Known For
Acting
Known Credits
93
Gender
Male
Birthday
March 4, 1894 (132 years old)
Place of Birth
Barnes, Surrey, UK
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Charles Henry Daniell (5 March 1894 – 31 October 1963) was an English actor who had a long and prestigious career on stage as well as in films. He is perhaps best known for his villainous roles in films like The Great Dictator, The Philadelphia Story and The Sea Hawk. Daniell was given few opportunities to play a 'good guy', including a supporting part as Franz Liszt in the biographical film Song of Love (1947). His last name is sometimes spelled "Daniel".
Daniell's film debut came in 1929 in Jealousy. He appeared as Professor Moriarty in the Basil Rathbone-Nigel Bruce Sherlock Holmes film The Woman in Green (1945). He appeared in other films such as Charlie Chaplin's The Great Dictator (1940) (playing Garbitsch, to sound like "garbage", a parody of Joseph Goebbels), and The Body Snatcher (1945, with Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi) – as well as two other films in the Sherlock Holmes/Basil Rathbone series: The Voice of Terror (1942) and Sherlock Holmes in Washington (1943) with fellow Moriarty George Zucco.
Daniell played the sleazy Baron de Varville opposite Greta Garbo in Camille (1936). Another early triumph was his portrayal of Cecil in The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex (1939). He also played the treacherous Lord Wolfingham (no relation to Francis Walsingham) in The Sea Hawk (1940), fighting Errol Flynn in what is often considered one of the most spectacular sword fighting duels ever filmed. When Michael Curtiz cast him in this film, Henry Daniell initially refused because he couldn't fence. Curtiz accomplished the climactic duel through the use of shadows and over-shoulder shots, with a double fencing Flynn with ingenious inter-cutting of their faces.
Towards the end of the Second World War, he appeared in one of his most memorable film roles, as the cruel Mr. Brocklehurst in Jane Eyre (1944), opposite Joan Fontaine who played Eyre. That same year he appeared in The Suspect as Charles Laughton's blackmailing next-door neighbour. In the 1950s and 1960s, he did much television, and also appeared as the malevolent Dr. Emil Zurich in Edward L. Cahn's The Four Skulls of Jonathan Drake (1959), and in an episode of Maverick, "Pappy" opposite James Garner the same year. An absolute professional, he was always on the set when needed, and impatient when delays in filming took place. Much in demand for his dry, sardonic delivery, Daniell moved easily from big-budget films, such as (uncredited) Mutiny on the Bounty (1962), to television without difficulty. In 1957, Daniell appeared as King Charles II of England in the NBC anthology series The Joseph Cotten Show in the episode "The Trial of Colonel Blood", with Michael Wilding in the title role. In the same year he played the instructing solicitor to Charles Laughton's leading counsel barrister in Witness for the Prosecution (1957).
The actor claimed one of his favourite roles was as Tony Curtis' supervisor in the acclaimed Blake Edwards film Mister Cory (1957) at a time when the actor's career was clearly slowing down, but Daniell retained some of the best and most memorable lines in the movie, "A gentleman never grabs. Manners, Mister Cory. I find them a prerequisite in any circumstance."
| 2007 | Hitler: The Comedy Yearsas Garbitsch (archive footage) (uncredited) | |
| 1964 | My Fair Ladyas Ambassador (uncredited) | |
| 1962 | Mutiny on the Bountyas Court-martial Judge (uncredited) | |
| 1962 | The Chapman Reportas Dr. Jonas | |
| 1962 | Combat!as Minister | |
| 1962 | Five Weeks in a Balloonas Sheik Ageiba | |
| 1962 | The Notorious Landladyas Stranger | |
| 1961 | The Comancherosas Gireaux | |
