Terry- Thomas
(1911 - 1990)In England he was called "the Ultimate Cad" based on roles he portrayed. To Americans he was an "eccentric" comic. Whenever you hear the words "egad man!" or "good show!", you can't help but think of Terry-Thomas. The tall comic with his famed gap-tooth grin, meticulous mustache, expressive eyebrows and rhythmic, unique style of speech was a terrific comic actor. He was most often cast as a butler, valet, professor, scientist or upper-class type. He was born Thomas Terry Hoar Stevens on July 14, 1911 in London, England to a well-to-do family. He was raised in London and North Devon, England and attended private school and later Ardingly College in Sussex. He conducted and played a ukulele in a jazz band. He worked as a clerk and then a meat salesman in a London company where he also performed with its dramatic society. He also worked as a band organizer and leader, a dancer and vaudeville performer which earned him parts in radio, cabaret and music halls and eventually movies. Needing a catchy professional name he tried Thomas Terry but later reversed it to Terry-Thomas adding a hyphen which he likened to the gap in his teeth. His film debut came as an extra in "This'll Make You Whistle" (1932) in an uncredited role. His other films include: "A Date with a Dream" (1948) as Terry; "Helter Skelter" (1949) as an Announcer; "Private's Progress" (1956) as Maj. Hitchcock; "The Green Man" (1956) as Charles Boughtflower; "Brothers in Law" (1957) as Alfred Green; "The Naked Truth" (1957) as Lord Henry Mayley; "Blue Murder at St. Trinian's" (1957) as Romney; "Too Many Crooks" (1958) as Billy Gordon; "tom thumb" (1958) as Ivan, his first 'big' role; "I'm All Right Jack" (1959) as Maj. Hitchcock; "School for Scoundrels" (1960) as Raymond Delauney; "Make Mine Mink" (1960) as Maj. Rayne; "His and Hers" (1961) as Reggie Blake; "A Matter of Who" (1961) as Bannister; "The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm" (1962) as Ludwig; "Kill or Cure" (1962) as J. (Jerry) Barker-Rynde, PI; "Operation Snatch" (1962) as Lt. 'Piggy' Wigg; "Bachelor Flat" (1962) as Prof. Bruce Patterson; "The Mouse on the Moon" (1963) with Margaret Rutherford, as Spender; "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World" (1963) as J. Algernon Hawthorne, one of his funniest and best roles ever; " The Wild Affair" (1963) as Godfrey Deane; "Strange Bedfellows" (1965) as Assistant Mortician; "How to Murder Your Wife" (1965) with Jack Lemmon, as Charles Firbank the Valet, in another terrific role; "Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines" (1965) as Sir Percy Ware-Armitage; "Munster, Go Home" (1966) as Freddie Munster; "The Daydreamer" (1966) as Voice of Brigadier Zachary Zilch; "Our Man in Marrakesh" aka "Bang! Bang! You're Dead!" (1966) as El Caid; "The Sandwich Man" (1966) as Scoutmaster; "Karate Killers" (1967) as Constable; "The Perils of Pauline" (1967) as Sten Martin; "A Guide for the Married Man" (1967) as Technical Advisor; "Rocket to the Moon" (1967) as Sir Harry Washington-Smythe; "Arabella" (1967) as Hotel Manager; "How Sweet It Is" (1968) as Gilbert Tilly; "Monte Carlo or Bust" aka Those Daring Young Men in Their Jaunty Jalopies" (1969) as Sir Cuthbert Ware-Armitage; "The Abominable Dr. Phibes" (1971) with Vincent Price, as Dr. Longstreet; "Dr. Phibes Rises Again" (1972) as Lombardo, Shipping Agent; "The Cherry Picker" (1972) as Appleby; Disney's animated "Robin Hood" (1973) as Voice of Sir Hiss; "The Vault of Horror" (1973) as Critchit; "Side by Side" (1975) as Max Nugget; "Spanish Fly" (1976) as Sir Percy de Courcy; "The Bawdy Adventures of Tom Jones" (1976) as Mr. Square; "The Last Remake of Beau Geste" (1977) as Governor and "The Hound of the Baskervilles" (1978) as Dr. Mortimer, his last film role. On TV he was a regular on the series: "The Old Campaigner" (1967) as James Franklin-Jones ['F.J']. He also appeared in the TV movie "I Love a Mystery" (1973). He guest starred on such TV series as: "The Red Skelton Show"; "Burke's Law"; "The Andy Williams Show" and "The Persuaders." He was married to Ida Patlanski from 1932-1962 when they were divorced and he later married Belinda Cunningham with which he had two sons Timothy 'Tiger' and Cushan. He was a cousin of actor Richard Briers. He died of Parkinson's disease on January 8, 1990 in Godalming, Surrey, England at age 78.
From Great Character Actors, Page 6.
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