Cast Members: Walt Disney Live Action Films
To celebrate the 100th anniversary of Disney’s existence, and a century of memories, and historical relevance. I’m compiling a list of all performers who have performed in a Disney live action film. I’ve already done lists for the animated films including Pixar, so this is exclusively for live action made by Disney itself. This means Marvel, LucasFilms, or any other branches of the Disney brand. The live action remakes of their animated films will be a separate list as well. This list will start with their first live action film with Treasure Island up to the most recent. Check these films out if you haven’t, they’re usually smaller sized films, but do have a back porch charm to them. And a lot of well known actors started their careers with these films including Jodie Foster, Sean Connery, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt look out for those as well.
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- Actor
- Additional Crew
- Soundtrack
Bobby Driscoll was a natural-born actor. Discovered by chance at the age of five-and-a-half in a barber shop in Altadena, CA. and then convincing in anything he ever undertook on the movie screen and on television throughout his career spanning 17 years (1943-1960). Includes such notable movie screen appearances as The Fighting Sullivans (1944), Song of the South (1946), So Dear to My Heart (1948), and The Window (1949), which was not only the sleeper of 1949 but even earned him his Academy Award in March 1950 as the outstanding juvenile actor of 1949. For his role as Jim Hawkins in Walt Disney's Treasure Island (1950), he eventually received his Hollywood Star on 1560 Vine Street, and in 1954 he was chosen in a nation-wide poll for a Milky Way Gold Star Award (for his work on TV and radio). But all the more tragic, then, was his fruitless struggle to find a place in a pitiless adolescent world after severe acne had stalled his acting career at 16. When his face was no longer charming and his voice not smooth enough to be used for voice-over jobs, his last big movie hit was the voice of animated Peter Pan (1953), for which he was also the live-action model. When his contract with the Disney studios was prematurely terminated shortly after the release of Peter Pan (1953) in late March 1953, his mother additionally took him from the talent-supporting Hollywood Professional School, which he attended by then. On his new School, the public Westwood University High School, on which he graduated in 1955, all of a sudden his former stardom became more burden than advantage. He successfully continued acting on TV until 1957 and even managed to get two final screen roles; in The Scarlet Coat (1955) and opposite of Mark Damon and Connie Stevens in The Party Crashers (1958). His life became more and more a roller coaster ride that included several encounters with the law and his eventual sentencing as a drug addict in October 1961. Released in early 1962, rehabilitated and eager to make a comeback, Bobby was ignored by the very industry that once had raised and nurtured him, because of his record as a convict and former drug addict. First famous... now infamous. Hoping to revive his career on the stage after his parole had expired in 1964, he eventually traveled to New York, only to learn that his reputation had preceded him, and no one wanted to hire him there, either. After a final appearance in Piero Heliczer's Underground short Dirt (1965) in 1965 and a short art-period at Andy Warhol's so-called Factory, he disappeared into the underground, thoroughly dispirited, funds depleted. On March 30, 1968, two playing children found his dead body in an abandoned East Village tenement. Believed to be an unclaimed and homeless person, he was buried in an unmarked pauper's grave on Hart Island, where he remains.Treasure Planet (1950)
Jim Hawkins- Actor
- Soundtrack
Robert Newton was one of the great character actors -- and great characters -- of the British cinema, best remembered today for playing Long John Silver in Treasure Island (1950) and its sequel in 1954. His portrayal of Long John Silver and of Blackbeard, the Pirate (1952) created a persona that was so indelible that his vocal intonations created the paradigm for scores of people who want to "Talk Like a Pirate." The performance overshadows Newton's legacy, which is based on many first-rate performances in such movies as This Happy Breed (1944), Odd Man Out (1947) and Oliver Twist (1948), where his Bill Sykes is truly chilling. Oliver Reed, who played Sykes in the Oscar-winning movie musical Oliver! (1968) was influenced by Newton.Treasure Planet (1950)
Long John Silver- Actor
- Additional Crew
The son of a stage manager, Basil Sydney entered the acting profession in 1909. His burgeoning career was interrupted by the outbreak of World War I, during which he saw action with the Norfolk Regiment in the British Army. In the early 1920's, Basil established himself as a matinée idol on the London stage. His film debut, however, took place on the other side of the Atlantic in the silent feature Romance (1920), based on a play by Edward Sheldon. His co-star was the prominent American Broadway star Doris Keane, with whom he had appeared in the theatrical performance of the play five years prior and subsequently married. Basil was rapidly promoted through a starring role in his second screen outing, the comedy Red Hot Romance (1922), but decided to turn down the offer of a lucrative Hollywood contract. His single-minded insistence on being cast exclusively in roles based on works by Shakespeare or Shaw led him to New York and back to the theatre. He spent the remainder of the decade as a leading player on Broadway, playing the parts he craved and duly receiving critical plaudits for his Mercutio of "Romeo and Juliet" (1922-23) and for his leads as Hamlet (1925-26) and Petruchio in "The Taming of the Shrew" (1927-28).
Basil did not return to films until 1932, back in Britain and henceforth as a burly character actor, albeit of never less than commanding presence. His stock-in-trade were shifty opportunists, public servants, domineering fathers or military types. He alternated smoothly between charming or dependable and menacing or sinister. Generally typed as a quintessential Englishman, his casting as a German infiltrator in the wartime drama Went the Day Well? (1942), lent additional gravitas to the warning against complacency. Otherwise, he stood out as Caesar's military aide-de-camp Rufio in the decidedly stodgy screen adaptation of George Bernard Shaw's Caesar and Cleopatra (1945); as the brutish squire Nick Helmar in the period Gainsborough melodrama Jassy (1947); as the indefatigable Captain Smollett battling the pirates of Treasure Island (1950) and as Waldemar Fitzurse, advisor to the devious Prince John (played by Guy Rolfe) in MGM's excellent Technicolor swashbuckler Ivanhoe (1952).Treasure Planet (1950)
Captain Smollett- Walter Fitzgerald was born on 18 May 1896 in Devonport, Devon, England, UK. He was an actor, known for The Fallen Idol (1948), Darby O'Gill and the Little People (1959) and Treasure Island (1950). He was married to Angela Kirk and Rosalie Constance Gray. He died on 20 December 1976 in Hammersmith, London, England, UK.Treasure Planet (1950)
Squire Trelawney
Darby O’Gill and the Little People (1959)
Lord Fitzpatrick
Third Man on the Mountain (1959)
Herr Hempel - Actor
- Soundtrack
Denis O'Dea was born on 26 April 1905 in Dublin, Ireland. He was an actor, known for The Fallen Idol (1948), Odd Man Out (1947) and Esther and the King (1960). He was married to Siobhan McKenna. He died on 5 November 1978 in Dublin, Ireland.Treasure Planet (1950)
Dr. Livesey
Darby O’Gill and the Little People (1959)
Father Murphy- Scottish-born Finlay Currie was a former church organist and choirmaster, who made his stage debut at 20 years of age. It took him 34 more years before making his first film, but he worked steadily for another 30 years after that. Although he was a large, imposing figure, with a rich, deep voice and somewhat authoritarian demeanor, he was seldom cast in villainous parts. He received great acclaim for his role as Magwitch in Great Expectations (1946), and one of his best remembered roles was that of Balthazar in Ben-Hur (1959). He was also Shunderson, Cary Grant's devoted servant with a secret past in People Will Talk (1951). Later in his life he became a much respected antiques dealer, specializing in coins and precious metals (coinage). He died in England at age 90. While his biggest Academy Award-winning film, Ben-Hur (1959) was in its final four+ months of filming, he became a widower when his only wife, Maude Courtney, passed away.Treasure Planet (1950)
Capt. Billy Bones
Rob Roy: The Highland Rogue (1954)
Hamish MacPherson
Kidnapped (1960)
Cluny MacPherson
The Three Lives of Thomasina (1964)
Grandpa Stirling - Veteran British character player Ralph Truman was a pioneer radio actor and appeared in over 5000 broadcasts during his career. Born in London at the turn of the century, his overall film career was commendable but less enviable than his voice work on the airwaves. Originally from the stage, he had just finished a run of "Josef Suss" in 1930 when he moved directly into films, making his unbilled debut in the early talkie Farewell to Love (1931). Throughout the 1930s he would be found steadily in "B" films including The Bells (1931), That's My Uncle (1935), The Lad (1935), Mr. Cohen Takes a Walk (1935), Under the Red Robe (1937) and Dinner at the Ritz (1937). In the 1940s the distinctively balding, hook-nosed actor found featured work in more important films such as his Mountjoy in Laurence Olivier's stellar Shakespearean piece Henry V (1944). A natural for period settings, Truman played the nefarious Monks in Oliver Twist (1948), and was part of the large-scale proceedings in Christopher Columbus (1949) and Treasure Island (1950), giving animated Robert Newton a run for the money in the latter with a ripe, over-the-top pirate performance as George Merry. Married to fellow radio artist Ellis Powell, he was best known in later years for playing men of high ranking or position (lords, captains, admirals, governors, etc.). He retired after appearing in two final period epics: Nicholas and Alexandra (1971) and Lady Caroline Lamb (1972). He passed away a few years later.Treasure Planet (1950)
George Merry - Geoffrey Keen was born on 21 August 1916 in Wallingford, Oxfordshire, England, UK. He was an actor, known for The Spy Who Loved Me (1977), Moonraker (1979) and For Your Eyes Only (1981). He was married to Doris Groves, Madeline Howell and Hazel Terry. He died on 3 November 2005 in Denville Hall, Northwood, Hillingdon, London, England, UK.Treasure Planet (1950)
Israel Hands
Rob Roy: The Highland Rogue (1954)
Killearn - John Laurie was a Scotsman who would play many character roles in his long career - a lot of Scotsmen to be sure - but an enthusiastic and skilled actor in nearly 120 screen roles. He was the son of a mill worker, and studied for a career in architecture which he indeed began. But with World War I he left his position to join the British army. After the war he set his sights in a different direction, training to become an actor by attending the Central School of Speech and Drama in London. His first stage play was in 1921. He honed his skills thereafter (from 1922 to 1939) principally as a Shakespearian actor at the Old Vic in London or at Stratford-upon-Avon - and later the Open Air in Regent's Park. But by 1930 he was giving time to films as well. His first movie was the Sean O'Casey play Juno and the Paycock (1929), one of Alfred Hitchcock's early sound efforts. With his craggy profile and arcing bulbous nose, and rather stern visage (though it could as quickly break into a broad smile), he was right for many a memorable character. Hitchcock made sure of that first off by calling on him again to play the dour, suspicious, and miserly farmer, John Crofter, in The 39 Steps (1935). Laurie became a good friend of another Shakespearean, Laurence Olivier, and the two, Olivier as a lead, were in Hungarian director/producer Paul Czinner's As You Like It (1936). The year 1937 was a busy one, with six films, the most important giving him one of his few leading roles. This was director/screen writer Michael Powell's intriguing The Edge of the World (1937), doubly important in that it was the film that sold Powell to producers like Alexander Korda. The film was shot on location on the remote Shetland isle of Foula, the furthest point of Britain. It dealt with the impact of the modern world on the lives of the inhabitants of an economically decaying island. Into 1938 and 1939 Laurie was involved in British experimental TV movies, that medium to be revisit later frequently. In 1939 he was taped by Alexander Korda for his classic film production of The Four Feathers (1939) in which Laurie, who could fit his Scots voice to any part, played the zealous Mahdi (the Khalifa). He is hardly to be recognized in character.
