Guy Rolfe (born Edwin Arthur Rolfe, 27 December 1911 – 19 October 2003) was a British actor.

Career

Rolfe was born in Kilburn, London. Before turning to acting at the age of 24 he was a professional boxer and racing driver, making his stage debut in Ireland in 1935. Repertory theatre led to his screen debut in 1937 with an uncredited appearance in ''

Knight Without Armour ''Knight Without Armour'' (styled as ''Knight Without Armor'' in some releases) is a 1937 British historical drama film starring Marlene Dietrich and Robert Donat. It was directed by Jacques Feyder and produced by Alexander Korda from a screenp ...

''. After the Second World War he re-appeared in a number of bit parts throughout 1947 in films like ''

Hungry Hill Hungry Hill or Knockday ( ga, Cnoc Daod) is the highest of the Caha Mountains on the Beara Peninsula in Munster, Ireland. Etymology The first part of the Irish name ''Cnoc Daod'' means "hill". The second part may be a dialectal variant of ...

'' and ''

Odd Man Out ''Odd Man Out'' is a 1947 British film noir directed by Carol Reed, and starring James Mason, Robert Newton, Cyril Cusack, and Kathleen Ryan. Set in Belfast, Northern Ireland, it follows a wounded Nationalist leader who attempts to evade polic ...

'', which in turn led to larger roles in movies such as ''

Uncle Silas ''Uncle Silas'', subtitled "A Tale of Bartram Haugh", is an 1864 Victorian Gothic mystery-thriller novel by the Irish writer J. Sheridan Le Fanu. Despite Le Fanu resisting its classification as such, the novel has also been hailed as a work ...

'' (1947), '' Easy Money'' (1948) and in particular

Ken Annakin Kenneth Cooper Annakin, Order of the British Empire, OBE (10 August 1914 – 22 April 2009) was an England, English film director. His career spanned half a century, beginning in the early 1940s and ending in 2002, and in the 1960s he was notice ...

's ''

Broken Journey ''Broken Journey'' (also known as ''Rescue'') is a 1948 British drama film directed by Ken Annakin and featuring Phyllis Calvert, James Donald, Margot Grahame, Raymond Huntley and Guy Rolfe. ''Broken Journey'' deals with people struggling to sur ...

'' (1948), where he played the pilot of an aeroplane that crashes in the Alps. He then graduated to leading man status in

Terence Fisher Terence Fisher (23 February 1904 – 18 June 1980) was a British film director best known for his work for Hammer Films. He was the first to bring gothic horror alive in full colour, and the sexual overtones and explicit horror in his films, ...

's ''

Portrait from Life ''Portrait from Life'' (also known as ''Lost Daughter'', and in the U.S. as ''The Girl in the Painting'') is a 1948 British drama film directed by Terence Fisher and starring Mai Zetterling, Robert Beatty and Guy Rolfe. Plot A British Army offi ...

'' (1948), as a British army officer who helps an Austrian professor track down his missing daughter. 1949 saw perhaps his best role, that of safe cracker turned spy Philippe Lodocq in

Robert Hamer Robert Hamer (31 March 1911 – 4 December 1963) was a British film director and screenwriter best known for the 1949 black comedy ''Kind Hearts and Coronets''. Biography Hamer was born at 24 Chester Road, Kidderminster, along with his twi ...

's '' The Spider and the Fly''. He was cast as a British Army major dying of

tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease usually caused by '' Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body. Most infections show no symptoms, in ...

for the film '' Trio'' (1950), but actually contracted the disease and had to be replaced by

Michael Rennie Michael Rennie (born Eric Alexander Rennie; 25 August 1909 – 10 June 1971) was a British film, television and stage actor, who had leading roles in a number of Hollywood films, including his portrayal of the space visitor Klaatu in the s ...

