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 period include '' Doctor in the House'' (1954), ''

Raising a Riot ''Raising a Riot'' is a 1955 British comedy film directed by Wendy Toye and starring Kenneth More, Shelagh Fraser and Mandy Miller about a naval officer who attempts to look after his three children in his wife's absence. It was shot at Sheppert ...

'' (1955), '' The Admirable Crichton'' (1957), ''

The Sheriff of Fractured Jaw ''The Sheriff of Fractured Jaw'' is a 1958 British-American Western comedy directed by Raoul Walsh, starring Kenneth More and Jayne Mansfield. Mansfield's singing voice is dubbed by Connie Francis. It was one of the first Westerns to be shot in ...

'' (1958) and ''

Next to No Time ''Next to No Time'' is a 1958 British comedy, filmed in colour, starring Kenneth More, Betsy Drake, John Laurie, Sid James and Irene Handl. It was written and directed by Henry Cornelius and was based on Paul Gallico's short story "The Enchante ...

'' (1958). He also played more serious roles as a leading man, beginning with '' The Deep Blue Sea'' (1955), ''

Reach for the Sky ''Reach for the Sky'' is a 1956 British biographical film about aviator Douglas Bader, based on the 1954 biography of the same name by Paul Brickhill. The film stars Kenneth More and was directed by Lewis Gilbert. It won the BAFTA Award fo ...

'' (1956), '' A Night to Remember'' (1958), '' North West Frontier'' (1959), '' The 39 Steps'' (1959) and ''

Sink the Bismarck ''Sink the Bismarck!'' is a 1960 black-and-white CinemaScope British war film based on the 1959 book '' The Last Nine Days of the Bismarck'' by C. S. Forester. It stars Kenneth More and Dana Wynter and was directed by Lewis Gilbert.Weiler, A.H ...

'' (1960). Although his career declined in the early 1960s, two of his own favourite films date from this time – '' The Comedy Man'' (1964) and '' The Greengage Summer'' (1961) with Susannah York, "one of the happiest films on which I have ever worked."Kenneth More (1978) ''More or Less'', Hodder & Stoughton. He also enjoyed a revival in the much-acclaimed TV adaptation of '' The Forsyte Saga'' (1967) and the '' Father Brown'' series (1974).

Early life

Kenneth More was born at 'Raeden', Vicarage Way, Gerrards Cross,

Buckinghamshire Buckinghamshire (), abbreviated Bucks, is a ceremonial county in South East England that borders Greater London to the south-east, Berkshire to the south, Oxfordshire to the west, Northamptonshire to the north, Bedfordshire to the north-e ...

, the only son of Charles Gilbert More, a

Royal Naval Air Service The Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) was the air arm of the Royal Navy, under the direction of the Admiralty's Air Department, and existed formally from 1 July 1914 to 1 April 1918, when it was merged with the British Army's Royal Flying Corps t ...

pilot, and Edith Winifred Watkins, the daughter of a

Cardiff Cardiff (; cy, Caerdydd ) is the capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of Wales. It forms a Principal areas of Wales, principal area, officially known as the City and County of Cardiff ( cy, Dinas a ...

solicitor. He was educated at Victoria College, Jersey, having spent part of his childhood in the

Channel Islands The Channel Islands ( nrf, Îles d'la Manche; french: îles Anglo-Normandes or ''îles de la Manche'') are an archipelago in the English Channel, off the French coast of Normandy. They include two Crown Dependencies: the Bailiwick of Jersey, ...

, where his father was general manager of the Jersey Eastern Railway. After he left school, he followed the family tradition by training as a

civil engineer A civil engineer is a person who practices civil engineering – the application of planning, designing, constructing, maintaining, and operating infrastructure while protecting the public and environmental health, as well as improving existing ...

. He gave up his training and worked for a while in

Sainsbury's J Sainsbury plc, trading as Sainsbury's, is the second largest chain of supermarkets in the United Kingdom, with a 14.6% share of UK supermarket sales. Founded in 1869 by John James Sainsbury with a shop in Drury Lane, London, the company ...

on the Strand. When More was 17 his father died, and he applied to join 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) an ...

, but failed the medical test for equilibrium. He then travelled to Canada, intending to work as a

fur trapper Fur is a thick growth of hair that covers the skin of mammals. It consists of a combination of oily guard hair on top and thick underfur beneath. The guard hair keeps moisture from reaching the skin; the underfur acts as an insulating blanke ...

, but was sent back because he lacked immigration papers.

Windmill Theatre

On his return from Canada, a business associate of his father,

Vivian Van Damm Vivian Van Damm (28 June 1889 – 14 December 1960) was a prominent British theatre impresario from 1932 until 1960, managing the Windmill Theatre in London's Great Windmill Street. The theatre was famed for its pioneering ''tableaux vivants'' ...

