Crooks Anonymous

Leslie Phillips (Actor) .. Dandy Forsdyke

Born: April 20, 1924 in London

Best Known For: His catchphrase: 'Well, hel-lo.'

Early-life: Leslie Samuel Phillips was born in north London, on April 20, 1924. His father worked for Main Gas Cookers and died when Phillips was nine, leaving his mother to bring up three children alone. Inspired by his victory in a beautiful baby competition, she enrolled her son at the Italia Conti stage school and put him on the boards to earn extra money. From age 14, he toured almost permanently. His mother also paid for elocution lessons to make sure he dropped his cockney accent and gained the plummy voice we all know and love.

Career: His early career was interrupted by the Second World War, but he went into rep after being demobbed. On the big screen, his breakthrough film was Train of Events in 1949, which marked the beginning of a lengthy movie career. Phillips has appeared in Carry On films, the Doctor series and more dramatic movies such as The Sound Barrier and The Longest Day. He disappeared from the silver screen for nearly a decade before returning in Out Of Africa. Other recent films include The Jackal, Saving Grace, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, Venus and Late Bloomers. He also provided the voice for the Sorting Hat in the Harry Potter movies.

Quote: 'It's very flattering to be viewed as something of a hot property again at my age.'

Trivia: He was awarded an OBE in 1998.

Julie Christie (Actor) .. Babette

Born: February 14, 1941 in Assam, India

Best Known For: Her 1960s heyday.

Early-life: Julie Frances Christie was born in Assam, India, on April 14, 1941. Her mother was an artist and childhood friend of Richard Burton; her father ran a tea plantation. She has a younger brother and another half-sibling. Her parents divorced when she was still young. She attended boarding school in East Sussex, but was expelled. She later became hooked on acting while playing the Dauphin in a production of St Joan. A stint at the Central School of Speech and Drama followed.

Career: Christie started out on stage, but her big break came with a lead role in seminal sci-fi series A for Andromeda. Two years later she became a major force in the film world thanks to a role in Billy Liar. She won an Oscar for 1965's Darling. Her other notable projects during the 1960s included Doctor Zhivago, Fahrenheit 451, and Far from the Madding Crowd. More hits followed in the 1970s, such as McCabe and Mrs Miller, Don't Look Now, The Go-Between, Shampoo and Heaven Can Wait. Since then she's been Oscar nominated for Afterglow and Away from Her. Other major projects include Troy, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Finding Neverland and Red Riding Hood.

Quote: 'If I don't make films, no one is going to write about me. And most people have forgotten who I am anyway. My life is not interrupted because I am more or less anonymous.'

Trivia: Christie is fluent in English, French and Italian.

Stanley Baxter (Actor) .. RS Widdowes

Born: May 24, 1926 in Glasgow

Best Known For: His high-quality comedy shows.

Early-life: Stanley Baxter was born in Glasgow on May 24, 1926. His mother encouraged him to go onto the stage and helped with his routines. During his time in the Army, he entertained the troops, before getting a job at the Citizen's Theatre in his home town. Stanley made his TV debut in 1952 production Shop Window, and followed it up with a series of guest slots in a number of variety shows.

Career: Stanley's big break came in 1959 with the satirical sketch show On the Bright Side. His career went into the stratosphere with his self-titled show, which ran on BBC TV from 1963 until 1971. As well as comedy, he also demonstrated his acting abilities in episodes of ITV drama Espionage and Dennis Potter's Wednesday Play, The Confidence Course. During the 1970s, his success continued and he moved his sketch show to ITV. However, as the 1980s dawned, a new wave of comedians overtook him. He made sporadic guest appearances in comedy shows throughout the 1980s and 1990s and even rejoined the BBC for a time. He remained a firm favourite of the panto circuit until his retirement in 1990.

Quote: 'The bigger a success you have, the tougher it is. If people are delighted, you think 'how do I follow that?''

Trivia: He has written a number of books based on the language of Glasgow.

Wilfrid Hyde White (Actor) .. Montague

Harry Fowler (Actor) .. Woods

Dick Emery (Actor) .. Cundell

James Robertson Justice (Actor) .. Sir Harvey Russelrod

Michael Medwin (Actor) .. Ronnie

Ken Annakin (Director)

7:35 pm - 9:00 pm, Sunday, May 24 on BBC Four (9)

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