During the war Olivier was planning one of the important morale movies of World War II; his Henry V (1944), and Laurie was asked to play a memorable Capt. Jamie. Olivier also called on him for his two other Shakespeare ventures: Hamlet (1948) and Richard III (1955). As any good character actor, Laurie could play comedy as well and set a number of roles to that end into the 1940s. He and Roger Livesey were cast in Emeric Pressburger and Powell's first color film, The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp (1943). And Laurie was a jubilant John Campbell in the Powell/Pressburger wonderful and thoughtful comedy of more insular Scots life, I Know Where I'm Going! (1945) with a delightful young Wendy Hiller and worldly-wise Livesey.
Through the remainder of the decade and into the 1950s, Laurie's face showed up in a variety of films - with greater frequency as assorted Scotsmen-comedic and otherwise - and further down the credits list of supporting actors. He was familiar in the decade invasion to the UK of American co-productions, such as Disney's Treasure Island (1950) and Kidnapped (1960). And he even trod the uncertain path of a few sci-fi films - that shall remain nameless here. But he was certainly always busy - when all told - the actor's foremost blessing. Television drama and series gave him better opportunities for a veteran actor, beginning with a Henry V (1953) where he played the comic role of Pistol. Along with some BBC TV theater (more Shakespeare and some American playhouse as well) and sporadic serials, he had a stint on the long-running BBC children's reading program "Jackanory". And he is probably best remembered as the dour James Frazer on the popular "Dad's Army" series (1968-1977). But one of his last and most touching performance was simply being his good-natured self - 80 years old but still a vibrant man with his Scots burr - when he accompanied Powell back to dramatically isolated Foula for the director's short documentary Return to the Edge of the World (1978) (included with the 2003 DVD release of the 1937 movie). There was a bit of staging by Powell. But Laurie's animated face was a picture of profound humanity, as - with a shade of theatrics when appropriate - he remembered the shoot and with sincere joy renewed acquaintances with the inhabitants, as if he himself had returned once more to his native heath. A bonnie old actor indeed!Treasure Planet (1950)
Blind Pew
Kidnapped (1960)
Ebenezer Belfour - Francis De Wolff was born on 7 January 1913 in Essex, England, UK. He was an actor, known for From Russia with Love (1963), Moby Dick (1956) and The Hound of the Baskervilles (1959). He was married to Linda Finch, Melissa Dundas and Jean Fairlie. He died on 18 April 1984 in Sussex, England, UK.Treasure Planet (1950)
Black Dog
The Three Lives of Thomasina (1954)
Targu - David Davies was born on 3 April 1906 in Bryn Mawr, Wales, UK. He was an actor, known for The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men (1952), The Masque of the Red Death (1964) and Mystery Junction (1951). He was married to Muriel Miller. He died in June 1974 in Carmarthen, Wales, UK.Treasure Island (1950)
Mr. Arrow - A former telephone engineer who dabbled in amateur dramatics, John Gregson served aboard a minesweeper with the Royal Navy during World War II. After demobilisation, he joined the Liverpool Old Vic, making his stage debut in 'The Knight of the Burning Pestle'. Freshly married, he moved to London and acted alongside Robert Donat and Margaret Leighton in 'A Sleeping Clergyman' at the West End Criterion Theatre in 1947. During the same period, he was also cast in his first movie, the romantic period melodrama Saraband (1948), though his scenes ended up being cut. Undeterred, Gregson established himself as a popular favorite in subsequent Ealing comedies and later as a long term contractee with the Rank Organisation. His screen personae tended to be men of integrity: regular guys who don't necessarily finish on top, introspective, somewhat diffident, and often troubled. His most fondly remembered role was that of vintage car enthusiast Alan McKim, in the idiosyncratic (and typically British) comedy Genevieve (1953). Ironically, while he is featured in almost every scene behind the wheel, Gregson couldn't drive a car when filming began - and proved to be a slow learner.
For the remainder of the decade,he became somewhat typecast in traditional 'stiff upper lip' military roles. As film opportunities began to diminish, he turned more and more towards television, enjoying his greatest popularity as titular star of the police drama series Gideon C.I.D. (1964). Until his untimely death at the age of 55, Gregson alternated television work with acting on stage, as well as doing voice-overs and appearing in commercials for Hamlet cigars.Treasure Planet (1950)
Redruth - William Devlin was born on 5 December 1911 in Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, UK. He was an actor, known for Mutiny on the Elsinore (1937), Solomon and Sheba (1959) and The Mill on the Floss (1936). He was married to Meriel Moore (actress) and Mary Casson (actress/musician). He died on 25 January 1987 in Somerset, England, UK.Treasure Planet (1950)
Morgan - Harry Locke was born on 10 December 1912 in London, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Town on Trial (1957), Passport to Pimlico (1949) and Comedy Playhouse (1961). He was married to Cordelia Mary Vashti Saleeby. He died on 7 September 1987 in London, England, UK.Treasure Island (1950)
Haggott - Sam was a very well known, un-sung, British Actor from 1946 to his death in 1982. He was originally born in Northern Ireland but came over to London England as a boy with his mother and her brothers, setting up home in Bayswater, then Shepherd's Bush, then Chiswick. He was sent to Dunstable school. Before the Second World war he worked at Alvis Cars and Whiteley's Department Store in the bedding department but also entered Talent Contests as a stand up and impressionist. He got a job with the Oscar Rabin Band at the Hammersmith Palais as part of his 'Hot Shots' introducing the band's numbers, and telling a few gags and tap dancing in a few numbers. In 1939 at the start of the war, he was called up as he'd been very briefly in the Territorial Army. According to his autobiography, "Quick Mum He's on Now" he made over 240 films, many of the titles as yet unloaded to IMDb. The autobiography, recently discovered by his son Jonathan (also on IMDb) in his mother's loft after her death, was never published during his lifetime, but is a witty informative follow up to his successful "For You the War is Over" written about his incarceration in a German prison camp from 1939 to 45 , and selling over 40,000 in paperback. He similarly made thousands of TV appearances once more uncredited. Jonathan intends to publish the book next year.Treasure Island (1950)
Cady - Patrick Troughton was born in Mill Hill, London and was educated at Mill Hill School. He trained as an actor at the Embassy School of Acting in the UK and at Leighton Rollin's Studio for for Actors at Long Island, New York in the USA. During World War II he served in the Royal Navy and after the war ended he joined the Old Vic and became a Shakespearean actor. He won his most famous role as the second Doctor in Doctor Who (1963), in 1966 and played the role for three years. His hobbies included golf, sailing and fishing. He was a father of six (David, Jane, Joanna, Mark, Michael and Peter), a stepfather to Gill and Graham and a grandfather to Harry Melling, Jamie and Sam Troughton.Treasure Island (1950)
Roach - Geoffrey Francis Murray Wilkinson 1889-1955 was born in Staines, Surrey to Henry and Amy Wilkinson. His father was a stockbroker. The 1891 census shows them living in Weir House at Cookham, Berkshire. The 1901 census shows the family living at 17 Durham Villas, Kensington, London.
As early as 1915 he lists his occupation as an actor, apparently traveling with a troupe. One travel record shows him arriving back in England with other actors from a trip to the West Indies in 1915. His address at this time was Marlow Church Walk, Thames Ditton.
In 1916 he enlisted in the British Army, serving as a Private in the Army Service Corps, primarily as a packer and loader of artillery shells being sent to the front. He served behind the lines as he was not in good physical shape, having a slightly deformed back and being blind in his left eye due to cataracts. He was demobilized in 1919 and resumed acting.
Several times from at least 1928 to 1947 he traveled to the US and Canada as an actor. Apparently most of this was in Shakespearean troupes; indeed, he gives his address in 1928 as Stratford-upon-Avon. Later dates he had various addresses in SW London. In 1947 he is listed as performing on Broadway in various Shakespeare plays staged by Donald Wolfit. He died at Poole, Dorset in late 1955. Apparently he never married.
It is thought he was just found during a casting call or search of stage actors, and because of his old age and bad eye, he was seen as perfect for Old Ben Gunn.Treasure Island (1950)
Ben Gunn - Andrew Blackett was born in 1921 in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Treasure Island (1950), Against the Wind (1948) and The Turners of Prospect Road (1947). He died on 22 August 1955 in Oxford, Oxfordshire, England, UK.Treasure Planet (1950)
Gray - Stunts
- Actor
- Additional Crew
Ken Buckle was born on 10 May 1918 in Banbury, Oxfordshire, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Willow (1988), First Knight (1995) and Spies Like Us (1985). He died on 21 November 1994 in Ealing, London, England, UK.Treasure Planet (1950)
Joyce- Actor
- Art Director
Howard Douglas was born on 12 January 1896 in Hackney, London, England, UK. He was an actor and art director, known for The Monsters (1962), Treasure Island (1950) and Quick Before They Catch Us (1966). He died in 1973 in Lambeth, London, England, UK.Treasure Planet (1950)
Williams- Stephen Jack was born on 20 January 1902 in London, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Poldark (1975), The Newcomers (1965) and Our Mister Ambler (1961). He died on 17 September 1987 in London, England, UK.Treasure Planet (1950)
Job - Harold Jamieson is known for The March of the Peasants (1952), BBC Sunday-Night Theatre (1950) and Lisbon (1956).Treasure Planet (1950)
Scully - Actor
- Producer
British leading man who achieved some success in American films, as well. Born in Ireland as the son of a British officer, Todd grew up in Devon and (for a brief time) in India and attended Shrewsbury Public School. His interest in theatre led him to small roles in stock in England and Scotland and three tiny film roles, following which he helped found the Dundee Repertory Theatre in 1939. He served with distinction as a paratrooper in the Second World War and returned to considerably more prominent theatre roles, culminating in the role of "Lachie" in John Patrick's "The Hasty Heart", in which he played in London and then followed Richard Basehart in the Broadway production. He made his first major film appearance in 1948, and the next year was again cast as "Lachie", this time in the film version of The Hasty Heart (1949). His performance, a truly star-making and moving piece of work, earned him an Oscar nomination as Best Actor. He followed it with a role in Alfred Hitchcock's Stage Fright (1950), but although he continued to play leading roles, often in quite good films, he never again achieved the prominence and acclaim he had had with The Hasty Heart (1949). He was quite effective in such roles as "Robin Hood" and "Rob Roy", and very touching as "Peter Marshall" in A Man Called Peter (1955). In The Longest Day (1962), he portrayed his own superior officer at the Pegasus Bridge fight, with another actor portraying Todd himself in a recreation of his own experiences. Ultimately, Todd's starring roles dwindled, but he continued as a stalwart character actor, primarily in British films.The Story of Robin Hood (1952)
Robin Hood
The Sword and the Rose (1953)
Charles Brandon
Rob Roy: The Highland Rogue (1954)
Rob Roy MacGregor- Joan Rice was born on 3 February 1930 in Derby, Derbyshire, England, UK. She was an actress, known for The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men (1952), His Majesty O'Keefe (1954) and I Promised to Pay (1961). She was married to Ken McKenzie and David Green. She died on 1 January 1997 in Maidenhead, Berkshire, England, UK.The Story of Robin Hood (1952)
Maid Marian - Actor
- Director
- Writer
Despite being one of the finest actors of his generation, Peter Finch will be remembered as much for his reputation as a hard-drinking, hell-raising womanizer as for his performances on the screen. He was born in London in 1916 and went to live in Sydney, Australia, at the age of ten. There, he worked in a series of dead-end jobs before taking up acting, his film debut being in the mediocre comedy The Farmer Goes to Town (1938). He made his stage debut as a comedian's stooge in 1939. Laurence Olivier spotted him and persuaded him to return to Britain to perform classic roles on the stage. Finch then had an affair with Olivier's wife, Vivien Leigh. Despite being married three times, Finch also had highly-publicized affairs with actresses Kay Kendall and Mai Zetterling. Finch soon switched to film after suffering appalling stage fright. As a screen actor, he won five BAFTA awards and his talent was beyond doubt. His two finest roles, the only two for which he received Oscar nominations, were as the homosexual Jewish doctor in Sunday Bloody Sunday (1971) and as the "mad prophet of the air-waves" in Network (1976). He died a couple of months before being awarded the Oscar for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in Network (1976) and was the first actor to have won the award posthumously.The Story of Robin Hood (1952)
Sheriff of Nottingham
Kidnapped (1960)
Allan Breck Stewart- Actor
- Soundtrack
James Robertson Justice was always a noticeable presence in a film with his large stature, bushy beard and booming voice. A Ph.D., a journalist, a naturalist, an expert falconer, a racing car driver, JRJ was certainly a man of many talents.