, agreed to offer him work as a stagehand at the Windmill Theatre, where his job included shifting scenery, and helping to get the nude players off stage during its ''Revudeville'' variety shows. After a chance moment on stage helping out a comic, he realised he wanted to become an actor and was soon promoted to playing straight man in the ''Revudeville'' comedy routines, appearing in his first sketch in August 1935. He played there for a year, which then led to regular work in repertory, including Newcastle, performing in plays such as '' Burke and Hare'' and '' Dracula's Daughter''. Other stage appearances included ''Do You Remember?'' (1937), ''Stage Hands Never Lie'' (1937) and ''Distinguished Gathering'' (1937). More continued his theatre work until the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939. He had the occasional bit part in films such as '' Look Up and Laugh'' (1935).

Second World War

Before the war More was working as an actor in

Wolverhampton Wolverhampton () is a city, metropolitan borough and administrative centre in the West Midlands, England. The population size has increased by 5.7%, from around 249,500 in 2011 to 263,700 in 2021. People from the city are called "Wulfrunians ...

at the Rep and living at 166 Waterloo Road. According to the 1939 register he was also ambulance driver number 207; no doubt in anticipation of hostilities reaching the town. More received a commission as a lieutenant in 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 Fr ...

, and saw active service aboard the

cruiser A cruiser is a type of warship. Modern cruisers are generally the largest ships in a fleet after aircraft carriers and amphibious assault ships, and can usually perform several roles. The term "cruiser", which has been in use for several ...

and the aircraft carrier .

Resumption of acting career

On demobilisation in 1946 he worked for the

repertory company, then appeared on stage in the West End in ''And No Birds Sing'' (1946). More played Badger in a TV adaptation of ''

Toad of Toad Hall ''Toad of Toad Hall'' is a play written by A. A. Milne – the first of several dramatisations of Kenneth Grahame's 1908 novel '' The Wind in the Willows'' – with incidental music by Harold Fraser-Simson. It was originally produced by Willi ...

'' (1946) and a bit part in the film '' School for Secrets'' (1946). He was seen by

Noël Coward Sir Noël Peirce Coward (16 December 189926 March 1973) was an English playwright, composer, director, actor, and singer, known for his wit, flamboyance, and what ''Time'' magazine called "a sense of personal style, a combination of cheek and ...

playing a small role on stage in ''Power Without Glory'' (1947), which led to his being cast in Coward's '' Peace In Our Time'' (1948) on stage. More's earliest bit parts in films date from before the war, but around this time, he began to appear regularly on the big screen. For a small role in ''

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 Nov ...

'' (1948) as Edward Evans, 1st Baron Mountevans, he was paid £500. He had minor parts in '' Man on the Run'' (1949), ''

Now Barabbas ''Now Barabbas'' is a 1949 British drama film directed by Gordon Parry and starring Richard Greene, Cedric Hardwicke and Kathleen Harrison. It is sometimes known as ''Now Barabbas Was a Robber''. It was based on a 1947 play of the same title by ...

'' (1949), and '' Stop Press Girl'' (1949).

Stardom

Rising reputation

More achieved a notable stage success in ''The Way Things Go'' (1950) with

Ronald Squire Ronald Launcelot Squire (25 March 1886 – 16 November 1958) was an English character actor. Biography Born in Tiverton, Devon, England, the son of an army officer, Lt.-Col. Frederick Squirl and his Irish-born wife Mary (Ronald's surname 'Sq ...

, from whom More later claimed he learned his stage technique.Shipman 1972, p. 371. He was in demand for minor roles on screen such as '' Morning Departure'' (1950) and '' Chance of a Lifetime'' (1950). More had a good part as a British agent in '' The Clouded Yellow'' (1950) for Ralph Thomas. He could also be seen in '' The Franchise Affair'' (1951) and '' The Galloping Major'' (1951). More's first Hollywood-financed film was ''

No Highway in the Sky ''No Highway in the Sky'' (also known as ''No Highway'') is a 1951 British black-and-white aviation drama film from 20th Century Fox, produced by Louis D. Lighton, directed by Henry Koster, that stars James Stewart, Marlene Dietrich, Glynis Jo ...

'' (1951) where he played a co-pilot. Thomas cast him in another strong support part in '' Appointment with Venus'' (1952). More achieved above the title billing for the first time with a low budget comedy, '' Brandy for the Parson'' (1952), playing a smuggler.

''The Deep Blue Sea''

Roland Culver recommended More audition for a part in a new play by Terence Rattigan, '' The Deep Blue Sea'' (1952); he was successful and achieved tremendous critical acclaim in the role of Freddie. During the play's run he appeared as a worried parent in a thriller, '' The Yellow Balloon'' (1953). He was in another Hollywood-financed film, '' Never Let Me Go'' (1953), playing a colleague of

Clark Gable William Clark Gable (February 1, 1901November 16, 1960) was an American film actor, often referred to as "The King of Hollywood". He had roles in more than 60 motion pictures in multiple genres during a career that lasted 37 years, three decades ...

