Harold Thomas Gregson (15 March 1919 – 8 January 1975), known professionally as John Gregson, was an English actor of stage, television and film, with 40 credited film roles. He was best known for his crime drama and comedy roles. He was credited in 40 films between 1948 and 1971, and on television from 1960 until his death. He was often cast as a police inspector or as a navy or army officer, or in comedy roles in Ealing and other British films.

Biography

Early life and military service

Born in

Liverpool Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a populat ...

of Irish descent, Gregson grew up in the city's

Wavertree Wavertree is a district of Liverpool, England. It is a ward of Liverpool City Council, and its population at the 2011 census was 14,772. Located to the south and east of the city centre, it is bordered by various districts and suburbs such as ...

area, where he was educated at Greenbank Road Primary School and later at St Francis Xavier's College, Liverpool. He left school at 16, working first for a telephone company, then for

Liverpool Corporation Liverpool City Council is the governing body for the city of Liverpool in Merseyside, England. It consists of 90 councillors, three for each of the city's 30 wards. The council is currently controlled by the Labour Party and is led by Mayor J ...

, as the city council was then known, before the

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 opposi ...

. During this time, he became interested in amateur dramatics, joining first the local Catholic church theatre group at St Anthony's in

Mossley Hill Mossley Hill is a suburb of Liverpool and a Liverpool City Council ward. Located to the south of the city, it is bordered by Aigburth, Allerton, Childwall, and Wavertree. At the 2001 Census, the population was 12,650, increasing to 13,816 a ...

. When war broke out, Gregson was called up and joined the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against ...

as a sailor on

minesweepers A minesweeper is a small warship designed to remove or detonate naval mines. Using various mechanisms intended to counter the threat posed by naval mines, minesweepers keep waterways clear for safe shipping. History The earliest known usage of ...

. At one point, his minesweeper was torpedoed and he was rescued from the sea with a knee injury.

Early postwar career

After being demobilised in 1945, he joined the

Liverpool Playhouse The Liverpool Playhouse is a theatre in Williamson Square in the city of Liverpool, England. It originated in 1866 as a music hall, and in 1911 developed into a repertory theatre. As such it nurtured the early careers of many actors and actres ...

for a year, before going on to

Perth Theatre Perth Theatre at 185 High Street (no longer its registered address) Perth, Scotland, opened in 1900 and was extended in the 1980s. The building is category B listed by Historic Scotland, and is operated by the charitable organisation Horsecros ...

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a Anglo-Scottish border, border with England to the southeast ...

. There he met his future wife, actress Ida Reddish from

Nottingham Nottingham ( , locally ) is a city and unitary authority area in Nottinghamshire, East Midlands, England. It is located north-west of London, south-east of Sheffield and north-east of Birmingham. Nottingham has links to the legend of Robi ...

(at the time using the stage name Thea Kronberg, though she later became

Thea Gregory Thea Gregory (née Ida Reddish; 1926 – December 2022) was a British actress. Gregory appeared in theatre under her real name, and in nine British films between 1950 and 1956, including ''The Weak and the Wicked'' (1954) with her husband, Jo ...

) who had recently arrived from the

Birmingham Repertory Theatre 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 ...

. They moved to London in 1947, and married there. They eventually had three daughters and three sons. He appeared alongside Alec Guinness in the play ''

The Human Touch ''The Human Touch'' is a play by Dudley Leslie and J. Lee Thompson. After premiering at the Liverpool Playhouse in May 1948, it later had a West End run of 113 performances at the Savoy Theatre between February and June 1949. The cast included ...

'' in the West End. He also starred in

Roger MacDougall Roger MacDougall (2 August 1910, in Glasgow – 27 May 1993) was a Scottish playwright, screenwriter and director. Biography MacDougall began writing the occasional screenplay in the late 30s, working both alone and in collaboration with ...

