Lionel Jeffries, the actor and film director, has died at the age of 83 after a long illness. He died at his nursing home in Dorset. He leaves behind his wife Eileen Mary Walsh and their three children.
There can’t be many of us who haven’t seen both Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and the Railway Children, two of the greatest movies for both children and their parents/guardians. Many generations to come will be watching these films for years and years.
He was born in the East End of London in 1926 and served with the British forces in Burma during the second world war before starting his acting training at RADA, then working both on stage and screen from the 1950s.
In Chitty Chitty Bang Bang his role was to play grandpa Potts, as Dick Van Dyke’s father. It didn’t seem to matter at the time that Jeffries was six months younger.
He wrote the screenplay and was the director of the Railway children based on E Nesbit’s book. The film co-starred Jenny Agutter and Sally Thomsett.
He may not be remembered for directing Wombling Free, the Womble movie.
Way back in 1971 he received the Red book from Eamonn Andrews, when he appeared on This is Your Life.
In more recent years he appeared on television playing parts in Inspector Morse and the popular Lovejoy.
He’s one of those faces you know you’ve seen in many movies over the years, you always appreciated his good humour and his ability to bring a smile to your face.
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