Film stardom: ''Genevieve'' and ''Doctor in the House''

Director

Henry Cornelius Henry Cornelius (born Owen Henry Cornelius 18 August 1913 – 2 May 1958) was a South African-born film director, producer, screenwriter and film editor. He directed five films between 1949 and 1958. Biography Born into a German-Jewish fa ...

approached More during the run of ''The Deep Blue Sea'' and offered him £3,500 to play one of the four leads in a comedy, '' Genevieve'' (1953) (a part turned down by

Guy Middleton Guy Middleton Powell (14 December 1906 – 30 July 1973), better known as Guy Middleton, was an English film character actor. Biography Guy Middleton was born in Hove, Sussex, and originally worked in the London Stock Exchange, before ...

). More said Cornelius never saw him in the play but cast him on the basis of his work in ''The Galloping Major''.Thompson, Harold. "From the 'Windmill' to the 'Sea'." ''The New York Times'', 29 May 1955, p. 53. More recalls "the shooting of the picture was hell. Everything went wrong, even the weather." The resulting film was a huge success at the British box office. More next made ''

Our Girl Friday ''Our Girl Friday'' (U.S. title ''The Adventures of Sadie'') is a 1953 British comedy film starring Joan Collins, George Cole, Kenneth More and Robertson Hare. It is about a woman who is shipwrecked with three men on a deserted island. The film ...

'' (1953) and '' Doctor in the House'' (1954), the latter for Ralph Thomas. Both films were made before the release of ''Genevieve'' so More's fee was relatively small; ''Our Girl Friday'' was a commercial disappointment but ''Doctor in the House'' was the biggest hit at the 1954 British box office and the most successful film in the history of Rank. More received a BAFTA Award as best newcomer. More appeared in a TV production of '' The Deep Blue Sea'' in 1954, which was seen by an audience of 11 million. More signed a five-year contract with Sir Alexander Korda at £10,000 a year. ' He was now established as one of Britain's biggest stars and Korda announced plans to feature him in two films based on true stories, one about the Transatlantic flight of Alcock and Brown in 1919 also featuring Denholm Elliott, and the other Clifton James, the double for

Field Marshal Montgomery Field Marshal Bernard Law Montgomery, 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein, (; 17 November 1887 – 24 March 1976), nicknamed "Monty", was a senior British Army officer who served in the First World War, the Irish War of Independence and th ...

. The first film was never made and the second (''

I Was Monty's Double ''I Was Monty's Double'' (released in the US as ''The Counterfeit General Montgomery''The Four Feathers'', '' Storm Over the Nile'' (1956) but he turned it down. However More did accept Korda's offer to appear in a film adaptation of '' The Deep Blue Sea'' (1955) gaining the Best Actor at the Venice Film Festival for his performance. The film was something of a critical and commercial disappointment (More felt

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 '' Go ...

was miscast in the lead) but still widely seen. He also did the narration for Korda's ''

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). More starred in a comedy, ''

'' (1955), which was the eighth most popular movie at the British box office in 1955.

''Reach for the Sky''

He received an offer from

David Lean Sir David Lean (25 March 190816 April 1991) was an English film director, producer, screenwriter and editor. Widely considered one of the most important figures in British cinema, Lean directed the large-scale epics ''The Bridge on the River ...

to play the lead role in an adaptation of ''

The Wind Cannot Read ''The Wind Cannot Read'' is a 1958 British drama film directed by Ralph Thomas and starring Dirk Bogarde, Yoko Tani, Ronald Lewis and John Fraser. It was based on the 1946 novel by Richard Mason, who also wrote the screenplay. Songwriter ...

'' by Richard Mason. More was unsure about whether the public would accept him in the part and turned it down, a decision he later regarded as "the greatest mistake I ever made professionally". Lean dropped the project and was not involved in the eventual 1958 film version which starred

Dirk Bogarde Sir Dirk Bogarde (born Derek Jules Gaspard Ulric Niven van den Bogaerde; 28 March 1921 – 8 May 1999) was an English actor, novelist and screenwriter. Initially a matinée idol in films such as '' Doctor in the House'' (1954) for the Rank Org ...

and which was directed by Ralph Thomas. Instead, More played the

fighter ace, Douglas Bader, in ''

'' (1956), a part turned down by Richard Burton. It was the most popular British film of the year. By 1956, More's asking price was £25,000 a film. More received offers to go to Hollywood, but turned them down, unsure his persona would be effective there. However, he started working with American co-stars and directors more often. In February 1957, he signed a contract with Daniel M. Angel and was to make ten films over five years, seven which would be distributed by Rank and three by 20th Century Fox. In June of that year, he said:

Hollywood has been hitting two extremes – either a Biblical de Mille spectacular or a ''
Baby Doll ''Baby Doll'' is a 1956 American dramatic black comedy film directed by Elia Kazan, and starring Carroll Baker, Karl Malden, and Eli Wallach. It was produced by Kazan and Tennessee Williams, and adapted by Williams from his own one-act play ...
''. Britain does two other kinds of movie as well as anyone – a certain type of high comedy and a kind of semi-documentary. I believe we (the British film industry) should hit these hard.

