James Mason: Difference between revisions
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==Early life, family and education== |
==Early life, family and education== |
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Mason was born in [[Huddersfield]], in the [[West Riding of Yorkshire]], to Mabel Hattersley (Gaunt) and John Mason.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.thefreelibrary.com/NO+BUYER+FOR+MASON+POSTER.-a0243339964| title=No Buyer for Mason Poster| date=2 December 2010| publisher=The Free Library| accessdate=7 March 2018}}</ref> His father was a wealthy textile merchant. He was educated at [[Marlborough College]], and earned a [[British undergraduate degree classification|first]] in Architecture at [[Peterhouse, Cambridge]], where he became involved in stock theatre companies in his spare time. Mason had no formal training in acting and initially embarked upon it for fun. |
Mason was born in [[Huddersfield]], in the [[West Riding of Yorkshire]], to Mabel Hattersley (Gaunt) and John Mason.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.thefreelibrary.com/NO+BUYER+FOR+MASON+POSTER.-a0243339964| title=No Buyer for Mason Poster| date=2 December 2010| publisher=The Free Library| accessdate=7 March 2018}}</ref> |
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His father was a wealthy textile merchant. He was educated at [[Marlborough College]], and earned a [[British undergraduate degree classification|first]] in Architecture at [[Peterhouse, Cambridge]], where he became involved in stock theatre companies in his spare time. Mason had no formal training in acting and initially embarked upon it for fun. |
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==Career== |
==Career== |
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===Early Stage Appearances=== |
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After Cambridge, Mason made his stage debut in [[Aldershot]] in ''The Rascal'' in 1931.<ref>{{cite news| last=Russell| first= William| url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2507&dat=19840728&id=0_89AAAAIBAJ&sjid=fUkMAAAAIBAJ&pg=2052,4920354| title=James Mason: Star of Magnetism and Menace| newspaper=[[The Glasgow Herald]]| date=28 July 1984| page=8| via=[[Google News]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite book| last=Sweeney| first=Kevin| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DVtVA4EajSgC&pg=PA5| title=James Mason: A Bio-bibliography| publisher=Greenwood Press| date=January 30, 1999| page=5| isbn=978-0-313-28496-0}}</ref> |
After Cambridge, Mason made his stage debut in [[Aldershot]] in ''The Rascal'' in 1931.<ref>{{cite news| last=Russell| first= William| url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2507&dat=19840728&id=0_89AAAAIBAJ&sjid=fUkMAAAAIBAJ&pg=2052,4920354| title=James Mason: Star of Magnetism and Menace| newspaper=[[The Glasgow Herald]]| date=28 July 1984| page=8| via=[[Google News]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite book| last=Sweeney| first=Kevin| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DVtVA4EajSgC&pg=PA5| title=James Mason: A Bio-bibliography| publisher=Greenwood Press| date=January 30, 1999| page=5| isbn=978-0-313-28496-0}}</ref> |
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He joined [[the Old Vic]] theatre in London under the guidance of [[Tyrone Guthrie]].<ref>Brian McFarlane [http://www.screenonline.org.uk/people/id/447497/index.html "Mason, James (1909-1984)"], BFI screenonline; McFarlane (ed) ''The Encyclopedia of British Film'', London: Methuen/BFI, 2003, p.438</ref> While there he appeared in productions of ''[[The Cherry Orchard]]'', ''[[Henry VIII (play)|Henry VIII]]'', ''[[Measure for Measure]]'', ''[[The Importance of Being Earnest]]'', ''Love for Love'', ''The Tempest'', ''Twelfth Night'', and ''MacBeth''. Featuring in many of these were [[Charles Laughton]] and [[Elsa Lanchester]]). |
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In 1933 [[Alexander Korda]] gave Mason a small role in ''[[The Private Life of Don Juan]]'' but sacked him three days into shooting.<ref>{{cite book| first=James| last=Mason| title=Before I forget: autobiography and drawings| location=London| publisher= Hamish Hamilton| date=September 7, 1981| page=89| subscription=yes| url= https://books.google.com/books?id=sGRZAAAAMAAJ&q=don+juan| isbn=978-0-241-10677-8}}</ref> |
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===Early Films=== |
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From 1935 to 1938, he starred in many British [[Cinematograph Films Act 1927|quota quickies]], starting with his first film ''[[Late Extra]]'' (1935), in which he played the lead. |
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Mason went on to appear in ''[[Twice Branded]]'' (1936), ''[[Troubled Waters]]'' (1936), ''[[Prison Breaker]]'' (1936), ''[[Blind Man's Bluff]]'' (1936), ''[[The Secret of Stamboul]]'' (1936), and ''[[The Mill on the Floss (film)|The Mill on the Floss]]'' (1936). |
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Mason had a key support role in Korda's ''[[Fire Over England]]'' (1937) with [[Laurence Olivier]] and [[Vivien Leigh]]. He was in another "A", ''[[The High Command]]'' (1937) directed by [[Thorold Dickinson]] then went back to quickies, starring in ''[[Catch As Catch Can]]'' (1937). |
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Korda used him again as the villain in ''[[The Return of the Scarlet Pimpernel]]'' (1937). |
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===Television=== |
