Hugh Patrick McDermott (20 March 1906 – 29 January 1972) was a British professional golfer turned actor who made a number of film, stage and television performances between 1936 and 1972. He specialised in playing Americans, so much so that most British film fans had no idea that he was actually Scottish.

Biography

He was born in Edinburgh, Scotland in 1906, and was educated in

Davidson's Mains Davidson's Mains is a former village and now a district in the north-west of Edinburgh, Scotland. It is adjacent to the districts of Barnton, Cramond, Silverknowes, Blackhall and Corbiehill/House O'Hill. It was absorbed into Edinburgh as part ...

. Initially an instructor at

the Royal Burgess Golfing Society of Edinburgh The Royal Burgess Golfing Society of Edinburgh is a Scottish golf club, which holds claim to be the oldest golfing society in the world, with references to it being instituted in 1735 dating from 1834. The club enjoys a parkland course located ...

, he later toured South and Central America and won the Central America Open and later helped design a course in

Guatemala Guatemala ( ; ), officially the Republic of Guatemala ( es, República de Guatemala, links=no), is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the north and west by Mexico; to the northeast by Belize and the Caribbean; to the east by H ...

. A trip to the United States kindled his interest in the film industry, and he made his screen debut in ''

Well Done, Henry ''Well Done, Henry'' is a 1936 British comedy film directed by Wilfred Noy and starring Will Fyffe, Cathleen Nesbitt and Charles Hawtrey. It was made at the Cricklewood Studios in London.Wood p.93 The film's art direction was by Duncan Suther ...

'' and followed it up with an appearance as HM Stanley in ''

David Livingstone David Livingstone (; 19 March 1813 – 1 May 1873) was a Scottish physician, Congregationalist, and pioneer Christian missionary with the London Missionary Society, an explorer in Africa, and one of the most popular British heroes of t ...

''. In 1939 he appeared in the West End in

N.C. Hunter Norman Charles Hunter (18 September 1908 – 19 April 1971) was a British playwright whose plays attracted such notable actors to perform them as John Gielgud, Wendy Hiller, Sybil Thorndike, Ralph Richardson, Vanessa Redgrave, Michael Redgrave ...

's comedy ''

Grouse in June ''Grouse in June'' is a 1939 comedy play by N.C. Hunter, in which a group of Americans hunt for treasure lost on the Scottish coast when the Spanish Armada was washed ashore in 1588. After premiering at Richmond Theatre, it ran for 126 performa ...

''. He made his final appearance in ''

Chato's Land ''Chato's Land'' is a 1972 Western Technicolor film directed by Michael Winner, starring Charles Bronson and Jack Palance. In Apache country, the half-native Chato shoots the local sheriff in self-defense, and finds himself hunted by a posse of ...

'' on film, and in ''

The Amorous Prawn ''The Amorous Prawn'' or ''The Amorous Mr. Prawn'' is a 1962 British comedy film directed by Anthony Kimmins and starring Ian Carmichael, Joan Greenwood and Cecil Parker. The film was based on a 1959 farcical play by Kimmins. In the United St ...

'' on stage in Edinburgh.BFI.org
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Filmography

* ''

'' (1936) - Sevier * ''

The Captain's Table ''The Captain's Table'' is a 1959 Cinema of the United Kingdom, British comedy film directed by Jack Lee (film director), Jack Lee based upon a novel by Richard Gordon (English author), Richard Gordon. It stars John Gregson, Donald Sinden, Pegg ...

'' (1936) - Inspector Mooney * ''

'' (1936) - H.M. Stanley * ''

The Wife of General Ling ''The Wife of General Ling'' is a 1937 British drama film directed by Ladislao Vajda and starring Griffith Jones, Valéry Inkijinoff and Adrianne Renn. It was adapted from a novel by Dorothy Hope and Peter Cheyney. The film was made at Shepperto ...

'' (1937) - Tracy * ''

The Divorce of Lady X ''The Divorce of Lady X'' is a 1938 British Technicolor romantic comedy film produced by London Films; it stars Merle Oberon, Laurence Olivier, Ralph Richardson and Binnie Barnes. It was directed by Tim Whelan and produced by Alexander Kord ...

