PETER WYNGARDE: The Official Website (2024)

Q: Great website! Does anybody know the make and model typewriter Jason King uses? Thanks, Leo

A: Funnily enough I was thinking about this the other day – at around the 7 min mark of All That Glisters part 2 there’s a good look at what looks like an Olivetti Lettera 32 (not the Deluxe version) – so there were seemingly multiple Olivettis across theseries. Might even have been a deal with the manufacturer to supply a few? Although funny then that JK never uses the super-cool Olivetti Valentine. Perhaps that would have been too kitsch, not serious enough for a real writer.

Answer courtesy of Christopher Budd.

Q; What is the “professional” Peter Wyngarde “biography” spoken of by Wikipedia that they say was published in 2012? The Roger Langley biography was published in 2012 and reissued in 2019, but this was produced in house by The Prisoner appreciation society, Six of One, so it’s not what you might describe as being “professional”. Bob Kelsall

A: They do appear to be talking about the Roger Langley book.

I gave up a long time ago trying to work out what motivates the people that covetously guard the Peter Wyngarde ‘biography’ on Wikipedia. They quote liberally from tabloid articles – even those that have caused public outrage and resulted in the journalist responsible being sacked – whilst ignoring or outrightly dismissing others that are verified with original documentary evidence. I suggest you take most of what you read on there with a ton of salt.

Q: Could you tell me if the handprints that Peter made during his visit to Melbourne in 1972 still exist. Gerry McKellen, Melbourne

A:Peter left his handprints in the Walk of Fame at McEwans – latterly CBD Bunnings – hardware emporium on Bourke Street, Melbourne, on the 16th June, 1972. The Walk of Fame featured many international celebrities of the day, including Terry-Thomas and Sid James. A few years ago, all the hand and footprints were moved to an interior wall of the shop as many had eroded due to the years of people constantly walking over in the centre of the city of Melbourne. The prints were located just inside the Bourke Street entrance on the right. Peter’s handprints were in the centre of the bottom row.

Sadly, Bunnings no longer exists, but the handprints do. They have been removed to a council facility storage at City of Melbourne’s archive space.

Below is all the information we have on the artifact, which is directly from The City of Melbourne Art and Heritage Collection.

Q:I can’t find much of Peter’s stuff on BBC iPlayer – not even in the Archive section. Any idea why?Ellie S.

A:Yes, because Peter didn’t do very much work for the BBC. Despite supposedly being Britain’s ‘National Broadcaster’, Aunty Beeb either deleted or recorded over much of the programmes they made in the 1950s and 60s, so the handful of things Peter worked on for the BBC are, sadly, no more.

Q:I recently bought a white label promo copy ofPeter’s 1970 LP. There is writing on the outer card and a note written on a Sydney hotel notepaper. Would you be able to give me your opinion on if they were written by Peter. There were so few produced if not Peter’s hand it is probably someone involved in it’s making. Thanks.Steve Cain

A.Thanks for the pics. The only bit of in Peter’s hand is that with the name – ‘Sam Harding’s – and the phone number.

Q:Was Peter involved in a documentary about the Doctor Who episode,‘Planet of Fire‘in 2011?Dave Healey

A:‘The Flames of Sarn’ was a documentary about the making of ‘Planet of Fire’, which was released on DVD by 2|entertain in 2010. Extracts from the Big FinishreleaseThe John Nathan-Turner Memoirsare heard throughout the documentary to represent John Nathan-Turner’s memories of the story. The documentary featured interviews with Peter Davidson, Mark Strickson, Nicola Bryant and director, Fiona Cummings, but Peter had no part in it.

Right: Peter as Timanov in ‘Planet of Fire’

Q:Could you possibly settle what I’ll politely refer to as an enthusiastic discussion I had online a few days ago with a foul-mouthed clown who stated that your book,‘Peter Wyngarde: A Life Amongst Strangers’only sold a handful of copies. I could swear I remember it being on the Amazon Top 100 Best Sellers List?Andy Gray

A:The book was published on 28th February 2020, and it spent much of March of that year in the Amazon Top 100 – peaking at No.5. According to Amazon, who are the largest book retailer on the planet:“To make our Top 100 best seller list, a book must sell at least 3,500 copies in its first week. However, to make it into the top 5, over 5,000copies of a title have to be sold per day.”So as you can see, this “clown” is spouting utter nonsense!

Q:Just a question about Peter. I notice he is always referred to as Peter and not Pete. As a Peter myself, I prefer being called Pete. Did he prefer Peter or would he sometimes be referred to as Pete?Peter Hodges

A:No – never heard anyone call Peter ‘Pete’, and he never used it himself. I often called him either Pierre or Pedro which didn’t bother him. Anyway, thanks for your question.

Q:Hello. Do you know anything about an audio book that Peter narrated of Terry Pratchett’s ‘Discworld’?SimonMetford

A:It wasn’t an audio book, Simon, but a radio play based on Pratchett’s ‘Mort’, which was produced by Dirk Maggs and Neil Rosser. Peter played ‘Death’, with Sir Simon Russell-Beale in the title role and Geoffrey Bayden as his Dad. Dirk Maggs latterly said of Peter,“It was a pleasure and privilege to work with Peter. He was wise and kind and had some wonderful stories to tell.”

It was broadcast on BBC Radio 4 on 28th August, 1991.

Q:I’m looking to purchase the reproduction General Klytus mask. Would anyone know where I can pick one up ifanyone has one for sale in private collection. Thanks.John Shivers

A:The reproduction Klytus Mask to which you refer was a prototype. Chronicle’splan was make a limited number for sale to the public, but they must’ve had a change of heart as they didn’t go ahead in the end, which is a great shame as it looked fantastic. Sorry to bring you disappointing news.

Q:I was talking to my mum recently about Peter Wyngarde and she was like “I knew him, he was really good friends with your grandma” then she told me lots of stories about his antics in our local pub “The Ancient Foresters” but what she doesn’t know was why Peter came to Bradford regularly, did he work here? (We are a big city for film and tv), or maybe he had family here? Can anyone shed any light on this?Joe Hill

A:Peter would often travel to Bradford when he was working with Greshamstyle – a personal appearance agency that was based in the city and run by the lateCarl Gresham. He also made many appearances at the Alhambra there.

A: The first book – ‘Jason King’ – went on sale in March 1972, and were publicised via most of the popular magazines of the time, i.e. Woman, Woman’s Own and the TV Times et al.

Q:Was there a moment when Peter felt he had become a star? Who did he consider to be the best actor/actress he ever worked with? Did he ever feel intimidated at the prospect of working with some of the legends (or even non-legends) he got to work with?? Did he have any regrets?? Many thanks.Patrick Nash.

A:Peter would always say that he never really felt like a “star”. He considered actors like Laurence Olivier and Sir Ralph Richardson to be the real stars. He did get the feeling that he’d finally made it when he got the part of Count Marcellus in ‘Duel of Angels‘, opposite Vivien Leigh.

He enjoyed working with many people – probably too many to mention. Vivien Leigh, certainly, and the cast of ‘Flash Gordon‘. He got on really well with Joel Fabiani while working onDepartments S, and loved filming ‘The Light Is Dark Enough‘ with Dame Edith Evans who was his neighbour in Kent.

No, he’s never been intimidated by anyone. After spending his childhood in a Japanese Prisoner of War camp, nothing seemed to faze him!

No real regrets – only not doing more work in America. He would often say that he learned as much from the bad productions had he’d done from the good ones. He’d have liked to have played Iago in ‘Othello’ but, alas, that was a part that always alluded him.

Q:Could you tell me if this is Peter Wyngarde’s signature or not? It’s on a copy of his LP that I was considering buying.Paul Stout

A:Although Peter’s handwriting changed markedly over the years (if you scroll further down this page, you’ll see that I’ve posted many examples of his signature over the decades), I can categorically say that this isNOThis signature!

Q:I was looking at a list of Peter’s early TV work and I noticed he appeared in a serial called Epilogue To Capricorn in 1959.My earliest memory of Peter was a serial with the word ‘Capricorn’ in the title but I’ve always remembered it as ‘Operation Capricorn’. I also strongly remember the actress Maxine Audley starring alongside Peter in the series.

