Person Open DS/UK/8687 Slater; Basil John (1916-1975); British actor Slater Basil John 1916-1975 British actor Male

John Slater (22 August 1916, London, England – 9 January 1975, London, England) was a British character actor usually seen as lugubrious, amiable cockney types. After attending St. Clement Danes School, Slater began acting in farce at the Whitehall Theatre. He first appeared on film in 1938, remaining active in the industry up to his death. He was a familiar face in British films of the 1940s and appeared in many classic films of the period, including Went the Day Well? (1942), We Dive at Dawn (1943), A Canterbury Tale (1944), The Seventh Veil (1945), It Always Rains on Sunday (1947), and Passport to Pimlico (1949). Slater narrated the National Coal Board's Mining Review documentary series, and was known on television for his presenter role opposite popular children's puppets Pinky and Perky during the 1960s, as a story-teller on Jackanory and as Det. Sgt. Stone in Z-Cars from 1967 to 1974. He also appeared in the notorious 1958 stage production of Harold Pinter's The Birthday Party, as Nat Goldberg. Slater sustained life-threatening injuries as a result of an air crash in France in 1946 and sporadic bouts of ill health hampered his career. International Standard Archival Authority Record for Corporate Bodies, Persons and Families - ISAAR(CPF) 2nd edition - ICA 2004 ISBN 2-9521932-2-3 National Council on Archives, Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997 Yes RAHdroberts 10/30/2013 Rachael.Fragola 3/1/2022 cf0458d9-ec1d-4ee9-91de-b61b527f8965