Francis Matthews

Francis Matthews is probably best known as the voice of super agent Captain Scarlet in the Gerry Anderson children's show "Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons." The show, which featured marionettes instead of live actors, was a hit and Matthews's voice instantly recognizable to a generation of British young people. The stage-trained Matthews guest starred in two other cult television shows from the 1960s as well, "The Saint" and "The Avengers." He also starred as the lead in his own series, "Paul Temple," about a mystery writer who investigates crimes when he is not up against a deadline. But for many viewers, Matthews may be best known for his work for the famed British independent film studio Hammer, which is primarily remembered for making a number of garish, stylish Gothic horror movies featuring Frankenstein's monster, Dracula, the Mummy, and many others. In the 1958 sequel to "Curse of Frankenstein," "The Revenge of Frankenstein," Matthews plays the assistant to Peter Cushing's demented and amoral Dr. Frankenstein. He played the patriarch of an English family who confront true evil in the guise of Christopher Lee's Dracula in "Dracula: Prince of Darkness," and he can be seen as one of Barbara Shelley's friends in "Rasputin: The Mad Monk." In each film, Matthews offers up civility and sophistication in contrast to the horror. He also starred in two Morecambe and Wise comedies, "The Intelligence Men" and "That Riviera Touch."