I seem recall it was perhaps set in the Caribbean or the tropics. Maybe I am wrong about the title, but I’m sure Maxine Audley was in it. I was only eleven years old at the time, and it’s a long time ago but can anyone help?Dennis Leary

A:‘Epilogue to Capricorn’ was a six-part mini-series broadcast under the banner ‘Saturday Special’. Peter’s character was called Paul Vauxhall, and the 30-minute episodes were as follows:

• All On Tape. Broadcast: October 31st, 1959
• Manhunt. Broadcast: November 7th, 1959
• Point Of No Return: November 14th, 1959
• Child’s Play: November 21st, 1959
• Time Factor: November 28th, 1959
• Traitor’s Gate. Broadcast: December 6th, 1959

Unlike most British television programmes of the 1950s, this series survives intact. Peter’s character was killed off in the fourth episode, but there was so many complaints by angry viewers at his demise, that he was brought back the following week (the serial was broadcast live), so Peter did it years before Patrick Duffy in ‘Dallas’!

The main female characters in the series were: Lady Kerwin played by Jean Kent; Jill Howard – Adrienne Corri, and Pamela Warren – Pauline Yates.

Hope that’s of some help(?).

Q:I don’t know if you’ll be able to answer this as this isn’t a website devoted entirely to The Prisoner (I’ve written to the biggest Prisoner fan club, Six of One, about this but never received a reply). Do you know if the scarf that Peter and the other actors who played Number 2 in this series is the same as those worn by students at Oxford University?Brian Ainsworth

A:Although they are very similar, the scarf seen in The Prisoner has several differences to the one worn by Oxford Uni students.

There appears to be just 2 stripes on the one worn in The Prisoner, while there are 4 on the Oxford one, and there is a gap between the yellow and white stripes on the Prisoner scarf which is not present on the Oxford so my answer to your question is no.

Q:I’ve been thinking about the film ‘The Siege of Sidney Street‘ and wondered – are decent prints of this hard to come by hence the lack of an official DVD/Bluray in the UK? I first saw it in around 1990 on BBC1 and that had, like the DVD I’ve got of it, a cropped picture. Plus the DVD is (very) unremastered. Either way has it fallen into copyright limbo? According to the BBFC website, the only time the film has been granted a certificate in this country was on its cinema release, I guess that means it’s never even been submitted for a certificate for DVD in this country let alone ever put out on video (except perhaps for a pre-cert, pre-1984 video?).Simon Morris

Q:I’ve been thinking about the film ‘The Siege of Sidney Street‘ and wondered – are decent prints of this hard to come by hence the lack of an official DVD/Bluray in the UK? I first saw it in around 1990 on BBC1 and that had, like the DVD I’ve got of it, a cropped picture. Plus the DVD is (very) unremastered. Either way has it fallen into copyright limbo? According to the BBFC website, the only time the film has been granted a certificate in this country was on itsQ:I’ve been thinking about the film ‘The Siege of Sidney Street‘ and wondered – are decent prints of this hard to come by hence the lack of an official DVD/Bluray in the UK? I first saw it in around 1990 on BBC1 and that had, like the DVD I’ve got of it, a cropped picture. Plus the DVD is (very) unremastered. Either way has it fallen into copyright limbo? According to the BBFC website, the only time the film has been granted a certificate in this country was on its cinema release, I guess that means it’s never even been submitted for a certificate for DVD in this country let alone ever put out on video (except perhaps for a pre-cert, pre-1984 video?).Simon Morris

A:The film is available on DVD, but only in the USA as part of a compilation entitled, ‘British Cinema Classic B Film Collection: Volume 1’ (VCIV8538DVD). The other titles included in the set are: Softly Stranger, The Frightened Man, Crimes at the Dark House and The Hooded Terror. While the licence for the film is held by this American company, it’s unlikely that it will be issued in the UK. Hope that helps.

Q:Do you know if Peter had any memories of filming the bus chase and car crash sequence in ‘Night of the Eagle‘? It’s a fantastically effective sequence and Peter appears to have done much of the stunt driving himself. I’d love to know where exactly it was filmed and any other anecdotes he might remember. Hope you don’t mind me asking.Clive Dawson

A:Yes, Peter remembered doing the bus chase scene very clearly. Those shots were filmed around Buckinghamshire. He always insisted on doing as much of his own stunt work as possible and was a very accomplished driver, having passed his Advanced Driving Test. I hope that helps to answer your question.

Q:In your book, ‘Peter Wyngarde: A Life Amongst Strangers‘, you quote from letters that Peter had written, often years ago, to friends and colleagues. How were you able to do that when the letter would be in the hands of the intended recipient?David Tyrell

A:Peter was a remarkable record-keeper who made copies ofALLthe letters he sent to his Mother, friends, colleagues and other associates from the early 1950s until his death in 2018. He started by making a handwritten copy of each, then progressed to Xeroxing them and, latterly, printing out a copy from his computer. He gave all of these letters to me when he was preparing to write his autobiography in 2015/16.

He also kept all his address books and diaries from that same period, which made mention of everyone he’d ever known – from members of the British establishment, acting colleagues, directors, producers, writers, his mother, family and acquaintances. Over an eight month period, I went through these books with a fine tooth comb, listingEVERYONEhe had ever known as anAide-Mémoireto the writing process. Latterly, Peter went through the list marking out those he intended to make mention of in the book and those he had no interest in.

As it turned out, this list proved to be invaluable to me when, after Peter passed away, I’d receive an email or any other type of message from someone purporting to be a “good friend” of his – especially if this supposed ‘friendship’ pre-dated the time when I first met Peter. All I had to do was check the list(s) which had been put into both alphabetic and date order (the latter detailed which period of time in any given decade that an individual had been ‘prevalent’) to see whether he or she existed or not. Needless to say, there were two or three that tried it on but were quickly given short shrift.

Above: Just a small selection of the thousands of letters Peter wrote between 1950 and 2018.

Q:I’ve just seen your article about theInaugural John Steed Balland wondered if Peter knew Fenella Fielding personally?Tess Holding

A:Yes. Peter had known Fenella for quite a while as she was once a neighbour of his at Earls Terrace, Kensington. She acted with him in ‘The Country Wife‘ in 1990, and worked with him on ‘Night Dragon‘ – a track on Graham Roos album, ‘Quest’ in 2010. They were planning to bring George Bernard Shaw’s ‘Dear Liar‘ back to the London stage in 2016 but, alas, it never came about.

When Peter passed away in January 2018, the Fenella Fielding Foundation posted the following on their Facebook page:

Q:Are there any difference between the German issue of Peter Wyngarde’s album and the UK release?David Thomas

A:The only differences are that the track ‘Neville Thumbcatch’ is not on the German LP. The British edition came in a gatefold sleeve – the German one didn’t. The latter also has the words ‘Jason King of Department S’ on the cover(see below).

UK release

German release

Q:I recently read an interview that journalist Andrew Billen did with author, J.G. Ballard, in which he recalls Peter Wyngarde saying that he enjoyed “sad*stic sex”. Whatever did he mean by this?Malcolm Selby

A:For many years, author and satirist, J.G. Ballard, had claimed to have known Peter while the two of them were internees at Lunghua Civil Assembly Centre near Shanghai during World War II. Peter had always denied this – saying that he had no memory of Ballard at all.

On 7th August 1997, The Guardian newspaper published an interview with the writer, which was conducted by journalist, Andrew Billen. The following extract is from that article:

“Ballard is not being pious and he is, anyway, in little danger of being damned as politically correct. In 1973, when he was still thought of as a science fiction writer, he published Crash, a novel celebrating the eroticism of car smashes. The kinkiness of Crash, and of some of his other works (one, featuring the Kennedy assassinations, is called The Atrocity Exhibition), reminds me of a fairly weird interview I once conducted with the actor Peter Wyngarde. The one-time Jason King had talked about his preference for sad*stic sex. I am reminded because Wyngarde and Ballard were in the same internment camp. ‘Oh,’ Ballard says when I mention it, ‘I don’t think that sort of thing affects your sex life. I’d have thought it needed to be much more personal than that, but then I don’t have any strain of S&M in me, so I wouldn’t know.’”(Read full interviewhere).

In actual fact, Peter’s exact words were as follows:“I adore flying. I’m trying to improve my tennis and my passion is sex. I think I’ll change that. My passion is sophisticated sex.”

Here, in Peter’s own hand, is his thoughts on the matter – it reads as follows:“Again, I was misquoted. I said yes, my relationships with women veered towards the sad*stic – probably because someone said I had that kind of face – if the face fits no acting required! But his[Ballard’s]quote is far more revealing.”

You shouldNEVERbelieve everything you read in the press!

Q:Do you know ifcameo of Peter Quint seen in ‘The Innocents’ was it a true representation of Peter or just a picture that looked a bit like him?Sharon Dennison

A:It was in fact painted from a photo of Peter by artist, Stella MacMahon in her studio in High Street, Kensington (London). Here is the original photo and cameo, plus a screengrab from the film.