He entered the film industry quite late in life (37) after he was spotted serving as MC for a local music hall. He became a familiar figure on-screen after a succession of "larger than life" roles during the 40s and 50s, and particularly as Sir Lancelot Spratt in the "Doctor" film series.The Story of Robin Hood (1952)
Little John
The Sword and the Rose (1953)
King Henry VIII
Rob Roy: The Highland Rogue (1954)
John Campbell- Actress
- Additional Crew
- Soundtrack
Popular British character actress known for her rich cluster of queens, dowagers, shrews and evildoers, Martita Hunt was born on a ranch in Argentina to British parents, but moved with her family to England at age 10 for her formal education. On stage at age 21 with the Liverpool Repertory Theatre, she grew in stature as a dramatic actress with the Old Vic before expanding her sights to include film in the 30s. Her imposing glare and fervent gait reminded one of the equally horsey-looking Edna May Oliver, and lent itself to a number of scene-stealing supports in such top-quality British efforts as When Knights Were Bold (1936), Nine Days a Queen (1936), The Mill on the Floss (1936), and The Wicked Lady (1945). But it was her brilliant performance as the mad, reclusive Miss Havisham in the classic period piece Great Expectations (1946) that earned her international recognition and Hollywood quickly took notice. More flavorful roles came her way in the post-war years, both regal and ravaged, with Anastasia (1956), Becket (1964) and The Unsinkable Molly Brown (1964) the highlights. In 1949, she won a Broadway Tony award for her "The Madwoman of Chaillot". Martita Hunt died at age 69 of natural causes in London.The Story of Robin Hood (1952)
Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine- Actor
- Writer
- Music Department
At his first school in Bournemouth he used to stand outside the Pavilion Theatre listening to the Follies shows and learning the songs. At 9 he entered a song contest at the Rank Cinema in Sydenham and sang 'Eat More Fruit' In 1939 while in the army at Lincoln a friend came back from leave and remarked about the black out. Hubert said 'I'm going to get lit up when the lights go up in London' and thought it would make a good song. He'd previously done odd lyrics. Three years later it was featured in a West End show After the war he read a lot of Jerome K Jerome on the radio in 'Let's Go Jeroming' He did 18 years of 'Thanks For the Memory' and in the 60's wrote the musical version of 'Three Men in a Boat'.The Story of Robin Hood (1952)
Prince John- Actor
- Writer
- Producer
Patrick Barr, born into a judicial family in British India in 1908, was active for more than half a century on the stage, screen and, later, very successfully on television.
Tall and distinguished, the son of a judge and (in retirement) theatrical manager, Barr was educated at Radley and Trinity College, Oxford, winning a "blue" in the 1929 University Boat Race.
Having first worked as an engineer, he made the move to acting at the comparatively late age of twenty-five. His West End stage debut, followed in 1936 in a production of "The Country Wife" at the Old Vic. The following year, he made his debut on the New York stage.
During the Second World War, he was a conscientious objector serving with a Free French ambulance unit in North Africa. For his bravery, he was awarded the Croix de Guerre.
On his return to the United Kingdom, he resumed his acting career in a revival of Noël Coward's "Private Lives" at the Apollo Theatre. For the next fifteen years, he appeared almost non-stop on the West End Stage, the longest-running being "Like a Dove", in which he played "Lord Dungavel" for over two years. By the mid 1950s, the popularity of television was growing dramatically and Barr became more widely-known as a result, twice becoming "Television Actor of the Year".
In 1970, he made a strong return to the stage, joining the Royal Shakespeare Company for the season at Stratford. He played the ghost in "Hamlet", "Alonso" in "The Tempest" and "Escalus" in "Measure for Measure".
His first film, The Merry Men of Sherwood (1932) was the first of numerous character parts and, while never attaining first billing as he had on the stage and television, his talents were always in demand.
Patrick Barr died aged 77 on August 29 1985.The Story of Robin Hood (1952)
King Richard- Anthony Eustrel was born on 12 October 1902 in London, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Shirley Temple's Storybook (1958), The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men (1952) and Captain John Smith and Pocahontas (1953). He died on 2 July 1979 in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, California, USA.The Story of Robin Hood (1952)
Archbishop of Canterbury - Actor
- Music Department
- Composer
Elton Hayes was born on 16 February 1915 in Bletchley, Buckinghamshire, England, UK. He was an actor and composer, known for Enchanted (2007), The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men (1952) and The Splendid Spur (1960). He died on 23 September 2001 in Bury St. Edmonds, Suffolk, England, UK.The Story of Robin Hood (1952)
Alan-a-Dale- Anthony Forwood was born on October 3, 1915 in Weymouth, England. He was an actor and writer, known for Knights of the Round Table (1953), The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men (1952) and BBC Sunday-Night Theatre (1950). He was married to Glynis Johns from 1942 to 1948, with one child, the actor Gareth Forwood, and then was Sir Dirk Bogarde's life partner and manager until his death in 1988. He died on May 18, 1988 in London, England.The Story of Robin Hood (1952)
Will Scarlet - Actor
- Writer
- Music Department
This English actor was born of humble, working class beginnings and became well-known for playing the same kind of blokes on both film and TV. Born William Rowbotham, he was the son of a tram driver and laundress. He knew early on that entertaining was the life for him. He worked in odd jobs as a printer's apprentice and band vocalist to make do and, when he became of legal age, started playing drums in London nightclubs and toured music halls with his own cabaret act to pay for acting classes. He entertained at Butlin's holiday camps and performed in repertory, joining the Unity Theatre where he attained respect as a stage producer. His career was interrupted by military service with the Royal Army Ordinance Corps and was injured in an explosion during battle training course.
Returning to acting, he was taken to post-war films after notice in a play. He started making a blue-collar character name for himself in such films as Johnny in the Clouds (1945), Secret Flight (1946), When the Bough Breaks (1947), Maniacs on Wheels (1949), The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men (1952), The Square Ring (1953) and PT Raiders (1955). He continued to perform in the theatre limelight and peaked in roles with Katharine Hepburn in "As You Like It" in 1950, and with "The Threepenny Opera" and "The Mikado", which made sturdy use of his musical talents. A writer at heart, he penned songs, musicals and plays over the years. Partnered with Mike Sammes, he wrote songs recorded by Pat Boone, Harry Secombe, Engelbert Humperdinck, and Sir Cliff Richard, who made a hit of his 1980 song "Marianne". In the 60s, he produced the stage musical, "The Matchgirl", and focused heavily on film slapstick with the "Carry On" series, adding also to the lowbrow fun found in the comedy On the Fiddle (1961). TV stardom and a sense of renewed career came late after landing the role of "Compo" in the BBC's Last of the Summer Wine (1973) series in 1973, his scruffy, mischievous charm endearing audiences for decades.
Bill was awarded the MBE in 1976 for his steadfast work for the National Association of Boys Clubs and for his role as chairman of the Performing Arts Advising Panel. He was also awarded an honorary degree by Bradford University in 1998. For the rest of his life, Bill would be identified with the lovable scamp "Compo", complete with woolly hat and threadbare jacket.
