Robert Morley


Robert Adolph Wilton Morley was an English actor who enjoyed a lengthy career in both Britain and the United States. He was frequently cast as a pompous English gentleman representing the Establishment, often in supporting roles. In 1939 he received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of King Louis XVI in Marie Antoinette.
In Movie Encyclopedia, film critic Leonard Maltin describes Morley as "recognisable by his ungainly bulk, bushy eyebrows, thick lips and double chin,... particularly effective when cast as a pompous windbag." Ephraim Katz in his International Film Encyclopaedia describes Morley as "a rotund, triple-chinned, delightful character player of the British and American stage and screen." In his autobiography, Responsible Gentleman, Morley said his stage career started with managements valuing his appearance for playing "substantial gentleman" roles – as a doctor, lawyer, accountant or other professional member of society.

Early life

Morley was born in Semley, Wiltshire, England, the son of Gertrude Emily and Robert Wilton Morley, a major in the British Army. His mother came from a German family that had emigrated to South Africa. Morley attended Wellington College, Berkshire, which he hated, followed by RADA. As he was a famous "Old Wellingtonian", generations of headmasters tried to contact him, without success, with Morley stating "the only reason for me visiting Wellington would be to burn it down".

Career

Morley made his West End stage debut in 1929 in Treasure Island at the Strand Theatre and his Broadway debut in 1938 in the title role of Oscar Wilde at the Fulton Theatre. Although soon won over to the big screen, Morley remained both a busy West End star and successful author, as well as appearing in touring productions.
A versatile actor, especially in his younger years, he played Louis XVI in Marie Antoinette, for which he received an Academy Award nomination as Best Supporting Actor.
He co-wrote several plays for the stage. His 1937 play Goodness, How Sad was turned into an Ealing Studios film, Return to Yesterday, directed by Robert Stevenson. Later, he had outstanding success in London and New York with Edward, My Son, a gripping family drama written in 1947 in collaboration with Noel Langley. Morley played the central role of Arnold Holt. Edward, My Son was made into a movie by George Cukor for MGM-British. Morley's acting career continued with roles as a missionary in The African Queen, The Story of Gilbert and Sullivan, as W. S. Gilbert, and in Oscar Wilde. In 1959 he appeared in an Alfred Hitchcock Presents adaptation of a Stanley Ellin short story entitled, 'Specialty of the House'. In Ken Annakin's Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines, Morley is featured among an international ensemble cast including Stuart Whitman, Sarah Miles, Terry-Thomas, James Fox, Red Skelton, Benny Hill, Jean-Pierre Cassel, Gert Fröbe and Alberto Sordi.
Morley also personified the conservative Englishman in many comedy and caper films. He was the face of BOAC as the merry television commercial spokesman of the 1970s with "We'll take good care of you" for British Airways. Later in his career, he received critical acclaim and numerous accolades for his performance in Who Is Killing the Great Chefs of Europe?
In 1980, Morley hosted and provided explanatory introductions to the 14-episode Granada Television anthology series Ladykillers. During the 1980s, Morley hosted a celebrity cooking show on Cable TV, Celebrity Chefs.
He was renowned as a witty raconteur and for being an eloquent conversationalist, as well as a noted and enthusiastic gourmet, in real life and in various roles in film and TV.
In January 1957, Morley went into partnership with Robin Fox in a new production company called the Robin Fox Partnership Ltd, with its offices at 24, Old Burlington Street. Morley was honoured by being the first King of Moomba appointed by the Melbourne Moomba festival committee and, in typical humility, he accepted the crown in bare feet. Morley was in Australia touring his one-man show, The Sound of Morley.
In his book British Film Character Actors, Terence Pettigrew wrote: "Morley, who has more wobbly chins than a Shanghai drinking club, enjoys poking fun at life's absurdities, among whom he generously includes himself."
He was the subject of This Is Your Life in 1974 when he was surprised by Eamonn Andrews.

Personal life and honours

Robert Morley married Joan Buckmaster, a daughter of Dame Gladys Cooper. Their elder son, Sheridan Morley, became a writer and critic. They also had a daughter, Annabel, and another son, Wilton.
He was godfather to the eldest son of fellow actor Tom Chatto.
Morley was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1957 and was also offered a knighthood in 1975 but declined.
Morley was a member of the Labour Party and lived for decades in Wargrave, Berkshire.

Death

Morley died in Reading, England, from a stroke aged 84 on 3 June 1992.

Theatre career

  • First stage appearance in Dr Syn
  • First London role, a pirate in Treasure Island
  • Touring, plus Playhouse Oxford and Festival Cambridge repertory,
  • Oakes in Up in the Air
  • Touring with Sir Frank Benson
  • Ran a repertory company with Peter Bull
  • Title role in Oscar Wilde
  • Alexandre Dumas in The Great Romancer
  • Henry Higgins in Pygmalion
  • Title role in Oscar Wilde
  • Title role in Springtime for Henry
  • Descius Heiss in Play with Fire
  • Sheridan Whiteside in The Man Who Came to Dinner
  • Charles in Staff Dance
  • Prince Regent in The First Gentleman
  • Arnold Holt in Edward, My Son
  • Philip in The Little Hut
  • Hippo in Hippo Dancing
  • Oswald Petersham in A Likely Tale
  • Panisse in the musical Fanny
  • The Tunnel of Love
  • Sebastian Le Boeuf in Hook, Line and Sinker
  • Once More, with Feeling
  • Mr Asano in A Majority of One
  • Title role in Mr Rhodes
  • The Bishop in A Time to Laugh
  • The Sound of Morley
  • Sir Mallalieu Fitzbuttress in Halfway Up the Tree
  • Frank Foster in How the Other Half Loves
  • Barnstable in A Ghost on Tiptoe
  • Pound in Banana Ridge
  • Toured Robert Morley Talks to Everyone
  • Picture of Innocence
  • Hilary in ''The Old Country''

