Kenneth Haigh
Encyclopedia
Kenneth Haigh is a British
actor
. He played the central role of Jimmy Porter in the very first production of John Osborne
's seminal play Look Back in Anger
in 1956. His performance in a 1958 Broadway theatre
production of that play so moved one young woman in the audience that she mounted the stage and slapped him in mid-performance. For the film version produced that year, he was passed over in favour of Richard Burton
. Coincidentally, he went on to portray the explorer and adventurer Richard Francis Burton
in the BBC
production of The Search for the Nile. He also briefly appeared in the Beatles's 1964 film A Hard Day's Night
.
Later he portrayed the upstart Joe Lampton, a character created by John Braine
in the novel Room at the Top
, in the television series Man at the Top
and the spin-off film Man at the Top
(1973).
Haigh has also made occasional appearances on American television, and his most recognizable appearance is that of Flight Lieutenant William Terrance Decker on the Twilight Zone
episode The Last Flight.
Haigh also portrayed Pat Casey in Lionel Bart
's Maggie May
.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
. He played the central role of Jimmy Porter in the very first production of John Osborne
John Osborne
John James Osborne was an English playwright, screenwriter, actor and critic of the Establishment. The success of his 1956 play Look Back in Anger transformed English theatre....
's seminal play Look Back in Anger
Look Back in Anger
Look Back in Anger is a John Osborne play—made into films in 1959, 1980, and 1989 -- about a love triangle involving an intelligent but disaffected young man , his upper-middle-class, impassive wife , and her haughty best friend . Cliff, an amiable Welsh lodger, attempts to keep the peace...
in 1956. His performance in a 1958 Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
production of that play so moved one young woman in the audience that she mounted the stage and slapped him in mid-performance. For the film version produced that year, he was passed over in favour of Richard Burton
Richard Burton
Richard Burton, CBE was a Welsh actor. He was nominated seven times for an Academy Award, six of which were for Best Actor in a Leading Role , and was a recipient of BAFTA, Golden Globe and Tony Awards for Best Actor. Although never trained as an actor, Burton was, at one time, the highest-paid...
. Coincidentally, he went on to portray the explorer and adventurer Richard Francis Burton
Richard Francis Burton
Captain Sir Richard Francis Burton KCMG FRGS was a British geographer, explorer, translator, writer, soldier, orientalist, cartographer, ethnologist, spy, linguist, poet, fencer and diplomat. He was known for his travels and explorations within Asia, Africa and the Americas as well as his...
in the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
production of The Search for the Nile. He also briefly appeared in the Beatles's 1964 film A Hard Day's Night
A Hard Day's Night (film)
A Hard Day's Night is a 1964 British black-and-white comedy film directed by Richard Lester and starring The Beatles—John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr—during the height of Beatlemania. It was written by Alun Owen and originally released by United Artists...
.
Later he portrayed the upstart Joe Lampton, a character created by John Braine
John Braine
John Gerard Braine was an English novelist. Braine is usually associated with the Angry Young Men movement.-Biography:...
in the novel Room at the Top
Room at the Top (novel)
Room at the Top , by John Braine, tells the rise of an ambitious young man of humble origin, and the socio-economic struggles undergone in realising his social ambitions in post-war Britain...
, in the television series Man at the Top
Man at the Top (TV series)
Man at the Top was a British television series originally aired on ITV lasting for 23 episodes between 1970-1972 . The series depicted the character of Joe Lampton, the protagonist of John Braine's novel Room at the Top and two films Room at the Top and Life at the Top...
and the spin-off film Man at the Top
Man at the Top (film)
Man at the Top is a 1973 British drama film directed by Mike Vardy and starring Kenneth Haigh, spun off from the television series Man at the Top which itself was inspired by the 1959 film Room at the Top and its sequel Life at the Top.-Cast:...
(1973).
Haigh has also made occasional appearances on American television, and his most recognizable appearance is that of Flight Lieutenant William Terrance Decker on the Twilight Zone
The Twilight Zone (1959 TV series)
The Twilight Zone is an American anthology television series created by Rod Serling, which ran for five seasons on CBS from 1959 to 1964. The series consisted of unrelated episodes depicting paranormal, futuristic, dystopian, or simply disturbing events; each show typically featured a surprising...
episode The Last Flight.
Haigh also portrayed Pat Casey in Lionel Bart
Lionel Bart
Lionel Bart was a writer and composer of British pop music and musicals, best known for creating the book, music and lyrics for Oliver!-Early life:...
's Maggie May
Maggie May (musical)
Maggie May is a musical with a book by Alun Owen and music and lyrics by Lionel Bart.Based on "Maggie May", a traditional ballad about a Liverpool prostitute, it deals with trade union ethics and disputes and the life of streetwalker Margaret Mary Duffy after her sweetheart dies.The show includes...
