Wilfrid Hyde-White
Encyclopedia
Wilfrid Hyde-White was an English
character actor
.
in Gloucestershire
, the son of William Edward White, canon of Gloucester Cathedral
, and his wife, Ethel Adelaide Drought. He was educated at Marlborough College
, where he decided on an acting career — his uncle was the actor J. Fisher White. He studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art
and made his stage début as Maitland in the Evans-Valentine hit comedy Tons of Money
(1922) at Ryde, Isle of Wight
, and his London début as a juror in Beggar on Horseback
(1925) at the Queen's.
He worked steadily on the stage, including a tour of South Africa
in 1932 before making his film debut, in Josser on the Farm credited as "Hyde White" in 1934. He appeared in the George Formby comedy, Turned Out Nice Again
(1941), and after a memorable supporting role in The Third Man
, he became a fixture in British film
s of the 1950s. Two-Way Stretch
displays the more roguish side to some of the characters he played in this period. His debonair charm was recognized by critics and audiences: "[his] unfailing imperturbability and unruffled acceptance of every eventuality made him an ideal choice for light comedy of the drawing room school." From 1962-65 he also starred in the BBC
radio comedy The Men from the Ministry
.
actress known professionally as Blanche Glynne (born 1893—died 1946), who was a decade his senior. The couple had one son. Following the death of his first wife in 1946, Hyde-White (he had added the hyphen for effect) married American actress Ethel Korenman (stage name Ethel Drew) in 1957. They had two children: a son, actor Alex Hyde-White
, and a daughter, Juliet.
as the headmaster, and in his own favourite role, as the bogus Reverend Fowler (alias "Soapy" Stevens) in Two Way Stretch. He was in Hollywood for Let's Make Love
with Marilyn Monroe
, and many other films followed. In particular, he co-starred in My Fair Lady
from the Lerner and Loewe musical as Colonel Pickering, the avuncular companion of Rex Harrison
's Professor Higgins. It was a role which brought him international recognition.
He continued to act on the stage, and played opposite Laurence Olivier
and Vivien Leigh
in Caesar and Cleopatra
and Antony and Cleopatra
in 1951. He also appeared on Broadway
and was nominated for two Tony Awards as best actor. In the 1970s and 1980s, he featured in the US TV series Buck Rogers in the 25th Century
, Battlestar Galactica
and The Associates
.
His television movies and guest appearances kept him busy from the late 1960s to the early 1980s. His lifestyle had been expensive to maintain in real life, exemplified by Rolls-Royces
, racehorses, and mistresses, which led to his being declared bankrupt in London in 1979. He gave up gambling on horses for a year, becoming even busier on television.
as the rumpled detective. Although the first, Dagger of the Mind (1972), was set in England and concerned Columbo paying a visit to Scotland Yard
, Hyde-White's ongoing tax problems in Britain meant that, unlike American actors Falk and Richard Basehart
, and British actors appearing in the episode, Honor Blackman
, Bernard Fox, John Fraser
, and Arthur Malet
, he was unable to take part in location filming in the UK. His scenes as a butler were therefore filmed in California. His second appearance was in the episode Last Salute to the Commodore (1976).
His career was somewhat revived by the television series The Associates
, in which he played the senior partner of a New York law firm. He also memorably portrayed Barkley, an employee of wealthy businessman U.S. Bates (Jackie Gleason
) in the film The Toy. His last film appearance was in the British/West German co-production Fanny Hill
(1983).
, for his last few years being almost bedridden. He died of congestive heart failure on 6 May 1991 (6 days before his 88th birthday), survived by his second wife and his three children.
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...
character actor
Character actor
A character actor is one who predominantly plays unusual or eccentric characters. The Oxford English Dictionary defines a character actor as "an actor who specializes in character parts", defining character part in turn as "an acting role displaying pronounced or unusual characteristics or...
.
Early life and career
Wilfrid Hyde White was born at the rectory in Bourton-on-the-WaterBourton-on-the-Water
Bourton-on-the-Water is a village and civil parish in Gloucestershire, England that lies on a wide flat vale within the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty...
in Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean....
, the son of William Edward White, canon of Gloucester Cathedral
Gloucester Cathedral
Gloucester Cathedral, or the Cathedral Church of St Peter and the Holy and Indivisible Trinity, in Gloucester, England, stands in the north of the city near the river. It originated in 678 or 679 with the foundation of an abbey dedicated to Saint Peter .-Foundations:The foundations of the present...
, and his wife, Ethel Adelaide Drought. He was educated at Marlborough College
Marlborough College
Marlborough College is a British co-educational independent school for day and boarding pupils, located in Marlborough, Wiltshire.Founded in 1843 for the education of the sons of Church of England clergy, the school now accepts both boys and girls of all beliefs. Currently there are just over 800...
, where he decided on an acting career — his uncle was the actor J. Fisher White. He studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art
Royal Academy of Dramatic Art
The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art is a drama school located in London, United Kingdom. It is generally regarded as one of the most renowned drama schools in the world, and is one of the oldest drama schools in the United Kingdom, having been founded in 1904.RADA is an affiliate school of the...
and made his stage début as Maitland in the Evans-Valentine hit comedy Tons of Money
Tons of Money (play)
Tons of Money is a farcical play by British writers Will Evans and Arthur Valentine. which was first performed in 1922. It was the first of the long-running Aldwych Farces, co-produced by Tom Walls and Leslie Henson and starred Henson as Aubrey Allington...
(1922) at Ryde, Isle of Wight
Isle of Wight
The Isle of Wight is a county and the largest island of England, located in the English Channel, on average about 2–4 miles off the south coast of the county of Hampshire, separated from the mainland by a strait called the Solent...
