Alan William Napier-Clavering (7 January 1903 – 8 August 1988), better known as Alan Napier, was an English actor. After a decade in

West End theatre West End theatre is mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres in and near the West End of London.Christopher Innes, "West End" in ''The Cambridge Guide to Theatre'' (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1998), pp. 1194–1 ...

, he had a long film career in Britain and later, in Hollywood. Napier is best remembered for portraying

Alfred Pennyworth Alfred Thaddeus Crane Pennyworth is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, most commonly in association with the superhero Batman. Pennyworth is depicted as Bruce Wayne's loyal and tireless butler, ...

, Bruce Wayne's butler in the 1960s live-action ''

Batman Batman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on ...

television Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of television transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertisin ...

series.

Early life and career

Napier was a first cousin-once removed of

Neville Chamberlain Arthur Neville Chamberlain (; 18 March 18699 November 1940) was a British politician of the Conservative Party who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from May 1937 to May 1940. He is best known for his foreign policy of appeasemen ...

, Britain's prime minister from 1937 to 1940. He was educated at

Packwood Haugh School Packwood Haugh School is a co-educational private preparatory school (UK), Preparatory school for pupils from the ages of 4 to 13, offering places for both day and boarding pupils.Iles, D. ''et al.'', ''Packwood Haugh School: Independent Schools ...

and, after leaving

Clifton College ''The spirit nourishes within'' , established = 160 years ago , closed = , type = Public schoolIndependent boarding and day school , religion = Christian , president = , head_label = Head of College , head ...

, he studied at the

Royal Academy of Dramatic Art The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA; ) is a drama school in London, England, that provides vocational conservatoire training for theatre, film, television, and radio. It is based in the Bloomsbury area of Central London, close to the Sen ...

, graduating in 1925. He was engaged by the Oxford Players, where he worked with the likes of

John Gielgud Sir Arthur John Gielgud, (; 14 April 1904 – 21 May 2000) was an English actor and theatre director whose career spanned eight decades. With Ralph Richardson and Laurence Olivier, he was one of the trinity of actors who dominated the Briti ...

and

Robert Morley Robert Adolph Wilton Morley, CBE (26 May 1908 – 3 June 1992) was an English actor who enjoyed a lengthy career in both Britain and the United States. He was frequently cast as a pompous English gentleman representing the Establishment, of ...

. As Napier recalled, his “ridiculously tall” 6′ 6″ height played a crucial part in his securing the position and also almost losing it.

J. B. Fagan James Bernard Fagan (18 May 1873 – 17 February 1933) was an Irish-born actor, theatre manager, producer and playwright active in England. After turning from the law to the stage, Fagan began his acting career, including four years from 1895 t ...

had dismissed

Tyrone Guthrie Sir William Tyrone Guthrie (2 July 1900 – 15 May 1971) was an English theatrical director instrumental in the founding of the Stratford Festival of Canada, the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and the Tyrone Guthrie Centre at his ...

because he was too tall for most parts. Napier was interviewed (and accepted) as Guthrie's replacement while sitting down. Fagan realized that Napier was even taller than Guthrie when he stood up, but honoured his commitment. Napier performed for ten years (1929–1939) on the West End stage. Napier described himself as having a particular affinity for the work of

George Bernard Shaw George Bernard Shaw (26 July 1856 – 2 November 1950), known at his insistence simply as Bernard Shaw, was an Irish playwright, critic, polemicist and political activist. His influence on Western theatre, culture and politics extended from ...

, and in 1937 appeared in a London revival of ''

Heartbreak House ''Heartbreak House: A Fantasia in the Russian Manner on English Themes'' is a play written by George Bernard Shaw, first published in 1919 and first played at the Garrick Theatre in November 1920. According to A. C. Ward, the work argues that "cul ...

