Ian Yule (1933 — 3 December 2020[1]) was a British born South African actor and soldier. He had a film career that commenced in the late 1960s and lasted to around the early to mid 2000s. Many of the roles he has played are that of a soldier. The films he has appeared in include Killer Force, in 1976, One Way also released in 1976, Golden Rendezvous in 1977, The Wild Geese in 1978, —Safari 3000 in 1982, City of Blood in 1983, and many more. He was also a stuntman in a few films. He also was a screenwriter and wrote some screen plays including Shamwari in which he starred opposite Ken Gampu. He was a well known actor in South Africa.
Yule's first association with films goes back to the 1950s when he had a role as a stuntman in the 1959 film Ben-Hur.[6] He also did stunt work in The Longest Day which was released in 1962.[7] His early acting roles included playing the part of Andy Wilson in 1967 film Wild Season which was directed by Emil Nofal.[8] In 1968, he had a recurring role as Freddy in the television series Schatzsucher unserer Tage which was directed by Rolf von Sydow.[9][10]
Starring opposite Ken Gampu, he appeared in the 1982 film Shamwari. The film bore a similarity to an earlier film, The Defiant Ones that starred Sidney Poitier and Tony Curtis. Like the characters in that film, there is racial hatred between the two of them. They escape from a chain gang detail. To survive they have to get rid of their hatred for each other.[14] Yule was led to believe that the film was a flop, however John Hume who produced the film was marketing it under a different name and making money from it.[15]
In 1986, he appeared as Bill Smith in the film Jake Speed.[16] He played the part of Max Wharton in the 1988 film, City of Blood.[17]
Possibly his last film was Platinum [de] which was released in 2004.[20]
Later years
In mid-December 2015, Yule arrived at Heathrow Airport from South Africa, in poor health and destitute. He had a carry bag, his knobkerrie walking sticks and a couple of shirts and underwear. He was met and collected from the airport by a volunteer, who had been moved by his plight and subsequently cared for him for some two months.
After being helped by one organisation, the South African Legion, the SSAFA were instrumental in getting him the care he required for his heart problems and severe arthritis. He was later hospitalised at St Richard's Hospital in Chichester where he died on 3 December 2020.[21]