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Mason began appearing in some televised productions of plays, made in the very early days of television: ''[[Cyrano de Bergerac]]'' (1938), ''The Moon in the Yellow River'' (1938), ''Bees on the Boat-Deck'' (1939), ''Square Pegs'' (1939), ''L'avare'' (1939), and ''The Circle'' (1939). |
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He returned to features with ''[[I Met a Murderer]]'' (1939) based on a story by Mason and Pamela Kellino, who also starred with Mason and who he would marry. Her father [[Roy Kellino]] directed. |
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===World War Two=== |
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⚫ | He registered as a [[conscientious objector]] during the [[Second World War]]<ref name="Thomson">Thomson, David (15 May 2009) [https://www.theguardian.com/film/2009/may/15/james-mason Every word a poison dart], ''[[The Guardian]]''</ref> (causing his family to break with him for many years), but his tribunal exempted him only on the requirement to do non-combatant military service, which he refused; his appeal against this became irrelevant by including him in a general exemption for film work.<ref>Eric Ambler, [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/31418 Mason, James Neville (1909–1984)], rev. ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, Jan 2011, accessed 23 March 2013.</ref> |
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In 1941-42 he returned to the stage to appear in ''Jupiter Laughs'' by [[A.J. Cronin]]. |
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He was top billed in ''[[The Patient Vanishes]]'' (1941) and second billed in ''[[Hatter's Castle]]'' (1941). Mason starred in ''[[The Night Has Eyes]]'' (1941); ''[[Alibi (film)|Alibi]]'' (1942) with [[Margaret Lockwood]]; ''[[Secret Mission]]'' (1942); ''[[Thunder Rock]]'' (1942) with [[Michael Redgrave]]; and ''[[The Bells Go Down]]'' (1943) with [[Tommy Trinder]]. |
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===Gainsborough Melodramas and Stardom=== |
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Mason became hugely popular for his brooding anti-heroes in the [[Gainsborough Pictures|Gainsborough]] [[Gainsborough melodramas|series of melodramas]] of the 1940s, starting with ''[[The Man in Grey]]'' (1943). The film was a huge hit and launched him and co-stars Lockwood, [[Stewart Granger]] and [[Phyllis Calvert]], to top level stars. |
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Mason starred in two war time dramas, ''[[They Met in the Dark]]'' (1943) and ''[[Candlelight in Algeria]]'' (1944), then returned to Gainbsorough melodrama with ''[[Fanny By Gaslight]]'' (1944) with Granger and Calvert; it was another big hit. |
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Mason starred in ''[[Hotel Reserve]]'' (1944), a thriller, then did a ghost story for Gainsborough with Lockwood, ''[[A Place of One's Own]]'' (1945). Far more popular was a melodrama, ''[[They Were Sisters]]'' (1945). |
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⚫ | [[Sydney Box]] cast Mason in the lead of a musical melodrama, ''[[The Seventh Veil]]'' (1945) alongside Ann Todd. It was a huge success in Britain and the US and demand for Mason was at a fever pitch. Exhibitors voted him the most popular star in [[UK|Britain]] in each year between 1944 and 1947. They also thought he was the most popular international star in 1946; he dropped to second place the following year.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article26173214 |title=James Mason named again as Britain's brightest star |newspaper= [[The Mercury (Hobart)|The Mercury]] |location=Hobart, Tas. |date=2 March 1946 |accessdate=24 April 2012 |page=3 Supplement: The Mercury Magazine |publisher=National Library of Australia}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article46266039 |title=FILM WORLD. |newspaper=[[The West Australian]] |location=Perth |date=28 February 1947 |accessdate=27 April 2012 |page=20 Edition: SECOND EDITION. |publisher=National Library of Australia}}</ref> He was the most popular male star in [[Canada]] in 1948.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article26631567 |title=FILM NEWS. |work= [[The Mercury (Hobart)|The Mercury]] |location= Hobart, Tas. |date=11 June 1949 |accessdate=4 March 2013 |page=14 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}</ref> |
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Mason had a relatively minor role in ''[[The Wicked Lady]]'' (1946) with Lockwood, a big hit. Mason then received his best reviews to date playing a mortally wounded [[Irish Republican Army|IRA]] bank robber on the run in [[Carol Reed]]'s ''[[Odd Man Out]]'' (1947). |
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Mason was able to turn producer on a film with Box, written by his wife and starring Mason, ''[[The Upturned Glass]]'' (1947). It was not a noted success. Neither was ''Bathsheba'' a play he and his wife did on Broadway. |
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===Hollywood=== |
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Mason went to Hollywood where he first film was ''[[Caught (1949 film)|Caught]]'' (1949), directed by [[Max Ophuls]]. He played [[Gustave Flaubert]] in MGM's ''[[Madame Bovary (1949 film)|Madame Bovary]]'' (1949). |
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Mason did another with Ophuls, ''[[The Reckless Moment]]'' (1949), then did ''[[East Side, West Side]]'' (1949) with [[Barbara Stanwyck]] at MGM and ''[[One Way Street]]'' (1950) at Universal. He made ''[[Pandora and the Flying Dutchman]]'' (1951) with [[Ava Gardner]]. None of these films was particularly successful. |