His next film, '' The Admirable Crichton'' (1957), was a high comedy, based on the play by J. M. Barrie. It was released by

Columbia Pictures Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production studio that is a member of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group, a division of Sony Pictures Entertainment, which is one of the Big Five studios and a subsidiary of the mu ...

. It was directed by Lewis Gilbert who also had made ''Reach for the Sky'' and who later said:

I was very fond of Kenny as an actor, although he wasn't particularly versatile. What he could do, he did very well. His strengths were his ability to portray charm; basically he was the officer returning from the war and he was superb in that kind of role. The minute that kind of role went out of existence, he began to go down as a box office star."MacFarlane 1997, p. 222.

Regarding his performance in this film, critic David Shipman wrote:

It was not just that he had superb comic timing: one could see absolutely why the family trusted their fates to him. No other British actor had come so close to that dependable, reliable quality of the great Hollywood stars – you would trust him through thick and thin. And he was more humorous than, say,
Gary Cooper Gary Cooper (born Frank James Cooper; May 7, 1901May 13, 1961) was an American actor known for his strong, quiet screen persona and understated acting style. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor twice and had a further three nominations, a ...
, more down-to-earth than, say,
Cary Grant Cary Grant (born Archibald Alec Leach; January 18, 1904November 29, 1986) was an English-American actor. He was known for his Mid-Atlantic accent, debonair demeanor, light-hearted approach to acting, and sense of comic timing. He was one of ...
.Shipman 1989, pp. 414–415.

''The Admirable Crichton'' was the third most popular movie at the British box office in 1957. In 1957, More had announced that he would play the lead role of a captain caught up in the

Indian Mutiny The Indian Rebellion of 1857 was a major uprising in India in 1857–58 against the rule of the British East India Company, which functioned as a sovereign power on behalf of the British Crown. The rebellion began on 10 May 1857 in the for ...

in ''Night Runners of Bengal'' but the film was never made. More turned down an offer from Roy Ward Baker to play a German POW in '' The One That Got Away'' (1957), but agreed to play the lead part of

Charles Lightoller Charles Herbert Lightoller, (30 March 1874 – 8 December 1952) was a British mariner and naval officer. He was the second officer on board the and the most senior member of the crew to survive the ''Titanic'' disaster. As the officer in ch ...

in the

Titanic RMS ''Titanic'' was a British passenger liner, operated by the White Star Line, which sank in the North Atlantic Ocean on 15 April 1912 after striking an iceberg during her maiden voyage from Southampton, England, to New York City, Unite ...

film for the same director, '' A Night to Remember'' (1958). This was the first of a seven-year contract with Rank at a fee of £40,000 a film. It was popular though failed to recoup its large cost; it was one of More's most critically acclaimed films. For his next film, More had an American co-star Betsy Drake, ''

'' (1958) directed by Cornelius. It was a minor success at the box office. More then made a series of films for Rank that were distributed in the US by

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 Disn ...

. The first was ''

'' (1958), a Western spoof originally written for

Clifton Webb Webb Parmelee Hollenbeck (November 19, 1889 – October 13, 1966), known professionally as Clifton Webb, was an American actor, singer, and dancer. He worked extensively and was known for his stage appearances in the plays of Noël Coward, i ...

. He had an American director (

Raoul Walsh Raoul Walsh (born Albert Edward Walsh; March 11, 1887December 31, 1980) was an American film director, actor, founding member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), and the brother of silent screen actor George Walsh. He wa ...

) and co-star ( Jayne Mansfield), although the film was shot in Spain. It was the tenth most-popular movie at the British box office in 1958. He followed it for another with Ralph Thomas, a remake of '' The 39 Steps'' (1959), with a Hollywood co star (

Taina Elg __NOTOC__ Taina may refer to: People Women * Taina Asili (), Puerto Rican musician, filmmaker and activist * Taïna Barioz (born 1988), French alpine skier * Taina Bien-Aimé, Swiss social activist * Taina Bofferding (born 1982), Luxembourgish ...

). It was a hit in Britain. The third Fox-Rank film was an Imperial adventure set in India, '' North West Frontier'' (1959), co-starring

Lauren Bacall Lauren Bacall (; born Betty Joan Perske; September 16, 1924 – August 12, 2014) was an American actress. She was named the 20th-greatest female star of classic Hollywood cinema by the American Film Institute and received an Academy Honorary ...

and directed by J. Lee Thompson. It was another success in Britain but not in the US. However ''

Sink the Bismarck! ''Sink the Bismarck!'' is a 1960 black-and-white CinemaScope British war film based on the 1959 book '' The Last Nine Days of the Bismarck'' by C. S. Forester. It stars Kenneth More and Dana Wynter and was directed by Lewis Gilbert.Weiler, A.H ...

'' (1960), directed by Gilbert, was a hit in Britain and the US. More was the subject of ''

This Is Your Life This Is Your Life may refer to: Television * ''This Is Your Life'' (American franchise), an American radio and television documentary biography series hosted by Ralph Edwards * ''This Is Your Life'' (Australian TV series), the Australian versio ...

