Claud Allister (born William Claud Michael Palmer, 3 October 1888 – 26 July 1970) was an English actor with an extensive film career in both Britain and Hollywood, where he appeared in more than 70 films between 1929 and 1955.

Life and career

He was born in

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, 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 dow ...

. After receiving his education at

Felsted School (Keep your Faith) , established = , closed = , type = Public school Independent day and boarding , religion = Church of England , president = , head_label = Headmaster , head = Chris Townsend , r_head_ ...

Essex Essex () is a county in the East of England. One of the home counties, it borders Suffolk and Cambridgeshire to the north, the North Sea to the east, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent across the estuary of the River Thames to the south, and G ...

, he began his career as a stockbroker's clerk in the

City of London The City of London is a city, ceremonial county and local government district that contains the historic centre and constitutes, alongside Canary Wharf, the primary central business district (CBD) of London. It constituted most of London f ...

, but gave up a life in the

Square Mile The square mile (abbreviated as sq mi and sometimes as mi2)Rowlett, Russ (September 1, 2004) University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Retrieved February 22, 2012. is an imperial and US unit of measure for area. One square mile is an are ...

on deciding that he preferred the stage, upon which he made his début in 1910. He toured England's repertory theatres playing minor parts up to the outbreak of

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

, when he was commissioned into the

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gur ...

as a subaltern, and saw active service with the

Suffolk Regiment The Suffolk Regiment was an infantry regiment of the line in the British Army with a history dating back to 1685. It saw service for three centuries, participating in many wars and conflicts, including the First and Second World Wars, before bein ...

and the

Machine Gun Corps The Machine Gun Corps (MGC) was a corps of the British Army, formed in October 1915 in response to the need for more effective use of machine guns on the Western Front in the First World War. The Heavy Branch of the MGC was the first to use ...

. Post-war he returned to acting, appearing in the

West End West End most commonly refers to: * West End of London, an area of central London, England * West End theatre, a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London, England West End may also refer to: Pl ...

in ''

Bulldog Drummond Hugh "Bulldog" Drummond is a fictional character, created by H. C. McNeile and published under his pen name "Sapper". Following McNeile's death in 1937, the novels were continued by Gerard Fairlie. Drummond is a First World War veteran who, ...

'', and in 1924 went to America to perform on the stage there initially. In 1929 he made his film début in '' The Trial of Mary Dugan''. In 1934 he appeared in the

in the historical play '' Mary Read''. Allister died 26 July 1970 at

Santa Barbara, California Santa Barbara ( es, Santa Bárbara, meaning "Saint Barbara") is a coastal city in Santa Barbara County, California, of which it is also the county seat. Situated on a south-facing section of coastline, the longest such section on the West Coa ...

, aged 81.

Filmography

* '' The Trial of Mary Dugan'' (1929) - Henry James Plaisted * ''

'' (1929) - Algy * '' Charming Sinners'' (1929) - Gregson * '' Three Live Ghosts'' (1929) - Spoofy * ''

In the Next Room ''In The Next Room'' is a 1930 American pre-Code mystery film released by First National Pictures, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. and directed by Edward F. Cline. The movie stars Jack Mulhall and Alice Day. The film was based on the play of th ...

'' (1930) - Parks (the butler) * '' Slightly Scarlet'' (1930) - Albert Hawkins * ''

Such Men Are Dangerous ''Such Men Are Dangerous'' (a.k.a. ''The Mask of Love'') is a 1930 American pre-Code drama film directed by Kenneth Hawks and written by Ernest Vajda. The film is based on a novella by Elinor Glyn who based her story on the 1928 real-life disapp ...

'' (1930) - Fred Wyndham * '' Murder Will Out'' (1930) - Alan Fitzhugh * '' Ladies Love Brutes'' (1930) - Tailor * '' The Czar of Broadway'' (1930) - Francis * '' The Florodora Girl'' (1930) - Lord Rumblesham * ''

Monte Carlo Monte Carlo (; ; french: Monte-Carlo , or colloquially ''Monte-Carl'' ; lij, Munte Carlu ; ) is officially an administrative area of the Principality of Monaco, specifically the ward of Monte Carlo/Spélugues, where the Monte Carlo Casino i ...