's comedy ''

Macadam and Eve ''Macadam and Eve'' is a comedy play by the British writer Roger MacDougall. Adam arrives in modern Scotland still looking for his Eve. It premiered at the Q Theatre near Kew Bridge in London before transferring to the Aldwych Theatre in Lond ...

''. He later enjoyed success in Hugh Hastings's play ''

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 m ...

'' at the

Apollo Theatre The Apollo Theatre is a Grade II listed West End theatre, on Shaftesbury Avenue in the City of Westminster, in central London.

. One of his first screen appearances was in the film ''

Saraband for Dead Lovers ''Saraband for Dead Lovers'' (released in the United States as ''Saraband'') is a 1948 British historical drama film directed by Basil Dearden and starring Stewart Granger and Joan Greenwood. It is based on the 1935 novel by Helen Simpson. Set i ...

'' (1948), a tearjerking romance starring

Joan Greenwood Joan Mary Waller Greenwood (4 March 1921 – 28 February 1987) was an English actress. Her husky voice, coupled with her slow, precise elocution, was her trademark. She played Sibella in the 1949 film ''Kind Hearts and Coronets'', and also app ...

and Stewart Granger. In the popular ''

Scott of the Antarctic Captain Robert Falcon Scott, , (6 June 1868 – c. 29 March 1912) was a British Royal Navy officer and explorer who led two expeditions to the Antarctic regions: the ''Discovery'' expedition of 1901–1904 and the ill-fated ''Terra N ...

'' (also 1948) he played

Tom Crean Tom or Thomas Crean may refer to: *Thomas Crean (1873–1923), Irish rugby union player, British Army soldier and doctor *Tom Crean (explorer) (1877–1938), Irish seaman and Antarctic explorer *Tom Crean (basketball) Thomas Aaron Crean (born Ma ...

. Gregson could also be seen in Ealing's '' Whisky Galore!'' (1949) and ''

Train of Events ''Train of Events'' is a 1949 British portmanteau film made by Ealing Studios and directed by Sidney Cole, Charles Crichton and Basil Dearden. It begins with a train that is heading for a crash into a stalled petrol tanker at a level crossing a ...

'' (1949), as well as ''

The Hasty Heart ''The Hasty Heart'' is a 1949 war drama film, an Anglo-American co-production starring Ronald Reagan, Patricia Neal, and Richard Todd and directed by Vincent Sherman. The film is based on the 1945 play of the same name by John Patrick. ''Th ...

'' (1949), ''

Cairo Road Cairo Road is the main thoroughfare of Lusaka, Zambia and the principal business, retail and service centre of the city. It is a section of the T2 road and was so named because it is a link in Cecil Rhodes' then dream of a Cape to Cairo Road ...

'' (1950), ''

Treasure Island ''Treasure Island'' (originally titled ''The Sea Cook: A Story for Boys''Hammond, J. R. 1984. "Treasure Island." In ''A Robert Louis Stevenson Companion'', Palgrave Macmillan Literary Companions. London: Palgrave Macmillan. .) is an adventure no ...

'' (1950) and ''

The Lavender Hill Mob ''The Lavender Hill Mob'' is a 1951 comedy film from Ealing Studios, written by T. E. B. Clarke, directed by Charles Crichton, starring Alec Guinness and Stanley Holloway and featuring Sid James and Alfie Bass. The title refers to Lavend ...

'' (1951). He had a lead role in '' Angels One Five'' (1951), a war film. He was promoted to leading man for ''

The Brave Don't Cry ''The Brave Don't Cry'' is a 1952 British drama film directed by Philip Leacock and starring John Gregson, Meg Buchanan and John Rae. The film depicts the events of September 1950 at the Knockshinnoch Castle colliery in Scotland, where 129 men ...

'' (1952), about a mining disaster. Gregson had the second lead in Rank's '' Venetian Bird'' and supported in ''

The Holly and the Ivy "The Holly and the Ivy" is a traditional British folk Christmas carol, listed as number 514 in the Roud Folk Song Index. The song can be traced only as far as the early nineteenth century, but the lyrics reflect an association between holly a ...

