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Michael Goodliffe
Actor

Michael Goodliffe

1 Oct 1914Born
20 Mar 1976Died
61Age at death
99Credits

Biography

​From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  

Lawrence Michael Andrew Goodliffe (1 October 1914 – 20 March 1976) was an English actor best known for playing suave roles such as doctors, lawyers and army officers. He was also sometimes cast in working class parts.

Goodliffe was born in Bebington, Cheshire (now Merseyside), the son of a vicar, and educated at St Edmund's School, Canterbury, and Keble College, Oxford. He started his career in repertory theatre in Liverpool before moving on to the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford upon Avon.

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He joined the British Army at the beginning of World War II, and received a commission as a Second Lieutenant in the Royal Warwickshire Regiment in February 1940. He was wounded in the leg and captured at the Battle of Dunkirk. Goodliffe was incorrectly listed as killed in action, and even had his obituary published in a newspaper. He was to spend the rest of the war a prisoner in Germany.

Whilst in captivity he produced and acted in (and in some cases wrote) many plays and sketches to entertain fellow prisoners. These included two productions of William Shakespeare's Hamlet, one in Tittmoning and the other in Eichstätt, in which he played the title role. He also produced the first staging of Noel Coward's Post Mortem at Eichstätt. A full photographic record of these productions exists.

After the war he resumed his professional acting career. As well as appearing in the theatre he worked in film and television. He appeared in The Wooden Horse in 1950 and in other POW films. His best known film was A Night to Remember (1958) in which he played Thomas Andrews, builder of the RMS Titanic. His best known television series was Sam (1973–75) in which he played an unemployed Yorkshire miner. He also appeared with John Thaw and James Bolam in the 1967 television series Inheritance.

Suffering from depression, Goodliffe had a breakdown in 1976 during the period that he was rehearsing for a revival of Equus. He committed suicide a few days later by leaping from a hospital fire escape, whilst a patient at the Atkinson Morley Hospital in Wimbledon, London.

Description above from the Wikipedia article Michael Goodliffe,  licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Known for

Filmography

The 80 most recent of 99 credits.

