Rex Harrison
Encyclopedia
Sir Reginald Carey “Rex” Harrison (5 March 1908 – 2 June 1990) was an English
actor
of stage
and screen
. Harrison won an Academy Award and two Tony Award
s.
, Lancashire
, and educated at Liverpool College.
After a bout of childhood measles
, Harrison lost most of the sight in his left eye, which on one occasion caused some on-stage difficulty. He first appeared on the stage in 1924 in Liverpool
. Harrison's acting career was interrupted during World War II
whilst he served in the Royal Air Force
, reaching the rank of Flight Lieutenant
. He acted in various stage productions until 11 May 1990. He acted in the West End of London
when he was young, appearing in the Terence Rattigan
play French Without Tears, which proved to be his breakthrough role.
He alternated appearances in London and New York in such plays as Bell, Book and Candle (1950), Venus Observed, The Cocktail Party
, The Kingfisher, and The Love of Four Colonels, which he also directed. He won his first Tony Award
for his appearance as Henry VIII
in Anne of the Thousand Days
and international superstardom (and a second Tony Award
) for his Henry Higgins in the musical My Fair Lady, in which he appeared opposite a young Julie Andrews
. Later appearances included Pirandello
's Henry IV, a 1984 appearance at the Haymarket Theatre
with Claudette Colbert
in Frederick Lonsdale
's Aren't We All?
, and one on Broadway at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre presented by Douglas Urbanski
, at the Haymarket in J. M. Barrie
's The Admirable Crichton
with Edward Fox
. He returned as Henry Higgins in a highly paid revival of My Fair Lady directed by Patrick Garland
in 1981, cementing his association with the plays of George Bernard Shaw
which included a Tony
nominated performance as Shotover in Heartbreak House
, Julius Caesar
in Caesar and Cleopatra
, and General Burgoyne in a Los Angeles
production of The Devil's Disciple
. He also appeared as an aging homosexual
man opposite Richard Burton
as his lover in Staircase
(1969).
(1938), Night Train to Munich
(1940), Major Barbara (1941), Blithe Spirit
(1945), Anna and the King of Siam (1946), The Ghost and Mrs. Muir
(1947), and The Foxes of Harrow
(1947). He was best known for his portrayal of Professor Henry Higgins in the film version of his stage success, 1964 film version
of My Fair Lady
, based on the Broadway production of the same name (which itself was based on George Bernard Shaw
's play Pygmalion
), for which Harrison won a Best Actor Oscar
. He also starred in 1967's Doctor Dolittle
. Harrison was not by general terms a singer; thus, the music was generally written to allow for long periods of recitative, generally identified as "speaking to the music." Nevertheless, "Talk to the Animals
", which Harrison performed in Doctor Dolittle, won the Academy Award for Best Original Song
in 1967. His son, Noel, coincidentally sang the 1968 Oscar winner, "The Windmills of Your Mind
".
Although excelling in comedy (Noël Coward
described him thus: "the best light comedy actor in the world—except for me."), he attracted favourable notices in dramatic roles such as his portrayal of Julius Caesar
in Cleopatra
(1963) and as Pope Julius II
in The Agony and the Ecstasy
(1965), opposite Charlton Heston
as Michelangelo
. He also acted in a Hindi
film Shalimar
alongside Indian Bollywood
star Dharmendra
.
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the next year; the two later appeared together in numerous plays and films, including The Fourposter
.
In 1947, while married to Palmer, Harrison began an affair with actress Carole Landis
. Landis committed suicide in 1948 after spending the night with Harrison. Harrison's involvement in the scandal surrounding Landis' death briefly damaged his career and his contract with Fox was ended by mutual consent.
Harrison and Lilli Palmer divorced in 1957. That same year, Harrison married actress Kay Kendall
. Kendall died of leukemia
in 1959. He was subsequently married to Welsh-born Rachel Roberts from 1962 to 1971 (Roberts committed suicide in 1980). Harrison then married Elizabeth Rees-Williams
and, finally, Mercia Tinker, who would become his widow in 1990.
Chronology of Harrison's six marriages:
Grandchildren:
until the end of his life, despite suffering from glaucoma
, painful teeth, and a failing memory. In 1989 he appeared on Broadway in The Circle by W. Somerset Maugham
, opposite Glynis Johns
and Stewart Granger
, when he fell ill. He died of pancreatic cancer
at his home in Manhattan
on 2 June 1990 at the age of 82.
Harrison's second autobiography, A Damned Serious Business: My Life in Comedy (ISBN 0553073419), was published posthumously in 1991.
by Queen Elizabeth II
at Buckingham Palace
. An orchestra played the music of songs from My Fair Lady
.
Rex Harrison has two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
: one at 6906 Hollywood Boulevard
for his contribution to motion pictures, and another at 6380 Hollywood Boulevard for his contribution to the television industry.
Seth MacFarlane
, the creator of the animated series Family Guy
, modeled the voice of the character Stewie Griffin
after Harrison, after seeing him in the film adaptation
of My Fair Lady.
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
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...
of stage
Theatre
Theatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
and screen
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
. Harrison won an Academy Award and two Tony Award
Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway...
s.
Youth and stage career
Harrison was born in HuytonHuyton
Huyton is a suburb of Liverpool within the Metropolitan Borough of Knowsley, with some parts belonging to the borough of Liverpool in Merseyside, England. It is part of the Liverpool Urban Area and has close associations with its neighbour, Roby, having both formerly been part of the Huyton with...
, Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
, and educated at Liverpool College.
After a bout of childhood measles
Measles
Measles, also known as rubeola or morbilli, is an infection of the respiratory system caused by a virus, specifically a paramyxovirus of the genus Morbillivirus. Morbilliviruses, like other paramyxoviruses, are enveloped, single-stranded, negative-sense RNA viruses...
, Harrison lost most of the sight in his left eye, which on one occasion caused some on-stage difficulty. He first appeared on the stage in 1924 in Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
. Harrison's acting career was interrupted during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
whilst he served in the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
, reaching the rank of Flight Lieutenant
Flight Lieutenant
Flight lieutenant is a junior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many Commonwealth countries. It ranks above flying officer and immediately below squadron leader. The name of the rank is the complete phrase; it is never shortened to "lieutenant"...
