David Spenser (né De Saram; 12 March 1934 – 20 July 2013)John Tydeman David Spenser obituary, The Guardian, 1 August 2013. Retrieved 1 August 2013 was a British actor, director, producer and writer. Spenser played the title role in a 1948 radio production of Richmal Crompton's Just William, and also appeared in popular films and TV series including Doctor Who.BFI.org His documentary about Gwen Ffrangcon-Davies won an International Emmy Award. He was the elder brother of actor Jeremy Spenser.
Aged 11 he appeared in plays on BBC radio's Children's Hour. He was cast in Just William by the author of the books, Richmal Crompton.
He played Harry in the first production of Benjamin Britten's opera Albert Herring.
Spenser was a regular on television, with appearances in episodes of Z-Cars, Dixon of Dock Green, and The Saint. In 1967 Spenser appeared as Thonmi in the Doctor Who serial The Abominable Snowmen alongside Patrick Troughton. Spenser later worked as a radio producer for the BBC. He produced several radio plays including Anthony Trollope's The Way We Live Now in 1988, and Christopher Isherwood's Mr Norris Changes Trains in 1984.
Spenser wrote a historical drama about the Egyptian pharaoh Akhnaton, The City of the Horizon. It was broadcast in 1972 and 1976. Spenser subsequently produced documentaries about figures such as Benny Hill, Angus Wilson, Dodie Smith and Gwen Ffrangcon-Davies.
Spenser was the life partner of writer and producer Victor Pemberton.
Filmography Year Title Role Notes1954 Conflict of Wings Corporal, Flying Control 1959 The Stranglers of Bombay Gopali Das Uncredited1962 Play It Cool Reporter #1 Uncredited1962 In Search of the Castaways South American Guide 1964 The Earth Dies Screaming Mel 1967 Battle Beneath the Earth Maj. Chai 1967 Some May Live Inspector Sung 1968 Carry On... Up the Khyber Bungdit Din's servant
References
External links
Radio Memories David Spenser's radio work