Star of A Clockwork Orange, the Pink Panther and the Italian Job, was also the voice of John Lennon in Yellow Submarine

This article is more than 7 years old

This article is more than 7 years old

John Clive, who appeared in films including A Clockwork Orange, the Pink Panther and the Italian Job, has died at the age of 79.

The actor and author, who was also the voice of John Lennon in Yellow Submarine and went on to become an international bestselling author, passed away following a short illness, his family said on Monday.

For many, his most memorable turn was appearing alongside Michael Caine in the original 1969 version of the Italian Job in a scene said to have been ad-libbed by the pair.

Clive, playing the manager of a garage that has been looking after a sportscar belonging to Charlie Croker (Caine) while he has been serving a jail sentence, names the final bill as £200. Croker, who tells him that his absence has been due to time spent shooting tigers in India, hands over part of a sizeable wad of cash which has been stashed in the car's engine.

"Yes, you must have shot an awful lot of tigers sir," says Clive's character, licking his lips and counting the notes.

"Yes, I used a machine gun," replies Croker.

A year earlier, Clive had voiced the part of John Lennon in Yellow Submarine – a role that was controversially kept under wraps after the Beatles chose not to provide their own voices.

In 1971 he played the role of Tormenter, where he asked the lead character Alex to "lick his boots" in the cult classic A Clockwork Orange.

Clive also enjoyed extensive success with comedy roles, appearing in four of the Carry On films and two Pink Panther movies. He also appeared in such series as Rising Damp, The Sweeney and The Dick Emery Show.

His writing career resulted in the international bestseller KG200 and other similar "fiction-based on fact" books such as The Last Liberator, Barossa and another bestseller Broken Wings.

Clive is survived by two children from his first marriage - Alex and Hannah, a step-son Deane, and his second wife Bryony.