John Justin (24 November 1917 – 29 November 2002) was a British stage and film actor.

Early life

John Justinian de Ledesma was born in

Knightsbridge Knightsbridge is a residential and retail district in central London, south of Hyde Park, London, Hyde Park. It is identified in the London Plan as one of two international retail centres in London, alongside the West End of London, West End. ...

, London, England, the son of a well-off

Argentine Argentines (mistakenly translated Argentineans in the past; in Spanish (masculine) or (feminine)) are people identified with the country of Argentina. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Argentines, s ...

rancher. Though he grew up on his father's ranch, he was educated at

Bryanston School Bryanston School is a public school (English independent day and boarding school for pupils aged 13–18) located next to the village of Bryanston, and near the town of Blandford Forum, in Dorset in South West England. It was founded in 1928 ...

Bryanston Bryanston is a village and civil parish in north Dorset, England, situated on the River Stour west of Blandford Forum. In the 2011 census the parish had a population of 925. The village is adjacent to the grounds of Bryanston School, an inde ...

Dorset Dorset ( ; archaically: Dorsetshire , ) is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The ceremonial county comprises the unitary authority areas of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole and Dorset (unitary authority), Dors ...

. He developed an interest in flying and became a qualified pilot at the age of 12, though he was not allowed to fly solo at the time because of his age.

Acting career

He became interested in acting at a young age. By the age of 16, he had joined the

Plymouth Plymouth () is a port city and unitary authority in South West England. It is located on the south coast of Devon, approximately south-west of Exeter and south-west of London. It is bordered by Cornwall to the west and south-west. Plymouth ...

Repertory. In 1937, he briefly trained with the

Royal Academy of Dramatic Art The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA; ) is a drama school in London, England, that provides vocational conservatoire training for theatre, film, television, and radio. It is based in the Bloomsbury area of Central London, close to the Sen ...

, but did not like it and soon joined the repertory company of

John Gielgud Sir Arthur John Gielgud, (; 14 April 1904 – 21 May 2000) was an English actor and theatre director whose career spanned eight decades. With Ralph Richardson and Laurence Olivier, he was one of the trinity of actors who dominated the Briti ...

. Among the plays he appeared in was ''

Dear Octopus ''Dear Octopus'' is a comedy by the playwright and novelist Dodie Smith. It opened at the Queen's Theatre, London on 14 September 1938. On the outbreak of the Second World War in September 1939 the run was halted after 373 performances; after ...

''.

''The Thief of Bagdad''

In 1938, he auditioned for and was cast the role for which he is perhaps best remembered, Ahmad in the 1940 version of '' The Thief of Bagdad'', opposite Sabu. To do so, he had to sign a seven-year contract with

Alexander Korda Sir Alexander Korda (; born Sándor László Kellner; hu, Korda Sándor; 16 September 1893 – 23 January 1956)Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

broke out during the film's production. After completing the picture, Justin joined the

Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...

, serving as a test pilot and flying instructor. He was injured in a crash. He was given leave to work on two films, ''

The Gentle Sex ''The Gentle Sex'' is a 1943 United Kingdom, British black-and-white romantic comedy-drama war film, film director, directed and narrated by Leslie Howard (actor), Leslie Howard. It was film producer, produced by Concanen Productions, Two Cities ...

'' (1943) with

Leslie Howard Leslie Howard Steiner (3 April 18931 June 1943) was an English actor, director and producer.Obituary ''Variety'', 9 June 1943. He wrote many stories and articles for ''The New York Times'', ''The New Yorker'', and '' Vanity Fair'' and was one ...

, and ''

Journey Together ''Journey Together'' is a 1945 British drama war film directed by John Boulting and starring Richard Attenborough, Jack Watling and David Tomlinson. It is Boulting's film directorial debut. The film was produced by the Royal Air Force Film Prod ...

