Dudley Foster

Frank Dudley Foster (7 August 1924 – 8 January 1973) was an English actor.

Early life Frank Dudley Foster was born in Knaresborough, Yorkshire West Riding, England, on 7 August 1924, as the youngest child to Frank Geden Foster, a civil engineer, and his wife, Ruth Chapman (née Butler), a barmaid. He had two siblings, a brother, John Geden Foster, and a sister, Ruth Butler 'Jill' Foster. His family had established links with the theatre as both of his siblings also appeared on the stage.

Foster attended Pocklington School, a private school, in Pocklington, East Riding of Yorkshire. He began service as a navigator in the Royal Air Force when he left school. After he was demobbed, he studied chemistry at the University of Leeds.

Personal life Foster married Eileen Mary Kennally, an actress, in Sunderland, Durham, in April 1952. They had two sons together, Mark A Foster and Benjamin Dudley Foster .

Death On 8 January 1973, Foster died at his home 3 Holly Hill, Hampstead in Greater London. He was 48. His death was said to be a suicide by hanging. His body was discovered by his wife, Eileen. She found him hanging from the stairs at their home, cut him down with a bread knife and tried to revive him with mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. His father, who was said by a close family friend to be the driving force behind Foster in his career, had died at the age of 81, exactly a week before his son. The close family friend added: "He pushed Dudley on to better things and encouraged him all the way". He was buried at Hampstead Cemetery in West Hampstead, London.

Filmography

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