Francis Sidney Compton Mackenzie , (; 4 May 1885 – 17 September 1964), known professionally as Francis Compton and also known as Frank Compton, was an English actor. He appeared in several films and television programmes but was primarily known for his stage performances. He was a member of the Compton acting family.
Early life
Compton was born Francis Sidney Compton Mackenzie in
Malvern, Worcestershire in 1885, the son of
Edward Compton (1854–1918), actor and
manager (whose real surname was Mackenzie), and his wife, the actress
Virginia Frances Bateman (1853–1940) daughter of the actor
Hezekiah Linthicum Bateman
Hezekiah Linthicum Bateman (December 6, 1812March 22, 1875), was an American actor and manager.
Life
Born in Baltimore, Maryland in 1812, the fourth child and second son of Amzi Bateman (c.1777–1816), a fisherman, and his wife, Catherine Bate ...
, of
Baltimore
Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic, and the 30th most populous city in the United States with a population of 585,708 in 2020. Baltimore was d ...
, US. One of his brothers became well known as the author
Compton Mackenzie but the other siblings became actors.
[
]Trewin, J. C.
John Courtenay Trewin (4 December 1908 – 16 February 1990) was a British journalist, writer and drama critic.
Trewin was born in Plymouth, Devon, although both his parents were Cornish. He was educated at Plymouth College and in 1926 join ...
br>"Compton, Fay (real name Virginia Lilian Emmeline Compton-Mackenzie) (1894–1978), actress"
''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press. Retrieved 12 February 2019.
Career
As with all other acting members of the Compton family, whose surname was Mackenzie, he took the name Compton professionally. He made his theatrical debut in his father's Compton Comedy Company at the age of 18 in the role of Trip, the foppish footman, in
Sheridan
Sheridan may refer to:
People
Surname
*Sheridan (surname)
*Philip Sheridan (1831–1888), U.S. Army general after whom the Sheridan tank is named
*Richard Brinsley Sheridan (1751–1816), Irish playwright (''The Rivals''), poet and politician
...
's ''
The School for Scandal'' at the
Theatre Royal in
Leamington in 1904.
During the First World War he saw active service with the 18th London Regiment, being awarded the
Military Cross in 1918. His first performance after the War was as the Doctor in
Lennox Robinson's ''
The Lost Leader'' at
Greenwich Village Theatre in New York City in 1919. From then on, he mostly performed in the United States. His last stage performance was as Calon in
Dumas's ''
The Lady of the Camellias'' at the
Winter Garden Theatre in 1963.
He first appeared in film in 1936 in ''
Soak the Rich''. Other film roles included ''
Rage in Heaven'' (1941), an uncredited role in
Hitchcock's ''
Mr and Mrs Smith'' (1941), and an uncredited role in ''
They Met in Bombay'' (1941). He is now best-known for his final film role, as Mr Justice Wainwright, in
Billy Wilder's ''
Witness for the Prosecution
In law, a witness is someone who has knowledge about a matter, whether they have sensed it or are testifying on another witnesses' behalf. In law a witness is someone who, either voluntarily or under compulsion, provides testimonial evidence, e ...
'' (1957).
He made many television appearances: he appeared in a 1952 episode of ''
Studio One in Hollywood'' (1952), a 1955 episode of ''
The Alcoa Hour'', ''
Caesar and Cleopatra'' on
NBC(1955-56), two episodes in 1957 of ''
DuPont Show of the Month'' and a 1962 episode of ''
Naked City''.
Personal life
Compton was married twice. His first marriage was to an Australian, Peggy Dundas, with whom he had one daughter, the actress Jean Compton Mackenzie. His daughter Jean would go on to marry the actor
Arthur Howard and become the mother of the actor
Alan Howard.
He married secondly Mary Wetmore Wells (1905-78). He and his wife had three sons and a daughter: Francis, Edward, Ian and Mary Fay. He died in 1964 in St Joseph's Hospital,
Stamford, Connecticut
Stamford () is a city in the U.S. state of Connecticut, outside of Manhattan. It is Connecticut's second-most populous city, behind Bridgeport. With a population of 135,470, Stamford passed Hartford and New Haven in population as of the 2020 ...
.
Both Compton and his wife are buried at
Indian Hill Cemetery in
Middletown, Connecticut
Middletown is a city located in Middlesex County, Connecticut, United States, Located along the Connecticut River, in the central part of the state, it is south of Hartford, Connecticut, Hartford. In 1650, it was incorporated by English settler ...
.
References
External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Compton, Francis
1885 births
1964 deaths
20th-century English actors
English film actors
English stage actors
People from Malvern, Worcestershire