Cecil Parker
Cecil Parker was an English actor with a distinctively husky voice, who usually played supporting roles, often characters with a supercilious demeanour, in his 91 films made between 1928 and 1969.
Career
Parker was born in Hastings, Sussex, the second son of German-born Charles August Schwabe, manager of the Albany Hotel, Hastings, and his English wife, Kate, a church organist. He was educated at St Francis Xavier College, and at Bruges in Belgium. He served with the Royal [Sussex Regiment] in the First World War, reaching the rank of sergeant. He began his theatrical career in London in 1922, adopting the surname "Parker" from his mother's maiden name. He made his first film appearance in 1933 and subsequently became a familiar face in British and occasionally American films until his death. He appeared less often on television, but many of his films have remained popular and are often shown.
He acted in two adaptations of A. J. Cronin's novels, The Citadel and The Stars Look Down, in addition to appearing in The Lady Vanishes and Under Capricorn. Both of these latter films were directed by Alfred Hitchcock. Other roles were in Storm in a Teacup, The Weaker Sex, 23 Paces to Baker Street, Dangerous Moonlight, Swiss Family Robinson, and I Was Monty's Double, as well as the comedies A French Mistress, The Ladykillers, The Man in the White Suit, The Court Jester , Indiscreet and I [Believe in You (film)|I Believe in You]. Parker was also the original Charles Condomine in the West End production of Noël Coward's Blithe Spirit.
He often played a touchy senior officer or British upper class character, and his last two films were true to form: The Magnificent Two with the British comedy double act Morecambe and Wise and Richard Attenborough's version of Oh! What a Lovely War.
On November 20, 1950, he co-starred with Margaret O'Brien in "The Canterville Ghost", on Robert Montgomery Presents on TV. He played a butler on one episode of [The Avengers (TV series)|The Avengers]. In 1957 he played Dr. Morelle in BBC radio series, "A Case for Dr. Morelle".
Personal life
Parker was married to Muriel Anne Randell-Brown, from September 1927 until his death in 1971, in Brighton.
Filmography
The Golden Cage A [Cuckoo in the Nest (film)|A Cuckoo in the Nest] as Claude HickettThe Silver Spoon as TrevorFlat Number Three as Hilary MaineNine Forty-Five as Robert ClaytonPrincess Charming as Mr. Thompson The Blue Squadron as BianciLittle Friend as MasonLady in Danger as Piker Dirty Work as Gordon BrayMe and Marlborough as Colonel of the GreysCrime Unlimited as Assistant CommissionerThe Guv'nor as Bank Director Her Last Affaire as Sir Arthur HardingForeign Affaires as Lord WormingtonMen of Yesterday The Man Who Changed His Mind as Dr. GrattonDishonour Bright as Vincent CraneJack of All Trades as Sir Charles DarringtonDark Journey as Captain of Q-BoatStorm in a Teacup as Provost William GowHousemaster as Sir Berkeley NightingaleThe Lady Vanishes as Mr. TodhunterThe Citadel as Charles EveryOld Iron as BarnettSons of the Sea as Commander HerbertShe [Couldn't Say No (1939 film)|She Couldn't Say No] as Jimmy ReevesThe Stars Look Down as Stanley MillingtonThe Spider as Lawrence BruceUnder Your Hat as Sir Jeffrey ArlingtonTwo for Danger as Sir RichardThe Saint's Vacation as RudolphDangerous Moonlight as SpecialistShips with Wings as German Air MarshalCaesar and Cleopatra as BritannusThe Magic Bow as Luigi GermiHungry Hill as Copper JohnCaptain Boycott as Captain Charles C. BoycottThe Woman in the Hall as Sir Halmar BarnardThe First Gentleman as The Prince RegentThe Weaker Sex as Geoffrey RadcliffeQuartet as Colonel Peregrine Dear Mr. Prohack as Arthur ProhackUnder Capricorn as The GovernorThe Chiltern Hundreds as Benjamin BeechamTony Draws a Horse as Dr. Howard FlemingThe Man in the White Suit as Alan BirnleyThe Magic Box as First Platform ManHis Excellency as Sir James KirkmanI Believe in You as PhippsFather Brown as The BishopFor Better, for Worse as Anne's FatherIsn't Life Wonderful! as FatherThe Constant Husband as The ProfessorThe Ladykillers as Claude CourtneyThe Court Jester as King Roderick I23 Paces to Baker Street as Bob MatthewsIt's Great to Be Young as Mr. Frome, HeadmasterTrue as a Turtle as Dudley PartridgeThe Admirable Crichton as Lord LoamA [Tale of Two Cities (1958 film)|A Tale of Two Cities] as Jarvis LorryHappy Is the Bride as Arthur RoydIndiscreet as Alfred MunsonI Was Monty's Double as Colonel LoganThe Navy Lark as Commander StantonThe Night We Dropped a Clanger as Air Vice-Marshal Sir Bertram BukpasserThe [Wreck of the Mary Deare (film)|The Wreck of the Mary Deare] as The ChairmanSotto dieci bandiere as Colonel HowardFollow That Horse! as Sir William CraneA French Mistress as John Crane M.A., Headmaster of Melbury SchoolSwiss Family Robinson as Captain MorelandThe Pure Hell of St Trinian's as Professor CanfordAlfred Hitchcock Presents as LawyerOn the Fiddle as Gr / Captain BascombePetticoat Pirates as C-in-CThe Brain as StevensonThe Iron Maiden as Sir Giles ThompsonThe Amorous Prawn as General Sir Hamish FitzadamHeavens Above! as Archdeacon AspinallCarry On Jack as First SealordGuns at Batasi as FletcherThe Comedy Man as Thomas RutherfordThe Amorous Adventures of Moll Flanders as The MayorA Study in Terror as Prime MinisterLady L as Sir PercyA Man Could Get Killed as Sir Huntley FrazierCircus of Fear as Sir JohnThe Magnificent Two as Sir John / British AmbassadorThe Avengers as GloverOh! What a Lovely War as Sir John