Most fittingly, when he died of pancreatic cancer in 1999, he asked to be buried in the Yorkshire village of Holmfirth, where the TV series was filmed and the townspeople had taken him close to their hearts. Married twice, his actor/son Tom Owen joined the "Last of the Summer Wine" series in 2000.The Story of Robin Hood (1952)
Will Stutely- Hal Osmond was born on 27 May 1903 in Southwark, London, England, UK. He was an actor, known for No Trace (1950), The Vise (1954) and BBC Sunday-Night Theatre (1950). He died in December 1959 in Taunton, Somerset, England, UK.The Story of Robin Hood (1952)
Much the Miller - Louise Hampton was born on 23 December 1879 in Stockport, Cheshire, England, UK. She was an actress, known for The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men (1952), Haunted Honeymoon (1940) and The Middle Watch (1940). She was married to Edward Thane. She died on 10 February 1954 in Charing Cross Hospital, London, England, UK.The Story of Robin Hood (1952)
Tyb - Stunts
- Actor
- Additional Crew
Richard Graydon was born on 12 May 1922 in London, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Octopussy (1983), Moonraker (1979) and Willow (1988). He was married to Hermione Bedford. He died on 22 December 2014 in England, UK.The Story of Robin Hood (1952)
Merrie Man- Actor
- Producer
- Writer
He made his film debut in The Conspirator in 1949 and went on to starring roles in such as Geordie and The Bridal Path, He's probably better known though for the animal films which he made with his actress wife Virginia McKenna such as Born Free, An Elephant Called Slowly and Ring of Bright Water, His sister was the actress Linden Travers and his niece is the actress Penelope WiltonThe Story of Robin Hood (1952)
Possie Man- Actor
- Soundtrack
Some of Hordern's finest work was not in films or television but on radio: His performance as Gandalf in the BBC's radio adaptation of The Lord of the Rings was arguably the definitive portrayal of that character (contrast Hordern's Gandalf with that of Ian McKellen in the 3-part film adaptation of The Lord of the Rings directed by Peter Jackson).The Story of Robin Hood (1952)
Scathelock- Clement McCallin was born on 6 March 1913 in Marylebone, London, England, UK. He was an actor, known for The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men (1952), BBC Sunday-Night Theatre (1950) and BBC Sunday-Night Play (1960). He was married to Brenda Bruce and Phillippa Anne Gurney. He died on 7 August 1977 in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England, UK.The Story of Robin Hood (1952)
Earl of Huntingdon - Nigel Nielson is known for How Do You View? (1949).The Story of Robin Hood (1952)
Merrie Man - Actor
- Writer
Geoffrey Lumsden was born on 26 December 1914 in Paddington, London, England, UK. He was an actor and writer, known for Theatre Night (1957), Brian Rix Presents ... (1960) and Microbes and Men (1974). He died on 4 March 1984 in London, England, UK.The Story of Robin Hood (1952)
Merrie Man- Julian Somers was born on 12 November 1903 in London, England, UK. He was an actor, known for A Night to Remember (1958), Far from the Madding Crowd (1967) and Reluctant Bandit (1965). He was married to Betty Margaret Newcombe. He died on 11 November 1976 in London, England, UK.The Story of Robin Hood (1952)
Posse Leader - Actor
- Writer
The son of a police superintendent in India, the character actor James Hayter was educated in Scotland, where he was urged into acting by his headmaster. After one year (1924-5) at the Royal Academy of the Dramatic Arts in London, he performed in repertory theater, eventually appearing in The West End in such plays as "1066 and All That" and "French Without Tears." He made his film debut in 1936 and continued in films until World War II, when he served in the Royal Armoured Corps. After the war, he established an active screen career, excelling at various sorts of character roles, especially in comedy. Characteristic roles include Friar Tuck in The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men (1952) and A Challenge for Robin Hood (1967), The Pickwick Papers (1952), and David Copperfield (1970).The Story of Robin Hood (1952)
Friar Tuck- Actress
- Soundtrack
Glynis Johns was the daughter of actor Mervyn Johns. Best known for her light comedy roles and often playful flirtation, Glynis was born in South Africa while her parents were on tour there (her mother was a concert pianist) but was always proud of her Welsh roots and took delight in playing the female lead (opposite Richard Burton) in the classic Under Milk Wood (1971). She was probably best known for her role as the suffragette mother in Mary Poppins (1964) although she is probably best loved for her fishy roles in Miranda (1948) and Mad About Men (1954). She had earlier showed she could take on the serious roles as well as in Frieda (1947). Most recently seen (at the time of writing) in Superstar (1999). Johns died in 2024, aged 100, having never received the damehood she had richly deserved for decades. Predeceased by her only son, she was survived by a grandson,Thomas Forwood, and three great-grandchildren.The Sword and the Rose (1953)
Mary Tudor
Rob Roy: The Highland Rogue (1954)
Helen Mary MacPherson MacGregor
Mary Poppins (1964)
Winifred Banks- Tony Award-winning English actor Michael Gough, best known for playing the butler Alfred Pennyworth in the first four Batman (1989, 1992, 1995 & 1997) movies and for playing the arch-criminal Dr. Clement Armstrong in The Avengers (1961) episode "The Cybernauts", was an accomplished performer on both stage and screen. He was nominated twice for Tony Awards, in 1979 for Best Featured Actor in a Play for Alan Ayckbourn's "Bedroom Farce" and in 1988 in the same category for Hugh Whitemore's "Breaking the Code", winning in 1979. Though he never achieved on the small screen and silver screen what he did in the theater, Gough's career in television and movies spanned sixty-plus years over eight decades. Michael Gough died at age 94 on March 17, 2011 at his home near Salisbury, Wiltshire, England.The Sword and the Rose (1953)
Duke of Buckingham
Rob Roy: The Highland Rogue (1954)
Duke of Montrose - Jane Barrett was born on 7 May 1922 in Highgate, London, England, UK. She was an actress, known for The Avengers (1961), BBC Sunday-Night Theatre (1950) and Eureka Stockade (1949). She was married to Hans Heinrich Helweg and Derek Glynne. She died on 20 July 1969 in Torbay, Devon, England, UK.The Sword and the Rose (1953)
Lady Margaret - Peter Copley (20 May 1915 - 7 October 2008) was a British television, film and stage actor.
Copley was born in Bushey, Hertfordshire, son of the master printers, John Copley and Ethel Gabain.
He studied acting at the Old Vic school under Harcourt Williams and Murray Macdonald. He made his stage debut as the jailer in the Old Vic production of The Winter's Tale in 1932, and his West End debut three years later. His wartime naval service (1940-41) was sandwiched between a wide range of theatrical work, including a tour of south America with Edward Stirling (1936), a season at the Gate, Dublin (1939), wartime touring and a spell as director of the Worthing rep (1945). From 1945 to 1950, he was at the center of Olivier's Old Vic Company at the New Theatre, St Martin's Lane. He would talk about performing in Hamburg immediately after the war - seeing SS men sitting, broken, on the pavement, and finding a copy of Mein Kampf alongside the Bible in a dressing room.
Review after review singled Peter out - as a great swordsman in Cyrano de Bergerac (1945) opposite Ralph Richardson, or as the comic Ananias in the Old Vic's The Alchemist (1947), years later at the Duke of York Theatre in Tom Stoppard's Artist Descending a Staircase (1980), or for his Teiresias in Katie Mitchell's Royal Shakespeare Company production of The Phoenician Women (1995). He loved working at the RSC, in productions including The Cherry Orchard (1997) and Henry IV part II (2000).
He appeared on television hundreds of times, in everything from The Forsyte Saga (1967) to The Avengers (1961), The Bill (1984), and One Foot in the Grave (1990). His last appearance was as Greyhald Spold in Terry Pratchett's The Color of Magic (2008) in 2008.
He was in many movies, including a role as the Jeweller alongside The Beatles in Help! (1965), and worked with some of the great directors. In 2005, he was in Roman Polanski's Oliver Twist (2005) and returned from Poland (where it was shot) with stories of how the director coaxed and bullied the child performers. He was impressed, a little shocked, but was, at 90, thrilled that, watching the children and director work, he still felt he was learning about acting. This, from a man who had worked with Steven Spielberg on Empire of the Sun (1987) and appeared in epoch-defining films such as Basil Dearden's Victim (1961).
It was this openness that made Peter a special actor. He was delicate, subtle and always stimulated. Not necessarily powerful or bombastic, he knew how to listen and to react, holding the audience - in any medium - by drawing them in rather than hitting them hard. He was never tedious about acting. Highly intelligent, well read and knowledgeable, he believed that his craft came first from instinct and observation, and that intellect could get in the way.
Peter had been a Communist party member in the 1940s and early 50s, and while he renounced the Soviet model, he remained a committed socialist. He trained as a lawyer and was called to the Middle Temple bar in 1963, though he never practiced. He was actively involved in the actors' union Equity and, until recently, was a venerable part of the campaign to reopen the Bristol Old Vic. Between 1980 and 1995, he appeared in 25 theater productions including a heartbreaking John of Gaunt in Richard II (1985) and the ghost and player king in Hamlet (1991).
Copley's TV credits included Thorndyke (1964), A Dangerous Man: Lawrence After Arabia (1992), The Saint (1962), The Avengers (1961) and The New Avengers (1976), The Forsyte Saga (1967), Mogul (1965) (originally, The Troubleshooters), The Champions (1968), Department S (1969), Doomwatch (1970), Z Cars (1962), Fall of Eagles (1974), Survivors (1975), Father Brown (1974), Doctor Who (1963), Sutherland's Law (1973), Tales of the Unexpected (1979), Miss Marple: Nemesis (1987), Lovejoy (1986), The Bill (1984), Mystery!: Cadfael (1994), and One Foot in the Grave (1990).
Margaret Tabor was Peter's third wife, and they had a remarkable partnership. They had moved to Bristol in 1981. Copley died in 2008 at the age of 93. He was survived by his third wife, his daughter Fanny by his second wife, and by stepchildren Gid and Emma.The Sword and the Rose (1953)
Sir Edwin Caskoden - Actor
- Writer
- Additional Crew
Jean Mercure was born on 27 March 1909 in Paris, France. He was an actor and writer, known for The Red and the Black (1954), The Sword and the Rose (1953) and The Battle of Austerlitz (1960). He was married to Jandeline. He died on 24 June 1998 in Paris, France.The Sword and the Rose (1953)
Louis XII- D.A. Clarke-Smith was born on 2 August 1888 in Montrose, Borders, Scotland, UK. He was an actor, known for The Pickwick Papers (1952), The Good Companions (1933) and Lorna Doone (1934). He was married to Catherine Rosemary Ellis and Alice Bowes. He died on 12 March 1959 in Withyham, Sussex, England, UK.The Sword and the Rose (1953)
Cardinal Wolsey - Actor
- Writer
- Director
Gérard Oury was born on 29 April 1919 in Paris, France. He was an actor and writer, known for The Sucker (1965), The Mad Adventures of Rabbi Jacob (1973) and Don't Look Now... We're Being Shot At! (1966). He was married to Jacqueline Roman. He died on 19 July 2006 in Saint-Tropez, Var, France.The Sword and the Rose (1953)
Dauphin of France- Actor
- Additional Crew
Fernand Fabre was born on 7 November 1899 in Salon-de-Provence, Bouches-du-Rhône, France. He was an actor, known for Knock, ou le triomphe de la médecine (1925), L'étrangère (1931) and Le colonel Chabert (1943). He was married to Mona Goya, Marguerite Guérau and Reine Fages. He died on 19 January 1987 in Paris, France.The Sword and the Rose (1953)
DeLongueville- Gaston Richer is known for The Cruel Sea (1953), Brandy for the Parson (1952) and Secret People (1952).The Sword and the Rose (1953)
Antoine Duprat - Actress
- Soundtrack
Acclaimed actress Rosalie Crutchley originally trained at the Royal Academy of Music. She made her acting debut in repertory in 1938 at the Liverpool Playhouse. She made her Broadway debut in 1950. The Guild of Television named her best actress of the year in 1956 for Black Limelight (1956). Her darkly Mediterranean complexion and gaunt, severe facial features caused her to be frequently cast as Spanish (eg. Queen Katherine in The Sword and the Rose (1953)), French or Italian women. Her screen persona tended to be either sinister or villainous, or downtrodden and tragic. She played the role of Madame Defarge in both the 1958 film of A Tale of Two Cities (1958) and a later BBC television version, A Tale of Two Cities (1965). She also played in two different BBC television versions of "The Franchise Affair", in the first, The Franchise Affair (1962), playing the daughter and in the second, The Franchise Affair (1988), playing the mother. She played Catherine Parr both in The Six Wives of Henry VIII (1970), for which she won an International Television Award, and in the sequel Elizabeth R (1971).The Sword and the Rose (1953)
Queen Katherine
Greyfriars Bobby (1961)
Farmer’s Wife- Actress
- Additional Crew
Helen Goss was born on 15 October 1903 in London, England, UK. She was an actress, known for The Hound of the Baskervilles (1959), The Wicked Lady (1945) and BBC Sunday-Night Play (1960). She died in August 1985 in Essex, England, UK.The Sword and the Rose (1953)
Princess Claude- Actor
- Writer
- Producer
Best known for his appearances on British television in the comedy series Father, Dear Father (1968), Patrick Cargill was also a distinguished stage actor and a brilliant farceur. His immaculate timing was known throughout the profession to the point that when directors were casting a certain type of leading role they would refer to it as a "Patrick Cargill part".