'' in 1959 when he was surprised by

Eamonn Andrews Eamonn Andrews, (19 December 1922 – 5 November 1987) was an Irish radio and television presenter, employed primarily in the United Kingdom from the 1950s to the 1980s. From 1960 to 1964 he chaired the Radio Éireann Authority (now the RTÉ A ...

at the Odeon Cinema,

Shepherd's Bush Shepherd's Bush is a district of West London, England, within the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham west of Charing Cross, and identified as a major metropolitan centre in the London Plan. Although primarily residential in character ...

Later career

Decline in film popularity

In 1960, Rank's Managing Director John Davis gave permission for More to work outside his contract to appear in '' The Guns of Navarone'' (1961). More, however, made the mistake of heckling and swearing at Davis at a BAFTA dinner at the Dorchester, losing both the role (which went to David Niven) and his contract with Rank. More went on to make a comedy, '' ''Man In The Moon'''' (1960), which flopped at the box office, "his first real flop" since becoming a star, according to Shipman. He returned to the stage directing ''The Angry Deep'' in Brighton in 1960. More and Gilbert were reunited on '' The Greengage Summer'' (1961) which remains one of More's favourite films, although Gilbert felt the star was miscast. More says he accepted the lead in the low-budget youth film, '' Some People'' (1962), because he had no other offers at the time. The movie was profitable. He was one of many stars in '' The Longest Day'' (1962) and played the lead in a comedy ''

We Joined the Navy ''We Joined the Navy'' is a 1962 British comedy film directed by Wendy Toye and starring Kenneth More, Lloyd Nolan, Joan O'Brien, Derek Fowlds, Graham Crowden, Esma Cannon and John Le Mesurier. Produced by Daniel M. Angel, it was based on th ...

'' (1962), which was poorly received. More tried to change his image with '' The Comedy Man'' (1963), which the public did not like, although it became his favourite role. Some felt More's popularity declined when he left his second wife to live with Angela Douglas. Film writer Andrew Spicer thought that "More's persona was so strongly associated with traditional middle class values that his stardom could not survive the shift towards working class iconoclasts" during that decade. Another writer,

Christopher Sandford Christopher Sandford (1902–1983) of Eye Manor, Herefordshire, was a book designer, proprietor of the Golden Cockerel Press, a founding director of the Folio Society, and husband of the wood engraver and pioneer Corn dolly revivalist, Lettice ...

, felt that "as the sixties began and the star of the ironic, postmodernist school rose, More was derided as a ludicrous old fogey with crinkly hair and a tweed jacket." More went back to the stage, appearing in ''Out of the Crocodile'' (1963) and ''Our Man Crichton'' (1964–65), which ran for six months. He appeared in a 35-minute prologue to '' The Collector'' (1965) at the special request of director

William Wyler William Wyler (; born Willi Wyler (); July 1, 1902 – July 27, 1981) was a Swiss-German-American film director and producer who won the Academy Award for Best Director three times, those being for '' Mrs. Miniver'' (1942), '' The Best Years o ...

, but it ended up being removed entirely from the final film.

Revival

More's popularity recovered in the 1960s through West End stage performances and television roles, especially following his success in '' The Forsyte Saga'' (1967). Critic David Shipman said More's personal notices for his performance on stage in ''The Secretary Bird'' (1968) "must be among the best accorded any light comedian during this century". On screen More had a small role in '' Dark of the Sun'' (1968) and a bigger one in '' Fräulein Doktor'' (1969). He was one of many names in ''

Oh! What a Lovely War ''Oh! What a Lovely War'' is a 1969 British comedy musical war film directed by Richard Attenborough (in his directorial debut), with an ensemble cast, including Maggie Smith, Dirk Bogarde, John Gielgud, John Mills, Kenneth More, Laurence Olivie ...

'' (1969) and ''

Battle of Britain The Battle of Britain, also known as the Air Battle for England (german: die Luftschlacht um England), was a military campaign of the Second World War, in which the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the Fleet Air Arm (FAA) of the Royal Navy defende ...

'' (1969). He took the role of the Ghost of Christmas Present in '' Scrooge'' (1970) and had long stage runs with a revival of '' The Winslow Boy'' (1970) and '' Getting On'' by Alan Bennett (1971). He was appointed a

Commander of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established ...

(CBE) in the

1970 New Year Honours The New Year Honours 1970 were appointments in many of the Commonwealth realms of Queen Elizabeth II to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of those countries. They were announced in supplements to the ''Lon ...

Later career

More's later stage appearances included ''Signs of the Times'' (1973) and ''On Approval'' (1977). He played the title character in ATV's '' Father Brown'' (1974) series. His later film roles included '' The Slipper and the Rose'' (1976), ''

Where Time Began ''Viaje al centro de la Tierra'' (English: ''Journey to the Center of the Earth'') is a 1977 Spanish adventure film based on the 1864 novel ''Journey to the Center of the Earth'' by Jules Verne. It has been released under the titles ''Where Time B ...

