Peter Ewen Solon (7 September 1917 – 7 July 1985)[1] was a New Zealand-born actor, who worked extensively in both the United Kingdom and Australia.[2][3]

Ewen Solon
as Lucas in TV's Maigret (1960-1963)
Born
Peter Ewen Solon

(1917-09-07)7 September 1917
Auckland, New Zealand
Died7 July 1985(1985-07-07) (aged 67)
Addlestone, Surrey, England
OccupationActor

At the outbreak of World War II, Solon became a member of the First Echelon, 2nd NZEF that saw service in the Middle East. Later appointed as a commissioned officer, he married Frances Gwendolyne Hughes, a New Zealander; also serving in Egypt during the War.

After training as a primary school teacher he travelled overseas to pursue an acting career. Film credits include: Rob Roy, the Highland Rogue, The Dam Busters, Murder Anonymous 1955 (part of the Scotland Yard film series), The Hound of the Baskervilles, The Terror of the Tongs, The Curse of the Werewolf, The Message, Unidentified Flying Oddball and The Wicked Lady.[4][5]

On television, he was a series regular on Maigret; playing Sergeant Lucas, the eponymous commissaire's right-hand man, in 50 of the series' 52 episodes. Early in the filming, he broke his leg in a stunt while jumping from a wall. Subsequent scripts for the BBC TV series had to be rewritten to account for the obvious damage which could not be hidden or shot around.[6]

His other appearances include: The Four Just Men, A Mask for Alexis, Man of the World, Danger Man, Dixon of Dock Green, Doctor Who (in the serials The Savages and Planet of Evil),[7] The Troubleshooters, Redcap, The Revenue Men, Bellbird, Virgin of the Secret Service, Journey to the Unknown, Matlock Police, Spyforce, Division 4 and Into the Labyrinth.[8][9]

Solon married a second time in 1965, to an English actress, Vicki Woolf.[10]

Selected filmography

edit

References

edit
  1. ^ "Peter Ewen Solon". Auckland Museum. Retrieved 7 March 2022.
  2. ^ "Ewen Solon". BFI. Archived from the original on 15 July 2012.
  3. ^ "Ewen Solon - The official site". ewensolon.com. Archived from the original on 15 January 2022. Retrieved 28 June 2015.
  4. ^ Sandra Brennan. "Ewen Solon - Biography, Movie Highlights and Photos - AllMovie". AllMovie.
  5. ^ "Ewen Solon". movie-dude.co.uk.
  6. ^ Wise, Arthur (1973). Stunting in the Cinema. London: Constable. p. 205. ISBN 0-09-459090-7.
  7. ^ "BBC One - Doctor Who, Season 13, Planet of Evil - The Fourth Dimension". BBC.
  8. ^ "Ewen Solon". TV.com. CBS Interactive.
  9. ^ "Ewen Solon". aveleyman.com.
  10. ^ "General News". Press: 16. 24 June 1965.
edit