'' supervised by Shaw himself. He made his American stage debut as the romantic lead opposite

Gladys George Gladys George (born Gladys Clare Evans; September 13, 1904 – December 8, 1954) was an American actress of stage and screen. Though nominated for an Academy Award for her leading role in ''Valiant Is the Word for Carrie'' (1936), she spent most ...

in ''Lady in Waiting''. Though his film career had begun in Britain in the 1930s, he had very little success before the cameras until he joined the British expatriate community in Hollywood in 1941. There he spent time with such people as

James Whale James Whale (22 July 1889 – 29 May 1957) was an English film director, theatre director and actor, who spent the greater part of his career in Cinema of the United States, Hollywood. He is best remembered for several horror films: ''Fran ...

, a fellow ex-Oxford Player. He appeared in such films as ''

Random Harvest ''Random Harvest'' is a novel written by James Hilton, first published in 1941. Like previous Hilton works, including '' Lost Horizon'' and '' Goodbye, Mr. Chips'', the novel was immensely popular, placing second on ''Publishers Weekly'' li ...

'' (1942), '' Cat People'' (1942), and '' The Uninvited'' (1944). In '' The Song of Bernadette'' (1943), he played the ethically questionable psychiatrist who is hired to declare Bernadette mentally ill. He also played the vicious Earl of Warwick in ''

Joan of Arc Joan of Arc (french: link=yes, Jeanne d'Arc, translit= �an daʁk} ; 1412 – 30 May 1431) is a patron saint of France, honored as a defender of the French nation for her role in the siege of Orléans and her insistence on the coronati ...

'' (1948). He performed in two

Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

an films: the

Orson Welles George Orson Welles (May 6, 1915 – October 10, 1985) was an American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter, known for his innovative work in film, radio and theatre. He is considered to be among the greatest and most influential f ...

Macbeth ''Macbeth'' (, full title ''The Tragedie of Macbeth'') is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. It is thought to have been first performed in 1606. It dramatises the damaging physical and psychological effects of political ambition on those w ...

'' (1948), in which he played a priest that Welles added to the story, who spoke lines originally uttered by other characters, and

MGM Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and abbreviated as MGM, is an American film, television production, distribution and media company owned by Amazon through MGM Holdings, founded on April 17, 1924 a ...

's ''

Julius Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar (; ; 12 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC), was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in a civil war, and ...

'' (1953), as

Cicero Marcus Tullius Cicero ( ; ; 3 January 106 BC – 7 December 43 BC) was a Roman statesman, lawyer, scholar, philosopher, and academic skeptic, who tried to uphold optimate principles during the political crises that led to the estab ...

. He appeared as Mr. Rutland in the Hitchcock movie ''

Marnie ''Marnie'' is an English crime novel, written by Winston Graham and first published in 1961. It has been adapted as a film, a stage play and an opera. Plot ''Marnie'' is about a young woman who makes a living by embezzling her employers' funds, ...

'' (1964). In 1949, he made an appearance on the short-lived

television anthology series An anthology series is a radio, television, video game or film series that spans different genres and presents a different story and a different set of characters in each different episode, season, segment, or short. These usually have a diffe ...

Your Show Time ''Your Show Time'' is an American anthology drama series that debuted on NBC Television on the East Coast in September 1948 and then on both the East and the West Coast, as a network show, on January 21, 1949. The show was produced by Marshall ...

'' as

Sherlock Holmes Sherlock Holmes () is a fictional detective created by British author Arthur Conan Doyle. Referring to himself as a " consulting detective" in the stories, Holmes is known for his proficiency with observation, deduction, forensic science and ...

, in an adaptation of "

The Adventure of the Speckled Band "The Adventure of the Speckled Band" is one of 56 short Sherlock Holmes stories written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the eighth story of twelve in the collection ''The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes''. It was originally published in '' Strand Maga ...

". In the 1950s, he appeared on TV in four episodes of ''

Alfred Hitchcock Presents ''Alfred Hitchcock Presents'' is an American television anthology series created, hosted and produced by Alfred Hitchcock, aired on CBS and NBC between 1955 and 1965. It features dramas, thrillers and mysteries. Between 1962 and 1965 it was ren ...