'' (1944), an RAF feature film with a cast led by

Richard Attenborough Richard Samuel Attenborough, Baron Attenborough, (; 29 August 192324 August 2014) was an English actor, filmmaker, and entrepreneur. He was the president of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) and the British Academy of Film and Televisio ...

Jack Watling Jack Stanley Watling (13 January 1923 – 22 May 2001) was an English actor. Life and career The son of a travelling scrap metal dealer, Watling trained at the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts as a child; and made his stage debut in ''Where ...

David Tomlinson David Cecil MacAlister Tomlinson (7 May 1917 – 24 June 2000) was an English stage, film, and television actor and comedian. Having been described as both a leading man and a character actor, he is primarily remembered for his roles as authorit ...

, and Edward G. Robinson.

Bessie Love Bessie Love (born Juanita Horton; September 10, 1898April 26, 1986) was an American-British actress who achieved prominence playing innocent, young girls and wholesome leading ladies in silent and early sound films. Her acting career spanned ei ...

, whose career began in the silent era, also appeared in the cast.

Post-war

With the war's end, Justin returned to acting. In 1948, he did a stint at the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre, Stratford-on-Avon, appearing in ''King John'', ''The Merchant of Venice'', ''The Winter's Tale'', ''Othello'', ''Hamlet'', and ''Troilus and Cressida''. He also made the film '' Call of the Blood'' (1948). In 1949, he appeared on stage in ''Peter Pan'' and was in ''Antigone'' on the BBC. Justin was in ''

Return to Tyassi ''Return to Tyassi'' is a 1950 play by the British writer Benn Levy. The plot concerns a woman with a shady past who attempts to redeem herself. Levy directed the play, which featured his wife Constance Cummings in the lead role. It premiered at ...

'' (1950) on the West End and appeared in '' The Angel with the Trumpet'' (1950). Justin appeared in the film ''

The Sound Barrier ''The Sound Barrier'' is a 1952 British aviation drama film directed by David Lean. It is a fictional story about attempts by aircraft designers and test pilots to break the sound barrier. It was David Lean's third and final film with his wife ...

'' (1952) and played the lead in ''

Hot Ice Sodium acetate, CH3COONa, also abbreviated Na O Ac, is the sodium salt of acetic acid. This colorless deliquescent salt has a wide range of uses. Applications Biotechnological Sodium acetate is used as the carbon source for culturing bacteria ...

'' (1952). After appearing in ''Uncle Vanya'' (1952) on stage, he focused on film work. He was in '' The Village'' (1953), a Swiss film; '' Melba'' (1953), a biopic; '' King of the Khyber Rifles'' (1954), a Hollywood film with

Tyrone Power Tyrone Edmund Power III (May 5, 1914 – November 15, 1958) was an American actor. From the 1930s to the 1950s, Power appeared in dozens of films, often in swashbuckler roles or romantic leads. His better-known films include '' Jesse James'', ...

for

20th Century Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc. (previously known as 20th Century Fox) is an American film production company headquartered at the Fox Studio Lot in the Century City area of Los Angeles. As of 2019, it serves as a film production arm of Walt Dis ...

; ''

Seagulls Over Sorrento ''Seagulls Over Sorrento'' is a 1954 British war drama film made by the Boulting brothers based on the play of the same name by Hugh Hastings. The film stars Gene Kelly and was one of three made by Kelly in Europe over an 18-month period to ma ...

'' (1954) with

Gene Kelly Eugene Curran Kelly (August 23, 1912 – February 2, 1996) was an American actor, dancer, singer, filmmaker, and choreographer. He was known for his energetic and athletic dancing style and sought to create a new form of American dance accessibl ...

; '' The Teckman Mystery'' (1954) with

Margaret Leighton Margaret Leighton, CBE (26 February 1922 – 13 January 1976) was an English actress, active on stage and television, and in film. Her film appearances included (her first credited debut feature) in Anatole de Grunwald's ''The Winslow Boy'' (1 ...