'' (1938) - Minor Role (uncredited) * ''

His Lordship Goes to Press ''His Lordship Goes to Press'' is a 1938 British comedy film directed by Maclean Rogers and starring June Clyde, Hugh Williams, Louise Hampton and Leslie Perrins. The film follows an American reporter who goes to work on a farm for an assignment, ...

'' (1938) - Reporter (uncredited) * '' Hey! Hey! USA'' (1938) - Man on Phone (uncredited) * ''

The Saint in London ''The Saint in London'' is a 1939 British crime film, the third of eight films in RKO's film series featuring the adventures of Simon Templar, alias "The Saint". It stars George Sanders as Templar and was produced by William Sistrom. John Pad ...

'' (1939) - Tim - Kussella's Chauffeur (uncredited) * ''

Where's That Fire? ''Where's That Fire?'' is a 1940 British comedy film, produced by Twentieth Century Fox, directed by Marcel Varnel and starring Will Hay, Moore Marriott and Graham Moffatt. It was the last film Will Hay made with his most famous comic foils, Mo ...

'' (1940) - Jim Baker * '' For Freedom'' (1940) - Sam * ''

Neutral Port ''Neutral Port'' is a 1940 British war film directed by Marcel Varnel and starring Will Fyffe, Leslie Banks, Yvonne Arnaud, and Phyllis Calvert, with a supporting role for Wally Patch. It was produced and distributed by Gainsborough Pictures a ...

'' (1940) - Jim Grey * ''

Spring Meeting ''Spring Meeting'' is a 1941 British comedy film directed by Walter C. Mycroft and Norman Lee and starring Enid Stamp-Taylor, Michael Wilding, Basil Sydney and Sarah Churchill. It was based on a 1938 play of the same title by M. J. Farrell ...

'' (1941) - Michael Byrne * '' "Pimpernel" Smith'' (1941) - David Maxwell * '' The Young Mr. Pitt'' (1942) - Mr. Melvill * ''

The Seventh Veil ''The Seventh Veil'' is a 1945 British melodrama film directed by Compton Bennett and starring James Mason and Ann Todd. It was made by Ortus Films (a company established by producer Sydney Box) and released through General Film Distributors in ...

'' (1945) - Peter Gay * '' This Man Is Mine'' (1946) - Bill Mackenzie * '' No Orchids for Miss Blandish'' (1948) - Dave Fenner * ''

Good-Time Girl ''Good-Time Girl'' is a 1948 British film noir- crime drama film directed by David MacDonald. A homeless girl is asked to explain her bad behaviour in the juvenile court, and says she’s run away from home because she’s unhappy there. They ex ...

'' (1948) - Al Schwartz * ''

The Huggetts Abroad ''The Huggetts Abroad'' is a 1949 British film starring Jack Warner, Kathleen Harrison, Petula Clark and Susan Shaw. It was the final film of The Huggetts. The film was less commercially successful than its predecessors. A sequel, ''Christmas ...

'' (1949) - Bob McCoy * ''

Lilli Marlene ''Lilli Marlene'' is a 1950 British war film aimed for the US market and directed by Arthur Crabtree. It stars Lisa Daniely, Hugh McDermott, and Richard Murdoch. Stanley Baker is seen in one of his early support roles. Plot A French girl name ...

'' (1950) - Steve * '' Two on the Tiles'' (1951) - Dick Lawson * '' Four Days'' (1951) - Francis Templar * ''

Trent's Last Case ''Trent's Last Case'' is a detective novel written by E. C. Bentley and first published in 1913. Its central character, the artist and amateur detective Philip Trent, reappeared subsequently in the novel '' Trent's Own Case'' (1936), and the s ...

'' (1952) - Calvin C. Bunner * ''

The Wedding of Lilli Marlene ''The Wedding of Lilli Marlene'' is a 1953 British drama film directed by Arthur Crabtree and starring Lisa Daniely, Hugh McDermott and Sid James. It was made at Southall Studios with sets designed by the art director Ray Simm. It was produc ...

