Donald Pleasence | |
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![]() Pleasence in London, 1973. Portrait by Allan Warren | |
Born | Donald Henry Pleasence 5 October 1919 Worksop, Nottinghamshire, England |
Died | 2 February 1995 75) | (aged
Education | Ecclesfield School |
Occupation | Actor |
Years active | 1946–1995 |
Spouse(s) | Miriam Raymond (m. 1941;div. 1958)Josephine Crombie (m. 1959;div. 1970)Meira Shore (m. 1970;div. 1988)Linda J. Kentwood (m. 1988) |
Children | 5, including Angela |
Donald Henry Pleasence OBE ( /ˈplɛzəns/ ; [2] 5 October 1919 – 2 February 1995 [3] ) was an English actor. He began his career on stage in the West End before transitioning into a screen career, where he played numerous supporting and character roles including RAF Flight Lieutenant Colin Blythe in The Great Escape (1963), the villain Ernst Stavro Blofeld in the James Bond film You Only Live Twice (1967), SEN 5241 in THX 1138 (1971), and the deranged Clarence "Doc" Tydon in Wake in Fright (1971).
Pleasence starred as psychiatrist Dr. Samuel Loomis in Halloween (1978) and four of its sequels, a role for which he was nominated for a Saturn Award for Best Actor. The series' popularity and critical success led to a resurgent career for Pleasence, who appeared in numerous American and European-produced horror and thriller films. He collaborated with Halloween director John Carpenter twice more, as the President of the United States in Escape from New York (1981), and as the Priest in Prince of Darkness (1987).
Pleasence was born in Worksop, Nottinghamshire, the son of Alice (née Armitage) and Thomas Stanley Pleasence, a railway station master. [4] He was brought up as a strict Methodist in the small village of Grimoldby, Lincolnshire. [5] He received his formal education at Crosby Junior School, Scunthorpe [6] and Ecclesfield Grammar School near Sheffield, West Riding of Yorkshire. After working as the clerk-in-charge at Swinton railway station, [7] he decided that he wanted to be a professional actor, taking up a placement with the Jersey Repertory Company in 1939. [5]
In December 1939, Pleasence initially refused conscription into the British Armed Forces, registering as a conscientious objector, but changed his stance in autumn 1940, after the attacks upon London by the Luftwaffe, and volunteered with the Royal Air Force. [8] He served as aircraft wireless-operator with No. 166 Squadron in Bomber Command, with which he flew almost sixty raids against the Axis over occupied Europe.
On 31 August 1944, his Lancaster NE112 was shot down during an attack on Agenville, [9] [10] and he was captured and imprisoned in the German prisoner-of-war camp Stalag Luft I. Pleasence produced and acted in many plays for the entertainment of his fellow captives.
After the war and his release, he was discharged from the RAF in 1946. [11]
Returning to acting after the war, Pleasence resumed working in repertory theatre companies in Birmingham and Bristol. [12] In the 1950s, Pleasence's stage work included performing as Willie Mossop in a 1952 production of Hobson's Choice at the Arts Theatre, London and as Dauphin in Jean Anouilh's The Lark (1956). [12] In 1960, Pleasence gained excellent notices as the tramp in Harold Pinter's The Caretaker at the Arts Theatre, a role he would again play in a 1990 revival. [12] Other stage work in the 1960s included Anouilh's Poor Bitos (1963–64) and Robert Shaw's The Man in the Glass Booth (1967), for which he won the London Variety Award for Stage Actor of the Year in 1968. [12] Pleasence's later stage work included performing in a double bill of Pinter plays, The Basement and Tea Party , at the Duchess Theatre in 1970. [12]
Pleasence made his television debut in I Want to Be a Doctor (1946). [12] He received positive critical attention for his role as Syme in the BBC version of Nineteen Eighty-Four (1954) from the novel by George Orwell. [12] The adaptation was by Nigel Kneale and featured Peter Cushing in the lead role of Winston Smith.
Pleasence played Prince John in several episodes of the ITV series The Adventures of Robin Hood (1956–1958). He appeared twice with Patrick McGoohan in the British spy series, Danger Man , in episodes "Position of Trust" (1960) and "Find and Return" (1961). Pleasence's first appearance in America was in an episode of The Twilight Zone , playing an aging teacher at a boys' school in the episode "The Changing of the Guard" (1962). In 1963, he appeared in an episode of The Outer Limits titled "The Man with the Power". In 1966, he also guest starred in an episode of The Fugitive entitled "With Strings Attached."