Q:Is it true that Peter got comedian Rufus Hound sacked from his job on BBC radio?Jeanette Hayes

A:Not directly, as the incident you refer to happened in 2021 – 3 years after Peter passed away. The following is an article that appeared on The Guardian website at the time:

‘Dancing on Ice star Rufus Hound urged fans to buy a record glorifying rape and joked about the killing of Jews, it emerged last night. The comments increased pressure on show bosses to axe him following anger at previous tweets — including one claim about the Manchester Arena bombing which triggered a falling out with pro-partner Robin Johnstone. Fed-up producers are even preparing TV and radio presenter Matt Richardson, 29, as his replacement.

Last night Hound, who missed last weekend’s show and will be absent tonight, tweeted:“I’ve had Covid. Isolated when I knew I’d come into contact with it, tested five days later, am coming to the end of having had it, luckily v mild case.”His rape blunder came in a podcast in which he talked about TV actor Peter Wyngarde’s banned[1]1970 record, titled When Sex Leers Its Inquisitive Head[2].

Q:I recently bought a copy of ‘Flash Gordon’ on DVD but was surprised and disappointed to find that the scene where Klytus is awoken by one of his subordinates on his ship had been cut. Do you know if there is a version of the film out there which includes that scene?Mal Grayson

A:You don’t say which DVD release you have as there have been many over the years, most of which have had particular scene added or removed.

Left:Momentum widescreen video and,Right:4 Front Video

The trend for cutting the film in places began with the Discovision (USA) laserdisc pressing in 1981 which removed the following scenes – not because they were considered nonessential to the plot, but because of the limitations of the format itself (laser discs at that time could not hold as much information as those in later years):

• Emperor Ming’s face during the ‘Hot Hail’ attack at the beginning of the film.
• The scene at Sky City after he has killed Klytus, Flash recommends that he and Dale use curtains as parachutes and Zarkov signals Ming’s shuttle.
• The sequence where the young Arborian takes the Wood Beast trial.
• Dale’s fight with the Ming’s guards in the corridor at the palace were all invariably cut.

Q:I recently bought a 7″ Japanese pressing of the Department S theme on vinyl. I thought it came in apicturesleeve, but this one is in just a Pye paper sleeve. Were there two different issues?Brian Carney

A:The single was released in the paper sleeve with a glossy insert, which was usually how vinyl records were released in Japan back in the 1970s and 80s – the reason being that the vinyl was mainly pressed overseas.

This is the record to the right, with both sides of the insert below.

Q:I once saw a DVD that featured a famous image of Peter and Patrick McGoohan on the disc itself which, obviously, contained an episode of The Prisoner (most probably ‘Checkmate’), but I’ve never seen it since. Have you any idea where this might be from?Stan Peers

A:In 2005, the publisher DeAgostini launchedThe Prisoner The Official Fact Files, a 17-part DVD and magazine part-work, which was published twice each month to subscribers would receive a magazine and a DVD of one episode. After 6 issues, Carlton were bought out by Granada Ventures and the collection was started again for new subscribers (existing subscribers could continue from issue 7). After 17 issues, the magazine becameThe Danger Man Collectionand episodes of that particular McGoohan series accompanied the magazine on DVD. I would suspect that the disc you saw was from this collection.

Q:What happened to your sister Facebook group, ‘Department Wyngarde’ as it just seemed to disappear from FB without explanation?Matt Cousins

A:‘Department Wyngarde’ opened around 2008 and was run by Liverpudlian, Dan Box. It was a totally independent group that had nothing to do with The Official Peter Wyngarde Appreciation Society.

Over the years, individuals that had been removed fromourgroup for being abusive or otherwise behaving in an inappropriate manner, often ended up gravitating towards ‘Department Wyngarde’, so it had started to get a rather unsavory reputation. In the end, Facebook was to receive so many complaints about the abuse, foul language, personal attacks and numerous other misuses of the platform that they decided to close it down.

Its admin, who had oft been witnessed preaching online about race and Racism, would end up as part of a notorious, rabidly misogynistic, hom*ophobic and anti-Semitic gang that toured the internet posting libels about myself and abusing Peter – a man who could no longer defend himself. As a result, they were systematically banned from dozens of websites and forums, and from entering any and all Cult TV and/or film related events in the UK. Latterly, Mr Box would also be collared selling unlicensed Peter Wyngarde products on eBay. I recently heard that he was attempting to “distance” himself from the aforementioned mob, but the damage to his reputation had already been done.

Special Comment:

Dear Tina,

I was one of those that complained about the bullying and abuse which was instigated by Dan Box and his mates on this particular Facebook group in October 2019. I received the following from FB in reply:

Generally speaking, Facebook will only remove a group if a large enough number of people have complained about it. One or two objections will ultimately fail to grab their attention, so there must’ve been a lot of grievances about the stuff being posted by Box and his mates. I personally found what was being said on there to be abhorrently sexist, intentionally cruel, utterly groundless and wholly indefensible. Dan Box and those that encouraged and participated in that appalling witch hunt are beyond contempt!Colin Hanson

Q:Could you tell me how tall Peter Wyngarde was? The reason I ask is because I’m currently working on a lifesizepainting of some of the icons of the ITC stable, including Patrick McGoohan, Roger Moore, Patrick Macnee etc. Many thanks.Mike Lyon.

A:Peter was 5 feet 11 inches (1.55m) tall. And since I’m expected to open a vein in order to prove everything I say and do these days, here is his height in black and white in the Spotlight actors directory from 1958 (below) and 1960.

Q:Is it true that Peter contributed to The Orb’s 2006 album, ‘Adventures Beyond the Ultraworld’?Geoff Fletcher, UK.

A: The band sampled a piece of audio taken from ‘Flash Gordon‘ that featured Peter as General Klytus and Max Von Sydow as Emperor Ming, so it wasn’t a contribution as such.

Q:Whenever a photograph of Peter Wyngarde appeared in a magazine or on the internet, he was always wearing agold ring on the little finer of both hands. Can you tell me what, if anything, was on them?D. Mervin

A:Here is a photograph of both rings. The one on the right is a seal, which has an inverted chevron and three stars.

Note to Goldbert Family:This photograph does not imply possession of these rings by Tina Wyngarde-Hopkins. It was taken in 2015 for insurance purposes only.

Q:You say in your list of Peter’s television work that he played The Duke of Hermanos in the BBC’s 1953production of ‘The Nobel Spaniard’, but on the Internet Movie Database (Imdb) it says that Peter Cushing played the part. Who is right?Steven Murray

A:We are correct! Peter W was most definitely cast as The Duke of Hermanos in the play, which was broadcast live on 4th August, 1953. I have his personal copy of the script in my collection(see left)which contains all his handwritten notes.

It should be remembered that ANYONE can contribute to the Imdb website – they don’t have to be an expert on any particular film/TV/actor, so mistakes will occasionally be made. This is obviously one of them.

Q:Why is Peter’s moustache described as Zapata?Sandra Benson

A:That was just a description given to it by the press back in the 1970s as it supposedly resembled the one worn by Mexican revolutionary, Emiliano Zapata.

In fact, Peter’s moustache is of 19th Century Russian fashion, as he’d grown it to take a character called Nicolay Von Koren in a play called ‘The Duel‘ at the Duke of York’s Theatre, London, in 1968.

He kept the moustache when he was cast as Jason King in ‘Department S’.

Right: Peter as Von Koren.

Q:It states the following on Wikipedia about Peter Wyngarde’s relationship with his brother and sister:“…he chose to have very little further contact with them or their families, including Henry Jr’s two sons who were named executors of Wyngarde’s estate.”I read somewhere else that Peter omitted his family from his Will, so why would he name his two nephews executors?Matt Cantrell

A:I’ve had numerous emails and letters about this matter, but this is the absolutefinal time that I’m prepared to speak about it.

To begin with, Peter’s estranged family were not mentionedAT ALLin his Will, and the two nephew’s wereNOTnamed by Peter as his Executors. In fact, he had nominated Thomas Bowington – his friend and agent – as his Trustee. The only person ‘named’ in the Will was me – his sole beneficiary. However, the family decided to disregard Peter’s wishes by applying for probate themselves. It was then and only then that ONE of the two nephews appointedhimselfExecutor.

You really shouldn’t believe everything you read on the Internet – especially on Wikipedia!