, and his London début as a juror in Beggar on Horseback
Beggar on Horseback
Beggar on Horseback is a play by George S. Kaufman and Marc Connelly.A parody of the expressionistic parables that were popular at the time, it rails against the perils of trading one's artistic talents for commercial gain. At its core is Neil McRae, a poor, young classical composer...
(1925) at the Queen's.
He worked steadily on the stage, including a tour of South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
in 1932 before making his film debut, in Josser on the Farm credited as "Hyde White" in 1934. He appeared in the George Formby comedy, Turned Out Nice Again
Turned Out Nice Again
Turned Out Nice Again is a British comedy film starring Lancashire-born George Formby. The film was released in 1941 and filmed at Ealing Studios, London.-Sypnosis:...
(1941), and after a memorable supporting role in The Third Man
The Third Man
The Third Man is a 1949 British film noir, directed by Carol Reed and starring Joseph Cotten, Alida Valli, Orson Welles, and Trevor Howard. Many critics rank it as a masterpiece, particularly remembered for its atmospheric cinematography, performances, and unique musical score...
, he became a fixture in British film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
s of the 1950s. Two-Way Stretch
Two-Way Stretch
Two-Way Stretch, sometimes titled Nothing Barred, is a 1960 British comedy film, about a group of prisoners who plan to break out of jail, commit a robbery, and then break back into jail again, thus giving them the perfect alibi – that they were behind bars when the robbery occurred...
displays the more roguish side to some of the characters he played in this period. His debonair charm was recognized by critics and audiences: "[his] unfailing imperturbability and unruffled acceptance of every eventuality made him an ideal choice for light comedy of the drawing room school." From 1962-65 he also starred in the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
radio comedy The Men from the Ministry
The Men from the Ministry
The Men from the Ministry was a British radio comedy series broadcast by the BBC between 1962 and 1977, starring Wilfrid Hyde-White, Richard Murdoch and, from 1966, when he replaced Hyde-White, Deryck Guyler...
.
Personal life
On 17 December 1927, Hyde-White married Blanche Hope Aitken, a Glamorganshire-born WelshWales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
actress known professionally as Blanche Glynne (born 1893—died 1946), who was a decade his senior. The couple had one son. Following the death of his first wife in 1946, Hyde-White (he had added the hyphen for effect) married American actress Ethel Korenman (stage name Ethel Drew) in 1957. They had two children: a son, actor Alex Hyde-White
Alex Hyde-White
Alex Punch Hyde-White is an English born, US raised film and television actor. He is sometimes credited as Alex Hyde White. In 1978 he signed with Universal Pictures as one of the last "contract players" in Hollywood, in a group that included Lindsay Wagner, Andrew Stevens and Sharon...
, and a daughter, Juliet.
My Fair Lady
Hyde-White was increasingly busy on screen, usually as lords, gentlemen, or conmen, often "smallish roles which he somehow succeeded in making appear bigger", such as The Browning VersionThe Browning Version (1951 film)
The Browning Version is a 1951 British film based on the 1948 play of the same name by Terence Rattigan. It was directed by Anthony Asquith and starred Michael Redgrave.-Plot:...
as the headmaster, and in his own favourite role, as the bogus Reverend Fowler (alias "Soapy" Stevens) in Two Way Stretch. He was in Hollywood for Let's Make Love
Let's Make Love
Let's Make Love is a 1960 musical comedy film made by 20th Century Fox. It was directed by George Cukor and produced by Jerry Wald from a screenplay by Norman Krasna, Hal Kanter and Arthur Miller...
with Marilyn Monroe
Marilyn Monroe
Marilyn Monroe was an American actress, singer, model and showgirl who became a major sex symbol, starring in a number of commercially successful motion pictures during the 1950s....
, and many other films followed. In particular, he co-starred in My Fair Lady
My Fair Lady (film)
My Fair Lady is a 1964 musical film adaptation of the Lerner and Loewe stage musical, of the same name, based on the 1938 film adaptation of the original stage play Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw. The ballroom scene and the ending were taken from the previous film adaptation , rather than from...
from the Lerner and Loewe musical as Colonel Pickering, the avuncular companion of Rex Harrison
Rex Harrison
Sir Reginald Carey “Rex” Harrison was an English actor of stage and screen. Harrison won an Academy Award and two Tony Awards.-Youth and stage career:...
's Professor Higgins. It was a role which brought him international recognition.
He continued to act on the stage, and played opposite Laurence Olivier
Laurence Olivier
Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier, OM was an English actor, director, and producer. He was one of the most famous and revered actors of the 20th century. He married three times, to fellow actors Jill Esmond, Vivien Leigh, and Joan Plowright...
and Vivien Leigh
Vivien Leigh
Vivien Leigh, Lady Olivier was an English actress. She won the Best Actress Academy Award for her portrayal of Blanche DuBois in A Streetcar Named Desire , a role she also played on stage in London's West End, as well as for her portrayal of the southern belle Scarlett O'Hara, alongside Clark...
in Caesar and Cleopatra
Caesar and Cleopatra (play)
Caesar and Cleopatra, a play written in 1898 by George Bernard Shaw, was first staged in 1901 and first published with Captain Brassbound's Conversion and The Devil's Disciple in his 1901 collection, Three Plays for Puritans. It was first performed at Newcastle-on-Tyne on March 15, 1899...
and Antony and Cleopatra
Antony and Cleopatra
Antony and Cleopatra is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written sometime between 1603 and 1607. It was first printed in the First Folio of 1623. The plot is based on Thomas North's translation of Plutarch's Lives and follows the relationship between Cleopatra and Mark Antony...
in 1951. He also appeared on Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
and was nominated for two Tony Awards as best actor. In the 1970s and 1980s, he featured in the US TV series Buck Rogers in the 25th Century
Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (TV series)
Buck Rogers in the 25th Century is an American science fiction adventure television series produced by Universal Studios. The series ran for two seasons between 1979–1981, and the feature-length pilot episode for the series was released as a theatrical film several months before the series aired....