In 1973, Pleasence played a sympathetic murderer in an episode of Columbo entitled "Any Old Port in a Storm". Also that year, he played a supporting role in David Winters' musical television adaptation of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. [13]
He also portrayed a murderer captured by Mrs. Columbo in "Murder Is a Parlor Game" (1979). In 1978, he played a scout, Sam Purchas in an adaptation of James A. Michener's Centennial . Pleasence starred as the Reverend Septimus Harding in the BBC's TV series The Barchester Chronicles (1982). [11] In this series, his daughter Angela Pleasence played his onscreen daughter Susan.
He hosted the 1981 Halloween episode of Saturday Night Live with music guest Fear.
In 1986, Pleasence joined Ronald Lacey and Polly Jo Pleasence for the television thriller Into the Darkness.
Pleasence and Michael Nader portrayed the villains in 1988's The Great Escape II: The Untold Story , [14] which costar Christopher Reeve explained as not being a remake of the 1963 original film and being based on Paul Brickhill’s novel The Great Escape . Noting his involvement in the original film, Joan Hanauer wrote that Pleasence had “graduated to an S.S. villain, and he is a marvel of soft-spoken, almost finicky evil.” [15]
Pleasence made his big-screen debut with The Beachcomber (1954). [11] Some notable early roles include Parsons in 1984 (1956), and minor roles opposite Alec Guinness in Barnacle Bill (1957) and Dirk Bogarde in The Wind Cannot Read (1958). In Tony Richardson's film of Look Back in Anger (1959), he plays a vindictive market inspector opposite Richard Burton. In the same year, Pleasence starred in the horror films Circus of Horrors directed by Sidney Hayers, playing the role of Vanet, the owner of a circus, and The Flesh and the Fiends as the real-life murderer William Hare, alongside Peter Cushing, George Rose and Billie Whitelaw. [16]
Endowed with a bald head, a penetrating stare, and an intense voice, usually quiet but capable of a piercing scream, he specialised in portraying insane, fanatical, or evil characters, including the title role in Dr Crippen (1962), the frontier prophet Oracle Jones in Hallelujah Trail , the double agent Dr Michaels in the science-fiction film Fantastic Voyage (1966), the white trader who sells guns to the Cheyenne Indians in the revisionist western Soldier Blue (1970), the mad German psychoanalyst with Bud Spencer–Terence Hill in Watch Out, We're Mad! (1974), Nazi leader Heinrich Himmler in The Eagle Has Landed (1976), and the Bond arch-villain Ernst Stavro Blofeld in You Only Live Twice (1967), the first film in which Blofeld's face is clearly seen. His interpretation of the character has become predominant in popular culture considering the popularity of the comic villain, Dr. Evil in the successful Austin Powers film series, which primarily parodies it. In the crime drama Hell is a City (1960), shot in Manchester, he starred opposite Stanley Baker, while he was memorably cast in the horror comedy What a Carve Up! (1961) as the “horrible-looking zombie” solicitor opposite Shirley Eaton, Sid James, Kenneth Connor and Dennis Price.
He appeared as the mild-mannered and good-natured POW forger Colin Blythe in the film The Great Escape (1963), who discovers that he is slowly going blind, but nonetheless participates in the mass break-out, only to be shot down by German soldiers because he is unable to see them. Variety highlighted Pleasence and Richard Attenborough as giving some of the better performances in the film, Pleasence specifically being praised for having the most moving portrayal and depicting "the film’s most touching character." [17] In The Night of the Generals (1967), he played another uncharacteristically sympathetic role, this time as an old-school German general involved in a plot to kill Adolf Hitler. In 1971, he returned to the realm of the deranged, delivering a tour de force performance in the role of an alcoholic Australian doctor in Ted Kotcheff's nightmarish outback drama Wake in Fright .
Pleasence played Lucifer in the religious epic The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965). He was one of many stars who were given cameos throughout the film.
He also acted in Roman Polanski's Cul-de-sac (1966), in which he portrayed the love-sodden husband of a much younger French wife (Françoise Dorléac). He ventured successfully into American cowboy territory, playing a sadistic self-styled preacher who goes after stoic Charlton Heston in the Western Will Penny (1968).
He portrayed SEN 5241 in THX 1138 (1971), opposite Robert Duvall which was the directorial debut of George Lucas. The next year he appeared as an eccentric, tea-obsessed police inspector in the cult horror film Death Line alongside Norman Rossington and Christopher Lee. A few years later, he portrayed antagonist Lucas Deranian, in Walt Disney's Escape to Witch Mountain (1975) and, in Telefon (1977), Nicolai Dalchimsky, the Russian seeking to start a war between the United States and the Soviet Union.
