Robert Rutherford Beatty (19 October 1909 – 3 March 1992) was a Canadian actor who worked in

film A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmospher ...

television Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of television transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertising, ...

and

radio Radio is the technology of signaling and communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves of frequency between 30 hertz (Hz) and 300 gigahertz (GHz). They are generated by an electronic device called a tr ...

for most of his career and was especially known in the UK.

Early years

Beatty was born in

Hamilton Hamilton may refer to: People * Hamilton (name), a common British surname and occasional given name, usually of Scottish origin, including a list of persons with the surname ** The Duke of Hamilton, the premier peer of Scotland ** Lord Hamilto ...

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...

, the son of Charles Thompson Beatty and Blanch Sarah Rutherford. He attended Delta Collegiate School and earned a bachelor of arts degree from the

University of Toronto The University of Toronto (UToronto or U of T) is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, located on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution ...

.Aaker, Everett (2006). ''Encyclopedia of Early Television Crime Fighters''. McFarland & Company, Inc. . Pp. 35–38. He began his acting career in Britain in 1939.

Career

Stage

Beatty joined the Players' Guild of Hamilton after graduation from the University of Toronto. He went to London, England, in 1936 and joined the

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

. It was with the RADA that he made his English stage debut. In 1939 he appeared in the West End in

N.C. Hunter Norman Charles Hunter (18 September 1908 – 19 April 1971) was a British playwright whose plays attracted such notable actors to perform them as John Gielgud, Wendy Hiller, Sybil Thorndike, Ralph Richardson, Vanessa Redgrave, Michael Redgrave, ...

's comedy ''

Grouse in June ''Grouse in June'' is a 1939 comedy play by N.C. Hunter, in which a group of Americans hunt for treasure lost on the Scottish coast when the Spanish Armada was washed ashore in 1588. After premiering at Richmond Theatre, it ran for 126 perform ...

''.

Film

Beatty's film credits include: ''

San Demetrio London ''San Demetrio London'' is a 1943 British World War II docudrama based on the true story of the 1940 salvage of the tanker MV ''San Demetrio'' by some of her own crew, who reboarded her after she had been set on fire by the German heavy cruiser ...

'' (1943), '' Odd Man Out'' (1947), ''

Another Shore ''Another Shore'' is a 1948 Ealing Studios comedy film directed by Charles Crichton. It stars Robert Beatty as Gulliver Shields, an Irish customs official who dreams of living on a South Sea island; particularly Rarotonga. It is based on the 1 ...

'' (1948), '' Against the Wind'' (1948), '' Captain Horatio Hornblower R.N.'' (1951), '' The Square Ring'' (1953), Postmark for Danger (1955), '' Something of Value'' (1957),'' The Amorous Prawn'' (1962), '' 2001: A Space Odyssey'' (1968), ''

Where Eagles Dare ''Where Eagles Dare'' is a 1968 war film directed by Brian G. Hutton and starring Richard Burton, Clint Eastwood and Mary Ure. It follows a joint British-American Special Operations Executive team of paratroopers raiding a castle (shot on lo ...

'' (1968), '' The Pink Panther Strikes Again'' (1976), ''

Superman III ''Superman III'' is a 1983 superhero film directed by Richard Lester from a screenplay by David Newman and Leslie Newman based on the DC Comics character Superman. It is the third installment in the ''Superman'' film series and a sequel to '' ...

'' (1983), '' Minder on the Orient Express'' (1985) and '' Superman IV: The Quest for Peace'' (1987). Beatty appeared in two "critically acclaimed war propaganda films" in 1942 – '' 49th Parallel'' and '' One of Our Aircraft Is Missing''.

Television

In the 1950s, he was host of the BBC programme ''Saturday Night Out'', a live outside-broadcast magazine programme, in which he was known as "The Man with the Mike". In 1958, he played Detective Inspector Mike Maguire in the police series ''Dial 999'' (a co-production between Britain's ABC and the US company Ziv). He also appeared in ''

Doctor Who ''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series depicts the adventures of a Time Lord called the Doctor, an extraterrestrial being who appears to be human. The Doctor explores the ...

