David King-Wood (12 September 1913 – 3 September 2003) was a British actor. He was born in

Tehran Tehran (; fa, تهران ) is the largest city in Tehran Province and the capital of Iran. With a population of around 9 million in the city and around 16 million in the larger metropolitan area of Greater Tehran, Tehran is the most popul ...

, Iran (then Persia), the youngest of four children. His father was William King Wood (CIE, CBE), Director of the Indo-European Telegraph Department and his mother was Daisy Adcock, daughter of Sir

Hugh Adcock Hugh "Hughie" Adcock (born 10 April 1903 in Coalville, England – 16 October 1975) was an English footballer. Career Club Adcock played for Ravenstone United, Coalville Town, Loughborough Corinthians, Bristol Rovers, Folkestone and Ibstoc ...

(who was once the physician to the Shah of Persia). He studied at Oxford University and was a keen member of

OUDS The Oxford University Dramatic Society (OUDS) is the principal funding body and provider of theatrical services to the many independent student productions put on by students in Oxford, England. Not all student productions at Oxford University a ...

(Oxford University Dramatic Society) appearing in ''

The Radio Times ''Radio Times'' (currently styled as ''RadioTimes'') is a British weekly listings magazine devoted to television and radio programme schedules, with other features such as interviews, film reviews and lifestyle items. Founded in May 1923 by J ...

'' in April 1936 whilst appearing as Richard II. David King-Wood (he apparently added the hyphen) appeared in British television and films during the 1950s. His Broadway credits include Friar Francis in ''

Much Ado About Nothing ''Much Ado About Nothing'' is a comedy by William Shakespeare thought to have been written in 1598 and 1599.See textual notes to ''Much Ado About Nothing'' in ''The Norton Shakespeare'' ( W. W. Norton & Company, 1997 ) p. 1387 The play ...

'' (1959) and Adam Hartley in '' The Hidden River'' (1957). His British theatre credits include ''

Measure for Measure ''Measure for Measure'' is a play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in 1603 or 1604 and first performed in 1604, according to available records. It was published in the ''First Folio'' of 1623. The play's plot features its ...

'' and ''

Richard III Richard III (2 October 145222 August 1485) was King of England and Lord of Ireland from 26 June 1483 until his death in 1485. He was the last king of the House of York and the last of the Plantagenet dynasty. His defeat and death at the Battl ...

'' for ''

The Old Vic The Old Vic is a 1,000-seat, nonprofit organization, not-for-profit producing house, producing theatre in Waterloo, London, Waterloo, London, England. Established in 1818 as the Royal Coburg Theatre, and renamed in 1833 the Royal Victoria Th ...

'', seasons with the ''

Birmingham Repertory Company Birmingham Repertory Theatre, commonly called Birmingham Rep or just The Rep, is a producing theatre based on Centenary Square in Birmingham, England. Founded by Barry Jackson, it is the longest-established of Britain's building-based theatre c ...

'', the '' Oxford Repertory Company'' and the Worthing Repertory Company and the 1937 season at the '' Regent's Park Open Air Festival''. He was also a regular performer with the Shakespeare Festival. His film credits include ''

The Blakes Slept Here ''The Blakes Slept Here'' is a 1953 film directed by Jacques Brunius. Brunius also wrote the screenplay along with Roy Plomley. The 36-minute film chronicles the life of a middle-class British family from roughly 1850 to the end of World War ...

'' (1953) ''

The Men of Sherwood Forest ''The Men of Sherwood Forest'' is a 1954 British adventure film directed by Val Guest and starring Don Taylor, Reginald Beckwith, Eileen Moore and David King-Wood. The film follows the exploits of Robin Hood and his followers. Doreen Carwit ...

'' (1954) ''

The Quatermass Xperiment ''The Quatermass Xperiment'' (a.k.a. ''The Creeping Unknown'' in the United States) is a 1955 British science fiction horror film from Hammer Film Productions, based on the 1953 BBC Television serial ''The Quatermass Experiment'' written by Ni ...

'' (1955) and ''

Jamboree In Scouting, a jamboree is a large gathering of Scouting, Scouts who rally at a national or international level. History The 1st World Scout Jamboree was held in 1920, and was hosted by the United Kingdom. Since then, there have been twenty-thre ...

'' (1957) among others. During the Second World War, his fluency in five languages, including Japanese, was used to the fore, but at the expense of his theatrical career. He relocated to New York in the mid-1950s and acted on Broadway for a number of years. David was also the "it" male model for a time and was the "Marlboro Man" for a couple of years. He ended his professional life teaching English and French at St. Bernard's School in New York, as well as directing the annual Shakespeare Play there. David loved nature, and as an enthusiastic New Yorker, spent many happy hours in Central Park. More than one hundred and fifty of his friends contributed to the David King-Wood Tree Fund, and two European Linden trees have been endowed in his name. There is a paving stone by the Olmsted Flowerbed at Literary Walk, mid-park at Sixty-Seventh Street, as well as the two trees near the East Meadow.

Filmography

External links

* * * 1913 births 2003 deaths People from Tehran British male stage actors British male film actors Place of death missing British expatriates in Iran {{UK-stage-actor-stub