John Clive (6 January 1933 – 14 October 2012) was an English actor and author, known internationally for his historical and social fiction, such as KG200 and Barossa.^[2]

Clive was also an established British television and film actor. Beginning his career at the age of fourteen touring in rep, he went on to star on the West End stage, in plays such as Absurd Person Singular, The Wizard of Oz, Under Milk Wood, The Bandwagon at the Mermaid Theatre, The Winslow Boy, Young Woodley and Life with Father.

As a character actor he appeared in comic and straight acting roles in films, such as The Italian Job,^[3] Yellow Submarine, The Pink Panther Strikes Again, A Clockwork Orange^[4] and The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles. He was a member of the Carry On Team appearing in two of the Carry on series of comedy films; Carry On Abroad,^[5] and Carry On Dick^[6][7] Clive was initiated into the Grand Order of Water Rats in 1988.^[8]

Career

Born Clive John Frederick Hambley on 6 January 1933 in London.^[9] He was still a child when his family moved to Liverpool, and in 1939 he was evacuated to North Wales.^[10]

Clive left school when he was 14 years old, and began working as a page at the New Shakespeare Theatre.^[10] He soon auditioned for plays and musicals, and was cast in singing roles in children's musicals and as an assistant to comedians in sketches. His first starring role was the lead in The Winslow Boy in 1938.^[9] He developed a keen interest in motion pictures as a teenager, especially for the films of Errol Flynn.^[10]

He spent his national service in the Royal Air Force,^[9] and then returned to acting. He toured the West Country in repertory theatre in plays such as Lady Windermere's Fan, Life With Father, and Young Woodley.^[10]

Clive soon moved to London, where he performed in revues at The Poor Millionaire club^[9] and the Buxton Club. He continued to find work on the stage, appearing in West End productions of Absurd Person Singular, Under Milk Wood, The Winslow Boy, and The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.^[10] He worked as a stand-up comedian and bingo caller between jobs.^[10]

Acting

For his first film role, in Ealing Studios comedy The Magnet, he was credited as Clive Kendall, but he soon adopted the stage name John Clive.^[10] In the Beatles' animated film Yellow Submarine^[11] he provided the voice of John Lennon.^[3][12] His television appearances also included Robert's Robots, Rising Damp, The Dick Emery Show, The Perils of Pendragon, The Sweeney, Great Expectations and The History of Mr Polly.

He made his television debut in the seventh Wednesday Play Wear a Very Big Hat, broadcast by BBC 1 in 1964.^[9] Clive also featured in Lady Windermere's Fan, One Way Out and The Ten Percenters. He featured in a 1970s advert for Jacob's Coconut Cream Biscuits.

Author

In 1977, he co-wrote the historical novel KG 200 with J.D. Gilman, a story about a secret Luftwaffe unit during the Second World War.^[13] This book was an international best-seller.^[14] The Last Liberator,^[15] followed in 1980 and was well received by literary critics.^[14] Barossa ^[16] also achieved critical acclaim.^[14] Broken Wings^[17] was published in 1983 and matched the international success of KG 200.^[14] Other fictional titles written by Clive followed including Ark co-written with Nicholas Headin, in 1986^[18] which also received good reviews ^[14] and The Lions' Cage which was published in 1988.^[19]

Death

John Clive died after a short illness on 14 October 2012 in England aged 79.^[1] In 2023, his daughter appeared on the BBC TV show The Repair Shop, to which she brought a model of the yellow submarine by Corgi Toys. This had been given to her father at the premiere of the film in which he voiced John Lennon. Steve Fletcher on The Repair Shop restored the model.