Anthony Dawson
Encyclopedia
Anthony Dawson was a Scottish
-born actor, best known for his supporting roles in British films.
Born in Edinburgh
, he made his film debut in 1943's They Met in the Dark
, going on to appear in such classic British films as The Way to the Stars
(1945), The Queen of Spades
(1948), and The Wooden Horse
(1950), before relocating to America in the early 1950s.
It was while there that he appeared in Alfred Hitchcock
's Dial M for Murder
(1954), playing C. A. Swann/Captain Lesgate. In the film, he is blackmail
ed by Tony Wendice (Ray Milland
) into murdering his wife Margot (Grace Kelly
). In his unpublished memoirs, Rambling Recollections, Dawson reminisced about getting the part:
He had two other memorable roles on his return to England
, including the evil Marques Siniestro in Hammer
's The Curse of the Werewolf
(1961), and henchman Professor Dent in the first James Bond
film, Dr. No
(1962).
Throughout his career he could often be found in the films of director Terence Young, including the aforementioned Dr. No, They Were Not Divided
(1950),Valley of Eagles (1951), The Amorous Adventures of Moll Flanders
(1965), Triple Cross (1966), Red Sun
(1971), Inchon
(1982), and The Jigsaw Man
(1983). Young also cast him as the physical presence of Ernst Stavro Blofeld
in his Bond films From Russia with Love
(1963), and Thunderball
(1965), stroking the ubiquitous white cat. His face was never seen, however, and Blofeld's voice was provided by Eric Pohlmann
. Dawson appeared alongside fellow Bond veterans Adolfo Celi
, Lois Maxwell
, and Bernard Lee
in the Italian Bond knockoff OK Connery
.
After the early 1960s his roles got progressively smaller, but he continued to act until the early 1990s. He died in January 1992, in Sussex
, aged 75, after succumbing to cancer
.
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
-born actor, best known for his supporting roles in British films.
Born in Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
, he made his film debut in 1943's They Met in the Dark
They Met in the Dark
They Met in the Dark is a 1943 British thriller film directed by Karel Lamac and starring James Mason, Joyce Howard and Edward Rigby. A cashiered Royal Naval officer and a young woman join forces to solve a murder and hunt down a German spy ring.-Cast:...
, going on to appear in such classic British films as The Way to the Stars
The Way to the Stars
The Way to the Stars, also known as Johnny in the Clouds, is a 1945 British war drama film made by Two Cities Films and released by United Artists. It was produced by Anatole de Grunwald and directed by Anthony Asquith...
(1945), The Queen of Spades
The Queen of Spades (1949 film)
The Queen of Spades is a fantasy-horror film based on a short story of the same name by Alexander Pushkin. It stars Anton Walbrook, Edith Evans and Yvonne Mitchell. A poor Russian officer tries to learn the secret of an aged countess's success at the card table.Despite a limited budget, it was...
(1948), and The Wooden Horse
The Wooden Horse
The Wooden Horse is a 1950 British Second World War war film starring Leo Genn, Anthony Steel and David Tomlinson and directed by Jack Lee. It is based on the book of the same name by Eric Williams, who also wrote the screenplay....
(1950), before relocating to America in the early 1950s.
It was while there that he appeared in Alfred Hitchcock
Alfred Hitchcock
Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock, KBE was a British film director and producer. He pioneered many techniques in the suspense and psychological thriller genres. After a successful career in British cinema in both silent films and early talkies, Hitchcock moved to Hollywood...
's Dial M for Murder
Dial M for Murder
Dial M for Murder is a 1954 American thriller film adapted from a successful stage play by Frederick Knott, directed by Alfred Hitchcock and starring Ray Milland, Grace Kelly, and Robert Cummings. The movie was released by the Warner Bros...
(1954), playing C. A. Swann/Captain Lesgate. In the film, he is blackmail
Blackmail
In common usage, blackmail is a crime involving threats to reveal substantially true or false information about a person to the public, a family member, or associates unless a demand is met. It may be defined as coercion involving threats of physical harm, threat of criminal prosecution, or threats...
ed by Tony Wendice (Ray Milland
Ray Milland
Ray Milland was a Welsh actor and director. His screen career ran from 1929 to 1985, and he is best remembered for his Academy Award–winning portrayal of an alcoholic writer in The Lost Weekend , a sophisticated leading man opposite a corrupt John Wayne in Reap the Wild Wind , the murder-plotting...
) into murdering his wife Margot (Grace Kelly
Grace Kelly
Grace Patricia Kelly was an American actress who, in April 1956, married Rainier III, Prince of Monaco, to become Princess consort of Monaco, styled as Her Serene Highness The Princess of Monaco, and commonly referred to as Princess Grace.After embarking on an acting career in 1950, at the age of...
). In his unpublished memoirs, Rambling Recollections, Dawson reminisced about getting the part:
He had two other memorable roles on his return to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, including the evil Marques Siniestro in Hammer
Hammer
A hammer is a tool meant to deliver an impact to an object. The most common uses are for driving nails, fitting parts, forging metal and breaking up objects. Hammers are often designed for a specific purpose, and vary widely in their shape and structure. The usual features are a handle and a head,...
's The Curse of the Werewolf
The Curse of the Werewolf
The Curse of the Werewolf is a British film based on the novel The Werewolf of Paris by Guy Endore. The film was made by the British film studio Hammer Film Productions and was shot at Bray Studios.-Plot:...
