James Condon

James Thomas Condon (27 September 1923 – 14 February 2014) was an Australian pioneering actor of early theatre, radio and television, as well as a scriptwriter and voice over, primarily a character actor or supporting player, he was best known for his numerous radio and television roles in serials and television movies particularly, although he did play the title character in the early local TV soap opera The Story of Peter Gray

Early life James Thomas Condon was born in Fremantle, Western Australia. Condon was the brother of actress and theatre producer Coralie Condon, who was a recipient of the Order of Australian and was known as "The First Lady of Western Australian Television",

After the war, Condon went to England and worked for the BBC before returning to Australia in 1951 to resume his acting career, working on radio serials, including Portia Faces Life. When TV arrived in Australia in 1956, he moved to Sydney and appeared on the opening night of ABN2, Sydney, and in a number of ABC plays, including Tomorrow's Child and A Phoenix Too Frequent.

He played the lead role in ATN7's The Story of Peter Grey, one of the first soap opera dramas produced for Australian television in 1961.

Also in 1961, while hosting his variety show What's Next, Condon hosted an old friend from Perth, Ray Hartley, to talk about his recent successes in London and New York. Hartley was a world-class Australian pianist, composer, arranger and philanthropist.

He made many other appearances on television, including Homicide, Matlock Police, Number 96 (both the TV serial and the 1974 feature film spin-off, playing different characters) and Bellamy.

Television roles also include The Young Doctors, Carson's Law, Sons and Daughters,, The Flying Doctors, Blue Heelers and Something in the Air.

Filmography

Film Year Title Role Type 1958 The Stowaway The Purser Feature film 1959 Desert Conquest Narrator Documentary film 1973 The Three Musketeers Voice Animated TV movie 1974 Number 96 Nicholas Brent Feature film spin-off 1975 Scobie Malone Walter Helidon Feature film 1976 Silent Night, Holy Night Voice Animated TV movie 1978 Cass TV movie 1979 Tim Mr Harrington Feature film 1979 Barnaby and Me The Chairman TV movie 1981 Hoodwink Newsreader Feature film 1984 Super Sleuth Dennis Powell TV movie 1985 The Boy Who Had Everything Televisio Newsreader Feature film 1986 Body Business Sir Charles TV movie 1988 Backstage Frank Turner Feature film 1988 Evil Angels Reginald Scholes Feature film 1989 Trouble in Paradise Captain Londstrom TV movie 1990 Bony Tom Hemmings TV movie 1991 The Private War of Lucinda Smith Mr Spencer Grant TV movie 1991 Spotswood ( aka The Efficiency Expert) Executive 1 Feature film 1997 Kangaroo Palace Judge TV movie

Television Year Title Role Type 1957 Three Cornered Moon Duke of Mall TV play 1957 Tomorrow's Child TV play 1957 A Phoenix Too Frequent Tegeus TV play 1957 The Importance of Being Earnest John Worthing TV play 1958 Point of Return TV play 1958 Sixty Point Bold President Ortega de Riverde TV play 1958 An Enemy of the People Dr Stockman TV play 1959 Lady in Danger Bill Sefton TV play 1959-60 Shell Presents John Roberts / Dr Davidson TV play series, 2 episodes 1960 Stormy Petrel Colonel Maurice O'Connell TV series, 1 episode 1960 The Life and Death of King Richard II Bolingbroke TV play 1961 The Big Client JG Henderson TV play 1961 Play of Daniel Narrator TV play 1961 The Story of Peter Grey Peter Grey TV series, 156 episodes 1961 The Outcasts Colonel Maurice O'Connell TV series, 1 episode (sequel to Stormy Petrel) 1961 What Next Host TV variety show 1962 The Patriots William Wentworth TV miniseries, 10 episodes 1962 Jonah William Wentworth TV series, 2 episodes: "The Marquis of Mullambimbee", "The Treaty of South Island" 1963 The Long Sunset Arthur TV play 1964 Tribunal James Connolly TV series, 1 episode 1964 The Purple Jacaranda Max Stevenson TV miniseries, 7 episodes 1964 The Play of Herrod Narrator TV play 1966 Point of Departure Molac TV play 1966-72 Homicide Christoper White / Gerard Naismith TV series, 2 episodes 1968 Contrabandits Austin TV series, 1 episode 1969 I've Married a Bachelor TV series, 1 episode 1970 The Link Men TV series, 1 episode 1970 The Rovers John Fleming TV series, 1 episode 1970 Chequerboard Creon TV series, 1 episode 1971-72 Catwalk Ray Shannon TV series, 1 episode 1972 Matlock Police Eric Bard TV series, 1 episode 1972-73 Number 96 S r Arnold Ashton TV series, 9 episodes 1972-75 Behind the Legend Wentworth TV series, 3 episodes 1974 Ryan John Moss TV series, 1 episode 1975 Shannon's Mob Sir Arthur Maitland TV series, 1 episode 1976 McCloud Charles Oakland TV series, 1 episode 1976 Luke's Kingdom Jason Firbeck TV series, 13 episodes 1976 King's Men Petersen TV series, 1 episode 1977 The Young Doctors Sir Thomas Kendall TV series, 40 episodes 1978 Case for the Defence Nathan TV series, 1 episode 1979 Chopper Squad Norman Chambers TV series, 1 episode 1979 Carrots Horace W Hathaway TV series, 1 episode 1980 Cop Shop Doug Francis TV series, 7 episodes 1981 Bellamy Daley TV series, 21 episodes 1982 1915 Mr Gillen TV miniseries, 1 episode 1982 Secret Valley TV series, 1 episode 1982 Der Schwarze Bumerang Arzt TV miniseries, 1 episode 1983 The Catlins Senator Mahoney TV series, 1 episode 1984 Sons and Daughters Sean O'Donnell TV series, 6 episodes 1984 Carson's Law Attorney General / Sir Harold Watson TV series, 3 episodes 1982-88 A Country Practice Flynn / Michael Christie / Doug Abbott / James Saunders TV series, 7 episodes 1985-86 Neighbours Douglas Blake TV series 1985-86 Prisoner James Dwyer TV series, 23 episodes 1987 The Petrov Affair Robert Menzies TV miniseries, 2 episodes 1987 The Flying Doctors Bob Cameron TV series, 1 episode 1989 The Magistrate Sampson TV miniseries, 2 episodes 1991 Boys from the Bush John TV series, 1 episode 1991 Half a World Away (aka The Great Air Race) Sir Macpherson Robertson TV miniseries, 1 episode 1992 The Late Show Oir Man from the Hardly Permanent TV series, 1 episode 1993 Time Trax Sal Mondriano TV series, 1 episode 1995 Neighbours Reuben White TV series, 37 episodes 1998 / 2000 Blue Heelers Doc Bourke / Klaus Schultz TV series, 2 episodes 2000 Something in the Air Gordon Flood TV series, 1 episode 2003 After the Deluge Brian Corstairs (uncredited) TV miniseries

