Bruce Belfrage

HOME

TheInfoList

Click Here for Items Related To - Bruce Belfrage

OR:

Bruce Belfrage on: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Amazon]

Bruce Belfrage (30 October 1900 – August 1974) was an English

actor An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek term is (), li ...

and

BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...

...

radio newsreader.Obituary in ''

The Times ''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper ''The Sunday Times'' (fou ...

'', ''Mr Bruce Belfrage'', 17 August 1974, p.14 He was casting director at the

...
between 1936 and 1939, and founded the

BBC Repertory Company The Radio Drama Company is a company of actors formed by the BBC, British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) in 1939, at the beginning of the Second World War. It is sometimes referred to as RDC, or the Rep, a survival from its original name, the Dra ...

in 1939.

Early life

Bruce Belfrage was born in

Marylebone Marylebone (usually , also , ) is a district in the West End of London, in the City of Westminster. Oxford Street, Europe's busiest shopping street, forms its southern boundary. An Civil parish#Ancient parishes, ancient parish and latterly a ...

, London, the son of Sydney Henning Belfrage and Frances Grace (née Powley). His younger brother was the author and journalist

Cedric Belfrage Cedric Henning Belfrage (8 November 1904 – 21 June 1990) was an English film critic, journalist, writer and political activist. He is best remembered as a co-founder of the radical US weekly ''National Guardian''. Later Belfrage was referenced ...

. He was educated at

Gresham's School Gresham's School is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school (English Independent school (United Kingdom), independent Day school, day and boarding school) in Holt, Norfolk, Holt, Norfolk, England, one of the top thirty International Bac ...

before taking an honours degree in modern languages at

St John's College, Oxford St John's College is a constituent college of the University of Oxford. Founded as a men's college in 1555, it has been coeducational since 1979.Communication from Michael Riordan, college archivist Its founder, Sir Thomas White, intended to pro ...

Career

Belfrage is reported as performing on stage in London with The Strolling Players in February 1923. He played in a notable triumph—''

A Sleeping Clergyman ''A Sleeping Clergyman'' is a 1933 play in Two Acts by James Bridie. Directed by H. K. Ayliff, it opened at Malvern's Festival Theatre in July 1933, before moving to London's Piccadilly Theatre in September, where it ran for 230 performances. ...

''—with

Robert Donat Friedrich Robert Donat (18 March 1905 – 9 June 1958) was an English actor. He is best remembered for his roles in Alfred Hitchcock's '' The 39 Steps'' (1935) and ''Goodbye, Mr. Chips'' (1939), winning for the latter the Academy Award for ...

in 1933 and in BBC radio plays in 1934. He appeared in his first film in 1932. He was a broadcaster in the early days of 2LO at

Savoy Hill Savoy Place is a large red brick building on the north bank of the River Thames in London. It is on a street called Savoy Place; Savoy Hill and Savoy Street run along the sides of the building up to the Strand. In front is the Victoria Embankmen ...

, and in 1935 joined the BBC as a casting director and later became a news reader and announcer. In a famous incident on 15 October 1940, the

...
's

Broadcasting House Broadcasting House is the headquarters of the BBC, in Portland Place and Langham Place, London. The first radio broadcast from the building was made on 15 March 1932, and the building was officially opened two months later, on 15 May. The main ...

took a direct hit from a delayed-action German bomb, which eventually exploded during the nine o'clock radio news read by Belfrage. Seven people were killed, and Belfrage, covered with plaster and soot, carried on reading the news as if nothing had happened. Listeners at home heard just a dull thud. He enlisted in the

Royal Naval Reserve The Royal Naval Reserve (RNR) is one of the two volunteer reserve forces of the Royal Navy in the United Kingdom. Together with the Royal Marines Reserve, they form the Maritime Reserve. The present RNR was formed by merging the original Ro ...

in 1942, and was demobilized with the rank of lieutenant-commander. Belfrage was an unsuccessful

Liberal Liberal or liberalism may refer to: Politics * a supporter of liberalism ** Liberalism by country * an adherent of a Liberal Party * Liberalism (international relations) * Sexually liberal feminism * Social liberalism Arts, entertainment and m ...

candidate for the

South Buckinghamshire South Bucks was one of four local government districts in the non-metropolitan county of Buckinghamshire, in South East England. The district was formed on 1 April 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972, by the amalgamation of the area of Bea ...

division at the 1950 general election. He polled 16.5%, and never contested another election.

