Alfred Burke. In Memoriam

The Independent, The Times or The Guardian  publish obituaries of the actor Alfred Burke (1918-2011) who died last February 16:

Tall, lean and intense, Alfred Burke swapped roles as screen villains to make the seedy private detective Frank Marker in Public Eye a television institution for 10 years. (Anthony Hayward)

But for the Brontëites he will always be the Rev. Patrick Brontë in the 1973 series The Brontës of Haworth. He also toured the UK with his one-man-only performance of the father of the Brontës.

"Alfred Burke," says Mary Griffiths, Yorkshire TV's make-up supervisor, "was so obviously right for the part that he really didn't present any enormous make-up problems. He has to age from a man in his late 40's over a period of 30 years, so apart from lining his face, he had three different wigs to help him. (TV Times, 29th September - 5th October, 1973)

Our Australian readers (and in general all Region 4 readers) can pay him tribute by buying the recently-released DVD of the series, published by Time Life Australia:

The Brontës of Haworth - DVD
They were the most talented family in English literature
Style ID: 0758625

A fascinating period drama documenting the lives of the Brontë sisters from the successes of their literary achievements to the tragedies that beset both their own and their brother’s lives.
Written by the poet and the playwright Christopher Fry, the accent is on accuracy and authenticity.
Starring: Barbara Leigh-Hunt, Alfred Burke, Freda Dowie, Vickery Turner, Michael Kitchen, Rosemary McHale, and Ann Penfold

2 DVD • Running Time: 260 mins • Rated PG

Categories: In the News, Movies-DVD-TV