Born: 7^th April 1918, Upper Norwood, London.  Died: 19^th December 1996, Dorset

Born Ronald Howard Stainer, he was the son of the famous matinee idol Leslie Howard. Following college, he worked as a journalist for ‘The Sunday Chronicle’. During World War 2, Able Seaman Howard served in the Royal Navy and ended up in the Far East. After the war, he combined film roles with stage work. For his early stage roles he called himself Ronald Martin although he kept the name Ronald Howard for his film work. In 1954 came the role for which he is best known for in the United States, he played the title role in the TV series ‘Sherlock Holmes’ (sadly, the series was not screened on British TV). Ronald made just 2 appearances in ‘The Adventures of Robin Hood’, as Will Scarlet in Season 1. The character would not resurface until Season 4, with Paul Eddington playing the role for virtually the entire season. He continued to make film and TV appearances, but his roles were becoming less interesting and the quality of the fims more inferior and scarce. Becoming increasingly disenchanted, he finally retired from acting in the mid-1970s to run an art gallery in Dorset. In 1981, he wrote a book: ‘In Search of My Father: A Portrait of Leslie Howard’. The book focused on his father’s career and early death in 1943, when his plane was shot down over the Bay of Biscay by a German fighter pilot. Ronald was married twice, firstly to Patricia Horsman in 1941. This marriage was dissolved when World War 2 ended. He then married Jean Millar in 1946, a marriage which was to last for the rest of his life. Together they raised a son and two daughters. Although Ronald Howard was a fine actor with a distinctive voice, he did not quite become the star that his good looks, charisma and talent undoubtedly deserved. Known affectionately as ‘Wink’ to his family and friends, he died in 1996, aged 78.

Film Roles: -

Romeo and Juliet (1936) ... Bit part

‘Pimpernel’ Smith (aka The Fighting Pimpernel) (1941) ... Bit part

While the Sun Shines (1947) ... The Earl of Harpenden

Night Beat (1947) ... Andy Kendall

My Brother Jonathan (1948) ... Harold Dakers

Bond Street (1948) ... Steve Winter

Now Barabbas Was a Robber... (1949) ... Roberts, Bank Cashier

The Queen of Spades (1949) ... Prince Andrei

Double Confession (1950) ... Hilary Boscombe

Portrait of Clare (1950) ... Ralph Hingston

The Browning Version (1951) ... Mr. Gilbert

Flesh and Blood (1951) ... Purley

Assassin for Hire (1951) ... Detective Inspector Carson

The Night Was Our Friend (1951) ... Dr. John Harper

The Marvelleous History of St. Bernard (1952) (TV) ... Bernard

The Same Sky (1952) (TV) ... Jeff Smith

Wide Boy (1952) ... Inspector Carson

Black Orchid (1953) ... Dr. John Winnington

Street Corner (aka Both Sides of the Law) (1953) ... David Evans

Noose for a Lady (1953) ... Dr. Evershed

The World’s a Stage (1953) (TV Series) ... Presenter/Narrator

La Meme Route (aka Same Road) (1953) ... English Master

Glad Tidings (aka The Thirteenth Green) (1953) ... Corporal Nicholas Brayne

Flannelfoot (1953) ... Sergeant Fitzgerald

Sherlock Holmes (1954-55) (TV Series) ... Sherlock Holmes - 39 episodes

The Hideout (1956) ... Robert Grant

The Man Who Was Two (1957) (TV Series) ... The Man

Drango (1957) ... Clay Allen

Light Fingers (1957) ... Michael Lacey

The House in the Woods (1957) ... Spencer Rowland

I Accuse! (1958) ... Captain Auril

Gideon's Day (aka Gideon of Scotland Yard) (1958) ... Paul Delafield

Moment of Indiscretion (1958) ... John Miller

Doomsday for Dyson (1958) (TV) ... Journalist

No Trees in the Street (1959) ... Frank Collins

Babette s'en va-t-en guerre (aka Babette Goes to War) (1959) ... Colonel Fitzpatrick