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===''The Desert Fox'' and 20th Century Fox=== |
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Mason's Hollywood career was revived when cast was [[General Rommel]] in ''[[The Desert Fox: The Story of Rommel]]'' (1951), directed by [[Henry Hathaway]]. To do the film he agreed to sign a contract with [[20th Century Fox]] for seven years at one film a year. |
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Mason did a film at [[Republic Pictures]] written by his wife and directed by his father in law, ''[[Lady Possessed]]'' (1951). At Fox he played a spy in ''[[5 Fingers]]'' (1951) directed by [[Joseph L. Mankiewicz]]. |
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MGM hired him to play [[Rupert of Hentzau]] in ''[[The Prisoner of Zenda (1952 film)|The Prisoner of Zenda]]'' (1952) opposite Granger. He was in the lower budgeted ''[[Face to Face (1952 film)|Face to Face]]'' (1952) then went to Paramont to play a villainous sea captain opposite [[Alan Ladd]] in ''[[Botany Bay (film)|Botany Bay]]'' (1953). |
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Mason was one of many stars in MGM's ''[[The Story of Three Loves]]'' (1953). At Fox he reprised his role as Rommel in ''[[The Desert Rats (film)|The Desert Rats]]'' (1953), then he was reunited with Mankiewicz at MGM, playing Brutus in ''[[Julius Caesar (1953 film)|Julius Caesar]]'' (1953), opposite [[Marlon Brando]]. The film was very successful. |
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Mason was reunited with Carol Reed in ''[[The Man Between]]'' (1954), then Fox used him as a villain again in ''[[Prince Valiant (film)|Prince Valiant]]'' (1954). |
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Mason did another film written by his wife and directed by his father in law, ''[[Charade (1954 film)|Charade]]'' (1954). |
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Warner Bros hired him to play [[Judy Garland]]'s leading man in ''[[A Star Is Born (1954 film)|A Star Is Born]]'' (1954). He went over to Disney to play [[Captain Nemo]] in ''[[20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954 film)|20,000 Leagues Under the Sea]]'' (1954), a huge hit. |
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Mason appeared with [[Lucille Ball]] and [[Desi Arnaz]] in ''[[Forever, Darling]]'' (1956) then starred in and produced a film at Fox, ''[[Bigger Than Life]]'' (1956), directed by [[Nicholas Ray]]. Mason played a small-town school teacher driven insane by the effects of cortisone. He did another for Fox, the hugely popular melodrama, ''[[Island in the Sun]]'' (1957). |
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===Television=== |
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[[File:North by Northwest movie trailer screenshot (27) James Mason.jpg|thumb|upright|left|Mason in Hitchcock's ''North by Northwest'' (1959)]] |
[[File:North by Northwest movie trailer screenshot (27) James Mason.jpg|thumb|upright|left|Mason in Hitchcock's ''North by Northwest'' (1959)]] |
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Mason |
Mason began appearing regularly on television in shows such as ''[[Panic!]]'', ''[[General Electric Theater]]'', ''[[Schlitz Playhouse]]'', ''[[Goodyear Theatre]]'' and ''[[Playhouse 90]]'' (several episodes including ''[[John Brown's Raid (1960 film)|John Brown's Raid]]''). In the 1950s, Mason was host of ''[[Lux Video Theatre]]'' on CBS television.<ref>{{cite journal| last1=Becker| first1=Christine| title= Televising Film Stardom in the 1950s| journal= Framework|subscription= yes| via=[[Questia Online Library]]| date=1 October 2005| url=https://www.questia.com/read/1P3-1001342431| accessdate= 21 January 2015}}</ref> |
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He starred in two thrillers for [[Andrew L Stone], ''[[Cry Terror!]]'' (1958) and ''[[The Decks Ran Red]]'' (1958) then played a suave master spy in ''[[North by Northwest]]'' (1959) directed by [[Alfred Hitchcock]]. |
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In 1963 he settled in Switzerland, and embarked on a transatlantic career.<ref>Kevin Sweeney. ''James Mason: A Bio-Bibliography'', Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press, 1999, p.47</ref> He played Humbert Humbert in [[Stanley Kubrick]]'s version of ''[[Lolita (1962 film)|Lolita]]'' (1962); a river pirate who betrays [[Peter O'Toole]]'s character in ''[[Lord Jim (1965 film)|Lord Jim]]'' (1965); James Leamington in the [[Swinging London]]-set ''[[Georgy Girl]]'' (1966), a role that earned him a second Academy Award nomination; Bradley Morahan in ''[[Age of Consent (film)|Age of Consent]]'' (1969); the evil [[John William Polidori|Doctor Polidori]] in ''[[Frankenstein: The True Story]]'' (1973); the [[Kurt Barlow|vampire]]'s servant, Richard Straker, in ''[[Salem's Lot (1979 TV miniseries)|Salem's Lot]]'' (1979); and surreal [[Royal Navy]] Captain Hughes in ''[[Yellowbeard]]'' (1983). One of his last roles, that of the corrupt lawyer Ed Concannon in ''[[The Verdict]]'' (1982), earned him his third and final Oscar nomination. |
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At Fox he had a huge hit playing a determined scientist and explorer in ''[[Journey to the Center of the Earth (1959 film)|Journey to the Centre of the Earth]]'' (1959), taking over a role meant for [[Clifton Webb]]. He did a comedy ''[[A Touch of Larceny]]'' (1960) and was [[Sir Edward Carson]] in ''[[The Trials of Oscar Wilde]]'' (1960). |
