Richard Bird (4 April 1895 – December 1979) was an English

actor An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek term is (), li ...

and

director Director may refer to: Literature * ''Director'' (magazine), a British magazine * ''The Director'' (novel), a 1971 novel by Henry Denker * ''The Director'' (play), a 2000 play by Nancy Hasty Music * Director (band), an Irish rock band * ''Di ...

of stage and screen. Born George, Bird took the stage name Richard Bird after being nicknamed "Dickie" by his theatre colleagues. After working in a newspaper office for a year he made his stage debut as a member of the

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 popul ...

Repertory Company in 1917. He went on to appear on both the London, ( vide (Latin) '

The French Mistress ''The French Mistress'' is a comedy play by the British entertainer Sonnie Hale under the pen name Robert Munro about the arrival of a new young French teacher at a traditional public school. It premiered at the Wimbledon Theatre in June 1955. Fo ...

') and American stage, making his film debut in some silent shorts during 1919. He appeared in films throughout the 1930s and 1940s, playing the lead roles in

quota quickies Quota may refer to: Economics * Import quota, a trade restriction on the quantity of goods imported into a country * Market Sharing Quota, an economic system used in Canadian agriculture * Milk quota, a quota on milk production in Europe * Indi ...

The Warren Case ''The Warren Case'' is a 1934 British crime film directed by Walter Summers and starring Richard Bird, Nancy Burne and Diana Napier. It was made at Welwyn Studios by British International Pictures.Wood p.80 Cast * Richard Bird as Louis Bevan ...

'' and ''

What Happened Then? ''What Happened Then?'' is a 1934 British crime film directed by Walter Summers and starring Richard Bird, Lorna Hubbard and Geoffrey Wardwell. It was made at Welwyn Studios.Wood p.84 Cast * Richard Bird as Peter Bromley * Lorna Hubbard as ...

'' (both 1934). His film roles of the 1930s tended towards melodrama, such as the jealous Ernest in

Maurice Elvey Maurice Elvey (11 November 1887 – 28 August 1967) was one of the most prolific film directors in British history. He directed nearly 200 films between 1913 and 1957. During the silent film era he directed as many as twenty films per year. He a ...

's '' The Water Gipsies'' (1932), and the murderous Eric opposite Matheson Lang in ''

The Great Defender ''The Great Defender'' is a 1934 British mystery film directed by Thomas Bentley and starring Matheson Lang, Margaret Bannerman and Arthur Margetson. Its plot concerns a top barrister who conducts the defence of an artist facing the death penalty ...

'' (1934). Middle-age made his characters more affable and his later films showcase his ability at light comedy, such as the sleepy Inspector Sneed in '' The Door with Seven Locks'' (1940); the dual role of bumbling Arthur and the Ghost in ''

Don't Take It to Heart ''Don't Take It to Heart'' is a 1944 British comedy film directed by Jeffrey Dell and starring Richard Greene, Alfred Drayton, Patricia Medina, Moore Marriott and Richard Bird. It was shot at the Riverside Studios in Hammersmith with sets desig ...

'' (1944); and the dog-obsessed Jennings in '' Forbidden'' (1949). He was the romantic lead in '' I'll Walk Beside You'' (1943), and had one of his most high profile roles in the ensemble cast of

Ealing Ealing () is a district in West London, England, west of Charing Cross in the London Borough of Ealing. Ealing is the administrative centre of the borough and is identified as a major metropolitan centre in the London Plan. Ealing was histor ...

's supernatural drama ''

The Halfway House ''The Halfway House'' is a 1944 British drama film directed by Basil Dearden and starring Mervyn Johns, his daughter Glynis Johns, Tom Walls and Françoise Rosay. The film tells the story of ten people who are drawn to stay in an old Welsh cou ...

'' (1944). He continued acting into the 1950s and 1960s, mainly in television series such as ''

Ivanhoe ''Ivanhoe: A Romance'' () by Walter Scott is a historical novel published in three volumes, in 1819, as one of the Waverley novels. Set in England in the Middle Ages, this novel marked a shift away from Scott’s prior practice of setting st ...

'', ''

Probation Officer A probation and parole officer is an official appointed or sworn to investigate, report on, and supervise the conduct of convicted offenders on probation or those released from incarceration to community supervision such as parole. Most probati ...

