Robert Dorning (13 May 1913 – 21 February 1989) was an English musician, dance band vocalist, ballet dancer and actor.

These included the Hammer film Fanatic (1965), Cul-de-Sac (1966), directed by Roman Polanski, Man About the House (1974), Confessions of a Pop Performer (1975), Carry On Emmannuelle (1978), The Human Factor (1979), Ragtime (1981), Agatha Christie's Evil Under the Sun (1982) and Mona Lisa (1986).

[4] In 1958 Dorning began a lengthy television career appearing in many classic comedies such as Hancock's Half Hour (1959–60), Bootsie and Snudge (1960), Steptoe and Son (1965), Wodehouse Playhouse (1978), Rising Damp (1978) and Crown Court (1972) episode “Genial Man”.

[5] Writer Jimmy Perry initially envisaged Jon Pertwee as the pompous bank manager and Home Guard officer Captain Mainwaring with Robert Dorning as Sergeant Wilson but eventually gave the roles to Arthur Lowe and John Le Mesurier respectively.

[14][15] Acting was a family tradition as Robert's Lancaster-born wife, Honor Shepherd (1926–2000), had been an actress since the age of eleven.

Like her husband she appeared in a number of television programmes, including Emergency Ward 10 (1957), Hancock's Half Hour (1961), Dixon of Dock Green (1966) and Juliet Bravo (1981).