'' and guest starred on

Dale Robertson Dayle Lymoine Robertson (July 14, 1923February 27, 2013) was an American actor best known for his starring roles on television. He played the roving investigator Jim Hardie in the television series '' Tales of Wells Fargo'' and railroad owner Be ...

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...

western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...

series ''

Tales of Wells Fargo ''Tales of Wells Fargo'' is an American Western television series starring Dale Robertson that ran from 1957 to 1962 on NBC. Produced by Revue Productions, the series aired in a half-hour format until its final season, when it expanded to ...

''. He had a recurring role as General Steele on the 1962–1963 situation comedy ''

Don't Call Me Charlie! ''Don't Call Me Charlie!'' is an American sitcom that aired on NBC during the 1962-1963 television season on Friday nights from 9:30 pm to 10:00 pm Eastern Time. Created by Don McGuire, the 18-episode series starred Josh Peine, Linda Lawson, ...

''Batman''

In 1965, he was the first to be cast in the ''Batman'' TV series, as Bruce Wayne's faithful butler Alfred, a role he played until the series' cancellation in 1968.

I had never read comics before was hired for ''Batman'' My agent rang up and said, 'I think you are going to play on "Batman,"' I said 'What is "Batman"?' He said, 'Don't you read the comics?' I said, 'No, never.' He said, 'I think you are going to be Batman's butler.' I said, 'How do I know I want to be Batman's butler?' It was the most ridiculous thing I had ever heard of. He said, 'It may be worth over $100,000.' So I said I was Batman's butler.

Jack Nicholson's version of the Joker in the 1989 film ''

'' was named Jack Napier in his honor.

Later life and career

Napier's career extended into the 1980s with roles on television, including the miniseries ''

QB VII ''QB VII'' by Leon Uris is a dramatic courtroom novel published in 1970. The four-part novel highlights the events leading to a libel trial in the United Kingdom. The novel was Uris's second consecutive #1 ''New York Times'' Best Seller and th ...

'', '' The Bastard'' and ''

Centennial {{other uses, Centennial (disambiguation), Centenary (disambiguation) A centennial, or centenary in British English, is a 100th anniversary or otherwise relates to a century, a period of 100 years. Notable events Notable centennial events at a ...

'', and the drama '' The Paper Chase''. He retired in 1981, aged 78. In early 1988, Napier appeared on the late-night talk show ''The Late Show'' as part of a reunion of the surviving cast of ''Batman'', despite being in a wheelchair. His co-star

Yvonne Craig Yvonne Joyce Craig (May 16, 1937 – August 17, 2015) was an American actress and ballerina, who was renowned for her role as Batgirl in the 1960s television series '' Batman''. Other notable roles in her career include Dorothy Johnson in the 196 ...

described the reunion show as overbooked, and when host

Ross Shafer Ross Alan Shafer (born December 10, 1954) is an American comedian, network television host, and motivational and leadership speaker/consultant. He has authored nine business books, won a stand-up comedy competition, and earned six Emmys as a netw ...

finally turned his attention to Napier, it was only to ask him a silly question, then cut him off abruptly as he was telling a story, much to Napier's annoyance. Napier did not participate in the subsequent cast reunion held before his death.

Family

Napier was twice married. His second wife, Aileen Dickens Hawksley, was a great-granddaughter of novelist

Charles Dickens Charles John Huffam Dickens (; 7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English writer and social critic. He created some of the world's best-known fictional characters and is regarded by many as the greatest novelist of the Victorian e ...

. Hawsley's daughter from a previous marriage, actress Jennifer Raine, was the mother of former child actor

Brian Forster Brian A. Forster (born April 14, 1960) is an American former child actor and race car driver. He is best known as the second actor to play the role of Chris Partridge in the television series ''The Partridge Family''. Biography Forster joined '' ...

, best known as "Chris Partridge" on the 1970s television show ''

The Partridge Family ''The Partridge Family'' is an American musical sitcom starring Shirley Jones and featuring David Cassidy. Jones plays a widowed mother, and Cassidy plays the oldest of her five children, in a family who embarks on a music career. It ran from Se ...

