Donald Crisp
(1880 - 1974)Donald Crisp was the quintessential Scotsman. Contrary to the usual dour Scot, he most often played loving, admirable characters. With his cherubic face, rosy cheeks, white curly hair and smiling eyes, he won the hearts of many an audience. He was born in Aberfeldy, Scotland on July 27, 1880 the son of a country doctor and educated at Oxford University. Some sources claim he was born in England; Obituaries at the time of his death list Aberfeldy, Scotland. His father ran a dairy farm and at age 19 he left home and became a trooper in the 10th Hussars where he fought in the Boer War. Two years later he left Britain for America. He'd done some professional singing and opera with his beautiful tenor voice but eventually the theatre and an acting career beckoned to him. He started as a stage director for George M. Cohan. He worked as an assistant director on "Birth of a Nation" (1915) with D. W. Griffith and had a distinguished directing career working with the likes of Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford. He made his real mark as a dependable character actor and the pinnacle of his career came with his winning the Oscar for his fabulous role in "How Green Was My Valley" (1941) as Mr. Morgan. His other films included: "The French Maid" (1908) a silent and his film debut; about half of his films were silent films including "The Viking" (1928) as Leif Ericsson, which was also filmed in color; others were: "The Return of Sherlock Holmes" (1929) as Col. Moran; "Scotland Yard" (1930) as Charles Fox; "Svengali" (1931) as The Laird; "Kick In" (1931) as Police Commr. Harvey; "A Passport to Hell" (1932) as Sgt. Snyder; "Red Dust" (1932) as Guidon; "Broadway Bad" (1933) as Darrall; "The Key" (1934) as Peadar Conlan; "Crime Doctor" (1934) as District Attorney; "The Life of Vergie Winters" (1934) as Mike Davey; "What Every Woman Knows" (1934) as Mr. David Wylie; "The Little Minister" (1934) as Dr. McQueen; "Vanessa: Her Love Story" (1935) as George, the Inn Owner; "Oil for the Lamps of China" (1935) as J.T. McCarger; "Laddie" (1935) as Mr. Pryor; "Mutiny on the Bounty" (1935) as Seaman Thomas Burkitt; "Laddie" (1935) as Mr. Pryor; "The White Angel" (1936) as Dr. Hunt; "Mary of Scotland" (1936) with Katharine Hepburn, as Lord Huntley; "A Woman Rebels" (1936) as Judge Byron Thistlewaite; "The Charge of the Light Brigade" (1936) as Col. Campbell; "Beloved Enemy" (1936) as Burke; "The Great O'Malley" (1937) as Police Capt. Cromwell; "The Life of Emile Zola" (1937) as Maitre Labori; "Confession" (1937) as Presiding Judge; "Sergeant Murphy" (1938) as Col. Todd Carruthers; "Jezebel" (1938) with Bette Davis, as Dr. Livingstone; "Beloved Brat" (1938) as Mr. John Morgan; "The Amazing Dr. Clitterhouse" (1938) as Police Inspector Lewis Lane; "The Dawn Patrol" (1938) as Phipps; "Valley of the Giants" (1938) as Andy Stone; "The Sisters" (1938) as Tim Hazelton; "Comet Over Broadway" (1938) as Joe Grant; "Wuthering Heights" (1939) as Dr. Kenneth; "The Oklahoma Kid" (1939) as Judge Hardwick; "Juarez" (1939) as Gen. Marechal Bazaine; "The Old Maid" (1939) as Dr. Lanskell; "The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex" (1939) as Francis Bacon; "Sons of Liberty" (1939) as Alexander McDougall; "Daughters Courageous" (1939) as Samuel 'Sam' Sloane; "Brother Orchid" (1940) as Brother Superior; "City for Conquest" (1940) with Humphrey Bogart, as Scotty MacPherson; "Knute Rockne All American" (1940) as Father John Callahan; "Dr. Ehrlich's Magic Bullet" (1940) as Minister Althoff; "The Sea Hawk" (1940) as Sir John Burleson; "Shinig Victory" (1941) as Dr. Drewett; "How Green Was My Valley" (1941) as Gwilym Morgan; "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" (1941) with Spencer Tracy, as Sir Charles Emery; "The Gay Sisters" (1942) as Ralph Pedloch; "Forever and a Day" (1943) as Capt. Martin; "Lassie Come Home" (1943) and "Son of Lassie" (1945) both as Sam Carraclough; "The Uninvited" (1944) as Commander Beech; "The Adventures of Mark Twain" (1944) as J.B. Pond; "National Velvet" (1944) as Mr. Herbert Brown; "Valley of Decision" (1945) as William Scott; "Ramrod" (1947) as Sheriff Jim Crew; "Whispering Smith" (1948) as Barney Rebstock; "Hills of Home" (1948) as Drumsheugh; "Challenge to Lassie" (1949) as Jock Gray; "Bright Leaf" (1950) as Maj. Singleton; "Home Town Story" (1951) as John MacFarland; "Prince Valiant" (1954) as King Aguar; "The Long Gray Line" (1955) as Old Martin; "The Man from Laramie" (1955) as Alec Waggoman; "Drango" (1957) Judge Allen; "Saddle the Wind" (1958) as Dennis Deneen; "The Last Hurrah" (1958) as Cardinal Burke; "A Dog of Flanders" (1959) as Daas; "Pollyanna" (1960) as Mayor Karl Warren; "Greyfriar’s Bobby" (1961) as James Brown and "Spencer's Mountain" (1963) with Henry Fonda, as Grandpa Spencer, his final film. He served in both World War I and II in the intelligence corps. He was married to Marie Stark and divorced her in 1919. He was later married to screen writer Jane Murfin in 1932 until her death in 1957. They had no children. He died on May 25, 1974 in Van Nuys, California of complications of a series of strokes.
From Great Character Actors, Page 2.
|