, Battlestar Galactica
Battlestar Galactica (1978 TV series)
Battlestar Galactica is an American science fiction television series, created by Glen A. Larson. It starred Lorne Greene, Richard Hatch and Dirk Benedict and ran for one season in 1978–79. After cancellation, its story was continued in 1980 as Galactica 1980 with Adama, Lieutenant Boomer and...
and The Associates
The Associates (U.S. TV series)
The Associates is an American sitcom that aired on ABC from 1979-1980. The series starred Martin Short and was cancelled after nine of its thirteen episodes aired, but was nominated for two Golden Globes after its cancellation...
.
His television movies and guest appearances kept him busy from the late 1960s to the early 1980s. His lifestyle had been expensive to maintain in real life, exemplified by Rolls-Royces
Rolls-Royce (car)
This a list of Rolls-Royce motor cars and includes vehicles produced by:*Rolls-Royce Limited *Rolls-Royce Motors , which was owned by Vickers between 1980 and 1998, and after that by Volkswagen...
, racehorses, and mistresses, which led to his being declared bankrupt in London in 1979. He gave up gambling on horses for a year, becoming even busier on television.
Later career
He appeared in two episodes of the mystery series Columbo, starring Peter FalkPeter Falk
Peter Michael Falk was an American actor, best known for his role as Lieutenant Columbo in the television series Columbo...
as the rumpled detective. Although the first, Dagger of the Mind (1972), was set in England and concerned Columbo paying a visit to Scotland Yard
Scotland Yard
Scotland Yard is a metonym for the headquarters of the Metropolitan Police Service of London, UK. It derives from the location of the original Metropolitan Police headquarters at 4 Whitehall Place, which had a rear entrance on a street called Great Scotland Yard. The Scotland Yard entrance became...
, Hyde-White's ongoing tax problems in Britain meant that, unlike American actors Falk and Richard Basehart
Richard Basehart
John Richard Basehart was an American actor. He starred in the 1960s television science fiction drama Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, in the role of Admiral Harriman Nelson.-Career:...
, and British actors appearing in the episode, Honor Blackman
Honor Blackman
Honor Blackman is an English actress, known for the roles of Cathy Gale in The Avengers and Bond girl Pussy Galore in Goldfinger .-Early life:...
, Bernard Fox, John Fraser
John Fraser (actor)
-External links:* http://www.johnfraser.org/...
, and Arthur Malet
Arthur Malet
Arthur Malet is an English actor.Arthur Malet was born in Lee-on-Solent, Hampshire, England in 1927. He emigrated to the United States in the 1950s, starting out onstage and winning two Drama Desk Awards in 1957. He came to some prominence in the 1960s, starring in films playing characters much...
, he was unable to take part in location filming in the UK. His scenes as a butler were therefore filmed in California. His second appearance was in the episode Last Salute to the Commodore (1976).
His career was somewhat revived by the television series The Associates
The Associates (U.S. TV series)
The Associates is an American sitcom that aired on ABC from 1979-1980. The series starred Martin Short and was cancelled after nine of its thirteen episodes aired, but was nominated for two Golden Globes after its cancellation...
, in which he played the senior partner of a New York law firm. He also memorably portrayed Barkley, an employee of wealthy businessman U.S. Bates (Jackie Gleason
Jackie Gleason
Jackie Gleason was an American comedian, actor and musician. He was known for his brash visual and verbal comedy style, especially by his character Ralph Kramden on The Honeymooners, a situation-comedy television series. His most noted film roles were as Minnesota Fats in the drama film The...
) in the film The Toy. His last film appearance was in the British/West German co-production Fanny Hill
Fanny Hill
Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure is an erotic novel by John Cleland first published in England in 1748...
(1983).
Final years and death
In 1985, White became a resident of the Motion Picture and Television Hospital in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, CaliforniaWoodland Hills, Los Angeles, California
Woodland Hills is a district in the city of Los Angeles, California.Woodland Hills is located in the southwestern area of the San Fernando Valley, east of Calabasas and west of Tarzana, with Warner Center in its northern section...
, for his last few years being almost bedridden. He died of congestive heart failure on 6 May 1991 (6 days before his 88th birthday), survived by his second wife and his three children.
Filmography
- Josser on the FarmJosser on the FarmJosser on the Farm is a 1934 British comedy film directed by T. Hayes Hunter and starring Ernie Lotinga, Betty Astell and Garry Marsh. It was part of the series of Josser films featuring Lotinga.-Cast:* Ernie Lotinga - Jimmy Josser...
(1934) - Admirals AllAdmirals AllAdmirals All is a 1935 British comedy film directed by Victor Hanbury and starring Wynne Gibson, Gordon Harker, Anthony Bushell and George Curzon. It was based on a play by Ian Hay...
(1935) - Alibi Inn (1935)
- Murder by rope (1936)
- Rembrandt (1936)
- The Scarab Murder Case (1936)
- Elephant BoyElephant Boy (film)Elephant Boy is a 1937 British adventure film starring Sabu in his film debut. Documentary filmmaker Robert J. Flaherty and Zoltan Korda won the Best Director Award at the Venice Film Festival...
