Michael Craig (actor)

Last updated

Michael Craig
Born
Michael Francis Gregson

(1929-01-27) 27 January 1929 (age 94)
Poona, British India (now Pune, Maharashtra, India)
Occupations
  • Actor
  • screenwriter
Years active1949–2011, 2023 [1]
Spouses
  • Babette Collier
  • Susan Walker
Children3; including Jessica Gregson
Relatives Richard Gregson (brother)
Natasha Gregson Wagner (niece)
Reginald Hanson (great-grandfather)
Julia Gregson (sister-in-law)

Michael Francis Gregson (born 27 January 1929), [1] known professionally as Michael Craig, is a British actor and screenwriter, known for his work in theatre, film and television [2] both in the United Kingdom and in Australia. [3]

Contents

Biography

Craig was born in Poona, British India, the son of Donald Gregson, who served in the 3rd Indian Cavalry as a captain. He was the elder brother of film producer and screenwriter Richard Gregson. [1]

Acting career

Theatre

Craig began his entertainment career in the theatre. His first job was as an assistant stage manager at the Castle Theatre, Farnham, England in 1950. [4] His stage credits include A Whistle in the Dark (Apollo Theatre, 1961), Wars of the Roses (RSC at Stratford 1963–64), Funny Girl (with Barbra Streisand at the Prince of Wales Theatre 1966), Pinter's The Homecoming (Music Box Theatre, Broadway 1966–67) and the lead role in Trying in Australia in 2007 and at the Finborough Theatre, London, in 2009. [4] [5]

Screen: Film and television

Craig made his film debut in a non-speaking part, as an uncredited extra in 1949. [6] He was then talent-spotted at the Oxford Playhouse and gained his first speaking part in an uncredited role in Malta Story (1953). He gained his first credited role the following year in 1954, in The Embezzler [7] Groomed as a star by the Rank Organisation, he appeared in a number of films, including Campbell's Kingdom (1957), Sea of Sand (1958), The Silent Enemy (1958), Sapphire (1959), Doctor in Love (1960), Cone of Silence (1960), Mysterious Island (1961), The Iron Maiden (1962), A Choice of Kings , Modesty Blaise (1966), Turkey Shoot (1982), Ride a Wild Pony (1975) and Appointment with Death (1988). [6] He received a BAFTA Best actor nomination for his performance in Sea of Sand (1958). [8] In October 1956, John Davis, managing director of Rank, announced him as one of the actors under contract that Davis thought would become an international star. [9]

His television credits include Arthur of the Britons (1973), The Emigrants (1976), Rush (1976), The Danedyke Mystery (1979), The Professionals (1980), Shoestring (1980), The Timeless Land (1980), Triangle (1981–83), Tales of the Unexpected (1982), Robin of Sherwood (1986), Doctor Who (in the serial Terror of the Vervoids 1986), the Australian series G.P. (1989–95), Brides of Christ (1991), Grass Roots (2000) and Always Greener (2003). [10] He was the subject of an hour-long interview on his life and career recorded for and broadcast on Talking Pictures TV in 2018.

Scriptwriting credits

Craig's scriptwriting credits include the ABC-TV trilogy The Fourth Wish (1974), which starred John Meillon in an award-winning performance as the father of a dying boy. Craig also wrote the screenplay for the feature film The Fourth Wish (1976), which was produced following the success of the television series. [4] Alongside his co-writers, Richard Gregson (his brother) and Bryan Forbes, Craig was nominated for an Academy Award for the screenplay of The Angry Silence (1960). [11]

Personal life

Craig's first wife was Babette Collier. His second is the Australian actress Susan Walker. [7] He is the father of Jessica Gregson; his brother was the film producer Richard Gregson and, because of Richard's marriage to Natalie Wood, Craig is an uncle of the actress Natasha Gregson Wagner.[ citation needed ] His autobiography, The Smallest Giant: An Actor's Life, was published in 2005. [12]