Pleasence appeared as Dr. Samuel Loomis in John Carpenter's horror film Halloween (1978). [18] The film was a major success and was considered the highest grossing independent film of its time, earning accolades as a classic of the horror genre. He also played the teacher, Kantorek in All Quiet on the Western Front (1979), Dr. Kobras in The Pumaman (1980) and the held-hostage President of the United States in Escape from New York (1981). The rather sinister accent which Pleasence employed in this and other films may be credited to the elocution lessons he had as a child. He reprised his Dr. Sam Loomis role in Halloween II (1981), Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers (1988), Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers (1989) and Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers (1995).
Pleasence, Daria Nicolodi, and Jennifer Connelly starred in Dario Argento's Phenomena (1985), [19] where Pleasence portrayed a wheelchair-using forensic entomologist. [20] Although Austin Trunick of Under the Radar criticized Connelly for not being an active heroine, he cited "a lot of nice interaction between Connelly and Pleasence’s eccentric character" as a positive tradeoff. [21] Later that year, Pleasence played a retiring inspector who investigates the disappearance of the sister of Tom Schanley's character in Nothing Underneath . [22] JA Kerswell called Pleasence's role "clichéd" for the actor while also praising his presence as "a welcome bonus." [23] The reviewer from Horror Society wrote of liking Schanley and Pleasence "but the story is the main focus here and not the cast which is a bit of a shame because both did fantastic jobs." [24] Operation Nam was Pleasence's sole film appearance in 1986, playing "a minor part as a priest" who services Vietnam soldiers. [25]
Pleasence collaborated with Carpenter again when he starred in Prince of Darkness (1987), where he played a priest who seeks the aid of a professor and a few of the latter's quantum physics students to uncover the mystery of a glowing liquid in a canister. [26] Though mixed about the film, Starburst praised Pleasence's performance, admitting that to them, "there are very few sights in genre cinema as marvelous as seeing Pleasence delivering an intense, slightly erratic monologue, and he gets plenty to sink his teeth into here." [27] Megan Summers asserted that Pleasence brought "his standard emotional prowess and psychological stability to his role" in the film, [28] and Michael Wilmington declared Pleasence and Victor Wong as "both fine; these two know how to make the most of shallow excess." [29]
Pleasence admired Sir Laurence Olivier, [30] with whom he worked on-stage in the 1950s, and later on the film version of Dracula (1979). Two years earlier, Pleasence did an amusingly broad impersonation of Olivier in the guise of a horror-film actor called "Valentine De'ath" in the film The Uncanny (1977). According to the film critic Kim Newman on a DVD commentary for Halloween II, the reason for Pleasence's lengthy filmography was that he never turned down any role that was offered.
During the early 1960s, Pleasence recorded several children's-story records on the Atlas Record label. These were marketed as the Talespinners series in the United Kingdom. They were also released in the United States as Tale Spinners for Children by United Artists. The stories included Don Quixote and the Brave Little Tailor .
Pleasence provided the voice-over for the British public information film, The Spirit of Dark and Lonely Water (1973). The film, intended to warn children of the dangers of playing near water, attained notoriety for allegedly giving children nightmares. [31]
Pleasence was the author of the children's book Scouse the Mouse (1977) (London: New English Library), which was animated by Canadian animator/film director Gerald Potterton (a friend of the actor, who directed him in the Canadian film The Rainbow Boys (1973), retitled The Rainbow Gang for VHS release in the United States) and also adapted into a children's recording (Polydor Records, 1977) with Ringo Starr voicing the book's title character, Scouse the Mouse.
In his book British Film Character Actors (1982), Terence Pettigrew describes Pleasence as "a potent combination of eyes and voice. The eyes are mournful but they can also be sinister or seedy or just plain nutty. He has the kind of piercing stare which lifts enamel off saucepans."
Pleasence was nominated four times for the Tony Award for best performance by a leading actor in a Broadway play: in 1962 for Harold Pinter's The Caretaker , in 1965 for Jean Anouilh's Poor Bitos, in 1969 for Robert Shaw's The Man in the Glass Booth , and in 1972 for Simon Gray's Wise Child .
Pleasence was appointed an Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire for his services to the acting profession by Queen Elizabeth II in 1994.
Pleasence married four times and had five daughters from his first three marriages. He had Angela and Jean with Miriam Raymond (m. 1941–1958); Lucy and Polly with Josephine Martin Crombie (m. 1959–1970); and Miranda with Meira Shore (m. 1970–1988). His last marriage was to Linda Kentwood (m. 1988–1995; his death). [32]
On 2 February 1995, Pleasence died at age 75 in Saint-Paul-de-Vence, France, from complications of heart failure following heart valve replacement surgery. [33] His body was cremated.