    Complete filmography

  • Scrooge as Rich Man
  • Marie Antoinette as King Louis XVI
  • You Will Remember as Tom Barrett / Leslie Stuart
  • Major Barbara as Andrew Undershaft
  • The Big Blockade as German: Von Geiselbrecht
  • This Was Paris as Van Der Stuyl
  • Partners in Crime as Judge
  • The Foreman Went to France as Mayor Coutare of Bivary
  • The Young Mr. Pitt as Charles James Fox
  • I Live in Grosvenor Square , as Duke of Exmoor
  • The Ghosts of Berkeley Square as General "Jumbo" Burlap
  • The Small Back Room as The Minister
  • Edward, My Son as Cameo
  • Outcast of the Islands as Elmer Almayer
  • The African Queen as Reverend Samuel Sayer, "The Brother"
  • Curtain Up as Harry Derwent Blacker
  • The Story of Gilbert and Sullivan as W.S. Gilbert
  • Melba as Oscar Hammerstein I
  • The Final Test as Alexander Whitehead
  • Beat the Devil as Peterson
  • The Good Die Young as Sir Francis Ravenscourt
  • The Rainbow Jacket as Lord Logan
  • Beau Brummell as King George III
  • The Adventures of Quentin Durward as King Louis XI
  • A Likely Tale as Oswald Petersham / Jonah Petersham
  • Loser Takes All as Dreuther
  • Around the World in 80 Days as Gauthier Ralph
  • Fanny as Panisse
  • Law and Disorder as Judge Crichton
  • The Sheriff of Fractured Jaw as Uncle Lucius
  • Alfred Hitchcock Presents as Mr. Laffler
  • The Doctor's Dilemma as Sir Ralph Bloomfield-Bonington
  • The Journey as Hugh Deverill
  • Libel as Sir Wilfred
  • The Battle of the Sexes as Robert MacPherson
  • Oscar Wilde as Oscar Wilde
  • A Majority of One as Koichi Asano
  • The Story of Joseph and His Brethren as Potiphar
  • The Young Ones as Hamilton Black
  • Go to Blazes as Arson Eddie
  • The Road to Hong Kong as Leader of the 3rd Echelon
  • The Boys as Montgomery
  • Nine Hours to Rama as P.K. Mussadi
  • Murder at the Gallop as Hector Enderby
  • The Old Dark House as Roderick Femm
  • Take Her, She's Mine as Mr. Pope-Jones
  • Ladies Who Do as Colonel Whitforth
  • Hot Enough for June as Colonel Cuncliffe
  • Of Human Bondage as Dr. Jacobs
  • Rhythm 'n' Greens as Narrator
  • Topkapi as Cedric Page
  • Genghis Khan as Emperor of China
  • Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines as Lord Rawnsley
  • A Study in Terror as Mycroft Holmes
  • The Loved One as Sir Ambrose Ambercrombie
  • Life at the Top as Tiffield
  • The Dot and the Line: A Romance in Lower Mathematics as Narrator
  • The Alphabet Murders as Captain Arthur Hastings
  • Treasure Island
  • Tender Scoundrel as Lord Swift
  • Hotel Paradiso as Henri Cotte
  • Lucy in London
  • Way...Way Out as Harold Quonset
  • Finders Keepers as Colonel Roberts
  • The Trygon Factor as Hubert Hamlyn
  • Woman Times Seven as Dr. Xavier - episode "Super Simone"
  • Luther as Pope Leo X
  • Hot Millions as Caesar Smith
  • Some Girls Do as Miss Mary
  • Sinful Davey as Duke of Argyll
  • Twinky as Judge Roxborough
  • Doctor in Trouble as Captain George Spratt
  • Cromwell as The Earl of Manchester
  • Song of Norway as Berg
  • When Eight Bells Toll as Sir Arthur Arnford-Jones
  • Many Moons as Narrator
  • Theatre of Blood as Meredith Merridew
  • Great Expectations as Uncle Pumblechook
  • Hugo the Hippo as The Sultan
  • The Blue Bird as Father Time
  • The Fortune Hunters as Mr. Justice Bosanquet
  • Who Is Killing the Great Chefs of Europe? as Max Vandeveer
  • The Human Factor as Dr. Percival
  • Scavenger Hunt as Charles Bernstein
  • Tales of the Unexpected as Harry Knox
  • Oh! Heavenly Dog as Bernie
  • Loophole as Godfrey
  • The Great Muppet Caper as British Gentlemen
  • The Deadly Game as Emile Carpeau
  • High Road to China as Bentik
  • The Old Men at the Zoo as Lord Godmanchester
  • Second Time Lucky as God
  • Alice in Wonderland as King of Hearts
  • The Wind as Elias Appleby
  • The Trouble with Spies as Angus
  • Little Dorrit as Lord Decimus Barnacle
  • War and Remembrance as Alistair Tudsbury
  • The Lady and the Highwayman as Lord Chancellor
  • Around the World in 80 Days as Wentworth
  • Istanbul as Atkins