Anthony Quayle
(1913 - 1989)He was a solid character actor of the 1950s, 60s, 70s and 80s and was equally at home in contemporary dramas or historical epics. He was a tall, well-built man with balding, curly dark hair, a classic face and a stately presence. He always had a distressed or quizzical look about him. He was born John Anthony Quayle on September 7, 1913 in Ainsdale, England, the son of a Lancashire lawyer. His father loved the theatre and the family spent much time enjoying local and traveling productions. He was expected to follow in his family's drug business but had no interest in chemistry or physics. He had a yen for acting developed while enjoying theatre in his youth. He attended Rugby secondary school in England and RADA, the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in 1930. His friend and mentor, Sir Tyrone Guthrie, exposed him to the works of Shakespeare and the classics. In 1932 he joined the Old Vic Company. He debuted on Broadway in 1936. In 1938, after a successful stage career, he made his film debut in "Pygmalion" uncredited, as Eliza's Hairdresser. He interrupted his career for a stint in the British army during World War II where he rose to the rank of major. He saw action with an artillery unit and as an intelligence agent behind enemy lines in Albania. His other film credits included: "Saraband for Dead Lovers" (1948) as Durer; "Oh...Rosalinda!" (1956) as Gen. Orlovsky; "The Battle of the River Plate" (1956) as Commodore Harwood - HMS Ajax; Hitchcock's "The Wrong Man" (1956) with Henry Fonda, as Frank O'Connor; "No Time for Tears" (1957) as Dr. Seagrave; "Tarzan's Greatest Adventure" (1959) with Gordon Scott, as Slade; "The Guns of Navarone" (1961) as Maj. Roy Franklin, one of his better roles; "H.M.S. Defiant" (1962) as Vizard; "Lawrence of Arabia" (1962) with Peter O'Toole, as Col. Harry Brighton; "East of Sudan" (1964) as Richard Baker; "The Fall of the Roman Empire" (1964) as Verulus, another fine role; "Operation Crossbow" (1965) as Bamford; "The Poppy Is Also a Flower" (1966) as Capt. Vanderbilt; "Mackenna's Gold" (1969) as Older Englishman; "Anne of the Thousand Days" (1969) as Cardinal Wolsey, for which he received both an Oscar and a Golden Globe nomination as Best Supporting Actor; "Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex But Were Afraid to Ask" (1972) as The King; "The Tamarind Seed" (1974) as Jack Loder - Head of M-16; "The Eagle Has Landed" (1976) as Admiral Canaris; "The Chosen" (1978) as Prof. Griffith; "Murder by Decree" (1979) as Sir Charles Warren; "Buster" (1988) as Sir James McDowell; "Magdalene" (1989) as Father Noessler and "King of the Wind" (1989) as Lord Granville, his last theatrical film. On TV he appeared in many series and mini-series including: "The Strange Report" (1968) as Adam Strange; "The Six Wives of Henry VIII" (1971) a mini-series, as Narrator; "The Evil Touch" (1973) as Host; "QB VII" (1974) a mini-series, as Tom Bannister, for which he won an Emmy award as Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Special; "Moses the Lawgiver" (1975) as Aaron; "Masada" (1981) a mini-series, as Rubrius Gallus, probably his best role ever and my personal favorite of his work; "The Manions of America" (1981) a mini-series, as Lord Montgomery and "The Last Days of Pompeii" (1984) a mini-series, as Quintus, another great role. He appeared in such excellent TV movies as: "A Case of Libel" (1968); "21 Hours at Munich" (1976); "Oedipus at Colonus" (1984) and "The Bourne Identity" (1988). He was married to Hermione Hannen from 1934-1941 and was divorced. He married actress Dorothy Hyson in 1947 and they were together until his death. He was knighted by Queen Elizabeth in 1984. He lectured on drama at the University of Tennessee in 1974 and also wrote two books, "Eight Hours From England" and "On Such A Night", both his war memoirs. He died of cancer on October 20, 1989 in London, England at age 76.
From Great Character Actors, Page 7.
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