The 1995 film Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers was dedicated to Donald Pleasence. The 1998 film Halloween H20: 20 Years Later also features a dedication to Pleasence in the end credits, with voice actor Tom Kane providing a voice-over for Loomis in the film. In the 2018 film, Halloween, comedian Colin Mahan voiced Loomis. [34] [35] In the 2021 film Halloween Kills Tom Jones, Jr. played Loomis, wearing prosthetic make-up to resemble Pleasence. Loomis' voice was again provided by Mahan. [36] [37]
Dr. Evil, the character played by Mike Myers in the Austin Powers comedy films (1997–2002), and Doctor Claw from Inspector Gadget are parodies of Pleasence's performance as Blofeld in You Only Live Twice . [38]
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1954 | Privates Progress | Uncredited Scotland Yard Detective | |
The Beachcomber | Tromp | ||
1955 | Orders Are Orders | Corporal Martin | Credited as Donald Plesance |
Value for Money | 'Limpy' | ||
1956 | 1984 | Robert Parsons | |
The Black Tent | Ali | ||
1957 | The Man in the Sky | Crabtree | |
Manuela | Evans | ||
Barnacle Bill | Cashier | ||
1958 | A Tale of Two Cities | John Barsad | |
Heart of a Child | Spiel | ||
The Wind Cannot Read | Doctor | ||
The Man Inside | Organ-Grinder | ||
The Two-Headed Spy | General Hardt | ||
1959 | Look Back in Anger | Hurst | |
Killers of Kilimanjaro | Captain | ||
The Battle of the Sexes | Irwin Hoffman | ||
1960 | The Shakedown | Jessel Brown | |
The Flesh and the Fiends | William Hare | ||
Circus of Horrors | Vanet | ||
Hell Is a City | Gus Hawkins | ||
Sons and Lovers | Pappleworth | ||
The Big Day | Victor Partridge | ||
Suspect | Parsons / Bill Brown | ||
The Hands of Orlac | Graham Coates | ||
1961 | No Love for Johnnie | Roger Renfrew | |
The Wind of Change | 'Pop' Marley | ||
A Story of David | Nabal | ||
Spare the Rod | Mr. Jenkins | ||
What a Carve Up! | Everett Sloane | ||
1962 | The Inspector | Sergeant Wolters | |
1963 | The Caretaker | Mac Davies / Bernard Jenkins | |
The Great Escape | Flight Lieutenant Colin Blythe, "The Forger" | ||
Dr. Crippen | Dr. Crippen | ||
1965 | The Greatest Story Ever Told | Satan | |
The Hallelujah Trail | Oracle Jones | ||
1966 | Cul-de-sac | George | |
Eye of the Devil | Pere Dominic | ||
Fantastic Voyage | Dr. Michaels | ||
1967 | The Night of the Generals | General Kahlenberg | |
You Only Live Twice | Ernst Stavro Blofeld | ||
Matchless | Gregori Andreanu | ||
1968 | Will Penny | Preacher Quint | |
The Other People | Clive | ||
Creature of Comfort | James Thorne | ||
1969 | Arthur? Arthur! | Arthur Brownjohn | |
The Madwoman of Chaillot | Prospector | ||
1970 | Soldier Blue | Isaac Q. Cumber | |
1971 | THX 1138 | SEN 5241 | |
Wake in Fright | Clarence 'Doc' Tydon | ||
1972 | Death Line | Inspector Calhoun | |
The Jerusalem File | Major Samuels | ||
The Pied Piper | Baron | ||
Henry VIII and His Six Wives | Thomas Cromwell | ||
Innocent Bystanders | Loomis | ||
Wedding in White | Jim Dougall | ||
1973 | Kidnapped | Ebenezer Balfour | |
The Rainbow Boys | Ralph Logan | ||
Lonely Water | The Spirit (voice) | Short film | |
Malachi's Cove | Malachi | ||
Tales That Witness Madness | Professor Tremayne | ||
1974 | From Beyond the Grave | Jim Underwood | Segment: "An Act of Kindness" |
Watch Out, We're Mad! | Doctor | ||
The Black Windmill | Cedric Harper | ||
House of the Damned | Martin Zayas | ||
The Mutations | Professor Nolter | ||
Barry McKenzie Holds His Own | Count Plasma | ||
1975 | The Count of Monte Cristo | Baron Danglars | |
Escape to Witch Mountain | Lucas Deranian | ||
I Don't Want to Be Born | Dr. Finch | ||
Journey into Fear | Kuvelti | ||
Hearts of the West | A.J. Neitz | ||
1976 | Trial by Combat | Sir Giles Marley | |
Land of the Minotaur aka The Devil's Men | Father Roche | ||
Goldenrod | John Tyler Jones | ||
The Passover Plot | Pontius Pilate | ||
The Last Tycoon | Boxley | ||
The Eagle Has Landed | Heinrich Himmler | ||
1977 | The Uncanny | Valentine De'ath | Segment: "Hollywood 1936" |
Oh, God! | Dr. Harmon | ||
