1. Frank Thornton Ball, professionally known as Frank Thornton, was an English actor.
17 Facts About Frank Thornton
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Frank Thornton Ball was born in Dulwich, London, the son of Rosina Mary and William Ernest Ball.
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Frank Thornton's father was an organist at St Stephen's Church, Sydenham Hill, where Frank learned to play the organ for a short while.
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Frank Thornton soon enrolled at a small acting school, the London School of Dramatic Art, and took evening classes.
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On 5 June 1945, Frank Thornton married actress Beryl Evans in West Wickham.
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Frank Thornton appeared in the farce The Party Spirit in the West End alongside Robertson Hare and Ralph Lynn.
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Frank Thornton's first credited screen role was in the film Radio Cab Murder.
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Frank Thornton appeared frequently in early 1960s series such as The Four Just Men and Gideon's Way.
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Frank Thornton was a regular on It's a Square World, and appeared in British sitcoms such as Hancock, Steptoe and Son, Sykes, The Goodies and Love Thy Neighbour.
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Frank Thornton appeared in the Danger Man episodes "The Assassin" as Pepe and "Find and Return" as an airport official in 1961, and as a tailor in The Sentimental Agent episode 'Scroll of Islam'.
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Frank Thornton appeared in at least one episode of The Navy Lark as CPO Nathaniel Pertwee, filling in for Jon Pertwee who was indisposed.
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Frank Thornton appeared in at least one episode of The Navy Lark as his character from The Embassy Lark.
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Frank Thornton appeared in The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes as the one-armed doorman for the Diogenes Club.
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Frank Thornton guest-starred in an episode of the BBC Radio series of Dad's Army entitled "Ten Seconds from Now" as the BBC producer Willoughby Maxwell-Troughton, who has to coordinate the chaotic platoon as it tries to broadcast to the nation in a morale-boosting Gang Show-style extravaganza.
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Frank Thornton can be seen in the film Gosford Park as Mr Burkett.
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Frank Thornton was the subject of This Is Your Life in 1998, when he was surprised by Michael Aspel at Pinewood Studios.
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Frank Thornton died from natural causes peacefully in his sleep at his home in Barnes, London, on 16 March 2013, aged 92.