Gerald Campion

Gerald Theron Campion 23 April 1921 9 July 2002 was an English actor He is best remembered for his role as Billy Bunter in a 1950s television adaptation Billy Bunter of Greyfriars School of books by Frank Richards Charles Hamilton His father Cyril Theron Campion 18941961 a playwright and screenwriter and Blanche Louise Tunstall née Bear 18901933 a first cousin of Charlie Chaplin married in 1920 in London Campion was born in Bloomsbury London an only child He won a place at RADA at age 15 and appeared in numerous films and television programmes mostly comedies In 1937 he appeared in Tavs Neiiendams radio play Inspiration to a Poet on the BBC Home Service His only major success was as Bunter a juvenile role he played successfully despite being much older than his character he was 40 when the series ended Campion later reprised the role now Lord Bunter of Hove who had succeeded in betting shops and property in the BBC Radio 7 series Whatever Happened to in the episode that speculated on whether Bunters form master at Greyfriars School Horace Henry Samuel Quelch became a secret agent In 1979 he recorded an appearance in Shada a Doctor Who story which was not completed in its intended form After dropping out of acting Campion ran clubs and restaurants in Londons Soho the best known of which is Gerrys a long running private members club attracting a mainly theatrical membership Campions first marriage with Jean M Sherman Simmonds b 1925 in London in 1947 ended in divorce in 1972 They had three children Anthea a singer who married composer Thomas Rajna Anthony born in 1948 and Angelica born in 1962 His second marriage with Susan Suzie Marks in 1973 ended with his death Campion lived in Wittersham Kent for many years He and his wife Suzie moved to France in 1991 He died in 2002 aged 81 in Agen Aquitaine France Source Article Gerald Campion from Wikipedia in English licensed under CCBYSA