The son of a police superintendent in India, the character actor James Hayter was educated in Scotland, where he was urged into acting by his headmaster. After one year (1924-5) at the Royal Academy of the Dramatic Arts in London, he performed in repertory theater, eventually appearing in The West End in such plays as "1066 and All That" and "...
He did not return to Are You Being Served? (1972) after his first season on the show, even though he intended to, as he was made a better offer NOT to appear on it. He had been doing the TV voice-overs for Mr. Kipling's Cakes, but the firm did not like him playing Mr. Tebbs, as they thought the character was unpleasant and it would hurt their product's image. When Hayter defied Mr. Kipling's request that he quit the show, saying he would continue in the part, the firm offered him three times his BBC salary if he terminated his connection with "Are You Being Served?". According to co-star Nicholas Smith, who was co-starring in a farce with Hayter during the off-season, "I said, what was he going to decide? 'Well, my boy,' he growled, 'if they will pay me three times as much not to do it, then I won't do it. At my time of life I have no more ambition!'" Hayter, who had replaced Arthur Brough on the show, was himself replaced by Alfie Bass, who also lasted just one season.
5
Made his stage debut in 1925. He played Alfred Doolittle in Pygmalion in the West End at the Drury Lane Theatre and on tour for five years.
Actor
Title
Year
Status
Character
Eye Witness
1950
Prouty, Trial Witness
For the Children
1950
TV Series
Toad
The Spider and the Fly
1949
Mayor
Dear Mr. Prohack
1949
Carrell Quire
Helter Skelter
1949
Inn landlord (uncredited)
Don't Ever Leave Me
1949
Man with Summons
Shooting Star
1949
TV Movie
Joe Lawson
The Ghost of Monsieur Tronjolly
1949
TV Movie
Jean Coupri
For Them That Trespass
1949
John Craigie 'Jocko' Glenn
Passport to Pimlico
1949
Commissionaire
All Over the Town
1949
Councillor Baines
The Blue Lagoon
1949
Doctor Murdoch
Silent Dust
1949
Pringle
Maniacs on Wheels
1949
Pa Fox
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass
1948
TV Movie
Tweedledee
Bonnie Prince Charlie
1948
Kingsburgh
Quartet
1948
Foreman of the Jury (segment "The Alien Corn")
No Room at the Inn
1948
Councilor Trouncer
Woman Hater
1948
Mr. Burrell
The Fallen Idol
1948
Perry
A Song for Tomorrow
1948
Nicholas Klausmann
My Brother Jonathan
1948
Tom Morse
Vice Versa
1948
Bandmaster
The Mark of Cain
1947
Dr. White
The End of the River
1947
Chico
The Ghosts of Berkeley Square
1947
Capt. Dodds (uncredited)
The October Man
1947
Garage Man
Captain Boycott
1947
Music Hall Comic (uncredited)
Pinwright's Progress
1946-1947
TV Series
Mr. J. Pinwright
The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby
1947
Ned Cheeryble
Charles Cheeryble
Secret Flight
1946
Warrant Officer
The Laughing Lady
1946
Ostler, Turk's Head
Spring Meeting
1946
TV Movie
James
Three Cockeyed Sailors
1940
Hans
Band Waggon
1940
Minor Role (uncredited)
Come on George!
1939
Barker
Behind the Schemes
1939
TV Movie
Lord Fosdyke
A Night at the Hardcastles
1939
TV Movie
Tony Lumpkin
She Stoops to Conquer
1939
TV Movie
Tony Lumpkin
Dance Without Music
1939
TV Movie
23rd March version only
Murder in the Night
1939
Nick Green
The Moon in the Yellow River
1938
TV Movie
Captain Potts
Marigold
1938
Peter Cloag
Red Peppers
1938
TV Movie
Bert Bentley
Ad Lib
1937
TV Movie
Big Fella
1937
Chuck
Now You're Here
1937
TV Short
Aren't Men Beasts
1937
Minor Role (uncredited)
Sensation
1936
Jock
Under the Same Sun
1978-1980
TV Series
Narrator
Are You Being Served?
1978
TV Series
Mr. Percival Tebbs
The Light Princess
1978
TV Movie
Owl (voice)
The Bawdy Adventures of Tom Jones
1976
Briggs
Charles Dickens' World of Christmas
1974
TV Movie
Father Brown
1974
TV Series
Sir Aaron Armstrong
The Onedin Line
1971-1974
TV Series
Capt. Webster
Hunter's Walk
1973
TV Series
Davenport
Burke & Hare
1972
Dr. Selby
ITV Sunday Night Drama
1972
TV Series
Newsome
Doctor at Large
1971
TV Series
Dr. Neilson
Not Tonight, Darling
1971
Mr. Finlay
The Blood on Satan's Claw
1971
Squire Middleton
The Firechasers
1971
Inspector Herman
Scramble
1970
uncredited
The Adventures of Don Quick
1970
TV Series
Hendenno
The Horror of Frankenstein
1970
Bailiff
Song of Norway
1970
Butler to Berg
Dr. Finlay's Casebook
1970
TV Series
Robsart
For the Love of Ada
1970
TV Series
Herbert Jackson
Wicked Women
1970
TV Series
Dr. Macrae
The Worker
1970
TV Series
Belltower
David Copperfield
1970
TV Movie
Porter
The Flaxton Boys
1969
TV Series
Nathan
ITV Saturday Night Theatre
1969
TV Series
Doctor Howard
Rogues' Gallery
1969
TV Series
Dr. Howard
ITV Playhouse
1968
TV Series
Postmaster
Oliver!
