Born as Arthur John Stainer, he was the younger son of Ferdinand in 1936 and they had a son together, the stage actor Alan Howard. Arthur appeared in several television programmes such as Whack-O, a school comedy in which he played the hapless assistant headmaster Pettigrew to Jimmy Edwards's headmaster, and he was in the 1959 film version Bottoms Up. He appeared in many films, including American Friends, The Magnificent Seven Deadly Sins, and had the small role of Cavendish in the James Bond film Moonraker. Balding, worried-looking London-born comic actor, who first rose to prominence as Jimmy Edwards's long-suffering headmaster in 'Whack-O!' on BBC radio. The show was later transferred to the screen by BBC TV and ran from 1956 to 1960 in its original format.
Brother of the actor Leslie Howard and the casting director Irene Howard.
Father of actor Alan Howard
Nephew of the director Wilfred Noy.
Uncle of actor Ronald Howard
Is now an author/illustrator of childrens books