. He recovered his health in less than a year, but his time away from the screen hurt his career, and he starred in less prestigious

B movie A B movie or B film is a low-budget commercial motion picture. In its original usage, during the Golden Age of Hollywood, the term more precisely identified films intended for distribution as the less-publicized bottom half of a double feature ...

s such as ''

Home to Danger ''Home to Danger'' is a 1951 British film noir crime film directed by Terence Fisher starring Guy Rolfe, Rona Anderson and Stanley Baker. It was made at the Riverside Studios in Hammersmith as a supporting feature. The film's sets were design ...

'' (1951) and ''

Operation Diplomat During World War II, Operation Diplomat was an Allied naval training operation. It was executed in March 1944 by the British Eastern Fleet to practice operational procedures that would be used by ships allocated to the British Pacific Fleet. Pa ...

'' (1953), as well as the Hammer films ''

Yesterday's Enemy ''Yesterday's Enemy'' is a 1959 Hammer Films British war film in MegaScope directed by Val Guest and starring Stanley Baker, Guy Rolfe, Leo McKern and Gordon Jackson set in the Burma Campaign during World War II. It is based on a 1958 BBC t ...

'' and ''

The Stranglers of Bombay ''The Stranglers of Bombay'' is a 1959 British adventure horror film directed by Terence Fisher for Hammer Films dealing with the British East India Company's investigation of the cult of Thuggee stranglers in the 1830s. The film stars Guy Rolf ...

'' (both 1959). This period also saw him play a number of Hollywood roles, such as Prince John in ''

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 ...

'' (1952), Ned Seymour in ''

Young Bess ''Young Bess'' is a 1953 Technicolor biographical film made by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer about the early life of Elizabeth I, from her turbulent childhood to the eve of her accession to the throne of England. It stars Jean Simmons as Elizabeth and Ste ...

'' (1953), Caiaphas in ''

King of Kings King of Kings; grc-gre, Βασιλεὺς Βασιλέων, Basileùs Basiléōn; hy, արքայից արքա, ark'ayits ark'a; sa, महाराजाधिराज, Mahārājadhirāja; ka, მეფეთ მეფე, ''Mepet mepe'' ...

'' (1961) and Prince Grigory in ''

Taras Bulba ''Taras Bulba'' (russian: «Тарас Бульба»; ) is a romanticized historical novella set in the first half of the 17th century, written by Nikolai Gogol (1809-1852). It features elderly Zaporozhian Cossack Taras Bulba and his sons And ...

'' (1962). One of his most famous parts was the title role in

William Castle William Castle (born William Schloss Jr.; April 24, 1914 – May 31, 1977) was an American film director, producer, screenwriter, and actor. Orphaned at 11, Castle dropped out of high school at 15 to work in the theater. He came to the attenti ...

's cult horror film ''

Mr. Sardonicus ''Mr. Sardonicus'' is a 1961 horror film produced and directed by William Castle. It tells the story of Sardonicus, a man whose face becomes frozen in a horrifying grin while robbing his father's grave to obtain a winning lottery ticket. Castle ...

'' (1961), which several decades later led director

Stuart Gordon Stuart Alan Gordon (August 11, 1947 – March 24, 2020) was an American filmmaker, theatre director, screenwriter, and playwright. Initially recognized for his provocative and frequently controversial work in experimental theatre, Gordon is perh ...

to cast him in his horror film ''

Dolls A doll is a model typically of a human or humanoid character, often used as a toy for children. Dolls have also been used in traditional religious rituals throughout the world. Traditional dolls made of materials such as clay and wood are found ...

'' (1987). The 1990s saw him continue in a similar vein when he appeared in five films of the '' Puppet Master'' series as Andre Toulon. His television credits include '' Thriller'', ''

Armchair Theatre ''Armchair Theatre'' is a British television drama anthology series of single plays that ran on the ITV network from 1956 to 1974. It was originally produced by ABC Weekend TV. Its successor Thames Television took over from mid-1968. The Canad ...

'', ''

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 ...

'', '' The Avengers'', ''

The Champions ''The Champions'' is a British espionage thriller/science fiction/occult detective fiction adventure television series. It was produced by Lew Grade's ITC Entertainment production company, and consists of 30 episodes broadcast in the UK on ITV ...

