Known For
Acting
Known Credits
106
Gender
Male
Birthday
January 15, 1905 (121 years old)
Place of Birth
Bombay, British India, India
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Torin Thatcher (15 January 1905 - 4 March 1981) was an English actor born in Bombay, British India, India), to English parents. He was an imposing, powerfully built figure noted for his flashy portrayals of screen villains.
He was educated in England at Bedford School and at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. He worked as a schoolmaster before first appearing on the London stage in 1927 and then entering British films in 1934. He appeared in the 1937 Old Vic stage production of Hamlet, in which Laurence Olivier made his first appearance in the title role, opposite Vivien Leigh as Ophelia. During the Second World War, he served with the Royal Artillery and was demobilized with the rank of lieutenant colonel.
Thatcher appeared in classic British films of the late 1930s and 1940s, including Major Barbara (1941) and Great Expectations (1946), in which he played Bentley Drummle. He moved to Hollywood in the 1950s. He was constantly in demand, invariably lending his looming figure and baleful countenance to sinister or stern roles in popular costume thrillers such as The Crimson Pirate (1952), Blackbeard the Pirate (1952), The Robe (1953) (as the disapproving father of Richard Burton's character), The Black Shield of Falworth (1954), Helen of Troy (1956), Darby's Rangers (1958), and The 7th Voyage of Sinbad (1958). He also appeared in the Marlon Brando and Trevor Howard 1962 remake of Mutiny on the Bounty.
He returned to the stage quite frequently, notably on Broadway, in such esteemed productions as Edward, My Son (1948), That Lady (1949) and Billy Budd (1951). In 1959, he portrayed Captain Keller in the award-winning play The Miracle Worker with Anne Bancroft and Patty Duke. All of these plays were filmed, but Thatcher did not appear in the movie versions.
Also a steady fixture on television, he appeared in such made-for-TV films as adaptations of A. J. Cronin's Beyond This Place (1957) and The Citadel (1960),Bonanza(1961), and Brenda Starr (1976). He also played the title role in a Philco Television Playhouse version of Othello and acted in a CBS production of Beyond This Place (1957).
Thatcher died of cancer on March 4, 1981, in Thousand Oaks, California, in the Los Angeles area.
| 1974 | Petrocellias | |
| 1972 | Searchas | |
| 1970 | Night Galleryas Captain of the Lusitania (segment "Lone Survivor") | |
| 1968 | Land of the Giantsas Dr. Berger | |
| 1968 | The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hydeas Sir Turnbull | |
| 1967 | The Guns of Will Sonnettas | |
| 1967 | The King's Pirateas Captain Cullen | |
| 1967 | The Sweet and the Bitteras | |
| 1966 | Hawaiias Reverend Thorn | |
| 1966 | Mission: Impossibleas Archbishop Djelvas | |
| 1966 | Mission: Impossibleas General Rados Adolph Gollan | |
| 1966 | The Time Tunnelas Dr. Everett Holland | |
| 1966 | Star Trekas Marplon | |
| 1965 | Get Smartas Dr. Braam | |
| 1965 | Lost in Spaceas The Space Trader | |
| 1965 | The Sandpiperas le juge Thompson | |
| 1965 | The Holy Terroras Dr. Poole | |
| 1964 | Profiles in Courageas Cannon | |
| 1964 | Profiles in Courageas Sewall | |
| 1964 | Daniel Booneas Cyrus Blake / Enoch Blake | |
| 1964 | Daniel Booneas President John Adams | |
| 1964 | Hell of Borneoas Mr. Bellflower | |
| 1963 | Decision at Midnightas Southstream | |
| 1963 | Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatreas | |
| 1963 | The Great Adventureas Colonel Lewis Washington | |
| 1963 | The Great Adventureas General Howe | |
| 1963 | Drums of Africaas Jack Cuortemayn | |
