Richard Marner
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Richard Marner (21 March 1922 - 18 March 2004) was an Russian-born English actor perhaps best remembered for his role as the Colonel in sitcom 'Allo 'Allo!.
He was born Alexander Molchanoff in Petrograd, Soviet Union and was fluent in Russian, English, French and German. Marner was the eldest son of Colonel Paul Molchanoff, of the Semionovsky regiment, one of the two regiments that were set-up for children of children who had played with Peter the Great of Russia.
In 1924, his entire family left Russia and went to Finland and then Germany before ending up in London, where Alexander's grandmother, Olga Novikov (known in the family as "Babushka London") lived in Harley Street.
After being educated at Monmouth School in Wales, Sacha became an assistant to the Russian tenor Vladimir Rosing where he performed at Covent Garden. During World War II he joined the RAF and was posted to South Africa with the Air Training Corps. After being invalided out he changed his name to Richard Marner and began his long successful career as a stage and film actor.
One of his early stage roles - as Dracula - is still regarded by some as the definitive interpretation of the role. His films include The Boys from Brazil, The Spy Who Came in from the Cold, The African Queen, and the Swiss film Four in a Jeep, in which he did all the Russian dialogue. He was also in the television movie "The Birth of the Beatles", as the Club Boss.
Recent work includes guest shots in Lovejoy (1994) and the movie "The Sum of All Fears" (as the Russian President).
He died in Perth, Scotland and left a wife, actress Pauline Farr, who retains Molchanoff as her off-stage name. He is also survived by a daughter, Helen and three grandchildren.
