Dennis Price
Encyclopedia
Dennis Price was an English actor, remembered for his suave screen roles, particularly Louis Mazzini in Kind Hearts and Coronets
, and for his portrayal of the omniscient valet Jeeves
in 1960s television adaptations of P. G. Wodehouse
's stories.
in Berkshire
, son of Brigadier-General Thomas Rose Caradoc Price and his wife Dorothy, née Verey. He attended Copthorne Prep School
, Radley College
and Worcester College, Oxford
. He studied acting at the Embassy Theatre
School of Acting.
Repertory Theatre in June 1937, followed by a London debut at the Queen's Theatre
on 6 September 1937 in Richard II
. He served in the Royal Artillery from March 1940 to June 1942 but quickly returned to acting after discharge, appearing with Noël Coward
in This Happy Breed
and Present Laughter
, and later as Charles Condomine in Blithe Spirit
, which he later named in Who's Who in the Theatre as one of his two favourite parts along with the title role in André Obey
's Noah. In the 1950s, Price appeared in London and New York in new plays and revivals of classics. In 1957 he made his debut in South Africa in lead roles in Separate Tables
.
His first film role was A Canterbury Tale
in 1944, and he went on to enjoy a chequered film career, the high point of which was his performance as the suave murderer Louis Mazzini in Kind Hearts and Coronets
(1949). Other films included Tunes of Glory
and The Amorous Prawn
.
As a broadcaster, Price was the original "No. 1" in charge of the crew of HMS Troutbridge in the first series of the long-running radio comedy series The Navy Lark
in 1959, but unable to continue the role in the second series because of other work commitments, he was replaced by Stephen Murray. In 1965, Price became popular with television audiences for his performance, described by The Times
as "an outstanding success" as Jeeves
opposite Ian Carmichael
as Bertie Wooster
in The World of Wooster based on the novels and short stories of P. G. Wodehouse
.
Price later appeared in a series of 'B movie
' horror films such as Horror Hospital
, Twins of Evil
and Theatre of Blood
. Although some of these films have acquired a cult following, they are far from the more intellectual roles with which he was originally associated. One of his last film appearances was in a star-studded 1972 version of Alice in Wonderland
with Ralph Richardson
, Robert Helpmann
, Peter Sellers
and Dudley Moore
, among others.
. In April 1954 he tried to commit suicide by gas in a London guest house. Public sympathy led to a resurgence in his popularity and the offer of film roles.
However, his private life, which included heavy gambling and an increasing reliance upon alcohol, began to affect his health, looks and career. Price's private anguish may have led to his role in the film Victim (1961), controversial at the time, which portrayed the dilemma faced by a group of gay men who were being blackmailed for their sexuality.
In 1967, Price was declared bankrupt; he attributed his financial distress to "extravagant living and most inadequate gambling". He then moved to the tax haven
island of Sark
.
This coincided with an escalation in his alcoholism. He died of heart failure resulting from a hip fracture in Guernsey
at age 58 in 1973. He is buried on Sark.
Kind Hearts and Coronets
Kind Hearts and Coronets is a 1949 British black comedy feature film. The plot is loosely based on the 1907 novel Israel Rank: The Autobiography of a Criminal by Roy Horniman, with the screenplay written by Robert Hamer and John Dighton and the film directed by Hamer...
, and for his portrayal of the omniscient valet Jeeves
Jeeves
Reginald Jeeves is a fictional character in the short stories and novels of P. G. Wodehouse, being the valet of Bertie Wooster . Created in 1915, Jeeves would continue to appear in Wodehouse's works until his final, completed, novel Aunts Aren't Gentlemen in 1974, making him Wodehouse's most famous...
in 1960s television adaptations of P. G. Wodehouse
P. G. Wodehouse
Sir Pelham Grenville Wodehouse, KBE was an English humorist, whose body of work includes novels, short stories, plays, poems, song lyrics, and numerous pieces of journalism. He enjoyed enormous popular success during a career that lasted more than seventy years and his many writings continue to be...
's stories.
Early life
Price was born Dennistoun Franklyn John Rose-Price in TwyfordTwyford, Berkshire
For other places of the same name, see Twyford.Twyford is a village and civil parish in the English Royal county of Berkshire. It is situated, at , in the heart of the Thames Valley on the A4 between Reading and Maidenhead, close to Henley-on-Thames and Wokingham.-History:The town's name is...
in Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
, son of Brigadier-General Thomas Rose Caradoc Price and his wife Dorothy, née Verey. He attended Copthorne Prep School
Copthorne Prep School
Copthorne Preparatory School is situated near Crawley in West Sussex, for pupils aged between 2 and 13. It consists of a nursery for infants from 2½. A junior department is for children under the age of eight . Older pupils work in the two prep school buildings, the 'New Block' which is the main...
, Radley College
Radley College
Radley College , founded in 1847, is a British independent school for boys on the edge of the English village of Radley, near to the market town of Abingdon in Oxfordshire, and has become a well-established boarding school...
and Worcester College, Oxford
Worcester College, Oxford
Worcester College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. The college was founded in the eighteenth century, but its predecessor on the same site had been an institution of learning since the late thirteenth century...
