Though Michael Gough, who died today, will be best remembered for his performance as “Alfred” in the Batman series, I’ll always remember the great actor more for his roles in a series of low budget British B-movie horror films - in particular the classic, Horrors of the Black Museum, Konga, The Black Zoo, Dr. Terror’s House of Horrors and Horror Hospital; his work with Ken Russell (Women in Love, Savage Messiah) and Derek Jarman (Caravaggio, The Garden, Wittgenstein); and his roles in TV series like The Champions, The Avengers and Smiley’s People. Gough was always more than watchable as an actor, who made even the most trashy films (Trog) enjoyable.

Here’s a small selection of highlights from Gough’s career, which gives only a hint of the quality of his talent and the diversity of his roles.
 

Michael Gough is resposible for a “huge, monster gorilla that is constantly growing to outlandish proportions let loose in the streets” of swinging London in ‘Konga’ (1961)
 

Gough appeared as artist Eric Landor, who falls foul of Christopher Lee’s vain critic, Franklyn Marsh, in a tale of bloody revenge in ‘Dr Terror’s House of Horrors’ (1964)
 

William Burroughs’ collaborator, Antony Balch produced this splatter movie ‘Horror Hospital’ (1973), which saw Gough as the insane Dr Christian Storm, who experiments on unwitting guests to his country house.
 

Gough in Derek Jarman’s ‘Caravaggio’ (1986) - a beautifully measured and underplayed performance.
 

And of course, Gough’s performance as Alfred, which gave decorum to the often unwieldy ‘Batman’ franchise.
 
Previously on DM:

Michael Gough: ‘Horrors of the Black Museum’

William Burroughs and Antony Balch ‘Cut-ups’