. He acted in various stage productions until 11 May 1990. He acted in the West End of London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
when he was young, appearing in the Terence Rattigan
Terence Rattigan
Sir Terence Mervyn Rattigan CBE was one of England's most popular 20th-century dramatists. His plays are generally set in an upper-middle-class background...
play French Without Tears, which proved to be his breakthrough role.
He alternated appearances in London and New York in such plays as Bell, Book and Candle (1950), Venus Observed, The Cocktail Party
The Cocktail Party
The Cocktail Party is a play by T. S. Eliot. Elements of the play are based on Alcestis, by the Ancient Greek playwright Euripides. The play was the most popular of Eliot's seven plays in his lifetime, although his 1935 play, Murder in the Cathedral, is better remembered today.The Cocktail Party...
, The Kingfisher, and The Love of Four Colonels, which he also directed. He won his first Tony Award
Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway...
for his appearance as Henry VIII
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
in Anne of the Thousand Days
Anne of the Thousand Days
Anne of the Thousand Days is a 1969 costume drama made by Hal Wallis Productions and distributed by Universal Pictures. It was directed by Charles Jarrott and produced by Hal B. Wallis. The film tells the story of Anne Boleyn...
and international superstardom (and a second Tony Award
Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway...
) for his Henry Higgins in the musical My Fair Lady, in which he appeared opposite a young Julie Andrews
Julie Andrews
Dame Julia Elizabeth Andrews, DBE is an English film and stage actress, singer, and author. She is the recipient of Golden Globe, Emmy, Grammy, BAFTA, People's Choice Award, Theatre World Award, Screen Actors Guild and Academy Award honors...
. Later appearances included Pirandello
Luigi Pirandello
Luigi Pirandello was an Italian dramatist, novelist, and short story writer awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1934, for his "bold and brilliant renovation of the drama and the stage." Pirandello's works include novels, hundreds of short stories, and about 40 plays, some of which are written...
's Henry IV, a 1984 appearance at the Haymarket Theatre
Haymarket Theatre
The Theatre Royal Haymarket is a West End theatre in the Haymarket in the City of Westminster which dates back to 1720, making it the third-oldest London playhouse still in use...
with Claudette Colbert
Claudette Colbert
Claudette Colbert was a French-born American-based actress of stage and film.Born in Paris, France and raised in New York City, Colbert began her career in Broadway productions during the 1920s, progressing to film with the advent of talking pictures...
in Frederick Lonsdale
Frederick Lonsdale
Frederick Lonsdale was an English dramatist.-Personal life:Lonsdale was born Lionel Frederick Leonard in St Helier, Jersey, the son of Susan and John Henry Leonard, a tobacconist. He began as a private soldier and worked for the London and South Western Railway...
's Aren't We All?
Aren't We All?
Aren't We All? is a play by Frederick Lonsdale.At the core of the drawing room comedy's slim plot is the Hon. William Tatham who, having been consigned to the proverbial doghouse for a romantic indiscretion, is determined to catch his self-righteous wife in an extramarital kiss of her own, while a...
, and one on Broadway at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre presented by Douglas Urbanski
Douglas Urbanski
Douglas Urbanski is an American theater impresario, raconteur and film producer.Urbanski is a business partner with actor Gary Oldman and he also runs a talent management firm, DMG...
, at the Haymarket in J. M. Barrie
J. M. Barrie
Sir James Matthew Barrie, 1st Baronet, OM was a Scottish author and dramatist, best remembered today as the creator of Peter Pan. The child of a family of small-town weavers, he was educated in Scotland. He moved to London, where he developed a career as a novelist and playwright...
's The Admirable Crichton
The Admirable Crichton
The Admirable Crichton is a comic stage play written in 1902 by J. M. Barrie. It was produced by Charles Frohman and opened at the Duke of York's Theatre in London on 4 November 1902, running for an extremely successful 828 performances. It starred H. B. Irving and Irene Vanbrugh...
with Edward Fox
Edward Fox (actor)
Edward Charles Morice Fox, OBE is an English stage, film and television actor.He is generally associated with portraying the role of the upper-class Englishman, such as the title character in the film The Day of the Jackal and King Edward VIII in the serial Edward & Mrs...
. He returned as Henry Higgins in a highly paid revival of My Fair Lady directed by Patrick Garland
Patrick Garland
thumb|right|200pxPatrick Garland is a British actor, writer, and director.Garland started Poetry International in 1963 with Ted Hughes and Charles Osborne. He was a director and producer for the BBC's Music and Arts Department , and worked on its Monitor series...
in 1981, cementing his association with the plays of George Bernard Shaw
George Bernard Shaw
George Bernard Shaw was an Irish playwright and a co-founder of the London School of Economics. Although his first profitable writing was music and literary criticism, in which capacity he wrote many highly articulate pieces of journalism, his main talent was for drama, and he wrote more than 60...
which included a Tony
Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway...
nominated performance as Shotover in Heartbreak House
Heartbreak House
Heartbreak House is a play written by George Bernard Shaw, first published in 1919 and first played at the Garrick Theatre in 1920. According to A. C. Ward, the work argues that "cultured, leisured Europe" was drifting toward destruction, and that "Those in a position to guide Europe to safety...
, Julius Caesar
Julius Caesar
Gaius Julius Caesar was a Roman general and statesman and a distinguished writer of Latin prose. He played a critical role in the gradual transformation of the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire....
in Caesar and Cleopatra
Caesar and Cleopatra (play)
Caesar and Cleopatra, a play written in 1898 by George Bernard Shaw, was first staged in 1901 and first published with Captain Brassbound's Conversion and The Devil's Disciple in his 1901 collection, Three Plays for Puritans. It was first performed at Newcastle-on-Tyne on March 15, 1899...
, and General Burgoyne in a Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
production of The Devil's Disciple
The Devil's Disciple
The Devil's Disciple is an 1897 play written by Irish dramatist, George Bernard Shaw. The play is Shaw's eighth, and after Richard Mansfield's original 1897 American production it was his first financial success, which helped to affirm his career as a playwright...