. He studied acting at the Embassy Theatre
Embassy Theatre (London)
The Embassy Theatre is a theatre at 64, Eton Avenue, Swiss Cottage, London.- Early years :The Embassy Theatre was opened as a repertory company in September 1928 on the initiative of Sybil Arundale and Herbert Jay., when the premises of Hampstead Conservatoire of Music were adapted by architect...
School of Acting.
Career
Price made his first appearance on stage at the CroydonCroydon
Croydon is a town in South London, England, located within the London Borough of Croydon to which it gives its name. It is situated south of Charing Cross...
Repertory Theatre in June 1937, followed by a London debut at the Queen's Theatre
Queen's Theatre
The Queen's Theatre is a West End theatre located in Shaftesbury Avenue in the City of Westminster. It opened on 8 October 1907 as a twin to the neighbouring Gielgud Theatre which opened ten months earlier. Both theatres were designed by W.G.R...
on 6 September 1937 in Richard II
Richard II (play)
King Richard the Second is a history play by William Shakespeare believed to be written in approximately 1595. It is based on the life of King Richard II of England and is the first part of a tetralogy, referred to by some scholars as the Henriad, followed by three plays concerning Richard's...
. He served in the Royal Artillery from March 1940 to June 1942 but quickly returned to acting after discharge, appearing with Noël Coward
Noël Coward
Sir Noël Peirce Coward was an English playwright, composer, director, actor and singer, known for his wit, flamboyance, and what Time magazine called "a sense of personal style, a combination of cheek and chic, pose and poise".Born in Teddington, a suburb of London, Coward attended a dance academy...
in This Happy Breed
This Happy Breed
This Happy Breed is a play by Noël Coward. It was written in 1939 but, because of the outbreak of World War II, it was not staged until 1942, when it was performed on alternating nights with another Coward play, Present Laughter. The two plays later alternated with Coward's Blithe Spirit...
and Present Laughter
Present Laughter
Present Laughter is a comic play written by Noël Coward in 1939 and first staged in 1942 on tour, alternating with his lower middle-class domestic drama This Happy Breed...
, and later as Charles Condomine in Blithe Spirit
Blithe Spirit (play)
Blithe Spirit is a comic play written by Noël Coward which takes its title from Percy Bysshe Shelley's poem "To a Skylark" . The play concerns socialite and novelist Charles Condomine, who invites the eccentric medium and clairvoyant, Madame Arcati, to his house to conduct a séance, hoping to...
, which he later named in Who's Who in the Theatre as one of his two favourite parts along with the title role in André Obey
André Obey
André Obey was a prominent French playwright during the inter-war years, and into the 1950s....
's Noah. In the 1950s, Price appeared in London and New York in new plays and revivals of classics. In 1957 he made his debut in South Africa in lead roles in Separate Tables
Separate Tables
Separate Tables is the collective name of two one-act plays written by Sir Terence Rattigan, both taking place in the Beauregard Private Hotel, Bournemouth, a seaside town on the south coast of England. The first play, entitled "Table by the Window", focuses on the troubled relationship between a...
.
His first film role was A Canterbury Tale
A Canterbury Tale
A Canterbury Tale is a 1944 British film by the film-making team of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger. It stars Eric Portman, Sheila Sim, Dennis Price and Sgt. John Sweet; Esmond Knight provided narration and played several small roles. For the postwar American release, Raymond Massey narrated...
in 1944, and he went on to enjoy a chequered film career, the high point of which was his performance as the suave murderer Louis Mazzini in Kind Hearts and Coronets
Kind Hearts and Coronets
Kind Hearts and Coronets is a 1949 British black comedy feature film. The plot is loosely based on the 1907 novel Israel Rank: The Autobiography of a Criminal by Roy Horniman, with the screenplay written by Robert Hamer and John Dighton and the film directed by Hamer...
(1949). Other films included Tunes of Glory
Tunes of Glory
Tunes of Glory is a 1960 British film directed by Ronald Neame, based on the novel and screenplay by James Kennaway. The film is a "dark psychological drama" centring on events in a Scottish Highland regimental barracks in the period following World War II...
and The Amorous Prawn
The Amorous Prawn
The Amorous Prawn is a 1962 British comedy film directed by Anthony Kimmins and starring Ian Carmichael, Joan Greenwood and Cecil Parker. General Fitzadam receives his final posting in the remote Scottish Highlands, where his wife decides to run their residence as a hotel for wealthy Americans...
.
