David Nettheim

David Cosman Nettheim (10 July 1925 – 11 March 2008) was an Australian actor and stage writer, he acted on stage and film, but was best known for his roles in numerous television series.

Early life

Born in Sydney, New South Wales, and brought up in Cremorne Point the eldest son of actor (Leslie) Roy Nettheim (who hosted a classical music programme on radio 2GB and its Macquarie Radio Network) and the actress Mary Hosking, he was introduced to the theatre when his parents joined Doris Fitton's Independent Theatre.[1]

Career

He was educated at Sydney Grammar School and joined 2GB as an office boy in 1941. He took on occasional writing and announcing roles and was involved in production of John Dease's Quiz Kids.[1]

He helped Sir Charles Mackerras (an old schoolfriend) prepare classical music programmes for radio. He adapted Xavier Herbert's Capricornia as a radio serial.[1]

He was involved with the Metropolitan Theatre, Mercury Theatre and Phillip Street Theatre, where he both wrote for and acted in their famous revues.[1]

He worked with Michael Bentine and John Bluthal in the Goon Show-like radio programme Three's a Crowd for radio 2UE, which ran for 34 weekly half-hour episodes.[2] He next worked in Britain with Peter Sellers and Michael Bentine in the 1957 television comedy skit show Yes, It's the Cathode-Ray Tube Show. The following year he moved to Britain, and for 20 years he was seldom out of work but maintained ties with Australia in regular hookups with John West for his radio programme The Showman.[1] In 1971 he appeared in the acclaimed BBC drama Elizabeth R as forger Thomas Phelippes.[3]

In 1977 he settled in the Sydney suburb of Glebe. He appeared in stage and television productions, and took on the positions of federal treasurer for Actors Equity. He was involved in the doomed campaign to save the Regent Theatre in Sydney from demolition and helped manage the Actors' Benevolent Fund.

Throughout the 1980s and 1990s Nettheim appeared in guest roles in numerous Australian TV mini series and serials, including Prisoner, Sons and Daughters, and A Country Practice.

Death

He died 11 March 2008 in Sydney aged 82. He never married and was survived by two brothers and two sisters.

Filmography
Year Title Role Notes
1959Make Mine a MillionProfessor
1965MasqueradePhotographerUncredited
1968Nobody Runs ForeverBlaneyUncredited
1969The PromiseStepfather
1972The Pied PiperKulik
1973Never Mind the Quality, Feel the WidthRabbi
1985BlissCornelius
1986KidnappedVoice
1991Frank EnsteinVoice
1997PawsRabbi

References
  1. In Showbiz from the Age of Three Sydney Morning Herald 17 March 2008 accessed 3 September 2011
  2. http://www.nfsa.gov.au/site_media/uploads/file/2011/12/05/NFSA_Radio_series_collection_amended.pdf "Australian Radio Series 1930s to 1970s. A guide to ScreenSound Australia’s holdings" accessed 5 September 2011
  3. http://www.aveleyman.com/TVEpisode.aspx?FilmID=521&Episode=4
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.