'' (1977), ''

Leopard in the Snow ''Leopard in the Snow'' is a 1978 British drama film directed by Gerry O'Hara and starring Keir Dullea, Susan Penhaligon, Kenneth More and Billie Whitelaw. It was based on the 1974 novel ''Leopard in the Snow'' by Anne Mather. Plot summary In t ...

'' (1978), ''

An Englishman's Castle ''An Englishman's Castle'' is a BBC television serial first broadcast in 1978, written by Philip Mackie and directed by Paul Ciappessoni. The story was set in an alternative history 1970s, in which Nazi Germany won World War II and England i ...

'' (1978) and '' Unidentified Flying Oddball'' (1979).

Personal life

More was married three times. His first marriage in 1940 to actress Mary Beryl Johnstone (one daughter, Susan Jane, born 1941) ended in divorce in 1946. He married Mabel Edith "Bill" Barkby in 1952 (one daughter, Sarah, born 1954) but left her in 1968 for Angela Douglas, an actress (born, like More, in Gerrards Cross) 26 years his junior, causing considerable estrangement from friends and family. He was married to Douglas (whom he nicknamed "Shrimp") from 17 March 1968 until his death in 1982. More wrote two autobiographies, ''Happy Go Lucky'' (1959) and ''More or Less'' (1978). In the second book, he related how he had since childhood, a recurrent dream of something akin to a huge wasp descending towards him. During the war, he had experienced a German Stuka dive-bomber descending in just such a manner. After that, he claimed never to have had that dream again. Producer Daniel M. Angel successfully sued More for libel in 1980, over comments made in his second autobiography."Why I'm living on Love."
'' The Australian Women's Weekly'' (via National Library of Australia), 7 October 1981, p. 26. Retrieved: 6 May 2012.

Illness and death

More and Douglas separated for several years during the 1970s, but reunited when he was diagnosed with

Parkinson's disease Parkinson's disease (PD), or simply Parkinson's, is a long-term degenerative disorder of the central nervous system that mainly affects the motor system. The symptoms usually emerge slowly, and as the disease worsens, non-motor symptoms beco ...

. This made it increasingly difficult for him to work, although his last role was a sizeable supporting part in a US TV adaptation of ''A Tale of Two Cities'' (1980). In 1980, when he was being sued by producer Danny Angel for comments in his memoirs, he told the court he was retired. In 1981, he wrote:

Doctors and friends ask me how I feel. How can you define "bloody awful?" My nerves are stretched like a wire; the simplest outing becomes a huge challenge – I have to have Angela's arm to support me most days... my balance or lack of it is probably my biggest problem. My blessings are my memories and we have a few very loyal friends who help us through the bad days... Financially all's well. Thank goodness my wife, who holds nothing of the past over my head, is constantly at my side. Real love never dies. We share a sense of humour which at times is vital. If I have a philosophy it is that life doesn't put everything your way. It takes a little back. I strive to remember the ups rather than the downs. I have a lot of time with my thoughts these days and sometimes they hurt so much I can hardly bear it. However, my friends always associate me with the song: "When You're Smiling..." lt isn't always easy but I'm trying to live up to it.

More died on 12 July 1982, aged 67. It is now believed that he had been suffering from

multiple system atrophy Multiple system atrophy (MSA) is a rare neurodegenerative disorder characterized by autonomic dysfunction, tremors, slow movement, muscle rigidity, and postural instability (collectively known as parkinsonism) and ataxia. This is caused by pro ...

(MSA), a belief due in part to the age of onset and the speed at which the condition progressed. He was cremated at

Putney Vale Crematorium Putney Vale Cemetery and Crematorium in southwest London is located in Putney Vale, surrounded by Putney Heath and Wimbledon Common and Richmond Park. It is located within of parkland. The cemetery was opened in 1891 and the crematorium in 1938 ...

and a plaque erected at the actors' church

St Paul's, Covent Garden St Paul's Church is a Church of England parish church located in Bedford Street, Covent Garden, central London. It was designed by Inigo Jones as part of a commission for the 4th Earl of Bedford in 1631 to create "houses and buildings fit fo ...

, following a memorial attended by family, friends and colleagues.

Legacy

The

Kenneth More Theatre Kenneth is an English given name and surname. The name is an Anglicised form of two entirely different Gaelic personal names: ''Cainnech'' and '' Cináed''. The modern Gaelic form of ''Cainnech'' is ''Coinneach''; the name was derived from a byn ...

, named in honour of the actor, was founded in 1975, in Ilford, east London. A plaque commemorates More at 27 Rumbold Road,

Fulham Fulham () is an area of the London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham in West London, England, southwest of Charing Cross. It lies on the north bank of the River Thames, bordering Hammersmith, Kensington and Chelsea. The area faces Wandswor ...