Telefon | Nikolai Dalchimsky | ||
1978 | Blood Relatives | James Doniac | |
Tomorrow Never Comes | Dr. Todd | ||
Night Creature | Axel MacGregor | ||
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band | B.D. Hoffler | ||
Power Play | Blair | ||
L'Ordre et la sécurité du monde | Rothko | ||
Halloween | Dr. Sam Loomis | ||
1979 | Jigsaw | Albert Rumpelmayer | |
Good Luck, Miss Wyckoff | Dr. Steiner | ||
Dracula | Dr. Jack Seward | ||
All Quiet on the Western Front | Kantorek | ||
Jaguar Lives! | General Villanova | ||
1980 | Halloween: Extended Edition | Dr. Sam Loomis | Appeared in additional footage (filmed during the production of Halloween II) not included in the original film but featured in the NBC television broadcast. |
The Pumaman | Dr. Kobras | ||
The Monster Club | Pickering | ||
1981 | Escape from New York | President John Harker | |
Halloween II | Dr. Sam Loomis | ||
Race for the Yankee Zephyr | Gilbert 'Gibbie' Carson | ||
1982 | Alone in the Dark | Dr. Leo Bain | |
1983 | To Kill a Stranger | Colonel Kostik | |
Warrior of the Lost World | Prossor | ||
The Devonsville Terror | Dr. Warley | ||
1984 | Frankenstein's Great Aunt Tillie | Baron Victor Frankenstein | |
Where Is Parsifal? | Mackintosh | ||
The Ambassador | Eretz | ||
A Breed Apart | J.P. Whittier | ||
Terror in the Aisles | Himself (host) | ||
1985 | Phenomena | John McGregor | |
Treasure of the Amazon | Klaus Von Blantz | ||
Nothing Underneath | Inspector Danesi | ||
1986 | Operation Nam | Father Lenoir | |
1987 | Warrior Queen | Clodius | |
Specters | Professor Lasky | ||
Double Target | Senator Blaster | ||
Ground Zero | Prosper Gaffney | ||
Django 2 | Gunn | ||
Prince of Darkness | Priest | ||
To Kill a Stranger | Colonel Kostik | ||
Animali metropolitani | Professor Livingstone | ||
1988 | Phantom of Death | Inspector Datti | |
The Commander | Henry Carlson | ||
Last Platoon | Colonel B. Abrams | ||
Vampire in Venice | Don Alvise | ||
Hanna's War | Captain Thomas Rosza | ||
Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers | Dr. Sam Loomis | ||
1989 | The House of Usher | Walter Usher | |
Ten Little Indians | Judge Lawrence Wargrave | ||
Paganini Horror | Mr. Pickett | ||
River of Death | Heinrich Spaatz | ||
Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers | Dr. Sam Loomis | ||
Casablanca Express | Colonel Bats | ||
1990 | Buried Alive | Dr. Schaeffer | |
American risciò | Reverend Mortom | Alternate title: American Rickshaw | |
1991 | L'avvoltoio può attendere | Aaron Shalik | |
Millions | Ripa | ||
Shadows and Fog | Doctor | ||
1992 | Dien Bien Phu | Howard Simpson | |
1993 | The Thief and the Cobbler | Phido The Vulture (voice) | 1992 workprint and Fred Calvert version only |
The Big Freeze | Soup Slurper | ||
The Hour of the Pig | Pincheon | ||
1995 | Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers | Dr. Sam Loomis | The film was dedicated to his memory (posthumous release) |
Safe Haven | The Sailor | Posthumous release | |
1996 | Fatal Frames | Professor Robertson | Posthumous release (final film role) |
2021 | Halloween Kills | Dr. Sam Loomis | archival footage |
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1952 | The Dybbuk | Second batlon | Television film |
1952–1959 | Sunday Night Theatre | Various roles | 6 episodes |
1954 | Montserrat | Juan Alvarez | Television film |
1954 | The Face of Love | Alex | |
1955 | The Grove Family | Monsieur Paul | Episode: "Parlez-Vous Français?" |
1956 | The Adventures of Robin Hood | Prince John | 4 episodes |
1956–1959 | ITV Playhouse | Various roles | 6 episodes |
1957 | Assignment Foreign Legion | Commandant | Episode: "The Coward" |
1957–1967 | Armchair Theatre | Various roles | 8 episodes |
1958 | I Spy | Mr. Frute | Television film |
Granite | A Nameless Man | ||
1959 | The Killing Stones | Jakob Kleiber | Episode: "The Carefulness of Kleiber" |
The Scarf | Detective Inspector Harry Yates | 6 episodes | |
The Adventures of William Tell | The Spider | Episode: "The Spider" | |
The Traitor | Grantley Caypor | Television film | |