| 1962 | Mutiny on the Bountyas Staines | |
| 1962 | The Alfred Hitchcock Houras Alva Hardwicke | |
| 1962 | Jack the Giant Killeras Pendragon | |
| 1961 | The Canadiansas Superintendent Walker | |
| 1960 | Thrilleras Jeremy Teal | |
| 1960 | The Citadelas Sir Robert Abbey | |
| 1959 | Adventures in Paradiseas Michael Cameron | |
| 1959 | One Step Beyondas Earl of Culdane | |
| 1958 | The 7th Voyage of Sinbadas Sokurah the Magician | |
| 1958 | The Further Adventures of Ellery Queenas King Bendigo | |
| 1958 | Peter Gunnas | |
| 1958 | Darby's Rangersas Sergeant McTavish | |
| 1957 | Witness for the Prosecutionas Mr. Myers | |
| 1957 | DuPont Show of the Monthas Rees Mathry | |
| 1957 | Perry Masonas Walter Frazer | |
| 1957 | Band of Angelsas Capt. Canavan | |
| 1957 | Istanbulas Douglas Fielding | |
| 1957 | So Soon to Dieas Inspector Galloway | |
| 1956 | Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatreas Ab Richards | |
| 1956 | The Deadly Riddleas The Red Knight | |
| 1956 | Telephone Timeas | |
| 1956 | Helen of Troyas Ulysses | |
| 1956 | Dianeas Louis - Count de Breze | |
| 1955 | Lady Godiva of Coventryas Lord Godwin | |
| 1955 | The 20th Century Fox Houras | |
| 1955 | The 20th Century Fox Houras Roger Newcombe | |
| 1955 | Alfred Hitchcock Presentsas Constable Johnson | |
| 1955 | Alfred Hitchcock Presentsas Felix Edward Manbridge | |
| 1955 | Gunsmokeas John Tyson | |
| 1955 | Love Is a Many-Splendored Thingas Humphrey Palmer-Jones | |
| 1955 | The Millionaireas Max MacIntyre | |
| 1954 | Bengal Brigadeas Colonel Morrow | |
| 1954 | Climax!as Fred Beresford | |
| 1954 | Climax!as John Philippson | |
| 1954 | The Black Shield of Falworthas Sir James | |
| 1954 | Knock on Woodas Godfrey Langston | |
| 1953 | The Robeas Sen. Gallio | |
| 1953 | Houdinias Otto | |
| 1953 | The Desert Ratsas Col. Barney White | |
| 1952 | Blackbeard, the Pirateas Sir Henry Morgan | |
| 1952 | The Crimson Pirateas Humble Bellows | |
| 1952 | The Snows of Kilimanjaroas Johnson | |
| 1952 | Affair in Trinidadas Inspector Smythe | |
| 1951 | Hallmark Hall of Fameas Dr. Poole | |
| 1950 | The Black Roseas Harry | |
| 1949 | Now Barabbasas Customs Officer | |
| 1948 | Bonnie Prince Charlieas Colonel Ker | |
| 1948 | The Philco Television Playhouseas | |
| 1948 | The Philco Television Playhouseas Othello | |
| 1948 | The Fallen Idolas Policeman | |
| 1947 | The End of the Riveras Lisboa | |
| 1947 | When The Bough Breaksas Adams | |
| 1947 | Jassyas Bob Wicks | |
| 1947 | The Man Withinas Jailer | |
| 1946 | Great Expectationsas Bentley Drummle | |
| 1946 | I See a Dark Strangeras Police Constable | |
| 1946 | The Captive Heartas Repatriation Official (uncredited) | |
| 1942 | The Next of Kinas German General | |
| 1942 | Saboteuras Man (uncredited) | |
| 1941 | Major Barbaraas Todger Fairmile | |
| 1941 | Gasbagsas SS Man | |
| 1940 | Saloon Baras Mr. Garrod | |
| 1940 | The Case of the Frightened Ladyas Jim Tilling, the Groundsman | |
| 1940 | Night Train to Munichas | |
| 1940 | Let George Do It!as U-Boat Commander | |
| 1940 | Law and Disorderas Karl Bergsen | |
| 1940 | Contrabandas Sailor | |
| 1939 | The Lion Has Wingsas Seaman Receiving Information About German Activity | |
| 1939 | The Kindled Flameas Festus | |
| 1939 | Old Mother Riley, MPas Jack Nelson | |
| 1939 | The Spy in Blackas Submarine Officer | |
| 1938 | Climbing Highas Jim Castle | |
| 1937 | Young and Innocentas Nobby's Lodging House Caretaker (uncredited) | |
| 1937 | Sabotageas Mr. Verloc's Visitor (uncredited) | |
| 1936 | Crime Over Londonas | |
| 1936 | The Man Who Could Work Miraclesas Observer | |
| 1936 | The Common Roundas Martin | |
| 1935 | Drake of Englandas | |
| 1933 | Red Wagonas Eddie Prince |