'' (1930) - Prince Otto von Liebenheim * '' Reaching for the Moon'' (1930) - Sir Horace Partington Chelmsford * '' Captain Applejack'' (1931) - John Jason * '' Meet the Wife'' (1931) - Victor Staunton * '' I Like Your Nerve'' (1931) - Archie Lester * '' Platinum Blonde'' (1931) - Dawson – The Valet * ''

The Sea Ghost ''The Sea Ghost'' is a 1931 American pre-Code film directed by William Nigh and starring Alan Hale, Clarence Wilson, Claud Allister and Laura La Plante. The film was retitled ''U 67'' for its American reissue, stating in the foreword that "som ...

'' (1931) - Percy Atwater * '' On the Loose'' (1931) - Mr. Loder's friend * '' The Unexpected Father'' (1932) - Claude * ''

Two White Arms ''Two White Arms'', also known as ''Wives Beware'', is a 1932 British comedy film directed by Fred Niblo and starring Adolphe Menjou, Margaret Bannerman and Claud Allister. It is adapted from a play by Harold Dearden. Produced by Eric Hakim ...

'' (1932) - Dr. Biggash * '' Diamond Cut Diamond'' (1932) - Joe Fragson * ''

The Return of Raffles ''The Return of Raffles'' is a 1932 British crime film directed by Mansfield Markham and starring George Barraud, Camilla Horn and Claud Allister. It is based on the A.J. Raffles stories by EW Hornung and inspired by the success of the 1930 A ...

'' (1932) - Bunny * '' The Midshipmaid'' (1932) - Chinley * '' That's My Wife'' (1933) - Archie Trevor * '' Excess Baggage'' (1933) - Col. Murgatroyd, RSVP * ''

Sleeping Car The sleeping car or sleeper (often ) is a railway passenger car that can accommodate all passengers in beds of one kind or another, for the purpose of sleeping. George Pullman was the American innovator of the sleeper car. The first such cars s ...

'' (1933) - Baron Delande * ''

The Private Life of Henry VIII ''The Private Life of Henry VIII'' is a 1933 British film directed and co-produced by Alexander Korda and starring Charles Laughton, Robert Donat, Merle Oberon and Elsa Lanchester. It was written by Lajos Bíró and Arthur Wimperis for London Fi ...

'' (1933) - Cornell * '' The Medicine Man'' (1933) - Hon. Freddie Wiltshire * ''

Those Were the Days Those Were the Days may refer to: Music Albums * ''Those Were the Days'' (Johnny Mathis album) (1968) * ''Those Were the Days'' (Cream album) (1997) * ''Those Were the Days'' (Dolly Parton album) (2005) * '' Those Were the Days – The Best of L ...

'' (1934) - Capt. Horace Vale * '' The Return of Bulldog Drummond'' (1934) - Algy Longworth * '' The Lady Is Willing'' (1934) - Brevin * ''

The Private Life of Don Juan ''The Private Life of Don Juan'' is a 1934 British comedy-drama film directed by Alexander Korda and starring Douglas Fairbanks, Merle Oberon and Benita Hume. At the age of 51, it was the final role of Fairbanks, who died five years later. T ...

'' (1934) - The Duke, as Dukes Go * '' Every Night at Eight'' (1935) - Mr. Vernon (uncredited) * '' The Dark Angel'' (1935) - Lawrence Bidley * '' Three Live Ghosts'' (1936) - Lord 'Spoofy' Brockton * ''

Dracula's Daughter ''Dracula's Daughter'' is a 1936 American vampire horror film produced by Universal Pictures as a sequel to the 1931 film ''Dracula''. Directed by Lambert Hillyer from a screenplay by Garrett Fort, the film stars Otto Kruger, Gloria Holden ...

'' (1936) - Sir Aubrey * ''

Yellowstone Yellowstone National Park is an American national park located in the western United States, largely in the northwest corner of Wyoming and extending into Montana and Idaho. It was established by the 42nd U.S. Congress with the Yellow ...

'' (1936) - Guest with Monocole * ''

Lady Luck Lady Luck, a personification of luck, may refer to: Fiction and mythology * Fortuna, in Roman mythology, goddess of fortune * Tyche, in Greek mythology, goddess of fortune * Lady Luck (comics), a character created by Will Eisner Film * ''La ...

'' (1936) - Briggs * ''

Let's Make a Night of It ''Let's Make a Night of It'' is a 1937 British musical comedy film directed by Graham Cutts and starring Charles "Buddy" Rogers, June Clyde and Claire Luce. The screenplay concerns a husband and his wife, who acquire rival nightclubs at the ...

