Urbane, gentlemanly British character actor with a penchant for comedy. He was educated at Highgate College and studied acting at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, graduating in 1926. He was on stage from 1925, after his debut with the Hull Repertory Company, and was a regular performer on the London West End from the 1930's. During World War I, he served as a pilot in the newly formed Royal Air Force (1918-19) . In the 1940's, he left England for the USA under a two-year contract at Paramount Studios, but is best remembered for his performances in British films like
French Without Tears (1940) (a part he also acted on stage),
Dead of Night (1945),
Trio (1950), as W. Somerset Maugham, and
Obsessed (1951).
