Born: 7th May 1908
Died: 24th June 1985 (aged 77 years)
Episodes Broadcast: 1979, 1983

Valentine Dyall was born in Wandsworth, London and followed in the footsteps of his parents, who were both actors. He was heavily involved in drama by the time he attended Oxford University, and made his professional debut on the stage in 1930. But it was radio which would become Dyall's signature medium. Having made his broadcast debut in 1936, he soon became the narrator of the suspense anthology Appointment With Fear. So memorable was Dyall's sepulchral narration that the programme was rebranded Valentine Dyall as The Man In Black six years later.

In 1942, Dyall added film to his repertoire, and he was first seen in the thriller The Missing Million. Amongst a number of movie appearances were the classic Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger romance The Life And Death Of Colonel Blimp, Laurence Olivier's adaptation of Henry V, the well-regarded Ivanhoe with Elizabeth Taylor, and an uncredited role in David Lean's immortal Brief Encounter. In 1950, his radio persona leapt to the silver screen for the appropriately-titled The Man In Black. Meanwhile, Dyall had also begun working in television, initially playing the title role in Sweeney Todd. The small screen featured more prominently in his resume during the Fifties; amongst his credits were two versions of Treasure Island, Drake's Progress, and a succession of Peter Sellers comedy programmes starting with The Idiot Weekly, Price 2d. The latter was one of several attempts to shake off the mounting typecasting Dyall was experiencing as a consequence of the popularity of the Man In Black.

Dyall's association with the Man In Black made him a natural choice to play the evil Black Guardian in Doctor Who

Sixties television included The Cheaters, The Troubleshooters, The Avengers and Slim John, while Dyall also appeared in the classic horror movie The Haunting and could be heard in the cinematic James Bond spoof Casino Royale. During the Seventies, he had recurring roles in both Freewheelers and Secret Army, while his association with the Man In Black made him a natural choice to play the embodiment of evil known as the Black Guardian, opposite Tom Baker's Fourth Doctor in the 1979 Doctor Who serial The Armageddon Factor.

Dyall remained busy in television as the Eighties dawned. Having been heard in the original radio version of The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy, he also joined its television adaptation. Other genre credits included Blake's 7 and Sapphire & Steel, in addition to episodes of shows like Nanny, The Black Adder and Miss Marple. His last movie role was in the 1982 dark comedy Britannia Hospital. Dyall reprised the Black Guardian for a trilogy of serials in 1983, now pitted against Peter Davison as the Fifth Doctor.

However, by the time he agreed to play Captain Slarn for the Doctor Who radio drama Slipback, starring Colin Baker's Sixth Doctor, Dyall's health was in evident decline. He died on June 24th, 1985, before Slipback even made it to air. His final television role, meanwhile, had been Love's Labour's Lost for the BBC Shakespeare project, broadcast at the start of the year. Dyall was married three times: to Marjorie Stonor in 1935, Babette Jones in 1941, and Kathleen Woodman in 1970. Amongst his children was Christian Dyall, who worked in television as a costume designer.