'' (1937) - Monty * '' Bulldog Drummond at Bay'' (1937) - Algy Longworth * '' Danger: Love at Work'' (1937) - Salesman * '' The Awful Truth'' (1937) - Lord Fabian (uncredited) * '' Kentucky Moonshine'' (1938) - Lord Boffingwell (uncredited) * '' Men Are Such Fools'' (1938) - Rudolf * '' Blond Cheat'' (1938) - Lord Basil Sheldon (uncredited) * '' Storm Over Bengal'' (1938) - Redding * ''

Arrest Bulldog Drummond ''Arrest Bulldog Drummond'' is a 1938 American crime thriller film directed by James P. Hogan. Plot Bulldog (John Howard) and Algy ( Reginald Denny), in the midst of preparations for the former's wedding in London, are summoned to more import ...

'' (1939) - Sir Basil Leghorne * '' Captain Fury'' (1939) - Suco * ''

Lillian Russell Lillian Russell (born Helen Louise Leonard; December 4, 1860 or 1861 – June 6, 1922), was an American actress and singer. She became one of the most famous actresses and singers of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, known for her beauty ...

'' (1940) - Arthur Sullivan * ''

Pride and Prejudice ''Pride and Prejudice'' is an 1813 novel of manners by Jane Austen. The novel follows the character development of Elizabeth Bennet, the dynamic protagonist of the book who learns about the repercussions of hasty judgments and comes to appreci ...

'' (1940) - Mr. Beck (uncredited) * '' The Reluctant Dragon'' (1941) - Sir Giles (voice) * '' Charley's American Aunt'' (1941) - Cricket Match Spectator * ''

A Yank in the R.A.F. ''A Yank in the R.A.F.'' is a 1941 American black-and-white war film directed by Henry King and starring Tyrone Power and Betty Grable. Released three months before the attack on Pearl Harbor plunged the United States into World War II, it is ...

'' (1941) - Officer-Motorist (uncredited) * '' Never Give a Sucker an Even Break'' (1941) - Bitten Englishman (uncredited) * ''

Confirm or Deny ''Confirm or Deny'' is a 1941 film made by 20th Century Fox, directed by Archie Mayo and Fritz Lang (uncredited), and starring by Don Ameche and Joan Bennett. The screenplay was written by Jo Swerling, based on a story by Samuel Fuller and Henry ...

'' (1941) - William (scenes deleted) * '' Don't Get Personal'' (1942) - Sir Cecil (uncredited) * '' Forever and a Day'' (1943) - William Barstow * '' The Hundred Pound Window'' (1944) - Hon. Freddie * '' The Captain from Köpenick'' (completed in 1941, released in 1945), aka ''I Was a Criminal'' - First Railroad Employee * ''

Kiss the Bride Goodbye ''Kiss the Bride Goodbye'' is a 1945 British romantic comedy drama film directed by Paul L. Stein and starring Patricia Medina and Jimmy Hanley. Jean Simmons has an early role, almost two years before she achieved stardom in '' Great Expectati ...

'' (1945) - Adolphus Pickering * '' Don Chicago'' (1945) - Lord Piccadilly * ''

Gaiety George ''Gaiety George'' is a 1946 British historical musical film directed by George King and Leontine Sagan and starring Richard Greene, Ann Todd and Peter Graves.Harper p.179 It is set in the late Victorian music hall, when an Irish impresario ar ...

'' (1946) - Archie * ''

Quartet In music, a quartet or quartette (, , , , ) is an ensemble of four singers or instrumental performers; or a musical composition for four voices and instruments. Classical String quartet In classical music, one of the most common combinations ...

'' (1948) - 1st. Clubman (segment "The Colonel's Lady") * ''

The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad ''The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad'' is a 1949 American animated anthology film produced by Walt Disney Productions, released by RKO Radio Pictures and directed by Clyde Geronimi, Jack Kinney and James Algar with Ben Sharpsteen as production ...

'' (1949) - Ratty (voice) * ''

Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delta i ...

'' (1952) - Hotel Manager * '' Down Among the Sheltering Palms'' (1953) - Woolawei (uncredited) * '' Kiss Me Kate'' (1953) - Paul * '' The Black Shield of Falworth'' (1954) - Sir George

References

External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Allister, Claud 1888 births 1970 deaths Burials at Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery Deaths from cancer in California English male film actors English expatriates in the United States Male actors from London 20th-century English male actors British expatriate male actors in the United States British Army personnel of World War I Suffolk Regiment officers Machine Gun Corps officers