Brian Wilde was at his best when authority made a man uncomfortable. His precise delivery and weary manner gave Porridge a warder we could believe in, even when he was willing to believe almost anything.
Fi1m perspective
Mr Barrowclough is almost grateful when Fletcher offers a plausible explanation in Porridge (1974). Brian Wilde makes that willingness to be persuaded funny without making the warder seem worthless. He is a useful opponent for Ronnie Barker precisely because he would rather not have a contest. We felt fond of Barrowclough because Wilde makes his gullibility seem to come from a wish to think well of people.
His early film work includes Rand Hobart, a hypnotised farmer, in Night of the Demon (1957). The regular comic roles came with the depot manager known as Bloody Delilah in The Dustbinmen (1970). The shift towards television comedy suited an actor whose precise delivery could keep complicated dialogue clear. National prominence followed with Porridge, where that precision has a particularly useful partner in Barker.
Fulton Mackay makes Mr Mackay vigilant whenever Fletcher speaks; Wilde lets Barrowclough seem ready to accept an answer. Barker therefore has two different men to contend with, rather than the same obstacle twice. Wilde's restraint matters here: if he pushed the foolishness harder, Barrowclough would be difficult to credit as a working prison officer. The warders' battles with Fletcher can become predictable, but the contrast between Mackay and Wilde keeps those exchanges worth watching.
He joined Last of the Summer Wine as Foggy in 1976, working alongside Bill Owen and Peter Sallis in Roy Clarke's comedy. Foggy, an ex-army corporal, drew on the pompous side of his comedy. Wilde's ability to make such men credible was valuable here too, though the recurring middle-class comic types could become familiar.
That familiarity is a limitation, but it need not be a reason to dismiss an actor who understood the value of not pressing every joke. In Porridge, Wilde gives Barker room and gives Barrowclough enough dignity to survive being fooled. Start there, and watch how much depends on the man who would prefer everyone to behave reasonably.
Biography
Brian Wilde was an English actor. Born in Ashton-under-Lyne, Lancashire, he trained at RADA and began his career in the 1950s with roles in films including Night of the Demon (1957). He appeared in numerous television series and films over four decades.
Wilde is best known for his television comedy roles as the mild-mannered prison officer Mr Barrowclough in Porridge (1974–1977) and as Foggy Dewhurst in Last of the Summer Wine (1976–1997). He was married to actress Eva Stuart.