'' (1953) - Steve Moray * ''

The Love Lottery ''The Love Lottery'' is a 1954 British comedy film directed by Charles Crichton and starring David Niven, Peggy Cummins, Anne Vernon and Herbert Lom. Produced by Ealing Studios it was one of several Ealing Comedies that veered away from the stan ...

'' (1954) - Rodney Wheeler * '' Night People'' (1954) - Maj. Burns * ''

Johnny on the Spot ''Johnny on the Spot'' is a 1954 British crime drama film directed by Maclean Rogers and starring Hugh McDermott, Elspet Gray and Paul Carpenter. It was shot at Bushey Studios and on location in London. It was produced as a second feature. ...

'' (1954) - Johnny Breakes * ''

Devil Girl from Mars ''Devil Girl from Mars'' is a 1954 British black-and-white science fiction film, produced by the Danziger Brothers, directed by David MacDonald and starring Patricia Laffan, Hugh McDermott, Hazel Court, Peter Reynolds, and Adrienne Corri. It ...

'' (1954) - Michael Carter * '' Malaga'' (1954) - Richard Farrell * ''

As Long as They're Happy ''As Long as They're Happy'' is a 1955 British musical comedy film directed by J. Lee Thompson and starring Jack Buchanan, Susan Stephen and Diana Dors. It is based on the 1953 play of the same name by Vernon Sylvaine. It was shot at Pinewoo ...

'' (1955) - Barnaby Brady * '' Thunder Rock'' (1955, TV film) - Streeter * ''

You Pay Your Money ''You Pay Your Money'' is a 1957 British crime drama film directed by Maclean Rogers and starring Hugh McDermott (actor), Hugh McDermott, Jane Hylton and Honor Blackman. The thriller was one of the Butcher's Film Service's 1950s B movies, B film ...

'' (1957) - Bob Westlake * ''

A King in New York ''A King in New York'' is a 1957 British comedy film directed by and starring Charlie Chaplin in his last leading role, which co-stars, among others, his young son Michael. The film presents a satirical view of the McCarthy communist-hunt era ...

'' (1957) - Bill Johnson (uncredited) * '' The Man Who Wouldn't Talk'' (1958) - Bernie * '' Delayed Flight'' (1964) - Lt. Col. Gavin Brampton * ''

First Men in the Moon ''The First Men in the Moon'' is a scientific romance by the English author H. G. Wells, originally serialised in ''The Strand Magazine'' from December 1900 to August 1901 and published in hardcover in 1901, who called it one of his "fantastic ...

'' (1964) - Richard Challis * ''

Bindle A bindle is the bag, sack, or carrying device stereotypically used by the American sub-culture of hobos. The bindle is colloquially known as the ''blanket stick'', particularly within the Northeastern hobo community. A hobo who carried a bin ...

'' (1966) - American tourist * ''

The File of the Golden Goose ''The File of the Golden Goose'' is a 1969 British neo noir thriller film directed by Sam Wanamaker and starring Yul Brynner, Charles Gray and Edward Woodward. Its plot involves an American detective being sent to Britain to track down a majo ...

'' (1969) - Ray Moss * ''

Guns in the Heather ''Guns in the Heather'' is a 1969 Walt Disney adventure film directed by Robert Butler and produced by Ron Miller. It stars Kurt Russell, Glenn Corbett and Alfred Burke. It was originally broadcast in parts on '' Walt Disney's Wonderful Wor ...

'' (1969) - Carleton * ''

The Adding Machine ''The Adding Machine'' is a 1923 play by Elmer Rice; it has been called "... a landmark of American Expressionism, reflecting the growing interest in this highly subjective and nonrealistic form of modern drama." Plot The author of this play ta ...

'' (1969) - Harry * '' The Games'' (1970) * '' Lawman'' (1971) - L.G. Moss * '' Captain Apache'' (1971) - Gen. Ryland * ''

'' (1972) - Bartender (final film role)

References

External links

* 1906 births 1972 deaths Scottish male stage actors Scottish male film actors Scottish male television actors 20th-century Scottish male actors Scottish male golfers Male actors from Edinburgh Golfers from Edinburgh {{UK-screen-actor-stub