Hay Petrie


David Hay Petrie was a Scottish actor noted for playing eccentric characters, among them Quilp in The Old Curiosity Shop, the McLaggen in The Ghost Goes West and Uncle Pumblechook in Great Expectations.
Hay Petrie was born in Dundee, Angus, Scotland, the son of Jessie and David Mathew Petrie, a decorator. He went to Harris Academy and later attended St Andrew's University, where he first discovered the stage. In 1915, he joined the Royal Scots as a second lieutenant.
After the war, he studied with Rosina Filippi, joining the Old Vic Company appearing as "Starveling" in A Midsummer Night's Dream in 1920. In 1924 Albert de Courville brought Hay Petrie into vaudeville with The Looking Glass, in which he sang "Oh Shakespeare you're the best of all but you can't fill the fourteen shilling stall". His first film part was Many Waters in 1931. In 1928 he married Muriel Eleanor Gwendolen Stevens. During World War II he was an ARP warden.
Hay Petrie struggled with alcoholism, but was much loved by audiences and players. He was never more at home than when he was playing parts from the classical theatre, and for many he was the Shakespearean Clown of the early 1920s.
He died in London in July 1948, aged 53.

Filmography

  • Suspense as Scruffy
  • Night Birds as Scotty
  • Many Waters as Director
  • Carmen as Remenado
  • Help Yourself as Sam Short
  • The Lucky Number as The Photographer
  • The Private Life of Henry VIII as The King's Barber
  • The Wandering Jew as Palermo Merchant
  • Song of the Plough as Farmhand
  • Crime on the Hill as Jevons
  • Red Wagon as Minor Role
  • Matinee Idol as Mr. Clappit
  • Colonel Blood as Mr. Edwards
  • The Queen's Affair as Revolutionary
  • Nell Gwynn as French Ambassador
  • The Private Life of Don Juan as Golden Pheasant Manager
  • Blind Justice as Harry
  • The Old Curiosity Shop as Quilp
  • Peg of Old Drury as Mr. Rich
  • The Loves of Madame Dubarry as Cascal
  • Koenigsmark as Professor
  • Moscow Nights as Spy
  • The Ghost Goes West as The McLaggen
  • Invitation to the Waltz as Periteau
  • Forget Me Not as New York Theatre Manager
  • Men of Yesterday
  • The House of the Spaniard as Orlando
  • Hearts of Humanity as Alf Hooper
  • Rembrandt as Jeweller
  • Treachery on the High Seas as Brainie
  • Conquest of the Air as Tiberius Cavallo
  • Secret Lives as Robert Pigeon
  • Knight Without Armour as Station Master
  • The Last Barricade as Captain MacTavish
  • Keep Smiling as Jack
  • A Spot of Bother as McTavish the Golf Club Official
  • Q Planes as Stage Door Keeper
  • Trunk Crime as Old Dan
  • The Four Feathers as Mahdi Interpreter
  • Jamaica Inn as Sam - Sir Humphrey's Groom
  • The Spy in Black as Engineer
  • Inquest as Norman Neale K.C.
  • 21 Days as Evan
  • Contraband as Axel Skold/Erik Skold
  • Crimes at the Dark House as Dr. Isidor Fosco
  • Spy for a Day as Mr. Britt.
  • Pastor Hall as Nazi Pastor
  • Ten Days in Paris as Benoit
  • Convoy as Minesweeper Skipper
  • The Thief of Bagdad as Astrologer
  • Freedom Radio as Sebastian
  • The Ghost of St. Michael's as Procurator Fiscal
  • Quiet Wedding as Railway Porter
  • Spellbound as Mr. Cathcart
  • Turned Out Nice Again as Drunk
  • Cottage to Let as Dr. Truscott
  • Rush Hour as Bus Conductor
  • This Was Paris as Popinard, Amusement Park Owner
  • One of Our Aircraft Is Missing as The Burgomaster
  • Hard Steel as Mr. Kissack
  • They Flew Alone as Old General
  • Those Kids from Town as Ted Roberts
  • Sabotage at Sea as Talkative sailor at table
  • The Great Mr. Handel as Phineas
  • Escape to Danger
  • Schweik's New Adventures as Gestapo man at inn
  • They Met in the Dark as Waiter
  • The Shipbuilders as Worker in Pagan's Office
  • Battle for Music as Official Receiver
  • On Approval as Hotelkeeper
  • A Canterbury Tale as Woodcock
  • Kiss the Bride Goodbye as Fraser
  • For You Alone as Sir Henry Markham
  • Waltz Time as Minister of War
  • The Voice Within as Fair Owner
  • Night Boat to Dublin as Station Master
  • Under New Management as The Bridegroom
  • The Laughing Lady as Tom
  • Great Expectations as Uncle Pumblechook
  • The Red Shoes as Boisson
  • The Dark Road
  • The Fallen Idol as Clock Winder
  • Noose as Barber
  • The Guinea Pig as Peck
  • The Monkey's Paw as Grimshaw, Curio Shopkeeper
  • The Queen of Spades as Herman's servant