Cecil Parker

Cecil Parker

Acting • Born 1897-09-02 – Died 1971-04-20

Acting1Hastings, Sussex, England, UK

Biography

Cecil Parker (3 September 1897 – 20 April 1971) was an English character and comedy actor with a distinctive husky voice, who usually played supporting roles in his 91 films made between 1928 and 1969. Born Cecil Schwabe in Hastings, Sussex, he began his theatrical career in London in 1922 after serving in World War I. He made his first film appearance in 1928 and subsequently became a familiar face in British, and occasionally American films, until his death. He appeared less often on television, but many of his films have remained popular and are often shown. He acted in two adaptations of A. J. Cronin's novels, The Citadel (1938) and The Stars Look Down (1940), in addition to appearing in The Lady Vanishes (1938) and Under Capricorn (1949), both of the later films were directed by Alfred Hitchcock. Other roles were in 23 Paces to Baker Street (1956), Dangerous Moonlight (1941), Swiss Family Robinson (1960), and I Was Monty's Double (1958), as well as the comedies A French Mistress (1960), The Ladykillers (1955), The Man in the White Suit (1951), The Court Jester (1955), Indiscreet (1958) and I Believe in You (1952). Parker was also the original Charles Condomine in the West End production of Noel Coward's Blithe Spirit, a role subsequently played on Broadway by Clifton Webb and in the 1945 film by Rex Harrison. He often played a touchy senior officer or British upper-class character, and his last two films were true to form: The Magnificent Two (1967) with the British comedy double act Morecambe and Wise and Richard Attenborough's version of Oh! What A Lovely War (1969). He played an evil, scheming butler on one episode of The Avengers ("The £50,000 Breakfast"). Description above from the Wikipedia article  Cecil Parker , licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Filmography

94 credits
The Lady Vanishes

The Lady Vanishes

Movie • 1938

Eric Todhunter

A Tale of Two Cities

A Tale of Two Cities

Movie • 1958

Jarvis Lorry

The Ladykillers

The Ladykillers

Movie • 1955

Claude, alias 'Major Courtney'

The Pure Hell of St Trinian's

The Pure Hell of St Trinian's

Movie • 1960

Professor Canford

The Man Who Changed His Mind

The Man Who Changed His Mind

Movie • 1936

Dr. Gratton

Indiscreet

Indiscreet

Movie • 1958

Alfred Munson

Housemaster

Housemaster

Movie • 1938

Sir Berkeley Nightingale

Caesar and Cleopatra

Caesar and Cleopatra

Movie • 1945

Britannus

The Court Jester

The Court Jester

Movie • 1955

King Roderick I

Carry On Jack

Carry On Jack

Movie • 1964

First Sea Lord

The Man in the White Suit

The Man in the White Suit

Movie • 1951

Alan Birnley

Crime Unlimited

Crime Unlimited

Movie • 1935

Assistant Commissioner

Circus of Fear

Circus of Fear

Movie • 1966

Sir John

For Better, for Worse

For Better, for Worse

Movie • 1954

John Purves

The Stars Look Down

The Stars Look Down

Movie • 1940

Stanley Millington

The Admirable Crichton

The Admirable Crichton

Movie • 1957

Lord Henry Loam

Swiss Family Robinson

Swiss Family Robinson

Movie • 1960

Captain Moreland

23 Paces to Baker Street

23 Paces to Baker Street

Movie • 1956

Bob Matthews

The Blue Squadron

The Blue Squadron

Movie • 1934

Bianchi

Dangerous Moonlight

Dangerous Moonlight

Movie • 1941

Specialist

The Citadel

The Citadel

Movie • 1938

Dr. Charles Every

Storm in a Teacup

Storm in a Teacup

Movie • 1937

Provost William Gow

The Constant Husband

The Constant Husband

Movie • 1955

Llewellyn

I Was Monty's Double

I Was Monty's Double

Movie • 1958

Colonel E.F. Logan

The Comedy Man

The Comedy Man

Movie • 1964

Thomas Rutherford

Quartet

Quartet

Movie • 1948

Colonel George Peregrine (segment "The Colonel's Lady")

The Saint's Vacation

The Saint's Vacation

Movie • 1941

Rudolph Hauser

Father Brown

Father Brown

Movie • 1954

The Bishop

The Iron Maiden

The Iron Maiden

Movie • 1963

Sir Giles Thompson

Under Ten Flags

Under Ten Flags

Movie • 1960

Colonel Howard

Sons of the Sea

Sons of the Sea

Movie • 1939

Cmdr. Herbert

A French Mistress

A French Mistress

Movie • 1960

John Crane M.A. Headmaster of Melbury School

On the Fiddle

On the Fiddle

Movie • 1961

Group Capt. Bascombe

Hungry Hill

Hungry Hill

Movie • 1947

Copper John

Dear Mr. Prohack

Dear Mr. Prohack

Movie • 1949

Arthur Prohack

The Magic Bow

The Magic Bow

Movie • 1946

Luigi Germi

Isn't Life Wonderful!

