Basil Sydney (23 April 1894 – 10 January 1968) was an English stage and screen actor.

Career

Sydney made his name in 1915 in the London stage hit ''

Romance Romance (from Vulgar Latin , "in the Roman language", i.e., "Latin") may refer to: Common meanings * Romance (love), emotional attraction towards another person and the courtship behaviors undertaken to express the feelings * Romance languages, ...

'' 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. 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 ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...

'' (1923), Prince Hal in ''

Henry IV, Part I ''Henry IV, Part 1'' (often written as ''1 Henry IV'') is a history play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written no later than 1597. The play dramatises part of the reign of King Henry IV of England, beginning with the battle at ...

'' (1926), and Petruchio in ''

Taming of the Shrew ''The Taming of the Shrew'' is a comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1590 and 1592. The play begins with a framing device, often referred to as the induction, in which a mischievous nobleman tricks a drunke ...

'' (1927). In 1937 he starred in the murder mystery '' Blondie White'' in the West End. Basil Sydney Ivanhoe trailer (1952)

He made over 50 screen appearances, most memorably as Claudius in Laurence Olivier's 1948 film of ''

.'' He also appeared in classic films like ''

Treasure Island ''Treasure Island'' (originally titled ''The Sea Cook: A Story for Boys''Hammond, J. R. 1984. "Treasure Island." In ''A Robert Louis Stevenson Companion'', Palgrave Macmillan Literary Companions. London: Palgrave Macmillan. .) is an adventure no ...

'' (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. In 1946 he starred with

Flora Robson Dame Flora McKenzie Robson (28 March 19027 July 1984) was an English actress and star of the theatrical stage and cinema, particularly renowned for her performances in plays demanding dramatic and emotional intensity. Her range extended from q ...

in ''

A Man About the House ''A Man About the House'' is a British drama film directed by Leslie Arliss and released in 1947. The film is a melodrama, adapted for the screen by J. B. Williams from the 1942 novel of the same name by Francis Brett Young. A theatrical ada ...

'' at the

Piccadilly Theatre The Piccadilly Theatre is a West End theatre located at 16 Denman Street, behind Piccadilly Circus and adjacent to the Regent Palace Hotel, in the City of Westminster, London, England. Early years Built by Bertie Crewe and Edward A. Stone ...

Personal life

Sydney divorced Keane in 1925. In 1929, he married actress

Mary Ellis Mary Ellis (born May Belle Elsas, June 15, 1897 – January 30, 2003) was an American actress and singer appearing on stage, radio, television and film, best known for her musical theatre roles, particularly in Ivor Novello works. After appe ...

, and the couple moved to England.''A Special Relationship''
/ref> There he concentrated more on film than on theatre work. In the 1940s, he married English film actress

Joyce Howard Joyce Howard (28 February 1922 in London – 23 November 2010 in Santa Monica, California) was an English actress, writer, and film executive. After studying at RADA, she was spotted by film director Anthony Asquith in a play at London's Emb ...

; they had three children. A heavy smoker, Sydney died from

pleurisy Pleurisy, also known as pleuritis, is inflammation of the membranes that surround the lungs and line the chest cavity ( pleurae). This can result in a sharp chest pain while breathing. Occasionally the pain may be a constant dull ache. Other sy ...

in 1968, aged 73.

Filmography

* ''

'' (1920) as Armstrong * ''

Red Hot Romance ''Red Hot Romance'' is a 1922 American silent comedy film directed by Victor Fleming. A fragmentary print survives in the Library of Congress. Plot As described in a film magazine, young American Rowland Stone (Sydney) receives $50 per week fr ...

'' (1922) as Rowland Stone * ''

The Midshipmaid ''The Midshipmaid'' is a 1932 British comedy film directed by Albert de Courville and starring Jessie Matthews, Frederick Kerr, Basil Sydney and Nigel Bruce. The film is based on the 1931 play of the same title by Ian Hay and Stephen King-Hall. ...

