Richard Greene
Encyclopedia
Richard Marius Joseph Greene (25 August 1918 – 1 June 1985) was a noted English
film and television actor
. A matinee idol who appeared in more than 40 films, he was perhaps best known for the lead role in the long-running British TV series The Adventures of Robin Hood, which ran for 143 episodes from 1955 to 1960.
It has been stated elsewhere that he was the grandson of the inventor William Friese-Greene
, who is credited by some as the inventor of cinematography
, but Friese-Greene's genealogy shows no connection whatsoever to Richard Greene.
and Scottish
ancestry, and was born in Plymouth
, Devon
, England
. His aunt was the musical theatre
actress Evie Greene
. His father, Richard Abraham Greene and his mother, Kathleen Gerrard, were both actors with the Plymouth Repertory Theatre. A descendant of four generations of actors, Greene was educated at Cardinal Vaughan Memorial School in Kensington
, London
, and left at age 18. He started his stage career as the proverbial spear carrier in Shakespeare's Julius Caesar in 1933. A handsome young man, Greene added to his income by modelling shirts and hats.
, which brought him to the attention of Alexander Korda
and Darryl F. Zanuck
. At 20, he joined 20th Century Fox
as a rival to MGM's Robert Taylor
. His first film for Fox was John Ford
's Four Men and a Prayer
. Greene was a huge success, especially with female film goers who sent him mountains of fan mail which at its peak rivalled that of Fox star Tyrone Power
. One of his most notable roles was Sir Henry Baskerville in the 1939 Sherlock Holmes
film The Hound of the Baskervilles
. The film marked the first pairing of Basil Rathbone
and Nigel Bruce
as Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson.
Greene interrupted his acting career to serve in World War II
in the 27th Lancers
, where he distinguished himself. After three months, he went to Sandhurst
and was commissioned. He was promoted to Captain in the 27th Lancers in May 1944. He was relieved from duty in 1942 to appear in the British propaganda film
s Flying Fortress and Unpublished Story. In 1943, he appeared in The Yellow Canary while on furlough. He later toured in Shaw's Arms and the Man
, entertaining the troops. Greene was discharged in December 1944 and appeared in the stage plays Desert Rats and I Capture the Castle.
However, the war effectively ruined Greene's rising career. Though he did well in the popular movie Forever Amber
(1947), Greene found himself cast in a series of swashbuckling roles. Having turned away from films in favour of stage and screen and having been through a divorce from Patricia Medina
, to whom he was married from 1941 to 1951, Greene was cash-strapped when Yeoman Films of Great Britain approached him for the lead role in The Adventures of Robin Hood
.
Greene took the role and was an immediate success. It solved his financial problems and made him a star. He had a long love affair in the 1950s with Nancy Oakes, wealthy daughter of mining
tycoon Sir Harry Oakes
, who had been murdered in notorious circumstances in the Bahamas in 1943.
Amongst other TV programmes, Greene was in A Man For Loving, The Doctors, The Morecambe and Wise Show, Dixon of Dock Green
, Scarf Jack, The Professionals
episode Everest Was Also Conquered and the Tales of the Unexpected
episode Mrs. Bixby and the Colonel's Coat
.
Greene died of cardiac arrest
in 1985.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
film and television 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...
. A matinee idol who appeared in more than 40 films, he was perhaps best known for the lead role in the long-running British TV series The Adventures of Robin Hood, which ran for 143 episodes from 1955 to 1960.
It has been stated elsewhere that he was the grandson of the inventor William Friese-Greene
William Friese-Greene
William Friese-Greene was a British portrait photographer and prolific inventor. He is principally known as a pioneer in the field of motion pictures and is credited by some as the inventor of cinematography.-Career:William Edward Green was born on 7 September 1855, in Bristol...
, who is credited by some as the inventor of cinematography
Cinematography
Cinematography is the making of lighting and camera choices when recording photographic images for cinema. It is closely related to the art of still photography...
, but Friese-Greene's genealogy shows no connection whatsoever to Richard Greene.
Early life
Greene was a Roman Catholic of IrishIreland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
and Scottish
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
ancestry, and was born in Plymouth
Plymouth
Plymouth is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England, about south-west of London. It is built between the mouths of the rivers Plym to the east and Tamar to the west, where they join Plymouth Sound...
, Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. His aunt was the musical theatre
Musical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
actress Evie Greene
Evie Greene
Edith Elizabeth Greene was a much-photographed English actress and singer who played in Edwardian musical comedies in London and on Broadway. She is most notable for starring as Dolores, the central character in the international hit musical Florodora...
