My Dad told me about an actor who was killed in a road accident in Birkenhead. The actor was an American called Bona Colleano. Can anyone tell me where he was killed? I remember that whenever we went passed a certain road, my Dad would say that it was the place.As my Dad passed away some years ago, I can't ask him now.
Thanks.

there was a thread on this a while ago...



https://www.wikiwirral.co.uk/forums..._more_obscure_Wirral_rel.html#Post441312

was it on lansdowns rd off corpy rd?

Taken from wikipedia...



Colleano died at the age of 34, when he crashed his sports car in Birkenhead shortly after exiting the Queensway tunnel. He was driving back from Liverpool's New Shakespeare Theatre, where he had been appearing in a stage production of Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter? His passenger, fellow actor and friend Michael Balfour, required 98 stitches but he eventually recovered.

You have solved something that for some reason has bugged me for a while. Thanks.

Remember going to see his wrecked car at a garage up towards Duke Street, it was a bit messy to say the least. Can't remember the year unfortunately.

What car was it bandy?

18th August 1958. I can vaguely remember it. quite big news at the time.

wow, I recognise him aswell.

Probably of no interest whatsoever, but I have one of the last autographs he signed, obtained at the Shakespeare in Liverpool the night before he died.

How did the collision occur?

Please could someone put a link up to the original topic on this.
I've spent hours looking to no avail

From The Times of 18th August 1958. The accident happened in the early hours of Sunday 17th.

I'll try and find the report from the local papers; perhaps that'll give a clearer indication of where exactly it happened.

I always thought it was Corporation Rd
see maps

That's what I'd always thought - that he ploughed into the triangle of land where your red splodge is.

The Birkenhead News confirms that it was the junction of Corpy Road and Lansdowne Road. Will post the full report when I get round to downloading it off my camera - it includes a photo of the smashed-up car, but I'm not an expert on old sports cars so I don't know what make it was.

Birkenhead News, 20th August 1958, Front page.

Same edition, Page 5.

so am i right then?

Thanks for all the information about this. I didn't realise what a horrific crash it had actually been. It was amazing that the other guy got out alive. I had never really thought about how sad this all was. This poor guy left a wife and two children,he would only have been a couple of years older than my Dad.
Thanks,
Lyn.

Aerial view from the late 1940s of the fateful junction.

What a brilliant photo, thanks again.
Lyn.

Wow, amazing work. the days before seatbelts eh!

Hello people, first time poster here.

Does anyone remember this incident ? bonnar colleano (Not the football match, the incident it was for)

Actor Bonar Colleano; tragically killed, when his sports car crashed in Birkenhead, and went up in flames (The verge of grass on the right hand side as you drive up corporation road, up to James Street)

My Dad used to always say when I was a kid (about 20 years ago) that Ventrice(Sp) from the ITV soap heartbeat; was involved in this crash; but I've since found out it's not the case; it was Michael Balfour who was in the accident.

My old man also told me that my Grandad was driving home from the pub, drunk; and attended the accident scene before anyone else did; he said that he stopped the car pulled "ventrice" from the car, but it was too late for Calleano, (think the car went up; and he was already brown bread)

Years later; when taking driving lessons; my instructor was pretty old guy then (10 years ago) - We drove up corporation road; and he said "Always be careful up this road; I used to be in the fire service; and I had to attend a nasty crash here in the 50's" to which I replied- "The Bonar Colleano one?" - He was astonished that someone so young would know anything about it. I told him what my father had told me, and he was quite surprised- he couldn't remember anything about Balfour mysteriously being on the grass away from the car though....


Anyone on here remember it or know anything else about it?

Dan

I am too young to remember, but now you have brought it to my attention im gonna be up all night lol....

His wife Died in 1978......

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Susan_Shaw

Son was an actor aswell....

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0171716/

Fairly certain there is a thread on here about this already. Do a search.

So there is CLICKY

Bonar Colleano (14 March 1924 – 18 August 1958) was an American-born British stage and motion-picture performer
Colleano died at the age of 34, when he crashed his sports car in Birkenhead shortly after exiting the Queensway tunnel. He was driving back from Liverpool's New Shakespeare Theatre, where he had been appearing in a stage production of Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter? His passenger, fellow actor and friend Michael Balfour, required 98 stitches but eventually recovered.

Bonar Colleano (14 March 1924 – 18 August 1958) was an American-born British stage and motion-picture performer
Colleano died at the age of 34, when he crashed his sports car in Birkenhead shortly after exiting the Queensway tunnel. He was driving back from Liverpool's New Shakespeare Theatre, where he had been appearing in a stage production of Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter? His passenger, fellow actor and friend Michael Balfour, required 98 stitches but eventually recovered.

I remember my dad telling me about this when i was younger, i did not know untill reading this that someone else was in the car, i just thought it was Boner Colleano .

He was a bit of a lad, wasn't he. I didn't realise that Richie Macintosh, drummer of the Average White Band, was his illegitimate son!!

I did search "bonna" and "bonar" - but to no avail; I think the other topic was started using bona; hence why nothing came up.

A photo of Michael Balfour recovering in hospital after having received 96 stitches to his face.
A nurse lights his cigarette for him.

The car was a Black 1958 Jaguar XK140 with red interior like the one in the photo attached.

Apparently the place he crashed was an accident blackspot at the time and there were calls for street signs to be erected to warn drivers. Drivers were misled to go to the left instead of straight on so if you were new to the area it would've been an easy mistake to make.

Bonar Colleano died as a result of trauma to the chest when the steering wheel and column were pushed into his chest from the impact of the collision having crashed into a 3 foot high mound of soil behind the corrugated iron fence.
Micheal Balfour was thrown through the windscreen.
After several motorists ignoring him as he was waving for help a passing taxi driver stopped and the police were called who then removed the hood of the car to get Bonar removed but it was too late due to the chest trauma.

Remember it well. They were appearing a t a theatre in Liverpool and were returning to their hotel in West Kirby late at night. Speed may have been involved as well. Michael Balfour was treated in the old General hospital by Park Entrance.