Ralph Bates
Ralph Bates | |
|---|---|
Photo by Edward Wing, 1970s | |
| Born | 12 February 1940 Bristol, England |
| Died | 27 March 1991 (aged 51) London, England |
| Education | Trinity College, Dublin (BA) Yale University (MFA) |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1963–1990 |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 3 |
Ralph Bates (12 February 1940 – 27 March 1991) was an English film and television actor. His credits included The Caesars (1968), Taste the Blood of Dracula (1970), The Horror of Frankenstein (1970), Lust for a Vampire (1971), Dr. Jekyll and Sister Hyde (1971), The Six Wives of Henry VIII (1970), Moonbase 3 (1973), Poldark (1975-1977), Secret Army (1979), Turtle's Progress (1980), Second Chance (1981), Minder on the Orient Express (1985), Dear John (1986-1987), Screen Two (1989), and King of the Wind (1990).
Early life
Bates was born in Bristol, England. His parents were both psychiatrists; his mother was French[1] and he was a great-great-grandson of French scientist Louis Pasteur.[2] He held dual-nationality and was bilingual,[1] and was educated at Trinity College Dublin.[2] He read French there, before winning a scholarship to attend Yale Drama School.[3]
Career
In 1968, he made his screen debut portraying Caligula in the BBC television series The Caesars (1968).[3][4]
Later, Bates carved a niche in the world of horror films and played important roles or the lead in several Hammer Horror productions,[3] such as Taste the Blood of Dracula (1970),[5] The Horror of Frankenstein (1970),[5] Lust for a Vampire (1971),[5] and Dr. Jekyll and Sister Hyde (1971),[5] in which he played a doctor who mistakenly transforms himself into a beautiful siren.[6][3]
He played Thomas Culpeper in an episode of The Six Wives of Henry VIII (1970),[5] he starred in the series Moonbase 3 (1973),[3] and Poldark (1975-1977),[5] in which he played villainous George Warleggan for 29 episodes.[7]
He also played communist Paul Vercors in the final season of the drama series Secret Army (1979).[8] In 1981 he'd played a lead role in Second Chance (1981).[5] Because of his French ancestry and dark looks, he often was chosen to play a Frenchman on television, such as in an episode of ITV comedy drama Turtle's Progress (1980).[9] Bates also appeared in the television movie Minder on the Orient Express (1985), again as a Frenchman.[10]
It looked, for some time, as if he might remain typecast in sinister roles, but he was offered a part in comedy series Dear John (1986-1987), by the writer John Sullivan, which saw Bates cast in a more sympathetic role as the newly divorced member of a singles group.[11] It ran for two series, and gave him chance to display a talent for comic roles.[12]
His last roles were as Ed in the episode: "Flying in the Branches" in Screen Two (1989),[5] and as LeDuc in the film King of the Wind (1990).[5]
Personal life, illness and death
In 1964 Bates married actress Joanna Van Gyseghem. The marriage ended in divorce.[3] In 1973 he married actress Virginia Wetherell. The couple had a daughter Daisy (born 1974) and a son Will (born 1977).[3]
Bates was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and died from the disease ten weeks later[13] in London, at the age of 51.[14][15]
Ralph Bates Pancreatic Cancer Research Fund
The Ralph Bates Pancreatic Cancer Research Fund is a registered charity.[16]
The charity mainly funds research at St George's University of London, where work is currently focused on the effectiveness of drugs or a combination of drugs on pancreatic cancer cells and also their effectiveness in inhibiting cell resistance to chemotherapy. The research has resulted in a high impact publication in the International Journal of Cancer, showing that a commonly used antibiotic, Doxycycline, is capable of inducing cell death in human pancreatic cancer cells.[17]
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | Taste the Blood of Dracula | Lord Courtley | |
| 1970 | The Horror of Frankenstein | Victor Frankenstein | |
| 1971 | Lust for a Vampire | Giles Barton | Alternate titles: Love for a Vampire, To Love a Vampire |