'' and ''

Public Eye Public Eye or The Public Eye may refer to: * ''Public Eye'' (TV series), a British television series that ran from 1965 to 1975 * ''The Public Eye'' (TV series), a Canadian television public affairs television series which aired on CBC Televisio ...

'', as well as small roles in a couple of

Anglo-Amalgamated Anglo-Amalgamated Productions was a British film production company, run by Nat Cohen and Stuart Levy, which operated from 1945 until roughly 1971 (after which it was absorbed into EMI Films). Low-budget and second features, often produced at M ...

Edgar Wallace Mysteries The ''Edgar Wallace Mysteries'' is a British second-feature film series mainly produced at Merton Park Studios for Anglo-Amalgamated. There were 48 films in the series, which were released between 1960 and 1965. The series was screened as ''The E ...

films. He directed the 1938 film version of

Edgar Wallace Richard Horatio Edgar Wallace (1 April 1875 – 10 February 1932) was a British writer. Born into poverty as an illegitimate London child, Wallace left school at the age of 12. He joined the army at age 21 and was a war correspondent during th ...

's ''

The Terror The Reign of Terror (french: link=no, la Terreur) was a period of the French Revolution when, following the creation of the First Republic, a series of massacres and numerous public executions took place in response to revolutionary fervour, ...

'', as well as the 1943 stage adaptation of

Graham Greene Henry Graham Greene (2 October 1904 – 3 April 1991) was an English writer and journalist regarded by many as one of the leading English novelists of the 20th century. Combining literary acclaim with widespread popularity, Greene acquir ...

's '' Brighton Rock'' at the

Garrick Theatre The Garrick Theatre is a West End theatre, located in Charing Cross Road, in the City of Westminster, named after the stage actor David Garrick. It opened in 1889 with ''The Profligate'', a play by Arthur Wing Pinero, and another Pinero play ...

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

. Two of the cast members in the production,

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 ...

and

Hermione Baddeley Hermione Youlanda Ruby Clinton-Baddeley (13 November 1906 – 19 August 1986) was an English actress of theatre, film and television. She typically played brash, vulgar characters, often referred to as "brassy" or "blowsy".Folkart, Burt, "Noted ...

, reprised their roles in the

Boulting brothers John Edward Boulting (21 December 1913 – 17 June 1985) and Roy Alfred Clarence Boulting (21 December 1913 – 5 November 2001), known collectively as the Boulting brothers, were English filmmakers and identical twins who became known for thei ...

' acclaimed film version of 1947. In 1931 Bird married stage actress

Joyce Barbour Joyce Barbour (1901–1977) was an English actress. She was the wife of the actor Richard Bird (actor), Richard Bird. Barbour was born in Birmingham on 27 March 1901 the daughter of Horace and Miriam Barbour, her father was an assurance cle ...

in London. He died in Northwood, Middlesex in 1979 aged 84.

Filmography

* '' Tilly of Bloomsbury'' (1931) * ''

Number, Please Number, Please may refer to: *'' Number, Please (film)'', a 1931 British crime film *'' Number, Please? (film)'', a 1920 American short comedy film *''Number Please (game show) ''Number Please'' is a Goodson-Todman Productions game show hosted by ...

'' (1931) * ''

The Professional Guest ''The Professional Guest'' is a 1931 British comedy film directed by George King and starring Gordon Harker, Pat Paterson and Richard Bird. It was made at Walton Studios as a quota quickie for release by Fox Film.Wood p.73 Cast * Gordon Harke ...

'' (1931) * ''

Impromptu An impromptu (, , loosely meaning "offhand") is a free-form musical composition with the character of an ''ex tempore'' improvisation as if prompted by the spirit of the moment, usually for a solo instrument, such as piano. According to ''Allgeme ...

'' (1932) * '' A Letter of Warning'' (1932) * ''

White Face ''White Face'' (also known as ''Edgar Wallace's White Face the Fiend'') is a 1932 British crime film directed by T. Hayes Hunter and starring Hugh Williams, Gordon Harker and Renee Gadd. The film is based on a play by Edgar Wallace. Plot A do ...