'', '' Department S'', ''

The Troubleshooters ''The Troubleshooters'' (titled ''Mogul'' for the first series) is a British television series made by the BBC between 1965 and 1972, created by John Elliot. It recounted events in an international oil company – the "Mogul" of the title. Th ...

'', '' Space: 1999'', '' Secret Army'', ''

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 ...

'' and ''

Kessler Kessler or Keßler (in German) may refer to: * Kessler (automobile), an American automobile made 1921–1922 * Kessler (name), people named Kessler * ''Kessler'' (TV series), a British television series from 1981 * Kessler, Ohio, an unincorporat ...

''.

Personal life

He was married to the Scottish actress Jane Aird until her death in 1993, and then to Margret Allworthy until his death in 2003 in

Ipswich Ipswich () is a port town and borough in Suffolk, England, of which it is the county town. The town is located in East Anglia about away from the mouth of the River Orwell and the North Sea. Ipswich is both on the Great Eastern Main Line r ...

, Suffolk. He is buried in the churchyard of St Mary's in Benhall, Suffolk. The grave of Guy Wolfe in the churchyard St Mary's, Benhall

Complete filmography

*''

'' (1937) – Minor Role (uncredited) *'' The Drum'' (1938) – Undetermined Role (uncredited) *''

'' (1947) – Miner *''

'' (1947) – Policeman Watching Kathleen's House (uncredited) *''

Meet Me at Dawn Meet may refer to: People with the name * Janek Meet (born 1974), Estonian footballer * Meet Mukhi (born 2005), Indian child actor Arts, entertainment, and media * ''Meet'' (TV series), an early Australian television series which aired on ABC du ...

'' (1947) – Ambassador's Friend (uncredited) *'' The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickelby'' (1947) – Mr. Folair (uncredited) *''

'' (1947) – Sepulchre Hawkes *'' Easy Money'' (1948) – Archie *''

'' (1948) – Fox *''The Guardsman'' (1948, TV Movie) *''

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) – Envoy at Ahlden *''Which Will Ye Have?'' (1949, Short) – Captain of the guard *''

'' (1948) – Major Lawrence *'' Fools Rush In'' (1949) – Paul Dickson *'' The Spider and the Fly'' (1949) – Philippe Lodocq *'' The Reluctant Widow'' (1950) – Lord Carlyon *''

Prelude to Fame ''Prelude to Fame'' is a 1950 British drama film set in Italy, directed by Fergus McDonell and starring Guy Rolfe, Kathleen Byron and Kathleen Ryan. It is based on the 1924 story "Young Archimides" by Aldous Huxley, about a mathematical prodi ...

'' (1950) – John Morell *''

'' (1951) – Robert Irving *''

'' (1952) – Prince John *''Without the Prince'' (1952, TV Movie) *''

'' (1953) – Ned Seymour *''

The Veils of Bagdad ''The Veils of Bagdad'' is a 1953 American adventure film directed by George Sherman and starring Victor Mature and Mari Blanchard. Plot In 1560, Antar is sent by Selima, head of the Ottoman Empire, to prevent Pasha Hammam from attempting to ove ...

'' (1953) – Kasseim *''

'' (1953) – Mr. Fenton *'' King of the Khyber Rifles'' (1953) – Karram Khan *''

Dance, Little Lady ''Dance, Little Lady'' is a 1954 British drama film directed by Val Guest and starring Terence Morgan, Mai Zetterling, Guy Rolfe and Mandy Miller. The film was made by independent producer George Minter and distributed by his Renown Pictures. It ...

'' (1954) – Dr. John Ransome *'' It's Never Too Late'' (1956) – Stephen Hodgson *''

You Can't Escape ''You Can't Escape'' is a 1956 British drama film directed by Wilfred Eades and starring Noelle Middleton, Guy Rolfe and Robert Urquhart (actor), Robert Urquhart. It is based on the 1938 novel ''She Died Young'' by Alan Kennington. It was release ...