. His father, Richard Abraham Greene and his mother, Kathleen Gerrard, were both actors with the Plymouth Repertory Theatre. A descendant of four generations of actors, Greene was educated at Cardinal Vaughan Memorial School in Kensington
Kensington
Kensington is a district of west and central London, England within the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. An affluent and densely-populated area, its commercial heart is Kensington High Street, and it contains the well-known museum district of South Kensington.To the north, Kensington is...
, 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...
, and left at age 18. He started his stage career as the proverbial spear carrier in Shakespeare's Julius Caesar in 1933. A handsome young man, Greene added to his income by modelling shirts and hats.
Career
Greene joined the Jevan Brandon Repertory Company in 1936. He won accolades in the same year for his part in Terence Rattigan's French Without TearsFrench Without Tears
French Without Tears is a comic play written by Terence Rattigan in 1936. It takes place in a cram school for adults needing to acquire French for business reasons. The play was a success on its London debut, establishing Rattigan as a dramatist...
, which brought him to the attention of Alexander Korda
Alexander Korda
Sir Alexander Korda was a Hungarian-born British producer and film director. He was a leading figure in the British film industry, the founder of London Films and the owner of British Lion Films, a film distributing company.-Life and career:The elder brother of filmmakers Zoltán Korda and Vincent...
and Darryl F. Zanuck
Darryl F. Zanuck
Darryl Francis Zanuck was an American producer, writer, actor, director and studio executive who played a major part in the Hollywood studio system as one of its longest survivors...
. At 20, he joined 20th Century Fox
20th Century Fox
Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation — also known as 20th Century Fox, or simply 20th or Fox — is one of the six major American film studios...
as a rival to MGM's Robert Taylor
Robert Taylor (actor)
Robert Taylor was an American film and television actor.-Early life:Born Spangler Arlington Brugh in Filley, Nebraska, he was the son of Ruth Adaline and Spangler Andrew Brugh, who was a farmer turned doctor...
. His first film for Fox was John Ford
John Ford
John Ford was an American film director. He was famous for both his westerns such as Stagecoach, The Searchers, and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, and adaptations of such classic 20th-century American novels as The Grapes of Wrath...
's Four Men and a Prayer
Four Men and a Prayer
-Cast:* Loretta Young - Miss Lynn Cherrington* Richard Greene - Geoffrey Leigh* George Sanders - Wyatt Leigh* David Niven - Christopher Leigh* C. Aubrey Smith - Col. Loring Leigh* J. Edward Bromberg - Gen. Torres* William Henry - Rodney Leigh...
. Greene was a huge success, especially with female film goers who sent him mountains of fan mail which at its peak rivalled that of Fox star Tyrone Power
Tyrone Power
Tyrone Edmund Power, Jr. , usually credited as Tyrone Power and known sometimes as Ty Power, was an American film and stage actor who appeared in dozens of films from the 1930s to the 1950s, often in swashbuckler roles or romantic leads such as in The Mark of Zorro, Blood and Sand, The Black Swan,...
. One of his most notable roles was Sir Henry Baskerville in the 1939 Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes is a fictional detective created by Scottish author and physician Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The fantastic London-based "consulting detective", Holmes is famous for his astute logical reasoning, his ability to take almost any disguise, and his use of forensic science skills to solve...
film The Hound of the Baskervilles
The Hound of the Baskervilles (1939 film)
The Hound of the Baskervilles 1939 mystery film based on the novel The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and is directed by Sidney Lanfield and produced by 20th Century Fox....
. The film marked the first pairing of Basil Rathbone
Basil Rathbone
Sir Basil Rathbone, KBE, MC, Kt was an English actor. He rose to prominence in England as a Shakespearean stage actor and went on to appear in over 70 films, primarily costume dramas, swashbucklers, and, occasionally, horror films...
and Nigel Bruce
Nigel Bruce
William Nigel Ernle Bruce , best known as Nigel Bruce, was a British character actor on stage and screen. He was best known for his portrayal of Doctor Watson in a series of films and in the radio series The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes...
as Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson.
Greene interrupted his acting career to serve in 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...
in the 27th Lancers
27th Lancers
The 27th Lancers was a cavalry regiment of the British Army from 1941 to 1945.The regiment was raised in June 1941 from a cadre of personnel taken from the 12th Royal Lancers, and was assigned to 11th Armoured Division as the divisional reconnaissance regiment...