'' (both 1952). He also had a leading role in another Ealing comedy, ''

The Titfield Thunderbolt ''The Titfield Thunderbolt'' is a 1953 British comedy film directed by Charles Crichton and starring Stanley Holloway, Naunton Wayne, George Relph and John Gregson. The screenplay concerns a group of villagers trying to keep their branch l ...

'' (1953).

Stardom

Gregson became a star when cast in the comedy ''

Genevieve Genevieve (french: link=no, Sainte Geneviève; la, Sancta Genovefa, Genoveva; 419/422 AD – 502/512 AD) is the patroness saint of Paris in the Catholic and Orthodox traditions. Her feast is on 3 January. Genevieve was born in Nanterre a ...

'' (1953), also starring

Kenneth More Kenneth Gilbert More, CBE (20 September 1914 – 12 July 1982) was an English film and stage actor. Initially achieving fame in the comedy '' Genevieve'' (1953), he appeared in many roles as a carefree, happy-go-lucky gent. Films from this per ...

Dinah Sheridan Dinah Sheridan (born Dinah Nadyejda Ginsburg; 17 September 1920 – 25 November 2012) was an English actress with a career spanning seven decades. She was best known for the films '' Genevieve'' (1953) and '' The Railway Children'' (1970); the l ...

and

Kay Kendall Kay Kendall (21 May 1927 – 6 September 1959) was an English actress and comedienne. She began her film career in the musical film '' London Town'' (1946), a financial failure. Kendall worked regularly until her appearance in the comedy film ...

. It was the second-most popular film of the year in Britain. He was second-billed to

Glynis Johns Glynis Margaret Payne Johns (born 5 October 1923) is a South African-born British former actress, dancer, musician and singer. Recognised as a film and Broadway icon, Johns has a career spanning eight decades, in which she appeared in more than ...

in a prison drama, ''

The Weak and the Wicked ''The Weak and the Wicked'' (called ''Young and Willing'' in the United States) is a 1954 British drama film directed by J. Lee Thompson based on the autobiographical novel '' Who Lie in Gaol'' by his wife, Joan Henry, starring Glynis Johns and ...

'' (1954), another hit, and played the lead in a light drama, ''

Conflict of Wings ''Conflict of Wings'' is a 1954 British comedy drama film directed by John Eldridge and starring John Gregson, Muriel Pavlow and Kieron Moore. The film is based on a novel of the same title by Don Sharp who later became a noted director. It w ...

'' (1954). He was loaned to Adelphi Films for ''

The Crowded Day ''The Crowded Day'' is a 1954 British comedy drama film directed by John Guillermin and starring John Gregson, Joan Rice, Cyril Raymond and Josephine Griffin. The film follows a group of shopgirls working in Bunting and Hobbs, a London depar ...

'' (1954). He followed this with ''

To Dorothy a Son ''To Dorothy a Son'' is a 1954 British comedy film directed by Muriel Box and starring Shelley Winters, John Gregson and Peggy Cummins. Known in the U.S. as ''Cash on Delivery'', it is based on the 1950 play ''To Dorothy, a Son'' by Roger MacDo ...

'' (1954), a comedy co-starring

Shelley Winters Shelley Winters (born Shirley Schrift; August 18, 1920 – January 14, 2006) was an American actress whose career spanned seven decades. She appeared in numerous films. She won Academy Awards for ''The Diary of Anne Frank'' (1959) and ''A Patch o ...

; and ''

Three Cases of Murder ''Three Cases of Murder'' is a 1955 British horror omnibus film comprising three stories: "The Picture," "You Killed Elizabeth," and "Lord Mountdrago." Eamonn Andrews introduces each. Alan Badel appears in all three.John Hamilton, ''The British ...