1960 | The Four Just Men | Paul Koster | Episode: "The Survivor" |
Interpol Calling | Karl Haussman | Episode: "The Absent Assassin" | |
Rendezvous | Potter | Episode: "The Dodo" | |
1960–1961 | Danger Man | Nikolides / Captain Aldrich | 2 episodes |
1960–1965 | Armchair Mystery Theatre | Host / Ambrose | Episode: "Ambrose" |
1961 | Alcoa Presents: One Step Beyond | Harvey Laurence | Episode: "The Confession" |
Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color | Captain Pinski | Episode: "The Horsemasters" | |
1962 | The Twilight Zone | Professor Ellis Fowler | Episode: "The Changing of the Guard" |
1963 | The Outer Limits | Professor Harold Finley | Episode: "The Man with the Power" |
1964 | Espionage | Escalon | Episode: "The Liberators" |
1965 | The Defenders | Dr. Byron Saul | Episode: "Fires of the Mind" |
1966 | The Fugitive | Max Pfeiffer | Episode: "With Strings Attached" |
The Wednesday Play | The Head Waiter | Episode: "The Head Waiter" (teleplay) | |
1967 | The Diary of Anne Frank | Mr. Dusseli | Television film |
1967–1968 | Thirty-Minute Theatre | J.G. / Richard Pratt | 2 episodes |
1971 | The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes | Carnacki | Episode: "The Horse of the Invisible" |
1971–1983 | Play for Today | Samuel Johnson / Gerry Muddiman / Tom | 3 episodes |
1972 | Hawaii Five-O | Hans Vogler | Episode: "The Ninety-Second War: Part II" |
The Man Outside | Victor Cobb | Episode: "A Glass of Snake Wine" | |
Police Surgeon | Jerry Hahn | Episode: "Lady X" | |
1973 | Columbo | Adrian Carsini | Episode: "Any Old Port in a Storm" |
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde | Fred Smudge | Television film | |
Orson Welles Great Mysteries | Cawser | Episode: "Captain Rogers" | |
1974 | Occupations | Christo Kabak | Television film |
1975 | The Count of Monte Cristo | Baron Danglars | |
Shades of Greene | Puckler | Episode: "The Root of All Evil" | |
1976 | Peep Show | Max | Episode: "Death" |
Laurence Olivier Presents | Nat Jeffcote | Episode: "Hindle Wakes" | |
1977 | Jesus of Nazareth | Melchior | Miniseries |
1977 | The Dark Secret of Harvest Home | Narrator | |
1978 | The Defection of Simas Kudirka | Captain Vladimir Popov | Television film |
The Bastard | Solomon Sholto | Miniseries | |
1978–1979 | Centennial | Sam Purchas | |
1979 | Mrs. Columbo | Ian A. Morly | Episode: "Murder Is a Parlor Game" |
All Quiet on the Western Front | Kantorek | Television film | |
Gold of the Amazon Women | Clarence Blasko | ||
The French Atlantic Affair | Max Dechambre | Miniseries | |
Better Late Than Never | Colonel Riddle | Television film | |
1980 | The Ghost Sonata | The Old Man | |
Blade on the Feather | Professor Jason Cavendish | ||
1981 | Dick Turpin | Ignatius Slake | 2 episodes |
Saturday Night Live | Host | Episode: "Donald Pleasence/Fear" | |
1982 | Witness for the Prosecution | Mr. Myers | Television film |
The Barchester Chronicles | Reverend Septimus Harding | 7 episodes | |
1984 | Master of the Game | Salomon Van der Merwe | Miniseries |
Arch of Triumph | Haake | Television film | |
1985 | Black Arrow | Sir Oliver Oates | |
1987 | Scoop | Lord Copper | |
Basements | Mr. Kidd | ||
1988 | The Ray Bradbury Theater | George Hill | Episode: "Punishment Without Crime" |
The Great Escape II: The Untold Story | Dr. Absalon | Television film | |
1989 | Agatha Christie's Miss Marple: A Caribbean Mystery | Jason Rafiel | |
1991 | Women in Arms | Dreyfuss | |
1992 | Lovejoy | Karel Redl | Episode: "The Prague Sun" |
1993 | Screen Two | Victor Harty | Episode: "Femme Fatale" |
1995 | Signs and Wonders | Cornelius Van Damm | Miniseries |
Malcolm McDowell is an English actor, producer, and television presenter. He is known for portraying Alex DeLarge in A Clockwork Orange and for playing Mick Travis in a trilogy of films directed by Lindsay Anderson. He was born in the Horsforth suburb of Leeds and raised in Liverpool. He later trained at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art before embarking on an acting career that has spanned over 50 years.