Cargill made his stage debut in Bexhill on Sea, Sussex, as a teenager before joining Anthony Hawtrey's company in London. Throughout the 1950s he was rarely off the West End stage in a string of farces and comedies, in many of which he played the leading role.
In 1967 he was offered the television series Father, Dear Father, written especially for him, in which he played a thriller writer, the inept father of two teenage daughters who were played by Natasha Pyne and Ann Holloway. The series ran until 1973 and in 1976 he returned to television in The Many Wives of Patrick (1976), in which he appeared as a middle-aged playboy trying to divorce his sixth wife in order to remarry his first.
In 1978 he appeared on the London stage in a revival of Anthony Shaffer's thriller, "Sleuth", which was not well received by the critics on the grounds that with all his charm, Cargill's leading role lacked menace.
In 1967 he was personally chosen by Charles Chaplin to play the role of Hudson, "a gentleman's gentleman", in the film A Countess from Hong Kong (1967). The two actors struck up a close friendship. A superb light comedian, Cargill said: "Comedy is instinctive. You know it's there but the moment you consciously search for it you're completely lost. Timing is a skill that you develop over the years. It gives you the necessary courage to wait - to pause while the audience gathers in anticipation."The Sword and the Rose (1953)
French Diplomat- Actor
- Director
- Writer
Urbane, debonair British character actor, a former insurance policy draughtsman. He trained for acting at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA) and made his stage debut in 1938. After serving for six years in the Royal Artillery, he appeared in films from 1948, latterly coming to note under the direction of Stanley Kubrick. Sharp had a penchant for aristocratic types or professional authority figures, but could also relied upon to be an effective straight man in British sitcoms.
Dennis Anthony John Sharp (16 June 1915 - 23 July 1984) was an English actor, writer and director.
Anthony Sharp was a graduate of the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA) and made his stage debut in February 1938 with HV Neilson's Shakespearean touring company, playing the Sergeant in Macbeth at the De La Warr Pavilion, Bexhill-on-Sea. Repertory engagements in Wigan, Hastings, Peterborough and Liverpool were followed by war service, after which he resumed his stage career at the Mercury Theatre, Notting Hill Gate in September 1946, playing Hansell in Tangent.
He first appeared in the West End in Family Portrait at the Strand Theatre in February 1948. Among his many subsequent appearances were Cry Liberty (Vaudeville Theatre 1950), Who Goes There! (Vaudeville Theatre 1951), For Better, For Worse (Comedy Theatre 1952), Small Hotel (St Martin's Theatre 1955), No Time for Sergeants (Her Majesty's Theatre 1956), The Edwardians (Saville Theatre 1959), She's Done It Again (Garrick Theatre 1969), The Avengers (Prince of Wales Theatre 1971) and Number One (Queen's Theatre 1984).
Other London credits included The Rivals (Sadler's Wells 1972), She Stoops to Conquer (Lyric Hammersmith 1982) and several appearances at the Open Air Theatre Regent's Park. There he played Benedick in Much Ado About Nothing in 1958 and Malvolio in Twelfth Night the following year, rejoining the company in 1978 for such plays as The Man of Destiny.
Sharp was also a playwright. His stage version of the Thomas Love Peacock novel Nightmare Abbey was a big hit at the Westminster Theatre in 1952, opening there on 27 February. "Anthony Sharp's altogether delightful adaptation provided one of the most unusual as well as most amusing offerings of the season," commented Theatre World editor Frances Stephens. After a try-out in Sheffield, the historical drama The Conscience of the King was remounted at the Theatre Royal Windsor, starting on 14 March 1955; Sharp himself played 17th century parliamentarian John Hampden. A third play, Tale of a Summer's Day, was written in 1959.
In addition Sharp was a prolific director, particularly of comedy-thrillers and 'boardroom' dramas. His credits included Any Other Business (Westminster Theatre 1958), Caught Napping (Piccadilly Theatre 1959), Wolf's Clothing (Strand Theatre 1959), Billy Bunter Flies East (Victoria Palace 1959), The Gazebo (Savoy Theatre 1960), Guilty Party (St Martin's Theatre 1961), Critic's Choice (Vaudeville Theatre 1961), Act of Violence (1962 UK tour), Devil May Care (Strand Theatre 1963), Difference of Opinion (Garrick Theatre 1963), Hostile Witness (Haymarket Theatre 1964), Wait Until Dark (Strand Theatre 1966), Justice is a Woman (Vaudeville Theatre 1966) and Harvey (1970 UK tour). He also directed several productions in Hong Kong and Australia.
On screen Sharp was frequently cast as supercilious professional or aristocratic types, notably in the Stanley Kubrick films A Clockwork Orange (as Minister of the Interior) and Barry Lyndon (as Lord Hallam). Other film credits include Cornel Wilde's No Blade of Grass, two for Michael Winner (The Jokers and I'll Never Forget What's'isname), Russ Meyer's Black Snake and the Disney film One of Our Dinosaurs is Missing. His only starring role in a feature film was the homicidal priest Father Xavier Meldrum in Pete Walker's 1975 horror picture House of Mortal Sin. n 1977 he had a leading role in the children's television series The Flockton Flyer. Other TV dramas in which he appeared included The Plane Makers, Doomwatch, The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes, Crown Court, Upstairs, Downstairs, Schalcken the Painter and The Life and Times of David Lloyd George. He also played numerous cameo parts in sitcoms, notably Dad's Army (1969, 1977), Steptoe and Son (three episodes, 1970-74), Nearest and Dearest (1973), Man About the House (1975), Rising Damp (1975), George & Mildred (1976, 1978) and To the Manor Born (eight episodes, 1979-81). He worked frequently with such TV comedians as Benny Hill, Morecambe and Wise, Frankie Howerd and Bernie Winters, and towards the end of his life appeared in the early 1980s alternative comedy programmes The Young Ones and The Comic Strip.
His final feature film, in which he played foreign secretary Lord Ambrose, was the James Bond picture Never Say Never Again, released in 1983.
On radio, in 1981, he appeared as the town clerk of the fictional Frambourne Town Council in the pilot episode of It Sticks Out Half a Mile, the radio sequel to Dad's Army; it was in that episode that Arthur Lowe reprised his role of Captain Mainwaring for the very last time several months before his death. In 1982-84, he was a regular as Major Dyrenforth on the Radio 2 series The Random Jottings of Hinge and Bracket, his last few episodes being broadcast posthumously.
He was born Dennis Anthony John Sharp in Highgate in 1915 and was an insurance policy draughtsman before training as an actor. From 1940-46 he served with the Royal Corps of Signals and the Royal Artillery in North Africa, Italy and Austria. "Once the war was over," he recalled, "I wangled a transfer to the Army Broadcasting Service and helped run radio stations at Naples and Rome. These were very full and very pleasant days - announcing, script-writing, disc-jockeying, organising programmes, producing, acting.
He married the actress Margaret Wedlake in July 1953 and a son, Jonathan, was born in 1954. In Who's Who in the Theatre he listed his favourite part as Malvolio and his recreations as church architecture and watching cricket.
He died of natural causes aged 69 in his native London; at the time of his death he was playing the Doctor in the West End production of Jean Anouilh's Number One at the Queen's Theatre.The Sword and the Rose (1953)
French Diplomat- Richard Molinas studied French, Spanish and Italian languages at St. Francis Xavier College, Bruges, Belgium. He came from a circus family and started career with parents in circuses. He made his screen debut in 1936. Played lead in many stage productions and later character roles in films. After service in the Merchant Navy, he made a theatrical tour of the Middle East. His first radio program was "Battle of the Atlantic" for the B.B.C. Afterwards he broadcast for them in numerous radio plays and later on television. His best known television role was as Pancho Lopez in a television production of "The Bad Man". His hobbies in real life were of the outdoor variety notably motoring, riding, shooting, swimming and boating. He died during the second quarter of 1975 at the age of 63.The Sword and the Rose (1953)
Father Pierre - Ernest Jay was born on 18 September 1893 in London, England, UK. He was an actor, known for The History of Mr. Polly (1949), BBC Sunday-Night Theatre (1950) and ITV Television Playhouse (1955). He was married to 'Catherine Mary Hay'. He died on 8 February 1957 in London, England, UK.The Sword and the Rose (1953)
Lord Chamberlain - Writer
- Producer
- Director
Songwriter ("A Boy Is a Curious Thing"), auhor, director, producer and actor, educated at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. Between 1928 and 1938 he was a Broadway stage actor and appeared in several films, and from 1938 to 1942 he was a writer for radio, films and stage productions, and later television. Joining ASCAP in 1954, his chief musical collaborators included William Lava, Walter Schumann, Paul Smith, Gill George, Ted Sears, Ralph Wright, and Oliver Wallace. His other popular-song compositions include "I'll Remember", "I Wonder", "Following the Leader", "Stingaree", "Now to Sleep", "Together Time", "Break of Day", and "We'll Smoke the Blighter Out".The Living Desert (1953)
Narrator
The Vanishing Prairie (1954)
Narrator
The African Lion (1955)
Narrator
Secrets of Life (1956)
Narrator
Perri (1957)
Narrator
White Wilderness (1958)
Narrator
Jungle Cat (1961)
Narrator- Archie Duncan was born on 26 May 1914 in Glasgow, Scotland, UK. He was an actor, known for The Adventures of Robin Hood (1955), Sherlock Holmes (1954) and Saint Joan (1957). He died on 24 July 1979 in Waltham Forest, London, England, UK.Rob Roy: The Highland Rogue (1953)
Dugal MacGregor - Actor
- Soundtrack
Russell Waters began his acting career in the 1930s and soon found himself cast in various film roles at the start of what promised to be a bright future as an actor. Unfortunately, WWII radically changed his prospects; conscripted into the army for the duration and wounded at some point around mid to late 1944 which saw him invalided back to England.