As a broadcaster, Price was the original "No. 1" in charge of the crew of HMS Troutbridge in the first series of the long-running radio comedy series The Navy Lark
The Navy Lark
The Navy Lark was a radio sit-com about life aboard a British Royal Navy frigate named HMS Troutbridge, based in HMNB Portsmouth, though in series 1 and 2 the ship and crew were stationed offshore at an unnamed location known simply as "The Island." In series 2 this island was revealed to be...
in 1959, but unable to continue the role in the second series because of other work commitments, he was replaced by Stephen Murray. In 1965, Price became popular with television audiences for his performance, described by The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
as "an outstanding success" as Jeeves
Jeeves
Reginald Jeeves is a fictional character in the short stories and novels of P. G. Wodehouse, being the valet of Bertie Wooster . Created in 1915, Jeeves would continue to appear in Wodehouse's works until his final, completed, novel Aunts Aren't Gentlemen in 1974, making him Wodehouse's most famous...
opposite Ian Carmichael
Ian Carmichael
Ian Gillett Carmichael, OBE was an English film, stage, television and radio actor.-Early life:Carmichael was born in Hull, in the East Riding of Yorkshire. The son of an optician, he was educated at Scarborough College and Bromsgrove School, before training as an actor at RADA...
as Bertie Wooster
Bertie Wooster
Bertram Wilberforce "Bertie" Wooster is a recurring fictional character in the Jeeves novels of British author P. G. Wodehouse. An English gentleman, one of the "idle rich" and a member of the Drones Club, he appears alongside his valet, Jeeves, whose genius manages to extricate Bertie or one of...
in The World of Wooster based on the novels and short stories of P. G. Wodehouse
P. G. Wodehouse
Sir Pelham Grenville Wodehouse, KBE was an English humorist, whose body of work includes novels, short stories, plays, poems, song lyrics, and numerous pieces of journalism. He enjoyed enormous popular success during a career that lasted more than seventy years and his many writings continue to be...
.
Price later appeared in a series of 'B movie
B movie
A B movie is a low-budget commercial motion picture that is not definitively an arthouse or pornographic film. In its original usage, during the Golden Age of Hollywood, the term more precisely identified a film intended for distribution as the less-publicized, bottom half of a double feature....
' horror films such as Horror Hospital
Horror Hospital
Horror Hospital is a 1973 British horror-comedy film starring Robin Askwith and Michael Gough. It was the penultimate film directed by Antony Balch...
, Twins of Evil
Twins of Evil
Twins of Evil is a 1971 horror film by Hammer Film Productions starring Peter Cushing, with Damien Thomas and the real-life twins and former Playboy Playmates Mary and Madeleine Collinson....
and Theatre of Blood
Theatre of Blood
Theatre of Blood is a horror film starring Vincent Price as vengeful actor Edward Lionheart and Diana Rigg as his daughter Edwina Lionheart. The cast includes such distinguished actors as Harry Andrews, Coral Browne, Robert Coote, Jack Hawkins, Michael Hordern, Arthur Lowe, Joan Hickson, Robert...
. Although some of these films have acquired a cult following, they are far from the more intellectual roles with which he was originally associated. One of his last film appearances was in a star-studded 1972 version of Alice in Wonderland
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (1972 film)
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is a 1972 British musical film based on the Lewis Carroll novel of the same name. It had an all star cast, and John Barry composed the score....
with Ralph Richardson
Ralph Richardson
Sir Ralph David Richardson was an English actor, one of a group of theatrical knights of the mid-20th century who, though more closely associated with the stage, also appeared in several classic films....
, Robert Helpmann
Robert Helpmann
Sir Robert Helpmann CBE was an Australian dancer, actor, theatre director and choreographer.-Early years:He was born Robert Murray Helpman in Mount Gambier, South Australia and also boarded at Prince Alfred College in Adelaide. From childhood, Helpman had a strong desire to be a dancer...
, Peter Sellers
Peter Sellers
Richard Henry Sellers, CBE , known as Peter Sellers, was a British comedian and actor. Perhaps best known as Chief Inspector Clouseau in The Pink Panther film series, he is also notable for playing three different characters in Dr...
and Dudley Moore
Dudley Moore
Dudley Stuart John Moore, CBE was an English actor, comedian, composer and musician.Moore first came to prominence as one of the four writer-performers in the ground-breaking comedy revue Beyond the Fringe in the early 1960s, and then became famous as half of the highly popular television...
, among others.
Personal life
Price was married to the actress Joan Schofield from 1939 to 1950. They had two daughters. Price was homosexual, and the marriage was an attempt to lead a "conventional" life, since homosexuality was still a criminal offence in the United Kingdom, and would be until 1967Sexual Offences Act 1967
The Sexual Offences Act 1967 is an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom . It decriminalised homosexual acts in private between two men, both of whom had to have attained the age of 21. The Act applied only to England and Wales and did not cover the Merchant Navy or the Armed Forces...
. In April 1954 he tried to commit suicide by gas in a London guest house. Public sympathy led to a resurgence in his popularity and the offer of film roles.
However, his private life, which included heavy gambling and an increasing reliance upon alcohol, began to affect his health, looks and career. Price's private anguish may have led to his role in the film Victim (1961), controversial at the time, which portrayed the dilemma faced by a group of gay men who were being blackmailed for their sexuality.
