Letter from John Laurie

John Laurie had been an actor since 1921, working with such greats as Alfred Hitchcock, Laurence Olivier, David Lean, and Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger. By 1977, he was mainly known for playing the lugubrious Private Frazer in 'Dad's Army'. There's something about this letter that suggests he was determined not to retire, as he suspected some of his co-stars would be forced to do.

John Laurie continued to work for the few years left to him after 'Dad's Army'. He reunited with director Michael Powell for a short documentary about their 1937 collaboration 'The Edge of the World', made appearances on television shows such as 'The Generation Game' and 'Jackanory', and contributed to a number of radio programmes where he discussed his past associations with the works of Shakespeare. He died on 23 June 1980 at the age of 83.