Any Hammer Horror fan will know Michael Ripper they may not know his name but they will recognise his face.
Michael George Ripper was born on the 27th of January 1913 in Portsmouth, Hampshire, England.
He worked as an actor from 1936 until his retirement in 1992.
He began his film career in “quota quickies” in the 1930's and until the late 1950's he worked regularly but was unknown to the movie-going audience and he was rarely even credited. Along with Michael Gough, he played one of the two murderers in Laurence Olivier's film version of Richard III (1955).
Ripper became a mainstay in Hammer Film Productions playing supporting character roles: coachmen, peasants, tavern keepers, pirates, policemen, gravediggers and sidekicks and he was wonderful at it!
He went on to appear in more of the company's productions than any other performer.
He was in many of their non-sci-fi/horror films but out of the ones I care about he featured in,
“X… the Unknown” (1956), “Quatermass 2” (1957), “The Revenge of Frankenstein” (1958),
“The Man Who Could Cheat Death” (1959), “The Mummy” (1959),
”The Brides of Dracula” (1960), “The Curse of the Werewolf” (1961), “Captain Clegg” (1962), “The Phantom of the Opera” (1962), “The Curse of the Mummy’s Tomb” (1964),
“The Plague of the Zombies” (1966), “The Reptile” (1966), “Rasputin: The Mad Monk” (1966), “The Mummy’s Shroud” (1967), “Dracula Has Risen from the Grave” (1968),
“Taste the Blood of Dracula” (1970), “Scars of Dracula” (1970)
Some of his parts were bigger than others he did have a significant supporting part as a landlord in “Scars of Dracula” (1970)
No matter the size of the role he was always pitch-perfect in it.
He is also well remembered for his roles in the original St. Trinian's film.
Including these films, he appeared in over 120 motion pictures in his 56-year career.
I also remember him playing The Drones Club Porter in the Jeeves and Wooster TV series with Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie (1990–91).
Ripper retired from acting in 1992
He passed away on the 28th of June 2000 in London, England.
He was 87.