''.

Death

Napier suffered a

stroke A stroke is a medical condition in which poor blood flow to the brain causes cell death. There are two main types of stroke: ischemic, due to lack of blood flow, and hemorrhagic, due to bleeding. Both cause parts of the brain to stop functionin ...

in 1987, was hospitalized from June 1988, and had been gravely ill for several days, before his death of natural causes on 8 August 1988, in the Berkeley East Convalescent Hospital in

Santa Monica Santa Monica (; Spanish: ''Santa Mónica'') is a city in Los Angeles County, situated along Santa Monica Bay on California's South Coast. Santa Monica's 2020 U.S. Census population was 93,076. Santa Monica is a popular resort town, owing to ...

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

. He was 85 years old.

Autobiography

In the early 1970s, Napier wrote a three-volume autobiography which was not published at the time because, as he joked, "I haven't committed a major crime and I'm not known to have slept with any famous actresses.""Alan Napier", ''Films in Review'', February 1979, Vol XXX No. 2 In 2015, McFarland Press published the book under the title ''Not Just Batman's Butler'', with Napier's original text annotated and updated by James Bigwood.

Selected filmography

Film

* ''

Caste Caste is a form of social stratification characterised by endogamy, hereditary transmission of a style of life which often includes an occupation, ritual status in a hierarchy, and customary social interaction and exclusion based on cultura ...

'' (1930) as Capt. Hawtree * '' Stamboul'' (1931) as Bouchier * '' In a Monastery Garden'' (1932) as Count Romano * '' Loyalties'' (1933) as Gen. Canynge * ''

Wings Over Africa ''Wings Over Africa'' is a 1936 British adventure film directed by Ladislao Vajda and starring Joan Gardner, Ian Colin, James Harcourt and James Carew. The film is a quota quickie produced for released by RKO.Chibnall p.292 It was shot at Shep ...

'' (1936) as Redfern * '' For Valour'' (1937) as General * ''

The Wife of General Ling ''The Wife of General Ling'' is a 1937 British drama film directed by Ladislao Vajda and starring Griffith Jones, Valéry Inkijinoff and Adrianne Renn. It was adapted from a novel by Dorothy Hope and Peter Cheyney. The film was made at Shepperto ...

'' (1937) as Governor * '' The Four Just Men'' (1939) as Sir Hamar Ryman * '' We Are Not Alone'' (1939) as Archdeacon * ''

The Invisible Man Returns ''The Invisible Man Returns'' is a 1940 American horror science fiction film directed by Joe May. The film stars Cedric Hardwicke, Vincent Price, Nan Grey and John Sutton. The film is a sequel to the 1933 film ''The Invisible Man'', and the sec ...

'' (1940) as Willie Spears * ''

The House of the Seven Gables ''The House of the Seven Gables: A Romance'' is a Gothic novel written beginning in mid-1850 by American author Nathaniel Hawthorne and published in April 1851 by Ticknor and Fields of Boston. The novel follows a New England family and their anc ...

'' (1940) as Fuller * '' Confirm or Deny'' (1940) as Updyke (scenes deleted) * ''

Eagle Squadron The Eagle Squadrons were three fighter squadrons of the Royal Air Force (RAF) formed with volunteer pilots from the United States during the early days of World War II (circa 1940), prior to America's entry into the war in December 1941. Wit ...

'' (1942) as Black Watch officer * ''

A Yank at Eton ''A Yank at Eton'' is an American comedy-drama film directed by Norman Taurog for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and starring Mickey Rooney, Ian Hunter, and Peter Lawford. Released in 1942, it is a kind of junior thematic sequel to MGM's British-made f ...

'' (1942) as Restaurateur (uncredited) * '' Cat People'' (1942) as Doc Carver (uncredited) * ''

'' (1942) as Julian * ''

Assignment in Brittany ''Assignment in Brittany'' is a 1943 war film directed by Jack Conway and starring French actor Jean-Pierre Aumont and Swedish actress Signe Hasso, both in their American film debuts. Also starring was American actress Susan Peters. The film w ...

