 Upon becoming an actor, he chose his father's surname as his stage name, later adopting the name Louis after Louie Dumbrowski, the character played by Bernard Gorcey in The Bowery Boys film series, whom his friends claimed he resembled.He was best known for his role as Engelbert von Smallhausen (although in the BBC books he is named as Bobby Cedric von Smallhausen) in the popular BBC sitcom "'Allo 'Allo!