(1937) - Bulldog Drummond at BayBulldog Drummond at Bay (1937 film)-Cast:*John Lodge as Hugh Drummond*Dorothy Mackaill as Doris Thompson*Victor Jory as Gregoroff*Claud Allister as Algy Longworth*Hugh Miller as Ivan Kalinsky*Leslie Perrins as Maj. Grayson*Richard Bird as Caldwell*Brian Buchel as Meredith*Jim Gérald as Veight...
(1937) - Change for a Sovereign (1937)
- Murder in the FamilyMurder in the FamilyMurder in the Family is a 1938 British crime film directed by Albert Parker and starring Barry Jones, Jessica Tandy and Evelyn Ankers. It was adapted from a novel by James Ronald...
(1938) - Meet Mr. Penny (1938)
- The Claydon Treasure Mystery (1938)
- I've Got a Horse (1938)
- Keep SmilingKeep Smiling (film)Keep Smiling is a 1938 British comedy film directed by Monty Banks and starring Gracie Fields, Roger Livesey and Mary Maguire. After they are cheated out of money by an ex-manager, a group of performers club together to buy a bus and travel around the country doing shows.Banks incidentally, had...
(1938) - Over the MoonOver the Moon (film)Over the Moon is a 1939 British comedy film directed by Thornton Freeland and starring Merle Oberon, Rex Harrison, Ursula Jeans and Herbert Lomas. A wealthy heiress becomes involved with a penniless doctor....
(1939) - Poison PenPoison Pen (film)Poison Pen is a 1939 British psychological drama, directed by Paul L. Stein and starring Flora Robson, Reginald Tate and Ann Todd. The film is an adaptation of a novel by Welsh author Richard Llewellyn...
(1939) - The Lambeth WalkThe Lambeth Walk (film)The Lambeth Walk is a 1939 British musical comedy film directed by Albert de Courville and starring Lupino Lane, Sally Gray and Seymour Hicks. It was an adaptation of the 1937 musical Me and My Girl. The film takes its title from the play's best known song The Lambeth Walk...
(1939) - The Briggs FamilyThe Briggs FamilyThe Briggs Family is a 1940 British drama film directed by Herbert Mason and starring Edward Chapman, Felix Aylmer, Jane Baxter, Oliver Wakefield and Austin Trevor. During the Second World War, a special constable and former solicitor is called upon to defend his son who is accused of the theft of...
(1940) - Turned Out Nice AgainTurned Out Nice AgainTurned Out Nice Again is a British comedy film starring Lancashire-born George Formby. The film was released in 1941 and filmed at Ealing Studios, London.-Sypnosis:...
(1941) - Asking for TroubleAsking for TroubleAsking for Trouble is a 1942 British comedy film directed by Oswald Mitchell and starring Max Miller, Carole Lynne and Wilfrid Hyde-White. A fishmonger takes up bookmaking to earn extra cash.-Cast:* Max Miller as Dick Smith* Carole Lynne as Jane Smythe...
(1942) - Lady from LisbonLady from LisbonLady from Lisbon is a 1942 British comedy film directed by Leslie S. Hiscott and starring Francis L. Sullivan, Jane Carr, Martita Hunt and Charles Victor....
(1942) - The Demi-ParadiseThe Demi-ParadiseThe Demi-Paradise is a 1943 comedy film made by Two Cities Films and distributed in the U.S. by Universal Pictures. It starred Laurence Olivier as a Soviet inventor who travels to England to have his revolutionary propeller manufactured, and Penelope Dudley Ward as the woman who falls in love with...
(1943) - Night Boat to DublinNight Boat to DublinNight Boat to Dublin is a 1946 British thriller film directed by Lawrence Huntington and starring Robert Newton, Raymond Lovell, Guy Middleton, Muriel Pavlow and Herbert Lom.-Plot:...
(1946) - A Voice in the Night (1946)
- Appointment with CrimeAppointment with CrimeAppointment with Crime is a 1946 British crime film directed by John Harlow.-Plot:Leo Martin works for a criminal gang run by Gus Loman that primarily uses a smash and grab tactic. During one particular risky robbery heist, Leo breaks the window at a jewelry store only to have his wrists broken...
(1946) - The Ghosts of Berkeley SquareThe Ghosts of Berkeley SquareThe Ghosts of Berkeley Square is a 1947 British comedy film, directed by Vernon Sewell and starring Robert Morley and Felix Aylmer. The film is an adaptation of the novel No Nightingales by Caryl Brahms and S. J. Simon, inspired by the enduring reputation of the property at 50 Berkeley Square as...
(1947) - Meet Me at DawnMeet Me at DawnMeet Me at Dawn is a 1947 British comedy film directed by Peter Creswell and Thornton Freeland and starring William Eythe, Stanley Holloway and Hazel Court. A very skilled pistol shot hires himself out to fight duels in early twentieth century Paris.-Cast:...
(1947) - While the Sun ShinesWhile the Sun ShinesWhile the Sun Shines is a 1947 British comedy film directed by Anthony Asquith. It was based on Terrence Rattigan's 1943 play of the same name. -Plot:...
(1947) - The Winslow BoyThe Winslow Boy (1948 film)The Winslow Boy is a 1948 film adaptation of Terence Rattigan's play The Winslow Boy. It was made by De Grunwald Productions and distributed by the British Lion Film Corporation. It was directed by Anthony Asquith and produced by Anatole de Grunwald with Teddy Baird as associate producer. The...