'' (1932) as Cmdr. Fosberry * ''

The Third Clue ''The Third Clue'' is a 1934 British crime film directed by Albert Parker and starring Basil Sydney, Molly Lamont and Raymond Lovell. The film was based on Neil Gordon's novel ''The Shakespeare Murders'', which also inspired '' The Claydon Tr ...

'' (1934) as Reinhardt Conway * '' Dirty Work'' (1934) as Hugh Stafford * ''

The Riverside Murder ''The Riverside Murder'' is a 1935 British crime film directed by Albert Parker and starring Basil Sydney, Judy Gunn and Zoe Davis. A woman reporter helps an inspector solve the deaths of four financiers on the eve of a group shareout. The f ...

'' (1935) as Inspector Philip Winton * '' The White Lilac'' (1935) as Ian Mackie * '' The Tunnel'' (1935) as Mostyn * ''

The Amateur Gentleman ''The Amateur Gentleman'' is a novel by Jeffery Farnol, published in 1913. It was made into a silent film in 1920 and again in 1926 and a talking film in 1936 with Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. starring as the protagonist, Barnabas Barty. Plot summ ...

'' (1936) as Louis Chichester * '' Rhodes of Africa'' (1936) as Dr. Jim Jameson * '' Blind Man's Bluff'' (1936) as Dr. Peter Fairfax * ''

Crime Over London ''Crime Over London'' is a 1936 British crime film directed by Alfred Zeisler and starring Margot Grahame, Paul Cavanagh and David Burns. It was made at Isleworth Studios,Wood p.89 based on the novel ''House of a Thousand Windows'' by Ludwi ...

'' (1936) as 'Joker' Finnigan * ''

Talk of the Devil ''Talk of the Devil'' is a 1936 British crime film directed by Carol Reed and starring Ricardo Cortez, Sally Eilers and Basil Sydney. Reed had previously been working for Ealing Studios, but he made the film for the independent producer Herb ...

'' (1936) as Stephen Rindlay * '' Accused'' (1936) as Eugene Roget * '' The Four Just Men'' (1939) as Frank Snell * '' Shadowed Eyes'' (1940) as Dr. Zander * ''

Spring Meeting ''Spring Meeting'' is a 1941 British comedy film directed by Walter C. Mycroft and Norman Lee and starring Enid Stamp-Taylor, Michael Wilding, Basil Sydney and Sarah Churchill. It was based on a 1938 play of the same title by M. J. Farrell ...

'' (1941) as James * ''

The Farmer's Wife ''The Farmer's Wife'' is a 1928 British silent romantic comedy film directed by Alfred Hitchcock and starring Jameson Thomas, Lillian Hall-Davis and Gordon Harker. It is adapted from a 1916 play of the same name by British novelist, poet an ...

'' (1941) as Samuel Sweetland * ''

The Black Sheep of Whitehall ''The Black Sheep of Whitehall'' (the opening credits read ''Black Sheep of Whitehall'') is a 1942 British black-and-white comedy war film, directed by Will Hay and Basil Dearden, starring Will Hay, John Mills, Basil Sydney and Thora Hird in he ...

'' (1942) as Costello * ''

Ships with Wings ''Ships with Wings'' is a 1941 British war film directed by Sergei Nolbandov and starring John Clements, Leslie Banks and Jane Baxter. The film is set during the Battle of Greece (1940-1941). It depicts military aviation. Plot During the S ...

'' (1942) as Capt. Fairfax * ''

The Big Blockade ''The Big Blockade'' is a 1942 British black-and-white war propaganda film in the style of dramatised documentary. It is directed by Charles Frend and stars Will Hay, Leslie Banks, Michael Redgrave and John Mills. It was produced by Michael Bal ...

'' (1942) as Bit Part (uncredited) * ''

The Next of Kin ''The Next of Kin'', also known as ''Next of Kin'', is a 1942 Second World War propaganda film produced by Ealing Studios. The film was originally commissioned by the British War Office as a training film to promote the government message tha ...