'' (1943) as Sam Wells * ''

Appointment in Berlin ''Appointment in Berlin'' (also known as ''Assignment in Berlin'') is a 1943 American war drama film directed by Alfred E. Green and starring George Sanders, Marguerite Chapman and Onslow Stevens. The film's plot follows an R.A.F. officer who inf ...

'' (1943) as Col. Patterson (uncredited) * ''

Lassie Come Home ''Lassie Come Home'' is a 1943 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Technicolor feature film starring Roddy McDowall and canine actor Pal, in a story about the profound bond between Yorkshire boy Joe Carraclough and his rough collie, Lassie. The film was dire ...

'' (1943) as Jock * ''

Madame Curie Marie Salomea Skłodowska–Curie ( , , ; born Maria Salomea Skłodowska, ; 7 November 1867 – 4 July 1934) was a Polish and naturalized-French physicist and chemist who conducted pioneering research on radioactivity. She was the first ...

'' (1943) as Dr. Bladh (uncredited) * '' The Song of Bernadette'' (1943) as Dr. Debeau (uncredited) * '' Lost Angel'' (1943) as Dr. Woodring * '' The Uninvited'' (1944) as Dr. Scott * ''

Action in Arabia ''Action in Arabia'' (also known as ''Danger in Damascus'' and ''International Zone'') is a 1944 drama film directed by Leonide Moguy and starring George Sanders and Virginia Bruce. The film was based on the novel ''The Fanatic of Fez'' by M. V. ...

'' (1944) as Eric Latimer * ''

The Hairy Ape ''The Hairy Ape'' is a 1922 expressionist play by American playwright Eugene O'Neill. It is about a beastly, unthinking laborer known as Yank, the protagonist of the play, as he searches for a sense of belonging in a world controlled by the rich ...

'' (1944) as MacDougald, Chief Engineer * ''

Ministry of Fear ''Ministry of Fear'' is a 1944 American film noir directed by Fritz Lang, and starring Ray Milland and Marjorie Reynolds. Based on the 1943 novel by Graham Greene, the film tells the story of a man just released from a mental asylum who finds ...

'' (1944) as Dr. JM Forrester * ''

Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo ''Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo'' is a 1944 American war film produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. The screenplay by Dalton Trumbo is based on the 1943 book of the same name by Captain Ted W. Lawson. Lawson was a pilot on the historic Doolittle Raid, ...

'' (1944) as Mr. Parker * '' Dark Waters'' (1944) as The Doctor (uncredited) * '' Mademoiselle Fifi'' (1944) as The Count de Breville * ''

Hangover Square ''Hangover Square'' is a 1941 novel by English playwright and novelist Patrick Hamilton. It follows the schizophrenic alcoholic George Harvey Bone and his tortured love for Netta Longdon in the months leading up to the Second World War. Subtit ...

'' (1945) as Sir Henry Chapman * '' Isle of the Dead'' (1945) as St. Aubyn * ''

Three Strangers ''Three Strangers'' is a 1946 American film noir crime drama directed by Jean Negulesco, written by John Huston and Howard Koch, starring Sydney Greenstreet, Geraldine Fitzgerald, and Peter Lorre, and featuring Joan Lorring and Alan Napier. Pl ...

'' (1946) as David Shackleford * ''

House of Horrors ''House of Horrors'' is a 1946 American horror film released by Universal Pictures, starring Rondo Hatton as a madman named "the Creeper". Plot Struggling sculptor Marcel de Lange (Martin Kosleck) is depressed about events in his life, and d ...

'' (1946) as F. Holmes Harmon * ''

A Scandal in Paris ''A Scandal in Paris'' is a 1946 American biographical film directed by Douglas Sirk and starring George Sanders, Signe Hasso and Carole Landis. It loosely depicts the life of Eugène François Vidocq, a French criminal who reformed and became ...