Q:I know Peter designed his own wardrobe and suits. Do you know who his actual tailor was during his Dept S and Jason King period Tony Curtis suits during the early Persuaders were cut very much as Peter’s. Thank you.Richard Derchin

A:Peter would have his suits made by a bespoke tailor on Savile Row in London, called Mr Fish. He kind of drops a hint in one of the Jason King episodes by referring to him as “Mr Cod”.

There were several other tailors thatcopied the designs, but the ones Peter wore both on and off screen were made by the above.

Q:You mention in your book, ‘Peter Wyngarde: A Life Amongst Strangers‘, that Peter had an affair with actress, Vivien Leigh in the early 1960s. I’ve never seen this mentioned anywhere else. I thought he was supposed to have been with Alan Bates then?Daniel Cox

A:I’m afraid you’ve been misinformed about Alan Bates. The affair that Peter had with Vivien Leigh is referred to in numerous biographies of the actress and her husband, Laurence Olivier, including those by Alexander Walker, Hugo Vickers, Terry Coleman, Gwen Robyns and Roy Moseley & Darwin Porter, to name but a few. Even Olivier himself refers to it in his autobiography, ‘Confessions of an Actor’. Here with some examples:

Above: From Laurence Olivier’s autobiography, ‘Confessions Of An Actor’ (1994)

Above: A cutting from the 24th November, 1960 edition of the Detroit Free Press.

Q:Is it true that Peter Wyngarde was a Derby County football fan?D. Winston, Derby

A:I’m afraid not – Peter was a lifelong Chelsea Fan. The reason for the confusion is that, back in the 1970s, a national British newspaper were having a bit of fun by asking which football club had the best looking fans. The chairman of Derby County had the idea of asking Peter, Roger Moore and popstar, David Essex (a Fulham fan, apparently) to a game. The 3 of them sat in the stand where they were photographed by the press. This is probably how that particular rumour began.

Q:Tina, I recently bought some Tabac inspired by Peter’s advert. It’s ok, but I was wondering what scent Peter wore around the Department S/Jason King era?Ian Davis

A:Peter generally used Brute during the 70s but, latterly, wore Calvin Klein’s Eternity. Enjoy your Tabac.

Q:In the film, Flash Gordon, is General Klytus supposed to be human or cyborg?

During close-ups, his Secret Police don’t appear not to not have lower jaws – only the upper portion of a golden skull seems to be intact. They don’t appear to be human, and at one point we see an agent with wires behind his goggles (although that may have been a different case).Trevor – Hunslet.

A:The Klytus character was created for the film. All the others that appear in the film were taken from the original Alex Raymond comic books.

Given the time that the film was made, it’s likely that General Klytus was intended to be a nod to the Darth Vader character in the Star Wars film. Both were hidden by a mask Klytus had an immobile arm encased in gold armour. According to the the original script, Klytus had supposedly suffered burns to his his body, presumably while carrying out his duties.

It’s evident from his display of emotions; lust (for Princess Aura), anger, love (for Kala?) and jealousy, that he was human – or at least Mongonian.

Q:You have often said that you have never made money from Peter Wyngarde’s name and never would, so what happens to the money made from the T-shirts advertised on this website?Phil Audley

A:There was an exceptionally arrogant and misinformed group of people who had insisted that I waspersonally making money from the sale of PW T-shirts. In fact, one of these pathetic individuals – a woman from Oxford in late middle-age – set up an account on Twitter for the sole purpose of sending a single message accusing me of such, then immediately closed the account (yes – some people really areTHATludicrous!) Clearly she realised that her ill-informed arraignment could stand up to neither challenge nor scrutiny, which is why she so hastily removed any means of recourse.

The best person to explain the arrangement is Adam Svensen, the gentleman who designs the shirts:

Visit the Peter Wyngarde shop

Q:Hello, Is it true that the maroon Bentley used in Department S was Peter’s own car? I heard somewhere it was, it was also used in an episode of Randell & Hopkirk. Thank You.Graeme Kornicki

A:The story about Peter owning the maroon Bentley that appeared in Department S is just another one of those urban myths. He did own a Bentley – you can see it by clickinghere.

Q:What colour were Peter’s eyes? Sometimes they look blue, but at other times they look green. Thanks.Chris Shaw – Cardiff

A:Peter had blue eyes. Colours were often distorted by the type and quality of film used back in the 60s and 70s. For instance, if you were to watch a video from the 90s of him in The Prisoner, his eyes look almost black! Since the advent of HD and digitalisation, you can more clearly see his eye colour.

Q:Could you tell me what it says on the plaque on the Best Dressed Man trophy that Peter Wyngarde was awarded in 1970 & ’71?Paul Barnes

A:Here with a close-up of the 1970 award base, which reads: ‘John Stephen Fashion Award – Peter Wyngarde – Best Dressed Personality 1970’.

Q:Could you give me any information about the Peter Wyngarde tribute disc by a group called Paisley Wheelchair Experience?Denny Dickenson

The CD was released in the mid-1990’s and sold as a limited edition via the Hellfire Club – The Official Peter Wyngarde Appreciation Society. Since it was authorised by Peter himself, he was given issue No.1 and I was given No.2. All of the discs sold out almost immediately and are no longer available to buy. You can find more information on this release and all other Wyngarde tribute songs by clickinghere.

Q:Could you tell me what type of music Peter listened to?Frank Bainbridge

A:Peter’s musical taste was quite eclectic. At home, the radio was always tuned to (BBC) Classic FM, and that would be playing away for most of the day.

That said, he also liked pop music, The Beatles, Jazz – especially Ella Fitzgerald – and I also managed to turn him into something of a Queen fan, but he did draw a line with The Darkness!

Q:Could you tell me where Peter’s home was in Gloucestershire?Harry Wilson – Tewkesbury

A:The house was called Withy Bed Farm off Calf Way Nr. Stroud. It was a 42-acre small holding. Here is a photograph of the house itself.

Q:Do you have any photographs of Peter when he was a young child?Mark Graham

Above:Peter is the boy, third in from the left – front row, with the dog.

A:The only picture I have of him is with fellow members of his Cub Scout pack – the Shanghai (Telephone Company) Pack. He was about 8-years-old at the time the photo was taken.

Q:Did Peter ever record any audio books please?Steven Lines

A:Sadly, Peter didn’t record any audio books, although he was involved with several audio plays, including the following:

‘Cyrano De Beregeac’ (LP Record)–Caedmon, 1964. Peter played the part oftheComte De Guiche, andThe ‘Two Gentlemen of Verona’ (Audio Cassette)–HarperCollins Publishers Limited. Peter played Valentine.

Please clickherefor a full list of all Peter’s recordings.

Q:Is it true that director, Sidney Hayers, would only film Peter from the waist up because it was feared the filmwouldn’t get through the censors because of the bulge in the actor’s trousers?Pat O’Sullivan

A:No, it’s not true, as can be seen from this image(left). It’s just another myth that about Peter that did the rounds a few years ago. When asked in an interview in the 1990’s director, Sidney Hayers, said that he had no idea where the story had come from. It was probably just another bit of tabloid tittle-tattle, or was fabricated by on the Internet which is where most of this kind of nonsense comes from.

Q:Could you possibly tell me what the play, ‘Water, Water Everywhere’, was about?Ryan Jackson, Brighton.

A:Yes, of course. ‘Water, Water Everywhere’ wasn’t a play as such, it was a segment that was part of the 1974 Brighton Festival – the theme being the sea. Peter was to perform Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s, ‘The Rime of the Ancient Mariner’ in the Music Room of the Royal Pavilion in Brighton.

Q:As well as The Avengers episode, ‘Epic’, did Peter play more than two characters in any other film, TV episode or theatre play. Thanks.Reece Jacobs, Loughborough

A:Yes, he played both The Door Attendant and Policeman Owens in ‘The Pick-Up Girl‘; a Messenger and a Murderer in ‘Macbeth’; Inspector Japp and Sir Claude Amory in ‘Black Coffee;, Voltimand and the “Third Player” in ‘Hamlet’, William Maitland and William Cecil – 1st Earl of Burleigh in ‘Queen of Scots‘, and King Ibrahim and Ronald Noyes is The Baron episode, ‘The Legions of Ammak‘.

Q:Wikipedia have always disputed that Peter Wyngarde was the nephew of French actor, Louis Jouvet. Who is right?Gerry McLoughlin

A:Peter was adamant that Jouvet was his uncle, and this biography about L.J., which was published in 2014,bears that out.