'' (" The Tenth Planet" as General Cutler), ''

Blake's 7 ''Blake's 7'' (sometimes styled ''Blakes7'') is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. Four 13-episode series were broadcast on BBC1 between 1978 and 1981. It was created by Terry Nation, who also wrote the first ...

'' ("The Way Back" as Bran Foster), '' The Gathering Storm'', ''

Thriller Thriller may refer to: * Thriller (genre), a broad genre of literature, film and television ** Thriller film, a film genre under the general thriller genre Comics * ''Thriller'' (DC Comics), a comic book series published 1983–84 by DC Comics i ...

'' (1976), '' The New Avengers'', and '' Minder''. He was in

Franco Zeffirelli Gian Franco Corsi Zeffirelli (12 February 1923 – 15 June 2019), was an Italian stage and film director, producer, production designer and politician. He was one of the most significant opera and theatre directors of the post-World War II era, ...

's TV mini-series ''

Jesus of Nazareth Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religiou ...

'' and the

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

series of

Ray Bradbury Ray Douglas Bradbury (; August 22, 1920June 5, 2012) was an American author and screenwriter. One of the most celebrated 20th-century American writers, he worked in a variety of modes, including fantasy, science fiction, horror, mystery, and ...

's '' The Martian Chronicles''. He portrayed

Ronald Reagan Ronald Wilson Reagan ( ; February 6, 1911June 5, 2004) was an American politician, actor, and union leader who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He also served as the 33rd governor of California from 1967 ...

in ''Breakthrough at Reykjavik'' (Granada Television UK 1987).

Radio

Beatty reported descriptions of

the Blitz The Blitz was a German bombing campaign against the United Kingdom in 1940 and 1941, during the Second World War. The term was first used by the British press and originated from the term , the German word meaning 'lightning war'. The Germa ...

from London to North America via the BBC during World War II. He played Philip Odell, a fictional Irish

detective A detective is an investigator, usually a member of a law enforcement agency. They often collect information to solve crimes by talking to witnesses and informants, collecting physical evidence, or searching records in databases. This leads th ...

created by Lester Powell, between 1947 and 1961. The series debuted on BBC radio with the story "Lady in a Fog" in October 1947. The series was made available to overseas broadcasters by the BBC Transcription Services. His other radio credits included '' Shadow of Sumuru'' on the BBC Home Programme in 1945–46, ''Shadow Man'' on Radio Luxembourg in 1955, ''Destination – Fire!'' Stories of a Fire Investigator on the BBC Light Programme (1962-1966), General Sternwood in a BBC version of

Raymond Chandler Raymond Thornton Chandler (July 23, 1888 – March 26, 1959) was an American-British novelist and screenwriter. In 1932, at the age of forty-four, Chandler became a detective fiction writer after losing his job as an oil company executive durin ...

's '' The Big Sleep'' (1977), ''Pay Any Price'' (BBC 1982), ''The Mystery of the Blue Train'' (BBC 1985/1986), and as Henry Hickslaughter in Elizabeth Troop's Sony Award winning 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 short story ''Cheap In August'' (1993).

Death

Beatty died March 3, 1992, in

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, 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 dow ...

and 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 ...

Filmography

* '' Black Limelight'' (1939) as Extra (uncredited) * '' Murder in Soho'' (1939) as Jack (uncredited) * ''

Dangerous Moonlight ''Dangerous Moonlight'' (US: ''Suicide Squadron'') is a 1941 British film, directed by Brian Desmond Hurst and starring Anton Walbrook. Among the costumes, the gowns were designed by Cecil Beaton. The film is best known for its score written b ...