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⚫ | In 1967 Mason narrated the documentary ''The London Nobody Knows''. An ardent cinephile on top of his career interests, Mason then went on to narrate two British documentary series supervised by [[Kevin Brownlow]]: ''[[Hollywood (1980 TV series)|Hollywood]]'' (1980), on the silent cinema and ''[[Unknown Chaplin]]'' (1983), devoted to out-take material from the films of Sir [[Charlie Chaplin]]. Mason had been a long-time neighbour and friend of the comedian. In the late 1970s, Mason became a mentor to up-and-coming actor [[Sam Neill]].<ref>{{cite news| last=Iley| first=Chrissy| title=Put it away, Sam ...| url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2006/jul/24/features.features11| accessdate=17 October 2013| newspaper=[[The Guardian]]| location=Manchester| date=23 July 2006}}</ref> |
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He continued to appear on TV shows like ''[[The DuPont Show with June Allyson]]'', ''[[Golden Showcase]]'', ''[[Theatre '62]]'' and ''[[The Alfred Hitchcock Hour]]''. |
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⚫ | Having completed playing the lead role in ''Dr. Fischer of Geneva'' (1985), adapted from [[Graham Greene]]'s [[Doctor Fischer of Geneva|eponymous novella]] for the [[BBC]], he stepped into the role in ''[[The Shooting Party]]'' originally meant for [[Paul Scofield]], who was unable to continue after being seriously injured in an accident on the first day of shooting. This was to be Mason's final screen performance.<ref>{{cite news| url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/4313352.stm| work=BBC News| title=Obituary: Paul Scofield| date=20 March 2008}}</ref> |
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He did ''[[The Marriage-Go-Round]]'' (1961), then played Humbert Humbert in [[Stanley Kubrick]]'s version of ''[[Lolita (1962 film)|Lolita]]'' (1962). |
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He starred in ''[[Tiara Tahiti]]'' (1962), then ''[[Hero's Island]]'' (1962), which he also produced. He was in ''[[Torpedo Bay]]'' (1963). |
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===Decline as Star=== |
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In 1963 he settled in Switzerland, and embarked on a transatlantic career.<ref>Kevin Sweeney. ''James Mason: A Bio-Bibliography'', Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press, 1999, p.47</ref> |
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He began to drift into support roles, or second leads: the epic ''[[The Fall of the Roman Empire]]'' (1964); ''[[The Pumpkin Eater]]'' (1964), with [[Anne Bancroft]]; a river pirate who betrays [[Peter O'Toole]]'s character in ''[[Lord Jim (1965 film)|Lord Jim]]'' (1965); the title role in ''[[Genghis Khan (film)|Genghis Khan]]'' (1965); ''[[The Uninhibited]]'' (1965); a guest role on ''[[Dr Kildare (TV series)|Dr Kildare]]''; James Leamington in the [[Swinging London]]-set ''[[Georgy Girl]]'' (1966), a role that earned him a second Academy Award nomination. |
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He was in several episodes of ''[[ITV Play of the Week]]'' and he had the lead in ''[[The Deadly Affair]]'' (1967) for Sidney Lumet and ''[[Stranger in the House]]'' (1968). He was more support in ''[[Duffy]]'' (1968) and ''[[Mayerling (1968 film)|Mayerling]]'' 91968) but was top billed in ''[[The Sea Gull (1968 film)The Sea Gull]]'' (1968) for [[Sidney Lumet]] and starred as Bradley Morahan in ''[[Age of Consent (film)|Age of Consent]]'' (1969) for Michael Powell, with Mason also produced. He also had the star role in ''[[Spring and Port Wine]]'' (1970). |
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===1970s=== |
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Mason supported Charles Bronson in ''[[Cold Sweat]]'' (1970), [[Alain Delon]] in ''[[Crepa padrone, crepa tranquillo]]'' (1970) and [[Lee Van Cleef]] in ''[[Bad Man's River]]'' (1971). He was a support in ''[[Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill!]]'' (1971) and top billed in ''[[Child's Play (1972 film)|Child's Play]]'' (1972) for Lumet, replacing Marlon Brando. |
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He was one of many stars in ''[[The Last of Sheila]]'' (1973) and played the evil [[John William Polidori|Doctor Polidori]] in ''[[Frankenstein: The True Story]]'' (1973). He had support roles in ''[[The MacKintosh Man]]'' 91973), ''[[11 Harrowhouse]]'' (1974), ''[[The Marseille Contract]]'' (1974), and ''[[Great Expectations (1974 film)|Great Expectations]]'' (1974) and was top billed in ''[[Mandingo (film)|Mandingo]]'' (1975). |
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Mason's later 70s performances included ''[[Kidnap Syndicate]]'' (1975), ''[[The Left Hand of the Law]]'' (1975), ''[[Autobiography of a Princess]]'' (1975), ''[[Inside Out (1975 film)|Inside Out]]'' (1975), ''[[The Flower in His Mouth]]'' (1975), ''[[Voyage of the Damned]]'' (1976), ''[[Hot Stuff ]]'' (1977), ''[[Cross of Iron (film)|Cross of Iron]]'' (1977), ''[[Jesus of Nazareth]]'' (1977), ''[[The Yin and the Yang of Mr. Go]]'' (1978), ''[[The Water Babies]]'' (1978), ''[[Heaven Can Wait (1978 film)|Heaven Can Wait]]'' (1978), ''[[The Boys from Brazil]]'' (1978), ''[[Murder by Decree]]'' (1979) (as Watson), ''[[The Passage (film)|The Passage]]'' (1979), ''[[Bloodline (film)|Bloodline]]'' (1979) and as the [[Kurt Barlow|vampire]]'s servant, Richard Straker, in ''[[Salem's Lot (1979 TV miniseries)|Salem's Lot]]'' (1979). In 1979 he did ''Faith Healer'' on Broadway but it only had a short run. |
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===1980s=== |
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Mason was in ''[[North Sea Hijack]]'' (1980), ''[[Evil Under the Sun (film)|Evil Under the Sun]]'' (1982), ''[[Ivanhoe (1982 film)|Ivanhoe]]'' (1982), and ''[[A Dangerous Summer]]'' (1982). |