The text states the following –Original Portugese/Brazilian:O renomado ator e diretor de teatro foi responsável pela montagem de peças de Jean-Paul Sartre, Jean Giraudoux. Dirigiu La Comédie des Champs-Elysées, encenou em L’Athénée – tornando a casa conhecida, nesse período, como Théatrê de l’Athénée Louis-Jouvet – e foi professor no conceituado CNSAD (Conservatoire National Supérieur d’Art Dramatique). Também escreveu ensaios e atuou no cinema, com destaque para o filme Copie Conforme (1947). Jouvet inspirou o personagem Anton Ego, do filme Ratatouille (Pixar, 2007).O ator naturalizado inglês Peter Wyngarde é seu sobrinho.

English translation:The renowned actor and theater director was responsible for assembling plays by Jean-Paul Sartre, Jean Genet and Jean Giraudoux. He directed La Comédie des Champs-Elysées, staged in L’Athénée – making the house known, at that time, as Théatrê de l’Athénée Louis-Jouvet – and was a professor at the renowned CNSAD (Conservatoire National Supérieur d’Art Dramatique). He also wrote essays and acted in the cinema, with emphasis on the film Copie conform (1947). Jouvet inspired the character Anton Ego, from the movie Ratatouille (Pixar, 2007).English naturalised actor Peter Wyngarde is his nephew.

It’s interesting that while Wikipedia profess to rely entirely on “reliable printed sources”, and continue to quote from debunked tabloid newspaper articles and discredited journalists and authors, they choose to ignore this. As our American cousins are often heard to say, “Go figure!”

Q:Have you any plans to petition English Heritage for a Blue Plaque[1]to be put on the house in West London where Peter Wyngarde lived for most of his life? Thank you.Suzy Kerr

A: In April of 2019, I was contacted by the Chairman of the Earls Terrace Residents Association that wished to have a Blue Plaque affixed to the property where Peter had lived from 1958 until he passed away in 2018. Their suggestion was that the Official Peter Wyngarde Appreciation Society should raise the necessary funds to pay for it – peculiar, since the individual writing to me was a multi-millionaire who I’d bumped into many times there.

Given the manner in which Peter had been treated by certain residents of the Terrace during the final few years of his life, I declined to assist with the project. Evidently, the Association did’nt realise that the secretary of the Appreciation Society and the person who had been living at the flat and fighting Peter’s corner for some considerable time, was one and the same. Below is my written response to them:

In reply, I was sent a quote from some well-known(?) American poet about forgiveness. I’m afraid that when it comes to anyone hurting or abusing Peter – now or then – there’s no such thing as “forgiveness” on my part!

[1].London’s famous blue plaques link the people of the past with the buildings of the present. Now run by English Heritage, the London blue plaques scheme was started in 1866 and is thought to be the oldest of its kind in the world.

Q:I hope you’ll forgive me if you consider this question a bit off topic, but I wonder if you could tell me how you went about getting both Sam J. Jones and Steven Berkoff to write the Foreword and afterword to your book? The reason I ask is because I’m currently working on a book of my own and would like to have a well-know personality that’s associated with the subject to write a few words to introduce it.Adrian Haslem

A:Well, in my case, Sam and Steven were both friends of Peter’s, so we were already familiar with each other. The three actors (Joel Fabiani also wrote a short piece for my book), were not only welcoming of my approach, but incredibly generous with their time. Steven Berkoff, for instance, was good enough to call me after reading the transcript of my book, and we spoke at length about its content, and he was kind enough to offer both praise and advice. Sam J. Jones, Melody Andreson and I had an online discussion about both Peter and the book, which was really interesting. And Joel Fabiani was, as ever, just wonderful.

All I can suggest is that you make a shortlist of the people you would most like to do the foreword and do some research on them. for instance, have they previously written a foreword, and who their agent or other representative is. Some agents can be incredibly dismissive if you have nothing of substance to show them (be prepared to forward a copy of your manuscript, if requested), so do have your ducks in a row before you write to anyone.

I do hope that this will help, and good luck with your project.

Q:Two questions-in-one: (a) Following the horrendous assault on Peter Wyngarde’s feet in the Japanese pow camp, did the great actor struggle with walking-basic mobility and problems with arthritis in his ensuing years? and (b), his handwriting seemed a bit cramped and perhaps originating from an uncomfortable place. Was he naturally left-handed and forced to adapt to right-handedness in childhood?

May I add that I hope all is well and safe where you are.Mike Dinken, Birmingham, Alabama

A:Fortunately, Peter didn’t suffer any problems with his feet because of the injuries inflicted by the Japanese. It was only in later life that he required the aid of a stick.

Peter was right-handed and preferred to write with a fountain pen. He began to have problems with his hands from the early 90s onward(see earlier answer and examples of his differing signature), but especially during the last decade of his life. His handwriting and signature changed a great deal throughout those years. Thank you so much for your continued interest in Peter.

Q:Love your website! Do you know if ‘A Tale of Two Cities’, starring Peter as Sidney Carton, is available to view anywhere?HarlowGold

A:Unfortunately, like many early plays and series produced by the BBC, it has either been wiped or recorded over., which is an absolute travesty!

While ITV was often considered the poor relation to the BBC – the country’s national broadcaster – most of the former’s works still exist in their own archives.

Q:Why did Peter never appear in Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) while employed by Lew Grade at ITC?Rick Bonnington

A:Firstly, it’s a common misconception that Peter was employed by The Incorporated Television Company (ITC), when his contract was in fact with Scoton – a production company founded and owned by cinematographer, Monty Berman, and writer & script editor, Dennis Spooner. ITC in this instance was merely the distributor, so it’s incorrect that he was employed by Lew Grade/ITC.

At the time that Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) was in production at Elstree, Peter was filming Department S at the same studio, so it would’ve been extremely difficult for him to have made a guest appearance in the former at that time.

Q:Could you please tell me if Peter has a burial plot or was he cremated and his ashes dispersed ? Thank you for your time and consideration.Sam Smith

A:Peter was cremated at Golders Green Crematorium on 25th January, 2018. He wished to keep the whereabouts of his ashes non-public.

Q:Dear Hellfire Hall, I came across your excellent website and wondered if you know in which episode of ‘Jason King’ Peter Wyngarde was dressed as Sherlock Holmes ? Many thanks for any clue. Kind regards,Alexis Barquin

A:The episode is called, ‘It’s Too Bad About Auntie’.

Q:Just discovered your website, amazing and so interesting, never knew all of those things existed. Always a fan, plus all the ITC productions, and a few material items of interest in my own little collection but mostly from Randall and Hopkirk, The Persuaders, The Champions, but I do at least have one “Jason King” Pan Paperback. The item which you mention which I have spent many hours searching for on line is Edwin Astley’s Sheet Music of the wonderful Department S theme. Alas I have never found a copy of it online unlike all the other themes which people have published somewhere or other. I am not a professional musician, but I play keyboards as a hobby and learning that theme is something I have always wanted to do. I have to ask you whether there is any chance of a copy of the notes? I would give you my absolute assurance this would not be for any commercial gain if it made any difference? Failing that, would you know where a copy might be that I could perhaps pursue elsewhere?Andrew Mooresmith

A:The sheet music of Edwin Astley’stheme to Department S was published in the UK by New World Music Limited of New Bond Street, London. in A4 format, with a black and white photograph of the three main characters on the cover. It originally cost 3 shillings (15p).

Sadly, the score is now out of print and almost impossible to get a copy of. I have, however, kept a record of your contact details, and should I ever come across a copy I will let you know.

Q:I recently bought an ‘autographed’ photo of Peter on eBay, but I’m not sure now whether it’s genuine, as the signature looks different from another autographed picture I have of him. Can you help?Malcolm Burrows, Taplow

A:Peter’s signature changed dramatically over the years, and would differ depending on what kind of implement he was using at that time. While he preferred to use his own fountain pen, however, he did sometimes sign with a ballpoint, and more and more regularly in latter years, with aMarkie.

The fact that Peter suffered problems with his hands in the final third of his life and occasionally had to wear a wrist/hand brace, this could often affect the way he signed his name. That said, he never, ever refused to sign an autograph for a fan, Having run his Appreciation Society since the early 1990s, I was to fulfil many requests for for his signature from our members, and have lots of“Thank You”letters and cards to prove it.

Below is a selection of Peter’s signatures to compare your autograph with.

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Q:I’ve read several times that Peter drove a JensenInterceptor as Jason King in Department S. I don’t remember that, do you?Mike Eccleston

A:No, I don’t. Where that particular myth came from is anyone’s guess, but it’s been much repeated both in the press and online. Just shows that you can’t believe everything you read.