| 1971 | Dr. Jekyll and Sister Hyde | Dr. Henry Jekyll | |
| 1972 | Fear in the Night | Robert Heller | |
| 1974 | Persecution | David Masters | Alternate titles: Sheba, The Terror of Sheba, The Graveyard |
| 1975 | I Don't Want to Be Born | Gino Carlesi | Alternate titles: The Devil Within Her, The Monster |
| 1986 | Letters to an Unknown Lover | Bernard | TV movie |
| 1990 | King of the Wind | LeDuc |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1967 | Mrs Thursday | Window dresser | Episode: "Charity Begins at a Ball" |
| Coronation Street | Russ Parks | 1 episode | |
| 1968 | The Caesars | Caligula | 3 episodes |
| 1970 | The Six Wives of Henry VIII | Thomas Culpepper | Episode: "Catherine Howard" |
| 1971 | Jason King | Alan Keeble | Episode: "Variations on a Theme" |
| Play for Today | Peter | Episode: "Thank You Very Much" | |
| 1972 | The Persuaders! | Michel | Episode: "Nuisance Value" |
| 1973 | Moonbase 3 | Dr. Michael Lebrun | 6 episodes |
| The Protectors | David Lee | Episode: "Petard" | |
| 1975 | Z-Cars | Roy Hurst | Episode: "Distance" |
| Thriller | Michael Spencer | Episode: "Murder Hotel" | |
| 1975-1977 | Poldark | George Warleggan | 23 episodes |
| 1976 | Dangerous Knowledge | Sanders | 6 episodes |
| Softly, Softly: Task Force | Text | Episode: "Text" | |
| 1979 | Penmaric | Laurence Castallack | 3 episodes |
| Secret Army | Paul Vercors | 4 episodes | |
| 1980 | Turtle's Progress | Peter Sablon | 1 episode |
| 1981 | Second Chance | Chris Hurst | 6 episodes |
| 1982 | Tales of the Uxexpected | Paul Foster | Episode: "Blue Marigold" |
| The Agatha Christie Hour | Vincent Easton | Episode: "Magnolia Blossom" | |
| 1983 | The Gentle Touch | Wally Tate | Episode: "Who's Afraid of Josie Tate" |
| 1984 | The Odd Job Man | Major Drew | 3 episodes |
| 1985 | Minder | Francois LeBlanc | Episode: "Minder on the Orient Express" |
| 1986-1987 | Dear John | John Lacey | Episode: "Text" |
| 1987 | Farrington of the F.O. | James Mapley | Episode: "We're Having a Heat Wave" |
| 1989 | Screen Two | Ed | Episode: "Flying in the Branches" |
References
- ^ a b Gillian Rose (10 July 1986). "Ralph lets life run as the work rolls in". The Stage. p. 19. Retrieved 2 August 2019 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ a b "Cancer claims TV and stage star". Aberdeen Press and Journal. 29 March 1991. p. 13. Retrieved 2 August 2019 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Mangos, Anthony (13 October 2018). "'Ralph Bates: A Biography' Sheds a Bright Light on a Beloved Actor - Diabolique Magazine".
- ^ Angelini, Dr. Marco (11 December 2014). "The Caesars". Learning on Screen.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Ralph Bates Credits". tvguide.com. Retrieved 17 December 2025.
- ^ "BFI Screenonline: Dr Jekyll and Sister Hyde (1971)". www.screenonline.org.uk.
- ^ "Angharad Rees". www.telegraph.co.uk. 22 July 2012.
- ^ "BFI Screenonline: Secret Army (1977 -79) Credits". www.screenonline.org.uk.
- ^ "It's So Last Century - Turtle's Progress - Series 2". www.itssolastcentury.co.uk.
- ^ "Minder on the Orient Express (1985) - Francis Megahy - Cast and Crew - AllMovie". AllMovie.
- ^ Keal, Graham (18 February 1986). "The loneliness of a long distance vampire". Telegraph and Argus. Retrieved 6 October 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ BBC. "Dear John". Archived from the original on 25 March 2008.
- ^ "Ralph Bates Pancreatic Cancer Research Fund | Cancer - Medical Research Charities | Charity Directory - Charity Choice".
- ^ "About Ralph Bates | The Ralph Bates Pancreatic Cancer Research Fund".
- ^ "Poldark actor dies". Newcastle Evening Chronicle. 28 March 1991. p. 7. Retrieved 2 August 2019 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Ralph Bates Pancreatic Cancer Research Fund". www.ralphbatespcr.org.uk.
- ^ Mouratidis, Petros X.E.; Kay W. Colston; Angus G. Dalgleish (27 November 2006). "Doxycycline induces caspase-dependent apoptosis in human pancreatic cancer cells". International Journal of Cancer. 120 (4): 743–752. doi:10.1002/ijc.22303. PMID 17131308.
External links
- Ralph Bates at IMDb