Geoffrey Lumsden

Geoffrey Forbes Lumsden (26 December 1914 – 4 March 1984) was a British character actor who had a lengthy career on television. He often played pompous upper-class characters, army officers and the like.

Biography Lumsden was born in London in 1914, the son of Alfred Forbes Lumsden, and attended Repton School, where he was a contemporary of Denton Welch. By the time he had left school, both his parents had died. While living with his uncle he reluctantly trained as an engineer at a colliery. It was at the colliery that he first became interested in acting when he organised concerts for the workforce, and won a scholarship to train at RADA while still working there.

In 1938, he married Judith Cope. Working in repertory theatre, his theatrical career was interrupted by World War II during which he served in Burma. Returning to the theatre after the war, he became a playwright and appeared on various TV shows and films. In 1947, he married Helen A. Syme at Cuckfield in Sussex.

On Broadway he appeared as Sir Francis Getliffe in The Affair at the Henry Miller Theatre (1962) and as Major Hugh Beresford Maitland in Hostile Witness at the Music Box Theatre (1966). It was later revived in 1978 starring Arthur Lowe, Bill Pertwee and Edward Evans.

His best known role was as Captain Square in Dad's Army, the pompous commander of the Eastgate platoon of the Home Guard, who is a rival of Captain Mainwaring. Other TV appearances included Rookery Nook, Upstairs, Downstairs, It Ain't Half Hot Mum, Edward & Mrs. Simpson and Jack the Ripper (where he played the editor of the Daily Telegraph), and two appearances in the BBC Television Shakespeare.

Lumsden died in Westminster Hospital, London in 1984, aged 69 from a coronary occlusion. His uncles were the first-class cricketers Oswald and William Lumsden.

Selected screen credits Year Title Role Notes1952 The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men Merrie Man #11 1961 Man at the Carlton Tower Stocker 1965 Dateline Diamonds Army Officer 1965 The Night Caller Col. Davy 1967 Mrs Thursday Commander Barraclough 'The Train from Dunrich House', Stapleford Park, episode1968 A Dandy in Aspic Ridley 1968 Salt and Pepper Foreign Secretary 1968 Hostile Witness Major Hugh Beresford Maitland 1969–1971 The Mind of Mr. J.G. Reeder Lord Rothbard 1970 The Horror of Frankenstein Instructor 1973 Yellow Dog Sir William Renfrew 1980 Love in a Cold Climate Sir Archibald Curtly TV Mini-Series, 1 episode

Selected stage credits The Iron Duchess by William Douglas Home (1957) Caught Napping by Geoffrey Lumsden (1959) Aunt Edwina by William Douglas Home (1959)