Isn't Life Wonderful!

Movie • 1953

Charles, the boy's father

The Night We Dropped a Clanger

The Night We Dropped a Clanger

Movie • 1959

Air Vice-Marshal Sir Bertram Bukpasser

A Man Could Get Killed

A Man Could Get Killed

Movie • 1966

Sir Huntley Frazier

I Believe in You

I Believe in You

Movie • 1952

Henry Phipps

His Excellency

His Excellency

Movie • 1952

Sir James Kirkman

Petticoat Pirates

Petticoat Pirates

Movie • 1961

C-in-C

Captain Boycott

Captain Boycott

Movie • 1947

Capt. Charles C. Boycott

Heavens Above!

Heavens Above!

Movie • 1963

Archdeacon Aspinall

Happy Is the Bride

Happy Is the Bride

Movie • 1958

Arthur Royd

The Brain

The Brain

Movie • 1962

Stevenson

The Magnificent Two

The Magnificent Two

Movie • 1967

Sir John

Guns at Batasi

Guns at Batasi

Movie • 1964

Fletcher

The Amorous Prawn

The Amorous Prawn

Movie • 1962

Gen. Sir Hamish Fitzadam

A Cuckoo in the Nest

A Cuckoo in the Nest

Movie • 1933

Claude Hickett

Dirty Work

Dirty Work

Movie • 1934

Gordon Bray

The Navy Lark

The Navy Lark

Movie • 1959

Cmdr. Stanton

The Woman in the Hall

The Woman in the Hall

Movie • 1947

Sir Halmar Barnard

Tony Draws a Horse

Tony Draws a Horse

Movie • 1950

Jack of All Trades

Jack of All Trades

Movie • 1936

Sir Chas. Darrington

Me and Marlborough

Me and Marlborough

Movie • 1935

Colonel of the Greys

Little Friend

Little Friend

Movie • 1934

Mason

The Chiltern Hundreds

The Chiltern Hundreds

Movie • 1949

Benjamin Beecham

Her Last Affaire

Her Last Affaire

Movie • 1935

Sir Arthur Harding

Dishonour Bright

Dishonour Bright

Movie • 1936

Vincent Crane

Lady in Danger

Lady in Danger

Movie • 1934

Piker

Under Your Hat

Under Your Hat

Movie • 1940

Sir Jeffrey Arlington

Under Capricorn

Under Capricorn

Movie • 1949

The Governor

The Golden Cage

The Golden Cage

Movie • 1933

The Wreck of the Mary Deare

The Wreck of the Mary Deare

Movie • 1959

Inquiry Chairman

Foreign Affaires

Foreign Affaires

Movie • 1935

Lord Wormington

Follow That Horse!

Follow That Horse!

Movie • 1960

Ships with Wings

Ships with Wings

Movie • 1941

German Air Marshal

The Silver Spoon

The Silver Spoon

Movie • 1934

Trevor

The Office Wife

The Office Wife

Movie • 1934

Lawrence Bradley

Oh! What a Lovely War

Oh! What a Lovely War

Movie • 1969

Sir John

The Guv'nor

The Guv'nor

Movie • 1935

Bank Director

The Magic Box

The Magic Box

Movie • 1952

1st Platform Man

It's Great to be Young!

It's Great to be Young!

Movie • 1956

Frome, Headmaster

The Weaker Sex

The Weaker Sex

Movie • 1948

Geoffrey Radcliffe

Dark Journey

Dark Journey

Movie • 1937

Captain Of Q-Boat

True as a Turtle

True as a Turtle

Movie • 1957

Dudley Partridge

A Study in Terror

A Study in Terror

Movie • 1965

Prime Minister

On the Fiddle

On the Fiddle

Movie • 1961

Gr/Cpt Bascombe

The First Gentleman

The First Gentleman

Movie • 1948

The Prince Regent

The Amorous Adventures of Moll Flanders

The Amorous Adventures of Moll Flanders

Movie • 1965

The Mayor

Lady L

Lady L

Movie • 1965

Sir Percy

Men of Yesterday

Men of Yesterday

Movie • 1936

Swiss Family Robinson: Adventure in the Making

Swiss Family Robinson: Adventure in the Making

Movie • 2002

Self (archive)

It Might Be You

It Might Be You

Movie • 1938

Dr. Smith

The Avengers

The Avengers

TV • 1961

Glover

Studio One

Studio One

TV • 1948

Dr. Hans Hojda

The Saint

The Saint

TV • 1962

Lord Gillingham

Alfred Hitchcock Presents

Alfred Hitchcock Presents

TV • 1955

The Lawyer

The Aquanauts

The Aquanauts

TV • 1960

Dr. Cattermole

Sherlock Holmes

Sherlock Holmes

TV • 1964

Robert Montgomery Presents

Robert Montgomery Presents

TV • 1950

Sir Simon de Canterville

Citizen James

Citizen James

TV • 1960

Himself

Studio One

Studio One

TV • 1948

A newspaper publisher