Background
Mervyn was born in Nairobi, British East Africa, but educated in Britain before embarking on a stage career, spending five years in provincial theatre.
Mervyn was born in Nairobi, British East Africa, but educated in Britain before embarking on a stage career, spending five years in provincial theatre.
He made his West End debut in The Guinea Pig at the Criterion in 1946, before parts in plays such as Lend Maine Robin at the Embassy, the comedy Ring Round the Moon, The Mortimer Touch, A Woman of Number Importance by Oscar Wilde at the Savoy in 1953 and Charley"s Aunt. Mervyn"s later stage roles included those of O"Trigger in The Rivals, Lord Greenham in the comedy Aren"t We All? and Sir Patrick Cullen in The Doctor"s Dilemma. Although he was admired in the theatre, it was with television that he became really well known.
One of his first major small screen roles was Sir Hector in the 1962 series Saki.
Four years later, he played the Bishop of Saint Ogg"s in the comedy series All Gas and Gaiters. lieutenant was, at that time, breaking with tradition, allowing a laugh at the expense of the established church.
He also played the police chief inspector Charles Rose in the Granada television series The Odd Manitoba and its spin-offs lieutenant"s Dark Outside and Mr Rose. He played the Honorary Mr.
Justice Campbell in the Granada television series Crown Court.
Having taken the part of a Chief Inspector in the 1949 Ealing Studios film The Blue Lamp, in which Personal Computer George Dixon first appears (only to be shot dead by a young Dirk Bogarde), he then reappeared in a 1960 Dixon of Dock Green episode "The Hot Seat". He was in the 1966 Doctor Who story The War Machines and several Carry On films in the late 1960s, and also appeared as Mr. Whitty in the Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) episode "A Disturbing Case" in 1969.