Shortly after his return home he met a young war widow Barbara; they married and produced four children: John Waters, Angela, Stephen, and Fiona Fizz Waters. The Waters family lived in a rented top floor 2 bedroom flat in Anlaby Road, Teddington, Middlesex close to the Thames TV studios. Russell's career was capricious to say the least, an obviously talented actor, underrated and often overlooked probably due to the vagaries of time and circumstance brought about by the events of WWII.Rob Roy: The Highland Rogue (1953)
Hugh MacGregor- Marjorie Fielding was born on 17 February 1892 in Gloucester, England, UK. She was an actress, known for The Franchise Affair (1951), Quiet Weekend (1946) and Yellow Canary (1943). She died on 28 December 1956 in London, England, UK.Rob Roy: The Highland Rogue (1953)
Maggie MacPherson - Born in Vienna. Studied at Max Reinhardt School. Early years as entertainer at Reiss Bar in Vienna. Often appeared at still-existing Raimund-Theater. Met wife, Liselotte, on stage in Brno (now Czech Republic). She escaped to London in 1938, he in 1939, where they married that year. Frequent appearances on German BBC during the war. Appeared often on British stage, including "Point of Departure" (with Dirk Bogarde, Mai Zetterling and Brenda de Banzie), "Settled out of Court" (with Nigel Patrick) and "The Threepenny Opera" (with Bill Owen, Georgia Brown, George A. Cooper, Lisa Lee), playing the part of Peachum. Frequent TV appearances, including episodes of The Saint (1962) and The Avengers (1961). Resumed German-speaking career in 1965, starring in "Das Feuerwerk" in Munich (from which the song "Oh My Papa" comes). Among other stage appearances in Germany: "Der Talisman" and "Der Entertainer". Was back in Vienna on the stage, appearing at the Theater an der Wien in musicals, including: "Das Apartment" ("Promises, Promises"), in which he played the doctor (a version of "Raindrops Keep Falling on my Head" was inserted for him to sing), "Billy" (a version of "Billy Liar"), and "Die Graefin von Naschmarkt", in which he starred alongside Marika Rökk. Tales from the Vienna Woods (1979) was his last film. It was directed by Maximilian Schell, and was included in the 1979 London Film Festival. He died durng final rehearsals for his second appearance at the Salzburg Festival, playing together with Schell as the Dicke Fetter (the fat cousin) in the traditional "Jederman" ("Everyman").Rob Roy: The Highland Rogue (1953)
King George I - Ina De La Haye was born on 11 October 1906 in St. Petersburg, Russia. She was an actress, known for BBC Sunday-Night Theatre (1950), Our House (1960) and A Mask for Alexis (1959). She was married to Colonel J. V. Delahaye. She died on 5 December 1972 in Tiechurst, England, UK.Rob Roy: The Highland Rogue (1953)
Countess von Pahlen - Michael Goodliffe was born on 1 October 1914 in Bebington, Cheshire, England, UK. He was an actor, known for A Night to Remember (1958), Peeping Tom (1960) and The One That Got Away (1957). He was married to Dorothy Margaret Tyndale. He died on 20 March 1976 in Wimbledon, London, England, UK.Rob Roy: The Highland Rogue (1953)
Sir Robert Walpole - Martin Boddey was born on 16 April 1907 in Stirling, Scotland, UK. He was an actor, known for A Man for All Seasons (1966), The Naked Lady (1959) and Doctor Who (1963). He was married to Joyce Mary Case. He died on 24 October 1975 in London, England, UK.Rob Roy: The Highland Rogue (1953)
General Codagan - Ewen Solon was born on 7 September 1917 in Auckland, New Zealand. He was an actor, known for The Hound of the Baskervilles (1959), The Message (1976) and The Message (1976). He was married to Vicki Woolf. He died on 7 July 1985 in Addlestone, Surrey, England, UK.Rob Roy: The Highland Rogue (1953)
Maj. Gen. Wightman - Director
- Actor
- Producer
Ian MacNaughton was born on 30 December 1925 in Glasgow, Scotland, UK. He was a director and actor, known for Monty Python's Flying Circus (1969), Monty Python's and Now for Something Completely Different (1971) and Q5 (1969). He was married to Ike Ott and Rita Davies. He died on 10 December 2002 in Munich, Bavaria, Germany.Rob Roy: The Highland Rogue (1953)
Callum MacGregor- Actor
- Director
Ted Follows was born on 30 November 1926 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. He was an actor and director, known for Encounter (1952), Virus (1980) and Judge (1982). He was married to Susan Trethewey and Dawn Greenhalgh. He died on 21 October 2016 in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada.Rob Roy: The Highland Rogue (1953)
Douglas MacGregor- May Hallatt was born on 1 May 1876 in Scarborough, England, UK. She was an actress, known for Black Narcissus (1947), Separate Tables (1958) and Me and My Girl (1939). She died on 20 May 1969 in London, England, UK.Rob Roy: The Highland Rogue (1953)
Ballad Hawker - Hamilton Keene was born on 15 November 1896 in Hampstead, London, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Mutiny on the Elsinore (1937), The Middle Watch (1930) and Blackout (1940). He died on 4 October 1975 in Chelsea, London, England, UK.Rob Roy: The Highland Rogue (1953)
Fort Commandant - Malcolm Keen was born on 8 August 1887 in Bristol, England, UK. He was an actor, known for The Manxman (1929), The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog (1927) and Scotland Yard Commands (1936). He was married to Phyllis May Abell (1900-1988) and ? (first). He died on 30 January 1970 in England, UK.Rob Roy: The Highland Rogue (1953)
Dukes of Marlborough - David Keir Gracie was born in 1884 in the district of St Andrews in Dundee, Scotland. He left Dundee for London in his teens to learn the glove trade and enter the family business. He abandoned this, however, and went on the stage, first as a hoofer in vaudeville and then as an actor. Because such a move brought shame on an otherwise respectable family he used his middle name and took the stage name David Keir. He toured extensively as an actor in repertory, playing in the US, Africa, India and China. In the 1930s through to the 1950s he had parts in over 70 films. Some were uncredited but the most famous was A.J. Cronin's Hatter's Castle (1942) with Robert Newton. He had some television work at the end of his career. Being of small statute and over 50 years of age by the time he made his first film, he had mainly minor parts but he loved the work. He lived alone in Holborn in London until his death in 1971.Rob Roy: The Highland Rogue (1953)
Servant Argyll - Actor
- Producer
- Director
Cleft-chinned, steely-eyed and virile star of international cinema who rose from being "the ragman's son" (the name of his best-selling 1988 autobiography) to become a bona fide superstar, Kirk Douglas, also known as Issur Danielovitch Demsky, was born on December 9, 1916 in Amsterdam, New York. His parents, Bryna (Sanglel) and Herschel Danielovitch, were Jewish immigrants from Chavusy, Mahilyow Voblast (now in Belarus). Although growing up in a poor ghetto, Douglas was a fine student and a keen athlete and wrestled competitively during his time at St. Lawrence University. Professional wrestling helped pay for his studies as did working on the side as a waiter and a bellboy. However, he soon identified an acting scholarship as a way out of his meager existence, and was sufficiently talented to gain entry into the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. He made his Broadway debut in "Spring Again" before his career was interrupted by World War II. He joining the United States Navy in 1941, and then after the end of hostilities in 1945, returned to the theater and some radio work. On the insistence of ex-classmate Lauren Bacall, movie producer Hal B. Wallis screen-tested Douglas and cast him in the lead role in The Strange Love of Martha Ivers (1946). His performance received rave reviews and further work quickly followed, including an appearance in the low-key drama I Walk Alone (1947), the first time he worked alongside fellow future screen legend Burt Lancaster. Such was the strong chemistry between the two that they appeared in seven films together, including the dynamic western Gunfight at the O.K. Corral (1957), the John Frankenheimer political thriller Seven Days in May (1964) and their final pairing in the gangster comedy Tough Guys (1986). Douglas once said about his good friend: "I've finally gotten away from Burt Lancaster. My luck has changed for the better. I've got nice-looking girls in my films now."
After appearing in "I Walk Alone," Douglas scored his first Oscar nomination playing the untrustworthy and opportunistic boxer Midge Kelly in the gripping Champion (1949). The quality of his work continued to garner the attention of critics and he was again nominated for Oscars for his role as a film producer in The Bad and the Beautiful (1952) and as tortured painter Vincent van Gogh in Lust for Life (1956), both directed by Vincente Minnelli. In 1955, Douglas launched his own production company, Bryna Productions, the company behind two pivotal film roles in his career. The first was as French army officer Col. Dax in director Stanley Kubrick's brilliant anti-war epic Paths of Glory (1957). Douglas reunited with Kubrick for yet another epic, the magnificent Spartacus (1960). The film also marked a key turning point in the life of screenwriter Dalton Trumbo, who had been blacklisted during the McCarthy "Red Scare" hysteria in the 1950s. At Douglas' insistence, Trumbo was given on-screen credit for his contributions, which began the dissolution of the infamous blacklisting policies begun almost a decade previously that had destroyed so many careers and lives.
Douglas remained busy throughout the 1960s, starring in many films. He played a rebellious modern-day cowboy in Lonely Are the Brave (1962), acted alongside John Wayne in the World War II story In Harm's Way (1965), again with The Duke in a drama about the Israeli fight for independence, Cast a Giant Shadow (1966), and once more with Wayne in the tongue-in-cheek western The War Wagon (1967). Additionally in 1963, he starred in an onstage production of Ken Kesey's "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest," but despite his keen interest, no Hollywood studio could be convinced to bring the story to the screen. However, the rights remained with the Douglas clan, and Kirk's talented son Michael Douglas finally filmed the tale in 1975, starring Jack Nicholson. Into the 1970s, Douglas wasn't as busy as previous years; however, he starred in some unusual vehicles, including alongside a young Arnold Schwarzenegger in the loopy western comedy The Villain (1979), then with Farrah Fawcett in the sci-fi thriller Saturn 3 (1980) and then he traveled to Australia for the horse opera/drama The Man from Snowy River (1982).
