Francis William Thring (11 May 1926 – 29 December 1994) was an Australian character actor in radio, stage, television and film; as well as a theatre director. His early career started in London in theatre productions, before he starred in

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood, ...

film, where he became best known for roles in ''

Ben-Hur Ben-Hur or Ben Hur may refer to: Fiction *'' Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ'', an 1880 novel by American general and author Lew Wallace ** ''Ben-Hur'' (play), a play that debuted on Broadway in 1899 ** ''Ben Hur'' (1907 film), a one-reel silent ...

'' in 1959 and ''

King of Kings King of Kings; grc-gre, Βασιλεὺς Βασιλέων, Basileùs Basiléōn; hy, արքայից արքա, ark'ayits ark'a; sa, महाराजाधिराज, Mahārājadhirāja; ka, მეფეთ მეფე, ''Mepet mepe'' ...

'' in 1961. He was known for always wearing black and styling his home in black decor.

Early life

Thring was born in Melbourne. Although sometimes referred to as Frank Thring Jr., he was actually Francis William Thring (or William Francis Thring) IV. His forbears were Francis William Thring (1812–1887), Francis William Thring (known as William Thring) (1858–1920); William Frank Thring, known as Francis William Thring or

F. W. Thring Francis William Thring (2 December 1882 – 1 July 1936), better known as F. W. Thring, was an Australian film director, film producer, producer, and film exhibitor, exhibitor. He has been credited with the invention of the clapperboard. Early ...

, (1882–1936). Thring was the son of F. W. Thring and Olive (née Kreitmeyer), and was educated at the Melbourne Grammar School. His father was the head of the theatrical firm

J. C. Williamson James Cassius Williamson (26 August 1845 – 6 July 1913) was an American actor and later Australia's foremost impresario, founding the J. C. Williamson's theatrical and production company. Born in Pennsylvania, Williamson moved with his fami ...

's in the 1920s, and subsequently founded the theatre film production studio Efftee Studios in the 1930s, in Melbourne, Australia. He has been anachronistically claimed to have been the inventor of the clapperboard. Thring Sr. was also a noted film producer ('' The Sentimental Bloke''), and partner in the nationwide Australian theatre circuit Hoyts. Thring Sr. died in July 1936 at the age of 53, when Frank Jnr was 10 years old. His second wife (Frank Jrs. mother) inherited all the businesses. Frank said his earliest memory is of his mother standing on a stepladder in the foyer of the Regent Theatre in Melbourne, and arranging gladioli in the vases attached to the pillars.

Career

His career spanned more than 45 years, much of it spent alternating between stage, film and television. Perhaps his most famous role was that of Pontius Pilate in ''

'' (1959) and

Herod Antipas Herod Antipas ( el, Ἡρῴδης Ἀντίπας, ''Hērǭdēs Antipas''; born before 20 BC – died after 39 AD), was a 1st-century ruler of Galilee and Perea, who bore the title of tetrarch ("ruler of a quarter") and is referred to as both "H ...

in ''

'' (1961).

Radio

Thring's family operated Melbourne radio station

3XY Magic 1278 (official callsign: 3EE) is a commercial radio station in Melbourne, Australia owned by Nine Entertainment Co, and run under a lease agreement by Ace Radio. History 1935–1991: 3XY 1935–1967 3XY began broadcasting on 8 Sept ...

, from the opening of the station in 1935. He commenced working at 3XY as both a thespian and radio announcer in 1941, as a young man of 15. His numerous jobs at the microphone included being ''Uncle Frankie'' in the children's session. When Thring Sr died in 1936 (see above), Thring Jr.'s mother inherited the businesses. However, Thring Jr. incorrectly told people that he owned 3XY.