'' (1955), an omnibus film co-starring

Orson Welles George Orson Welles (May 6, 1915 – October 10, 1985) was an American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter, known for his innovative work in film, radio and theatre. He is considered to be among the greatest and most influential f ...

. Gregson had a big hit with a war film, '' Above Us the Waves'' (1956), playing an Australian, in support of

John Mills Sir John Mills (born Lewis Ernest Watts Mills; 22 February 190823 April 2005) was an English actor who appeared in more than 120 films in a career spanning seven decades. He excelled on camera as an appealing British everyman who often portra ...

. He did a comedy with

Diana Dors Diana Dors (born Diana Mary Fluck; 23 October 19314 May 1984) was an English actress and singer. Dors came to public notice as a blonde bombshell, much in the style of Americans Marilyn Monroe, Jayne Mansfield and Mamie Van Doren. Dors was p ...

, ''

Value for Money In economics, economic value is a measure of the benefit provided by a good or service to an economic agent. It is generally measured through units of currency, and the interpretation is therefore "what is the maximum amount of money a specif ...

'', and a drama ''

Jacqueline Jacqueline may refer to: People * Jacqueline (given name), including a list of people with the name * Jacqueline Moore (born 1964), ring name "Jacqueline", American professional wrestler Arts and entertainment * ''Jacqueline'' (1923 film), ...

'' (both 1956). More successful was another war movie based on a true story, ''

The Battle of the River Plate The Battle of the River Plate was fought in the South Atlantic on 13 December 1939 as the first naval battle of the Second World War. The Kriegsmarine heavy cruiser , commanded by Captain Hans Langsdorff, engaged a Royal Navy squadron, command ...

'' (1956) in which Gregson played F. S. Bell. This film helped British exhibitors vote him the eighth-biggest British film star in the country for 1956. He followed it with ''

True as a Turtle ''True as a Turtle'' is a 1957 British comedy film directed by Wendy Toye and starring John Gregson, Cecil Parker, June Thorburn and Keith Michell. In the film, a young couple embark on a voyage on a ketch named ''Turtle''. John Coates wrote t ...

'' (1957), a comedy; and ''

Miracle in Soho ''Miracle in Soho'' is a 1957 British drama film directed by Julian Amyes and starring John Gregson, Belinda Lee and Cyril Cusack. The film depicts the lives of the inhabitants of a small street in Soho and the romance between a local road-b ...

'' (1957), a drama. That year he was the fourth-biggest British star.British Actors Head Film Poll: Box-Office Survey', The Manchester Guardian (1901–59) anchester (UK)27 December 1957: 3. The following year he was eighth, his last year in the top ten; his films included ''

Rooney Rooney may refer to: People *Wayne Rooney, English football manager and former player *Rooney family, of the Pittsburgh Steelers American football franchise *Rooney (surname), a surname (including a list of people with the name) * Rooney (given nam ...

'' (1958), a comedy in which he played an Irish sportsman; ''

Sea of Sand ''Sea of Sand'' (released in the US as ''Desert Patrol'') is a 1958 British war film starring Richard Attenborough, John Gregson and Michael Craig (actor), Michael Craig. The film, which was directed by Guy Green (filmmaker), Guy Green, is abou ...

'' (1958), a war film; and ''

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 ...

'' (1959) a comedy. He supported in '' SOS Pacific'' and '' Hand in Hand'' (both 1960), but was top-billed in ''

Faces in the Dark ''Faces in the Dark'' is a 1960 black and white British thriller film directed by David Eady and starring John Gregson, Mai Zetterling and John Ireland. The film is based on the 1952 novel ''Les Visages de l'ombre'' by Boileau-Narcejac. Plot Ri ...

'' (1960) and ''

The Frightened City ''The Frightened City'' is a 1961 British neo-noir gangster film about extortion rackets and gang warfare in the West End of London. It stars Herbert Lom, John Gregson and a pre-Bond Sean Connery, who plays a burglar called Paddy Damion. He ...