A Bentley Continental – Jason King’s car of choice

A Jensen Interceptor–NOTJason King’s car of choice

Q:There is a touching letter on your website, written by Mr Wyngarde to his sister-in-law after his brother’s death. The letterhead is “Peter Macaulay”. I believe from your biography that Macauley was his stepfather’s name, but I hadn’t realised that Peter used the name himself. Was this perhaps reserved for private correspondence, or to be incognito if he wanted to be?Ruslan Yakov

A:Peter chose to change his name in the mid-1940s from Goldbert to Wyngarde, initially for aesthetic reason, but latterly, he wished to distance himself completely from the name – certainly, he did everything in his power during interviews with the press and media to distance himself from the Goldbert family; insisting up to the last few weeks of his life that he had no connection to the name whatsoever.

Given that he was to see his sister and brother only once from the mid-1940s onward, he chose to adopt his stepfather’s name which, as you rightly say, was Macauley. He would use that name on some correspondence, and given that Wyngarde is a somewhat uncommon name in the UK (there was only one other Wyngarde listed in London, for instance) he also used it on the bell at the entrance to his flat.

Q:Hello. Can you tell me how many singles were released from Peter’s album in 1970?Nuala O’Connor

Side A: Peter Wyngarde “LeRonde De L’Amour”

A:There were two, Nuala – see above. The disc on the right, however, was merely a promo – a copy of which could now set you back around £200!

Q:I can see that there have been other’s who have asked about your trademark of Peter Wyngarde’s name and image, but could you please clarify something for me. My mate and I took some photos of Peter at Westminster Film Fair in 2016 and we’d like to print up some T-shirts using one of those images. My friend believes it’s the person who physically took photo who owns the copyright, but I’m not sure. Can you help?AidenKinnear– Upper Norwood.

A:Although your friend, as the person who took the photograph(s) owns the copyright to that image or images, he cannot publish it, or give permission for a third party to publish it in any way, shape or form without consent from the Trademark owner. Failure to do so is an infringement and he could face legal action.

As the Trademark owner of Peter’s name and image, I’ve always been willing to waive any or all restrictions to those individuals who wish to use either for positive purposes. However, any attempt to publish scurrilous or libellous material about him by any party or parties, or to print unlicensed merchandise, would be met with the full force of the law.

For further information about the Trademark, please contact Bowington Management at,https://bowingtonmanagement.ukor clickhere.

Q:I remember seeing a CD many years ago that was made up of Sixties and Seventies TV themes, including (I think) ‘Department S’. I’m certain that it had a photo of Peter on the cover. Have you any idea what it might be?Darren Clarke.

A:I’m pretty sure that you mean ‘Classic 60’s Cult TV Themes’. Released by Castle Music Limited. Catalogue No.: SEL CD 561. It featured the Department S theme by the Cyril Stapleton Orchestra. You can still pick up copies of it on eBay and Amazon.

Q:Was Peter in the ITC series, ‘Espionage’? Only someone is currently selling a complete series DVD on eBay. Thanks.Mark Deakin,Carlton Colville

A:No, Peter never made an appearance in that particular series, so I don’t know how his name has become attached to it.

Q:Did Peter’s mother call her son by his birth name, Cyril, or Peter?Ron Kelsey

A:She called him Peter.

Q:I recently read a very spiteful review of your book online by someone called B**** D***** which stated that you’d spent the entire first half trying to convince the reader that Peter wasn’t gay. Do you have any thoughts on this?Colin Simpson, Croydon

A:The person responsible had been a member of the Official Peter Wyngarde Appreciation Society Facebook group but was barred in October of 2019. Mr D***** clearly felt emasculated by his removal from the group and so decided to regain his fragile male pride by penning this spurious“review”.

In due course, this gentleman’s appraisal was read by several people who were inspired to buy the book – each of whom wrote to say that they’d purchased it because they couldn’t believe anything in print could possibly be as bad as Mr D***** was suggesting. Inevitably, each of them was to give it 5-Stars. What is it they say about no publicity being bad publicity?!

As for the suggestion that I’d“spent the entire first half trying to convince the reader that Peter wasn’t gay!: Much of what was contained in the book about Peter’s female conquests came from his own writings, so it’s really Peter who is being labelled a liar – and by someone who never met him and who knows nothing about him beyond what he’s read in the tabloids! Strange as it might sound to some people, Peter was actually there at the time that these events took place; these amateur critics were not, so who wouldYOUbelieve?!

Q:Did Peter celebrate Christmas, only I read somewhere that he was Jewish?D. Johnson

A:This is justanotherridiculous myth courtesy of the Internet gossip mill. Both of Peter’s parents were Roman Catholics so, yes, he celebrated Christmas.

Q:Did Peter do National Service in the 1950s?Martin Webb

A:No, he didn’t Martin. Because of his badly injured feet – the result of a punishment in Lung Hau Civil Assembly Centre – he was classed as unfit to serve.

Q:Is it true that Jaz Wiseman who runs the various cult TV websites has some sort of jurisdiction over all ITC-based websites and fansites? Only I seem to remember him having a bit of a hissy fit whenBowington Managementtrademarked Peter Wyngarde’s name.Aki Leyland, Crossfields

A:No, he doesn’t!

Q:Did Peter have any celebrity crushes?

A:Peter had a bit of a thing about Michelle Pfeiffer, and said that if he had the opportunity, he’d choose to do a love-scene with her in a film above anyone else. After watching the now notorious interview in November 1995, he took quite a shine to Princess Diana, writing the following…

Q:It must’ve been really frustrating for Peter having the 1975 Gloucester incident brought up every time an article appeared in the papers about him. Did he ever talk about it to you?K. O’Shaughnessy

A:Yes, of course he mentioned it occasionally, and while he was quite a pragmatic about things being a glass-half-full kind of person, it did bother him that it was raked up all the time – and not only that, but endlessly exaggerated. Below is what he said about the situation in 2017:

He was absolutely adamant right up to his death that he was innocent of the charge levelled against him but, of course, there are still people who despite their not being there at the time, still believe that they know better, but here it is in his own words.

Q:Could you tell me why there was not more in your book about Peter Wyngarde’s relationship with fellow actor, Alan Bates? I had previously read Donald Spoto’s biography, ‘Alan Bates: Otherwise Engaged’, and had hoped to learn much more from your book.Malcolm Davies

A:I included as much about their friendship as I felt was necessary, given that – in Peter’s own words –“I reckon that, during the seven years we shared the flat, we probably spent less than four months there at the same time”.

It was Mr Spoto that initially implied that there had been something more between Peter and Alan Bates than merely friendship. Peter, however, was horrified when he read what this author had said about him(see below in his own hand), and so he wrote two A4-sized pages about his association with Bates which he gave to me. I was to rely on that account when writing my book.

The above reads in Peter’s own hand: “The American author[Spoto]signed a letter to say he would adhere to my request about omitting material, but managed to send it to me after the book was published which was of course too late.“

This reads:“I cannot tell you how shocked I was when I read what that American biographer had said those unbelievable things about me.

As far as my book is concerned, every statement I have made about Peter and Bates, including dates and times that they were in different parts of the country/world touring, and all other records concerning who was living where and when, are in the public domain and can be verified.

I realise that there are some people out there who are determined to believe Mr Spoto’s account – perhaps because they are gay and are desperate for Peter to have been one of their own, or simply because they have another agenda – i.e. a personal vendetta against me. Either way, it doesn’t matter what any one of these peopleTHINK, or how often they dismiss Peter’s own words to get at me, it will never change the facts.

Q:I hope this isn’t too much of an intrusive question, but could you tell me where Peter is buried as I’d very much like to pay my respects?Tony Harris, Eastleigh.

A:There isn’t a grave as he was cremated. It was Peter’s wish that his ashes should be interned in a place known only to him and myself, which he disclosed to me during the final week of his life. While I understand the need for lifelong fans to pay their respects, I intend to abide by Peter’s dying wish by keeping the whereabouts of his internment a secret.

Q:Is it true that Robin Gibb of the Bee Gees wrote a song for Peter?Edwin Burns

A:Gibb wrote a song entitled, ‘I Will Surrender’, which it was hoped would become a track on a follow upalbumto his 1970 release. Alas, a second disc was never released. You can see an excerpt from Gibb’s own lyric sheet by clickinghere.

Q:I read somewhere that the famous “Peter Wyngarde Smells… Great!” Tabac advertisem*nts were also shown on TV. Is that true?Lisa McNeill

A:There was a live-action version of the ad, but it was only shown in the London region over the Christmas period of 1971.

