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Francis L. Sullivan

Known For
Acting

Known Credits
75

Gender
Male

Birthday
January 6, 1903 (123 years old)

Place of Birth
Wandsworth, London, England, UK

Francis L. Sullivan

Biography

Francis Loftus Sullivan (6 January 1903, Wandsworth, London - 19 November 1956, New York City) was an English film and stage actor. He attended Stonyhurst, the Jesuit public school in Lancashire, England whose alumni include Charles Laughton and Arthur Conan Doyle.

A heavily built man with a striking double-chin and a deep voice, Sullivan made his acting debut at the Old Vic aged 18 in Shakespeare's Richard III and appeared in his first film in 1932. Some of his notable film roles include Mr. Bumble in Oliver Twist (1948) and Phil Nosseross in the film noir Night and the City (1950). Sullivan also played the part of Jaggers in two versions of Charles Dickens's Great Expectations - in 1934 and 1946. He appeared in a fourth Dickens film, the 1935 Universal Pictures version of The Mystery of Edwin Drood, in which he played Crisparkle.

In 1938, he was featured in The Citadel, starring Robert Donat, and a decade later, he played the role of Pierre Cauchon in the technicolor version of Joan of Arc, starring Ingrid Bergman. Also in 1938 he starred in a revival of the Stokes' brothers play Oscar Wilde at London's Arts Theatre.

Sullivan also acted in light comedies, notably My Favorite Spy (1951), starring Bob Hope and Hedy Lamarr, in which he played an enemy agent, and the comedy Fiddlers Three (1944), portraying Nero. He also played the role of Pothinus in the 1945 film version of George Bernard Shaw's Caesar and Cleopatra. The film was directed by Gabriel Pascal, and was the last film personally supervised by Shaw himself. Sullivan later reprised the role in a stage revival of the play.

Sullivan, who eventually became a naturalized US citizen, won a Tony Award in 1955 for the Agatha Christie play Witness for the Prosecution. Earlier, he had played Hercule Poirot at the Embassy Theatre (London) in the Christie play, Black Coffee (1930). He died of a heart attack, aged 53 (some sources claim he died from an unspecified "lung ailment").

Description above from the Wikipedia article Francis L. Sullivan, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Known For

Acting

1996Ingrid Bergman Rememberedas Self (archive footage)
1955Hell's Islandas Barzland
1955The Prodigalas Bosra
1954Drums of Tahitias Commissioner Pierre Duvois
1953Plunder of the Sunas Thomas Berrien
1953Sangareeas Dr. Bristol
1953General Electric Theateras
1953General Electric Theateras Captain William Bligh
1952Cavalcade of Americaas
1952Caribbeanas Andrew McAllister
1952Pontius Pilateas Herod Antipas
1951My Favorite Spyas Karl Brubaker
1951Schlitz Playhouse of Starsas
1951Schlitz Playhouse of Starsas Garman
1951Behave Yourself!as Fat Freddy
1950Lux Video Theatreas Detective Yates
1950Sure As Fateas
1950Night and the Cityas Philip Nosseross
1950Robert Montgomery Presentsas
1949The Red Danubeas Colonel Humphrey 'Blinker' Omicron
1949Christopher Columbusas Francisco de Bobadilla
1949Lights Outas
1949Suspenseas
1948Joan of Arcas Pierre Cauchon, Count-Bishop of Beauvais
1948Studio Oneas Herod Antipas
1948Studio Oneas Long John Silver
1948The Philco Television Playhouseas
1948The Winslow Boyas Attorney General
1948Oliver Twistas Mr. Bumble
1948The Ed Sullivan Showas Self
1948Broken Journeyas Anton Perami
1947Take My Lifeas Prosecuting Counsel
1947The Man Withinas Mr. Braddock
1946Great Expectationsas Mr. Jaggers
1946The Laughing Ladyas Sir Williams Tremayne
1945Caesar and Cleopatraas Pothinus
1944Fiddlers Threeas Nero
1943The Butler's Dilemmaas Leo Carrington
1942The Lady from Lisbonas Minghetti
1942The Foreman Went to Franceas French Skipper
1942The Day Will Dawnas Kommandant Ulrich Wettau
1941"Pimpernel" Smithas General von Graum
194021 Daysas Mander
1939Young Man's Fancyas Blackbeard, Vincent St George
1939The Four Just Menas Leon Poiccard
1938The Ware Caseas Attorney General
1938Climbing Highas Madman
1938The Citadelas Ben Chenkin
1938The Drumas Governor
1938Kate Plus Tenas Lord Flamborough
1937Fine Feathersas Hugo Steinway
1937Dinner at the Ritzas Brogard
1937Non-Stop New Yorkas Hugo Brant
1937Action for Slanderas Sir Quinton Jessops (as Francis Sullavan)
1936Spy of Napoleonas Chief of Police
1936A Woman Aloneas Prosecutor
1935Her Last Affaireas Sir Julian Weyre
1935The Mystery of Edwin Droodas Rev. Mr. Crisparkle
1934Strange Wivesas Bellamy
1934Cheating Cheatersas Dr. George Brockton
1934Great Expectationsas Jaggers
1934What Happened Then?as Richard Bentley, Prosecution Counsel
1934The Warren Caseas Prosecuting Counsel (uncredited)
1934Chu Chin Chowas The Caliph
1934The Return of Bulldog Drummondas Carl Peterson
1934The Fire Raisersas Stedding
1933Red Wagonas Cranley
1933The Wandering Jewas Juan de Texada (Phase IV)
1933Called Backas Kaledin
1933F.P.1as A Sailor
1933The Right to Liveas Roger Stoneham
1932When London Sleepsas Rodney Haines
1932The Chinese Puzzleas Herman Strumm
1932The Missing Rembrandtas Baron von Guntermann
Destinyas

Production