'' (1961). He had a support role in ''

The Treasure of Monte Cristo ''The Treasure of Monte Cristo'' is a 1961 British film directed by Monty Berman and Robert S. Baker. The film features Rory Calhoun as an army captain in 1815 who goes off in search of a treasure on the island of Monte Cristo. It is a preq ...

'' (1961) and was one of many names in '' The Longest Day'' (1962). Gregson's final film roles of note were '' Live Now, Pay Later'' (1962) and ''

Tomorrow at Ten ''Tomorrow at Ten'' is a 1962 British thriller film directed by Lance Comfort and starring John Gregson, Robert Shaw and Kenneth Cope. Plot A man calling himself Marlow kidnaps Jonathan Chester, the young son of wealthy industrialist Anthony C ...

'' (1962).

Later career

His film career faded after ten good years from 1952–1962. He was one of many leading men and women of the 1950s (the others including Kenneth More, Richard Todd, Patrick Holt, Michael Craig, Sylvia Syms and Muriel Pavlow) who struggled to maintain their status as leads beyond the early 1960s. From 1963 onwards, Gregson never played another leading film role. Gregson also worked on TV. In

Ivor Brown Ivor John Carnegie Brown CBE (25 April 1891 – 22 April 1974) was a British journalist and man of letters. Biography Born in Penang, Malaya, Brown was the younger of two sons of Dr. William Carnegie Brown, a specialist in tropical diseases ...

's BBC TV play ''William's Other Anne'' he played

William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

revisiting his first girlfriend

Anne Whateley Anne Whateley is the name given to a woman who is sometimes supposed to have been the intended wife of William Shakespeare before he married Anne Hathaway. Most scholars believe that Whateley never existed, and that her name in a document concer ...

. TV work became increasingly important to him from the mid-60s. He starred as Commander George Gideon in the 26 episodes of the series ''

Gideon's Way ''Gideon's Way'' is a British television crime series made by ITC Entertainment and broadcast by ITV in 1964–1966, based on novels by John Creasey (writing as 'J. J. Marric'). The series was made at Elstree Studios in twin production with ' ...

'' (1964–66) (known as ''Gideon C.I.D.'' in America). He also appeared in ''

The Saint The Saint may refer to: Fiction * Simon Templar, also known as "The Saint", the protagonist of a book series by Leslie Charteris and subsequent adaptations: ** ''The Saint'' (film series) (1938–43), starring Louis Hayward, George Sanders an ...

'' with Roger Moore and a popular comedy adventure series with Shirley MacLaine, ''

Shirley's World ''Shirley's World'' is a television series aired first by ABC during the 1971–72 television season. The sitcom was co-produced by the British ITC Entertainment and American producer Sheldon Leonard, with English producer-director Ray Au ...

''. He took over from Kenneth More in long-running TV adverts for coffee on British television. He appeared in '' It's the Geography That Counts'', the last play at the

St James's Theatre The St James's Theatre was in King Street, St James's, London. It opened in 1835 and was demolished in 1957. The theatre was conceived by and built for a popular singer, John Braham; it lost money and after three seasons he retired. A succ ...

before its closure in 1957.

Death

John Gregson died suddenly from a

heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which ma ...

near

Porlock Weir Porlock Weir is a harbour settlement approximately west of the inland village of Porlock, Somerset, England. "Porlock" comes from the Old English ''port'' '' loca'', meaning an enclosure near a harbour. Porlock Weir refers to the salmon stakes ...

Somerset ( en, All The People of Somerset) , locator_map = , coordinates = , region = South West England , established_date = Ancient , established_by = , preceded_by = , origin = , lord_lieutenant_office =Lord Lieutenant of Somerset , lord_ ...