In 1967, Price was declared bankrupt; he attributed his financial distress to "extravagant living and most inadequate gambling". He then moved to the tax haven
Tax haven
A tax haven is a state or a country or territory where certain taxes are levied at a low rate or not at all while offering due process, good governance and a low corruption rate....
island of Sark
Sark
Sark is a small island in the Channel Islands in southwestern English Channel, off the French coast of Normandy. It is a royal fief, geographically located in the Channel Islands in the Bailiwick of Guernsey, with its own set of laws based on Norman law and its own parliament. It has a population...
.
This coincided with an escalation in his alcoholism. He died of heart failure resulting from a hip fracture in Guernsey
Guernsey
Guernsey, officially the Bailiwick of Guernsey is a British Crown dependency in the English Channel off the coast of Normandy.The Bailiwick, as a governing entity, embraces not only all 10 parishes on the Island of Guernsey, but also the islands of Herm, Jethou, Burhou, and Lihou and their islet...
at age 58 in 1973. He is buried on Sark.
Filmography
- No Parking (1938) (uncredited extra)
- A Canterbury TaleA Canterbury TaleA Canterbury Tale is a 1944 British film by the film-making team of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger. It stars Eric Portman, Sheila Sim, Dennis Price and Sgt. John Sweet; Esmond Knight provided narration and played several small roles. For the postwar American release, Raymond Massey narrated...
(1944) - A Place of One's OwnA Place of One's OwnA Place of One's Own is a British film directed by Bernard Knowles. An atmospheric ghost story based on the novel by Osbert Sitwell, it stars James Mason, Barbara Mullen, Margaret Lockwood, Dennis Price and Dulcie Gray...
(1945) - The Echo MurdersThe Echo MurdersThe Echo Murders is a 1945 British thriller film directed by John Harlow and starring David Farrar, Dennis Price, Pamela Stirling and Julien Mitchell.- Cast :*David Farrar as Sexton Blake*Dennis Price as Dick Warren*Pamela Stirling as Stella Duncan...
(1945) - CaravanCaravan (1946 film)Caravan is a 1946 British drama film directed by Arthur Crabtree. It was one of the Gainsborough Melodramas and is based on a novel Caravan by Eleanor Smith....
(1946) - The Magic BowThe Magic BowThe Magic Bow is a 1946 British musical film based on the life of the Italian violinist and composer Niccolò Paganini. It was directed by Bernard Knowles...
(1946) - Dear MurdererDear MurdererDear Murderer is a 1947 British thriller, directed by Arthur Crabtree for Gainsborough Pictures, and starring Eric Portman and Greta Gynt. The film was well-received for its tautness and ingenuity, with one reviewer noting: "Dear Murderer is a shrewd, semi-psychological thriller with Eric Portman,...
(1947) - JassyJassy (film)Jassy was a 1947 British film melodrama, based on a novel by Norah Lofts. It was a Gainsborough melodrama, the only one to be made in technicolour.-Plot:...
(1947) - Hungry HillHungry Hill (film)Hungry Hill is a 1947 British film directed by Brian Desmond Hurst and starring Margaret Lockwood, Dennis Price and Cecil Parker with a screenplay by Terence Young and Daphne du Maurier, from the novel by Daphne du Maurier....
(1947) - Holiday CampHoliday CampHoliday Camp is a 1947 British comedy drama film directed by Ken Annakin, starring Jack Warner, Jimmy Hanley, Kathleen Harrison and Dennis Price.-Synopsis:...
(1947) - JassyJassy (film)Jassy was a 1947 British film melodrama, based on a novel by Norah Lofts. It was a Gainsborough melodrama, the only one to be made in technicolour.-Plot:...
(1947) - Master of BankdamMaster of BankdamThe Master of Bankdam is a 1947 British historical film directed by Walter Forde from the novel, The Crowthers of Bankdam, by Thomas Armstrong. It starred Anne Crawford, Dennis Price, Tom Walls, Stephen Murray, Linden Travers and David Tomlinson...
(1947) - The White UnicornThe White UnicornThe White Unicorn is a 1947 British drama film directed by Bernard Knowles and starring Margaret Lockwood, Joan Greenwood, Ian Hunter and Dennis Price....
(1947) - Easy MoneyEasy Money (1948 film)Easy Money, a satirical 1948 British film about one of the most beloved traditions of the English middle class, the football pool, is composed of four tales about the effect a major win has on four different groups in the postwar period...
(1948) - SnowboundSnowbound (1948 film)Snowbound is a 1948 British thriller film directed by David MacDonald and starring Dennis Price, Stanley Holloway, Mila Parély, and Herbert Lom. A group of people search for treasure hidden by the Nazis in the Alps during the Second World War...
(1948) - Good-Time GirlGood-Time GirlGood-Time Girl is a 1948 British drama film directed by David MacDonald. The film was based on Arthur La Bern's novel "Night Darkens the Street."-Plot:...
(1948) - The Dancing YearsThe Dancing YearsThe Dancing Years is a musical with book and music by Ivor Novello and lyrics by Christopher Hassall. The piece is one of Novello's most popular musicals...
(1948) - Kind Hearts and CoronetsKind Hearts and CoronetsKind Hearts and Coronets is a 1949 British black comedy feature film. The plot is loosely based on the 1907 novel Israel Rank: The Autobiography of a Criminal by Roy Horniman, with the screenplay written by Robert Hamer and John Dighton and the film directed by Hamer...