Migration to Australia

In September 1958, for health reasons, Belfrage migrated to Australia with his second wife Joyce, a TV producer. They lived in

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...

for seven months and transferred to

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...

in 1959. Joyce Belfrage quit the ABC in 1962 to work in the advertising industry and initiate a programme of media studies at Macquarie University.

Death

Bruce Belfrage died in Sydney at the age of 73. He was married to the actress Joan Henley, with whom he had a son, Julian Rochfort Belfrage. After his divorce from Henley, Belfrage married Joyce Belfrage.

Filmography

*'' C.O.D.''. (1932) - Philip *''

The Scarlet Pimpernel ''The Scarlet Pimpernel'' is the first novel in a series of historical fiction by Baroness Orczy, published in 1905. It was written after her stage play of the same title (co-authored with Montague Barstow) enjoyed a long run in London, having ...

'' (1934) - Pitt *''

Too Many Millions ''Too Many Millions'' (1934) is a British comedy drama film directed by Harold Young and starring Betty Compton, John Garrick and Viola Keats. Premise In an attempt to attract the attention of the artist she loves a wealthy woman assumes the ...

'' (1934) *'' Full Circle'' (1935) - Clyde Warren *''War Front'' (1941) - Newspaper editor *''

Hue and Cry In common law, a hue and cry is a process by which bystanders are summoned to assist in the apprehension of a criminal who has been witnessed in the act of committing a crime. History By the Statute of Winchester of 1285, 13 Edw. I statute 2. c ...

'' (1947) - BBC announcer *''

Man on the Run ''Man on the Run'' is a 1949 British film noir directed by Lawrence Huntington and starring Derek Farr, Joan Hopkins, Edward Chapman, Kenneth More and Laurence Harvey. Plot An army deserter, still a fugitive in post-war Britain, wanders ...

'' (1948) - BBC Newscaster *''

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 ...

'' (1948) - Viscount Sorrington *''

Corridor of Mirrors ''Corridor of Mirrors'' is Prometheus's (Benji Vaughan Benjamin Vaughan, better known as Benji Vaughan, is a British psychedelic trance musician and tech entrepreneur. He has released music under many names, of which most well known is his sol ...

'' (1948) - Sir David Conway *''

Black Magic Black magic, also known as dark magic, has traditionally referred to the use of supernatural powers or magic for evil and selfish purposes, specifically the seven magical arts prohibited by canon law, as expounded by Johannes Hartlieb in 145 ...

'' (1949) - Crown Prosecutor *''

Warning to Wantons ''Warning to Wantons'' is a 1949 British romantic comedy film directed by Donald Wilson and starring Harold Warrender, Anne Vernon and David Tomlinson. The screenplay, written by art historian James Laver and the director, was based upon Mary ...

'' (1949) - Archimandrite *'' Ten Little Niggers'' (1949) - Sir Lawrence Wargrave *'' The Case of Charles Peace'' (1949) - Prosecution Counsel *'' Miss Pilgrim's Progress'' (1950) - Manager *''

Mister Drake's Duck ''Misterr Drake's Duck'' is a 1951 British science fiction film, science-fiction comedy film directed by Val Guest and starring Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Yolande Donlan, Jon Pertwee, Wilfrid Hyde-White and Reginald Beckwith. The screenplay concerns ...

'' (1951) - Air Vice Marshal *''

Home to Danger ''Home to Danger'' is a 1951 British film noir crime film directed by Terence Fisher starring Guy Rolfe, Rona Anderson and Stanley Baker. It was made at the Riverside Studios in Hammersmith as a supporting feature. The film's sets were design ...

'' (1951) - Solicitor *'' The Galloping Major'' (1951) - Himself/Radio Commentator * '' Never Look Back'' (1952) - Judge

Publication

''One Man In His Time'', by Bruce Belfrage. Published by

Hodder & Stoughton Hodder & Stoughton is a British publishing house, now an imprint (trade name), imprint of Hachette (publisher), Hachette. History Early history The firm has its origins in the 1840s, with Matthew Hodder's employment, aged 14, with Messrs ...

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

, 1951

References

External links

Bruce Belfrage at the National Portrait Gallery
*
Audio of Bruce Belfrage reading the news
{{DEFAULTSORT:Belfrage, Bruce 1900 births 1974 deaths Male actors from London English male stage actors English male film actors People educated at Gresham's School Alumni of St John's College, Oxford Liberal Party (UK) parliamentary candidates 20th-century English male actors Royal Navy officers of World War II Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve personnel of World War II Royal Naval Reserve personnel