Stage

He began acting in professional stage roles after his discharge from the

Royal Australian Air Force "Through Adversity to the Stars" , colours = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = RAAF Anniversary Commemoration ...

in 1945. He was memorable as Herod in Irene Mitchell's production of

Oscar Wilde Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde (16 October 185430 November 1900) was an Irish poet and playwright. After writing in different forms throughout the 1880s, he became one of the most popular playwrights in London in the early 1890s. He is ...

's ''

Salome Salome (; he, שְלוֹמִית, Shlomit, related to , "peace"; el, Σαλώμη), also known as Salome III, was a Jewish princess, the daughter of Herod II, son of Herod the Great, and princess Herodias, granddaughter of Herod the Great, an ...

'' at Melbourne's

Arrow Theatre The Arrow Theatre was an Australian theatre in the Melbourne suburb of Middle Park. It was located at 1–3 Armstrong Street, opposite the Middle Park railway station (a tram stop since electrification). It seated only 200 persons but had a stage ...

in 1951, and made his British theatrical debut in the same part in 1954. Two years later, he played Sir Lancelot Spratt in '' Doctor in the House'', which ran for 240 performances at the Victoria Palace in London. He was Saturninus in the Royal Shakespeare Theatre production of '' Titus Andronicus'' with

Laurence Olivier Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier (; 22 May 1907 – 11 July 1989) was an English actor and director who, along with his contemporaries Ralph Richardson and John Gielgud, was one of a trio of male actors who dominated the Theatre of the U ...

Vivien Leigh Vivien Leigh ( ; 5 November 1913 – 8 July 1967; born Vivian Mary Hartley), styled as Lady Olivier after 1947, was a British actress. She won the Academy Award for Best Actress twice, for her definitive performances as Scarlett O'Hara in ''Gon ...

and Anthony Quayle. He also played Captain Hook opposite

Peggy Cummins Peggy Cummins (born Augusta Margaret Diane Fuller; 18 December 1925 – 29 December 2017) was an Irish actress, born in Wales, who is best known for her performance in Joseph H. Lewis's ''Gun Crazy'' (1950), playing a trigger-happy ''femme fa ...

' Peter Pan. Among his other acclaimed stage roles were George Bernard Shaw's ''

Arms and the Man ''Arms and the Man'' is a comedy by George Bernard Shaw, whose title comes from the opening words of Virgil's ''Aeneid'', in Latin: ''Arma virumque cano'' ("Of arms and the man I sing"). The play was first produced on 21 April 1894 at the Aven ...

'', Captain Ahab in Orson Welles's '' Moby-Dick'', Falstaff in ''

Henry IV, Part 1 ''Henry IV, Part 1'' (often written as ''1 Henry IV'') is a history play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written no later than 1597. The play dramatises part of the reign of King Henry IV of England, beginning with the battle at ...

'', and

Bertolt Brecht Eugen Berthold Friedrich Brecht (10 February 1898 – 14 August 1956), known professionally as Bertolt Brecht, was a German theatre practitioner, playwright, and poet. Coming of age during the Weimar Republic, he had his first successes as a pl ...

's ''

Life of Galileo ''Life of Galileo'' (), also known as ''Galileo'', is a play by the 20th century German dramatist Bertolt Brecht and collaborator Margarete Steffin with incidental music by Hanns Eisler. The play was written in 1938 and received its first theat ...

''. Another stage role was in the musical '' Robert and Elizabeth'' opposite June Bronhill and Denis Quilley. Later in life he returned to the stage playing the butler in the Melbourne Theatre Company's production of '' The Importance of Being Earnest'' in 1988. His final stage appearance was in ''Humorists Read the Humorists'' at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival in 1992.

Film

Thring first appeared on screen as a child in the 1932 Australian film '' The Sentimental Bloke'', directed by his father

. One of Thring's most well-known screen roles was as Pontius Pilate in ''

'' (1959). He also appeared as Al-Kadir, Emir of Valencia in ''

El Cid Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar (c. 1043 – 10 July 1099) was a Castilian knight and warlord in medieval Spain. Fighting with both Christian and Muslim armies during his lifetime, he earned the Arabic honorific ''al-sīd'', which would evolve into El ...

