Jack Allen(1907-1995)

Jack came from a theatrical family which relished personality, but, after his education at Rugby and Cambridge, he started out working for ICI. Despite difficult economic times, he quit industry for the stage and by the mid '30's was established in the West End, appearing in Sweet Alloes (1934), Bulldog Drummond Hits Out (1937), Poison Pen (1938) and Three Blind Mice. After the Second World War, he was a regular at the Embassy, Swiss Cottage, which was a try-out venue for plays before going into the West End. These included Message For Margaret, The Deep Blue Sea, Meet Mr Callaghan, Goodnight Mrs Puffin and Pride and Prejudice, in which he brought the right kind of humour to Mr Bennet. He belonged to the breed of gentlemanly actors with a wider range and more emotional force than the stereotypical roles which usually came his way. He was a long serving member of the Actors Benevolent Fund and its Vice President from 1983 until his death in 1995. He was married to the actress Ruth Dunning, who died in 1983.