Michael Myers is a fictional character from the Halloween series of slasher films. He first appears in John Carpenter's Halloween (1978) as a young boy who murders his elder sister, Judith Myers. Fifteen years later, he returns home to Haddonfield, Illinois, to murder more teenagers. In the original Halloween, the adult Michael Myers, referred to as The Shape in the closing credits, was portrayed by Nick Castle for most of the film and substituted by Tony Moran in the final scene where Michael's face is revealed. The character was created by John Carpenter and has appeared in thirteen films, as well as novels, multiple video games, and several comic books.
Halloween II is a 1981 American slasher film directed by Rick Rosenthal, in his directorial debut, written and produced by John Carpenter and Debra Hill, and starring Jamie Lee Curtis and Donald Pleasence who reprise their respective roles as Laurie Strode and Dr. Sam Loomis. It is the second installment in the Halloween film series and is a continuation sequel to Halloween (1978). The plot picks up directly after the cliffhanger ending of the first film, with Michael Myers following survivor Laurie Strode to the local hospital, while his psychiatrist Dr. Loomis continues his pursuit of him.
Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers is a 1988 American slasher film directed by Dwight H. Little, written by Alan B. McElroy, and starring Donald Pleasence, Ellie Cornell, and Danielle Harris in her film debut. Awakening from his ten year coma, Michael Myers returns to Haddonfield on Halloween Eve to kill his seven-year-old niece, while being pursued by Dr. Loomis.
Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers is a 1989 American slasher film co-written and directed by Dominique Othenin-Girard, and starring Donald Pleasence and Danielle Harris. The fifth installment in the Halloween series, it follows serial killer Michael Myers who again returns to the town of Haddonfield to murder his niece, Jamie Lloyd, who, traumatized from his previous attack on her, has been institutionalized following her attempt to murder her foster mother.
Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers is a 1995 American slasher film directed by Joe Chappelle and written by Daniel Farrands, and is the sixth installment in the Halloween film series. Taking place six years after Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers, the plot depicts Michael Myers stalking adoptive relatives of his sister, Laurie Strode, who are living in his childhood home, as he hunts down the infant son of his niece, Jamie Lloyd. The film marks the final appearance of Donald Pleasence as Dr. Sam Loomis before his death, as well as the feature film debut of Paul Rudd, who portrays a now adult Tommy Doyle from the original Halloween (1978).
Jamie Lloyd is a fictional character and one of the main protagonists of the Halloween franchise. Introduced in Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers as the series' new protagonist after Jamie Lee Curtis declined to return as Laurie Strode, the character also appears in Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers and Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers. Jamie was created by Alan B. McElroy and portrayed by child actress Danielle Harris in the fourth and fifth films of the series, and J.C. Brandy in the sixth film of the series. Originally, the character was named Brittany "Britti" Lloyd, before her name was changed to Jamie, in an homage to Jamie Lee Curtis.
Mitchell Ryan was an American film, television, and stage actor, who in his six decades of television is known for playing Burke Devlin in the 1960s gothic soap opera Dark Shadows, and later for his co-starring role as Thomas Gibson's father Edward Montgomery on Dharma & Greg. He also played the villainous General Peter McAllister in the 1987 buddy cop action film Lethal Weapon.
Laurie Strode is a character from the Halloween series. She first appeared in Halloween (1978) as a high school student who becomes targeted by serial killer Michael Myers, in which she was portrayed by Jamie Lee Curtis. Created by John Carpenter and Debra Hill, Laurie appeared in nine of thirteen films in the series. The character has subsequently been represented in various other media, including novels, video games, and comic books.
Halloween is a 2007 American slasher film written, directed, and produced by Rob Zombie. The film is a remake of the 1978 horror film of the same name and the ninth installment in the Halloween franchise. The film stars Tyler Mane as the adult Michael Myers, Malcolm McDowell as Dr. Sam Loomis, Scout Taylor-Compton as Laurie Strode, and Daeg Faerch as the young Michael Myers. Rob Zombie's "reimagining" follows the premise of John Carpenter's original, with Michael Myers stalking Laurie Strode and her friends on Halloween night.
Halloween is an American slasher media franchise that consists of thirteen films, as well as novels, comic books, a video game and other merchandise. The films primarily focus on Michael Myers, who was committed to a sanitarium as a child for the murder of his sister, Judith Myers. Fifteen years later, he escapes to stalk and kill the people of the fictional town of Haddonfield, Illinois. Michael's killings occur on the holiday of Halloween, on which all of the films primarily take place. The original Halloween, released in 1978, was written by John Carpenter and Debra Hill—the film's director and producer respectively. The film, itself inspired by Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho and Bob Clark's Black Christmas, is known to have inspired a long line of slasher films.