'' (1961). Thring was also awarded the Erik Kuttner Award for Acting (1965). In addition to these roles, Thring played a barrister in ''

The Case of Mrs. Loring ''A Question of Adultery'' (U.S. title: ''The Case of Mrs. Loring'') is a 1958 British drama film directed by Don Chaffey and starring Julie London and Anthony Steel. The film was reportedly based on the 1948 play ''A Breach of Marriage'' by ...

'' (1958), the usurping king Aella ( Ælla of Northumbria) in '' The Vikings'' (1958) and

in ''

'' (1961). Thring is the only actor to portray on film both of the historical figures directly responsible for authorizing the crucifixion of Christ according to the

Gospels Gospel originally meant the Christian message ("the gospel"), but in the 2nd century it came to be used also for the books in which the message was set out. In this sense a gospel can be defined as a loose-knit, episodic narrative of the words an ...

. He played numerous glowering bad guys in Hollywood epics of the 1950s and 1960s. Back in Australia, he starred opposite

James Mason James Neville Mason (; 15 May 190927 July 1984) was an English actor. He achieved considerable success in British cinema before becoming a star in Hollywood. He was the top box-office attraction in the UK in 1944 and 1945; his British films inc ...

and a young

Helen Mirren Dame Helen Mirren (born Helen Lydia Mironoff; born 26 July 1945) is an English actor. The recipient of numerous accolades, she is the only performer to have achieved the Triple Crown of Acting in both the United States and the United Kingdom. ...

in Michael Powell's film ''

Age of Consent The age of consent is the age at which a person is considered to be legally competent to consent to sexual acts. Consequently, an adult who engages in sexual activity with a person younger than the age of consent is unable to legally claim ...

'' (1969), and appeared in two biographical films about famous

bushranger Bushrangers were originally escaped convicts in the early years of the British settlement of Australia who used the bush as a refuge to hide from the authorities. By the 1820s, the term had evolved to refer to those who took up "robbery under ...

s: '' Ned Kelly'' (1970) and '' Mad Dog Morgan'' (1976). He played suave gangsters in '' Alvin Rides Again'' (1974) and '' The Man from Hong Kong'' (1975). In his later years, his screen roles included the devilish Collector in '' Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome'' (1985), and a comedic role as an

Alfred Hitchcock Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock (13 August 1899 – 29 April 1980) was an English filmmaker. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of cinema. In a career spanning six decades, he directed over 50 featur ...

-like film director in the horror movie spoof, '' Howling III'' (1987).

Television

Thring's television credits include the Australian miniseries '' Against the Wind'' and '' Bodyline''. He was also the recurring villain Doctor Stark who would use mischievous means in attempts to steal Skippy and other animals out of Waratah National Park in several episodes of '' Skippy the Bush Kangaroo''. He also acted in commercials, particularly one in which he would glare at the camera saying "You do have your television licence. Don't you?". He had the lead roles in the 1959 ABC TV play '' Treason'', and the 1962 ABC play '' Light Me A Lucifer''.

Personal life

Off-screen, Thring was known for his flamboyant, often waspish, persona. He was featured in numerous TV commercials and guest-starring roles on popular weekly series, variety programs and quiz shows, often dressed in black funereal attire and other sinister costumes. However, his acting career was interrupted by bouts of alcoholism and periods of ill health. The interior of his house was featured in an Australian TV program and the walls were also black. Thring was appointed 1982 '' King of Moomba'', "this doyenne icof film and theatre looked nothing short of majestic in his regal garb and riding on a thespian-inspired float". Thring was briefly married to actress Joan Cunliffe during the 1950s. The marriage ended in divorce. Joan lived in London, and was manager of both Rudolf Nureyev and Dame Margot Fonteyn. Thring was flamboyantly gay, but he wanted children and was greatly distressed when his marriage ended without issue. In 1994, Thring died from oesophageal cancer, aged 68. He was cremated and his ashes scattered off the coast of Queenscliff, Victoria. A celebration of his life was held at the Victorian Arts Centre, Melbourne, in 1995.