, his home at the time of his death. Another memorial plaque was installed at the Duchess Theatre in London's West End (where More gave his acclaimed performance as Freddie Page in a production of Terence Rattigan's '' The Deep Blue Sea'').

Filmography

* '' Look Up and Laugh'' (1935) (bit part, uncredited) * ''Carry On London'' (1937) (bit part, uncredited) * '' The Silence of the Sea'' (1946, TV movie) as The German * '' School for Secrets'' (1946) as Bomb Aimer (uncredited) * ''

'' (1946, TV movie) as Mr. Badger * ''

'' (1948) as Lt. E.G.R.(Teddy) Evans R.N. * '' Man on the Run'' (1949) as Corp. Newman the Blackmailer * ''

'' (1949) as Spencer * '' Stop Press Girl'' (1949) as Police Sgt. 'Bonzo' * '' For Them That Trespass'' – (1949) – Prison Warder * '' Morning Departure'' (1950) as Lieut. Cmdr. James * '' Chance of a Lifetime'' (1950) as Adam * '' The Clouded Yellow'' (1951) as Willy Shepley * '' The Franchise Affair'' (1951) as Stanley Peters * '' The Galloping Major'' (1951) as Rosedale Film Studio Director * ''

'' (1951) Dobson, Co-Pilot (uncredited) * '' Appointment with Venus'' (1951) as Lionel Fallaize * '' Brandy for the Parson'' (1952) as Tony Rackhman * '' The Yellow Balloon'' (1953) as Ted * '' Never Let Me Go'' (1953) as Steve Quillan * '' Genevieve'' (1953) as Ambrose Claverhouse * ''

'' (1953) as Pat Plunkett * '' Doctor in the House'' (1954) as Richard Grimsdyke * '' The Deep Blue Sea'' (1954, BBC, TV movie) as Freddie Page * ''

'' (1955) as Narrator * ''

'' (1955) as Tony Kent * '' The Deep Blue Sea'' (1955) as Freddie Page * ''

'' (1956) as Douglas Bader * '' The Admirable Crichton'' (1957) as Bill Crichton * '' A Night to Remember'' (1958) as Second Officer

Charles Herbert Lightoller Charles Herbert Lightoller, (30 March 1874 – 8 December 1952) was a British mariner and naval officer. He was the second officer on board the and the most senior member of the crew to survive the ''Titanic'' disaster. As the officer in ch ...

* ''

'' (1958) as David Webb * ''

'' (1958) as Jonathan Tibbs * '' The Thirty-Nine Steps'' (1959) as

Richard Hannay Major-General Sir Richard Hannay, KCB, OBE, DSO, is a fictional character created by Scottish novelist John Buchan and further made popular by the 1935 Alfred Hitchcock film '' The 39 Steps'' (and other later film adaptations), very loosely b ...

* '' North West Frontier'' (1959) as Captain Scott * ''

'' (1960) as Captain Shepard * '' Man in the Moon'' (1960) as William Blood * '' The Greengage Summer'' (1961) as Eliot * '' Heart to Heart'' (1962, TV movie) as David Mann * '' Some People'' (1962) as Mr. Smith * '' The Longest Day'' (1962) as Captain Colin Maud * ''

'' (1962) as Lt. Cmdr. Robert Badger * '' The Comedy Man'' (1964) as Chick Byrd * '' The Collector'' (1965) (uncredited) * '' Lord Raingo'' (1966, TV movie) as Sam Raingo * '' The Forsyte Saga'' (1967, TV series) as 'Young Jolyon' Forsyte * '' The White Rabbit'' (1967, TV movie) as Wing Cmdr. Yeo-Thomas * '' Dark of the Sun'', also known as ''The Mercenaries'' (1968) as Doctor Wreid * '' Fräulein Doktor'' (1969) as Col. Foreman * ''

'' (1969) as Kaiser Wilhelm II * ''

'' (1969) as Group Captain Barker * '' Scrooge'' (1970) as Ghost of Christmas Present * '' Father Brown'' (1974, TV series) as Father Brown * '' The Slipper and the Rose: The Story of Cinderella'' (1976) as Chamberlain * ''

'' (1977) as Prof. Otto Linderbrock * ''

'' (1978) as Sir Philip James * ''

'' (1978, TV movie) as Peter Ingram * '' The Spaceman and King Arthur'' (1979) as

King Arthur King Arthur ( cy, Brenin Arthur, kw, Arthur Gernow, br, Roue Arzhur) is a legendary king of Britain, and a central figure in the medieval literary tradition known as the Matter of Britain. In the earliest traditions, Arthur appears as ...

* '' A Tale of Two Cities'' (1980, TV movie) as Dr. Jarvis Lorry (final film role)

Unfilmed projects

* Adaptation of '' Nightrunners of Bengal'' (1957) * ''

The Angry Silence ''The Angry Silence'' is a 1960 black-and-white British drama film directed by Guy Green and starring Richard Attenborough, Pier Angeli, Michael Craig and Bernard Lee. The film marked the first release through screenwriter Bryan Forbes's prod ...

