Nigel McGown Green | |
---|---|
![]() | |
Born | Pretoria, South Africa | 15 October 1924
Died | 15 May 1972 47) | (aged
Years active | 1952–1972 |
Spouse(s) | Patricia Marmont (m. 1952; div. ??) Pamela Gordon (? – 1972; his death) (1 child) |
Children | 1 |
Nigel McGown Green (15 October 1924 –15 May 1972) was an English character actor. Because of his strapping build, commanding height (6 ft 4 in or 1.93 m) and regimental demeanour he would often be found playing military types and men of action in such classic 1960s films as Jason and the Argonauts , Zulu , Tobruk and The Ipcress File .
The son of a professor, Green was born in Pretoria, South Africa, and was raised in London, attending King's College School, Wimbledon and the University of London, followed by the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. [1] [2] During the Second World War he trained as an Observer in the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm.
Among early stage appearances, he was at London's New Theatre (now the Noël Coward Theatre) in October 1948, playing multiple roles in John Burrell's Old Vic company revival of The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus . At the Stratford Memorial Theatre in 1950, he was cast as Sir Thomas Lovell in Henry VIII (directed by Tyrone Guthrie), Abhorson in Peter Brook's production of Measure for Measure (which also went on tour in Germany), Decius Brutus in Julius Caesar (directed by Anthony Quayle), and - most notably - Edmund in King Lear , starring and co-directed by John Gielgud. [3]
Subsequent West End appearances included Come Live With Me (directed by Roy Rich: Vaudeville Theatre, June 1951), [4] Heloise (directed by Michael Powell: Duke of York's Theatre, November 1951), [5] Vernon Sylvaine's As Long as They're Happy , opposite Jack Buchanan (directed by Roy Rich: Garrick Theatre, July 1953), [6] Félicien Marceau's The Egg (directed by Charles Frank: Saville Theatre, October 1957)) [7] and Agatha Christie's Go Back for Murder (directed by Hubert Gregg: Duchess Theatre, March 1960). [8]
In his second volume of autobiography, Michael Powell pointed out that, though the play they collaborated on was a failure, "Nigel Green, with his great face and towering figure, would soon make a name for himself in movies. Who could ever forget him in Zulu ? He was an almost mythical figure, like Harry Andrews and Victor McLaglen, and later John Wayne, all of them genuine and generous artists. Among other men they were like Norse gods, mythical, large and gentle, suddenly exploding into rage and performing fabulous feats of strength." [9]
Early film roles included Reach for the Sky (1956), The Criminal (1960), The League of Gentlemen (1960) and Beat Girl (1960). [10] His large physique led to his being cast as Little John in the film Sword of Sherwood Forest (1960).
He had one of his most memorable roles as Hercules in Jason and the Argonauts (1963), followed by his co-starring role as Colour Sergeant Frank Bourne in Zulu (1964). [11] He had a leading role as Inspector Sir Denis Nayland Smith in The Face of Fu Manchu (1965) and the supporting role of Major Dalby in The Ipcress File (also 1965). [12] [13] Other roles include Carl Petersen in the Bulldog Drummond film Deadlier Than the Male (1967), as McCune, a devious Australian in the 1967 comedy-adventure The Pink Jungle, Count Contini in the Matt Helm film The Wrecking Crew (1969), and 'Lord Ashley's Whore' in John Huston's The Kremlin Letter (1969). [10] His many military roles included parts in Khartoum (1966), Tobruk (1967), Fräulein Doktor and Play Dirty (both 1969). [14]
Green also appeared in a number of horror films, including Corridors of Blood (1958), The Masque of the Red Death (1964), The Skull (1965), Let's Kill Uncle (1966) and Countess Dracula (1971). [15] His penultimate role was as McKyle the 'Electric Messiah', a mental patient believing himself to be God, in The Ruling Class (1972). [16]
His television appearances included The Adventures of Sir Lancelot , The Adventures of William Tell , The Other Man , Danger Man , The Power Game , The Avengers , Sherlock Holmes , Jason King , The Protectors and The Persuaders! . [17]
Green's first wife was the actress Patricia Marmont. His second wife was the actress Pamela Gordon, with whom he had one daughter.