  1. 1983James Bond: The First 21 YearsFilm: Bill Tanner (archive footage)
  2. 1976To the Devil a DaughterFilm: George de Grass
  3. 1975In Sickness and in HealthFilm: Dr David Muray
  4. 1974The Man with the Golden GunFilm: Chief of Staff Bill Tanner (uncredited)
  5. 1974Armchair CinemaSeries: Dr. David Murray (1 episode)
  6. 1973SamSeries: Jack Barraclough (39 episodes)
  7. 1973Don't Be Like BrendaFilm: Narrator (uncredited)
  8. 1973Hitler: The Last Ten DaysFilm: General Weidling
  9. 1972The ProtectorsSeries: De Santos (1 episode)
  10. 1972Henry VIII and His Six WivesFilm: Thomas More
  11. 1972Late Night TheatreSeries: Maxwell (1 episode)
  12. 1971Willy Wonka & the Chocolate FactoryFilm: Mr. Teevee (uncredited)
  13. 1971Pere GoriotSeries: Pere Goriot (4 episodes)
  14. 1971HineSeries (13 episodes)
  15. 1970Still LifeFilm: David
  16. 1970The Company ManFilm: Mr. Lansing
  17. 1970MacbethFilm: Duncan
  18. 1970CromwellFilm: Solicitor General
  19. 1970The Fifth Day of PeaceFilm: Snow
  20. 1969Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased)Series: Arthur de Crecy (1 episode)
  21. 1969W. Somerset MaughamSeries: Lord Mountdrago (1 episode)
  22. 1969Judge DeeSeries: Judge Dee (6 episodes)
  23. 1968The FixerFilm: Ostrovsky
  24. 1967InheritanceSeries: Mr. Oldroyd (10 episodes)
  25. 1967Man in a SuitcaseSeries (1 episode)
  26. 1967The JokersFilm: Lt. Col. Paling
  27. 1967CallanSeries (5 episodes)
  28. 1967The Night of the GeneralsFilm: Hauser
  29. 1966The ConnoisseurFilm: Rev. Adrian Tenterden
  30. 1966The IdiotSeries: General Epanchin (1 episode)
  31. 1965The Power GameSeries: Geoffrey Packard (1 episode)
  32. 1965BBC Play of the MonthSeries: Duncan (1 episode)
  33. 1965Thirty-Minute TheatreSeries: The Minister, Sir Michael Decuman (1 episode)
  34. 1965Knock on Any DoorSeries: Husband (1 episode)
  35. 1965Von Ryan's ExpressFilm: Capt. Stein
  36. 1964The Man with Two FacesFilm: Jeff Driscoll
  37. 1964The GorgonFilm: Professor Jules Heitz
  38. 1964The Wednesday PlaySeries: Mr. Douglas, Rev. Adrian Tenterden (1 episode)
  39. 1964The 7th DawnFilm: Trumphey
  40. 1964Theatre 625Series: Dr Bergman, Götz von Berlichingen, Petrovykh (1 episode)
  41. 1964Woman of StrawFilm: Solicitor
  42. 1964633 SquadronFilm: Squadron Leader Frank Adams
  43. 1964Man in the MiddleFilm: Colonel Shaw
  44. 1963A Stitch in TimeFilm: Doctor on Children's Ward (uncredited)
  45. 196380,000 SuspectsFilm: Clifford Preston
  46. 1962The £20,000 KissFilm: Sir Harold Trevitt
  47. 1962The SaintSeries: Dr. Quintus (1 episode)
  48. 1962Zero OneSeries (1 episode)
  49. 1962Man of the WorldSeries: Galworth (1 episode)
  50. 1962JigsawFilm: Clyde Burchard
  51. 1962Number SixFilm: Det. Supt. Hallett
  52. 1961The Day the Earth Caught FireFilm: Jacko Jackson the Night Editor
  53. 1961No Love for JohnnieFilm: Dr. West
  54. 1961The AvengersSeries (1 episode)
  55. 1960MaigretSeries (1 episode)
  56. 1960The Trials of Oscar WildeFilm: Charles Gill
  57. 1960Peeping TomFilm: Don Jarvis
  58. 1960Conspiracy of HeartsFilm: Father Desmaines
  59. 1960The Battle of the SexesFilm: Detective
  60. 1960Testament of OrpheusFilm: Narrateur anglais (voix) (non crédité)
  61. 1960Sink the Bismarck!Film: Captain Banister
  62. 1960Somerset Maugham HourSeries: Lansbury (1 episode)
  63. 1959Ticket to HappinessFilm
  64. 1959Interpol CallingSeries: Wolf Barstrom (1 episode)
  65. 1959The White TrapFilm: Inspector Walters
  66. 1959The 39 StepsFilm: Brown
  67. 1959Edgar Wallace MysteriesSeries: Sir Harold Trevitt, Det. Supt. Hallett (1 episode)
  68. 1958Further Up the CreekFilm: Lt. Commander Blakeney
  69. 1958Three Crooked MenFilm: Shop Customer
  70. 1958A Night to RememberFilm: Thomas Andrews
  71. 1958Up the CreekFilm: Nelson
  72. 1958The Camp on Blood IslandFilm: Father Paul Anjou
  73. 1958Carve Her Name with PrideFilm: Coding Expert
  74. 1958Chaucer's EnglandFilm: The Theif
  75. 1957The One That Got AwayFilm: R.A.F. Interrogator
  76. 1957The End BeginsFilm: Col. Ridgewell
  77. 1957Fortune Is a WomanFilm: Detective Insp. Barnes
  78. 1956The Battle of the River PlateFilm: Captain McCall, R.N., British Naval Attache, Buenos Aires
  79. 1956Armchair TheatreSeries: Flemming, Mr Lansing, David (1 episode)
  80. 1956Wicked as They ComeFilm: Larry Buckham

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