John Howard Davies

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

For other persons of the same name, see John Davies.

John Howard Davies (born London 9 March 1939) is a British film actor, television director and producer.

Davies was the son of the cricketer and scriptwriter Jack Davies. His credits as a child actor include the title role in David Lean's Oliver Twist, The Rocking Horse Winner, Tom Brown's Schooldays' and William Tell.

He is now best known for his adult career as a director and producer of several highly successful British sitcoms. Davies was the original producer and director of Monty Python's Flying Circus, Fawlty Towers (series 1), The Goodies, The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin, To the Manor Born, No Job for a Lady and Mr. Bean. He also directed the 1967 Doctor Who serial The Macra Terror and several episodes of The Vicar of Dibley.

He was the BBC Head of Comedy (1977-1982), managing director of EMI Television Productions and Thames Television's Head of Comedy during which time he was the man responsible for sacking the famed British comedian, Benny Hill.

While visiting Australia to work for the Melbourne impresario, Garnett H. Carroll, in 1961(?), he met and later married his first wife, the vivaceous soprano Leonie Taylor, whom he brought back to a stylish Wimbledon retreat.