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One of his last roles, that of the corrupt lawyer Ed Concannon in ''[[The Verdict]]'' (1982), earned him his third and final Oscar nomination. |
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He had parts in ''[[Yellowbeard]]'' (1983), ''[[Alexandre]]'' (1983), and ''[[George Washington (miniseries)|George Washington]]'' (1984). |
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===Narrator=== |
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⚫ | In 1967 Mason narrated the documentary ''The London Nobody Knows''. An ardent cinephile on top of his career interests, Mason then went on to narrate two British documentary series supervised by [[Kevin Brownlow]]: ''[[Hollywood (1980 TV series)|Hollywood]]'' (1980), on the silent cinema and ''[[Unknown Chaplin]]'' (1983), devoted to out-take material from the films of Sir [[Charlie Chaplin]]. Mason had been a long-time neighbour and friend of the comedian. In the late 1970s, Mason became a mentor to up-and-coming actor [[Sam Neill]].<ref>{{cite news| last=Iley| first=Chrissy| title=Put it away, Sam ...| url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2006/jul/24/features.features11| accessdate=17 October 2013| newspaper=[[The Guardian]]| location=Manchester| date=23 July 2006}}</ref> |
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===Final Performances=== |
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⚫ | Having completed playing the lead role in ''[[Dr. Fischer of Geneva]]'' (1985), adapted from [[Graham Greene]]'s [[Doctor Fischer of Geneva|eponymous novella]] for the [[BBC]], he stepped into the role in ''[[The Shooting Party]]'' originally meant for [[Paul Scofield]], who was unable to continue after being seriously injured in an accident on the first day of shooting. This was to be Mason's final screen performance in a feature film.<ref>{{cite news| url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/4313352.stm| work=BBC News| title=Obituary: Paul Scofield| date=20 March 2008}}</ref> |
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He did appear on TV in ''[[A.D. (miniseries)|A.D.]]'' (1985) and ''[[The Assisi Underground]]'' (1985). |
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==Personal life== |
==Personal life== |
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[[File:James Mason and Family 1957.JPG|thumb|Mason and his family in 1957 in the television programme ''Panic!'' From left, son Morgan, Mason's wife Pamela, daughter Portland and Mason]] |
[[File:James Mason and Family 1957.JPG|thumb|Mason and his family in 1957 in the television programme ''Panic!'' From left, son Morgan, Mason's wife Pamela, daughter Portland and Mason]] |
Revision as of 07:56, 11 February 2019
James Mason | |
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Born | James Neville Mason 15 May 1909 Huddersfield, West Riding of Yorkshire, England |
Died | 27 July 1984 | (aged 75)
Alma mater | Peterhouse, Cambridge |
Occupation | Actor |
Years active | 1931–1984 |
Spouse(s) |
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Children | Portland Mason Morgan Mason |
Family | Belinda Carlisle (daughter-in-law) |
James Neville Mason (/ˈmeɪsən/; 15 May 1909 – 27 July 1984) was an English actor. Mason achieved considerable success in British cinema before becoming one of Hollywood's biggest stars. He was the top box office attraction in the UK in 1944 and 1945, with notable films including The Seventh Veil (1945) and The Wicked Lady (1945). He starred in Odd Man Out (1947), the first recipient of the BAFTA Award for Best British Film.
He starred in a number of successful British and American films from the 1950s to the early 1980s, including The Desert Fox, A Star Is Born, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Lolita, North by Northwest, The Prisoner of Zenda, Journey to the Centre of the Earth, A Touch of Larceny, Bigger Than Life, Julius Caesar, Georgy Girl, The Deadly Affair, Age of Consent, Heaven Can Wait, The Boys from Brazil, The Verdict, Mandingo, Murder by Decree and Salem's Lot.
Mason was nominated for three Academy Awards, three Golden Globes (winning the Golden Globe in 1955 for A Star is Born) and two BAFTA Awards throughout his career. Following his death in 1984, his ashes were interred near the tomb of his close friend, fellow English actor Sir Charlie Chaplin.
Early life, family and education
Mason was born in Huddersfield, in the West Riding of Yorkshire, to Mabel Hattersley (Gaunt) and John Mason.[1]
His father was a wealthy textile merchant. He was educated at Marlborough College, and earned a first in Architecture at Peterhouse, Cambridge, where he became involved in stock theatre companies in his spare time. Mason had no formal training in acting and initially embarked upon it for fun.
Career
Early Stage Appearances
After Cambridge, Mason made his stage debut in Aldershot in The Rascal in 1931.[2][3]
He joined the Old Vic theatre in London under the guidance of Tyrone Guthrie.[4] While there he appeared in productions of The Cherry Orchard, Henry VIII, Measure for Measure, The Importance of Being Earnest, Love for Love, The Tempest, Twelfth Night, and MacBeth. Featuring in many of these were Charles Laughton and Elsa Lanchester).
In 1933 Alexander Korda gave Mason a small role in The Private Life of Don Juan but sacked him three days into shooting.[5]
Early Films
From 1935 to 1938, he starred in many British quota quickies, starting with his first film Late Extra (1935), in which he played the lead.