Filmography

*'' The Vikings'' (1958) - Aella *'' A Question of Adultery'' (1958) - Mr. Stanley *'' The Flaming Sword'' (1958) - Gar *'' Dick and the Duchess - "''The Courtroom" (1958 TV series) - Wembler *'' Treason'' (1959) - Karl Albrecht *'' Ben Hur'' (1959) - Pontius Pilate *''

'' (1961) - Herod Antipas *''

'' (1961) - Al Kadir *'' Light Me a Lucifer'' (1962, TV Movie) - The Devil *'' Photo Finish'' (1965 TV movie) - Sam Kinsale *'' Hey You!'' - "The Soup Kitchen" (1967 TV series) - Mr Goodly *'' Australian Playhouse'' - "The Heat's On" (1967 TV series) - Mr Paisley *'' Skippy the Bush Kangaroo'' - "Double Trouble"; "Trapped"; "Long Way Home" (1967 TV series) - Dr Stark *''

'' (1968) *''

'' (1969) - Godfrey *'' Delta - The Initiates'' (1969 TV series) - Dr Spencer *'' The Link Men'' - "See Amsterdam and Die" (1970 TV series) - Bruce Crane *'' Ned Kelly'' (1970) - Judge Barry *''

The Man Who Shot the Albatross ''The Man Who Shot the Albatross'' is a play by Ray Lawler about the Rum Rebellion, first performed in 1971. A 1972 television film featured the stage cast. Cast * Leo McKern as Captain Bligh * Michael Aitkens * Frederick Parslow as MacArthur ...

'' (1970 TV Movie) *'' Alvin Rides Again'' (1974) - Fingers *'' The Cherry Orchard'' (1974 TV movie) *'' The Man from Hong Kong'' (1975) - Willard *'' Mad Dog Morgan'' (1976) - Superintendent Cobham *''Up the Convicts'' (1976 TV series) - Sgt Bastion *''The Importance of Keeping Perfectly Still'' (1977 short film) *'' Against the Wind - "''The Seeds of Fire"; "The Wild Goose" (1978 TV mini-series) - Magistrate *''

Outbreak of Love ''Outbreak of Love'' is a 1981 Australian miniseries about Melbourne society just before World War I. *Ed. Scott Murray, ''Australia on the Small Screen 1970-1995'', Oxford Uni Press, 1996 p. 220 * * References External links''Outbreak of Love ...

'' (1981 TV mini-series) - Arthur Langton *'' At Last... Bullamakanka: The Motion Picture'' (1983) - TV Producer *'' Eureka Stockade'' (1984 TV mini-series) - Judge *'' Bodyline - Episode 1.1'' (1984 TV mini-series) - Lord Harris *'' Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome'' (1985) - The Collector *'' Death of a Soldier'' (1986) - Religious speaker *''The Steam-Driven Adventures of Riverboat Bill'' (1986) - voice *'' Howling III'' (1987) - Jack Citron *''The Devil in Evening Dress'' (1987) - Host *'' Mission: Impossible - "''Bayou" (1989 TV series) - Jake Morgan *'' Hercules Returns'' (1993) - Zeus (voice) (final film role)

Notes

References

External links

* Th
Frank Thring Collection
, at th
Performing Arts Collection, Arts Centre Melbourne

at liveperformance * {{DEFAULTSORT:Thring, Frank 1926 births 1994 deaths Australian male film actors Australian male television actors Male actors from Melbourne People educated at Melbourne Grammar School Australian gay actors Deaths from cancer in Victoria (Australia) 20th-century Australian male actors Australian people of German descent Royal Australian Air Force personnel of World War II 20th-century LGBT people Eccentricity (behavior) Military personnel from Melbourne