'' (1956) – David Anstruther *''

Light Fingers Light Fingers (1961−1988) was a New Zealand bred thoroughbred racehorse who won the Melbourne Cup in 1965. In 2017 Light Fingers was inducted to the Australian Racing Hall of Fame. Background The lightly built chestnut was by the highly succe ...

'' (1957) – Dennis Payne *'' Girls at Sea'' (1958) – Capt. Alwin Maitland *''Murder in Mind'' (1958, TV Movie) *''

'' (1959) – Padre *''

'' (1959) – Captain Harry Lewis *'' The Barbarians'' (1960) – Kainus *''

Snow White and the Three Stooges ''Snow White and the Three Stooges'' is a 1961 American comedy, fantasy film. It is the second feature film to star the Three Stooges after their 1959 resurgence in popularity. By this time, the trio consisted of Moe Howard, Larry Fine, and "Cu ...

'' (1961) – Count Oga *''

'' (1961) – Baron Sardonicus / Marek Toleslawski *''

'' (1961) – Caiaphas *''

'' (1962) – Prince Grigory *'' The Fall of the Roman Empire'' (1964) – Marius (uncredited) *''

The Alphabet Murders ''The Alphabet Murders'' is a 1965 British detective film directed by Frank Tashlin and starring Tony Randall as Hercule Poirot. It is based on the 1936 novel ''The A.B.C. Murders'' by Agatha Christie. Plot Albert Aachen, a clown with a unique ...

'' (1965) – Duncan Doncaster *'' Land Raiders'' (1970) – Major Tanner *''

Nicholas and Alexandra ''Nicholas and Alexandra'' is a 1971 British epic film, epic historical drama film directed by Franklin J. Schaffner, from a screenplay written by James Goldman and Edward Bond, based on Robert K. Massie's 1967 Nicholas and Alexandra (book), boo ...

'' (1971) – Dr. Fedorov *''

And Now the Screaming Starts! ''And Now the Screaming Starts!'' is a 1973 British gothic horror film directed by Roy Ward Baker and starring Peter Cushing, Herbert Lom, Patrick Magee, Stephanie Beacham and Ian Ogilvy. It is one of the few feature-length horror stories by A ...

'' (1973) – Maitland *''

Bloodline Heredity, also called inheritance or biological inheritance, is the passing on of traits from parents to their offspring; either through asexual reproduction or sexual reproduction, the offspring cells or organisms acquire the genetic informa ...

'' (1979) – Tod Michaels *''

The Case of Marcel Duchamp ''The Case of Marcel Duchamp'' is a 1984 British mystery film directed by David Rowan and starring Guy Rolfe, Raymond Francis, Harold Innocent and Juliet Hammond. Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson come out of retirement to solve a final case co ...

'' (1984) – Sherlock Holmes *'' The Bride'' (1985) – Count *''

'' (1987) – Gabriel Hartwicke *''Visiting Mr. Beak'' (1987, Short) – Mr. Beak *'' Puppet Master III: Toulon's Revenge'' (1991) – André Toulon *''

Puppet Master 4 ''Puppet Master 4'' is a 1993 direct-to-video horror film written by Charles Band among others, and directed by Jeff Burr. It is the fourth film in the ''Puppet Master'' franchise, a sequel to 1991's '' Puppet Master III'', and stars Gordon Curr ...

'' (1993) – André Toulon *'' Puppet Master 5: The Final Chapter'' (1994) – André Toulon *''

Retro Puppet Master ''Retro Puppet Master'' (also known as ''Retro Puppetmaster'') is a 1999 American direct-to-video horror film written by Charles Band, Benjamin Carr and David Schmoeller, and directed by David DeCoteau (as Joseph Tennent). It is the seventh film ...

'' (1999) –

André Toulon This is a list of characters from the ''Puppet Master'' series of films. André Toulon André Toulon is the main protagonist of the Puppet Master series. Toulon appeared as a hero in '' Puppet Master III: Toulon's Revenge'', and a victim in the ...

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Rolfe, Guy 1911 births 2003 deaths English male film actors English male television actors People from Kilburn, London 20th-century English male actors