; ''

The Man Who Loved Redheads ''The Man Who Loved Redheads'' is a 1955 British comedy film directed by Harold French and starring Moira Shearer, John Justin and Roland Culver. The film is based on the play '' Who is Sylvia?'' (1950) by Terence Rattigan, which is reputedly a ...

'' (1955) with

Moira Shearer Moira Shearer King, Lady Kennedy (17 January 1926 – 31 January 2006), was an internationally renowned Scottish ballet, ballet dancer and actress. She was famous for her performances in Powell and Pressburger's ''The Red Shoes (1948 film), Th ...

. Fox called him back for '' Untamed'' (1955) and

Warwick Films Warwick Films was a film company founded by film producers Irving Allen and Albert R. Broccoli in London in 1951. The name was taken from the Warwick Hotel in London.Broccoli, Albert R., Zec Donald. ''When the Snow Melts''. Boxtree. 1998 Their f ...

used him in ''

Safari A safari (; ) is an overland journey to observe wild animals, especially in eastern or southern Africa. The so-called "Big Five" game animals of Africa – lion, leopard, rhinoceros, elephant, and Cape buffalo – particularly form an importa ...

'' (1956) with

Victor Mature Victor John Mature (January 29, 1913 – August 4, 1999) was an American stage, film, and television actor who was a leading man in Hollywood during the 1940s and 1950s. His best known film roles include ''One Million B.C.'' (1940), '' My Darlin ...

. Justin had a good role in Fox's '' Island in the Sun'' (1957), romancing

Dorothy Dandridge Dorothy Jean Dandridge (November 9, 1922 – September 8, 1965) was an American actress, singer and dancer. She is the first African-American film star to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress, which was for her performance in ''Ca ...

. In 1957, he appeared on stage in ''Dinner with the Family''. In 1959 he joined the Old Vic, where his plays included ''The Double Dealer'', ''As You Like It'', and ''The Importance of Being Earnest''. He made his Broadway debut in 1960 in the play ''Little Moon of Alban'' and was in '' The Spider's Web'' (1960). He was later in stage productions of ''Much Ado About Nothing'' (1963), ''Death of a Salesman'' (1965), and ''As You Like It'' (1965). Between 1963 and 1970 he made no film appearances. In 1968 he played

Thorin Oakenshield Thorin Oakenshield (Thorin II) is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's 1937 novel ''The Hobbit''. Thorin is the leader of List of The Hobbit characters#Thorin's company, the Company of Dwarf (Middle-earth), Dwarves who aim to reclaim the ...

in the

BBC Radio BBC Radio is an operational business division and service of the British Broadcasting Corporation (which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a royal charter since 1927). The service provides national radio stations covering th ...

adaptation of ''

The Hobbit ''The Hobbit, or There and Back Again'' is a children's fantasy novel by English author J. R. R. Tolkien. It was published in 1937 to wide critical acclaim, being nominated for the Carnegie Medal and awarded a prize from the '' ...

''.

Later career

On stage he was in ''Lulu'' (1971), toured South Africa in ''Who Killed Santa Claus?'' (1971), was in ''Old Fruit'' (1974), ''A Man And His Wife'' (1974) Later films included

Ken Russell Henry Kenneth Alfred Russell (3 July 1927 – 27 November 2011) was a British film director, known for his pioneering work in television and film and for his flamboyant and controversial style. His films in the main were liberal adaptation ...

's '' Savage Messiah'' (1972), ''

Lisztomania Lisztomania or Liszt fever was the intense fan frenzy directed toward Hungarian composer Franz Liszt during his performances. This frenzy first occurred in Berlin in 1841 and the term was later coined by Heinrich Heine in a feuilleton he wrote on ...

'' (1975) and '' Valentino'' (1977). In 1979, he played the ghoulish lover in the BBC's dramatisation of Sheridan Le Fanu's '' Strange Incident in the Life of Schalcken the Painter'', one of its Christmas ghost stories. His love was for the stage. He called his film career "a mistake".