(1948) - Quartet (1948)
- My Brother JonathanMy Brother JonathanMy Brother Jonathan is a 1948 British drama film directed by Harold French. It starred Michael Denison, Dulcie Gray, and James Robertson Justice....
(1948) - Bond StreetBond Street (film)Bond Street is a 1948 British drama film directed by Gordon Parry and based on a story by Terence Rattigan. It starred Jean Kent, Roland Young, Kathleen Harrison and Derek Farr...
(1948) - My Brother's Keeper (1948)
- The Passionate FriendsThe Passionate FriendsThe Passionate Friends is a 1949 British romantic drama film directed by David Lean. The film is based on The Passionate Friends: A Novel, a 1913 story by H. G. Wells It describes a love triangle in which a woman cannot give up her affair with another man...
(1949) - The Bad Lord ByronThe Bad Lord ByronThe Bad Lord Byron is a 1949 British historical drama film centered around the life of Lord Byron. It was directed by David MacDonald and starred Dennis Price as Byron with Mai Zetterling, Linden Travers and Joan Greenwood....
(1949) - Britannia MewsBritannia MewsBritannia Mews is a 1949 British drama film directed by Jean Negulesco and starring Dana Andrews, Maureen O'Hara, Sybil Thorndike, Fay Compton and A.E. Matthews. In Victorian London, a young woman marries a poor drunken artist and struggles to make ends meet...
(1949) - That Dangerous AgeThat Dangerous AgeThat Dangerous Age is a 1949 British romance film directed by Gregory Ratoff and starring Myrna Loy, Roger Livesey and Peggy Cummins. It is an adaptation of the play Autumn by Ilya Surguchev.-Partial cast:* Myrna Loy - Lady Cathy Brooke...
(1949) - Helter SkelterHelter Skelter (1949 film)Helter Skelter is a 1949 British romantic comedy film directed by Ralph Thomas and starring Carol Marsh, David Tomlinson and Mervyn Johns. A police detective becomes involved with a wealthy socialite....
(1949) - ConspiratorConspirator (1949 film)Conspirator is a 1949 British thriller film directed by Victor Saville and starring Elizabeth Taylor, Robert Taylor and Robert Flemyng. A British guards officer who is a spy for the Soviet Union is ordered by his KGB handlers to murder his young American wife when she discovers his true...
(1949) - The Man on the Eiffel TowerThe Man on the Eiffel TowerThe Man on the Eiffel Tower is a 1949 American mystery film directed by Burgess Meredith, Charles Laughton, Irving Allen and starring Charles Laughton, Franchot Tone, Meredith, and Robert Hutton. It is based on the 1931 novel La Tête d'un homme by Belgian writer Georges Simenon featuring his...
(1949) - Adam and EvelyneAdam and EvelyneAdam and Evelyne, released in the U.S. as Adam and Evelyn, is a 1949 romance film starring Stewart Granger and Jean Simmons. According to Robert Osborne, host of Turner Classic Movies, this suited the stars, as they were romantically involved at the time, despite their age difference...
(1949) - The Third ManThe Third ManThe Third Man is a 1949 British film noir, directed by Carol Reed and starring Joseph Cotten, Alida Valli, Orson Welles, and Trevor Howard. Many critics rank it as a masterpiece, particularly remembered for its atmospheric cinematography, performances, and unique musical score...
(1949) - Golden SalamanderGolden Salamander (film)Golden Salamander is a 1950 adventure film directed by Ronald Neame and starring Trevor Howard as an archaeologist in North Africa who runs afoul of a crime sydicate. It won an award at the 1950 Locarno International Film Festival...
(1950) - The Angel with the TrumpetThe Angel with the TrumpetThe Angel with the Trumpet is a 1950 British drama film directed by Anthony Bushell and starring Eileen Herlie, Basil Sydney and Norman Wooland. It was based on a novel by Ernst Lothar...
(1950) - Last HolidayLast Holiday (1950 film)Last Holiday is a 1950 British film featuring Alec Guinness in his sixth starring role. The low-key, dark comedy was written by J. B. Priestley and directed by Henry Cass, featuring irony and wit often associated with Priestley....
(1950) - Trio (1950)
- The MudlarkThe MudlarkThe Mudlark is a 1950 film made in Britain by 20th Century Fox, is a fictionalized account of how Queen Victoria was eventually brought out of her mourning for her dead husband, Prince Albert...
(1950) - Highly DangerousHighly DangerousHighly Dangerous is a 1950 British spy film starring Margaret Lockwood as a British entomologist trying to stop a biological attack with the help of an American journalist played by Dane Clark. The screenplay was written by Eric Ambler.-Cast:...
(1950) - Midnight Episode (1950)
- No HighwayNo Highway in the SkyNo Highway in the Sky is a 1951 British disaster film directed by Henry Koster and starring James Stewart and Marlene Dietrich...
(1951) - BlackmailedBlackmailed (1951 film)Blackmailed is a 1951 British drama film directed by Marc Allégret and starring Mai Zetterling, Dirk Bogarde, Fay Compton and Robert Flemyng. It was adapted from a novel by Elizabeth Myers and was also released as Mrs...
(1951) - Mister Drake's DuckMister Drake's DuckMister Drake's Duck is a 1951 British science fiction comedy film directed by Val Guest and starring Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Yolande Donlan, Jon Pertwee, Wilfrid Hyde-White and Reginald Beckwith. Mr Drake, a farmer, discovers that his hens have started laying radioactive eggs.-Cast:* Douglas...
(1951) - The Browning VersionThe Browning Version (1951 film)The Browning Version is a 1951 British film based on the 1948 play of the same name by Terence Rattigan. It was directed by Anthony Asquith and starred Michael Redgrave.-Plot:...