Mason went on to appear in Twice Branded (1936), Troubled Waters (1936), Prison Breaker (1936), Blind Man's Bluff (1936), The Secret of Stamboul (1936), and The Mill on the Floss (1936).
Mason had a key support role in Korda's Fire Over England (1937) with Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh. He was in another "A", The High Command (1937) directed by Thorold Dickinson then went back to quickies, starring in Catch As Catch Can (1937).
Korda used him again as the villain in The Return of the Scarlet Pimpernel (1937).
Television
Mason began appearing in some televised productions of plays, made in the very early days of television: Cyrano de Bergerac (1938), The Moon in the Yellow River (1938), Bees on the Boat-Deck (1939), Square Pegs (1939), L'avare (1939), and The Circle (1939).
He returned to features with I Met a Murderer (1939) based on a story by Mason and Pamela Kellino, who also starred with Mason and who he would marry. Her father Roy Kellino directed.
World War Two
He registered as a conscientious objector during the Second World War[6] (causing his family to break with him for many years), but his tribunal exempted him only on the requirement to do non-combatant military service, which he refused; his appeal against this became irrelevant by including him in a general exemption for film work.[7]
In 1941-42 he returned to the stage to appear in Jupiter Laughs by A.J. Cronin.
He was top billed in The Patient Vanishes (1941) and second billed in Hatter's Castle (1941). Mason starred in The Night Has Eyes (1941); Alibi (1942) with Margaret Lockwood; Secret Mission (1942); Thunder Rock (1942) with Michael Redgrave; and The Bells Go Down (1943) with Tommy Trinder.
Gainsborough Melodramas and Stardom
Mason became hugely popular for his brooding anti-heroes in the Gainsborough series of melodramas of the 1940s, starting with The Man in Grey (1943). The film was a huge hit and launched him and co-stars Lockwood, Stewart Granger and Phyllis Calvert, to top level stars.
Mason starred in two war time dramas, They Met in the Dark (1943) and Candlelight in Algeria (1944), then returned to Gainbsorough melodrama with Fanny By Gaslight (1944) with Granger and Calvert; it was another big hit.
Mason starred in Hotel Reserve (1944), a thriller, then did a ghost story for Gainsborough with Lockwood, A Place of One's Own (1945). Far more popular was a melodrama, They Were Sisters (1945).
Sydney Box cast Mason in the lead of a musical melodrama, The Seventh Veil (1945) alongside Ann Todd. It was a huge success in Britain and the US and demand for Mason was at a fever pitch. Exhibitors voted him the most popular star in Britain in each year between 1944 and 1947. They also thought he was the most popular international star in 1946; he dropped to second place the following year.[8][9] He was the most popular male star in Canada in 1948.[10]
Mason had a relatively minor role in The Wicked Lady (1946) with Lockwood, a big hit. Mason then received his best reviews to date playing a mortally wounded IRA bank robber on the run in Carol Reed's Odd Man Out (1947).
Mason was able to turn producer on a film with Box, written by his wife and starring Mason, The Upturned Glass (1947). It was not a noted success. Neither was Bathsheba a play he and his wife did on Broadway.
Hollywood
Mason went to Hollywood where he first film was Caught (1949), directed by Max Ophuls. He played Gustave Flaubert in MGM's Madame Bovary (1949).
Mason did another with Ophuls, The Reckless Moment (1949), then did East Side, West Side (1949) with Barbara Stanwyck at MGM and One Way Street (1950) at Universal. He made Pandora and the Flying Dutchman (1951) with Ava Gardner. None of these films was particularly successful.
The Desert Fox and 20th Century Fox
Mason's Hollywood career was revived when cast was General Rommel in The Desert Fox: The Story of Rommel (1951), directed by Henry Hathaway. To do the film he agreed to sign a contract with 20th Century Fox for seven years at one film a year.
Mason did a film at Republic Pictures written by his wife and directed by his father in law, Lady Possessed (1951). At Fox he played a spy in 5 Fingers (1951) directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz.
MGM hired him to play Rupert of Hentzau in The Prisoner of Zenda (1952) opposite Granger. He was in the lower budgeted Face to Face (1952) then went to Paramont to play a villainous sea captain opposite Alan Ladd in Botany Bay (1953).
Mason was one of many stars in MGM's The Story of Three Loves (1953). At Fox he reprised his role as Rommel in The Desert Rats (1953), then he was reunited with Mankiewicz at MGM, playing Brutus in Julius Caesar (1953), opposite Marlon Brando. The film was very successful.
Mason was reunited with Carol Reed in The Man Between (1954), then Fox used him as a villain again in Prince Valiant (1954).
Mason did another film written by his wife and directed by his father in law, Charade (1954).
Warner Bros hired him to play Judy Garland's leading man in A Star Is Born (1954). He went over to Disney to play Captain Nemo in 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954), a huge hit.
Mason appeared with Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz in Forever, Darling (1956) then starred in and produced a film at Fox, Bigger Than Life (1956), directed by Nicholas Ray. Mason played a small-town school teacher driven insane by the effects of cortisone. He did another for Fox, the hugely popular melodrama, Island in the Sun (1957).
Television
Mason began appearing regularly on television in shows such as Panic!, General Electric Theater, Schlitz Playhouse, Goodyear Theatre and Playhouse 90 (several episodes including John Brown's Raid). In the 1950s, Mason was host of Lux Video Theatre on CBS television.[11]
He starred in two thrillers for [[Andrew L Stone], Cry Terror! (1958) and The Decks Ran Red (1958) then played a suave master spy in North by Northwest (1959) directed by Alfred Hitchcock.