'' (1942) as Naval captain * ''

Went the Day Well? ''Went the Day Well?'' is a 1942 British war film adapted from a story by Graham Greene and directed by Alberto Cavalcanti. It was produced by Michael Balcon of Ealing Studios and served as unofficial propaganda for the war effort. The film shows ...

'' (1942) as Major Ortler * '' Caesar and Cleopatra'' (1945) as Rufio * '' Meet Me at Dawn'' (1947) as Georges Vermorel * '' The Man Within'' (1947) as Sir Henry Merriman * '' Jassy'' (1947) as Nick Helmar * ''

'' (1948) as Claudius - The King * '' The Angel with the Trumpet'' (1950) as Francis Alt * ''

'' (1950) as Captain Smollett * '' The Magic Box'' (1951) as William Fox-Talbot * '' Ivanhoe'' (1952) as Waldemar Fitzurse * '' Salome'' (1953) as Pontius Pilate * ''

Hell Below Zero ''Hell Below Zero'' is a 1954 British-American adventure film directed by Mark Robson and starring Alan Ladd, Joan Tetzel, Basil Sydney and Stanley Baker. It was written by Alec Coppel and Max Trell based on the 1949 novel '' The White South'' ...

'' (1954) as Bland * '' Star of India'' (1954) as King Louis XIV * ''Three's Company'' (1954) as Dr. Graham (segment "The Surgeon's Story") * ''

Simba Simba is a fictional character and the protagonist of Disney's ''The Lion King'' franchise. Introduced in the 1994 film ''The Lion King'', Walt Disney Animation's 32nd animated feature, the character subsequently appears in '' The Lion King II: ...

'' (1955) as Mr. Crawford * '' The Dam Busters'' (1955) as Air Chief Marshal Sir Arthur Harris * ''

Around the World in 80 Days ''Around the World in Eighty Days'' (french: link=no, Le tour du monde en quatre-vingts jours) is an adventure novel by the French writer Jules Verne, first published in French in 1872. In the story, Phileas Fogg of London and his newly employe ...

'' (1956) as Reform Club Member #2 * '' Sea Wife'' (1957) as Bulldog * '' Island in the Sun'' (1957) as Julian Fleury * ''

A Question of Adultery ''A Question of Adultery'' (U.S. title: ''The Case of Mrs. Loring'') is a 1958 British drama film directed by Don Chaffey and starring Julie London and Anthony Steel. The film was reportedly based on the 1948 play ''A Breach of Marriage'' by D ...

'' (1958) as Sir John Loring * ''

John Paul Jones John Paul Jones (born John Paul; July 6, 1747 July 18, 1792) was a Scottish-American naval captain who was the United States' first well-known naval commander in the American Revolutionary War. He made many friends among U.S political elites ( ...

'' (1959) as Sir William Young * '' The Devil's Disciple'' (1959) as Lawyer Hawkins * ''

The 3 Worlds of Gulliver ''The 3 Worlds of Gulliver'' is a 1960 Eastmancolor Columbia Pictures fantasy film loosely based upon the 1726 novel ''Gulliver's Travels'' by Jonathan Swift. The film stars Kerwin Mathews as the title character, June Thorburn as his fiancée Eli ...

'' (1960) as Emperor of Lilliput * '' The Hands of Orlac'' (1960) as Maurice Seidelman * ''

A Story of David ''A Story of David'' is a 1961 British-Israeli drama film directed by Bob McNaught and starring Jeff Chandler, Basil Sydney and Peter Arne. It depicts the life of the Biblical King David and his conflicted relationship with King Saul. It was ...

'' (1961) as King Saul

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Sydney, Basil 1894 births 1968 deaths English male stage actors English male film actors People from Tendring (district) 20th-century English male actors Respiratory disease deaths in England Infectious disease deaths in England Deaths from pleurisy British expatriate male actors in the United States