(1949) - Helter SkelterHelter Skelter (1949 film)Helter Skelter is a 1949 British romantic comedy film directed by Ralph Thomas and starring Carol Marsh, David Tomlinson and Mervyn Johns. A police detective becomes involved with a wealthy socialite....
(1949) - The Lost PeopleThe Lost PeopleThe Lost People is a 1949 British drama film directed by Muriel Box and Bernard Knowles and starring Dennis Price, Mai Zetterling and Richard Attenborough. After the Second World War, some British soldiers are guarding a theatre in Germany containing various refugees and prisoners trying to work...
(1949) - The Bad Lord ByronThe Bad Lord ByronThe Bad Lord Byron is a 1949 British historical drama film centered around the life of Lord Byron. It was directed by David MacDonald and starred Dennis Price as Byron with Mai Zetterling, Linden Travers and Joan Greenwood....
(1949) - Murder Without CrimeMurder Without CrimeMurder Without Crime is a 1950 British crime film directed by J. Lee Thompson and starring Dennis Price, Derek Farr and Patricia Plunkett....
(1950) - The AdventurersThe Adventurers (1951 film)The Adventurers is a 1951 British adventure film directed by David MacDonald and starring Jack Hawkins, Peter Hammond and Dennis Price. In the wake of the Boer War several men journey into the South African veldt in search of diamonds.-Cast:...
(1951) - Lady Godiva Rides AgainLady Godiva Rides AgainLady Godiva Rides Again is a 1951 British comedy film starring Diana Dors, about a small-town English girl who wins a beauty contest and heads for greater fame. It features Joan Collins in her movie debut as an uncredited beauty contestant...
(1951) - The House in the SquareThe House in the SquareThe House in the Square, also titled I'll Never Forget You and Man of Two Worlds, is a 1951 science fiction film about an American atomic scientist who is transported to the 18th century, where he falls in love. It starred Tyrone Power and Ann Blyth. It was adapted from the play Berkeley Square by...
(1951) - The Magic BoxThe Magic Box (film)The Magic Box is a 1951 British, Technicolor, biographical drama film, directed by John Boulting and starring Ronald Shiner as the Fairground Barker, Sid James, Laurence Olivier, Peter Ustinov and Charles Victor. It was produced by Ronald Neame and distributed by British Lion Film Corporation...
(1951) - Song of ParisSong of ParisSong of Paris is a 1952 British comedy film directed by John Guillermin and starring Dennis Price, Anne Vernon and Hermione Baddeley. It is also known as Bachelor in Paris.-Cast:* Dennis Price as Matthew Ibbetson* Anne Vernon as Clementine...
(1952) - The Tall HeadlinesThe Tall HeadlinesThe Tall Headlines is a 1952 British film directed by Terence Young and starring André Morell, Flora Robson, Peter Burton, Sid James and Dennis Price.-Cast:* André Morell - George Rackham* Flora Robson - Mary Rackham* Michael Denison - Phillip Rackham...
(1952) - Murder at 3amMurder at 3amMurder at 3am is a 1953 British crime film directed by Francis Searle and starring Dennis Price, Peggy Evans and Philip Saville. A Scotland Yard detective investigates a series of attacks on women.-Cast:* Dennis Price ... Inspector Peter Lawton...
(1953) - Noose for a LadyNoose for a LadyNoose for a Lady is a 1953 British crime film directed by Wolf Rilla and starring Dennis Price, Rona Anderson and Ronald Howard. An amateur detective races against time to clear the name of his cousin, who is accused of murdering her husband. It is based on the novel Whispering Woman by Gerald...
(1953) - The IntruderThe Intruder (1953 film)The Intruder is a 1953 British drama film directed by Guy Hamilton and starring Jack Hawkins, George Cole, Dennis Price, George Baker and Hugh Williams.-External links:*...
(1953) - For Better, for WorseFor Better, for Worse (1954 film)For Better, for Worse is a 1954 British comedy film directed by J. Lee Thompson.-Cast:* Dirk Bogarde as Tony Howard* Susan Stephen as Anne Purves* Cecil Parker as Anne's Father* Eileen Herlie as Anne's Mother* Athene Seyler as Miss Mainbrace...
(1954)
- Time Is My EnemyTime Is My EnemyTime Is My Enemy is a 1954 British crime film directed by Don Chaffey. It stars Dennis Price and Renée Asherson.It is also notable that the initials spell T.I.M.E.-Cast:*Dennis Price as Martin Radley*Renée Asherson as Barbara Everton...
(1954) - Account Closed (1955)
- Oh... Rosalinda!!Oh... Rosalinda!!Oh... Rosalinda!! is a film by the British director-writer team of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger. The film stars Michael Redgrave, Mel Ferrer, Anthony Quayle, dancer Ludmilla Tchérina and Anton Walbrook and features Dennis Price....