At Fox he had a huge hit playing a determined scientist and explorer in Journey to the Centre of the Earth (1959), taking over a role meant for Clifton Webb. He did a comedy A Touch of Larceny (1960) and was Sir Edward Carson in The Trials of Oscar Wilde (1960).
He continued to appear on TV shows like The DuPont Show with June Allyson, Golden Showcase, Theatre '62 and The Alfred Hitchcock Hour.
He did The Marriage-Go-Round (1961), then played Humbert Humbert in Stanley Kubrick's version of Lolita (1962).
He starred in Tiara Tahiti (1962), then Hero's Island (1962), which he also produced. He was in Torpedo Bay (1963).
Decline as Star
In 1963 he settled in Switzerland, and embarked on a transatlantic career.[12]
He began to drift into support roles, or second leads: the epic The Fall of the Roman Empire (1964); The Pumpkin Eater (1964), with Anne Bancroft; a river pirate who betrays Peter O'Toole's character in Lord Jim (1965); the title role in Genghis Khan (1965); The Uninhibited (1965); a guest role on Dr Kildare; James Leamington in the Swinging London-set Georgy Girl (1966), a role that earned him a second Academy Award nomination.
He was in several episodes of ITV Play of the Week and he had the lead in The Deadly Affair (1967) for Sidney Lumet and Stranger in the House (1968). He was more support in Duffy (1968) and Mayerling 91968) but was top billed in The Sea Gull (1968 film)The Sea Gull (1968) for Sidney Lumet and starred as Bradley Morahan in Age of Consent (1969) for Michael Powell, with Mason also produced. He also had the star role in Spring and Port Wine (1970).
1970s
Mason supported Charles Bronson in Cold Sweat (1970), Alain Delon in Crepa padrone, crepa tranquillo (1970) and Lee Van Cleef in Bad Man's River (1971). He was a support in Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill! (1971) and top billed in Child's Play (1972) for Lumet, replacing Marlon Brando.
He was one of many stars in The Last of Sheila (1973) and played the evil Doctor Polidori in Frankenstein: The True Story (1973). He had support roles in The MacKintosh Man 91973), 11 Harrowhouse (1974), The Marseille Contract (1974), and Great Expectations (1974) and was top billed in Mandingo (1975).
Mason's later 70s performances included Kidnap Syndicate (1975), The Left Hand of the Law (1975), Autobiography of a Princess (1975), Inside Out (1975), The Flower in His Mouth (1975), Voyage of the Damned (1976), Hot Stuff (1977), Cross of Iron (1977), Jesus of Nazareth (1977), The Yin and the Yang of Mr. Go (1978), The Water Babies (1978), Heaven Can Wait (1978), The Boys from Brazil (1978), Murder by Decree (1979) (as Watson), The Passage (1979), Bloodline (1979) and as the vampire's servant, Richard Straker, in Salem's Lot (1979). In 1979 he did Faith Healer on Broadway but it only had a short run.
1980s
Mason was in North Sea Hijack (1980), Evil Under the Sun (1982), Ivanhoe (1982), and A Dangerous Summer (1982).
One of his last roles, that of the corrupt lawyer Ed Concannon in The Verdict (1982), earned him his third and final Oscar nomination.
He had parts in Yellowbeard (1983), Alexandre (1983), and George Washington (1984).
Narrator
In 1967 Mason narrated the documentary The London Nobody Knows. An ardent cinephile on top of his career interests, Mason then went on to narrate two British documentary series supervised by Kevin Brownlow: Hollywood (1980), on the silent cinema and Unknown Chaplin (1983), devoted to out-take material from the films of Sir Charlie Chaplin. Mason had been a long-time neighbour and friend of the comedian. In the late 1970s, Mason became a mentor to up-and-coming actor Sam Neill.[13]
Final Performances
Having completed playing the lead role in Dr. Fischer of Geneva (1985), adapted from Graham Greene's eponymous novella for the BBC, he stepped into the role in The Shooting Party originally meant for Paul Scofield, who was unable to continue after being seriously injured in an accident on the first day of shooting. This was to be Mason's final screen performance in a feature film.[14]
He did appear on TV in A.D. (1985) and The Assisi Underground (1985).
Personal life
Mason was a devoted lover of animals, particularly cats. He and his wife, Pamela Mason, co-authored the book The Cats in Our Lives, which was published in 1949. James Mason wrote most of the book and also illustrated it. In The Cats in Our Lives, he recounted humorous and sometimes touching tales of the cats (as well as a few dogs) he had known and loved.
In 1952, Mason purchased a house previously owned by Buster Keaton. He discovered several nitrate film reels of films thought to have been lost, stored in the house and produced by the comedian, such as The Boat. Mason arranged to have the decomposing films transferred to safety stock and thus saved them from oblivion.[15]
Mason was married twice:
- From 1941 to 1964 to British actress Pamela Mason (née Ostrer) (1916–1996); one daughter, Portland Mason Schuyler (1948–2004), and one son, Morgan (who is married to Belinda Carlisle, the lead singer of the Go-Go's). Pamela Mason was widely reported to be a devotee of the Hollywood social scene and was frequently unfaithful to her husband. Nevertheless, she initiated divorce proceedings against him in 1962, claiming adultery on his part. This led to a $1m divorce settlement, and made a star of her attorney Marvin Mitchelson.[16]
- Australian actress Clarissa Kaye (1971–his death). Tobe Hooper's DVD commentary for Salem's Lot reveals that Mason regularly worked contractual clauses into his later work guaranteeing Kaye bit parts in his film appearances.