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleType
1949 Passport to Pimlico UncreditedFeature film
1951 The Lady with a Lamp Wounded SoldierFeature film
1953 Malta Story British Officer (uncredited)Feature film
1954 The Love Lottery Cameraman Assistant (uncredited)Feature film
1954 The Embezzler Dr. ForrestFeature film
1954 Svengali ZouzouFeature film
1955 Passage Home BurtonFeature film
1956 The Black Tent Sheik FarisFeature film
1956 Yield to the Night Jim LancasterFeature film
1956 Eyewitness Jay ChurchFeature film
1956 House of Secrets Larry Ellis / Steve ChancellorFeature film
1957 High Tide at Noon NilsFeature film
1957 Campbell's Kingdom Boy BladenFeature film
1958 The Silent Enemy Leading Seaman KnowlesFeature film
1958 Nor the Moon by Night Rusty MillerFeature film
1958 Sea of Sand Captain CottonFeature film
1959 Life in Emergency Ward 10 Dr. Stephen RussellFeature film
1959 Sapphire Inspector Phil LearoydFeature film
1959 Upstairs and Downstairs Richard BarryFeature film
1960 The Angry Silence Joe WallaceFeature film
1960 Cone of Silence Captain Hugh DallasFeature film
1960 Doctor in Love Dr. Richard HareFeature film
1961 Payroll Johnny MellorsFeature film
1961 Mysterious Island Captain Cyrus HardingFeature film
1961 No My Darling Daughter Thomas BarclayFeature film
1962 A Pair of Briefs Tony StevensFeature film
1962 Life for Ruth John Paul HarrisFeature film
1962 The Iron Maiden Jack HopkinsFeature film
1962 The Captive City Captain Robert ElliottFeature film
1963 Stolen Hours Dr. John CarmodyFeature film
1965 Sandra Andrew DawdsonFeature film
1965 Life at the Top MarkFeature film
1966 A Choice of Kings Harold Godwinson TV movie
1966 Modesty Blaise Paul HaganFeature film
1968 Star! Sir Anthony SpencerFeature film
1969 The Royal Hunt of the Sun EsteteFeature film
1970 Twinky DaddyFeature film
1970 Country Dance Douglas DowFeature film
1970 Rendezvous with Dishonour Colonel Stephen MalloryFeature film
1971 A Town Called Bastard PacoFeature film
1973 The Vault of Horror MaitlandAnthology film
Segment 4: "Bargain in Death"
1974 Essington Feature film
1975 Last Rites Eric CordettFeature film
1975 Inn of the Damned Paul MelfordFeature film
1975 Ride a Wild Pony James EllisonFeature film
1976 The Fourth Wish Dr. RichardsonFeature film
1978 The Irishman Paddy DoolanFeature film
1982 Turkey Shoot Charles ThatcherFeature film
1988 Appointment with Death Lord PeelFeature film
2003 Fat Pizza JudgeFeature film

Television

YearTitleRoleType
1970 Shadows of Fear TV series
1973 Arthur of the Britons TV series
1976 The Emigrants Bill ParkerTV miniseries
1976 Rush TV series
1979 The Danedyke Mystery Reverend Septimus TreloarTV series
1980 The Professionals TV series
1980 Shoestring TV series
1980 The Timeless Land Stephen MannionTV series
1981-83 Triangle Captain John AndersonTV series
1982 Tales of the Unexpected TV series
1986 Robin of Sherwood Earl of HuntingdonTV series
1986 Doctor Who Commodore TraversTV series,
Serial: Terror of the Vervoids
1989-95 G.P. Dr. William SharpTV series
1991 Brides of Christ TV miniseries
2000 Grass Roots Gordon MahonTV series
2003 Always Greener TV series
2005 The Incredible Journey of Mary Bryant Judge StephensTV miniseries
2018 Talking Pictures TV TV special - interview

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References

  1. 1 2 3 Craig's autobiography, The Smallest Giant: An Actor's Life
  2. "Michael Craig". British Film Institute. Archived from the original on 10 March 2016.
  3. "Sunday Brunch – Michael Craig". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 3 June 2007.
  4. 1 2 3 "The Timeless Land" from the ABC television series, Australian Broadcasting Commission, Sydney, 1980. ISBN   0-642-97469-1
  5. "Michael Craig – Theatricalia". theatricalia.com.
  6. 1 2 "Michael Craig – Biography, Movie Highlights and Photos – AllMovie". AllMovie.
  7. 1 2 McFarlane, Brian (16 May 2016). The Encyclopedia of British Film: Fourth edition. Oxford University Press. ISBN   9781526111975 via Google Books.
  8. "1959 Film British Actor – BAFTA Awards". awards.bafta.org.
  9. Wiseman, Thomas (22 November 1956). "Mr Davis Takes on Hollywood". Nottingham Evening Post. p. 9.
  10. "Michael Craig". aveleyman.com.
  11. "The 33rd Academy Awards – 1961".
  12. "The Smallest Giant – Michael Craig – 9781741145656 – Allen & Unwin – Australia". allenandunwin.com. Archived from the original on 13 December 2017. Retrieved 12 December 2017.