, where he distinguished himself. After three months, he went to Sandhurst
Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst , commonly known simply as Sandhurst, is a British Army officer initial training centre located in Sandhurst, Berkshire, England...
and was commissioned. He was promoted to Captain in the 27th Lancers in May 1944. He was relieved from duty in 1942 to appear in the British propaganda film
Propaganda film
The term propaganda can be defined as the ability to produce and spread fertile messages that, once sown, will germinate in large human cultures.” However, in the 20th century, a “new” propaganda emerged, which revolved around political organizations and their need to communicate messages that...
s Flying Fortress and Unpublished Story. In 1943, he appeared in The Yellow Canary while on furlough. He later toured in Shaw's Arms and the Man
Arms and the Man
Arms and the Man is a comedy by George Bernard Shaw, whose title comes from the opening words of Virgil's Aeneid in Latin:"Arma virumque cano" ....
, entertaining the troops. Greene was discharged in December 1944 and appeared in the stage plays Desert Rats and I Capture the Castle.
However, the war effectively ruined Greene's rising career. Though he did well in the popular movie Forever Amber
Forever Amber (film)
Forever Amber is a 1947 film directed by Otto Preminger and starring Linda Darnell and Cornel Wilde. It was based on the book of the same name. It also starred Richard Greene, George Sanders, Glenn Langan, Richard Haydn, Dolores Hart, and Jessica Tandy...
(1947), Greene found himself cast in a series of swashbuckling roles. Having turned away from films in favour of stage and screen and having been through a divorce from Patricia Medina
Patricia Medina
Patricia Paz Maria Medina is an English actress from Liverpool, England. Her father was a Spaniard and her mother was English. Medina began acting as a teenager in the late 1930s...
, to whom he was married from 1941 to 1951, Greene was cash-strapped when Yeoman Films of Great Britain approached him for the lead role in The Adventures of Robin Hood
The Adventures of Robin Hood (TV series)
The Adventures of Robin Hood is a popular British television series comprising 143 half-hour, black and white episodes. It starred Richard Greene as the outlaw Robin Hood and Alan Wheatley as his nemesis, the Sheriff of Nottingham. The show aired weekly between 1955 and 1959 on ITV in London in the...
.
Greene took the role and was an immediate success. It solved his financial problems and made him a star. He had a long love affair in the 1950s with Nancy Oakes, wealthy daughter of mining
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
tycoon Sir Harry Oakes
Harry Oakes
Sir Harry Oakes, 1st Baronet was an American-born British Canadian gold-mine owner, entrepreneur, investor and philanthropist. He earned his fortune in Canada and moved to the Bahamas in the 1930s for tax purposes. He was murdered in 1943 under notorious circumstances in the Bahamas...
, who had been murdered in notorious circumstances in the Bahamas in 1943.
Amongst other TV programmes, Greene was in A Man For Loving, The Doctors, The Morecambe and Wise Show, Dixon of Dock Green
Dixon of Dock Green
Dixon of Dock Green was a popular BBC television series that ran from 1955 to 1976, and later a radio series. Despite being a drama series, it was initially produced by the BBC's light entertainment department.-Overview:...
, Scarf Jack, The Professionals
The Professionals (TV series)
The Professionals was a British crime-action television drama series produced by Avengers Mk1 Productions and London Weekend Television that aired on the ITV network from 1977 to 1983. In all, 57 episodes were produced, filmed between 1977 and 1981. It starred Martin Shaw, Lewis Collins and Gordon...
episode Everest Was Also Conquered and the Tales of the Unexpected
Tales of the Unexpected (TV series)
Tales of the Unexpected is a British television series originally aired between 1979 and 1988, made by Anglia Television for ITV. Filming began in 1978.The series was an anthology of different tales...
episode Mrs. Bixby and the Colonel's Coat
Mrs. Bixby and the Colonel's Coat
"Mrs. Bixby and the Colonel's Coat" is a story by Roald Dahl which first appeared in the 1959 issue of Nugget.-Alfred Hitchcock Presents Version:...
.
Greene died of cardiac arrest
Cardiac arrest
Cardiac arrest, is the cessation of normal circulation of the blood due to failure of the heart to contract effectively...
in 1985.
Filmography
- Sing As We GoSing as We GoSing As We Go is a 1934 British musical film starring Gracie Fields and Stanley Holloway. The script was written by Gordon Wellesley and J. B. Priestley; it was directed by Basil Dean....