Mason's autobiography, Before I Forget, was published in 1981.
Death
Mason survived a severe heart attack in 1959.[17] He died as result of another heart attack on 27 July 1984 in Lausanne, Switzerland[18] and was cremated.
Mason left his entire estate to his second wife, Clarissa Kaye, but his will was challenged by his two children. The lawsuit had not been settled when she died on 21 July 1994 from cancer.[16] Clarissa Kaye Mason left her holdings to the religious guru Sathya Sai Baba, including the actor's ashes which she had retained in their shared home. Mason's children sued Sai Baba and subsequently had Mason's ashes interred in Corsier-sur-Vevey, Vaud, Switzerland.[19] The remains of Mason's old friend Charlie Chaplin are in a tomb a few steps away.[19] Mason's children specified that his headstone read: "Never say in grief you are sorry he's gone. Rather, say in thankfulness you are grateful he was here," words that were spoken to Portland Mason by U.S. Senator Ted Kennedy after the actor's death.[20]
Filmography
Radio appearances
Year | Programme | Episode/source |
---|---|---|
1952 | Suspense | Odd Man Out[21] |
1950 | Suspense | Banquo's Chair |
December 28, 1953 | Suspense | The Queen's Ring |
References
- ^ "No Buyer for Mason Poster". The Free Library. 2 December 2010. Retrieved 7 March 2018.
- ^ Russell, William (28 July 1984). "James Mason: Star of Magnetism and Menace". The Glasgow Herald. p. 8 – via Google News.
- ^ Sweeney, Kevin (30 January 1999). James Mason: A Bio-bibliography. Greenwood Press. p. 5. ISBN 978-0-313-28496-0.
- ^ Brian McFarlane "Mason, James (1909-1984)", BFI screenonline; McFarlane (ed) The Encyclopedia of British Film, London: Methuen/BFI, 2003, p.438
- ^ Mason, James (7 September 1981). Before I forget: autobiography and drawings. London: Hamish Hamilton. p. 89. ISBN 978-0-241-10677-8.
{{cite book}}
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suggested) (help) - ^ Thomson, David (15 May 2009) Every word a poison dart, The Guardian
- ^ Eric Ambler, Mason, James Neville (1909–1984), rev. Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, Jan 2011, accessed 23 March 2013.
- ^ "James Mason named again as Britain's brightest star". The Mercury. Hobart, Tas.: National Library of Australia. 2 March 1946. p. 3 Supplement: The Mercury Magazine. Retrieved 24 April 2012.
- ^ "FILM WORLD". The West Australian. Perth: National Library of Australia. 28 February 1947. p. 20 Edition: SECOND EDITION. Retrieved 27 April 2012.
- ^ "FILM NEWS". The Mercury. Hobart, Tas.: National Library of Australia. 11 June 1949. p. 14. Retrieved 4 March 2013.
- ^ Becker, Christine (1 October 2005). "Televising Film Stardom in the 1950s". Framework. Retrieved 21 January 2015 – via Questia Online Library.
{{cite journal}}
: Unknown parameter|subscription=
ignored (|url-access=
suggested) (help) - ^ Kevin Sweeney. James Mason: A Bio-Bibliography, Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press, 1999, p.47
- ^ Iley, Chrissy (23 July 2006). "Put it away, Sam ..." The Guardian. Manchester. Retrieved 17 October 2013.
- ^ "Obituary: Paul Scofield". BBC News. 20 March 2008.
- ^ Bailey, Steve. "The Boat". The Love Nest. Retrieved 19 February 2013.
- ^ a b Edge, Simon (24 April 2009). "James Mason: The sad cad". Sunday Express. Retrieved 2 May 2015.
- ^ "James Mason: Obituary". Archived from the original on 9 January 2014. Retrieved 9 January 2014.
{{cite web}}
: Unknown parameter|deadurl=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - ^ James Mason Obituary, Variety, 1 August 1984.
- ^ a b Davies, Caroline (25 November 2000). "James Mason's ashes finally laid to rest". The Daily Telegraph.
- ^ Glaister, Dan (10 March 1999). "15 years after his death, film star finds rest". The Guardian. Retrieved 4 June 2018.
- ^ Kirby, Walter (10 February 1952). "Better Radio Programs for the Week". The Decatur Daily Review. p. 38. Retrieved 2 June 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
External links
- James Mason at IMDb
- James Mason at the TCM Movie Database
- Performances listed in Theatre Archive University of Bristol
- James Mason at the Internet Broadway Database
- Literature on James Mason
- James Mason interview on BBC Radio 4 Desert Island Discs, September 26, 1981
- James Mason's Cats
- 1909 births
- 1984 deaths
- 20th-century English male actors
- Alumni of Peterhouse, Cambridge
- Best Musical or Comedy Actor Golden Globe (film) winners
- English conscientious objectors
- English male film actors
- English male stage actors
- People educated at Marlborough College
- People from Huddersfield
- United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Goodwill Ambassadors
- British expatriate male actors in the United States
- English expatriates in Switzerland
- English expatriates in the United States
- Male actors from Yorkshire