. He also appeared as an aging homosexual
Homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
man opposite 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...
as his lover in Staircase
Staircase (film)
Staircase is a 1969 film adaptation of a two-character play, also called Staircase, by Charles Dyer. The film, like the play, is about an aging gay couple who own a barber shop in the East End of London. One of them is a part-time actor about to go on trial for propositioning a police officer...
(1969).
In film
Harrison's film debut was in The Great Game (1930), and other notable early films include The CitadelThe Citadel (film)
The Citadel is a 1938 film based on the novel of the same name by A. J. Cronin, first published in 1937. The film was directed by King Vidor and produced by Victor Saville.-Plot:...
(1938), Night Train to Munich
Night Train to Munich
Night Train to Munich is a 1940 British thriller film. It was directed by Carol Reed, with writing credits by Sidney Gilliat and Frank Launder. It is liberally adapted from the Gordon Wellesley novel Report on a Fugitive.-Plot:...
(1940), Major Barbara (1941), Blithe Spirit
Blithe Spirit (film)
Blithe Spirit is a British fantasy comedy film directed by David Lean. The screenplay by Lean, Anthony Havelock-Allan, Ronald Neame, and Noël Coward is based on Coward's 1941 play of the same name...
(1945), Anna and the King of Siam (1946), The Ghost and Mrs. Muir
The Ghost and Mrs. Muir
The Ghost and Mrs. Muir romantic fantasy film starring Gene Tierney and Rex Harrison. It is based on a 1945 novel written by Josephine Leslie under the pseudonym of R. A. Dick...
(1947), and The Foxes of Harrow
The Foxes of Harrow
The Foxes of Harrow is an adventure film directed by John M. Stahl and produced by William A. Bacher. The film Rex Harrison, Maureen O'Hara, Richard Haydn with Victor McLaglen, Vanessa Brown, Patricia Medina, Gene Lockhart, and Hugo Haas...
(1947). He was best known for his portrayal of Professor Henry Higgins in the film version of his stage success, 1964 film version
My Fair Lady (film)
My Fair Lady is a 1964 musical film adaptation of the Lerner and Loewe stage musical, of the same name, based on the 1938 film adaptation of the original stage play Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw. The ballroom scene and the ending were taken from the previous film adaptation , rather than from...
of My Fair Lady
My Fair Lady
My Fair Lady is a musical based upon George Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion and with book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and music by Frederick Loewe...
, based on the Broadway production of the same name (which itself was based on George Bernard Shaw
George Bernard Shaw
George Bernard Shaw was an Irish playwright and a co-founder of the London School of Economics. Although his first profitable writing was music and literary criticism, in which capacity he wrote many highly articulate pieces of journalism, his main talent was for drama, and he wrote more than 60...
's play Pygmalion
Pygmalion (play)
Pygmalion: A Romance in Five Acts is a play by Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw. Professor of phonetics Henry Higgins makes a bet that he can train a bedraggled Cockney flower girl, Eliza Doolittle, to pass for a duchess at an ambassador's garden party by teaching her to assume a veneer of...
), for which Harrison won a Best Actor Oscar
Academy Award for Best Actor
Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize an actor who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry...
. He also starred in 1967's Doctor Dolittle
Doctor Dolittle (film)
Doctor Dolittle is a 1967 American musical film directed by Richard Fleischer and starring Rex Harrison, Samantha Eggar, Anthony Newley and Richard Attenborough. It's adapted by Leslie Bricusse from the novel series by Hugh Lofting, primarily The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle, The Story of Doctor...
. Harrison was not by general terms a singer; thus, the music was generally written to allow for long periods of recitative, generally identified as "speaking to the music." Nevertheless, "Talk to the Animals
Talk to the Animals
"Talk to the Animals" is a song written by British composer, Leslie Bricusse.Written for the film, Doctor Dolittle, it won the Academy Award for Best Original Song at the 40th Academy Awards. It was performed in the film by Rex Harrison...
", which Harrison performed in Doctor Dolittle, won the Academy Award for Best Original Song
Academy Award for Best Original Song
The Academy Award for Best Original Song is one of the awards given annually to people working in the motion picture industry by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences . It is presented to the songwriters who have composed the best original song written specifically for a film...
in 1967. His son, Noel, coincidentally sang the 1968 Oscar winner, "The Windmills of Your Mind
The Windmills of Your Mind
"The Windmills of Your Mind" is a song performed by Noel Harrison, with music composed by Michel Legrand and English lyrics written by Alan Bergman and Marilyn Bergman, which was used as the theme for the 1968 film, The Thomas Crown Affair, starring Steve McQueen alongside and ultimately versus...
".
Although excelling in comedy (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...
described him thus: "the best light comedy actor in the world—except for me."), he attracted favourable notices in dramatic roles such as his portrayal of Julius Caesar
Julius Caesar
Gaius Julius Caesar was a Roman general and statesman and a distinguished writer of Latin prose. He played a critical role in the gradual transformation of the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire....
in Cleopatra
Cleopatra (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) and as Pope Julius II
Pope Julius II
Pope Julius II , nicknamed "The Fearsome Pope" and "The Warrior Pope" , born Giuliano della Rovere, was Pope from 1503 to 1513...
in The Agony and the Ecstasy
The Agony and the Ecstasy (film)
The Agony and the Ecstasy is a 1965 film directed by Carol Reed, starring Charlton Heston as Michelangelo and Rex Harrison as Pope Julius II. The film was partly based on Irving Stone's biographical novel of the same name. This film deals with the conflicts of Michelangelo and Pope Julius II...
(1965), opposite Charlton Heston
Charlton Heston
Charlton Heston was an American actor of film, theatre and television. Heston is known for heroic roles in films such as The Ten Commandments, Ben-Hur for which he won the Academy Award for Best Actor, El Cid, and Planet of the Apes...
as Michelangelo
Michelangelo
Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni , commonly known as Michelangelo, was an Italian Renaissance painter, sculptor, architect, poet, and engineer who exerted an unparalleled influence on the development of Western art...
