer Ray Saffian Allen who told him if he came to the states, " . . . I promise you a couple of shots"