(1951) - Mr. Denning Drives NorthMr. Denning Drives NorthMr. Denning Drives North is a 1952 British mystery film directed by Anthony Kimmins and starring John Mills, Phyllis Calvert and Eileen Moore. The plot concerns an aircraft manufacturer who accidentally kills the boyfriend of his daughter and tries to dispose the body...
(1952) - Outcast of the IslandsOutcast of the IslandsOutcast of the Islands is a 1951 film directed by Carol Reed based on by Joseph Conrad's novel An Outcast of the Islands. The film features Robert Morley, Trevor Howard, Ralph Richardson, and Wendy Hiller....
(1952) - The Card (1952)
- Top SecretTop Secret (1952 film)Top Secret is a 1952 British comedy film directed by Mario Zampi and starring George Cole, Oskar Homolka and Nadia Gray. A sanitation inspector is mistaken for an international spy.-Cast:* George Cole - George Potts* Oskar Homolka - Zekov...
(1952) - The Story of Gilbert and Sullivan (1953)
- The Triangle (1953)
- The Million Pound NoteThe Million Pound NoteThe Million Pound Note is a 1954 British comedy, directed by Ronald Neame and starring Gregory Peck...
(1954) - The Rainbow JacketThe Rainbow JacketThe Rainbow Jacket is a 1954 British drama film directed by Basil Dearden, and featuring Robert Morley, Kay Walsh, Bill Owen, Honor Blackman and Sid James.-Cast:* Robert Morley as Lord Logan* Kay Walsh as Barbara Crain...
(1954) - BetrayedBetrayed (1954 film)Betrayed is a 1954 war drama film made by MGM. It was directed by Gottfried Reinhardt, from a screenplay by Ronald Millar and George Froeschel. The music score was by Walter Goehr and Bronislau Kaper, the cinematography by Freddie Young....
(1954) - Duel in the JungleDuel in the JungleDuel in the Jungle is a 1954 British adventure film directed by George Marshall and starring Dana Andrews, Jeanne Crain and David Farrar. Its plot involves an American insurance investigator who is sent to Rhodesia in Southern Africa to investigate the suspicous death of a major diamond...
(1954) - To Dorothy a SonTo Dorothy a SonTo Dorothy a Son is a 1954 British comedy film directed by Muriel Box and starring Shelley Winters, John Gregson and Peggy Cummins. It is also known as Cash on Delivery. It is based on a play by Roger MacDougall...
(1954) - John and JulieJohn and JulieJohn and Julie was a 1955 British comedy film. It featured Peter Sellers and Sid James in early screen roles-Plot:John and Julie are two children who personally want to see The Queen's coronation in spite of the fact that their parents have no intention of going. The two decide to run off to...
(1955) - The Adventures of Quentin DurwardThe Adventures of Quentin DurwardThe Adventures of Quentin Durward, known also as Quentin Durward, is a 1955 historical film released by MGM. It was directed by Richard Thorpe and produced by Pandro S. Berman...
(1955) - See How They RunSee How They Run (1955 film)See How They Run is a 1955 British comedy film directed by Leslie Arliss and starring Ronald Shiner as Wally Winton.-Cast:* Ronald Shiner as Wally Winton* Greta Gynt as Penelope Toop* James Hayter as Bishop of Lax...
(1955) - The Silken AffairThe Silken AffairThe Silken Affair is a 1956 British romantic comedy film directed by Roy Kellino and starring David Niven, Geneviève Page, Wilfrid Hyde-White, Joan Sims, Irene Handl and Ronald Squire.-Cast:* David Niven as Roger Tweakham...
(1956) - The March HareThe March Hare (film)The March Hare is a 1956 British comedy film directed by George More O'Ferrall and starring Peggy Cummins, Terence Morgan, Martita Hunt and Cyril Cusack. The film follows the efforts in Ireland to turn a seemingly useless racing horse into a Derby-winner. It was based on a novel by T. H...
(1956) - My Teenage DaughterMy Teenage DaughterMy Teenage Daughter is a 1956 British drama film directed by Herbert Wilcox and starring Anna Neagle, Sylvia Syms and Norman Wooland. A mother tries to deal with her teenage daughter's descent into delinquency. It was intended as a British response to Rebel Without a Cause...
(1956) - Tarzan and the Lost SafariTarzan and the Lost SafariTarzan and the Lost Safari is an action adventure film featuring Edgar Rice Burroughs' famous jungle hero Tarzan and starring Gordon Scott, Robert Beatty, Yolande Donlan and Betta St. John. The movie was directed by H. Bruce Humberstone, and was the first Tarzan movie released in color, Eastman...
(1957) - That Woman OppositeThat Woman OppositeThat Woman Opposite is a 1957 British crime drama, directed by Compton Bennett and starring Phyllis Kirk, Dan O'Herlihy and William Franklyn...
(1957) - The Vicious CircleThe Vicious Circle (1957 film)The Vicious Circle is a 1957 British thriller film directed by Gerald Thomas and starring John Mills, Noelle Middleton, Wilfrid Hyde-White and Lionel Jeffries. A leading Harley Street specialist is forced to work with the police to nail a gang of international criminals, after being falsely accused...
(1957) - The Truth About WomenThe Truth About WomenThe Truth About Women is a 1957 British comedy film directed by Muriel Box and starring Laurence Harvey, Julie Harris, Mai Zetterling and Diane Cilento...