Man Accused (1959) ... Bob Jenson

The Spider's Web (1960) ... Jeremy

Compelled (1960) ... Paul Adams

The Monster of Highgate Ponds (1961) ... Uncle Dick

The Naked Edge (1961) ... Mr. Claridge

Come September (1961) ... Spencer

Murder She Said (1961) ... Brian Eastley

Bomb in the High Street (1961) ... Captain Manning

Fate Takes a Hand (1962) ... Tony

The Spanish Sword (1962) ... Sir Richard Clovell

K.I.L. 1 (aka The Skin Game) (1962) ... Inspector Gordon

Wuthering Heights (1962) (TV) ... Lockwood

Live Now - Pay Later (1962) ... Cedric Mason

Nurse on Wheels (1963) ... Dr. Harold Golfrey

The Bay of St. Michel (aka Pattern for Plunder) (1963) ... Bill Webb

Siege of the Saxons (1963) ... Sir Edmund of CornwallThe Curse of the Mummy's Tomb (1964) ... John Bray

Week-end à Zuydcoote (aka Weekend at Dunkirk) (1964) ... Robinson

You Must Be Joking! (1965) ... Cecil

Africa: Texas Style (1967) ... Dr. Hugo Copp

Cowboy in Africa (1967-68) (TV Series) ... Wing Commander Howard Hayes - 26 episodes

Run a Crooked Mile (1969) (TV) ... Inspector Huntington

The Hunting Party (1971) ... Watt Nelson

The Lotus Eaters (1973) (TV Series) ... Dr. John Dartington - 6 episodes

Persecution (aka The Terror of Sheba) (1974) ... Dr. Ross

Take a Hard Ride (1975) ... Halsey

TV Guest Appearances: -

Celanese Theatre - ‘No Time for Comedy’ (1951)

London Playhouse - ‘Area Nine’ (1955) ... Charles Wingrove

The Adventures of Robin Hood - ‘Will Scarlet’ (1956) ... Will Scarlet

The Adventures of Robin Hood - ‘The Deserted Castle’ (1956) ... Will Scarlet

Play of the Week - ‘One’ (1956) ... Richard

Aggie - ‘The Chiseler’ (1956) ... Heinrich

Errol Flynn Theatre - ‘Rustle of Silk’ (1957)

Armchair Theatre - ‘Escape to Happiness’ (1957)

Suspicion - ‘Lord Arthur Savile's Crime’ (1958) ... Lord Arthur Savile

The Four Just Men - ‘The Deserter’ (1959) ... Colonel Parkes

Alfred Hitchcock Presents - ‘An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge’ (1959) ... Joe Farquhar

Tales of Edgar Wallace - ‘The Malpas Mystery’ (1960) ... Dick Shannon

Five Fingers - ‘A Shot in the Dark’ (1960) ... John Dennis

One Step Beyond - ‘The Haunting’ (1960) ... Colin Chandler

Television Playhouse - ‘The Island’ (1960) ... Miles Seymour

Danger Man - ‘The Traitor’ (1960) ... Noel Goddard

Thriller - ‘Well of Doom’ (1961) ... Robert Penrose

No Hiding Place - ‘Mr. and Mrs. Smith’ (1961) ... Dr. Moore

Alfred Hitchcock Presents - ‘A Secret Life’ (1961) ... James Howgill

Thriller - ‘God Grante That She Lye Stille’ (1961) ... Dr. Edward Stone

Thriller - ‘The Specialists’ (1962) ... Martin Gresham

Saki - episode 5 (1962) ... Edward

Espionage - ‘The Light of a Friendly Star’ (1963) ... Arnold Morley

Combat! - ‘What Are the Bugles Blowin' For?: Parts 1 & 2’ (1964) ... Captain Johns - 2 episodes

Richard the Lionheart - ‘The Devil is Unloosed’ (1965)

No Hiding Place - ‘The Reunion’ (1965) ... Captain Eric Taylor

The Rat Catchers - ‘The Umbrella’ (1966) ... Charles Lysaght

Court Martial - ‘Where There Was No Echo’ (1966) ... Major Leslie

No Hiding Place - ‘Who is this Mortimer?’ (1967) ... Leonard Mortimer

Danger Man - ‘Koroshi’ (1968) ... Sanders

The British Greats - ‘Leslie Howard’ (1980) ... Himself - Interviewee

This is Your Life - ‘David Tomlinson’ (1991) ... Himself - Guest