Reg Lye

Reginald Thomas Lye (13 October 1912^[1] – 23 March 1987), was an Australian actor who worked extensively in Australia and England.

Reg Lye
Born	Reginald Thomas Lye 13 October 1912 (1912-10-13) Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Died	23 March 1987 (1987-03-24) (aged 74) Windsor, New South Wales, Australia
Occupation	Actor

Career

He was one of the busiest Australian actors of the 1950s, appearing in the majority of locally shot features at the time, as well as on stage and radio. Lee Robinson called him "one of the best character actors in Australia."^[2] He moved to England in the early 1960s, (also starring in television, such as Mrs Thursday and The Wednesday Play), but returned to Australia when the film industry revived in the 1970s.^[3]

He won the Australian Film Institute award for his role in the 1975 film, Sunday Too Far Away, opposite Jack Thompson.

Selected filmography

• King of the Coral Sea (1954) - Grundy
• Smiley (1956) - Pa Bill Greevins
• Walk Into Paradise (1956) ^[4] - Ned 'Shark-eye' Kelley
• Three in One (1957) - The Swaggie (segment "Joe Wilson's Mates")
• The Shiralee (1957) - Desmond
• The Stowaway (1958) - Buddington
• Smiley Gets a Gun (1958) - Pa Greevins
• The Flaming Sword (1958) - Poggy
• Dust in the Sun (1958) - Dirks
• The Restless and the Damned (1959) - Matthews
• The Grey Nurse Said Nothing (1959)^[5]
• The Dock Brief (1960, by John Mortimer)^[6] - Fowle
• The One Day of the Year (1961, by Alan Seymour) - Wacka^[7]
• The Amorous Prawn (1962) - Uncle Joe (the poacher)
• Reunion Day (1962, by Peter Yeldham)^[8] - Carmody
• The Wrong Arm of the Law (1963) - Reg Denton
• The Counterfeit Constable (1964) - Le chauffeur de taxi fatigué
• Stell (1964, by Peter Yeldham) ^[9]
• King Rat (1965) - Tinker Bell
• The Wrong Box (1966) - Third Undertaker
• A Challenge for Robin Hood (1967) - Much
• Fathom (1967) - Mr. Trivers
• Danger Route (1967) - Balin
• The Magnificent Six and ½: It's Not Cricket (1968) - Angry Houseowner
• Doctor Who (1968, British TV) - Griffin the Chef
• The Lost Continent (1968) - Helmsman
• Battle of Britain (1969) - Workman (uncredited)
• The Games (1970) - Gilmour
• Performance (1970) - Workman (uncredited)
• 10 Rillington Place (1971) - Tramp
• Burke & Hare (1972) - Old Joe
• Ooh… You Are Awful (1972) - Bogus Milkman (uncredited)
• The Amazing Mr. Blunden (1972) - Sexton
• Dracula (1974) - Zookeeper
• Sunday Too Far Away (1975) - Old Garth
• Quiller (1975) - Chirac
• Blind Man's Bluff (1977) - Uncle Fred
• Jabberwocky (1977) - Hawker (uncredited)
• Death on the Nile (1978) - Workman (uncredited)
• Wombling Free (1978) - Assistant Surveyor
• A Man Called Intrepid (1979) - Newsvendor
• Unidentified Flying Oddball (1979) - Prisoner
• Tarka the Otter (1979) - Dairy Farmer
• The Killing of Angel Street (1981) - Riley
• Freedom (1982) - Old farmer
• Molly (1983) - Old Dan

References

1. NAA Travel Permit
2. "FILM UNIT MOVING NORTH". The Cairns Post. Qld.: National Library of Australia. 11 July 1953. p. 5. Retrieved 9 January 2012.
3. Vagg, Stephen (29 August 2020). "Annette Andre: My Brilliant Early Australian Career". Filmink.
4. "NEW FILM SHOOTING "WALK INTO PARADISE" IN NEW GUINEA". The Australian Women's Weekly. National Library of Australia. 20 July 1955. p. 12. Retrieved 9 January 2012.
5. Vagg, Stephen (17 November 2020). "Forgotten Australian TV Plays: The Grey Nurse Said Nothing". Filmink.
6. "The P.M.G.'s private eye". The Australian Women's Weekly. National Library of Australia. 17 February 1960. p. 84. Retrieved 10 January 2012.
7. "It seems to me". The Australian Women's Weekly. National Library of Australia. 10 May 1961. p. 12. Retrieved 10 January 2012.
8. "ANZAC REUNION". The Australian Women's Weekly. National Library of Australia. 31 January 1962. p. 15. Retrieved 10 January 2012.
9. "DID YOU KNOW?". The Australian Women's Weekly. National Library of Australia. 19 February 1964. p. 16. Retrieved 10 January 2012.

External links

• Reg Lye at IMDb
• Reg Lye at National Film and Sound Archive
• Reg Lye at Theatricalia
• Reg Lye's Australian theatre credits at AusStage