Q:Firstly, I’d like to congratulate you on your fantastic book, it really is first class, and enjoyed reading it immensely.

You mention in the book that Thomas Bowington was planning to stage a retrospective of Peter’s life and work back in 2018, but it was foiled by another party. Do you think that such an event could take place in the future?Martin Royal

A:This is something that Thomas and I have discussed again recently, but given the current situation with Covid-19, it’s something that will have to remain on the backburner for sometime yet.

Fortunately, Thomas knows a great many people within the acting and theatrical fraternity, and is extremely well thought of, so it would be relatively easy for him to find a suitable venue in

London to hold such an event. Additionally, many well-known personalities within the profession have indicated that they would be interested in appearing as a guest speakers. Certainly, Joel Fabiani appeared interested in taking part when I last spoke with him.

We will, of course, keep you posted with any development via this website, and both our Facebook group page and Twitter feed.

Q:I found the following on a Facebook page called ‘Minder TV series. The truth behind the forum’:‘At the moment a deranged individual is threatening to sue me for using the name “Peter Wyngarde” in my Facebook Group. You couldn’t make it up!’

Is this true? I saw that you have Mr Wyngarde’s name trademarked so I’m concerned as I have several pictures of PW on my own cult tv and film website. Could I be sued?Doug Rowe

A:Firstly, the person responsible for this idiocy has a number of these,‘The Truth About…’websites which he uses to vilify anyone he takes a disliking to. His victims have included former friends and, as in my case, a complete stranger who he neither knows nor has ever met.

Since he and his associates have repeatedly brought Peter’s name into disrepute via their hate-filled websites, I posted the following onthis‘site:‘Any unauthorised party or parties currently using the aforementioned Trademark must cease and desist with immediate effect.’

As you can clearly see from the original post,the caution I issued wasNOTdirected at any specific individual. The fact that this person managed to identify himself amongst the rabble speaks volumes, as does his misrepresentation of what I actually said. Of course, this wouldn’t be the first occasion on which he has blatantly manipulated the truth to suit his agenda.

As the owner of the Peter Wyngarde Trademark, I am perfectly happy for anyone to post Peter’s name and image on their website,providing that neither are exploited to spread lies and hate about Peter, or any third party.

Q:Is it true that an episode of ‘Star Trek: The Next Generation’ is based on one of Peter’s TV appearances?M. Mitchenson-Jones.

A:Apparently, the ‘Star Trek: The Next Generation’ (ST:TNG) episode, ‘Sub Rosa’ is based on ‘The Innocents’.

Peter as the ghost of Peter Quint in ‘The Innocents’

Duncan Regher in ‘Sub Rosa’

Written by Brannon Bragga – a regular ST:TNG script-writer – the episode featured characters by the names of Ned Quint and Jessel Howard which were of course, a nod to the ghosts valet, Peter Quint (Peter), and governess, Miss Jessel (Clytie Jessop) in ‘The Innocents‘,

‘Sub Rosa’ borrowed heavily from Jack Clayton’s film which, itself, was an adaptation of Henry James book,The Turn of the Screw.

Q:How many posters of Peter did Pace produce in the 1970s? I have one, but a friend of mine says that she can remember two being on sale.Angela Cousins

A:There was two, Angela, so your friend is right.There were also several other manufacturers that made posters of Peter – one of the most famous was Sandecor of (West) Germany –see here.

Q:This item – an artists palette covered in oil paint – has been advertised on eBay for many months and is claimed to have belonged to Peter Wyngarde. Can you shed any light on it provenance?E. Caplin – Solihull

A.Although Peter had in the past dabbled with water colour paints, I never in the 3 decades I knew him, ever saw him use oils. He was more of a sketcher and doodler, and I have many examples of the cartoons he drew on the backs of envelopes, till receipts – indeed anything he could get hold of. Below are a few of those he drew for me in cards and notes he’d leave around the flat for me. (See also ‘Peter’s Cartoons‘)

Q:Could you tell me if there are any ‘Easter Eggs’ on the Network Jason King DVD box set?Rob Hudson

A:There is. If you skip to Chapter 11 of the documentary, ‘Wanna Watch a Television Series? Chapter Two: Fish out of Water, then click your remote control as if you were skipping to the next scene, you’ll find‘Peter Wyngarde in “The Pink Prisoner” – a 9min, 22sec interview with Peter about his involvement inThe Prisoner.

Q:Do you have any honourary members of the Peter Wyngarde Society?Rodney Atherton

A:Yes, we have several. Your email prompted me to post all their names on the Index Page of this website. They include: Melody Anderson, Annette Andre, Steven Berkoff, Vernon Dobtcheff, Anne Frost (Dennis Spooner’s sister), Joel Fabiani, Caron Gardner, Sam J. Jones, Dame Diana Rigg, Anne Sharpe, Tim V.

Q:Did it bother Peter that there were so many untruths written about him in the press?Fergus Atcheson – Ovington

A:I suppose it did in the beginning, but he just became hardened to over the years. One of his favourite sayings was,“I love listening to lies when I know the truth.”

Q:Could Peter speak any other languages?Martin Claes – Liège, Belgique

A:Yes. He could speak fluent French and Russian.

Q:Did Peter have any say in who his co-stars and supporting actors in the films he appeared in?Maria Atkinson – Peterhead

A:No, not in any of the film or early TV plays. He did however, have some say in the casting of Joel Fabiani and Rosemary Nicolls for ‘Department S‘, and he would handpick all the girls that appeared in the ‘Jason King‘ series, including Felicity Kendall, Kate O’Mara, Toby Robbins and Stephanie Beacham.

Q:Could you tell me some of the locations for ‘Night of the Eagle‘ and ‘The Innocents‘?M. Roberts

A:We have an entire page devoted to many of the locations where Peter filmed, including ‘Night of the Eagle’ and ‘The Innocents’. You can find ithere.

Q:Is it true that Peter wrote and published a novel under an assumed name in the 1970s?Eric Lavin

A:This one has come up several times over the years but, no, he never wrote a book. He did however, begin writing a Mark Caine novel in the mid-1970s but it was never finished.

Q:When I joined The Official Peter Wyngarde Appreciation Society Facebook group, I received a very warm welcome. Thank you. When I lived in France, Peter had a cult status with the likes of FNAC. I had every box set in existence and they sold well there.

Above:A Test Pressing of Peter’s album

I have both bought and sold a few records on eBay in the past, and one day I came across this (see below): a test pressing of his album. I read with interest the piece about the record on this website.; I’m assuming that the words are Peter’s own? To my knowledge, this is the third known test pressing;

1. Peter’s own at auction. 2. A copy has circulated on eBay for years between Spain the UK, going up and down in price (it has his signature on the front cover) – it is always in Discogs. 3. My copy bought from a charity shop in Kent (I admit I didn’t know what it was at the time). Any comments on the word talking and how many are really in existence?David Parker

A:As far as I’m aware, there was only four Test Pressings made (I have Peter’s original RCA contract, and it states that number was made), one of which was given to Peter himself. Whether RCA made any additional copies after the contract was issued, I have no idea. Perhaps someone else will be able to enlighten us.

Test pressings are made to test the audio responses from the master disc, so there is no hard or fast rule as to how many.. also when they are happy the record company may stamp out ‘several’ to distribute to interested parties .. so I would say it would be unwise to be too prescriptive as the actual number .. quite a few are sent out perhaps to journalists or radio stations .. in 1970 that was limited in the UK.. also being RCA.. who used several pressing plants in those years like Decca and I think CBS in Aylesbury which the PW was pressed at.. you can be sure the number of discs pressed might be a mystery. It is a fantastic object.. but sadly they don’t seem to have a proof sleeve which should exist.Deepinder Singh Cheema

Q:Do you know what brand of cigarettes Peter preferred and how old he was when he started smoking?Ally North – Kingston-Upon-Hull

A:Peter told me that he was around 11 years old when he smoked his first cigarette, but really took up the habit when he was confined to Lung Hau Civil Assembly Centre in China during World War II; he said that he and some of the other boys would pick up butts thrown away by the guards.

In the 1960’s, he started to smoke Sobrani cigarettes, which were imported into the UK from Russia. They became both hisandJason King’s favourite brand. He finally gave up the habit around 1980 after visiting a hypnotist.

A:Why did you trademark Peter’s name?Mia Cook

Q:During the final week of Peter’s life, he asked Thomas Bowington and me to continue do all we could to protect his name and legacy. Since neither of us knew how best to do this, we consulted a friend of mine who is a lawyer that specialises in IP rights, with a particular focus on brand and design protection and exploitation. He recommended that we take out the Trademark.

