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Information About

Ted Willis





POLITICAL LIFE

Willis was elected Chairman of the Labour League of Youth as the candidate of the left in 1937 . In 1941 he became Secretary General of the Young Communist League. He was a charismatic personality and an excellent public speaker. He often spoke at meetings in favour of opening a second front in order to help the Red Army which was bearing the brunt of the Nazi onslaught.


CAREER

His passion for writing was first manifested in the plays he wrote during The War for the Unity Theatre , based in a former chapel near St Pancras . He was best known for writing the television series '' Dixon Of Dock Green '' which ran for more than twenty years, and he also wrote nine films. He was Chairman of the Writers' Guild Of Great Britain from 1958 to 1964 .
Ted even created a variety of British comedy shows like '' Virgin Of The Secret Service '', '' Hunter's Walk '', '' The Adventures Of Black Beauty '', '' Coppers End '', '' Sergeant Cork '' and '' Mrs Thursday ''.


HONOURS AND AWARDS

On December 23 , 1963 he was awarded a Life Peerage with the title Baron Willis, of Chislehurst in the County of Kent , on a Labour Party nomination.


FILMS



PERSONAL LIFE

He served in the , Kent in 1992, leaving his widow Audrey, daughter Sally, and son John Willis, a BBC Director .


NOTES



REFERENCES

  • Willis, Ted. ''Whatever Happened to Tom Mix ? The Story of One of My Lives''. ISBN 0-304-93675-8

  • Willis, Ted. ''Evening All: Fifty Years Over a Hot Typewriter''. ISBN 0-333-54686-5

  • Link: IMDB Film Database: Section on Ted Willis