.
Filmography
- Companions in CrimeCompanions in CrimeCompanions in Crime is a 1954 British crime film directed by John Krish and starring Clifford Evans, George Woodbridge and Kenneth Haigh. The film is a spin-off from the television series Stryker of the Yard.-Cast:...
(1954) - My Teenage DaughterMy Teenage DaughterMy Teenage Daughter is a 1956 British drama film directed by Herbert Wilcox and starring Anna Neagle, Sylvia Syms and Norman Wooland. A mother tries to deal with her teenage daughter's descent into delinquency. It was intended as a British response to Rebel Without a Cause...
(1956) - Saint JoanSaint Joan (1957 film)Saint Joan is a 1957 British-American film adapted from the George Bernard Shaw play of the same title about the life of Joan of Arc. The restructured screenplay by Graham Greene, directed by Otto Preminger, begins with the play's last scene, which then becomes the springboard for a long flashback,...
(1957) - High Flight (1957)
- CleopatraCleopatra (1963 film)Cleopatra is a 1963 British-American-Swiss epic drama film directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz. The screenplay was adapted by Sidney Buchman, Ben Hecht, Ranald MacDougall, and Mankiewicz from a book by Carlo Maria Franzero. The film starred Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, Rex Harrison, Roddy...
(1963) - A Hard Day's NightA Hard Day's Night (film)A Hard Day's Night is a 1964 British black-and-white comedy film directed by Richard Lester and starring The Beatles—John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr—during the height of Beatlemania. It was written by Alun Owen and originally released by United Artists...
(1964) - Weekend at Dunkirk (1964)
- The Deadly AffairThe Deadly AffairThe Deadly Affair is a 1966 British espionage–thriller film, based on John le Carré's first novel Call for the Dead. The film stars James Mason, Harry Andrews, Simone Signoret and Maximilian Schell and was directed by Sidney Lumet from a script by Paul Dehn. In it George Smiley, the central...
(1966) - A Lovely Way to DieA Lovely Way to DieA Lovely Way to Die is a 1968 American drama film directed by David Lowell Rich and starring Kirk Douglas, Sylva Koscina Eli Wallach and Kenneth Haigh. A police officer resigns from the force, and takes up a role as a bodyguard to the wife of a wealthy man...
(1968) - Journey to Murder (1971)
- Eagle in a CageEagle in a CageEagle in a Cage is a 1972 American and British historical drama film directed by Fielder Cook. Napoleon is played by Kenneth Haigh.An earlier version of the story had been made in 1965, when an episode of the television series Hallmark Hall of Fame depicted the events starring Trevor Howard as...
(1972) - Man at the TopMan at the Top (film)Man at the Top is a 1973 British drama film directed by Mike Vardy and starring Kenneth Haigh, spun off from the television series Man at the Top which itself was inspired by the 1959 film Room at the Top and its sequel Life at the Top.-Cast:...
(1973) - Robin and MarianRobin and MarianRobin and Marian is a 1976 British/American co-produced romantic adventure period film filmed in Pamplona, Spain starring Sean Connery as Robin Hood, Audrey Hepburn as Lady Marian, Nicol Williamson as Little John, Robert Shaw as the Sheriff of Nottingham and Richard Harris as King Richard. It also...
(1976) - A Walk in the SunA Walk in the Sun (1978 film)A Walk in the Sun is a 1978 Swedish drama film directed by Hans Dahlberg and starring Gösta Ekman, Inger Lise Rypdal and Margaretha Krook. An unsettled Swedish sports writer tries to escape from his relationship problems and the Swedish winter by taking a package holiday to the Mediterranean...
(1978) - The BitchThe Bitch (film)The Bitch is a British film released in 1979. It is a sequel to The Stud , and both films were based on novels by British author Jackie Collins. Like its predecessor, the film starred her sister, Joan Collins, as Fontaine Khaled.-Plot:...
(1979) - Night Train to MurderNight Train To MurderNight Train To Murder is a 1984 British comedy film directed by Joseph McGrath and starring Morecambe and Wise. It was the last work that Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise worked on together before Eric's death in 1984...
(1983) - A State of Emergency (1986)
- ShuttlecockShuttlecock (film)Shuttlecock is a 1991 French-British drama film directed by Andrew Piddington and starring Alan Bates, Lambert Wilson and Kenneth Haigh. It is based on the 1982 novel Shuttlecock by Graham Swift.-Cast:* Alan Bates - Major James Prentis VC...
(1991) - Mr. BlueMr. Blue"Mr. Blue" is a popular song written by and first recorded by DeWayne Blackwell in 1959. It became a hit for The Fleetwoods, reaching #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in November 1959 and giving the group its second chart-topping hit of the year.-Cover versions:...
(2004)