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Basil Sydney
Actor

Basil Sydney

23 Apr 1894Born
10 Jan 1968Died
73Age at death
51Credits

Biography

Basil Sydney (23 April 1894 – 10 January 1968) was an English stage and screen actor. Sydney made his name in 1915 in the London stage hit Romance by Edward Sheldon, with Broadway star Doris Keane, and he costarred with Keane in the 1920 silent film of the play. The couple married in 1918, and when Keane revived Romance in New York City in 1921, Sydney made his Broadway debut in the parts.

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He stayed in New York for over a decade playing classical roles such as Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet (1922), Richard Dudgeon in The Devil's Disciple (1923), the title role in Hamlet (1923), Prince Hal in Henry IV, Part I (1926), and Petruchio in Taming of the Shrew (1927).[citation needed] In 1937 he starred in the murder mystery Blondie White in the West End.

He made over 50 screen appearances, most memorably as Claudius in Laurence Olivier's 1948 film of Hamlet. He also appeared in classic films like Treasure Island (1950), Ivanhoe (1952), and Around the World in Eighty Days (1956), but the focus of his career was the stage on both sides of the Atlantic.

Known for

Filmography

  1. 1964Thursday TheatreSeries: Sir Norman Tullis (1 episode)
  2. 1962Silent EvidenceSeries: Dr. Martin Westlake (6 episodes)
  3. 1961Drama 61-67Series: Mourtzinos (1 episode)
  4. 1960The Hands of OrlacFilm: Maurice Seidelman
  5. 1960A Story of DavidFilm: King Saul
  6. 1960The 3 Worlds of GulliverFilm: Emperor of Lilliput
  7. 1959No Hiding PlaceSeries (1 episode)
  8. 1959The Devil's DiscipleFilm: Lawyer Hawkins
  9. 1959John Paul JonesFilm: Sir William Young
  10. 1958A Question of AdulteryFilm: Sir John Loring
  11. 1957Sea WifeFilm: Bulldog
  12. 1957Island in the SunFilm: Julian Fleury
  13. 1957MayerlingFilm: The Emperor Franz Joseph
  14. 1956Around the World in 80 DaysFilm: Reform Club Member
  15. 1956Armchair TheatreSeries: Pastor Manders (1 episode)
  16. 1955The Dam BustersFilm: Air Chief Marshal Sir Arthur Harris G.C.B., O.B.E., A.F.C.
  17. 1955SimbaFilm: Mr Crawford
  18. 1954Hell Below ZeroFilm: Bland
  19. 1954Star of IndiaFilm: King Louis XIV
  20. 1953Three's CompanyFilm: Dr. Graham
  21. 1953SalomeFilm: Pontius Pilate
  22. 1952IvanhoeFilm: Waldemar Fitzurse
  23. 1952The Magic BoxFilm: William Fox-Talbot
  24. 1950Treasure IslandFilm: Captain Smollett
  25. 1950The Angel with the TrumpetFilm: Francis Alt
  26. 1948HamletFilm: Claudius - The King
  27. 1947JassyFilm: Nick Helmar
  28. 1947The Man WithinFilm: Sir Henry Merriman
  29. 1947Meet Me at DawnFilm: Georges Vermorel
  30. 1945Caesar and CleopatraFilm: Rufio
  31. 1942Went the Day Well?Film: Major Hammond / Kommandant Orlter
  32. 1942The Next of KinFilm: Naval captain
  33. 1942The Black Sheep of WhitehallFilm: Costello
  34. 1941Ships with WingsFilm: Capt. Fairfax
  35. 1941The Farmer's WifeFilm: Samuel Sweetland
  36. 1941Spring MeetingFilm: James
  37. 1940Bits of Our Aircraft Are MissingFilm: (uncredited)
  38. 1939The Four Just MenFilm: Frank Snell
  39. 1936AccusedFilm: Eugene Roget
  40. 1936Talk of the DevilFilm
  41. 1936Crime Over LondonFilm: 'Joker' Finnigan
  42. 1936Rhodes of AfricaFilm: Dr. Jim Jameson
  43. 1936The Amateur GentlemanFilm: Louis Chichester
  44. 1936Blind Man's BluffFilm: Dr. Peter Fairfax
  45. 1935The TunnelFilm: Mostyn
  46. 1935The Riverside MurderFilm: Inspector Philip Winton
  47. 1934Dirty WorkFilm: Hugh Stafford
  48. 1934The Third ClueFilm: Reinhardt Conway
  49. 1932The MidshipmaidFilm: Cmdr. Fosberry
  50. 1922Red Hot RomanceFilm: Rowland Stone
  51. 1920RomanceFilm

Biography and credits from TMDB. This website uses TMDB and the TMDB APIs but is not endorsed, certified, or otherwise approved by TMDB.