'''John Le Mesurier''' (5th_April 1912 – 15th_November, 1983), born '''John Charles Elton Le Mesurier De Somerys Halliley''', was a British actor.
Born in Bedford, the son of a Solicitor, he began to study acting at the age of 20, using his mother's maiden name (common in the Channel Islands) ''Le Mesurier'' as his stage name.
Le Mesurier appeared in over 100 films, including ''Private's_Progress'', ''I'm_All_Right_Jack'', ''Brothers_in_Law'', ''Carlton_Brown_of_the_FO'', and ''Our_Man_in_Marrakesh''. In Ben-Hur (1959) he has an uncredited cameo role as a doctor. He also appeared in most of Tony_Hancock's films and many episodes of his television series. His final film was with Peter_Sellers in ''The Fiendish Plot of Fu_Manchu'' in 1980. In most of his performances, he presented an impression of good-natured vagueness, which acquaintances claim was close to his true personality.
Le Mesurier's most popular TV (and radio) role was as the upper-class Sergeant_Wilson in ''Dad's_Army'' from 1968 to 1977. He followed this with a memorable performance as Kim_Philby in Dennis_Potter's play ''Traitor''.
From the mid-1960s until his death he provided the original voice for the animated TV commercial character "Flour Grader Fred", a little man in a bowler hat who advertised Homepride Flour and related products. The character lives on, voiced by other actors.
In 1975 he narrated ''Bod'', an animated children's programme from the BBC about a boy named Bod, his aunt Flo and their friends and their rather strange adventures (like falling into a manhole and finding a giant strawberry).
On radio he reprised the role of Arthur_Wilson in ''It_Sticks_Out_Half_a_Mile'', and played The_Wise_Old_Bird in ''The_Hitchhiker's_Guide_to_the_Galaxy'' (1980) and Bilbo_Baggins in the BBC's 1981 radio version of ''The_Lord_of_the_Rings'' (1981).
John Le Mesurier also guest starred in an episode of the British television series ''The_Goodies''.
==Private Life==
He was married three times:
* 1) The actress June_Melville (1939-1947)
* 2) The comedienne Hattie_Jacques (1949-1965); two sons Kim and Robin
* 3) The actress Joan_Malin (1965-1983)
When his second wife left him for a younger man, Le Mesurier allowed the press to give him the blame for the break-up. His best friend was the Comedian Tony_Hancock, a friendship which was tested by a difficult period during his third marriage. In private life, the actor was a heavy drinker. Towards the end of Dad's_Army he became seriously ill, and lost a great deal of weight. He died at Ramsgate from a stomach haemorrhage, (which was brought on by Cirrhosis_of_the_liver) in November 1983, aged 71. His self-penned Obituary in ''The_Times'' stated, that he had "conked out" and "missed his friends and family".
==External Links==
* Autobiography. ''A Jobbing Actor'', appeared posthumously in 1984.
* John Le Mesurier biography from the Tony_Hancock web site.
* {{imdb name|id=0494452|name = John Le Mesurier}}
Mesurier, John Le
Mesurier, John Le
Mesurier, John Le
Mesurier, John Le
Mesurier, John Le
Mesurier, John Le
Mesurier, John Le
Mesurier, John Le