Colin Gordon (27 April 1911 – 4 October 1972) was a British actor. Although primarily a stage actor he made numerous appearances on television and in cinema films, generally in comedies. His stage career was mainly in the West End, but he was seen in the provinces in some touring productions.
Gordon was born in British Ceylon, the son of William Arthur Gordon and his wife Lily Vera, née Troup.[1] He was educated at Marlborough College and Christ Church, Oxford.[1] He first appeared on the professional stage in repertory at the Palace Theatre, Watford from January to December 1934.[1] He made his first West End appearance in 1934 as the hind legs of Alfred, the carthorse, in a production of Toad of Toad Hall at the Royalty Theatre.[1] At the same theatre he played James in Frolic Wind (March 1935, described by The Stage as "a distinguished failure"),[2] and Peter in Closing At Sunrise (September 1935).[1] From 1936 to 1939 he directed the Fred Melville Repertory Company in Brixton.[1] He served in the army during the Second World War for six years.[1]
Gordon had a long career in British cinema and television from the 1940s to the 1970s, often playing government officials. His films include The Pink Panther and Casino Royale (both with Peter Sellers, alongside whom he made five films). In the ITC series The Prisoner (1967) he portrayed Number Two twice, in "A. B. and C." and later in "The General".[3]
Gordon was a regular in another ITC production, The Baron, playing civil servant Templeton-Green opposite Steve Forrest.[4] He also starred in The Invisible Man (1958 TV series) episode "Play to Kill", (series 1, episode 6, 1959); was the host and occasional narrator of the 1969 London Weekend Television series The Complete and Utter History of Britain, (which arose from a pre-Monty Python collaboration between Michael Palin and Terry Jones); and was the airport commandant in the 1967 Doctor Who story The Faceless Ones.[5][6] He was also in Bachelor Father and made two guest appearances in Steptoe and Son. In 1961 he appeared as the doctor in "The Lift" episode of Hancock's Half Hour.[7] In 1970 he appeared in the UFO episode "The Cat with Ten Lives". He also appeared as Walpole Gibb in the ATV/ITC series Hine in 1971.