It is not our intention to make money from the TM, or to stop anyone from using Peter’s name or image in a positive way, since this keeps his name in the public consciousness. We will however, use the relevant legislation under the 1994 Trademarks Act to prevent anyone from cashing in on his name/image with tasteless merchandise or, as we were forced to do recently, from bringing his name into disrepute by using it to abuse other people.

Q:Based on the myth that Peter could be a very demanding person, did he make any specific requests when negotiating his contract with ITC for Department S?Neal Pearson – Workington

A:Well to begin with, the contract he signed was with the production company, Scoton, not directly with ITC. And, no, he made no demands at all. Unlike many of the actors working at Elstree, he didn’t ask for a driver; he provided most of the suits he wore as Jason King himself; he ate with the rest of the cast and crew in the onsite restaurant. and was allocated a dressing room along with everyone else. There was nothing Peter was given that was any different to Joel Fabiani and Rosemary Nicols. So as you can see, the rumours of his egotistical behaviour have been greatly exaggerated.

Q:What was the pendant on the neck chain Peter always seemed to wear in the 1970’s?Roger Bayford

A:It was the figure of a woman carrying a bag and walking with a stick. It has been suggested that it might be the image of the goddess, Fatima, from Arabic culture. It’s a possibility, since Peter visited Morocco several times in the 1960’s and could’ve bought it there.

Q:Have you ever heard of a Simon Milburn? He claims to be a close friend of Peter Wyngarde’s, but has been seen badmouthing you and Thomas Bowington online.Elle Robinson

A:Good lord – not ANOTHER ONE! If only Peter had known he was blessed with so many devoted comrades and bosom buddies. It’s just a shame that none of them could be bothered to show their faces when he was alive!

Although I’ve never heard the name Simon Milburn before (nor, for that matter, have any of Peter’sREALfriends, whose combined association with him amounts to over 250 years), I’ll take a punt that he’s been spewing the same timeworn bullsh*t that his troll mates have been spouting since September 2019.

Right:“Rhubarb! Rhubarb! Rhubarb! Rhubarb! Rhubarb! Rhubarb!”

I can assure you that there is no such person as ‘Simon Milburn’. – even the most rudimentary enquiry would enquiry would prove that. There is a certain party who have a vested interest in keeping a small gang of ignorant knuckle-draggers perusing an online hate-campaign against Mr Bowington and me. Given how half-witted these people are, a balloon on a stick would’ve done the job equally as well and saved the party responsible the trouble of thinking up the name ‘Simon Milburn’!

My book is my statement with regard to these matters, and I stand by it 100%. If any of the above had a legitimate, legal objection relating to something that Mr Bowington and/or I have said or done, they would not have to resort to online bullying, abuse and harassment.

Q:This cutting is from The Daily Mail. Could you possibly clear up the question of Peter wearing a wig once and for all?Adam Worsley–Loughborough

A:To clear up the ‘Jason King Wig’ matter. InDepartment S, when Peter was one of three main characters (albeit the best one), his daily filming schedules were less intense. His own hair was fine though, but was always in need of an attentive hairdresser to retain that distinctive look.

ForJason Kinghowever, he was in almost every scene, so he and the producers decided to save time and effort by having Peter wear a substantial wig – not to conceal any lack of hair – but rather just to make life and the daily shooting schedules easier. Cult TV Anoraks might have noticed a marked difference across the episodes ofJason Kingbetween many foreign location exteriors, and the exterior locations and studio exteriors/interiors shot in England: this was because during pre-production for the series, Peter and a skeleton crew hopped around Europe shooting Second Unit footage of Jason arriving at and departing from a myriad of hotels, restaurants, offices, cafes, etc. This footage was then used to enhance the UK studio-shot scenes and sequences.

Either because the wig decision had yet to be made or because the Second Unit was so small that it did not include Make-Up and a hairdresser, it was Peter’s own hair in all of the European-shot material, intercut with the UK location/studio-shot material in which he was wearing the wig.

No mystery then. No premature balding. Peter had a good head of hair, though fine textured, into his 50’s.Paul Tchaikov (aGENUINEfriend of Peter’s).

Q:Don’t know if this is an urban myth,but did Peter ever live or have a house in Morpeth, Northumberland?Sarah Armstrong

A:Peter owned several properties over the years, but never in Northumberland. There are so many myths about Peter supposedly being in this or that part of the country, it’s almost as if he was omnipresent! At least now you’ll be able to shoot that one down the next time you hear it.

Q:As a fan of Triumph cars, any idea what model Triumphs Peter owned or pictures of him in a Triumph? Just wondering.Travis Shick – South Carolina, USA

Left: Peter’s ‘Frogeye’ parked outside his flat in Kensington – 1960s

A:Hello Travis, He owned several Triumph’s over the years, including an Austin Frogeye and a two TR7’s. An article about Peter and his cars is due to be published in the November 2020 issue of ‘Classic Cars’ magazine, so do look out for that.

Q:Did Peter ever direct any of the television episodes he was in?Anne Fortin – Kitchener, Ontario, Canada

A:Unfortunately, no. He did however direct several stage plays, including: ‘Long Days Journey Into Night‘ – March/April 1959; ‘Present Laughter‘ – Autumn 1974; ‘Big Toys‘ – July 1977; ‘The Merchant of Venice‘ – August 1977.

Q:One of my favourite films is ‘The Adventures of Priscilla – Queen of the Desert’. Could you tell me if Petereverappeared on either stage or screen in drag?A.J. Thomas

A:I suppose the nearest he ever came to drag was in the Jason King episode, ‘Chapter One: The Company I Keep’, in which he disguised himself as a nun.

Right:Peter with Canadian actress, Toby Robbins

Q:I’m not sure if you’ll consider this on or off topic, but could you tell me how the best selling books chart works on Amazon, as I’ve been following sales of your excellent book?Isla Goodwin

A:I’m only just learning about Sales Ranks and best sellers charts myself, Isla. Amazon have a separate chart for each edition of a book; in the case of ‘Peter Wyngarde: A Life Amongst Strangers’, it’s in three categories – Kindle, Hardback and Paperback, and has reached different positions on the associated chart.

Still further, there are a series of other classifications, for instance: ‘Ballet, Biographies & Entertainment’, ‘Actors and Entertainment Biographies’, ‘Theatre Biographies’, ‘Television’ etc.

Lastly, there’s the overall Best-Sellers Rank. According to Amazon, they currently sell over 6,000,000 different book titles worldwide. ‘A Life Amongst Strangers’ has constantly been in the top 200,000 since publication, which I’m really proud of.

Q:Is there a part that Peter would’ve liked to play but was never given the opportunity?Sam Haley

A:Although he appeared in a large number of Shakespeare plays over the years, the roles that he converted most were Richard III and Iago in ‘Othello’.

Q:You mention in your book that Peter wrote several other songs in addition to those that made it onto his album. Were they ever recorded?Terry Hart

A:He recorded seven other tracks entitled: Where Shall We Begin? – Silent Thanks To Noisy Yanks – To Call a Man a Man – Colour TV – Merry Christmas – Nurse, Your Hands Are Cold and Taxi Drivers Talk Too Much.

I would suspect that they are in an RCA archive somewhere just waiting to be released.

Q:I read your biography of Peter Wyngarde and think it’s amazing. Can you tell me why did Peter never wrote an autobiography of his own?Paul Lucas

A:He had been working on an autobiography, with him writing in long-hand and me typing it up for him. Sadly, he was to fall ill and passed away before it was completed. However, I was able to quote numerously from his vast notes, and you can read some them by clickinghere.

Q:Did Peter have a favourite holiday destination?Nick Lavin

A:Yes – he particularly liked Figi and Mauritius.

Q:Did Peter have any close friends within the acting world?Vic Gamely

A: No one particularly. I’d say that Vernon Dobtcheff was probably the only actor he remained in touch with throughout his life. He also knew Steven Berkoff, and remained in contact with Sam J. Jones and Joel Fabiani. Otherwise, his closest friends were all outside the theatrical profession.

Q:Which actors did Peter most enjoy working with?Aoife McCarthy

A:He loved working with both Vivien Leigh and Mary Ure in ‘Duel of Angels‘; Sally Home – ‘The Education of Mr Surrage‘, ‘Night Conspirators‘ and ‘Dracula‘, Joel Fabiani on ‘Department S‘; Sam J. Jones – ‘Flash Gordon‘, and Linda Hayden in ‘Underground‘.

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