Ron Blanchard

Last updated

Ron Blanchard
Born
Ronald Blanchard

1945 (age 78–79)
Australia
Occupation(s)Theatre, television and film actor
Years active1957–present

Ronald Blanchard (born 1945) is an Australian stage, television and film actor. He is best known as a character actor, and for his starring roles in five popular children's television series Breakfast-a-Go-Go , The Lost Islands , Alexander Bunyip's Billabong , Watch This Space and Professor Poopsnagle's Steam Zeppelin . A well-known character actor, Blanchard had numerous appearances on television series and films from the late 1960s up until the late 1990s, most especially, his recurring guest role as Lenny Sawyer on A Country Practice but has since returned to theatre work. He made his film debut in a supporting role in Caddie in 1976 and appeared in the 1997 film Oscar and Lucinda .

Contents

Biography

Blanchard got his first big break on the small screen when he appeared on the children's variety show Breakfast-a-Go-Go in 1969 as 'Witless Wonder', the comedic sidekick of new host Sue Smith. In 1972 he appeared as a guest star on the soap opera Number 96 and on the comedy series Snake Gully with Dad and Dave . He continued working on-and-off for the next several years and, in 1976, Blanchard landed the part of the villainous Quell on the children's adventure series The Lost Islands . As one of the show's main antagonists, the series provided his breakout role.

As well as appearing on The Outsiders , in the same year he also made his film debut with a supporting role in Caddie . [1] [2] [3] [4] He followed this with appearances on The Garry McDonald Show (1977), Alexander Bunyip's Billabong (1978), [5] Doctor Down Under (1979) and, most notably, co-starring with Paul Chubb in the children's science fiction series Watch This Space (1982). He began to work more regularly during the early 1980s and had parts in the television movie Chase Through the Night (1983), miniseries The Last Bastion (1984) [6] and films Silver City (1984), [7] Warming Up (1985) and Burke & Wills (1985). [1] [8]

In January 1986, he joined former co-star Paul Chubb and Perry Quinton in a pantomime called Humpty Dumpty. It featured the fictional characters of the Harry and Ralph Show at the Footbridge Theatre. [9] In the same year, he starred in yet another children's television series, the popular but short-lived Professor Poopsnagle's Steam Zeppelin . After a supporting role in the thriller film Dark Age (1987), [10] he returned to television acting with guest appearances in Mother and Son (1988), True Believers (1988) and G.P. (1991). That same year, he also had a minor role in the action film Gotcha (1991).

Beginning in 1992, Blanchard had a recurring role as Lenny Sawyer on the television series A Country Practice . His last regular acting role was in the film Country Life (1994), [11] although he made appearances in the television movie Hart to Hart: Harts in High Season (1996) and the romance film Oscar and Lucinda (1997). [1] [12]

For the past 12 years, he has been travelling the world playing the role of an English butler for the famous Swedish illusionist Joe Labero.

Selected filmography

Film

ProductionYearRoleType
Caddie 1976BillFeature film
Chase Through the Night 1982MertTV movie
Silver City 1984Arthur CalwellFeature film
Burke & Wills 1985Bill PattonFeature film
Warming Up 1986LenFeature film
Dark Age 1987Bluey NoakesFeature film
Rock 'N' Roll Cowboys 1987Uncle SamTV movie
Gotcha1991Tuba PlayerTV short film
Country Life 1994Wally WellsFeature film
Hart to Hart: Harts in High Season 1996TV movie
Oscar and Lucinda 1997Steamer CaptainFeature film

Television

ProductionYearRoleType
Breakfast-a-Go-Go 1969Witless WonderTV series
Snake Gully with Dad and Dave 1972Doug CreedyTV series, episode: "Hold that Tiger"
Number 96 1973Dennis ParkerTV series
Certain Women 1974TV series, 1 episode
Alvin Purple 1976CurlyTV series
The Outsiders 1976HannanTV series, episode: "Ghost Town"
The Lost Islands 1976QuellTV series, 26 episodes
The Garry McDonald Show 1977VariousTV series
Alexander Bunyip's Billabong 1978-88RonTV series
Doctor Down Under 1979First WardsmanTV series, episode "Identity Crisis"
Tickled Pink1981TV series, episode: "Three Blind Mice"
Watch This Space 1982RonTV series
The Last Bastion 1984ArthurTV miniseries
Professor Poopsnaggle and His Flying Zeppelin 1985MurkTV series, 24 episodes
Mother and Son 1988Emile the fridge repairmanTV series, episode "The Fridge"
True Believers 1988Arthur CalwellTV miniseries, episodes
Rafferty's Rules 1991Jones WorthingtonTV series, episode "Best and Brightest"
G.P. 1991Ron SlaterTV series
A Country Practice 1985Kevin CrookeTV series, 4 episodes
A Country Practice 1992-93Norman Leonard "Lennie" SawyerTV series, 12 episodes
Home and Away 1989-93Athletic Official, Peter BraithwaiteTV series

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References

  1. 1 2 3 "Ron Blanchard filmography". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times . 2012. Archived from the original on 21 October 2012.
  2. ↑ Canby, Vincent (8 February 1981). "'Caddie,' An Australian Woman On Her Own". Cultural Desk. The New York Times .
  3. ↑ Reade, Eric. History and Heartburn: The Saga of Australian Film, 1896-1978. Sydney: Harper & Rowe, 1981. (pg. 248) ISBN   0-8386-3082-0
  4. ↑ Daily Variety. Variety's Film Reviews: 1975-1977. New York: R.R. Bowker, 1983. ISBN   0-8352-2794-4
  5. ↑ Library Association of Australia. "Item notes." Orca. Vol. 15-16. (1979): 44+.
  6. ↑ Willis, John. Screen World 1986 Film Annual. Vol. 37. New York: Random House, 1986. (pg. 171) ISBN   0-517-56257-X
  7. ↑ Maslin, Janet (17 May 1985). "Screen: Australia's 'Silver City'". Weekend Desk. The New York Times .
  8. ↑ Murray, Scott and Raffaele Caputo. Australian Film, 1978-1992: A Survey of Theatrical Features. Melbourne: Oxford University Press, 1993. (pg. 153, 165, 179) ISBN   0-19-553584-7
  9. ↑ "Kids' Theatre". The Sydney Morning Herald . 3 January 1986.
  10. ↑ Lentz, Harris M. Science Fiction, Horror & Fantasy Film and Television Credits. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland, 1994. (pg. 396) ISBN   0-89950-927-4
  11. ↑ Ebert, Roger. Roger Ebert's Video Companion. 13th ed. Kansas City: Andrews & McMeel, 1997. (pg. 173) ISBN   0-8362-3688-2
  12. ↑ Willis, John. Screen World 1998 Film Annual. Vol. 49. Milwaukee: Hal Leonard Corporation, 1999. (pg. 257) ISBN   1-55783-342-7
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