'' (1960) – turned down role eventually played 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 Televisi ...

McFarlane 1997, p. 36.

Selected theatre credits

* Windmill Theatre – 1935 * ''Do You Remember?'' – Barry O’Brien Touring Company, August–November 1937 * ''Stage Hands Never Lie'' by Olive Remple – November 1937 * ''Stage Distinguished Gathering'' by James Parish – Wimbledon Theatre, August 1937 * ''And No Birds Sing'' by Rev Arthur Platt – Aldwych Theatre, November 1946 * ''Power Without Glory'' – February–April 1947 * '' Peace In Our Time'' by

– Lyric Theatre, July 1948 * ''

The Way Things Go ''The Way Things Go'' (german: Der Lauf der Dinge) is a 1987 16 mm art film by the Swiss artist duo Peter Fischli and David Weiss. It documents a long causal chain assembled of everyday objects and industrial materials in the manner of a Rube ...

'' – Phoenix Theatre, May 1950 * '' The Deep Blue Sea'' by Terence Rattigan – Duchess Theatre, March 1952 * ''The Angry Deep'' – Brighton, January 1960 – Brighton – director only * ''Out of the Crocodile'' – Phoenix Theatre, October 1963 * ''Our Man Crichton'' – Shaftesbury Theatre, December 1964 – ran six months * ''The Secretary Bird'' – Savoy Theatre, October 1968 * '' The Winslow Boy'' by Terence Rattigan – New Theatre, November 1970 – ran nine months * ''Getting On'' by Alan Bennett – Queen's Theatre, October 1971 – ran nine months * ''Signs of the Times'' by Jeremy Kingston – Vaudeville Theatre, June 1973 * ''Kenneth More Requests the Pleasure of Your Company'' – Kenneth More Theatre, April 1977 – an evening of poetry, prose and music * ''On Approval'' – Vaudeville Theatre, June 1977

Writings

* ''Happy Go Lucky'' (1959) * ''Kindly Leave the Stage'' (1965) * ''More or Less'' (1978)

Awards

* 1953 Nominated as Best British Actor (BAFTA) for '' Genevieve'' * 1954 Won Best British Actor (BAFTA) for '' Doctor in the House'' * 1955 Won Best Actor at Venice Film Festival for '' The Deep Blue Sea'' * 1955 Won Most Promising International Star (Variety Club) * 1955 Nominated Best British Actor (BAFTA) for '' The Deep Blue Sea'' * 1956 Nominated Best British Actor (BAFT) for ''

'' * 1956 Won ''Picturegoer'' Magazine Best Actor Award for ''Reach for the Sky'' * 1970 appointed a CBE in the New Year's Honours * 1974 Won ''TV Times'' Best Actor Award for ''Father Brown'' * 1975 Recipient of silver heart for 40 Years in Showbusiness (Variety Club)

Box office ranking

British exhibitors regularly voted More one of the most popular stars at the local box office in an annual poll conducted by the ''Motion Picture Herald'': * 1954 – 5th most popular British star * 1955 – 5th most popular British star * 1956 – most popular international star * 1957 – 2nd most popular international star (NB another source said he was the most popular) * 1958 – 3rd most popular international star * 1959 – most popular British star * 1960 – most popular international star * 1961 – 3rd most popular international star * 1962 – 4th most popular international star

References

Notes

Bibliography

* McFarlane, Brian. ''An Autobiography of British Cinema''. London: Methuen, 1997. . * More, Kenneth. ''More or Less''. London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1978. . Rights owned by the Kenneth More estate from 2019 * Pourgourides, Nick. ''More Please''. London: Amazon, 2020. . Authorized biography * Sheridan Morley
"More, Kenneth Gilbert (1914–1982)."
''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, 2004. * Shipman, David.''The Great Movie Stars: The International Years''. London: Angus & Robertson, 1989, 1st ed 1972. . * Sweet, Matthew.''Shepperton Babylon: The Lost Worlds of British Cinema''. London: Faber & Faber, 2005. .

External links

* *
Kenneth More
at TCM
Kenneth More Theatre
{{DEFAULTSORT:More, Kenneth 1914 births 1982 deaths 20th-century English male actors Best British Actor BAFTA Award winners British male comedy actors Burials at Putney Vale Cemetery Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Neurological disease deaths in England Deaths from Parkinson's disease English male film actors English male stage actors English male television actors English people of Welsh descent People educated at Victoria College, Jersey People from Gerrards Cross Royal Navy officers of World War II Volpi Cup for Best Actor winners

Early life

Windmill Theatre

Second World War

Resumption of acting career

Stardom

Rising reputation

''The Deep Blue Sea''

Film stardom: ''Genevieve'' and ''Doctor in the House''

''Reach for the Sky''

Later career

Decline in film popularity

Revival

Later career

Personal life

Illness and death

Legacy

Filmography

Unfilmed projects

Selected theatre credits

Writings

Awards

Box office ranking

See also

References

Notes

Bibliography

External links