(1955) - That LadyThat LadyThat Lady is a 1955 film directed by Terence Young. It stars Olivia de Havilland, Gilbert Roland and Paul Scofield.The film is based on the 1946 historical novel by Kate O'Brien, which was published in North America under the title For One Sweet Grape. The novel was also produced as a play in 1949....
(1955) - Charley MoonCharley MoonCharley Moon is a 1956 British film directed by Guy Hamilton. It stars Max Bygraves, Dennis Price and Shirley Eaton.-Cast:* Max Bygraves as Charley Moon* Dennis Price as Harold Armytage* Michael Medwin as Alf Higgins* Florence Desmond as Mary Minton...
(1956) - Private's ProgressPrivate's ProgressPrivate's Progress is a 1956 British comedy film based on the novel by Alan Hackney. It was directed and produced by John and Roy Boulting, from a script by John Boulting and Frank Harvey.-Plot:...
(1956) - Port AfriquePort AfriquePort Afrique is a 1956 British drama film based on the 1948 novel of the same name by Dr. Bernard Victor Dryer . The colour film was directed by Rudolph Maté and the adapted screenplay was written by John Cresswell...
(1956) - A Touch of the SunA Touch of the Sun (1956 film)A Touch of the Sun is a 1956 British comedy film directed by Gordon Parry and starring Frankie Howerd, Ruby Murray and Dennis Price. A hall porter is left a large inheritance by one of the residents...
(1956) - Fortune is a WomanFortune is a WomanFortune is a Woman is a 1957 British crime film directed by Sidney Gilliat and starring Jack Hawkins, Arlene Dahl and Dennis Price. An attempted insurance fraud goes badly wrong...
(1957) - The Naked TruthThe Naked Truth (1957 film)The Naked Truth is a 1957 British film comedy starring Peter Sellers, Terry-Thomas and Dennis Price. Peggy Mount, Shirley Eaton and Joan Sims also appear...
(1957) - Danger WithinDanger WithinDanger Within is a 1959 British war film set in a prisoner of war camp in northern Italy during the summer of 1943.-Plot:After a clever escape plan fails, the escape committee, led by Lieutenant Colonel David Baird suspects that there is an informer in their ranks...
(1959) - Don't Panic Chaps!Don't Panic Chaps!Don't Panic Chaps! is a 1959 British comedy film directed by George Pollock and starring Dennis Price, George Cole, Thorley Walters and Terence Alexander....
(1959) - I'm All Right JackI'm All Right JackI'm All Right Jack is a 1959 British comedy film directed and produced by John and Roy Boulting from a script by Frank Harvey, John Boulting and Alan Hackney, based on the novel Private Life by Hackney...
(1959) - The MillionairessThe MillionairessThe Millionairess is a 1960 British romantic comedy film set in London, directed by Anthony Asquith and starring Sophia Loren and Peter Sellers...
(1960) - Oscar WildeOscar Wilde (film)Oscar Wilde is a 1960 biographical film about Oscar Wilde, made by Vantage Films and released by 20th Century Fox.-Production:The film was directed by Gregory Ratoff and produced by William Kirby, from a screenplay by Jo Eisinger, based on the play Oscar Wilde by Leslie Stokes and Sewell Stokes...
(1960) - The Pure Hell of St Trinian'sThe Pure Hell of St Trinian'sThe Pure Hell of St Trinian's was a 1960 British comedy film set in the fictional St Trinian's School. Directed by Frank Launder and written by him and Sidney Gilliat, it was the third in a series of five films.-Plot:...
(1960) - School for ScoundrelsSchool for Scoundrels (1960 film)School for Scoundrels is a 1960 British comedy film inspired by the "Gamesmanship" series of books by Stephen Potter. The main character, Henry Palfrey , is a failure in sport and love, and victim of conmen. He enrols at the "School of Lifemanship" in Yeovil, run by Dr...
(1960) - Tunes of GloryTunes of GloryTunes of Glory is a 1960 British film directed by Ronald Neame, based on the novel and screenplay by James Kennaway. The film is a "dark psychological drama" centring on events in a Scottish Highland regimental barracks in the period following World War II...
(1960) - Piccadilly Third StopPiccadilly Third StopPiccadilly Third Stop is a 1960 British thriller film directed by Wolf Rilla and starring Terence Morgan, Yoko Tani, William Hartnell and Dennis Price...
(1960) - No Love for JohnnieNo Love for JohnnieNo Love for Johnnie is a 1961 British drama film directed by Ralph Thomas. It was based on the book of the same title by the Member of Parliament Wilfred Fienburgh and stars Peter Finch....
(1961) - Victim (1961)
- Five Golden HoursFive Golden HoursFive Golden Hours is a 1961 Italian-British comedy film directed by Mario Zampi and written by Hans Wilhelm. It stars Ernie Kovacs, Cyd Charisse and George Sanders, and features Dennis Price and John Le Mesurier.-Plot:...
(1961) - The RebelThe Rebel (1961 film)The film The Rebel is a satirical comedy starring the British comedian Tony Hancock, and written by Ray Galton and Alan Simpson.-Plot:...