Unknown to many, Kirk has long been involved in humanitarian causes and has been a Goodwill Ambassador for the US State Department since 1963. His efforts were rewarded with the Presidential Medal of Freedom (1981), and with the Jefferson Award (1983). Furthermore, the French honored him with the Chevalier of the Legion of Honor. More recognition followed for his work with the American Cinema Award (1987), the German Golden Kamera Award (1987), The National Board of Reviews Career Achievement Award (1989), an honorary Academy Award (1995), Recipient of the American Film Institute's Lifetime Achievement Award (1999) and the UCLA Medal of Honor (2002). Despite a helicopter crash and a stroke suffered in the 1990s, he remained active and continued to appear in front of the camera. Until his passing on February 5 2020 at the age of 103, he and Olivia de Havilland were the last surviving major stars from the Golden Years of Hollywood.20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954)
Ned Land- Actor
- Producer
- Writer
James Mason was born in Huddersfield and had a film career spanning over 50 years during which he appeared in over 100 films in England and America but never won an Oscar. Whatever role he played, from the wounded Belfast gunman in Odd Man Out to Rommel in The Desert Fox, his creamy velvet voice gave him away. Like Charlie Chaplin James left the screen to spend his later life living in Switzerland. His first marriage had been to Pamela Kellino, a Yorkshire mill owner's daughter and his second to Australian actress Clarissa Kaye.20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954)
Captain Nemo- Actor
- Soundtrack
Oscar-winning actor Paul Lukas was born in Hungary and graduated from the School for Dramatic Arts. In 1916 he went to Kosice (Kassa) to be an actor; in 1918 he became an actor specializing in comedy. For ten years he was the most popular character player and romantic lead of the company. In 1918 he began making movies in Budapest and in the 1920s he began appearing in films in Austria as well. He journeyed to Hollywood in 1927, where he finally settled down. He wasn't untrue to the stage--he played Dr. Rank to Ruth Gordon's Nora in Henrik Ibsen's "A Doll's House" in the Morosco Theatre in New York in 1937--but concentrated on films until 1948. In the '50s he started appearing on stage more and more, and worked in films and on TV only sporadically.20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954)
Professor Aronnax- Actor
- Writer
- Director
Peter Lorre was born László Löwenstein in Rózsahegy in the Slovak area of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the son of Hungarian Jewish parents. He learned both Hungarian and German languages from birth, and was educated in elementary and secondary schools in the Austria-Hungary capitol Vienna, but did not complete. As a youth he ran away from home, first working as a bank clerk, and after stage training in Vienna, Austria, made his acting debut at age 17 in 1922 in Zurich, Switzerland. He traveled for several years acting on stage throughout his home region, Vienna, Berlin, and Zurich, including working with Bertolt Brecht, until Fritz Lang cast him in a starring role as the psychopathic child killer in the German film M (1931).
After several more films in Germany, including a couple roles for which he learned to speak French, Lorre left as the Nazis came to power, going first to Paris where he made one film, then London where Alfred Hitchcock cast him as a creepy villain in The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934), where he learned his lines phonetically, and finally arrived in Hollywood in 1935. In his first two roles there he starred as a mad scientist in Mad Love (1935) directed by recent fellow-expatriate Karl Freund, and the leading part of Raskolnikov in Crime and Punishment (1935), by another expatriate German director Josef von Sternberg, a successful movie made at Lorre's own suggestion. He returned to England for a role in another Hitchcock film, Secret Agent (1936), then back to the US for a few more films before checking into a rehab facility to cure himself of a morphine addiction.
After shaking his addiction, in order to get any kind of acting work, Lorre reluctantly accepted the starring part as the Japanese secret agent in Thank You, Mr. Moto (1937), wearing makeup to alter his already very round eyes for the part. He ended up committed to repeating the role for eight more "Mr. Moto" movies over the next two years.
Lorre played numerous memorable villain roles, spy characters, comedic roles, and even a romantic type, throughout the 1940s, beginning with his graduation from 30s B-pictures The Maltese Falcon (1941). Among his most famous films, Casablanca (1942), and a comedic role in the Broadway hit film Arsenic and Old Lace (1944).
After the war, between 1946 and '49 Lorre concentrated largely on radio and the stage, while continuing to appear in movies. In Autumn 1950 he traveled to West Gemany where he wrote, directed and starred in the critically acclaimed but generally unknown German-language film The Lost Man (1951), adapted from Lorre's own novel.
Lorre returned to the US in 1952, somewhat heavier in stature, where he used his abilities as a stage actor appearing in many live television productions throughout the 50s, including the first James Bond adaptation Casino Royale (1954), broadcast just a few months after Ian Fleming had published that first Bond novel. In that decade, Lorre had various roles, often to type but also as comedic caricatures of himself, in many episodes of TV series, and variety shows, though he continued to work in motion pictures, including the Academy Award winning Around the World in 80 Days (1956), and a stellar role as a clown in The Big Circus (1959).
In the late 50s and early 1960s he worked in several low-budget films, with producer-director Roger Corman, and producer-writer-director Irwin Allen, including the aforementioned The Big Circus and two adventurous Disney movies with Allen. He died from a stroke the year he made his last movie, playing a stooge in Jerry Lewis' The Patsy (1964).20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954)
Conseil- Actor
- Producer
Prolific American character actor of primarily villainous roles. The son of German parents, Cincinnati feed-store manager August Wilke and his wife Rose, Robert Joseph Wilke grew up in Cincinnati. He worked as a lifeguard at a Miami, Florida, hotel, where he made contacts in the film business. He was able to obtain work as a stuntman and continued as such until the mid-'40s, when he began getting actual roles in low-budget westerns and serials. A prominent appearance as one of the heavies in High Noon (1952) led to work in higher-quality films. He worked extensively in television as well as movies, and became an enormously familiar face, though a fairly anonymous one to the general public. His weathered visage made him a perfect western bad guy, but he occasionally played sympathetic parts as well, as in Days of Heaven (1978). An expert golfer, he was said by his friend Claude Akins to have earned more money on the golf course than he ever did in movies. He died in 1989.20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954)
Nautilus’ First Mate- A big, brawny villain of many 1940s and 1950s films, Ted de Corsia was an actor in touring companies and on radio before making a memorable film debut as the killer in The Lady from Shanghai (1947). Although he occasionally played such sympathetic roles as a judge or prison warden, de Corsia's imposing size, tough New York street demeanor - he was born and raised in Brooklyn - and gravelly voice assured him steady work playing murderous street thugs, outlaw gang leaders or organized-crime bosses. One of his best-remembered roles was as the head of a murder-for-hire gang who turns state's evidence in the Humphrey Bogart crime thriller The Enforcer (1951).20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954)
Captain Farragut - American character actor noted for his deep, rich voice. Young made his Broadway debut in the early 1930s, appearing in such plays as "Page Pygmalion", "The Man Who Reclaimed His Head", "Late Wisdom" and "Yesterday's Orchids". Moving to Hollywood in 1936, he began getting small film roles and soon graduated to frequent appearances in B-Westerns and serials, occasionally as a supporting lead, but most often as a heavy. He was Dick Tracy's brother in Dick Tracy (1937) and was a familiar face in many oaters and serials at Republic, where he was a contract player, occasionally working under the stage name Gordon Robert. In 1941, Young returned to Broadway to star in "Cuckoos On the Hearth" by Parker Fennelly. Back in Hollywood, he made Westerns throughout the Forties, then began appearing in better roles in better films, becoming a late favorite of John Ford. His line in The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962), "This is the West, sir. When the legend becomes fact, print the legend", has become synonymous with Ford. Young retired in 1970 and died in 1994, at the age of 89. He is often confused with Carleton G. Young, a radio performer who made a few films and who was the father of actor Tony Young.20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954)
John Howard - Actor
- Director
- Writer
J.M. Kerrigan was born on 16 December 1884 in Dublin, Ireland. He was an actor and director, known for Gone with the Wind (1939), 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954) and The Wolf Man (1941). He died on 29 April 1964 in Hollywood, California, USA.20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954)
Billy- Actor
- Soundtrack
One of the most familiar faces and voices in Hollywood films of the 1950s. Percy Helton acted almost from infancy, appearing in his father's vaudeville act. The famed Broadway producer David Belasco cast Helton in a succession of child roles over several years, giving the boy an invaluable grounding in the technique and spirit of the theatre. George M. Cohan took Helton under his wing and used him in a number of plays.
Helton served in the United States Army in Europe during World War I in the American Expeditionary Forces, with the 305th Field Artillery, and at war's end returned to acting on the stage, carving out a substantial career as a juvenile in plays such as "One Sunday Afternoon" and "Young America". In one of these plays he was required to shout and scream for much of the performance, and by the end of the run his voice had become permanently hoarse. He moved by necessity into character roles, working primarily on the stage until the late 1940s. Despite some early work as a juvenile in silent films, it was not until his brief but memorable appearance as a drunken Santa Claus in Miracle on 34th Street (1947) that he began to shift primarily into film work. His diminutive physique and unmistakable voice made him a fixture in a wide range of films and TV programs throughout the next two decades.20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954)
Coach Driver- Ted Cooper was born on 15 June 1917 in Alabama, USA. He was an actor, known for 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954), Phantom from Space (1953) and Enter Arsene Lupin (1944). He died on 16 January 1994 in Los Angeles County, California, USA.20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954)
Abraham Lincoln’s First Mate - Actor
- Stunts
- Additional Crew
Baseball gave burly Fred Graham his start in motion pictures. In 1928 he was working for the MGM sound department and also playing semi-pro baseball on the side. The studio was making a murder mystery called Death on the Diamond (1934), starring Robert Young and Nat Pendleton. Graham was hired to tutor Young and Pendleton in the fine points of the game, and doubled Pendleton in the catching scenes. This started him on a more than 40-year career as a stuntman and actor. While at the studio he doubled Clark Gable, Nelson Eddy and Charles Bickford. He went over to Warner Bros. in 1938, and his initial assignment was to double Basil Rathbone in The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938). In 1941 he moved to Republic Pictures and worked on the studio's famed westerns and serials, and was a major part of the team of stunt experts, including such aces as David Sharpe and Tom Steele, responsible for the reputation that Republic enjoyed as having the best stunt department in the business. Graham met John Wayne there and stunted for him in many of the films Wayne made at the studio. He also appeared in many films as an actor, usually playing truck drivers, cops, soldiers, crooks, etc. In 1968 he went to work for Arizona's Department of Economic Planning and Development of Motion Pictures, and had more to do with bringing filming to the state of Arizona than anyone else. In Arizona they have the "Carefree at Southwest Studios", which was formerly known as "The Graham Studio". In 1978 "Slugger", a nickname he got in his Republic days, passed away.20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954)
Casey- A prime pin up attraction ("Miss Body Beautiful", "Miss Bronx"), auburn-haired Mickey Koren was raised in the East Bronx and began her career as a juvenile model. She moved with her family to California while still in her teens. After attending classes at the Ben Bard Drama academy in Hollywood, Laurie appeared in stage productions in southern California (then using the name Barbara White, following a marriage to trumpet player and magician Larry White). Having segued into motion pictures -- beginning with a bit part as a good time girl in 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954)] -- she languished for several years near the bottom of the bill in second features, alternating with marginally better guest spots on TV in anthology dramas and westerns. Though usually typecast as 'saloon girls' in often stilted fare, she later recalled "... they were crappy pictures, but I loved it. It was a great, great experience." A co-starring role in a minor musical comedy aimed at the youth market (Calypso Joe (1957)) began to raise her profile. Taking her sister's advice, Laurie then changed her hair colour to blond and adopted her new moniker. Thus transformed, she went on to join the circle of cult favorites, commencing her foray into mini-budget schlock sci-fi with Attack of the Puppet People (1958). This was followed with two back-to-back roles in the same genre: first, as a man-hating Venusian despot in the (frankly dreadful) Queen of Outer Space (1958) (in which she goes toe-to-toe with a heavily accented Zsa Zsa Gabor); her second, as a 'moon girl' fated to be munched up by a lunar cave spider in (the equally vapid) Missile to the Moon (1958), an inferior re-make of the earlier Cat-Women of the Moon (1953). On a brighter note, there also were small parts in the Billy Wilder classic Some Like It Hot (1959) (as one of Sweet Sue's band members) and as a showgirl in the Cary Grant-Doris Day rom-com That Touch of Mink (1962).