Personal life

Justin was married three times, first to dancer and choreographer Pola Nirenska. His second marriage, to actress

Barbara Murray Barbara Ann Murray (27 September 1929 – 20 May 2014) was an English actress. Murray was most active in the 1940s and 1950s as a fresh-faced leading lady in many British films such as ''Passport to Pimlico'' (1949) and ''Meet Mr. Lucifer'' (19 ...

, lasted from 1952 to 1964; they had three daughters. From 1970 to his death in 2002, he was married to Alison McMurdo.

Complete filmography

*'' The Thief of Bagdad'' (1940) - Ahmad *''

'' (1943) - Flying Officer David Sheridan *''

'' (1945) - Flying Instructor, Flying Grading School *''No Alibi'' (1947, Short) - Pilot *''Ridgeway's Late Joys'' (1947, TV) *'' Call of the Blood'' (1949) - David Erskine *''Antigone'' (1949, live TV drama) - Haemon *'' The Angel with the Trumpet'' (1950) - Paul Alt *''The World of Light'' (1950, live TV drama) - Bill Hamblin *''Rush Job'' (1951, live TV drama) - Tom Stevenson *''

'' (1952) - Philip Peel *''

'' (1952) - Jim Henderson *'' The Village'' (1953) - Alan Manning *'' Melba'' (1953) - Eric Walton *'' King of the Khyber Rifles'' (1953) - Lt. Geoffrey Heath *''Sacrifice to the Wind'' (1954, live TV drama) - Ulysses *''

'' (1954) - Lt. Roger Wharton *'' The Teckman Mystery'' (1954) - Philip Chance *''

'' (1955) - Mark St. Neots, Lord Binfield *'' Untamed'' (1955) - Shawn Kildare *''Guilty?'' (1956) - Nap Rumbold *''

'' (1956) - Brian Sinden *'' Island in the Sun'' (1957) - Denis Archer * ''

The Widow of Bath ''The Widow of Bath'' is a crime-thriller novel published in 1952 by the Scottish author Margot Bennett (writer), Margot Bennett. Premise Hugh Everton, who is struggling to readjust to normal life after serving several months in prison, re-enc ...

'' (1959, TV series) - Hugh Everton *'' The Spider's Web'' (1960) - Henry Hailsham-Brown *'' Les hommes veulent vivre'' (''Man Wants to Live'') (1961) - Carter *''Candidate for Murder'' (1962) - Robert Vaughan *''La Salamandre d'or'' (1962) - Vandoeuvre *'' Savage Messiah'' (1972) - Lionel Shaw *''La redada'' (''Barcelona Kill'') (1973) - Comisario Mendoza *''

'' (1975) - Count d'Agoult *'' Valentino'' (1977) - Sidney Olcott *''

The Big Sleep ''The Big Sleep'' (1939) is a hardboiled crime novel by American-British writer Raymond Chandler, the first to feature the detective Philip Marlowe. It has been adapted for film twice, The Big Sleep (1946 film), in 1946 and again The Big Sleep ...

'' (1978) - Arthur Geiger *''Schalcken the Painter'' (1979, TV Movie) - Vanderhausen *''Very Like a Whale'' (1980, TV Movie) - Party Guest *''Timon of Athens'' (1981, TV Movie) - Second Senator *''

Trenchcoat A trench coat or trenchcoat is a variety of coat made of waterproof heavy-duty fabric, originally developed for British Army officers before the First World War, and becoming popular while used in the trenches. Originally made from gabardine, ...

'' (1983) - Marquis De Pena *''Good at Art'' (1983, TV Movie) - Mr. Jones (final film role) *''Sabu: The Elephant Boy'' (1993, documentary) - Himself

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Justin, John 1917 births 2002 deaths 20th-century English male actors Alumni of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art English people of Argentine descent British actors of Latin American descent British people of Argentine descent English male stage actors English male film actors English test pilots Male actors from London People educated at Bryanston School Royal Air Force pilots of World War II