Green died following an overdose of sleeping pills in 1972, aged 47. [2] It is unknown if his death was intentional. Peter O'Toole said on his commentary on The Ruling Class that he believed Green was very depressed and that his death shortly after filming ended was a suicide, although Green's family believed it to be accidental. He was separated from Gordon at the time.
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1954 | Meet Mr. Malcolm | ||
Stranger from Venus | Second Police Officer | ||
The Sea Shall Not Have Them | Met Officer Howard | ||
1955 | As Long as They're Happy | Peter Pember | |
1956 | Reach for the Sky | Streatfield | |
Find the Lady | Photographer | Uncredited | |
1957 | Bitter Victory | Private Wilkins | |
1958 | The Gypsy and the Gentleman | Game Pup | |
Corridors of Blood | Inspector Donovan | ||
1959 | Witness in the Dark | The Intruder | |
1960 | League of Gentlemen | Kissing man in truck | Uncredited |
Beat Girl | Simon | ||
Sword of Sherwood Forest | Little John | ||
The Criminal | Ted | ||
1961 | Man at the Carlton Tower | Lew Daney | Edgar Wallace Mysteries |
Gorgo | Bulletin Announcer | Uncredited | |
Pit of Darkness | Jonathan | ||
The Queen's Guards | Abu Sibdar | ||
1962 | The Spanish Sword | Baron Breaute | |
Playback | Ralph Monk | Edgar Wallace Mysteries | |
The Durant Affair | Sir Patrick | ||
1963 | Mystery Submarine | Chief ERA Lovejoy | |
Jason and the Argonauts | Hercules | ||
The Man Who Finally Died | Sergeant Hirsch | ||
1964 | Zulu | Colour Sergeant Bourne | |
Saturday Night Out | Paddy | ||
The Masque of the Red Death | Ludovico | ||
1965 | The Ipcress File | Major Dalby | |
The Face of Fu Manchu | Sir Denis Nayland Smith | ||
The Skull | Inspector Wilson | ||
1966 | Khartoum | General Wolseley | |
Let's Kill Uncle | The Uncle-Major Kevin Harrison | ||
1967 | Tobruk | Lieutenant-Colonel John Harker | |
Deadlier Than the Male | Carl Petersen | ||
The Queen's Traitor | John Hawkins | ||
Africa Texas Style | Karl Bekker | ||
1968 | The Pink Jungle | Crowley | |
The Wrecking Crew | Count Massimo Contini | ||
1969 | Play Dirty | Colonel Masters | |
Fräulein Doktor | Colonel Mathesius | ||
1970 | The Kremlin Letter | The Whore | |
1971 | Countess Dracula | Captain Dobi the Castle Steward | |
1972 | The Ruling Class | McKyle | |
1973 | Gawain and the Green Knight | Green Knight | (final film role) |
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1952 | Suspense | Mr Williams | |
1953 | Broadway Television Theatre | Prince Sirki of Vitalba Alexa | |
1956 | The Adventure of Robin Hood | Prival | |
1956-1957 | The Adventures of Sir Launcelot | Jailer / 2nd thief / farmer | |
1958 | Ivanhoe | Timon | |
1958-1959 | William Tell | Fertog (The Bear) | |
1959 | The Flying Doctor | Haggerty | |
World Theatre | Recruiting officer | mini series | |
1967 | The Avengers | Sir Lexius Cray | Episode: The Winged Avenger |
1972 | Clochemerle | ||
The Protectors | Krassinkov | Episode: Balance of Terror | |
Trevor Wallace Howard-Smith was an English stage, film, and television actor. After varied work in the theatre, he achieved star status with his role in the film Brief Encounter (1945), followed by The Third Man (1949). He is also known for his roles in Golden Salamander (1950), The Clouded Yellow (1951), Mutiny on the Bounty (1962), The Charge of the Light Brigade (1968), Battle of Britain (1969), Lola (1969), Ryan's Daughter (1970), Superman (1978), Windwalker (1981), and Gandhi (1982). For his performance in Sons and Lovers (1960) he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor.
Robert Adolph Wilton Morley, CBE was an English actor who enjoyed a lengthy career in both Britain and the United States. He was frequently cast as a pompous English gentleman representing the Establishment, often in supporting roles. In 1939 he received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of King Louis XVI in Marie Antoinette.
Cyril Raker Endfield was an American screenwriter, director, author, magician and inventor. Having been named as a Communist at a House Un-American Activities Committee hearing and subsequently blacklisted, he moved to the United Kingdom in 1953, where he spent the remainder of his career.