'' (1946) as Houdon De Pierremont, Police Minister * '' The Strange Woman'' (1946) as Judge Henry Saladine * ''

Sinbad the Sailor Sinbad the Sailor (; ar, سندباد البحري, Sindibādu al-Bahriyy; fa, سُنباد بحری, Sonbād-e Bahri or Sindbad) is a fictional mariner and the hero of a story-cycle of Persian origin. He is described as hailing from Baghdad ...

'' (1947) as Aga * '' Fiesta'' (1947) as The Tourist * ''

High Conquest ''High Conquest'' is a 1947 American drama film directed by Irving Allen and starring Anna Lee, Gilbert Roland, and Warren Douglas. It was adapted from the 1941 book of the same title by James Ramsey Ullman. It was distributed by Monogram Picture ...

'' (1947) as Tommy Donlin * ''

Ivy ''Hedera'', commonly called ivy (plural ivies), is a genus of 12–15 species of evergreen climbing or ground-creeping woody plants in the family Araliaceae, native to western, central and southern Europe, Macaronesia, northwestern Africa and ...

'' (1947) as Sir Jonathan Wright * '' Adventure Island'' (1947) as Attwater * ''

Lured ''Lured'' is a 1947 film noir directed by Douglas Sirk and starring George Sanders, Lucille Ball, Charles Coburn, and Boris Karloff. The film is a remake of Robert Siodmak's 1939 French film '' Pièges'' (titled ''Personal Column'' in the U ...

'' (1947) as Detective Gordon * ''

Driftwood __NOTOC__ Driftwood is wood that has been washed onto a shore or beach of a sea, lake, or river by the action of winds, tides or waves. In some waterfront areas, driftwood is a major nuisance. However, the driftwood provides shelter and fo ...

'' (1947) as Dr. Nicholas Adams * '' Unconquered'' (1947) as

Sir William Johnson Sir William Johnson, 1st Baronet of New York ( – 11 July 1774), was a British Army officer and colonial administrator from Ireland. As a young man, Johnson moved to the Province of New York to manage an estate purchased by his uncle, Royal Na ...

* '' Forever Amber'' (1947) as Landale * ''

The Lone Wolf in London ''The Lone Wolf in London'' is a 1947 American crime film directed by Leslie Goodwins and starring Gerald Mohr, Nancy Saunders and Eric Blore. The picture features the fictional Scotland Yard detective the Lone Wolf who travels to London, and ...

'' (1947) as Monty Beresford * '' Johnny Belinda'' (1948) as Defense Attorney * ''

'' (1948) as A Holy Father * ''

'' (1948) as Earl of Warwick * '' Hills of Home'' (1948) as Sir George * '' Criss Cross'' (1949) as Finchley * ''

My Own True Love ''My Own True Love'' is a 1949 American drama film directed by Compton Bennett and written by Arthur Kober, Josef Mischel and Theodore Strauss. The film stars Phyllis Calvert, Melvyn Douglas, Wanda Hendrix, Philip Friend, Binnie Barnes and Alan ...

'' (1949) as Kittredge * ''

Tarzan's Magic Fountain ''Tarzan's Magic Fountain'' is a 1949 Tarzan film directed by Lee Sholem and starring Lex Barker as Tarzan and Brenda Joyce as his companion Jane. The film also features Albert Dekker and Evelyn Ankers. It was co-written by Curt Siodmak. This ...

'' (1949) as Douglas Jessup * ''

A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court ''A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court'' is an 1889 novel by American humorist and writer Mark Twain. The book was originally titled ''A Yankee in King Arthur's Court''. Some early editions are titled ''A Yankee at the Court of King Arth ...

'' (1949) as High Executioner * '' Manhandled'' (1949) as Alton Bennet * ''

The Red Danube ''The Red Danube'' is a 1949 American drama film directed by George Sidney and starring Walter Pidgeon. The film is set during Operation Keelhaul and was based on the 1947 novel '' Vespers in Vienna'' by Bruce Marshall. Plot In Rome shortly af ...

