Charles Davis (31 August 1925 – 12 December 2009) was an Irish character actor, writer and director. He was born in
Dublin
Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...
,
Ireland
Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
.
Career
Davis started his acting career at the
Abbey Theatre
The Abbey Theatre ( ga, Amharclann na Mainistreach), also known as the National Theatre of Ireland ( ga, Amharclann Náisiúnta na hÉireann), in Dublin, Ireland, is one of the country's leading cultural institutions. First opening to the pu ...
in Dublin and had over 1,000 performances on Broadway.
Davis appeared in over 20 movies and over 100 TV shows. Among his movies were ''
The Desert Rats
The 7th Armoured Division was an armoured division of the British Army that saw distinguished active service during the Second World War, where its exploits in the Western Desert Campaign gained it the ''Desert Rats'' nickname.
After the Muni ...
'', ''
The King's Thief
''The King's Thief'' is a 1955 swashbuckling CinemaScope adventure film directed by Robert Z. Leonard, who replaced Hugo Fregonese during filming. Released on August 5, 1955, the film takes place in London at the time of Charles II and stars A ...
'', ''
The Young Stranger
''The Young Stranger'' is a 1957 low-budget drama film, the directorial debut of John Frankenheimer. Starring Academy Award winning actress Kim Hunter and James MacArthur, it was based on the teleplay ''Deal a Blow'' by Robert Dozier.
Plot
Teen ...
'' and ''
The Wreck of the Mary Deare
''The Wreck of the Mary Deare'' (in the UK published as ''The Mary Deare'') is a 1956 novel written by British author Hammond Innes, which was later adapted as a film starring Gary Cooper released in 1959 by MGM. According to Jack Adrian, the ...
''. The TV shows he appeared in included ''
Dynasty
A dynasty is a sequence of rulers from the same family,''Oxford English Dictionary'', "dynasty, ''n''." Oxford University Press (Oxford), 1897. usually in the context of a monarchical system, but sometimes also appearing in republics. A ...
'', ''
Lock-Up'', ''
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 ...
'', ''
The Cara Williams Show
''The Cara Williams Show'' is an American situation comedy starring Cara Williams which centers on a married couple who try to conceal their marriage from their employer. Original episodes aired from September 23, 1964, until April 21, 1965 on CBS. ...
'', ''
Night Gallery
''Night Gallery'' is an American anthology television series that aired on NBC from December 16, 1970, to May 27, 1973, featuring stories of horror and the macabre. Rod Serling, who had gained fame from an earlier series, ''The Twilight Zone'', ...
'' and ''
The Wild Wild West
''The Wild Wild West'' is an American Western, espionage, and science fiction television series that ran on the CBS television network for four seasons from September 17, 1965, to April 11, 1969. Two satirical comedy television film sequels w ...
''.
Davis was also a writer, director and film producer. He wrote, directed and produced feature films including ''Kennedy’s Ireland'', ''Thunder Run'', ''
Happy as the Grass Was Green
''Happy as the Grass Was Green'', later renamed ''Hazel’s People'', is a 1973 American drama film directed by Charles Davis and starring Geraldine Page, Pat Hingle and Graham Beckel. The film is one of the few Mennonite related films ever made ...
'' (also released under the title ''Hazel’s People'') and ''
The Violent Ones
''The Violent Ones'' is a 1967 film directed by and starring Fernando Lamas. The story was written and created by Charles Davis, Fred Freiberger, Herman Miller, and Doug Wilson. The film was shot in the Alabama Hills, Mojave Desert and Lone Pine, ...
''.
["Character actor Charles Davis dies"](_blank)
variety.com; retrieved 29 January 2018.
Death
Davis died from a
heart attack
A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which may tr ...
on 12 December 2009, aged 84, in
Thousand Oaks, California
Thousand Oaks is the second-largest city in Ventura County, California, United States. It is in the northwestern part of Greater Los Angeles, approximately from the city of Los Angeles and from Downtown Los Angeles, Downtown. It is named af ...
.
Filmography
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Davis, Charles
1925 births
2009 deaths
Irish male film actors
Irish male stage actors
Irish male television actors
Irish expatriate male actors in the United States