| 1961 | Voyage to the Bottom of the Seaas Dr. Zucco | |
| 1961 | The Grim Reaperas Pierre Radin | |
| 1961 | Madison Avenueas Stipe | |
| 1960 | The Islandersas Jarden | |
| 1960 | Thrilleras Count Alexander Cagliostro | |
| 1960 | Thrilleras Dirk Van Prinn | |
| 1960 | Thrilleras Pierre Radin | |
| 1960 | Thrilleras Squire Moloch | |
| 1960 | Thrilleras Vicar John Weatherford | |
| 1959 | The Four Skulls of Jonathan Drakeas Dr. Emil Zurich | |
| 1959 | Startimeas Uncle Henri | |
| 1959 | Riverboatas Graham | |
| 1958 | From the Earth to the Moonas Morgana | |
| 1958 | 77 Sunset Stripas | |
| 1958 | Westinghouse Desilu Playhouseas | |
| 1958 | Peter Gunnas | |
| 1957 | Witness for the Prosecutionas Mayhew | |
| 1957 | The Story of Mankindas Pierre Cauchon - Bishop of Beauvais | |
| 1957 | Les Girlsas Judge | |
| 1957 | Maverickas | |
| 1957 | Wagon Trainas Morton W. Snipple | |
| 1957 | The Sun Also Risesas Doctor | |
| 1957 | Mister Coryas Mr. Earnshaw | |
| 1956 | Confessionas Hubbel | |
| 1956 | Lust for Lifeas Theodorus van Gogh | |
| 1956 | On Trialas Clark | |
| 1956 | On Trialas Van Buren | |
| 1956 | The Man in the Gray Flannel Suitas Bill Ogden | |
| 1956 | Telephone Timeas | |
| 1956 | The Barretts of Wimpole Streetas Edward Moulton-Barrett | |
| 1956 | Dianeas Gondi | |
| 1955 | Matinee Theateras | |
| 1955 | MGM Paradeas | |
| 1955 | The Prodigalas Ramadi | |
| 1954 | Producers' Showcaseas | |
| 1954 | The Egyptianas Mekere | |
| 1951 | Schlitz Playhouse of Starsas Count Maverin | |
| 1950 | Lux Video Theatreas Lord Belmont | |
| 1950 | Buccaneer's Girlas Capt. Duval | |
| 1949 | Lights Outas | |
| 1949 | The Secret Of St. Ivesas Maj. Edward Chevenish | |
| 1949 | Siren of Atlantisas Blades | |
| 1948 | Wake of the Red Witchas Jacques Desaix | |
| 1948 | Studio Oneas | |
| 1948 | The Philco Television Playhouseas Colonel Chart | |
| 1947 | The Exileas Colonel Ingram | |
| 1947 | Song of Loveas Franz Liszt | |
| 1946 | The Bandit of Sherwood Forestas The Regent - William of Pembroke | |
| 1946 | Angel Streetas Mr. Manningham | |
| 1945 | Captain Kiddas King William III | |
| 1945 | The Woman in Greenas Professor James Moriarty | |
| 1945 | The Body Snatcheras Dr. Wolfe 'Toddy' MacFarlane | |
| 1945 | Hotel Berlinas Baron Von Stetten | |
| 1945 | The Suspectas Mr. Simmons | |
| 1943 | Jane Eyreas Henry Brocklehurst | |
| 1943 | Watch on the Rhineas Phili Von Ramme | |
| 1943 | Mission to Moscowas Minister von Ribbentrop | |
| 1943 | Sherlock Holmes in Washingtonas William Easter | |
| 1942 | Reunion in Franceas Emile Fleuron | |
| 1942 | The Great Impersonationas Frederick Seamon | |
| 1942 | Nightmareas Capt. Edgar Stafford | |
| 1942 | Sherlock Holmes and the Voice of Terroras Sir Anthony Lloyd | |
| 1942 | Castle in the Desertas Watson King | |
| 1942 | Four Jacks and a Jillas Bobo | |
| 1941 | The Feminine Touchas Shelley Mason | |
| 1941 | Dressed to Killas Julian Davis | |
| 1941 | A Woman's Faceas Public Prosecutor | |
| 1940 | The Philadelphia Storyas Sidney Kidd | |
| 1940 | The Great Dictatoras Garbitsch | |
| 1940 | The Sea Hawkas Lord Wolfingham | |
| 1940 | All This, and Heaven Tooas Broussais | |
| 1939 | We Are Not Aloneas Sir Ronald Dawson | |
| 1939 | The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essexas Sir Robert Cecil | |
| 1938 | Marie Antoinetteas La Motte | |
| 1938 | Holidayas Seton Cram | |
| 1937 | The Fireflyas General Savary | |
| 1937 | Madame Xas Lerocle | |
| 1937 | The Thirteenth Chairas John Wales | |
| 1937 | Under Cover of Nightas Professor Marvin Griswald | |
| 1936 | Camilleas Baron de Varville | |
| 1936 | The Unguarded Houras Hugh Lewis | |
| 1934 | The Path of Gloryas King Maximillian | |
| 1930 | The Last of the Lone Wolfas Count von Rimpau (as Henry Daniel) | |
| 1929 | Jealousyas Clement | |
| 1929 | The Awful Truthas Norman Warriner |