Noel Howlett (22 December 1902 – 26 October 1984) was an English actor, principally remembered as the incompetent headmaster, Morris Cromwell, in the ITV 1970s cult television programme Please Sir! He was the subject of infatuation by Deputy Head Doris Ewell, played by Joan Sanderson.
Howlett was born in Bexley, Kent, and began his career as Richard Greatham in Noël Coward's Hay Fever. At Northampton Repertory Theatre in 1930 he played Sherlock Holmes. He also appeared as Mr Williams in the 1948 film The Winslow Boy, starring Robert Donat. At Stratford-on-Avon in 1953, he played Old Gobbo (father to Donald Pleasence's Launcelot Gobbo) in The Merchant of Venice, Edward IV (brother to Marius Goring's Richard III), Baptista in The Taming of the Shrew and Gloucester in King Lear.
An early TV role was portraying a vicar in the 1958/59 BBC series Quatermass and the Pit. He appeared as Professor Rushton in a one-off 1967 edition ("Mission Highly Improbable") of The Avengers and as the Reverend Simon Blanding in a one-off 1967 edition ("Dead Man's Shoes") of Man in a Suitcase. Other screen appearances include the 1960s TV shows Softly, Softly and Danger Man. He also appeared in one 1976 episode ("I Talk to the Trees") of the BBC situation comedy The Good Life as slightly eccentric allotment gardener Mr Wakeley.
He also frequently broadcast and did a spell for the BBC as a member of their Drama Repertory Company (now the Radio Drama Company), one of his appearances being as Inspector Walter Neider in the 1965 Paul Temple radio episode, "Paul Temple and the Geneva Mystery".
1984
as Archbishop Sudbury
1975
as Mr. Wakeley
1972
as Neighbour
1971
as Mr. Cromwell
1970
as Endicott
1968
as Mr. Cromwell
1967
as Abbey Librarian
1967
1965
as Sir Thomas Hewitt
1965
as Bishop
1964
as Dr. Evans
1964
as Lord Chief Justice
1963
as Father Xavier
1963
as Mr. Trundell
1962
as Vicar at St. Paul's (uncredited)
1962
as Brain Specialist
1961
as Mr. Face, Snr
1961
as Patterson
1961
as Pottle
1961
as Prof. Rushton
1960
as Mr Tabley
1960
1960
as Comeliau
1960
as Dr. McKenna
1960
as Mr. White
1959
1959
as Dr. Aloin
1959
as Mr Peters
1958
as Vicar
1958
1956
as Mr. Finnemore
1956
as Mr. Face Sr.
1956
1956
1955
1955
as Mr. Bodley
1954
as Auctioneer
1951
as First Collector
1951
as Clerk of the Court
1950
as Vicar
1950
as Martin Foxglove K.C.
1949
as The Professor's Associate
1949
as Solicitor
1948
as First Questioner
1948
as Count Platen
1948
1948
as Court Usher
1948
as Lawyer
1948
as Clerk
1948
as Psychiatrist (uncredited)
1947
as Judge
1940
as Malcolm
1940
as Company Clerk
1938
as Tom Craddock
1936
as Cashier (uncredited)