'' (1949) as The General * ''

Challenge to Lassie ''Challenge to Lassie'' is an American drama directed by Richard Thorpe in Technicolor and released October 31, 1949, by MGM Studios. It was the fifth feature film starring the original Lassie, a collie named Pal, and the fourth and final ''La ...

'' (1949) as Lord Provost * '' Master Minds'' (1949) as Dr. Druzik * ''

Tripoli Tripoli or Tripolis may refer to: Cities and other geographic units Greece *Tripoli, Greece, the capital of Arcadia, Greece * Tripolis (region of Arcadia), a district in ancient Arcadia, Greece * Tripolis (Larisaia), an ancient Greek city in ...

'' (1950) as Khalil * '' Double Crossbones'' (1951) as Capt. Kidd * '' Tarzan's Peril'' (1951) as Commissioner Peters * ''

The Great Caruso ''The Great Caruso'' is a 1951 biographical film made by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and starring Mario Lanza as Enrico Caruso. It was directed by Richard Thorpe and produced by Joe Pasternak with Jesse L. Lasky as associate producer from a screenpla ...

'' (1951) as

Jean de Reszke Jean de Reszke (14 January 18503 April 1925) was a Polish tenor and opera star. Reszke came from a musically inclined family. His mother gave him his first singing lessons and provided a home that was a recognized music centre. His sister Josep ...

* '' The Highwayman'' (1951) as Barton * '' Across the Wide Missouri'' (1951) as Capt. Humberstone Lyon * '' The Blue Veil'' (1951) as Prof. George Carter * '' The Strange Door'' (1951) as Count Grassin * '' Big Jim McLain'' (1952) as Sturak * ''

'' (1953) as Cicero * ''

Young Bess ''Young Bess'' is a 1953 Technicolor biographical film made by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer about the early life of Elizabeth I, from her turbulent childhood to the eve of her accession to the throne of England. It stars Jean Simmons as Elizabeth and Ste ...

'' (1953) as Robert Tyrwhitt * '' Désirée'' (1954) as Despreaux * '' Moonfleet'' (1955) as Parson Glennie * ''

The Court Jester ''The Court Jester'' is a 1955 musical-comedy, medieval romance, costume drama film starring Danny Kaye, Glynis Johns, Basil Rathbone, Angela Lansbury and Cecil Parker. The movie was written, produced, and directed by Melvin Frank and Norman ...

'' (1956) as Sir Brockhurst * '' Miami Exposé'' (1956) as Raymond Sheridan * ''

The Mole People ''The Mole People'' is a 1956 American science fiction adventure film distributed by Universal International, which was produced by William Alland, directed by Virgil W. Vogel, and stars John Agar, Hugh Beaumont, and Cynthia Patrick. The st ...

'' (1956) as Elinu, the High Priest * ''

Until They Sail ''Until They Sail'' is a 1957 American black-and-white CinemaScope drama film directed by Robert Wise and starring Jean Simmons, Joan Fontaine, Paul Newman, Piper Laurie, and Sandra Dee. The screenplay by Robert Anderson, based on a story by ...

'' (1957) as Prosecution Attorney * '' Island of Lost Women'' (1959) as Dr. Paul Lujan * ''

Journey to the Center of the Earth ''Journey to the Center of the Earth'' (french: Voyage au centre de la Terre), also translated with the variant titles ''A Journey to the Centre of the Earth'' and ''A Journey into the Interior of the Earth'', is a classic science fiction novel ...

'' (1959) as Dean * ''

Wild in the Country ''Wild in the Country'' is a 1961 American musical–drama film directed by Philip Dunne and starring Elvis Presley, Hope Lange, Tuesday Weld, and Millie Perkins. Based on the 1958 novel ''The Lost Country'' by J. R. Salamanca, the screenplay ...

'' (1961) as Prof. Joe B. Larson (uncredited) * ''

Tender Is the Night ''Tender Is the Night'' is the fourth and final novel completed by American writer F. Scott Fitzgerald. Set in French Riviera during the twilight of the Jazz Age, the 1934 novel chronicles the rise and fall of Dick Diver, a promising young p ...