'' (1941) as Reporter with Carol (uncredited) * '' 49th Parallel'' (1941) as RCMP Mountie in Alberta (voice, uncredited) * '' One of Our Aircraft Is Missing'' (1942) as Sgt. Hopkins * '' Suspected Person'' (1942) as Franklin * '' Flying Fortress'' (1942) as Connor (uncredited) * '' The First of the Few'' (1942) as American Airman (uncredited) * ''

'' (1943) as 'Yank' Preston * '' It Happened One Sunday'' (1944) as Tom Stevens * '' A Matter of Life and Death'' (1946) as US Crewman (uncredited) * ''

Appointment with Crime ''Appointment with Crime'' is a 1946 British crime film directed by John Harlow and starring William Hartnell, Raymond Lovell, Joyce Howard and Robert Beatty. Plot Leo Martin (Hartnell) works for a criminal gang run by Gus Loman (Lovell) tha ...

'' (1946) as Det. Insp. Rogers * '' Odd Man Out'' (1947) as Dennis * '' Green Fingers'' (1947) as Thomas Stone * '' Against the Wind'' (1948) as Father Philip * ''

Counterblast ''Counterblast'' is a 1948 British thriller film directed by Paul L. Stein and starring Robert Beatty, Mervyn Johns and Nova Pilbeam. It was made by British National Films at Elstree Studios. Plot A Nazi scientist escapes from prison, murder ...

'' (1948) as Dr. Paul Rankin * ''

'' (1948) as Gulliver * '' Portrait from Life'' (1948) as Campbell Reid * ''

The Twenty Questions Murder Mystery ''The Twenty Questions Murder Mystery'' is a 1950 British crime film directed by Paul L. Stein and starring Robert Beatty, Rona Anderson, and Clifford Evans. The film is a strange hybrid: with the Twenty Questions sections being a true studio ...

'' (1950) as Bob Beacham * ''

Her Favourite Husband ''Her Favourite Husband'' (also known by the alternative titles ''The Taming of Dorothy'' and ''Quel bandito sono io'') is a 1950 British-Italian comedy film directed by Mario Soldati and starring Jean Kent, Robert Beatty and Margaret Rutherf ...

'' (1950) as Antonio Pellegrini * '' Captain Horatio Hornblower R.N.'' (1951) as Lt. William Bush * ''

Calling Bulldog Drummond ''Calling Bulldog Drummond'' is a 1951 British crime film directed by Victor Saville and featuring Walter Pidgeon, Margaret Leighton, Robert Beatty, David Tomlinson and Bernard Lee.''Harrison's Reports'' film review; 20 October 1951, page 16 ...

'' (1951) as Arthur Gunns * ''

The Magic Box ''The Magic Box'' is a 1951 British Technicolor biographical drama film directed by John Boulting. The film stars Robert Donat as William Friese-Greene, with numerous cameo appearances by performers such as Peter Ustinov and Laurence Olivier. ...

'' (1951)Release date for The Magic Box
in IMDb. as Lord Beaverbrook * ''

Wings of Danger ''Wings of Danger'', released in the United States as ''Dead on Course'', is a 1952 British crime film directed by Terence Fisher and starring Zachary Scott, Robert Beatty and Kay Kendall.Erickson, Ha"Overview: 'Wings of Danger' (1952)."''AllMo ...

'' (1952) as Nick Talbot * '' The Gentle Gunman'' (1952) as Shinto * '' The Broken Horseshoe'' (1953) as Dr. Mark Fenton * '' The Net'' (1953) as Maj. Sam Seagram * ''

Man on a Tightrope ''Man on a Tightrope'' is a 1953 American drama directed by Elia Kazan, starring Fredric March and Terry Moore and Gloria Grahame. The screenplay by Robert E. Sherwood was based on a 1952 novel of the same title by Neil Paterson. Paterson base ...