, aged 55, whilst on holiday, walking on the path to St. Beuno's Church, Culbone. He left a widow, Thea Gregory, and six children. His final television role was in the Southern Television serial ''Dangerous Knowledge'', which was broadcast posthumously in 1976. His body was interred at Sunbury Cemetery, Sunbury-on-Thames, Surrey near his family home at Creek House, Chertsey Road,

Shepperton Shepperton is an urban village in the Borough of Spelthorne, Surrey, approximately south west of central London. Shepperton is equidistant between the towns of Chertsey and Sunbury-on-Thames. The village is mentioned in a document of 959 AD ...

Complete filmography

*'' London Belongs to Me'' (1948) - (uncredited) *''

'' (1948) - (uncredited) *''

'' (1948) - P.O. T. Crean R.N. *'' Whisky Galore!'' (1949) - Sammy MacCodrun *''

'' (1949) - Malcolm Murray-Bruce (segment "The Composer") *''

'' (1949) - Raw recruit in jungle (uncredited) *''

'' (1950) - Coast Guardsman *''

'' (1950) - Redruth *''

'' (1951) - Farrow *'' Angels One Five'' (1952) - Pilot Officer 'Septic' Baird *''

'' (1952) - John Cameron *'' Venetian Bird'' (1952) - Renzo Uccello *''

'' (1952) - David Paterson *''

'' (1953) - Gordon *''Captain Brassbound's Conversion'' (1953 TV movie) - Captain Brassbound *''

'' (1953) - Alan McKim *''

'' (1954) - Dr. Michael Hale *''

'' (1954) - Cpl. Bill Morris *''

'' (1954) - Leslie *''

'' (1954) - Tony Rapallo *''

'' (1955) - Edgar Curtain ("You Killed Elizabeth" segment) *'' Above Us the Waves'' (1955) - Lt Alec Duffy *''

'' (1955) - Chayley Broadbent *''

'' (1956) - Mike McNeil *''

'' (1956) - Captain Bell - H.M.S. Exeter *''

'' (1957) - Tony Hudson *''

'' (1957) - Michael Morgan *''

'' (1958) - James Ignatius Rooney *''

'' (1958) - Capt. Williams *''

'' (1959) - Capt. Albert Ebbs *'' SOS Pacific'' (1959) - Jack Bennett *'' Hand in Hand'' (1960) - Father Timothy *''

'' (1960) - Richard Hammond *''

'' (1961) - Det. Insp. Sayers *''

'' (1961) - Renato *'' The Longest Day'' (1962) - British Padre, Parachute Regiment - searching for his Communion Set *'' Live Now, Pay Later'' (1962) - Callendar *''

'' (1962) - Detective Chief Inspector Parnell *''

The Night of the Generals ''The Night of the Generals'' is a 1967 World War II mystery film directed by Anatole Litvak and produced by Sam Spiegel. It stars Peter O'Toole, Omar Sharif, Tom Courtenay, Donald Pleasence, Joanna Pettet and Philippe Noiret. The screenplay ...

'' (1967) - Colonel Sandauer *''Hans Brinker'' (1969 TV movie) - Mijnheer Brinker *''Speaking of Murder'' (1971 TV movie) - Charles Ashton *'' Fright'' (1971) - Dr. Cordell

Box office rankings

For several years British exhibitors listed Gregson as one of the most popular local stars at the box office. *1956 – 9th most popular British star"The Most Popular Film Star In Britain." Times ondon, England7 December 1956: 3. The Times Digital Archive. Web. 11 July 2012. *1957 – 4th most popular British star (7th overall) *1958 – 8th

References

External links

*
Website dedicated to the work of John Gregson

Gregson images, Barnsley

John Gregson
at

BFI The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and television charitable organisation which promotes and preserves film-making and television in the United Kingdom. The BFI uses funds provided by the National Lottery (United Kingdom), National Lot ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gregson, John 1919 births 1975 deaths English male film actors English male stage actors English male television actors Male actors from Liverpool 20th-century English male actors British male comedy actors English people of Irish descent Royal Navy sailors Royal Navy personnel of World War II Shipwreck survivors