John Dearth

Not to be confused with the musician, John D'earth.

John Dearth
Born
Kenneth Paton[1]

(1920-10-16)16 October 1920
West Ham, London, England
Died17 March 1984(1984-03-17) (aged 63)
Hackney, London, England
OccupationActor
ChildrenLynn Dearth

John Dearth (16 October 1920 – 17 March 1984) was an English actor, known for playing numerous roles in nearly 30 episodes of ITV series The Adventures of Robin Hood.

He is also remembered for playing two villains in science fiction series Doctor Who: firstly voicing the maniacal supercomputer BOSS in Season 10 finale The Green Death and then portraying the greedy Lupton in the following season finale Planet of the Spiders.

Other television appearances include Dixon of Dock Green, The Adventures of William Tell, The Four Just Men, Emergency Ward 10, The Escape of R.D.7, No Hiding Place, The Avengers (Propellant 23), The Saint, Z-Cars, Theatre 625, Softly, Softly, The Wednesday Play, Justice, Thirty-Minute Theatre, Play of the Month, Angels, Treasure Island, Play for Today and Kessler. Dearth was also a member of the BBC Radio Repertory Company during the 1960s.

  1. ^ Sources claim that he was born John H. Paton but this refers to a John Henry Paton who was born 13 November 1920 and died 6 February 1981. The 1939 England & Wales Register and Essex, England, Church of England Births and Baptisms, 1813-1921 list a Kenneth Paton born 16 October 1920. This corresponds with his marriage record to Joan Harding in 1947 with that being the mother's maiden name on daughter Lynn's birth certificate. Therefore, this is more likely to be his birth name.