Jack Lambert

Jack Lambert (29 December 1899 – 13 March 1976) was a Scottish actor who appeared on stage and screen from 1928 to 1974. After serving in the First World War he appeared in amateur productions before turning professional in 1930 and pursuing the career for the rest of his life, with a break during the Second World War, during which he served as an officer in the British army.

Life and career Lambert was born in Ardrossan, Ayrshire, on 29 December 1899, the son of John Lambert and his wife Mary, Dyet. He was educated at Ardrossan Academy and the Royal Technical College, Glasgow. After the First World War, during which he served in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, he appeared on stage as an amateur. In that capacity he appeared at the New Theatre, London in 1928 as Kenneth Dowey in a production of J. M. Barrie's The Old Lady Shows Her Medals, which won a national competition for amateur companies. The production was seen in New York and Montreal later in the year, winning the David Belasco Cup in the former. The company gave the play at the Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith in November 1929, which led to Lambert's first engagement for the professional stage. and The Times commented, "Mr Jack Lambert, with a part that might easily have gone for little, builds up gradually a very clever portrait of an entertaining and interesting man".

At the Shaftesbury Theatre in September 1930 Lambert played the poet Ralston McTodd in a stage version of P. G. Wodehouse's Leave It to Psmith, directed by Frank Cellier, in a cast containing Reginald Gardiner, Jane Baxter, Joan Hickson and Aubrey Mather. During the 1930s Lambert appeared in eleven West End productions: Lieutenant Mackenzie in Who Goes Next? (1931), Robert Robertson in Make Up Your Mind (1931), Maclean in Tell Her the Truth (1932), Weelum Sprunt in Bunty Pulls the Strings (1933), McKenzie in Touch Wood (1934), Conway in Retreat from Folly (1937), Inspector Barrie in The Feud (1937), Angus in The Innocent Party (1938), Burkett in Windfall (1938), Porter in Johnson Over Jordan (1939), and Joris in Behold the Bride (1939).

Selected filmography

A Honeymoon Adventure (1931) – Chauffeur Sorrell and Son (1933) – (uncredited) Red Ensign (1934) – Police Inspector (uncredited) The Ghost Goes West (1935) – Son of MacLaggen (uncredited) House Broken (1936) – Jock Macgregor The Last Adventurers (1937) – (uncredited) Premiere (1938) – Stage Manager Thistledown (1938) – (uncredited) The Terror (1938) – Warder Joyce (uncredited) Marigold (1938) – Minor Role (uncredited) The Outsider (1939) – (uncredited) The Spy in Black (1939) – Passport Official (uncredited) The Four Feathers (1939) – (uncredited) Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1939) – Padre (uncredited) The Spider (1940) – Smith Nine Men (1943) – Sergeant Watson The Captive Heart (1946) – Padre Meet Me at Dawn (1947) – Minor Role (uncredited) Dear Murderer (1947) – (uncredited) The Brothers (1947) – (uncredited) Hue and Cry Captive Heart Eureka Stockade (1949) – Commissioner Rede Floodtide (1949) – Anstruther Hunted (1952) – (uncredited) The Lost Hours (1952) – John Parker The Great Game (1953) – Ralph Blake Twice Upon a Time (1953) – Ernest (uncredited) The Master of Ballantrae (1953) – (uncredited) Front Page Story (1954) – (uncredited) The Sea Shall Not Have Them (1954) – Squadron Leader Craig Companions in Crime (1954) Three Cases of Murder (1955) – Inspector Acheson ("You Killed Elizabeth" segment) Out of the Clouds (1955) – Chief Engineer The Dark Avenger (1955) – Dubois Track the Man Down (1955) – Dr. Jameson (uncredited) Cross Channel (1955) – Detective Sergeant Burroughs Storm Over the Nile (1955) – Colonel Lost (1956) – Police Station Sergeant (uncredited) Jumping for Joy (1956) – Clinton (uncredited) Reach for the Sky (1956) – Adrian Stoop (uncredited) The Last Man to Hang? (1956) – Maj. Forth X the Unknown (1956) – Police Sergeant (uncredited) Mr. Adams and Eve (1957) – Cyril (Episode "The Torn-Shirt School of Acting") The Little Hut (1957) – Capt. MacWalt The Son of Robin Hood (1958) – Will Scarlett The Bridal Path (1959) – Hector The Devil's Disciple (1959) – (uncredited) The Shakedown (1960) – Sgt. Kershaw Francis of Assisi (1961) – Scefi Greyfriars Bobby (1961) – Doctor On the Fiddle (1961) – Police Constable Bomb in the High Street (1963) – Sergeant A Shot in the Dark (1964) – Man (uncredited) Dracula: Prince of Darkness (1966) – Brother Peter Modesty Blaise (1966) – (uncredited) "Miss MacTaggart Won't Lie Down" (1966) – Lord Longbrae They Came From Beyond Space (1967) – Doctor – Office Cuckoo Patrol (1967) – Police Inspector Kidnapped (1971) – Aged Highlander Special Branch (1974) – John Miller

Notes, references and sources