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Henry Daniell

Known For
Acting

Known Credits
93

Gender
Male

Birthday
March 4, 1894 (132 years old)

Place of Birth
Barnes, Surrey, UK

Henry Daniell

Biography

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."

Known For

Acting

2007Hitler: The Comedy Yearsas Garbitsch (archive footage) (uncredited)
1964My Fair Ladyas Ambassador (uncredited)
1962Mutiny on the Bountyas Court-martial Judge (uncredited)
1962The Chapman Reportas Dr. Jonas
1962Combat!as Minister
1962Five Weeks in a Balloonas Sheik Ageiba
1962The Notorious Landladyas Stranger
1961The Comancherosas Gireaux
1961Voyage to the Bottom of the Seaas Dr. Zucco
1961The Grim Reaperas Pierre Radin
1961Madison Avenueas Stipe
1960The Islandersas Jarden
1960Thrilleras Count Alexander Cagliostro
1960Thrilleras Dirk Van Prinn
1960Thrilleras Pierre Radin
1960Thrilleras Squire Moloch
1960Thrilleras Vicar John Weatherford
1959The Four Skulls of Jonathan Drakeas Dr. Emil Zurich
1959Startimeas Uncle Henri
1959Riverboatas Graham
1958From the Earth to the Moonas Morgana
195877 Sunset Stripas
1958Westinghouse Desilu Playhouseas
1958Peter Gunnas
1957Witness for the Prosecutionas Mayhew
1957The Story of Mankindas Pierre Cauchon - Bishop of Beauvais
1957Les Girlsas Judge
1957Maverickas
1957Wagon Trainas Morton W. Snipple
1957The Sun Also Risesas Doctor
1957Mister Coryas Mr. Earnshaw
1956Confessionas Hubbel
1956Lust for Lifeas Theodorus van Gogh
1956On Trialas Clark
1956On Trialas Van Buren
1956The Man in the Gray Flannel Suitas Bill Ogden
1956Telephone Timeas
1956The Barretts of Wimpole Streetas Edward Moulton-Barrett
1956Dianeas Gondi
1955Matinee Theateras
1955MGM Paradeas
1955The Prodigalas Ramadi
1954Producers' Showcaseas
1954The Egyptianas Mekere
1951Schlitz Playhouse of Starsas Count Maverin
1950Lux Video Theatreas Lord Belmont
1950Buccaneer's Girlas Capt. Duval
1949Lights Outas
1949The Secret Of St. Ivesas Maj. Edward Chevenish
1949Siren of Atlantisas Blades
1948Wake of the Red Witchas Jacques Desaix
1948Studio Oneas
1948The Philco Television Playhouseas Colonel Chart
1947The Exileas Colonel Ingram
1947Song of Loveas Franz Liszt
1946The Bandit of Sherwood Forestas The Regent - William of Pembroke
1946Angel Streetas Mr. Manningham
1945Captain Kiddas King William III
1945The Woman in Greenas Professor James Moriarty
1945The Body Snatcheras Dr. Wolfe 'Toddy' MacFarlane
1945Hotel Berlinas Baron Von Stetten
1945The Suspectas Mr. Simmons
1943Jane Eyreas Henry Brocklehurst
1943Watch on the Rhineas Phili Von Ramme
1943Mission to Moscowas Minister von Ribbentrop
1943Sherlock Holmes in Washingtonas William Easter
1942Reunion in Franceas Emile Fleuron
1942The Great Impersonationas Frederick Seamon
1942Nightmareas Capt. Edgar Stafford
1942Sherlock Holmes and the Voice of Terroras Sir Anthony Lloyd
1942Castle in the Desertas Watson King
1942Four Jacks and a Jillas Bobo
1941The Feminine Touchas Shelley Mason
1941Dressed to Killas Julian Davis
1941A Woman's Faceas Public Prosecutor
1940The Philadelphia Storyas Sidney Kidd
1940The Great Dictatoras Garbitsch
1940The Sea Hawkas Lord Wolfingham
1940All This, and Heaven Tooas Broussais
1939We Are Not Aloneas Sir Ronald Dawson
1939The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essexas Sir Robert Cecil
1938Marie Antoinetteas La Motte
1938Holidayas Seton Cram
1937The Fireflyas General Savary
1937Madame Xas Lerocle
1937The Thirteenth Chairas John Wales
1937Under Cover of Nightas Professor Marvin Griswald
1936Camilleas Baron de Varville
1936The Unguarded Houras Hugh Lewis
1934The Path of Gloryas King Maximillian
1930The Last of the Lone Wolfas Count von Rimpau (as Henry Daniel)
1929Jealousyas Clement
1929The Awful Truthas Norman Warriner

Production