. He also acted in a Hindi
Hindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
film Shalimar
Shalimar (film)
Shalimar is a 1978 Hindi film. Its English version known as Raiders of the Sacred Stone was released in USA. The movie starred Dharmendra, Sir Rex Harrison, Zeenat Aman, Shammi Kapoor, Prem Nath, Aruna Irani and American actors John Saxon and Sylvia Miles in supporting roles. Jayamalini does a...
alongside Indian Bollywood
Bollywood
Bollywood is the informal term popularly used for the Hindi-language film industry based in Mumbai , Maharashtra, India. The term is often incorrectly used to refer to the whole of Indian cinema; it is only a part of the total Indian film industry, which includes other production centers producing...
star Dharmendra
Dharmendra
Dharmendra Singh Deol |Punjab]]), better known as Dharmendra, is an award-winning Hindi film actor who has appeared in more than 247 Hindi-language films as of 2011. In 1997, he received the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award for his contribution to Hindi cinema and also another Lifetime...
.
Personal life
Harrison was married six times. In 1942 he divorced his first wife, Colette Thomas, and married actress Lilli PalmerLilli Palmer
Lilli Palmer , born Lilli Marie Peiser, was a German actress. She won the Volpi Cup, the Deutscher Filmpreis three times, and was nominated twice for a Golden Globe Award.-Life and career:...
the next year; the two later appeared together in numerous plays and films, including The Fourposter
The Fourposter
The Fourposter is a 1951 play written by Jan de Hartog. The two-character story spans thirty-five years, from 1890 to 1925, as it focuses on the trials and tribulations, laughters and sorrows, and hopes and disappointments experienced by Agnes and Michael throughout their marriage...
.
In 1947, while married to Palmer, Harrison began an affair with actress Carole Landis
Carole Landis
Carole Landis was an American film and stage actress whose break-through role was as the female lead in the 1940 film One Million B.C.. Landis has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, at 1765 Vine Street....
. Landis committed suicide in 1948 after spending the night with Harrison. Harrison's involvement in the scandal surrounding Landis' death briefly damaged his career and his contract with Fox was ended by mutual consent.
Harrison and Lilli Palmer divorced in 1957. That same year, Harrison married actress Kay Kendall
Kay Kendall
Kay Kendall was an English actress.Kendall began her film career in the 1946 musical London Town. Though the film was a financial failure, Kendall continued to work regularly until her appearance in the comedy Genevieve brought her widespread recognition...
. Kendall died of leukemia
Leukemia
Leukemia or leukaemia is a type of cancer of the blood or bone marrow characterized by an abnormal increase of immature white blood cells called "blasts". Leukemia is a broad term covering a spectrum of diseases...
in 1959. He was subsequently married to Welsh-born Rachel Roberts from 1962 to 1971 (Roberts committed suicide in 1980). Harrison then married Elizabeth Rees-Williams
Elizabeth Rees-Williams
Joan Elizabeth Rees-Williams, The Hon. Mrs. Aitken , is a Welsh socialite. She had two film roles around her early 40s.She was born in Cardiff, daughter of the politician David Rees-Williams, 1st Baron Ogmore....
and, finally, Mercia Tinker, who would become his widow in 1990.
Chronology of Harrison's six marriages:
- Colette Thomas, 1934–1942 (divorced); one son, the actorActorAn actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
/singerSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
Noel HarrisonNoel HarrisonNoel Harrison is an English Olympic athlete, actor and singer. He is the son of British actor Sir Rex Harrison.-Early life:... - Lilli PalmerLilli PalmerLilli Palmer , born Lilli Marie Peiser, was a German actress. She won the Volpi Cup, the Deutscher Filmpreis three times, and was nominated twice for a Golden Globe Award.-Life and career:...
, 1943–1957 (divorced); one son, the novelNovelA novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
ist/playwrightPlaywrightA playwright, also called a dramatist, is a person who writes plays.The term is not a variant spelling of "playwrite", but something quite distinct: the word wright is an archaic English term for a craftsman or builder...
Carey HarrisonCarey Harrison-Life:Harrison was born in London to actors Rex Harrison and Lilli Palmer, and raised in Los Angeles and New York, where he attended the Lycée Français. Subsequently, in Britain, he attended Sunningdale School, Harrow School, and Jesus College, Cambridge.... - Kay KendallKay KendallKay Kendall was an English actress.Kendall began her film career in the 1946 musical London Town. Though the film was a financial failure, Kendall continued to work regularly until her appearance in the comedy Genevieve brought her widespread recognition...
, 1957–1959 (her death) - Rachel Roberts, 1962–1971 (divorced)
- Elizabeth HarrisElizabeth Rees-WilliamsJoan Elizabeth Rees-Williams, The Hon. Mrs. Aitken , is a Welsh socialite. She had two film roles around her early 40s.She was born in Cardiff, daughter of the politician David Rees-Williams, 1st Baron Ogmore....
, 1971–1975 (divorced); three stepsons, Damian HarrisDamian HarrisDamian David Harris is an English film director and screenwriter.-Biography:Harris was born in London, one of three sons of the late Irish actor Richard Harris and his first wife, Welsh actress Elizabeth Rees-Williams. His brothers are English actors Jared Harris and Jamie Harris.-Career:In 1968...
, Jared HarrisJared HarrisJared Francis Harris is a British character actor, well known for playing the obnoxious Mac McGrath in the Adam Sandler film Mr. Deeds, and for his portrayal of Lane Pryce on the AMC series Mad Men.- Personal life :...
, and Jamie HarrisJamie Harris (actor)Jamie Harris is an English actor. He is the son of actor Richard Harris and socialite Elizabeth Rees-Williams. His two brothers are actor Jared Harris and director Damian Harris.-Life and career:... - Mercia Tinker, 1978–1990 (his death)
Grandchildren:
- Granddaughters: CathrynCathryn HarrisonCathryn Mary Lee Harrison is an English actress. Cathryn was baptised on 27 September 1959 at St. John's Church, Hampstead, London, England....