(1957) - Up the CreekUp the Creek (1958 film)Up the Creek is a 1958 British comedy film written and directed by Val Guest which starred David Tomlinson, Peter Sellers, Wilfrid Hyde-White, David Lodge and Lionel Jeffries.-Plot synopsis:...
(1958) - Wonderful Things!Wonderful Things!Wonderful Things! is a 1958 British comedy romance film directed by Herbert Wilcox and starring Frankie Vaughan, Jocelyn Lane and Wilfrid Hyde-White. Two fisherman brothers clash over the love of a woman.-Cast:* Frankie Vaughan ... Carmello...
(1958) - The Lady is a SquareThe Lady Is a SquareThe Lady Is a Square is a 1959 British comedy musical film directed by Herbert Wilcox and featuring Anna Neagle, Frankie Vaughan and Janette Scott. An aspiring singer goes to work as a butler in the house of a classical music patron...
(1959) - Carry On NurseCarry On NurseCarry On Nurse is the second Carry On film, released in 1959. Of the regular team, it featured Joan Sims , Kenneth Williams, Kenneth Connor and Charles Hawtrey, with Hattie Jacques and Leslie Phillips. The film was written by Norman Hudis based on the play Ring For Catty by Patrick Cargill and Jack...
(1959) - Life in Emergency Ward 10Life in Emergency Ward 10Life in Emergency Ward 10 is a 1959 film directed by Robert Day. It stars Michael Craig and Wilfrid Hyde-White. It was based on the television series Emergency – Ward 10.-Cast:*Michael Craig as Dr. Stephen Russell...
(1959) - North West Frontier (1959)
- LibelLibel (film)Libel is a 1959 British drama film. It stars Olivia de Havilland, Dirk Bogarde, Paul Massie, Wilfrid Hyde-White and Robert Morley. The film's screenplay was written by Anatole de Grunwald and Karl Tunberg from a 1935 play of the same name by Edward Wooll, and it was directed by Anthony Asquith.The...
(1959) - Two-Way StretchTwo-Way StretchTwo-Way Stretch, sometimes titled Nothing Barred, is a 1960 British comedy film, about a group of prisoners who plan to break out of jail, commit a robbery, and then break back into jail again, thus giving them the perfect alibi – that they were behind bars when the robbery occurred...
(1960) - Let's Make LoveLet's Make LoveLet's Make Love is a 1960 musical comedy film made by 20th Century Fox. It was directed by George Cukor and produced by Jerry Wald from a screenplay by Norman Krasna, Hal Kanter and Arthur Miller...
(1960) - His and HersHis and Hers (film)His and Hers is a 1960 British comedy film directed by Brian Desmond Hurst and starring Terry-Thomas, Janette Scott and Wilfrid Hyde-White. An eccentric author tries to impose his lifestyle on his reluctant wife.-Cast:* Terry-Thomas - Reggie Blake...
(1961) - AdaAda (film)Ada is a 1961 political drama film made by Avon Productions and distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. It was directed by Daniel Mann and produced by...
(1961) - On the Double (1961)
- On the FiddleOn the FiddleOn the Fiddle is a 1961 British comedy film directed by Cyril Frankel and starring Sean Connery, Alfred Lynch, Cecil Parker, Stanley Holloway, Eric Barker, Mike Sarne, Wilfrid Hyde-White, Kathleen Harrison, Victor Maddern and John Le Mesurier....
(1961) - In Search of the CastawaysIn Search of the Castaways (film)In Search of the Castaways is a 1962 Walt Disney Productions feature film starring Hayley Mills and Maurice Chevalier in a tale about a worldwide search for a shipwrecked sea captain. The film was directed by Robert Stevenson from a screenplay by Lowell S. Hawley based upon Jules Verne's 1868...
(1962) - Crooks AnonymousCrooks AnonymousCrooks Anonymous is a British comedy film from 1962. Directed by Ken Annakin, it starred Leslie Phillips and Stanley Baxter and was notable for one of the earliest appearances of Julie Christie.-Plot:...
(1962) - Aliki My Love (1962)
- The Twilight ZoneThe Twilight ZoneThe Twilight Zone is an American television anthology series created by Rod Serling. Each episode is a mixture of self-contained drama, psychological thriller, fantasy, science fiction, suspense, or horror, often concluding with a macabre or unexpected twist...
: Passage on the Lady AnnePassage on the Lady Anne"Passage on the Lady Anne" is an episode of the American television anthology series The Twilight Zone.-Synopsis:Six years into a troubled marriage, a young couple hopefully embark on a second honeymoon and their last chance at reconciliation...
(1963) - My Fair LadyMy Fair Lady (film)My Fair Lady is a 1964 musical film adaptation of the Lerner and Loewe stage musical, of the same name, based on the 1938 film adaptation of the original stage play Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw. The ballroom scene and the ending were taken from the previous film adaptation , rather than from...
(1964) - John Goldfarb, Please Come HomeJohn Goldfarb, Please Come HomeJohn Goldfarb, Please Come Home is a 1963 novel by William Peter Blatty that was adapted as a film by the same title, released in 1965.-Synopsis:...
(1965) - You Must Be Joking!You Must Be Joking! (1965 film)You Must Be Joking! is a 1965 British comedy film directed by Michael Winner.-Cast:* Michael Callan - Leuitenant Tim Morton* Lionel Jeffries - Sergeant Major McGregor* Denholm Elliott - Captain Tabasco* Wilfrid Hyde-White - General Lockwood...
(1965) - Ten Little IndiansTen Little Indians (1965 film)The 1965 version of Ten Little Indians is the second film version of Agatha Christie's detective novel And Then There Were None . Although its background story is the same as the 1945 version , this one takes place on an isolated snowy mountain...
