Born in Liverpool, Lancashire, he made his acting debut in 1939 as a lead actor. During the Second World War he served in the army, and returned to acting playing character roles in 1946; he made a name for himself playing the same pompous character in numerous films, ranging from Last Holiday (1950) to Young Sherlock Holmes (1985). Much of his film roles were in comedies, and he went on to appear in several Carry On films.