, Harriott, Chloe, Chiara, Rosie, Faith - Grandsons: Will, Simon, Sam
Death
Having retired from films in the late 1970s, Harrison continued to act on BroadwayBroadway 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...
until the end of his life, despite suffering from glaucoma
Glaucoma
Glaucoma is an eye disorder in which the optic nerve suffers damage, permanently damaging vision in the affected eye and progressing to complete blindness if untreated. It is often, but not always, associated with increased pressure of the fluid in the eye...
, painful teeth, and a failing memory. In 1989 he appeared on Broadway in The Circle by W. Somerset Maugham
W. Somerset Maugham
William Somerset Maugham , CH was an English playwright, novelist and short story writer. He was among the most popular writers of his era and, reputedly, the highest paid author during the 1930s.-Childhood and education:...
, opposite Glynis Johns
Glynis Johns
Glynis Johns is a South African-born Welsh stage and film actress, dancer, pianist and singer . With a career spanning seven decades, Johns is often cited as the "complete actress", who happens to be a trained pianist and singer...
and Stewart Granger
Stewart Granger
Stewart Granger was an English-American film actor, mainly associated with heroic and romantic leading roles. He was a popular leading man from the 1940s to the early 1960s rising to fame through his appearances in the Gainsborough melodramas.-Early life:He was born James Lablache Stewart in Old...
, when he fell ill. He died of pancreatic cancer
Pancreatic cancer
Pancreatic cancer refers to a malignant neoplasm of the pancreas. The most common type of pancreatic cancer, accounting for 95% of these tumors is adenocarcinoma, which arises within the exocrine component of the pancreas. A minority arises from the islet cells and is classified as a...
at his home in Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
on 2 June 1990 at the age of 82.
Harrison's second autobiography, A Damned Serious Business: My Life in Comedy (ISBN 0553073419), was published posthumously in 1991.
Honours and legacy
On 25 July 1989 Harrison was knightedKnight Bachelor
The rank of Knight Bachelor is a part of the British honours system. It is the most basic rank of a man who has been knighted by the monarch but not as a member of one of the organised Orders of Chivalry...
by Queen Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
at Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace, in London, is the principal residence and office of the British monarch. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is a setting for state occasions and royal hospitality...
. An orchestra played the music of songs from My Fair Lady
My Fair Lady
My Fair Lady is a musical based upon George Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion and with book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and music by Frederick Loewe...
.
Rex Harrison has two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
Hollywood Walk of Fame
The Hollywood Walk of Fame consists of more than 2,400 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along fifteen blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, California...
: one at 6906 Hollywood Boulevard
Hollywood Boulevard
-Revitalization:In recent years successful efforts have been made at cleaning up Hollywood Blvd., as the street had gained a reputation for crime and seediness. Central to these efforts was the construction of the Hollywood and Highland shopping center and adjacent Kodak Theatre in 2001...
for his contribution to motion pictures, and another at 6380 Hollywood Boulevard for his contribution to the television industry.
Seth MacFarlane
Seth MacFarlane
Seth Woodbury MacFarlane is an American animator, writer, comedian, producer, actor, singer, voice actor, and director best known for creating the animated sitcoms Family Guy, American Dad! and The Cleveland Show, for which he also voices many of the shows' various characters.A native of Kent,...
, the creator of the animated series Family Guy
Family Guy
Family Guy is an American animated television series created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series centers on the Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter and Lois; their children Meg, Chris, and Stewie; and their anthropomorphic pet dog Brian...
, modeled the voice of the character Stewie Griffin
Stewie Griffin
Stewie Griffin is a fictional character from the animated television series Family Guy. Once obsessed with world domination and matricide, Stewie is the youngest child of Peter and Lois Griffin, and the brother of Chris and Meg....
after Harrison, after seeing him in the film adaptation
Film adaptation
Film adaptation is the transfer of a written work to a feature film. It is a type of derivative work.A common form of film adaptation is the use of a novel as the basis of a feature film, but film adaptation includes the use of non-fiction , autobiography, comic book, scripture, plays, and even...
of My Fair Lady.
Filmography
| Film | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Film | Role | Notes | |
| 1930 | The Great Game | George | ||
| 1934 | Get Your Man Get Your Man Get Your Man is a 1934 British comedy film directed by George King and starring Dorothy Boyd, Sebastian Shaw and Clifford Heatherley. A determined young woman sets up an elaborate plan to secure the man she has fallen in love with... |
Tom Jakes | ||
| Leave It to Blanche | Ronnie | |||
| 1935 | All at Sea All at Sea (1935 film) All at Sea is a 1935 British comedy film starring Googie Withers, Tyrell Davis and Rex Harrison. A young man falls on love during a cruise, and takes up a false identity as a famous writer to impress her.... |
Aubrey Bellingham | ||
| 1936 | Men Are Not Gods Men Are Not Gods Men Are Not Gods is a 1936 British film starring Miriam Hopkins and co-starring Gertrude Lawrence, Sebastian Shaw and Rex Harrison. It was a success in the UK when released largely due to the popularity of the two female stars Hopkins and Lawrence. This also brought to attention the talents of Rex... |
Tommy Stapleton | ||
| 1937 | Storm in a Teacup Storm in a Teacup (film) Storm in a Teacup is a 1937 British romantic comedy film starring Vivien Leigh, Rex Harrison, Cecil Parker, and Sara Allgood. It is based on the German play Sturm im Wasserglas by Bruno Frank. A reporter writes an article that embarrasses a politician... |
Frank Burdon | ||
| School for Husbands | Leonard Drummond | |||
