Biography.guide
Home › People › Actor › Derek Farr
Portrait of Derek Farr

Derek Farr

1912 – 1986

British actor

Don't just read it — keep itBiographies to ownE-book · Audio · Video From $7 →

About Derek Farr

Lived 1912 – 1986 (aged 74). Derek Farr was a British actor.

Derrick Capel Farr (7 February 191221 March 1986) was an English actor who appeared regularly in British films and television from 1938 until his death in 1986. His more famous roles include Group Captain John Whitworth in The Dam Busters.

Career After working as a schoolteacher, he took to the stage in 1937, and in 1938 got his first film role. He served in the Second World War, and after the war resumed his acting career, mainly in character parts.

Personal life His second marriage was in 1947 to actress Muriel Pavlow, whom he met in 1941 while filming Quiet Wedding, and again on the set of The Shop at Sly Corner (1947). Their maid of honour was Glynis Johns, with whom they had both performed in Quiet Wedding. They remained married until Farr's death in March 1986, aged 74.

Partial filmography

Miracles Do Happen (1938) – Greenlaw's Secretary (uncredited) The Outsider (1939) – (uncredited) Q Planes (1939) – Minor Role (uncredited) Black Eyes (1939) – Minor Role (uncredited) Inspector Hornleigh on Holiday (1939) – Bridge Club Member (uncredited) Freedom Radio (1941) – Hans Quiet Wedding (1941) – Dallas Chaytor Spellbound (AKA ' Passing Clouds ') (1941) – Laurie Baxter Wanted for Murder (1946) – Jack Williams Quiet Weekend (1946) – Denys Royd Teheran (1946) – Pemberton Grant Code of Scotland Yard (1947) – Robert Graham Bond Street (1948) – Joe Marsh Noose (1948) – Capt. Jumbo Hyde The Story of Shirley Yorke (1948) – Gerald Ryton Silent Dust (1949) – Maxwell Oliver Man on the Run (1949) – Sgt. Peter Burden, alias Brown Double Confession (1950) – Jim Medway Murder Without Crime (1950) – Stephen Young Wives' Tale (1951) – Bruce Banning Reluctant Heroes (1952) – Michael Fone Little Big Shot (1952) – Sergeant Wilson Front Page Story (1954) – Teale Eight O'Clock Walk (1954) – Peter Tanner Bang! You're Dead (1954) – Detective Grey The Dam Busters (1955) – Group Captain J. N. H. Whitworth, D.S.O., D.F.C. Value for Money (1955) – Duke Popplewell The Man in the Road (1956) – Ivan Mason / Dr. James Paxton Town on Trial (1957) – Mark Roper Doctor At Large (1957) – Dr. Potter-Shine The Vicious Circle (1957) – Kenneth Palmer The Truth About Women (1957) – Anthony Television Playwright (1958, TV series) – William Faraday Attempt to Kill (1961) – Det. Insp. Minter Deadline Midnight (1961) – Paul Vetter The Saint (1962, TV series) – John Clarron / Mrs. Jafferty The Human Jungle The Projected Man (1966) – Inspector Davis 30 Is a Dangerous Age, Cynthia (1968) – TV Announcer The Johnstown Monster (1971) – Hamer Pope Joan (1972) – Count Brisini Crossroads (1972–1973, TV series) – Timothy Hunter Nightingale's Boys (1975, TV Series) – Bill Nightingale Star Maidens (1976, TV series) – Professor Evans Blake's 7 (1978, TV series) – Professor Ensor Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em (1978, TV series) – Dr Mender Rumpole of the Bailey - Rumpole and the Man of God - (1979) - Rev Mordred Skinner We, the Accused (1980, TV series) – Sir Kenneth Eddy

Biography shop

Don’t just read it —
keep it.

Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.

  • E-book
  • Audio
  • Video
Browse the shop — from $7

Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free

Important facts

Birth century
Occupation
Also known as
Derek Capel Farr, Derrick Capel Farr

Family & relationships

Spouse
Carole Lynne
Spouse
Muriel Pavlow

People in Derek Farr's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Derek Farr's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Derek Farr?

British actor (1912-1986)

When was Derek Farr born?

Derek Farr was born on 7 February 1912 in London.

When did Derek Farr die?

Derek Farr died on 22 March 1986 in London.

What was Derek Farr's occupation?

Derek Farr was an actor.

What nationality was Derek Farr?

Derek Farr was British.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Derek Farr

· Wikidata: Q5261952

· DBpedia: Derek Farr

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Derek Farr. https://biography.guide/derek-farr/

MLA: "Derek Farr." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/derek-farr/.

Chicago: "Derek Farr." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/derek-farr/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-22 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

Page generated 2026-09-27 05:19 UTC