(1965) - The LiquidatorThe Liquidator (film)The Liquidator is a 1965 MGM film starring Rod Taylor as Brian "Boysie" Oakes, Trevor Howard as his Intelligence Chief Mostyn and Jill St. John as Mostyn's secretary Iris MacIntosh. It was based on the first of a series of Boysie Oakes novels by John Gardner, The Liquidator.-Plot:The film follows...
(1965) - Our Man in MarrakeshOur Man in MarrakeshOur Man in Marrakesh is a 1966 British comedy film directed by Don Sharp, starring Tony Randall and Senta Berger.-Plot:...
(1966) - Chamber of Horrors (1966)
- The Sandwich ManThe Sandwich ManThe Sandwich Man is a 1966 British comedy film starring Michael Bentine, Dora Bryan, Harry H. Corbett, Bernard Cribbins, Diana Dors, Norman Wisdom, Terry-Thomas and Ian Hendry. It was written by Bentine in conjunction with Robert Hartford-Davis...
(1966) - The Million Eyes of SumuruThe Million Eyes of SumuruThe Million Eyes of Sumuru is a 1967 spy film produced by Harry Alan Towers and directed by Lindsay Shonteff, starring Frankie Avalon and George Nader, with Shirley Eaton as the titular Sumuru. It was based on a series of novels by Sax Rohmer about a megalomaniac femme fatale. The film was released...
(1967) - New Face in Hell (1968)
- Mission: ImpossibleMission: ImpossibleMission: Impossible is an American television series which was created and initially produced by Bruce Geller. It chronicled the missions of a team of secret American government agents known as the Impossible Missions Force . The leader of the team was Jim Phelps, played by Peter Graves, except in...
: Echo of Yesterday (1967) (TV) - Run a Crooked MileRun a Crooked MileRun a Crooked Mile is a made-for-TV thriller in which Louis Jourdan stars as Richard Stuart, an ordinary schoolteacher who, whilst on holiday, is a witness to a murder in a private secluded mansion....
(1969) (TV) - The Magic ChristianThe Magic Christian (film)The Magic Christian is a 1969 British comedy film directed by Joseph McGrath and starring Peter Sellers and Ringo Starr, with noteworthy appearances by John Cleese, Raquel Welch, Christopher Lee, Richard Attenborough and Roman Polanski. It was loosely adapted from the 1959 comic novel of the same...
(1969) - Gaily, GailyGaily, GailyGaily, Gaily is a 1969 comedy film directed by Norman Jewison. It is based on the Autobiographical novel by Ben Hecht and stars Beau Bridges, Melina Mercouri, Brian Keith, and George Kennedy....
(1969) - SkullduggerySkullduggery (film)Skullduggery is a 1970 science fiction film starring Burt Reynolds, Susan Clark and Edward Fox.The screenplay is based on the French novel Les Animaux dénaturés by Jean Bruller.-Plot:...
(1969) - Fragment of FearFragment of FearFragment of Fear is a 1970 British thriller film starring David Hemmings, Gayle Hunnicutt, Wilfrid Hyde-White, Roland Culver, Flora Robson and Arthur Lowe. -Plot:...
(1970) - The Cherry PickerThe Cherry PickerThe Cherry Picker is 1972 British drama film directed by Peter Curran and starring Lulu, Bob Sherman, Wilfrid Hyde-White, Patrick Cargill, Jack Hulbert, Fiona Curzon, Terry-Thomas and Marianne Stone. As of August 2010, the film is missing from the BFI National Archive, and is listed as one of the...
(1974) - Columbo: Dagger of the Mind (1972)
- Columbo: Last Salute to the Commodore (1976)
- The Great Houdini (1976, TV film)
- King Solomon's Treasure (1977)
- No Longer Alone (1978)
- A Touch of the SunA Touch of the Sun (1979 film)A Touch of the Sun is a 1979 British-American comedy film directed by Peter Curran and starring Oliver Reed, Sylvaine Charlet, Peter Cushing and Wilfrid Hyde-White. It was also released as No Secrets!. An American space capsule has crashed into an African dictatorship, whose ruler refuses to return...
(1979) - The Cat and the CanaryThe Cat and the Canary (1979 film)The Cat and the Canary is a film released in 1979. It is an adaptation of John Willard's 1922 black comedy play of the same name. The play has previously been filmed several times, the first being a 1927 silent film version.- Plot synopsis :...
(1979) - Oh, God! Book IIOh, God! Book IIOh, God! Book II is a 1980 comedy film which is a sequel to the 1977 film, Oh, God!. It stars George Burns, Suzanne Pleshette, David Birney and Louanne Sirota.-Synopsis:...
(1980) - XanaduXanadu (film)Xanadu is a 1980 romantic musical fantasy film written by Marc Reid Rubel and directed by Robert Greenwald. The title is a reference to the poem "Kubla Khan, or, A Vision in a Dream: A Fragment" by Samuel Taylor Coleridge, which is quoted in the film. Xanadu is the name of the Chinese province...
(1980) - Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (TV series)Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (TV series)Buck Rogers in the 25th Century is an American science fiction adventure television series produced by Universal Studios. The series ran for two seasons between 1979–1981, and the feature-length pilot episode for the series was released as a theatrical film several months before the series aired....
(1981) - The Toy (1982)
- Fanny HillFanny Hill (1983 film)Fanny Hill is a 1983 British comedy film directed by Gerry O'Hara and starring Lisa Foster, Oliver Reed, Wilfrid Hyde-White and Shelley Winters...
(1983)