(1934) (bit part) - Four Men and a PrayerFour Men and a Prayer-Cast:* Loretta Young - Miss Lynn Cherrington* Richard Greene - Geoffrey Leigh* George Sanders - Wyatt Leigh* David Niven - Christopher Leigh* C. Aubrey Smith - Col. Loring Leigh* J. Edward Bromberg - Gen. Torres* William Henry - Rodney Leigh...
(1938) - My Lucky Star (1938)
- Submarine PatrolSubmarine PatrolSubmarine Patrol is a 1938 film starring Richard Greene and Nancy Kelly. The supporting cast includes Preston Foster and George Bancroft. The movie was partly written by William Faulkner and directed by John Ford.-Cast:...
(1938) - KentuckyKentucky (film)Kentucky is a 1938 Technicolor film with Loretta Young, Richard Greene, and Walter Brennan. It was directed by David Butler. It is a Romeo and Juliet story of lovers Jack and Sally, set amidst Kentucky horseracing, in which a family feud goes back to the Civil War and is kept alive by Sally's Uncle...
(1938) - The Little Princess (1939)
- The Hound of the BaskervillesThe Hound of the Baskervilles (1939 film)The Hound of the Baskervilles 1939 mystery film based on the novel The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and is directed by Sidney Lanfield and produced by 20th Century Fox....
(1939) - Stanley and LivingstoneStanley and LivingstoneStanley and Livingstone is a movie about reporter Sir Henry M. Stanley's quest for Dr. David Livingstone, a missionary presumed lost in Africa. Spencer Tracy played Stanley, Sir Cedric Hardwicke portrayed Livingstone, and other cast members included Nancy Kelly, Walter Brennan, Charles Coburn,...
(1939) - Here I Am a Stranger (1939)
- Little Old New YorkLittle Old New YorkLittle Old New York is a 1940 Fox history film directed by Henry King and produced by Darryl F. Zanuck. The movie stars Alice Faye, Fred MacMurray and Richard Greene and is based on the play by Rida Johnson Young. The play opened on September 8, 1920 and starred Genevieve Tobin, Douglas Wood and...
(1940) - I Was an AdventuressI Was an AdventuressI Was an Adventuress is a 1940 Drama directed by Gregory Ratoff, starring Vera Zorina, Richard Greene, Erich von Stroheim and Peter Lorre. Actress/ballerina Countess Tanya Vronsky is a phony countess, working in concert with two international con artists Andre Desormeaux and Polo .-Cast:* Vera...
(1940) - Flying Fortress (1942)
- Unpublished StoryUnpublished StoryUnpublished Story is a 1942, British, black-and-white, drama, war film, directed by Harold French and starring Ronald Shiner as the agitating, Pamphleteer or Leaflet Distributor, Richard Greene, Valerie Hobson, Basil Radford and Roland Culver...
(1942) - Yellow CanaryYellow Canary (film)Yellow Canary is a 1943 British drama film starring Anna Neagle, Richard Greene and Albert Lieven. Neagle plays a British Nazi sympathiser who travels to Halifax, Canada trailed by spies from both sides during the Second World War.-Plot:...
(1943) - Don't Take It to HeartDon't Take It to HeartDon't Take It to Heart is a 1944 British comedy film directed by Jeffrey Dell and starring Richard Greene, Alfred Drayton, Moore Marriott and Patricia Medina...
(1944) - Gaiety George, also known as Showtime (1946)
- Forever AmberForever Amber (film)Forever Amber is a 1947 film directed by Otto Preminger and starring Linda Darnell and Cornel Wilde. It was based on the book of the same name. It also starred Richard Greene, George Sanders, Glenn Langan, Richard Haydn, Dolores Hart, and Jessica Tandy...
(1947) - The Fighting O'FlynnThe Fighting O'FlynnThe Fighting O'Flynn is a 1949 American film that was directed by Arthur Pierson. The film's screenplay by Douglas Fairbanks Jr. is based on the novel of the same name by Justin Huntly McCarthy. The film starred Douglas Fairbanks Jr. as The O'Flynn, Helena Carter as Lady Benedetta, Richard Greene...
(1949)
- The FanThe Fan (1949 film)The Fan is a 1949 American drama film directed by Otto Preminger. The screenplay by Dorothy Parker, Walter Reisch, and Ross Evans is based on the 1892 play Lady Windermere's Fan by Oscar Wilde...