| 1938 | Sidewalks of London Sidewalks of London Sidewalks of London, also known as St. Martin's Lane, is a 1938 British, black-and-white, comedy drama starring Charles Laughton as a busker or street entertainer who teams up with a talented pickpocket, played by Vivien Leigh. It also stars Ronald Shiner as the Barman... |
Harley Prentiss | Alternative title: St. Martin's Lane | |
| The Citadel The Citadel (film) The Citadel is a 1938 film based on the novel of the same name by A. J. Cronin, first published in 1937. The film was directed by King Vidor and produced by Victor Saville.-Plot:... |
Dr. Frederick Lawford | |||
| 1939 | Over the Moon Over the Moon (film) Over the Moon is a 1939 British comedy film directed by Thornton Freeland and starring Merle Oberon, Rex Harrison, Ursula Jeans and Herbert Lomas. A wealthy heiress becomes involved with a penniless doctor.... |
Dr. Freddie Jarvis | ||
| The Silent Battle The Silent Battle The Silent Battle is a 1939 British thriller film directed by Herbert Mason and starring Rex Harrison, Valerie Hobson and John Loder. It is also known by the alternative titles Continental Express and Peace in our Time. It was inspired by the novel Le Poisson Chinois by Jean Bommart... |
Jacques Sauvin | |||
| 1940 | Night Train to Munich Night Train to Munich Night Train to Munich is a 1940 British thriller film. It was directed by Carol Reed, with writing credits by Sidney Gilliat and Frank Launder. It is liberally adapted from the Gordon Wellesley novel Report on a Fugitive.-Plot:... |
Gus Bennett | Alternative titles: Gestapo Night Train |
|
| Ten Days in Paris Ten Days in Paris Ten Days in Paris is a 1940 British comedy mystery film directed by Tim Whelan and starring Rex Harrison, Kaaren Verne and C.V. France. A tourist in Paris turns out to be a doppelganger of a German spy operating in the French capital.-Cast:... |
Bob Stevens | |||
| 1941 | Major Barbara | Adolphus Cusins | ||
| 1945 | Blithe Spirit Blithe Spirit (film) Blithe Spirit is a British fantasy comedy film directed by David Lean. The screenplay by Lean, Anthony Havelock-Allan, Ronald Neame, and Noël Coward is based on Coward's 1941 play of the same name... |
Charles Condomine | ||
| I Live in Grosvenor Square I Live in Grosvenor Square I Live in Grosvenor Square is a British war film, directed and produced by Herbert Wilcox—a forerunner of his "London films" collaboration with his wife, actress Anna Neagle. The film deploys a tragi-comic plot in a context of US-British wartime co-operation, and displays icons of popular music... |
Major David Bruce | Alternative title: A Yank in London | ||
| Journey Together | Guest | |||
| The Rake's Progress The Rake's Progress (film) The Rake's Progress is a 1945 British comedy-drama film made in 1945. In the United States, the title was changed to Notorious Gentleman.- Plot :... |
Vivian Kenway | Alternative title: Notorious Gentleman | ||
| 1946 | Anna and the King of Siam | King Mongkut | ||
| 1947 | The Ghost and Mrs. Muir The Ghost and Mrs. Muir The Ghost and Mrs. Muir romantic fantasy film starring Gene Tierney and Rex Harrison. It is based on a 1945 novel written by Josephine Leslie under the pseudonym of R. A. Dick... |
Captain Daniel Gregg | with Gene Tierney Gene Tierney Gene Eliza Tierney was an American film and stage actress. Acclaimed as one of the great beauties of her day, she is best remembered for her performance in the title role of Laura and her Academy Award-nominated performance for Best Actress in Leave Her to Heaven .Other notable roles include... |
|
| The Foxes of Harrow The Foxes of Harrow The Foxes of Harrow is an adventure film directed by John M. Stahl and produced by William A. Bacher. The film Rex Harrison, Maureen O'Hara, Richard Haydn with Victor McLaglen, Vanessa Brown, Patricia Medina, Gene Lockhart, and Hugo Haas... |
Stephen Fox | |||
| 1948 | Escape Escape (1948 film) Escape is a 1948 British-American thriller film directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz. It follows a RAF Second World War veteran who goes to prison and then escapes and meets a woman who persuades him to surrender... |
Matt Denant | ||
| Unfaithfully Yours | Sir Alfred De Carter | |||
| 1951 | The Long Dark Hall The Long Dark Hall The Long Dark Hall is a 1951 British crime film directed by Reginald Beck and Anthony Bushell and starring Rex Harrison, Lilli Palmer and Raymond Huntley. After a showgirl is found murdered shortly after she begins an affair with Arthur Groome, he becomes the prime suspect for the murder... |
Arthur Groome | ||
| 1952 | The Four Poster | John Edwards | ||
| 1954 | King Richard and the Crusaders King Richard and the Crusaders King Richard and the Crusaders is a 1954 historical drama film made by Warner Bros.. It was directed by David Butler and produced by Henry Blanke from a screenplay by John Twist based on Sir Walter Scott's novel The Talisman. The music score was by Max Steiner and the cinematography by J. Peverell... |
Emir Emir Emir , meaning "commander", "general", or "prince"; also transliterated as Amir, Aamir or Ameer) is a title of high office, used throughout the Muslim world... Hderim Sultan Sultan Sultan is a title with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic language abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", and "dictatorship", derived from the masdar سلطة , meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it came to be used as the title of certain rulers who... Saladin Saladin Ṣalāḥ ad-Dīn Yūsuf ibn Ayyūb , better known in the Western world as Saladin, was an Arabized Kurdish Muslim, who became the first Sultan of Egypt and Syria, and founded the Ayyubid dynasty. He led Muslim and Arab opposition to the Franks and other European Crusaders in the Levant... |
||
| 1955 | The Constant Husband The Constant Husband The Constant Husband is a 1955 British comedy film directed by Sidney Gilliat and starring Rex Harrison, Margaret Leighton, Kay Kendall, Cecil Parker, George Cole and Raymond Huntley.-Plot:... |
William Egerton | Alternative title: Marriage a la Mode | |
| 1958 | The Reluctant Debutante | Jimmy Broadbent | ||
| 1960 | Midnight Lace Midnight Lace Midnight Lace is a 1960 American mystery-thriller film starring Doris Day and Rex Harrison, directed by David Miller. The screenplay by Ivan Goff and Ben Roberts is based on the play Matilda Shouted Fire by Janet Green.... |
Anthony "Tony" Preston | ||
| 1962 | The Happy Thieves The Happy Thieves The Happy Thieves is a 1962 movie starring Rita Hayworth and directed by George Marshall.-Cast:*Rita Hayworth as Eve Lewis*Rex Harrison as Jimmy Bourne*Joseph Wiseman as Jean Marie Calbert*Alida Valli as Duchess Blanca... |
Jimmy Bourne | ||