'' (1932) * '' The Water Gipsies'' (1932) * ''

Nine till Six ''Nine till Six'' is a 1932 British drama film directed by Basil Dean and starring Louise Hampton, Elizabeth Allan and Florence Desmond. Produced by Basil Dean's Associated Talking Pictures, it was the first film made at Ealing Studios after th ...

'' (1932) * '' The Right to Live'' (1933) * ''

'' (1934) * ''

The Crouching Beast ''The Crouching Beast'' is a 1935 British war thriller film directed by Victor Hanbury and starring Fritz Kortner, Wynne Gibson and Richard Bird. It was shot at Welwyn Studios with sets designed by the art director Duncan Sutherland.Wood p.85 Ba ...

'' (1935) * '' Invitation to the Waltz'' (1935) * '' Mimi'' (1935) * ''

Royal Cavalcade ''Royal Cavalcade'', also known as ''Regal Cavalcade'', is a 1935 British, black-and-white, drama film directed by six separate directors: Thomas Bentley (Supervising Director), Herbert Brenon, Norman Lee, Walter Summers, W. P. Kellino and Mar ...

'' (1935) * ''

Night Mail ''Night Mail'' is a 1936 British documentary film directed and produced by Harry Watt and Basil Wright, and produced by the General Post Office (GPO) Film Unit. The 24-minute film documents the nightly postal train operated by the London, Mi ...

'' (1935) * ''

Sensation Sensation (psychology) refers to the processing of the senses by the sensory system. Sensation or sensations may also refer to: In arts and entertainment In literature *Sensation (fiction), a fiction writing mode *Sensation novel, a British ...

'' (1936) * '' Bulldog Drummond at Bay'' (1937) * '' The Door with Seven Locks'' (1940) * '' I'll Walk Beside You'' (1943) * ''

'' (1944) * ''

'' (1944) * '' Forbidden'' (1949) * ''

- ''Death Trap'' (1962) * ''

'' - '' Return to Sender''

Selected stage credits

* '' The Combined Maze'' by

Frank Vosper Frank Permain Vosper (15 December 1899, in London – 6 March 1937) was an English actor who appeared in both stage and film roles and a dramatist, playwright and screenwriter. Stage Vosper made his stage debut in 1919 and was best known for pl ...

(1927) * ''

The Composite Man ''The Composite Man'' is a 1935 comedy play by the British writer Ronald Jeans. The lead character is a successful athlete who is assumed to be a genius in everything else, which is far from the case. It premiered at the Birmingham Repertory Th ...

'' by

Ronald Jeans Ronald Jeans (10 May 1887 – 16 May 1973) was a British playwright with a career spanning nearly 50 years. Early life Ronald Jeans was born in Oxton, Merseyside, the younger son of Sir Alexander Grigor Jeans (1849–1924), the founder and man ...

(1936) * '' Love in a Mist'' by

Kenneth Horne Charles Kenneth Horne, generally known as Kenneth Horne, (27 February 1907 – 14 February 1969) was an English comedian and businessman. He is perhaps best remembered for his work on three BBC Radio series: ''Much-Binding-in-the-Marsh ...

(1941) * ''

Lady from Edinburgh ''Lady from Edinburgh'' is a 1945 comedy play by the British writers Aimée Stuart and L. Arthur Rose. A Scottish aunt arrives to oversee her family's affairs in Mayfair. It premiered at His Majesty's Theatre in Aberdeen before transferring t ...

'' by Aimée Stuart (1945) * '' My Friend Lester'' by

Alec Coppel Alec Coppel (17 September 1907 – 22 January 1972) was an Australian-born screenwriter, novelist and playwright. He spent the majority of his career in London and Hollywood, specialising in light thrillers, mysteries and sex comedies. He is best ...

(1947) * ''

'' by

Sonnie Hale John Robert Hale-Monro (1 May 1902 – 9 June 1959), known as Sonnie Hale, was an English actor, screenwriter, and director. Early life John Robert Hale-Monro was born in Kensington, London, the son of Belle Reynolds and actor Robert Hal ...

(1955)

External links

* 1895 births 1979 deaths English male film actors English male stage actors English film directors Male actors from Liverpool English theatre directors 20th-century English male actors {{england-actor-stub