Nineteen Eighty-Four is a British television adaptation of the 1949 novel of the same name by George Orwell, originally broadcast on BBC Television in December 1954. The production proved to be hugely controversial, with questions asked in Parliament and many viewer complaints over its supposed subversive nature and horrific content. In a 2000 poll of industry experts conducted by the British Film Institute to determine the 100 Greatest British Television Programmes of the 20th century, Nineteen Eighty-Four was ranked in seventy-third position.
Yvonne Mitchell was an English actress and author. After beginning her acting career in theatre, Mitchell progressed to films in the late 1940s. Her roles include Julia in the 1954 BBC adaptation of George Orwell's novel Nineteen Eighty-Four. She retired from acting in 1977.
The Wednesday Play is an anthology series of British television plays which ran on BBC1 for six seasons from October 1964 to May 1970. The plays were usually original works written for television, although dramatic adaptations of fiction also featured. The series gained a reputation for presenting contemporary social dramas, and for bringing issues to the attention of a mass audience that would not otherwise have been discussed on screen.
John Richard Hopkins was an English film, stage, and television writer.
John Edward Hawkins, CBE was an English actor who worked on stage and in film from the 1930s until the 1970s. One of the most popular British film stars of the 1950s, he was known for his portrayal of military men.
Gordon Cameron Jackson, was a Scottish actor best remembered for his roles as the butler Angus Hudson in Upstairs, Downstairs and as George Cowley, the head of CI5, in The Professionals. He also portrayed Capt Jimmy Cairns in Tunes of Glory, and Flt. Lt. Andrew MacDonald, "Intelligence", in The Great Escape.
Harold Thomas Gregson, known professionally as John Gregson, was an English actor of stage, television and film, with 40 credited film roles. He was best known for his crime drama and comedy roles.
John Nettleton is an English actor best known for playing Sir Arnold Robinson, Cabinet Secretary in Yes Minister (1980–84) and President of the Campaign for Freedom of Information in the follow-up Yes, Prime Minister (1985–88). Another political role for Nettleton was a Conservative Party Member of Parliament in the sitcom The New Statesman.
John Barry Foster was an English actor who had an extensive career in film, radio, stage and television over almost 50 years. He was best known for portraying the title character in the British crime series Van der Valk (1972–1992) and Bob Rusk in Alfred Hitchcock's Frenzy (1972).
Esmond Penington Knight was an English actor. He had a successful stage and film career before World War II. For much of his later career Knight was half-blind. He had been badly wounded in 1941 while on active service on board HMS Prince of Wales when she fought the Bismarck at the Battle of the Denmark Strait, and remained totally blind for two years, though he later regained some sight in his right eye.
The Entertainer is a 1960 British kitchen sink drama film directed by Tony Richardson, produced by Harry Saltzman and adapted by John Osborne and Nigel Kneale from Osborne’s stage play of the same name. The film stars Laurence Olivier as Archie Rice, a failing third-rate music-hall stage performer who tries to keep his career going even as the music-hall tradition fades into history and his personal life falls apart. It was filmed on location in the Lancashire seaside town of Morecambe. Olivier was nominated for an Oscar for Best Actor in a Leading Role.
Bryan Pringle was an English character actor who appeared for several decades in television, film and theatre productions.
Vladek Sheybal was a Polish character actor, singer and director of both television and stage productions. He was well known for his portrayal of the chess grandmaster Kronsteen in the James Bond film From Russia with Love (1963), a role for which he had been personally recommended by his friend Sean Connery, and as Otto Leipzig in Smiley's People (1982).
Lee Montague is an English actor noted for his roles in film and television, usually playing tough guys.
Robert Dorning was a musician, dance band vocalist, ballet dancer and stage, film and television actor. He is known to have performed in at least 77 television and film productions between 1940 and 1988.
The Ipcress File is a 1965 British spy film directed by Sidney J. Furie and starring Michael Caine. The screenplay, by Bill Canaway and James Doran, was based on Len Deighton's novel The IPCRESS File (1962). It received a BAFTA award for the Best British film released in 1965. In 1999, it was included at number 59 on the BFI list of the 100 best British films of the 20th century.
Hot Summer Night is a play by Ted Willis first produced in 1958.