| 1963 | Cleopatra Cleopatra (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... |
Caesar Caesar -People:* Julius Caesar , Roman general and dictator* Augustus Caesar , adoptive son of the above and first Roman Emperor* Gaius Julius Caesar , father of the dictator... |
||
| 1964 | My Fair Lady My Fair Lady (film) My Fair Lady is a 1964 musical film adaptation of the Lerner and Loewe stage musical, of the same name, based on the 1938 film adaptation of the original stage play Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw. The ballroom scene and the ending were taken from the previous film adaptation , rather than from... |
Professor Henry Higgins Henry Higgins Henry Higgins may refer to:*The fictional character: see Pygmalion or My Fair Lady*The Australian politician and judge H. B. Higgins* Henry Higgins -See also:*Harry Higgins, English cricketer*Henry Huggins, fictional character... |
||
| The Yellow Rolls-Royce The Yellow Rolls-Royce -External links:, a promotional short subject for the film... |
Lord Charles Frinton - The Marquess Marquess A marquess or marquis is a nobleman of hereditary rank in various European peerages and in those of some of their former colonies. The term is also used to translate equivalent oriental styles, as in imperial China, Japan, and Vietnam... of Frinton |
|||
| 1965 | The Agony and the Ecstasy The Agony and the Ecstasy (film) The Agony and the Ecstasy is a 1965 film directed by Carol Reed, starring Charlton Heston as Michelangelo and Rex Harrison as Pope Julius II. The film was partly based on Irving Stone's biographical novel of the same name. This film deals with the conflicts of Michelangelo and Pope Julius II... |
Pope Pope The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle... Julius II |
||
| 1967 | The Honey Pot The Honey Pot The Honey Pot, also known as The Honeypot, is a 1967 crime comedy film made by Famous Artists Productions and distributed by United Artists. The film stars Rex Harrison, Susan Hayward, Cliff Robertson, Capucine, Edie Adams, and Maggie Smith. It was written for the screen and directed by Joseph L.... |
Cecil Sheridan Fox | Alternative titles: It Comes Up Murder The Honeypot Mr. Fox of Venice |
|
| Doctor Dolittle Doctor Dolittle (film) Doctor Dolittle is a 1967 American musical film directed by Richard Fleischer and starring Rex Harrison, Samantha Eggar, Anthony Newley and Richard Attenborough. It's adapted by Leslie Bricusse from the novel series by Hugh Lofting, primarily The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle, The Story of Doctor... |
Dr. John Dolittle | |||
| 1968 | A Flea in Her Ear | Victor Chandebisse/Poche | ||
| 1969 | Staircase Staircase (film) Staircase is a 1969 film adaptation of a two-character play, also called Staircase, by Charles Dyer. The film, like the play, is about an aging gay couple who own a barber shop in the East End of London. One of them is a part-time actor about to go on trial for propositioning a police officer... |
Charles Dyer | ||
| 1977 | Crossed Swords Crossed Swords (film) Crossed Swords is a 1977 action adventure film directed by Richard Fleischer, based on The Prince and the Pauper by Mark Twain... |
The Duke of Norfolk Duke of Norfolk The Duke of Norfolk is the premier duke in the peerage of England, and also, as Earl of Arundel, the premier earl. The Duke of Norfolk is, moreover, the Earl Marshal and hereditary Marshal of England. The seat of the Duke of Norfolk is Arundel Castle in Sussex, although the title refers to the... |
Alternative title: The Prince and the Pauper | |
| 1978 | Shalimar Shalimar (film) Shalimar is a 1978 Hindi film. Its English version known as Raiders of the Sacred Stone was released in USA. The movie starred Dharmendra, Sir Rex Harrison, Zeenat Aman, Shammi Kapoor, Prem Nath, Aruna Irani and American actors John Saxon and Sylvia Miles in supporting roles. Jayamalini does a... |
Sir John Locksley | Alternative titles: Deadly Thief, Raiders of Shalimar, Raiders of the Sacred Stone | |
| 1979 | Ashanti | Brian Walker | Alternative title: Ashanti, Land of No Mercy | |
| The Fifth Musketeer The Fifth Musketeer The Fifth Musketeer is a 1979 film adaptation of the last section of the novel The Vicomte de Bragelonne by Alexandre Dumas, père, which is itself based on the French legend of the Man in the Iron Mask.... |
Colbert | Alternative titles: Behind the Iron Mask The 5th Musketeer |
||
| 1981 | Titanic in a Tub: The Golden Age of Toy Boats | Narrator Narrator A narrator is, within any story , the fictional or non-fictional, personal or impersonal entity who tells the story to the audience. When the narrator is also a character within the story, he or she is sometimes known as the viewpoint character. The narrator is one of three entities responsible for... |
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| 1982 | A Time to Die | Van Osten | Alternative title: Seven Graves for Rogan | |
| Television | ||||
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | |
| 1952 | Omnibus | Henry VIII | Episode: "The Trial of Anne Boleyn" | |
| 1953 | The United States Steel Hour The United States Steel Hour The United States Steel Hour is an anthology series which brought hour-long dramas to television from 1953 to 1963. The television series and the radio program that preceded it were both sponsored by the United States Steel Corporation.... |
Raymond Dabney | Episode: "The Man in Possession" | |
| 1957 | DuPont Show of the Month DuPont Show of the Month DuPont Show of the Month, an acclaimed 90-minute television anthology series, aired monthly on CBS from 1957 to 1961. The DuPont Company also sponsored a weekly half-hour anthology drama series hosted by June Allyson, The DuPont Show with June Allyson .During the Golden Age of Television, DuPont... |
Mr. Sir | Episode: "Crescendo" | |
| 1960 | Dow Hour of Great Mysteries Dow Hour of Great Mysteries The Dow Hour of Great Mysteries, was a series of seven television specials hosted by Joseph Nye Welch that were aired in 1960.-Episodes:*Episode 1: The Bat; Mary Roberts Rinehart; 31 March 1960*Episode 2: The Burning Court John Dickson Carr; 24 April 1960... |
Cyril Paxton | Episode: "The Dachet Diamonds" | |
| 1971–1973 | Play of the Month Play of the Month Play of the Month is a BBC television anthology series featuring productions of classic and contemporary stage plays which were usually broadcast on BBC1. Each production featured a different work, often using prominent British stage actors in the leading roles... |
Mikhail Platonov, schoolmaster Don Quixote |
Episodes: "Platonov" "The Adventures of Don Quixote" |
