A History Of Liverpool Thespians - Leonard Williams

 

Leonard Arthur Williams was born in 1914 in West Derby, Liverpool. 

An Everton fan, aka 'Liverpool Footprints' wrote, 'I have a very clear memory of being on the Goodison Road terracing in the 1962-63 Championship Winning Season as the crowd recognised a celebrity sat in the directors’ box. Immediately the air was filled with cries of "get it down in the book" as the famous face was that of actor Leonard Williams who played the part of Sergeant Percy Twentyman in the new hit TV series 'Z-Cars'. He was frequently heard to admonish his sidekick P.C.Sweet with these words which quickly became a catchphrase. He would have enjoyed the game as Everton ran out 5-0 winners. Sadly, he died the following Thursday, November 15th, suffering a heart attack at his London flat in Lexham Gardens, Kensington. He collapsed on the landing of his flat and was dead on arrival at St. Stephen's Hospital Chelsea. A spokeman at B.B.C television centre in London told the Liverpool Echo that Mr. Williams was due at Lime Grove that morning for rehearsals for next week's programme. He did not arrive and because he failed to appear for rehearsals, his London home was telephoned. It was then they heard of his death. He was aged just 48 and father to two children; Leon & Marianne, and husband to Imelda.

With James Ellis (Bert Lynch) and Terence Edmond (P.C. Sweet)

The Liverpool Echo Television critic wrote, "Above five years ago, when I first met Leonard Williams, he was a comparatively little-known radio actor. Listeners to the B.B.C.'s Children's Hour may recall him playing the villain in numerous dramas, and on the radio in 'The Clithroe Kid'. Then gradually he began to break into television. First, he appeared in the occasional play and dramatized documentary- he played a policeman in the classic B.B.C Television feature 'Who, Me?' which was set in Liverpool. Subsequently, he played a detective in another Liverpool-based television series, 'Jacks and Knaves', but it was not until 'Z Cars' made its debut last year that he became a nationally-known figure.
To the role of Sergeant Percy Twentyman he brought a warm-hearted brusqueness which soon made him one of the most popular characters in the series. Delivered in broad Liverpool, his order to Constable Sweet to; "Get it down in the book!" became a popular catch-phrase. His death comes at the pinnacle of a tough career in which he was at times no stranger to the dole queue, as readers of the recent Echo series on his life will recall.
The fame he achieved did not make him immodest, and he was always ready to give generously of what little time he had away from the studios, Merseysiders saw him frequently at local functions, when he was always ready to put in an attendance to help the organisers. He committed himself to attending so many Liverpool functions during the recent summer break of 'Z cars', that he had difficulty in getting hotel accommodation- and reluctantly had to reveal his TV identity in order to get a room for himself and his family in Newquay."
At his home at Knotty Ash Ken Dodd, the well-known Merseyside stage and TV comedian, said; "This news has come as a terrible shock to me. It is particularly tragic as he was just in the process of shooting up to the top. We both started at the same time. He helped me and, I hope I was able to help him. He had a wonderful sense of humour and was a very good person to work with. He will be greatly missed." Brian Blessed who played 'Fancy Smith' in 'Z-Cars' recalled him as the joker of the cast who kept everyone else amused.

54 Baycliff Road L12

 

The nationwide recognition which came his way with 'Z-Cars' illustrated how the medium of TV was dominating public life and its capacity to bring instant fame. Like many such actors his overnight fame had been years in the making. Before 'Z-Cars' his face was not so instantly recognisable but he had enjoyed a very full career with hundreds of TV and radio appearances including 'Dixon of Dock Green' (1956), 'The Grove Family (1957) and in 9 episodes of the Ken Dodd TV series (1959-61) plus parts in a number of prominent film comedies of the 1950s. He was a regular in the radio comedy series 'The Clitheroe Kid', playing characters Theodore Craythorpe and Harry Whittle. On TV he appeared with comedian Harry Worth in 9 episodes of 'Here's Harry'. His screen roles included two Arthur Askey films, 'Ramsbottom Rides Again' and 'The Love Match', the 1950 Ealing film 'The Magnet' which was filmed on Merseyside, and 'Orders Are Orders' (which was Tony Hancock’s first film appearance).

At the time of his death Leonard lived at 54 Baycliff Road, L12. In the 1940s he and his wife Imelda had lived at 80 Snaefell Avenue, moving later to a 'prefab' on the edge of Sheil Park, 9 Penally Way, L6 (now demolished).

see also :- http://www.thefootballvoice.com/2023/07/a-history-of-liverpool-thespians-kay.html