(1961), and henchman Professor Dent in the first James Bond
James Bond
James Bond, code name 007, is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. There have been a six other authors who wrote authorised Bond novels or novelizations after Fleming's death in 1964: Kingsley Amis,...
film, Dr. No
Dr. No (film)
Dr. No is a 1962 spy film, starring Sean Connery; it is the first James Bond film. Based on the 1958 Ian Fleming novel of the same name, it was adapted by Richard Maibaum, Johanna Harwood, and Berkely Mather and was directed by Terence Young. The film was produced by Harry Saltzman and Albert R...
(1962).
Throughout his career he could often be found in the films of director Terence Young, including the aforementioned Dr. No, They Were Not Divided
They Were Not Divided
They Were Not Divided is a 1950 British war film, which depicted the Guards Armoured Division in Second World War Europe. It was written and directed by Terence Young, a former Guards officer who served in the campaigns depicted in the film....
(1950),Valley of Eagles (1951), The Amorous Adventures of Moll Flanders
The Amorous Adventures of Moll Flanders
The Amorous Adventures of Moll Flanders is a 1965 British historical comedy film directed by Terence Young and starring Kim Novak, Richard Johnson and Claire Ufland...
(1965), Triple Cross (1966), Red Sun
Red Sun
Red Sun is a Western film, one of few with an international cast. It stars U.S.-born actor Charles Bronson, Japanese actor Toshirō Mifune, French actor Alain Delon and Swiss actress Ursula Andress. It was filmed in Spain by the British director Terence Young. It was released in Europe in 1971 and...
(1971), Inchon
Inchon (film)
Inchon is a 1982 war film about the Battle of Inchon, considered to be the turning point of the Korean War. The film was directed by Terence Young and financed by Unification Church founder Sun Myung Moon. It stars Laurence Olivier as General Douglas MacArthur, who led the United States surprise...
(1982), and The Jigsaw Man
The Jigsaw Man
"The Jigsaw Man" is a short story in the Known Space universe by Larry Niven. The story was first published in Harlan Ellison's anthology Dangerous Visions, and is included in Niven's collections All the Myriad Ways and Tales of Known Space....
(1983). Young also cast him as the physical presence of Ernst Stavro Blofeld
Ernst Stavro Blofeld
Ernst Stavro Blofeld is a fictional character and a supervillain from the James Bond series of novels and films, who was created by Ian Fleming and Kevin McClory. An evil genius with aspirations of world domination, he is the archenemy of the British Secret Service agent James Bond and is arguably...
in his Bond films From Russia with Love
From Russia with Love (film)
From Russia with Love is the second in the James Bond spy film series, and the second to star Sean Connery as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond. Released in 1963, the film was produced by Albert R. Broccoli and Harry Saltzman, and directed by Terence Young. It is based on the 1957 novel of the...
(1963), and Thunderball
Thunderball (film)
Thunderball is the fourth spy film in the James Bond series starring Sean Connery as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond. It is an adaptation of the novel of the same name by Ian Fleming, which in turn was based on an original screenplay by Jack Whittingham...
(1965), stroking the ubiquitous white cat. His face was never seen, however, and Blofeld's voice was provided by Eric Pohlmann
Eric Pohlmann
Eric Pohlmann was an Austrian theatre, film and television character actor.Born Erich Pollak in Vienna, Austria-Hungary, he was a classically trained actor who studied under the renowned director Max Reinhardt...
. Dawson appeared alongside fellow Bond veterans Adolfo Celi
Adolfo Celi
Adolfo Celi was an Italian film actor and director.-Life and career:Born in Messina, Sicily, Celi appeared in nearly 100 movies, specializing in international villains. His most famous role was as Emilio Largo in the 1965 James Bond movie Thunderball...
, Lois Maxwell
Lois Maxwell
Lois Maxwell was a Canadian actress.Maxwell began her film career in the late 1940s, and won a Golden Globe Award for the New Actress of the Year for her performance in That Hagen Girl...
, and Bernard Lee
Bernard Lee
John Bernard Lee was an English actor, best known for his role as M in the first eleven James Bond films.-Life and career:...
in the Italian Bond knockoff OK Connery
OK Connery
OK Connery is a 1967 Italian Eurospy spoof of the James Bond series of films. It was retitled Operation Kid Brother in the United States and is also known as Operation Double 007 and Secret Agent 00...
.
After the early 1960s his roles got progressively smaller, but he continued to act until the early 1990s. He died in January 1992, in Sussex
Sussex
Sussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...
, aged 75, after succumbing to cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
.
Selected filmography
- Action of the TigerAction of the TigerAction of the Tiger is a 1957 British-American action film distributed by MGM, directed by Terence Young, and starring Van Johnson and Martine Carol....
(1957) - Tiger BayTiger Bay (film)Tiger Bay is a 1959 British crime drama film directed by J. Lee Thompson and produced and co-written by John Hawkesworth. It stars John Mills as a police superintendent who investigates a murder, his daughter Hayley Mills, in her first major film role, as a girl who witnesses the murder, and Horst...
(1959) - OffbeatOffbeat (film)Offbeat is a 1961 British crime film directed by Cliff Owen and starring William Sylvester, Mai Zetterling, and John Meillon. In the film, an MI5 officer goes undercover to catch a criminal gang.-Cast:* William Sylvester - Layton / Steve Ross...
(1961)