Theatre Year Title Role Type 1945 Granite Cathedral Hall, Perth 1949 The Man Who Came to Dinner Sheridan Whiteside Perth Repertory Theatre 1955 Mary of Scotland Somerville Auditorium 1956 Lord Arthur Savile's Crime Lord Arthur Savile Perth 1961 Play of Daniel St Mary's Cathedral, Sydney 1964 Breakfast with Julia Phillip Street Theatre 1964 The Play of Herod Narrator St Mary's Cathedral, Sydney 1965 Poor Bitos Independent Theatre, Sydney 1965 My Life with an Interval for Asprin Independent Theatre, Sydney 1966 Three Sisters University of NSW, Old Tote Theatre 1966 Aspects of Love University of NSW, Old Tote Theatre 1967 Hostile Witness Sir Peter Crossman Tivoli Theatre, Sydney, Princess Theatre, Melbourne 1967 The Cocktail Party Independent Theatre, Sydney 1967 Halloran's Little Boat Terry Byrne Independent Theatre, Sydney 1968 The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie Independent Theatre, Sydney 1968 The Anniversary Independent Theatre, Sydney 1968 Loot Independent Theatre, Sydney 1968 A Delicate Balance Independent Theatre, Sydney 1968 Wait Until Dark Independent Theatre, Sydney 1969 Everything in the Garden Independent Theatre, Sydney 1969 Treasure Island University of NSW 1970 The Seagull Scott Theatre, Adelaide 1970 Murder in the Cathedral Thomas Becket Independent Theatre, Sydney 1970 King Oedipus University of NSW, Sir John Clancy Auditorium, Sydney, Canberra Theatre, Princess Theatre, Melbourne, Octagon Theatre, Perth, University of Adelaide 1971 Conduct Unbecoming Major Alastair Wimbourne V.C. Theatre Royal, Sydney, Comedy Theatre, Melbourne 1971-72 The Man who Shot the Albatross Princess Theatre, Melbourne, Canberra Theatre, Elizabethan Theatre, Her Majesty's Theatre, Adelaide 1972 Under Milk Wood Independent Theatre, Sydney 1972 Blop Goes The Weazel University of NSW 1973 The Third Secretary Independent Theatre, Sydney 1974 Love for Love Sydney Opera House 1975 Candida Marian Street Theatre 1975 The Jockey Club Stakes Her Majesty's Theatre, Adelaide, Princess Theatre, Melbourne 1976 The Brass Hat Major General Charles Anderson-Green University of NSW 1976 The Shoemaker's Holiday Earl of Lincoln Sydney Opera House 1976 Getting On Marian Street Theatre 1977 The Business of Good Government Assembly Hall, Sydney 1977 Caesar and Cleopatra Rufio Sydney Opera House 1977 Any Fool Can Ernest Seaton Bondi Pavilion 1977 Some Other Town Editor Bondi Pavilion 1977 The Tempest Antonio Sydney Opera House 1979 The Bed Before Yesterday Fred Castle Theatre Royal, Sydney 1980-81 The Magic Pudding Voice Over Artist Sydney Opera House, VIC & WA Country Tour, Playhouse, Adelaide, Regal Theatre, Perth, Monash University 1983 Morning's at Seven Marian Street Theatre 1984 Born Yesterday Norval Hedges Sydney Opera House 1992 The Freedom of the City National Theatre, Melbourne 1993 M. Butterfly M. Toulon / Man 1 / Judge Playhouse, Melbourne, Canberra Theatre, Seymour Centre 1994 A Flea in Her Ear Mietta's, Melbourne 1994 There's One in Every Marriage Mietta's, Melbourne 1995 The Best of British: Rookery Nook / When We Are Married Mietta's, Melbourne

Radio Year Title Role Type 1952 Portia Faces Life Walter Manning 3UZ Melbourne 1957 Jenny Villiers Julian Napier ABC Radio play 1957 Quadrille Hubert, Marquess of Heronden ABC Radio play 1979 Incompletions Father / Barber ABC Radio Sydney 1979 Lies My Father Told Me Father ABC Radio Sydney 1979 Laura and the Angel Azrafel ABC Radio Sydney 1979 Amphitryon 38 Jupiter ABC Radio Sydney We'e Asking You Compère Radio quiz show Condon was married to Australian actress Anne Haddy, best known for the role of matriarch Helen Daniels in Neighbours, from 1977 until her death in 1999. Condon was the stepfather of Haddy's children Jane and Tony. He died at an RSL retirement home in Narrabeen, Sydney on 14 February 2014, aged 90.