David Bernard Swift (3 April 1931 – 8 April 2016) was an English actor known for his role as Henry Davenport in the topical comedy Drop the Dead Donkey.
Early life Swift was born in Liverpool, the second of the four children of Abram Sampson Swift and Lily Rebecca (née Greenman), who owned a furniture shop in Bootle. His family was Jewish. He was educated at Clifton College and Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge, where he studied law. He then embarked on a career as a businessman with his father-in-law, J.P. Jacobs, whose company supplied all the elastic to Marks & Spencer.
Career Swift made his professional debut on stage after being appointed as an assistant stage manager at Dundee Repertory Theatre in 1963. He made his television debut in 1964 as Theo Clay in the soap opera Compact. He appeared in many small-screen roles in the 1970s and 1980s, whilst in the theatre he appeared in the Royal Shakespeare Company's 1978 production of Henry VI, Part 1 at the Aldwych Theatre, and won acclaim for his performance as Frank Doel in the Ambassadors Theatre's 1981-2 production of 84, Charing Cross Road. In addition he played Montclair in the film of The Day of the Jackal (1973). Swift appeared as Dingley alongside Richard Beckinsale in the BBC situation comedy Bloomers (1979) and also appeared in several episodes of Going Straight (1978), the sequel to Porridge. Prior to this he had made a guest appearance, again with Beckinsale, in the Yorkshire Television comedy Rising Damp in which he played a suicidal tenant in the episode "Good Samaritans". But it was the role of irascible newsreader Henry Davenport in the topical comedy Drop the Dead Donkey, written by Andy Hamilton and Guy Jenkin, for which Swift became best known. He also made occasional appearances as God in the Radio 4 comedy Old Harry's Game, also written by Hamilton.
Alongside his acting career, Swift had an active interest in the behind-the-scenes aspects of media production, running the sound recording and post-production businesses Preview 1 and Preview 2 in the 1960s, before co-founding and managing Tempest Films in 1969, along with film-makers Charles Denton, Richard Marquand, Paul Watson and John Pilger. The company also produced documentaries by actor-director Kenneth Griffith.
Personal life and death
Swift was the elder brother of the actor Clive Swift, known for his role in Keeping Up Appearances, with whom he sometimes performed. He was the uncle of the academic Adam Swift and the television personality Joe Swift and their sister Rebecca. He was married to the actress Paula Jacobs, was the father of actress Julia Swift and father-in-law of actor David Bamber.
Swift died from complications of Alzheimer's disease on 8 April 2016, at the age of 85.
Selected filmography Film +YearTitleRoleNotes1972Travels with My Aunt Detective1973The Day of the JackalMontclairNo Sex Please, We're British Paul1974The Internecine Project Chester Drake1977The Assignment ZafortezaThe Black Panther Detective Chief Superintendent1995Jack & Sarah Michael
Television +YearTitleRoleNotes1964Hamlet at ElsinorePlayer KingCall the Gun Expert CounselEpisode: "The Jockey Cap Case - 1927"1966The AvengersBarberEpisode: "What the Butler Saw"The Baron Phillipe/Lonnie2 episodes1971BudgieSergeant OxleyEpisode: "Could Do Better"1972ITV Sunday Night TheatreEric Armitstead/Fred2 episodes, including Another Sunday and Sweet F.A. 1972-1973War and PeaceNapoleon Bonaparte9 episodes1973Play for TodayCouncillor BassEpisode: "Highway Robbery"1974Who Killed Lamb? Inspector HavelockTV filmFall of EaglesTrepovEpisode: "The Appointment"Father BrownStephen AylmerEpisode: "The Dagger with Wings"1976The New AvengersTurnerEpisode: "The Midas Touch"1977Rising DampGrayEpisode: "The Good Samaritans"1978BBC Television ShakespeareDuke of NorthumberlandEpisode: Richard II Les Misérables TroufiatTV filmGoing StraightMr. McEwan2 episodes1979Bloomers Dingley5 episodes1980The Professionals Sir KennethEpisode: "Slush Fund"Turtle's Progress Superintendent RaffertySeason 21981The Bunker Johann RattenhuberTV filmThe Day of the TriffidsBeadleyPart ThreeWinston Churchill: The Wilderness Years Professor Lindemann6 episodes1984Freud Joseph BreuerMiniseries1987Bergerac Dr. BarnardEpisode: "The Deadly Virus"The Storyteller KingEpisode: "Hans my Hedgehog"Vanity Fair Mr. Sedley11 episodes1988Jack the RipperLord SalisburyMiniseries1989Agatha Christie's PoirotHenry ReedburnEpisode: "The King of Clubs"Countdown to WarÉdouard DaladierTV movie1990-1998Drop the Dead Donkey Henry Davenport2002Holby City Bill HoskinsEpisode: "Coming Home"2004Born and Bred EuphratesEpisode: "The Doctor Now Departing"
Radio Old Harry's Game
References
External links