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IMDbPro

John Arnatt(1917-1999)

  • Actor
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
John Arnatt in The Saint (1962)
John Edwin Arnatt was born in Petrograd on the eve of the Russian Revolution, the son of a manager for Vauxhall Motors. Forced to leave Russia during the turmoil, his family returned to England where John was schooled at Epworth College and later trained for acting at RADA. On stage from 1936, he made his debut at the London West End in 1938 (in the revue "Happy Returns"). He resumed his theatrical career following wartime army service, even enjoying a brief stint as a stand-up comic at the Windmill Theatre. During the 1950's, he appeared in plays by Shakespeare and Chekhov at the Arts Theatre Club and at the Old Vic (both in London and in Bristol), as well as doubling up reporting sports on commercial television under the nom de plume 'Howard Peters'.

A tall man with urbane manners, a no-nonsense attitude, often sporting a pencil moustache, Arnatt is best remembered for his many impersonations on screen of thoughtful, pipe-smoking authority figures: Scotland Yard inspectors, commissioners, diplomats, aristocrats and army officers. In Doctor Who (1963) ("The Invasion of Time"), he played the Time Lord Borusa, one-time Lord Chancellor of Gallifrey. He was, perhaps, most effectively employed as deputy sheriff (temporarily replacing Alan Wheatley) or as the high sheriff of Nottingham in The Adventures of Robin Hood (1955), a worthy antagonist to Richard Greene.
BornMay 9, 1917
DiedDecember 21, 1999(82)
BornMay 9, 1917
DiedDecember 21, 1999(82)
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank

Photos

John Arnatt and Alan Wheatley in The Adventures of Robin Hood (1955)

Known for

A Challenge for Robin Hood (1967)
A Challenge for Robin Hood
5.7
  • Sheriff of Nottingham
  • 1967
Tom Adams in The 2nd Best Secret Agent in the Whole Wide World (1965)
The 2nd Best Secret Agent in the Whole Wide World
5.8
  • Rockwell
  • 1965
Alan Bates and Hayley Mills in Whistle Down the Wind (1961)
Whistle Down the Wind
7.6
  • Superintendent Teesdale
  • 1961
The Other Man
TV Series
  • Harry Vincent

Credits

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IMDbPro

Actor

  • George Cole and Kevin McNally in Dad (1997)
    Dad
    • Mr. Jarrold
    • TV Series
    • 1999
  • Birds of Prey
    • Gentleman
    • Short
    • 1998
  • Richard E. Grant and Susan Lynch in A Royal Scandal (1997)
    A Royal Scandal
    • Archbishop
    • TV Movie
    • 1997
  • Nigel Le Vaillant in Dangerfield (1995)
    Dangerfield
    • Harry Campbell
    • TV Series
    • 1995
  • Imelda Staunton, Richard Briers, and Adrian Edmondson in If You See God, Tell Him (1993)
    If You See God, Tell Him
    • National Telephone Grandad
    • TV Mini Series
    • 1993
  • Patricia Routledge in Keeping Up Appearances (1990)
    Keeping Up Appearances
    • Sir Edward
    • TV Series
    • 1993
  • Alleyn Mysteries (1990)
    Alleyn Mysteries
    • Nash
    • TV Series
    • 1993
  • Chris Jury, Phyllis Logan, Ian McShane, Diane Parish, and Dudley Sutton in Lovejoy (1986)
    Lovejoy
    • Stanley Barton
    • TV Series
    • 1993
  • Ione Skye, Jonathan Firth, and Nigel Terry in Covington Cross (1992)
    Covington Cross
    • Doctor 1
    • TV Series
    • 1992
  • Ian Richardson in House of Cards (1990)
    House of Cards
    • Sir Jasper Grainger
    • TV Mini Series
    • 1990
  • The Kenny Everett Television Show (1981)
    The Kenny Everett Television Show
    • Various
    • Doctor
    • TV Series
    • 1981–1986
  • Bluebell (1986)
    Bluebell
    • Pierre
    • TV Series
    • 1986
  • Miss Marple: The Moving Finger (1985)
    Miss Marple: The Moving Finger
    • Rev. Guy Calthrop
    • TV Mini Series
    • 1985
  • Leonard Rossiter in Tripper's Day (1984)
    Tripper's Day
    • Customer
    • TV Series
    • 1984
  • Tony Britton, Nigel Havers, and Dinah Sheridan in Don't Wait Up (1983)
    Don't Wait Up
    • Man at Cricket Match
    • TV Series
    • 1983

Personal details

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  • Height
    • 6′ (1.83 m)
  • Born
    • May 9, 1917
    • Petrograd [now St. Petersburg], Russia
  • Died
    • December 21, 1999
    • Surrey, England, UK(prostate cancer)
  • Spouses
      Sheila Tracy1962 - December 21, 1999 (1 child)
  • Other works
    (Sunday June 16, 1957) He acted in Robin Maugham's play, "The Last Hero," at the Strand Theatre in London, England with Margaret Bull, Cicely Paget-Bowman, Nigel Stock, Christopher Taylor, Anthony Woodruff, Robert Jackson, Anthony Marlowe, Alan Judd, Humphrey Lestocq, Mark Shurland, Michael Brill, Thomas Baptiste, and Hamlyn Benson in the cast. Ellen Pollock was director.

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