(1961) - Double BunkDouble BunkDouble Bunk is a 1961 British black-and-white comedy set on a houseboat, that stars Ian Carmichael and Sid James.The musical score was composed by Stanley Black and the title song, sung by Sid James and Liz Fraser, was by Stanley Black, Jack Fishman and Michael Pratt.-Plot:When newlyweds Jack and...
(1961) - Watch it, Sailor!Watch it, Sailor!Watch it, Sailor! is a 1961 British comedy film directed by Wolf Rilla and starring Dennis Price, Liz Fraser and Irene Handl. A salior returns home to marry his fiancee, but runs into a series of farcial situations.-Cast:...
(1961) - What a Carve Up!What a Carve Up! (film)What a Carve Up! is a 1961 British comedy horror film directed by Pat Jackson. It was released in the United States in 1962 as No Place Like Homicide...
(1961) - The Pot CarriersThe Pot CarriersThe Pot Carriers is a 1962 British comedy drama film directed by Peter Graham Scott and starring Ronald Fraser, Paul Massie, Carole Lesley and Dennis Price...
(1962) - Play it CoolPlay It Cool (film)Play it Cool is a 1962 British musical film directed by Michael Winner and starring Billy Fury, Michael Anderson Jr., Dennis Price, Richard Wattis and Anna Palk....
(1962) - The Amorous PrawnThe Amorous PrawnThe Amorous Prawn is a 1962 British comedy film directed by Anthony Kimmins and starring Ian Carmichael, Joan Greenwood and Cecil Parker. General Fitzadam receives his final posting in the remote Scottish Highlands, where his wife decides to run their residence as a hotel for wealthy Americans...
(1962) - Go to BlazesGo to Blazes (1962 film)Go to Blazes is a 1962 British comedy film directed by Michael Truman and starring Dave King, Robert Morley, Norman Rossington, Daniel Massey, Dennis Price, Maggie Smith, David Lodge. It also featured Arthur Lowe and John Le Mesurier, later to feature prominently in Dad's Army...
(1962) - Behave Yourself (1962)
- Kill or Cure (1962)
- The Cool MikadoThe Cool MikadoThe Cool Mikado is a British musical film made in 1962, directed by Michael Winner, and produced by Harold Baim, with music arranged by Martin Slavin and John Barry. It starred Frankie Howerd as Ko-Ko, Lionel Blair and Stubby Kaye...
(1963) - The Horror of It AllThe Horror of It AllThe Horror of It All is a 1963 horror comedy film directed by Terence Fisher. It stars Pat Boone and Erica Rogers.-Cast:*Pat Boone as John Robinson*Erica Rogers as Cynthia Marley*Dennis Price as Cornwallis Marley*Andree Melly as Natalie Marley...
(1963) - The Wrong Arm of the LawThe Wrong Arm of the LawThe Wrong Arm of the Law is a 1963 British comedy film directed by Cliff Owen and starring Peter Sellers, Bernard Cribbins, Lionel Jeffries, John Le Mesurier and Bill Kerr...
(1963) - Tamahine (1963)
- The CracksmanThe CracksmanThe Cracksman is a 1963 British comedy film directed by Peter Graham Scott.-Plot:Charlie Drake plays an honest locksmith whose problem is that he cannot resist the challenge of a lock. He gets smoothtalked into a safecracking scheme by a couple of ruthless gangsters. He is duped by a debonair con...
(1963) - Doctor in DistressDoctor in Distress (film)Doctor in Distress is a 1963 British comedy film directed by Ralph Thomas and starring Dirk Bogarde, James Robertson Justice, and Samantha Eggar. It was the fifth film in the Doctor Series...
(1963) - The VIPsThe V.I.P.sThe V.I.P.s, also known as Hotel International, is a 1963 British drama film. It was directed by Anthony Asquith, produced by Anatole de Grunwald and distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer...
(1963) - A Jolly Bad FellowA Jolly Bad FellowA Jolly Bad Fellow is a 1964 British film directed by Don Chaffey. It stars Leo McKern and Janet Munro.-Cast:* Leo McKern as Prof Bowls-Ottery* Janet Munro as Delia Brooks* Maxine Audley as Clarina Bowls-Ottery* Duncan Macrae as Dr. Brass...
(1964) - Murder Most FoulMurder Most FoulMurder Most Foul is the third of four films made by MGM loosely based on novels by Agatha Christie and starring Margaret Rutherford as Miss Jane Marple, Bud Tingwell as Inspector Craddock, and Stringer Davis as Mr Stringer. The story is ostensibly based on the novel Mrs McGinty's Dead, but notably...
(1964) - The Comedy ManThe Comedy ManThe Comedy Man is a 1964 British drama film directed by Alvin Rakoff and starring Kenneth More, Cecil Parker, Dennis Price and Billie Whitelaw...
(1964) - Ten Little IndiansTen Little Indians (1965 film)The 1965 version of Ten Little Indians is the second film version of Agatha Christie's detective novel And Then There Were None . Although its background story is the same as the 1945 version , this one takes place on an isolated snowy mountain...