Nicholas Castle is an American screenwriter, film director, and actor. He is known for playing Michael Myers in John Carpenter's horror film Halloween (1978). He reprised the role in Halloween (2018), and its sequels Halloween Kills (2021) and Halloween Ends (2022). Castle also co-wrote Escape from New York (1981) with Carpenter. After Halloween, Castle became a director, taking the helm of films such as The Last Starfighter (1984), The Boy Who Could Fly (1986), Dennis the Menace (1993), and Major Payne (1995).
Dr. Samuel "Sam" J. Loomis is a fictional character in the Halloween franchise. A main protagonist of the overall series, Loomis appears on-screen in eight of the twelve Halloween films, first appearing in John Carpenter's original 1978 film. Donald Pleasence portrayed the character in five films, with Malcolm McDowell taking on the role in the 2007 reimagining and its sequel. In both portrayals, Loomis is introduced as the psychiatrist of series antagonist Michael Myers, driven to pursue and restrain his murderous former patient. He also appears in a flashback in Halloween Kills.
Annie Brackett is a fictional character in the Halloween franchise. The character was created by screenwriters John Carpenter and Debra Hill. Annie first appears in Halloween (1978) as a high school student babysitting Lindsey Wallace who unwittingly encounters an escaped mental patient—Michael Myers. In this film, she is portrayed by Nancy Kyes, who briefly reprises the role in the sequel Halloween II (1981). In the remake (2007) and its sequel (2009), she is portrayed by Danielle Harris, who had previously starred as Jamie Lloyd in Halloween 4 (1988) and 5 (1989).
Douglas Powers, commonly known as Dr. Evil, is a fictional character portrayed by Mike Myers in the Austin Powers film series. He is the main antagonist and Austin Powers' nemesis. He is a parody of James Bond villains, primarily Ernst Stavro Blofeld. Dr. Evil routinely hatches schemes to terrorize and take over the world, and is usually accompanied by "Number Two", a goon who fronts his evil corporation Virtucon Industries, his cat Mr. Bigglesworth and his sidekick Mini-Me, a dwarf clone of himself.
Halloween is a 1978 American independent slasher film directed and scored by John Carpenter, co-written with producer Debra Hill, and starring Jamie Lee Curtis and Donald Pleasence, with P. J. Soles and Nancy Loomis in supporting roles. The plot centers on a mental patient, Michael Myers, who was committed to a sanitarium for murdering his babysitting teenage sister on Halloween night when he was six years old. Fifteen years later, he escapes and returns to his hometown, where he stalks a female babysitter and her friends while under pursuit by his psychiatrist.
Halloween II is a 2009 American slasher film written, directed, and produced by Rob Zombie. The film is a sequel to Zombie's 2007 remake of 1978's Halloween and the tenth installment in the Halloween franchise. The story follows Laurie Strode as she deals with the aftermath of the previous film's events, Dr. Loomis who is trying to capitalize on those events with a new book, and Michael Myers as he seeks to reunite with his sister. The film sees the return of lead cast members from the 2007 film Malcolm McDowell, Scout Taylor-Compton, and Tyler Mane, who portray Dr. Loomis, Laurie Strode, and Michael Myers, respectively.
Halloween is a 2018 American slasher film directed by David Gordon Green and co-written by Green, Jeff Fradley and Danny McBride. It is the eleventh installment in the Halloween film series and a sequel to the 1978 film of the same name, while disregarding all previous sequels. The film stars Jamie Lee Curtis who reprises her role as Laurie Strode. James Jude Courtney portrays Michael Myers, with Nick Castle returning to the role for a cameo. Halloween also stars Judy Greer, Andi Matichak, Will Patton, Haluk Bilginer, and Virginia Gardner. Its plot follows a post-traumatic Laurie Strode who prepares to face Michael Myers in a final showdown on Halloween night, forty years after she survived his killing spree.
Halloween Kills is a 2021 American slasher film directed by David Gordon Green and co-written by Green, Danny McBride and Scott Teems. It is the sequel to 2018's Halloween and the twelfth installment in the Halloween franchise. The film stars Jamie Lee Curtis and James Jude Courtney, who reprise their roles as Laurie Strode and Michael Myers respectively. Judy Greer, Andi Matichak, and Will Patton also reprise their roles from the previous film, with Anthony Michael Hall and Thomas Mann joining the cast. The film, which begins where the previous film ended, sees Strode and her family continuing to fend off Myers, this time with the help of the Haddonfield community.
Donald Pleasence, the intense, virtuosic actor who was acclaimed in London and on Broadway for his performance in the title role of Harold Pinter's play "The Caretaker," died yesterday at his home in St. Paul de Vence in the south of France. He was 75 and also had a home in London. ...