Laurie retired from the screen in 1971. She divorced White in 1976 and subsequently married a medical salesman, re-emerging from relative obscurity in later years after being "rediscovered" by fans to making the rounds of celebrity expos.20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954)
Hooker - Actor
- Producer
Born in Mexican revolution times, Pedro Armendáriz was the first child of Mexican Pedro Armendáriz García-Conde and American Adele Hastings. He was raised in Churubusco, then a suburb of Mexico City, before the family traveled to Laredo, Texas. They lived there until 1921, the year Armendáriz' parents died. His uncle Francisco took charge of his education, and young Pedro went to the Polytechnic Institute of San Luis Obispo, California. There, he studied business and journalism. He graduated in 1931 and returned to Mexico City where he found work as a railroad employee, insurance salesman and tourist guide. He was discovered by director Miguel Zacarías when Armendáriz was reciting Hamlet's monologue (to be or not to be) to an American tourist in a cafeteria.
After that, Armendáriz began a brilliant career in Mexico, the United States and Europe. Together with Dolores Del Río and Emilio Fernández, Armendáriz made many of the greatest films in the so-called Mexican Cinema Golden Era: Wild Flower (1943), Bugambilia (1945), Maria Candelaria (1944), among others. He was considered a prototype of masculinity and male beauty. His green eyes and almost perfect features made him perfectly cast in any role he made. But it was his passion, force and acting abilities, combined with his quality of a gentleman what made him an instant favorite of great directors like John Ford, international costars like María Félix, Sean Connery or Susan Hayward, and his fans in Mexico and other countries.The Littlest Outlaw (1955)
Gen. Torres- Actor
- Writer
- Soundtrack
His full name was Joseph Alexander Caesar Herstall Vincent Calleja - but he was better known as Joseph or Joe Calleia, one of Hollywood's most recognized bad guys. But Calleia's roots and talents ran much deeper than character actor. He was Maltese, born on that barren but historically important island of Malta between Italy and Africa in the Mediterranean. The Maltese culture was a crossroads of peoples (partially Arabic) but as intrepid fisherman, navigators, and warriors-as they proved to the 16th century Turks - it was a proud one. But it could not hold Calleia, who, blessed with a good singing voice and a talent for composing, joined a harmonica band that left for the Continent in 1914. This was a Europe feeling the initial blows of World War I, and Calleia's band toured the length and breadth of it in music halls and cafes. He went to Paris and eventually came to London to perform some concert singing engagements. And from there the lure of the New World brought him to New York by 1926.
It was a natural enough transition for a talented singing performer to acting. Calleia did his first play on Broadway in an original drama suitably called "Broadway" for a long run from late 1926 early 1928. This was the first of seven plays he did into early 1935. He took a double role as actor and stage manager for the 1930-31 run of "Grand Hotel". He received good reviews (once called him a "bright light" on Broadway) and later recalled that his treading the boards were his best years as an actor. By 1931 he had yet another course to steer. Hollywood had noticed him, for his constrained intensity as an actor was matched by a singular visage - heavy-lidded eyes and dark features that gave him a disquieting and menacing appearance. Yet the sometime telltale lilt in his voice betrayed the fine singer. He had just enough accent to make him Latin or Greek or Middle Eastern - or indigenous sorts. Of course, his look meant early heavy roles as he went under contract to MGM, doing his first two films in that year of 1931.
By 1935 his looks landed him the role of Sonny Black, a mob boss with many facets, and with a characteristic clenched-teeth delivery, Calleia acquitted himself in fine fashion. Through the 1930s he was pretty much typed-cast as a mobster-with variations. Always with the lean and hungry look, he was a club owner in After the Thin Man (1936) and played a government cop in the atmospheric Algiers (1938). He even had time to help write a screenplay for the film Robin Hood of El Dorado (1936) with veteran Warner Baxter. Calleia ended the decade with roles at opposite ends of the character acting spectrum-somewhat center stage as a priest in the sometimes heavy-handed Full Confession (1939) and most memorable as Vasquez, the brought-to-justice criminal on the ill-fated DC-3 that crash lands in headhunter-infested Amazon highlands in Five Came Back (1939). This is a classic adventure drama -- remade with Rod Steiger -- with a great supporting cast that included everyone's favorite wisecracking redhead, Lucille Ball.
Into the 1940s, Calleia was cast in more ethnic roles - particularly as Hispanics of various sorts. But his roles were memorable nonetheless, as El Sordo in For Whom the Bell Tolls (1943) and Rodriguez in The Cross of Lorraine (1943). But two roles stand out. His Buldeo in the Alexander Korda classic production of The Jungle Book (1942) was a personal favorite, a double role, as trouble-making villager and the selfsame man now old and wise telling the story to the village children as narrator. The makeup is so good-and Calleia enjoyed character makeup-that most viewers are surprised when the old man reveals his identity. More mainstream Hollywood was his intriguing role as Detective Obregon in Gilda (1946). He's the good guy-right? - but he comes off so sly with his sidelong looks and the way he bates the principals - Glenn Ford and Rita Hayworth - that you just don't know. In the end he has the task, like the chorus in a Shakespearean play, to explain and summarize-perhaps not the best means of getting to the point - but that was the director's choice. His secondary parts receded a bit into the later 1940s and further into the 1950s with Calleia typed to retrace former roles but giving them new nuance just the same. He has little more than a cameo as Indian chief Cuyloga-Native American chiefs being the lot of no few elder actors in 1950s Hollywood - in the otherwise worthwhile Disney adaptation of The Light in the Forest (1958). Calleia ventured into the TV briefly about that time.
But also from that year was another of his favorite roles. Without doubt Touch of Evil (1958) is one of the strangest of Orson Welles later efforts as director/star. It borders on the uneven but is so off-the-wall that one cannot help watching and thoroughly enjoying all the antics of Welles still brilliant film techniques: shadow and light, wild camera angles, gringos playing Mexicans-Charlton Heston is a wow and stained darker than necessary-and over-the-top performances with veteran dramatis personae like Marlene Dietrich, Akim Tamiroff, Calleia, of course, and Welles himself looking like a police captain from skid row and using that funny character voice of his that pops up in his films as an aside. Calleia, with white hair, is tired old cop Sergeant Menzies, long associate of Welles' seedy character. Doing what he has always done, covering up and running interference, in the end Menzies has to face the truth about his crooked captain. Calleia enjoyed the role as going so against his usual type - showing a man harried by his past and haunted by dirty secrets - vulnerable - and very human. It's a great part.
By 1963 Calleia walked away - or, that is - sailed away from Hollywood. He returned to his native Malta for a well deserved retirement. The Maltese had followed the career of their native son, and he had made several visits during his film career. Not surprisingly his biggest fan club was right at home. He was a kind and generous man and very appreciative of his fans wherever they were - quick to read all their letters and quick to send autographed pictures. It was strictly tongue-in-cheek when he supposedly quipped: "Everyone recognizes my face, but no one knows my name." After his passing, the government of the island state of Malta issued two commemorative stamps (1997) to honor him. A bust was erected before the house in which he was born as a further memorial to this Maltese VIP who had made good.The Littlest Outlaw (1955)
Padre
The Light in the Forest (1957)
Chief Cuyloga- Mexican character actor Rodolfo Acosta (born Rodolfo Acosta Pérez) achieved his greatest success in the US, primarily as a villain in westerns. He was born in Chamizal, a section of land disputed by Mexico and Texas due to changes in the Rio Grande river which forms the border. At the time of Acosta's birth, the area was generally accepted by both Mexican and Texas governments as U.S. territory, and Acosta was born an American citizen, despite the fact that his birthplace is now in the Mexican state of Chihuahua. He served in the U.S. Navy in naval intelligence during World War II and married Jeanine Cohen, a woman he met in Casablanca during the North African campaign. They had four children. She filed for divorce when she found out Acosta was having an affair and sharing an apartment in Mexico City with actress Ann Sheridan in the 1950s.) They divorced in 1957. Rodolfo Acosta married again on September 18, 1971 to Vera Martinez and they had one child. She divorced him in 1974 a few weeks before his death at the Motion Picture and Television Country House and Hospital in Woodland Hills, California. After the war, Acosta worked in Mexico in films of the great director Emilio Fernández, which led to a bit in John Ford's film The Fugitive (1947). He came to the US and was signed by Universal for a small role in One Way Street (1950). He stayed in the US and his sharp, ruthless features led him to a long succession of roles as bandits, Indian warriors and outlaws. In The Tijuana Story (1957), he actually had a sympathetic leading role, but in general he spent his career as a very familiar western bad guy.The Littlest Outlaw (1955)
Chato
Savage Sam (1963)
Bandy Legs - Gilberto González was born on 19 February 1902 in León, Guanajuato, Mexico. He was an actor, known for The Pearl (1947), Canaima (1945) and Vino el remolino y nos alevantó (1950). He was married to Lydia Pérez Martínez and Eliane Arcq Tournoret. He died on 21 March 1954 in Palenque, Chiapas, Mexico.The Littlest Outlaw (1955)
Tiger - José Ángel Espinoza is known for Habla Conmigo (2019).The Littlest Outlaw (1955)
Señor Garcia - Laila Maley is known for The Littlest Outlaw (1955).The Littlest Outlaw (1955)
Celita - Actor
- Writer
- Composer
Pepe Ortiz was born on 12 December 1902 in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. He was an actor and writer, known for Marvels of the Bull Ring (1943), The Tiger of Yautepec (1933) and Silk, Blood and Sun (1942). He was married to Lupita Gallardo. He died on 16 April 1975 in Atotonilco, Guanajuato, Mexico.The Littlest Outlaw (1955)
Himself- Jorge Treviño was born on 17 October 1906 in Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico. He was an actor, known for Captain Scarlett (1952), Luponini de Chicago (1935) and The Torch (1950). He was married to María Luisa Ardisson Bonachea. He died on 13 December 1960 in Mexico, Distrito Federal, Mexico.The Littlest Outlaw (1955)
Barber - Enriqueta Zazueta is known for The Littlest Outlaw (1955).The Littlest Outlaw (1955)
Señor Garcia - Director
- Cinematographer
- Actor
Carlos David Ortigosa was born on 9 December 1915. He was a director and cinematographer, known for Mundos opuestos (1976), Mañana será otro día (1976) and Madame Death (1969). He died on 27 December 2007.The Littlest Outlaw (1955)
Doctor- Margarito Luna was born on 13 April 1910 in Guanajuato, Mexico. He was an actor, known for The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948), The Wild Bunch (1969) and Two Mules for Sister Sara (1970). He died in August 1977 in Mexico.The Littlest Outlaw (1955)
Silvestre