(1965) - Curse of the Voodoo (1965)
- The Earth Dies ScreamingThe Earth Dies ScreamingThe Earth Dies Screaming is a 1965 British science fiction film directed by Terence Fisher. It stars Willard Parker, Virginia Field, Dennis Price, Vanda Godsell, Thorley Walters, David Spenser and Anna Palk.-Production:...
(1965) - A High Wind in JamaicaA High Wind in Jamaica (film)A High Wind in Jamaica is a 1965 film, based on the novel of the same name, and directed by Alexander Mackendrick for the 20th Century-Fox studio. It starred Anthony Quinn and James Coburn as the pirates who capture the children....
(1965) - Just Like a WomanJust Like a Woman (1967 film)Just Like a Woman is a 1967 British comedy film written and directed by Robert Fuest and starring Wendy Craig, Francis Matthews, Dennis Price and Clive Dunn...
(1967) - Jules Verne's Rocket to the MoonJules Verne's Rocket to the MoonJules Verne's Rocket to the Moon is a 1967 British science fiction comedy film directed by Don Sharp and produced by Harry Alan Towers...
(1967) - The Haunted House of HorrorThe Haunted House of Horror (1969 film)The Haunted House of Horror, also titled Horror House and The Dark, was an early type of teen "slasher film" set in late 60's England. It starred Frankie Avalon and Jill Haworth as young adults looking for a thrill by spending the night in an old mansion in the English countryside. Although...
(1969) - Paroxismus (1969)
- The Magic ChristianThe Magic Christian (film)The Magic Christian is a 1969 British comedy film directed by Joseph McGrath and starring Peter Sellers and Ringo Starr, with noteworthy appearances by John Cleese, Raquel Welch, Christopher Lee, Richard Attenborough and Roman Polanski. It was loosely adapted from the 1959 comic novel of the same...
(1969) - The Horror of FrankensteinThe Horror of FrankensteinThe Horror of Frankenstein is a 1970 British horror film by Hammer Film Productions that is both a semi-parody and remake of the 1957 film The Curse of Frankenstein. It was produced and directed by Jimmy Sangster, starring Ralph Bates, Kate O'Mara, Veronica Carlson and David Prowse as the monster...
(1970) - Some Will, Some Won'tSome Will, Some Won'tSome Will, Some Won't was a 1970 British comedy film directed by Duncan Wood. It was a remake of Laughter in Paradise. It starred an ensemble British cast, including Michael Hordern, Ronnie Corbett, Dennis Price, Leslie Phillips and Arthur Lowe....
(1970) - The Rise and Rise of Michael RimmerThe Rise and Rise of Michael RimmerThe Rise and Rise of Michael Rimmer is a British 1970 cult satire film written by and starring Peter Cook, John Cleese and Graham Chapman, and directed by Kevin Billington .-Synopsis:...
(1970) - Vampyros LesbosVampyros LesbosVampyros Lesbos is a 1971 erotic horror film directed and co-written by Jesús "Jess" Franco, inspired by Bram Stoker's short story Dracula's Guest.- Plot :...
(1971) - Twins of EvilTwins of EvilTwins of Evil is a 1971 horror film by Hammer Film Productions starring Peter Cushing, with Damien Thomas and the real-life twins and former Playboy Playmates Mary and Madeleine Collinson....
(1972) - Pulp (1972)
- The Adventures of Barry McKenzieThe Adventures of Barry McKenzieThe Adventures of Barry McKenzie is a 1972 Australian film starring Barry Crocker, telling the story of an Australian 'yobbo' on his travels to the United Kingdom. Barry McKenzie was originally a character created by Barry Humphries for a cartoon strip in Private Eye...
(1972) - Alice's Adventures in WonderlandAlice's Adventures in WonderlandAlice's Adventures in Wonderland is an 1865 novel written by English author Charles Lutwidge Dodgson under the pseudonym Lewis Carroll. It tells of a girl named Alice who falls down a rabbit hole into a fantasy world populated by peculiar, anthropomorphic creatures...
(1972) - Go for a TakeGo for a TakeGo for a Take is a 1972 British comedy film directed by Harry Booth and featuring Dennis Price, Bob Todd, Reg Varney, Norman Rossington, Sue Lloyd, and Anouska Hempel.-Cast:* Johnny Briggs ... Assistant Director* John Clive ... Hotel Waiter...
(1972) - Horror HospitalHorror HospitalHorror Hospital is a 1973 British horror-comedy film starring Robin Askwith and Michael Gough. It was the penultimate film directed by Antony Balch...
(1973) - Theatre of BloodTheatre of BloodTheatre of Blood is a horror film starring Vincent Price as vengeful actor Edward Lionheart and Diana Rigg as his daughter Edwina Lionheart. The cast includes such distinguished actors as Harry Andrews, Coral Browne, Robert Coote, Jack Hawkins, Michael Hordern, Arthur Lowe, Joan Hickson, Robert...
(1973)
Further reading
- Gaye, Freda (ed). Who's Who in the Theatre, Fourteenth edition. Pitman Publishing, London, 1967