Frank Pemberton

Frank Pemberton (14 September 1914 – 26 March 1971) was an English stage and television actor, who after appearing in numerous series and telemovies, got his big break when he became best known as an original cast member of TV series Coronation Street as patriarch Frank Barlow.

Biography Pemberton was born in Stretford, Lancashire, England on 14 September 1914. He initially studied engineering at the Birmingham Technical College and afterwards joined his father's business as a sales rep. Amateur dramatics in his then home town of Marston Green led him into the theatre and a season with the Southampton Repertory Company. At the outbreak of war, Pemberton was directed into an engineering position, in his spare time teaming up with Mervyn R Pinfield and others to stage plays for the forces. He was later posted to the Royal Navy where he managed to find time to tour most of the Scottish bases with a Naval theatre company.

Demobilisation was followed by the next step to a professional acting career with the formation in 1946 of the performance company “The Star Players”, in partnership with Ernest Pickering and Mervyn R Pinfield (as general manager). Having played a six-week season at Birkenhead YMCA the move was made to Falkirk to join the Falkirk Repertory Company in an arrangement with Aurora Productions Limited. The end of October saw Aurora Production's last performance in Falkirk and a move to The Little Theatre, Great Yarmouth, with Mervyn R Pinfield again general manager. In April 1948 both he and Mervyn R Pinfield left Aurora Productions to join the Morecambe Repertory Theatre Ltd, at the Royalty Theatre. By 1949, he was touring with the Lawrence Williamson Players, and after that joined the Charles Denville Repertory Players on Guernsey.

By April 1957, Pemberton was working on TV with the BBC and ITV. By 1960 he had made more than 100 TV performances and had made the step to Coronation Street as Frank Barlow.

Following his departure from Coronation Street in May 1964, he and other ex-members of the cast joined John Finch and Vince Powell's production of the farce “Firm Foundations” at the Royal Court, Liverpool.

Illness and death Pemberton suffered a stroke on 24 February 1965 from which he recovered but which severely compromised his acting career. He died prematurely aged 56, in Copthorne, West Sussex of a fatal stroke on 26 March 1971, approximately six weeks after his last appearance as Frank Barlow.

Filmography (selected) Title Year Role Barbados Quest 1955 Parking Garage Attendant The Adventures of Annabel (TV series) 1955 A Yank in Ermine 1955 Member of Beveleau Household Quiet Revolution (TV movie) 1956 Member in Crowd The Count of Monte Carlo (TV series) 1956 The Woodcutter The Condemned (TV movie) 1956 Tearaway (TV movie) 1956 Prisoner The Hands (TV movie) 1957 Barman Nathanial Titlark (TV series) 1957 Villager/Member of the Public The Honourable Member 1957 Tibbetts Shadow Squad (TV series) 1957 Larry Hoyle A Time of Day (TV series) 1957 Sgt. Williams Hotel Imperial (TV series) 1958 BBC Sunday Night Theatre 1956-1958 Various roles Champion Road (TV series) 1958 Mr. Heskeith Starr and Company (TV series) 1958 Harry Watson/Mr. Barker The Chinese Dagger (TV series) 1958 Police Sergeant Life with the Lyons (TV series) 1958 The Scarf (TV miniseries) 1959 PC. Shaw Body Found (TV movie) 1959 Landlord of Pub This Desirable Residence (TV movie) 1959 Jim Emergency-Ward 10 (TV series) In the Wake of a Stranger 1959 Landlord Armchair Theatre (TV series) 1959 2nd creditor Hancock's Half Hour (TV series) 1956-1959 Baron. GregoffskiNo Hiding Place (TV series) 1959 1st Customer Suspense (TV series) 1960 Police Sergeant ITV Television Playhouse (TV series) 1960 Various roles Scotland Yard (TV series) 1960 Night Security Guard Arthur's Treasured Volumes (TV series) 1960 Mr. Brown The Herries Chronicle (TV series) 1960 First. Man in Inn Boyd Q.C. (TV series) 1958-1960 Court Usher On Trial (TV series) 1960 Foreman of the Jury Tales from Dickens (TV series) 1960 2nd Creditor BBC Sunday Night Play (TV series) 1960 Customer Coronation Street: First Dry Run (TV movie) 1960 Frank Barlow Theatre 625 1964 Carter

Principal role Title Year Role Coronation Street 1960 -1971 Frank Barlow