(1949) - That Dangerous AgeThat Dangerous AgeThat Dangerous Age is a 1949 British romance film directed by Gregory Ratoff and starring Myrna Loy, Roger Livesey and Peggy Cummins. It is an adaptation of the play Autumn by Ilya Surguchev.-Partial cast:* Myrna Loy - Lady Cathy Brooke...
or If This Be Sin (1949) - Now BarabbasNow BarabbasNow Barabbas is a 1949 British drama film directed by Gordon Parry and starring Richard Greene, Cedric Hardwicke and Kathleen Harrison. It is sometimes known as Now Barabbas Was a Robber. It was based on a play by William Douglas-Home.-Cast:...
(1949) - Shadow of the Eagle (1950)
- The Desert HawkThe Desert Hawk (1950 film)The Desert Hawk is a 1950 fantasy adventure film starring Yvonne De Carlo, Richard Greene, Jackie Gleason, and Rock Hudson.-Summary:An arranged marriage forces Arabian Princess Sharahazade to marry Prince Murad, a cruel ruler. A thief known as the Desert Hawk hears about the wedding, disguises...
(1950) - My Daughter JoyMy Daughter JoyMy Daughter Joy is a 1950 British drama film directed by Gregory Ratoff and starring Edward G. Robinson, Peggy Cummins and Richard Greene. A millionaire spoils his only daughter, but has a strained relationship with his wife.-Cast:...
(Operation X) (1950) - Lorna DooneLorna Doone (1951 film)Lorna Doone is a 1951 American drama film directed by Phil Karlson and starring Barbara Hale, Richard Greene and Carl Benton Reid. It is an adaptation of the novel Lorna Doone by R.D...
(1951) - The Black CastleThe Black CastleThe Black Castle is a mystery film, released by Universal Pictures in 1952. It was produced by William Alland, who would have better success two years later with Creature from the Black Lagoon...
(1952) - The Bandits of CorsicaThe Bandits of CorsicaThe Bandits of Corsica is a 1953 American adventure film directed by Ray Nazarro and starring Richard Greene, Paula Raymond and Raymond Burr. In the eighteenth century a pair of twin brothers overthrow a sadistic aristocrat...
(1953) - Rogue's MarchRogue's MarchRogue's March is the second album by Oakland punk band American Steel. It was released in 1999 by Lookout Records.-Track listing:# "Loaded Gun" - 1:59# "Every New Morning" - 3:04# "Graveyards" - 1:57# "Got a Backbeat" - 2:55# "Rogue's March" - 2:12...
(1953) - Captain Scarlett (1953)
- Contraband SpainContraband SpainContraband Spain is a 1956 British-Spanish crime film directed by Lawrence Huntington and starring Richard Greene, Anouk Aimée and Michael Denison. Its Spanish title is Contrabando.-Cast:* Richard Greene - Lee Scott* Anouk Aimée - Elena Vargas...
(1955) - Beyond the CurtainBeyond the CurtainBeyond the Curtain is a 1960 British drama film written and directed by Compton Bennett and starring Richard Greene and Eva Bartok.-Plot:...
(1960) - Sword of Sherwood ForestSword of Sherwood ForestSword of Sherwood Forest is a 1960 British adventure film directed by Terence Fisher for Hammer Film Productions. Richard Greene reprises the role of Robin Hood, which he played in The Adventures of Robin Hood on TV from 1955 to 1960....
(1961) - Island of the Lost (1968)
- The Blood of Fu ManchuThe Blood of Fu ManchuThe Blood of Fu Manchu, also known as Fu Manchu and the Kiss of Death, Kiss and Kill and Against All Odds, is a 1968 British adventure crime film based on the fictional Asian villain Fu Manchu, created by Sax Rohmer. It was the fourth film in a series, and was preceded by The Vengeance of Fu...
(1968) - The Castle of Fu ManchuThe Castle of Fu ManchuThe Castle of Fu Manchu also known by its German title Die Folterkammer des Dr. Fu Man Chu, is the fifth and final Fu Manchu film with Christopher Lee portraying the title character. The spy/crime film was filmed on location in Spain and Istanbul and originally released in West Germany in 1969...
(1968) - Tales from the CryptTales from the Crypt (film)Tales from the Crypt is a British horror movie, made in 1972 by Amicus Productions. It is an anthology film consisting of five separate segments, based on stories from EC Comics. Only two of the stories, however, are actually from EC's Tales from the Crypt...
(1972)
External links
- The Adventures of Robin Hood Appreciation Society
- Van Neste, Dan. ""Richard Greene, Swashbuckler With A Double-Edged Sword""http://www.classicimages.com/1997/october97/greene.html.
- Fishko Files, WNYC, June 25, 2010.