'' (1953) as Barovic * '' The Oracle'' (1953) as Bob Jefferson * '' The Square Ring'' (1953) as Kid Curtis * ''

Albert R.N. ''Albert R.N.'' is a 1953 British war film directed by Lewis Gilbert and starring Jack Warner, Anthony Steel and Robert Beatty. Plot An escape tunnel for the naval officer prisoners during the Second World War at a German prisoner-of-war cam ...

'' (1953) as Jim * ''

Loves of Three Queens ''Loves of Three Queens'' ( it, L'amante di Paride), also known as ''The Face That Launched a Thousand Ships'', is a 1954 Italian anthology film. It was directed by Marc Allégret and Edgar G. Ulmer and stars Hedy Lamarr. Plot A woman going to a ...

'' (1954) as Menelao (segment: The Face That Launched a Thousand Ships) * '' Out of the Clouds'' (1955) as Nick Millbourne * '' Portrait of Alison'' (1955) as Tim Forrester * '' Tarzan and the Lost Safari'' (1957) as Tusker Hawkins * '' Something of Value'' (1957) as Elizabeth's Husband – Jeff Newton * '' Time Lock'' (1957) as Pete Dawson * '' The Shakedown'' (1960) as Chief Insp. Bob Jarvis * '' Invitation to Murder'' (1962) * '' The Amorous Prawn'' (1962) as Larry Hoffman * ''

The Secret of Dr. Mabuse ''The Secret of Dr. Mabuse'' or ''The Death Ray of Dr. Mabuse'' (German:''Die Todesstrahlen des Dr. Mabuse'') is a 1964 Franco-German-Italian international co-production science fiction Eurospy crime film directed by Hugo Fregonese and Victor De ...

'' (1964) as Col. Matson * '' The 25th Hour'' (1967) as Col. Greenfield * ''

Bikini Paradise ''Bikini Paradise'' is a 1967 American comedy film directed by Gregg G. Tallas and starring Janette Scott, Kieron Moore and John Baer.Ginibre, Lithgow & Cady p.203 The film's sets were designed by the art director Eugène Lourié. Location sho ...

'' (1967) as Commissioner * '' 2001: A Space Odyssey'' (1968) as Dr. Ralph Halvorsen * ''

'' (1968) as General George Carnaby / Corporal Cartwright Jones * ''

Sitting Target ''Sitting Target'', also known as ''Screaming Target'', is a 1972 British crime film directed by Douglas Hickox and mainly shot in various locations in London, including the Winstanley and York Road Estates. It stars Oliver Reed, Ian McShane a ...

'' (1972) as Gun Dealer * '' Pope Joan'' (1972) as Dr. Corwin * '' The Spikes Gang'' (1974) as Sheriff (credit only) * '' The Gathering Storm'' (1974) as Lord Beaverbrook * '' The Pink Panther Strikes Again'' (1976) as U.S. Admiral * ''

'' (1977, TV Mini-Series) as Proculus * '' Golden Rendezvous'' (1977) as Dr. Taubman * '' The Spaceman and King Arthur'' (1979) as Senator Milburn * '' The Amateur'' (1981) as Ambassador Neville * ''

'' (1983) as Tanker Captain * ''

Labyrinth In Greek mythology, the Labyrinth (, ) was an elaborate, confusing structure designed and built by the legendary artificer Daedalus for King Minos of Crete at Knossos. Its function was to hold the Minotaur, the monster eventually killed by ...

'' (1986) as Left Door Knocker (voice) * '' Superman IV: The Quest for Peace'' (1987) as U.S. President

References

External links

*
Robert Beatty Obituary in ''The New York Times''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Beatty, Robert 1909 births 1992 deaths University of Toronto alumni Alumni of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art Burials at Putney Vale Cemetery Canadian male film actors Canadian male television actors Canadian male radio actors Canadian male stage actors Canadian male voice actors 20th-century Canadian male actors Male actors from Hamilton, Ontario Canadian expatriate male actors in the United Kingdom