'' (1962) as Señor Pardo * ''

The Premature Burial "The Premature Burial" is a horror short story by American writer Edgar Allan Poe, published in 1844 in ''The Philadelphia Dollar Newspaper''. Its main character expresses concern about being buried alive. This fear was common in this period and ...

'' (1962) as Dr. Gideon Gault * '' The Sword in the Stone'' (1963) as Sir Pellinore (voice) * ''

'' (1964) as Mr. Rutland * ''

Mary Poppins It may refer to: * ''Mary Poppins'' (book series), the original 1934–1988 children's fantasy novels that introduced the character. * Mary Poppins (character), the nanny with magical powers. * ''Mary Poppins'' (film), a 1964 Disney film sta ...

'' (1964) as Huntsman / Reporter #3 / Hound (voice, uncredited) * ''

My Fair Lady ''My Fair Lady'' is a musical based on George Bernard Shaw's 1913 play ''Pygmalion'', with a book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and music by Frederick Loewe. The story concerns Eliza Doolittle, a Cockney flower girl who takes speech lessons f ...

'' (1964) as Gentleman who escorts Eliza to the Queen of Transylvania (uncredited) * ''

Signpost to Murder ''Signpost to Murder'' is a 1965 American crime film directed by George Englund and written by Sally Benson based on the play by Monte Doyle. The film stars Joanne Woodward, Stuart Whitman, Edward Mulhare, Alan Napier, Joyce Worsley, and Lesl ...

'' (1964) as The Vicar * '' 36 Hours'' (1964) as Col. Peter MacLean * ''

The Loved One ''The Loved One: An Anglo-American Tragedy'' (1948) is a short satirical novel by British novelist Evelyn Waugh about the funeral business in Los Angeles, the British expatriate community in Hollywood, and the film industry. Conception ''The ...

'' (1965) as English Club Official * ''

'' (1966) as

Television

* ''

'' (1955) episode "

Into Thin Air ''Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mt. Everest Disaster'' is a 1997 bestselling nonfiction book written by Jon Krakauer. It details Krakauer's experience in the 1996 Mount Everest disaster, in which eight climbers were killed and sev ...

" as Geoffrey Toone * ''

'' (1957) episode "

I Killed the Count ''I Killed the Count'' is a 1937 play by Alec Coppel. Its success launched Coppel's career. 1937 London production Cast *Eric Maturin as Count Victor Mattoni *Athole Stewart as Viscount Sorrington *Alec Clunes as Detective Raines * Anthony Holl ...

" as Lord Sorrington * ''

'' (1962–1963 TV series), recurring role as General Steele * ''The Twilight Zone (1959 TV series), Twilight Zone'' (1963) episode "Passage on the Lady Anne" as Capt. Protheroe * ''Daniel_Boone_(1964_TV_series), Daniel Boone (1964 TV series)'' (1965) S1/E26-27 "Cain's Birthday" (Parts 1 & 2) as Col. Sir Hubert Crater * ''Daniel_Boone_(1964_TV_series), Daniel Boone (1964 TV series)'' (1965) S2/E13 "The Perilous Journey" as Lord Brisbane *''

'' (1966-1968) as Alfred Pennyworth * ''The Beverly Hillbillies'' (1967) episode "The Clampetts In London" as Chemist *''Ironside (1967 TV series), Ironside'' (1970, 1973, 1974) * ''QB VII (miniseries), QB VII'' (1974 miniseries) as Semple * '' The Bastard'' (1978 miniseries) as Dr. Bleeker * ''

'' (1979 miniseries) as Lord Venneford

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Napier, Alan Alumni of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art English male film actors English male television actors English expatriates in the United States People educated at Clifton College 1903 births 1988 deaths Burials at Chapel of the Pines Crematory Male actors from Birmingham, West Midlands 20th-century English male actors British expatriate male actors in the United States