|
| 1983 | The Kingfisher | Cecil | Television film | |
| 1985 | Heartbreak House | Captain Shotover | Television film | |
| 1986 | Anastasia: The Mystery of Anna Anastasia: The Mystery of Anna Anastasia: The Mystery of Anna is a 1986 TV movie, starring Amy Irving, Olivia de Havilland and Jan Niklas. The film was loosely based on the story of Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna of Russia and the novel The Riddle of Anna Anderson by Peter Kurth. It was Christian Bale's first film and Rex... |
Grand Duke Grand Duke The title grand duke is used in Western Europe and particularly in Germanic countries for provincial sovereigns. Grand duke is of a protocolary rank below a king but higher than a sovereign duke. Grand duke is also the usual and established translation of grand prince in languages which do not... Cyril Romanov |
Television film | |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Result | Category | Film, series or play |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1964 | Academy Award | Nominated | Best Actor in a Leading Role Academy Award for Best Actor Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize an actor who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry... |
Cleopatra |
| 1965 | Won | My Fair Lady | ||
| 1966 | BAFTA Award British Academy of Film and Television Arts The British Academy of Film and Television Arts is a charity in the United Kingdom that hosts annual awards shows for excellence in film, television, television craft, video games and forms of animation.-Introduction:... |
Nominated | Best British Actor BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role Best Actor in a Leading Role is a British Academy Film award presented annually by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts to recognize an actor who has delivered an outstanding leading performance in a film.-Superlatives:... |
My Fair Lady |
| 1984 | Drama Desk Award Drama Desk Award The Drama Desk Awards, which are given annually in a number of categories, are the only major New York theater honors for which productions on Broadway, Off-Broadway, Off-Off-Broadway compete against each other in the same category... |
Nominated | Outstanding Actor in a Play Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Play The Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Play was first awarded at the 1974–1975 Drama Desk Awards and has been awarded every year since. Before the 21st Drama Desk Awards, acting awards were given without making distinctions between roles in straight dramas as opposed to musicals, nor were... |
Heartbreak House Heartbreak House Heartbreak House is a play written by George Bernard Shaw, first published in 1919 and first played at the Garrick Theatre in 1920. According to A. C. Ward, the work argues that "cultured, leisured Europe" was drifting toward destruction, and that "Those in a position to guide Europe to safety... |
| 1985 | Won | Drama Desk Special Award Drama Desk Special Award The Drama Desk Special Award is presented by the Drama Desk, a committee comprising New York City theatre critics, writers, and editors. It is a non-competitive award that honors an individual or an organization that has made a significant contribution to Broadway, off-Broadway, off-off-Broadway,... |
||
| 1964 | Golden Globe Award Golden Globe Award The Golden Globe Award is an accolade bestowed by the 93 members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association recognizing excellence in film and television, both domestic and foreign... |
Nominated | Best Motion Picture Actor - Drama | Cleopatra |
| 1965 | Won | Best Motion Picture Actor - Musical/Comedy | My Fair Lady | |
| 1966 | Nominated | Henrietta Award (World Film Favorite - Male) | ||
| Best Motion Picture Actor - Drama | The Agony and the Ecstasy | |||
| 1968 | Nominated | Best Motion Picture Actor - Musical/Comedy | Dr. Dolittle | |
| 1964 | Laurel Awards | Nominated | Top Male Dramatic Performance | Cleopatra |
| 1965 | Nominated | Male Star | ||
| Won | Musical Performance, Male | My Fair Lady | ||
| 1966 | Nominated | Male Star | ||
| Dramatic Performance, Male | The Agony and the Ecstasy | |||
| 1963 | National Board of Review National Board of Review Awards 1963 - Top Ten Films :#Tom Jones#Lilies of the Field#All the Way Home#Hud#This Sporting Life#Lord of the Flies#The L-Shaped Room#The Great Escape#How the West Was Won#The Cardinal- Top Foreign Films :#8½... |
Won | Best Actor | Cleopatra |
| 1964 | New York Film Critics Circle Awards New York Film Critics Circle Awards New York Film Critics' Circle Awards are given annually to honor excellence in cinema worldwide by an organization of film reviewers from New York City-based publications. It is considered one of the most important precursors to the Academy Awards.... |
Won | Best Actor New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor The New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor is one of the awards given by the New York Film Critics Circle to honor the finest achievements in filmmaking.... |
My Fair Lady |
| 1949 | Tony Award Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway... |
Won | Best Actor (Dramatic) Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play The Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play presented since 1947, is awarded to actors in productions of new or revival plays.-1940s:*1947 - José Ferrer – Cyrano de Bergerac / Fredric March – Years Ago... |
Anne of the Thousand Days Anne of the Thousand Days Anne of the Thousand Days is a 1969 costume drama made by Hal Wallis Productions and distributed by Universal Pictures. It was directed by Charles Jarrott and produced by Hal B. Wallis. The film tells the story of Anne Boleyn... |
| 1957 | Won | Best Actor in a Musical Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical The Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical is awarded to the actor who was voted as the best actor in a musical play, whether a new production or a revival... |
My Fair Lady My Fair Lady My Fair Lady is a musical based upon George Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion and with book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and music by Frederick Loewe... |
|
| 1969 | Won | Special Tony Award Special Tony Award The Special Tony Award category includes the Lifetime Achievement Award and Special Tony Award. These are non-competitive awards, and the titles have changed over the years... |
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| 1984 | Nominated | Best Actor (Dramatic) | Heartbreak House |