1968
Mr. Jessop
A Challenge for Robin Hood
1967
Friar Tuck
Cop-Out
1967
Harry Hawkins
The Avengers
1967
TV Series
Ticket Collector
Blandings Castle
1967
TV Series
Smithers
The Dickie Henderson Show
1962-1963
TV Series
Lawrence of Arabia
1962
Arab Sheikh at Council (uncredited)
Fog for a Killer
1962
Tom Daniels
Go to Blazes
1962
Pipe Smoker
Man from Interpol
1960
TV Series
Henry Roper
The Moonstone
1959
TV Series
Gabriel Betteredge
Armchair Theatre
1956-1959
TV Series
Joe Alden / Arthur Tanner / Bert Taylor
The Boy and the Bridge
1959
Tugboat Skipper
Fly Away Peter
1959
TV Movie
Mr. Hapgood
The 39 Steps
1959
Mr. Memory
The Last Chronicle of Barset
1959
TV Series
Mr. Toogood
BBC Sunday-Night Theatre
1955-1959
TV Series
Matthew Cayley / Dr. Kirby / George Radfern / ...
The Captain's Table
1959
Earnshaw
Hell, Heaven or Hoboken
1958
Sgt. Adams
Fair Game
1958
TV Series
Mr. Shaw
Saturday Playhouse
1958
TV Series
Admiral Sir Maximilian Godfrey, K.C.B.
Sailor of Fortune
1958
TV Series
Priest
Gideon of Scotland Yard
1958
Mason
My Pal Bob
1958
TV Series
O.S.S.
1958
TV Series
Jones
Mañana...
1957
Silvestre - el Sereno
El aventurero
1957
Monty
Highland Fling
1957
TV Series
Augustus Trim
Huntingtower
1957
TV Series
Dickson McCunn
The Heart Within
1957
Grandfather Willard
The Adventures of Robin Hood
1956-1957
TV Series
Tom the Miller
The Ship Was Loaded
1957
Member of Parliament (uncredited)
Abandon Ship
1957
'Cookie' Morrow
Getting Married
1957
TV Movie
Alderman Collins
The Big Money
1956
Mr. Frith
Local Boy Makes Good
1956
TV Short
Amos
It's a Wonderful World
1956
Bert Fielding
Port Afrique
1956
Nino
Keep It Clean
1956/I
Mr. Bouncenboy
Rheingold Theatre
1953-1956
TV Series
Brannigan / Dr. Symonds / Al Hosmer / ...
Touch and Go
1955
Kimball
Land of the Pharaohs
1955
Mikka, Vashtar's Servant
See How They Run
1955
Bishop of Lax
The Vise
1955
TV Series
Beau Brummell
1954
Mortimer
Cocktails in the Kitchen
1954
The Plumber
The Triangle
1953
Henry Popple (segment "Priceless Pocket")
A Day to Remember
1953
Fred Collins
Will Any Gentleman...?
1953
Dr. Smith
Always a Bride
1953
Dutton
Wednesday Theatre
1953
TV Series
Georges Duporot
Four Sided Triangle
1953
Dr. Harvey
The Great Game
1953
Joe Lawson
It's an Ill Wind
1952
TV Movie
Bert Taylor
The Pickwick Papers
1952
Samuel Pickwick
The Crimson Pirate
1952
Prof. Elihu Prudence
I'm a Stranger
1952
Horatio Flowerdew
The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men
1952
Friar Tuck
Tom Brown's Schooldays
1951
Old Thomas
Calling Bulldog Drummond
1951
Bill
Flesh & Blood
1951
Sir Douglas Manley
Her Panelled Door
1950
Capt. Bradshawe
Trio
1950
Albert Foreman - Coach Driver (segment The Verger)
Waterfront Women
1950
Ship's captain
Night and the City
1950
Figler, King of the Beggars (uncredited)
Operation Disaster
1950
Able Seaman Higgins
Writer
Title
Year
Status
Character
Remembering Summer
1960
TV Series script - 1 episode
Self
Title
Year
Status
Character
This Is Your Life
1980
TV Series documentary
Himself
Stars on Sunday
1973
TV Series
Tickertape
1968
TV Series
Himself
Remembering Summer
1960
TV Series
Himself - Presenter
Salute to Show Business
1957
TV Movie
Himself
Scrapbook for 1933
1950
Documentary short voice
Queue for Song
1937
TV Series
Himself - Performer
Archive Footage
Title
Year
Status
Character
Heroes of Comedy
2002
TV Series documentary
A Personal Journey with Martin Scorsese Through American Movies