Richard Meikle

Richard Meikle (10 October 1929 – 2 June 1991) was an Australian actor who worked extensively in radio, theatre, and television, (TV movies and guest in serials Meikle's ability to perform his own sound effects, saw him highly sought after, as Grace Gibson Productions' budget did not cover a professional sound effects person. He would often compete for rights to do sound effects with his co-stars Ron Roberts and James Condon.

In 1959, Meikle was cast alongside Gregory Peck as London-based spy Guy Marriott, Stanley Kramer's in Melbourne-filmed anti-nuclear love story On the Beach.

1966 produced several roles for Meikle. He had the dual role of Mickey Higgens and narrator (reading the opening credits) in The Shame of Sefton Ridge, an adaptation of Hamilton Basso's novel The View from Pompey's Head. He also played Paul Kruger in Phillip Mann drama The Red Gardenia, as well as reading the end credits of a few episodes. Another major role in the 1960s was as Logan Berkeley in Ross Napier's adaptation of the novel Borrasca. Borrasca was another example of Grace Gibson using Meikle as an announcer.

The early 1970s also proved to be a busy time for Meikle, with Grace Gibson and Crawford Productions TV series. He had another actor/announcer job in the form of Ross Napier's So Help Me God in 1970, where he read the credits for each episode and played criminal Toby Laird. Meikle had starring roles in the 1971 shows I Killed Grace Random and I, Christopher Macaulay, where he played copywriter Curtis Miller and the titular character respectively.

As local television production started to become more prevalent, Meikle began to branch out in the late 1970s. He appeared in several television movies, including Harvest of Hate, where he replaced Sir Robert Helpmann in the role of vineyard owner John Camden. In 1976, Meikle had a major role as Martin Gruman in the one hour pilot episode of the television drama Bluey.

In 1982, Meikle returned to Grace Gibson Productions, joining the cast of the company's most popular serial, The Castlereagh Line, playing Jim Holly.

Personal life Meikle was the son of Leslie Meikle, an engineer, and Alma May Meikle . Meikle married twice, firstly in 1955 to Lola Edna Brooks, an actress, with whom he had a son. He married again in 1968, to Helen Millicent Madgwick, by whom he had another four children.

Meikle died in Gosford, New South Wales, on 2 June 1991.

Filmography

Television Year Title Role Notes Ref.1957 A Fourth for Bridge TV play The Importance of Being Earnest Algernon Moncrieff TV play In the Zone TV play 1960 ITV Play of the Week Lindsey Stone Episode: "The Night of the Big Heat" A Night Out Gidney TV play 1962 The Taming of the Shrew Tranio TV play The Patriots W. H. Moore Miniseries 1963 Prelude to Harvest Captain Collins TV play 1965 The Affair Donald Howard TV play My Brother Jack Dud Rosevear 1 episode 1966 Australian Playhouse Nicholas Episode 3: "The Air-Conditioned Author" 1967 Contrabandits Sam Kodiak Episode: "Target, Smokehouse" Love and War Episode: "Serjeant Musgrave's Dance" 1968 The Battlers Hunter Phan Lin Episode: "Brain Storm" 1968–1969 I've Married A Bachelor Guru Chanderadas 2 episodes 1969 Riptide Alex Kolonis Episode: "Good Friday Island" Delta Bill Prescott Episode: "The Devil Take the Blue Tongue Fly" Woobinda, Animal Doctor Episode: "No Love for Theodore" 1969–1973 Division 4 Gil Williamson / Ian Taylor / James Marshall 8 episodes 1970 The Rovers Professor Anderson Episode: "A Present for Jenny" 1972 Barrier Reef Joe Francis Episode: "The Speckled Stone Fish" Homicide Barrington Episode: "From the Top" Catwalk Christopher Kemper Episode: "Try Anything Twice" The Prince and the Pauper Voice TV movie (animated) 1973 The Count of Monte Cristo Voice TV movie (animated) The Three Musketeers Voice TV movie (animated) 1972–1976 Matlock Police Roy 'Tiger' Donovan / Neil Thomas / Norman West 3 episodes 1973 Certain Women George Lindsay 6 episodes 1976 Bluey Martin Gruman Episode: "The First Bloody Day" The Young Doctors Les Bradley 1 episode Silent Night, Holy Night TV movie 1977 Dot and the Kangaroo Jack the Farmhand (voice) TV movie (animated)Also casting director Glenview High Michael Wilson Episode: "Quiet Nights and Silent Deaths" 1978 The Restless Years Senator Ross Lindsay 26 episodes Chopper Squad George Deacon Episode: "8:52 A.M." 1979 Harvest of Hate John Camden TV movie Cop Shop Frank Dobson 4 episodes 1982–1987 A Country Practice Fred Murray / Arthur Ryan / Jim Higgins 6 episodes 1983 Who Killed Baby Azaria? Coroner Galvin TV movie Scales of Justice Premier Russell Cooper Episode: "The Numbers" 1984 The Last Bastion General Vasey Miniseries 1985 The Pickwick Papers Voice TV movie (animated) The Adventures of Robin Hood Voice TV movie (animated) The Man in the Iron Mask Voice TV movie (animated) Stock Squad McCabe TV movie Robbery Major General TV movie Sons and Daughters Colonel Gerrard Bainbridge 5 episodes 1986 Kidnapped Voice TV movie (animated) The Hunchback of Notre Dame Voice TV movie (animated) 1988 The Dirtwater Dynasty Mr. J. James Miniseries, 1 episode 1990 Home and Away Paramedic 1 episode

Film Year Title Role Notes Ref. 1958 This Land Australia Short film 1959 On the Beach Davis Fat Man Serial 1955 The King of Friday's Men Owen Fenigan Serial 1958 Radio Cab Scott Sullivan Serial 1959 Not to be Taken Steven Davies (original voice) 1960s Pray for a Brave Heart Serial Requiem for Paul Jason Eric Millgate Serial Hamlet Laertes 1956 The Boy Friend Gendarme Elizabethan Theatre, Sydney, Theatre Royal, Adelaide with J. C. Williamson's 1957 Come Back, Little Sheba Independent Theatre, Sydney 1968 Sarah and the Sax AMP Theatrette, Sydney with AETT & Old Tote Theatre Company 1977 The Father The Captain UNSW Old Tote Parade Theatre, Sydney Caesar and Cleopatra Julius Caesar Sydney Opera House with Old Tote Theatre Company Wild Oats Sir George York Theatre, Sydney with Old Tote Theatre Company 1989 Curtains Northside Theatre, Sydney