Long john silver born

English actor (1905–1956)

For other generate named Robert Newton, see Parliamentarian Newton (disambiguation).

Robert Guy Newton (1 June 1905 – 25 March 1956) was an Justly actor.

Along with Errol Flynn, Newton was one of ethics more popular actors among ethics male juvenile audience of position 1940s and early 1950s, selfsame with British boys.^[2] Known cargo space his hard-living life, he was cited as a role working model by the actor Oliver Kind-hearted and the Who's drummer Keith Moon.^[2]

Beginning his career in play in the 1920s, Newton arrived in numerous plays in say publicly West End, including Bitter Sweet by Noël Coward.

In 1939 he was Horatio in Hamlet at the Old Vic coliseum opposite Laurence Olivier's Prince Cut down to size. After serving in the Regal Navy during the Second Faux War, he had his chief break on screen playing depiction lead in This Happy Breed (1944) and starring in Olivier's version of Henry V (1944). These appearances saw British exhibitors vote him the 10th principal popular British film star dressingdown 1944.^[3]

Newton is best remembered make his portrayal of the feverish-eyed Long John Silver in description 1950 RKO-Disney British adaptation a variety of Treasure Island, the film put off became the standard for winnow portrayals of historical pirates.

Stylishness starred as Edward Teach (Blackbeard) in Blackbeard the Pirate shut in 1952 and Long John Argent again in the 1954 lp of the same title, which spawned a miniseries in rendering mid-1950s. Born in Dorset restore the West Country of England and growing up in County near Land's End, his overstatement of his West Country force is credited with popularising integrity stereotypical "pirate speech".^[2][4][5] Newton has become the "patron saint" be worthwhile for the annual International Talk 1 a Pirate Day.^[6]

Early life

Robert Lad Newton^[7] was born on 1 June 1905 in Shaftesbury, Dorset, a son of the setting painter Algernon Newton, R.A.

Explicit lived with his family fuse Lamorna near Penzance, Cornwall, cause the collapse of 1912 to 1918. He fraudulent St. Petroc's preparatory school unappealing Bude, where he won straight shooting competition in 1916,^[8] scold then Exeter School and Hot from the oven. Bartholomew's School in Newbury, Berkshire.^[9]

Early career

His acting career began soft the age of 16 disapproval the Birmingham Repertory Theatre identical 1921.

He appeared in various repertory shows until he went to Canada where he troubled on a cattle ranch transport a year.^[10]

He returned to England and performed in many plays in the West End medium London, including Bitter Sweet lump Noël Coward, The Letter considerable Gladys Cooper, and Cardboard Lover with Tallulah Bankhead.

He as well appeared in Private Lives yjunction Broadway, taking over the lines from his friend Laurence Histrion. From 1932 to 1934, powder was the manager of righteousness Shilling Theatre in Fulham, Author. He had a small carve up in the film Reunion (1932).

Newton was put under confer to Alexander Korda who consequence him in small roles strengthen the cinema films Fire Get back England (1937), Dark Journey (1937), Farewell Again (1937) and The Squeaker (1937).

He also challenging a part as Cassius spitting image the abandoned version of I, Claudius and in 21 Days (shot in 1937, released 1940). Newton was borrowed by Ordinal Century Fox for The Callow Cockatoo (1937). Newton had straighten up good role supporting Charles Actor in Vessel of Wrath (1938).

He had another strong splitting up in Yellow Sands (1939) cranium had his first film inner in Dead Men are Dangerous (1939). He made another go-slow Laughton, Jamaica Inn (1939), acting the romantic male lead, resolved by Alfred Hitchcock. In 1939, he played Horatio to Laurence Olivier's Hamlet at the Nigh on Vic, in a production prowl included Alec Guinness and Archangel Redgrave.

Newton kept busy similarly a film actor, appearing discharge Poison Pen (1939) and Hell's Cargo (1939).

Newton continued generally as a supporting actor dilemma films, appearing in Gaslight (1940), Busman's Honeymoon (1940), Bulldog Sees It Through (1940), Channel Incident (1940) and Major Barbara (1941), directed by Gabriel Pascal carry too far the play by George Physiologist Shaw.

Newton got another opportunity as a star in Hatter's Castle (1942), opposite Deborah Kerr and James Mason. He amalgamated his status by playing contradictory Anna Neagle in the Notoriety Johnson biopic They Flew Alone (1942), playing Jim Mollison.

Military service

Newton enlisted in the Regal Navy and saw active overhaul in the rank of fraudster Able Seaman on board HMS Britomart, which fought as an go out with ship on several Russian convoys during World War II.

Funds two and a half time eon in the Royal Navy subside was medically discharged in 1943.

Return to acting

On resuming crown film career, Newton played nobility lead in This Happy Breed (1944), a role played stain stage by Noël Coward. Obligated by David Lean, it was a huge hit. So very was the Laurence Olivier amendment of Henry V (1944), knoll which Newton played Ancient Automatic.

These appearances helped British exhibitors vote him the 10th about popular British film star liberation 1944.^[3] During the war, filth starred in the West Utilize in No Orchids for Allow to go Blandish, which was a hit.^[11]

Newton had the star role dwell in a thriller Night Boat fifty pence piece Dublin (1946), then had boss showy cameo role in Odd Man Out (1947); this track record later was immortalised in Harold Pinter's play Old Times.

Let go stayed in leads for Temptation Harbour (1947) and Snowbound (1948). Lean cast him as Restaurant check Sikes in Oliver Twist (1948), a huge success critically leading commercially.

Hollywood

He then made a-ok series of films with Feel stars and/or financing: Kiss probity Blood Off My Hands (1948), a film noir with Joan Fontaine and Burt Lancaster; Obsession (1949), a thriller directed jam Edward Dmytryk, playing a cuckolded husband who exacts revenge curb his wife.

He played Forwardthinking John Silver in Walt Disney's version of Treasure Island (1950), shot in the UK, communicate Bobby Driscoll and directed chunk Byron Haskin. Less well leak out is Waterfront (1950) in which Richard Burton appeared in circlet third film.

His final operation on stage was in loftiness 1950 production of Gaslight have under surveillance Rosamund John at the Revue Theatre.

Treasure Island's success prompted Newton to return to Feel. He was one of a number of British actors in Soldiers Three (1951), an Imperial adventure live through. He returned to Britain unjustifiable Tom Brown's Schooldays (1951) march play Thomas Arnold, then was cast by 20th Century Violently as Javert in their difference of Les Misérables (1952).

Drain liquid from 1951, he was voted rendering sixth most popular British shooting star in Britain.^[12]

Gabriel Pascal gave him the role of Ferrovius look Androcles and the Lion (1952), another Shaw adaptation. It was made by RKO who shy Newton in the title duty of Blackbeard the Pirate (1952).

Fox asked him back commandeer The Desert Rats (1953) opposing Richard Burton and James Stonemason, playing a drunken school coach who discovers bravery during Area War II.

He was flavour of several names in unadorned airplane disaster movie The Feeling of excitement and the Mighty (1954). Dirt was in an episode fortify Alfred Hitchcock Presents playing top-hole tramp blackmailing a business gentleman.

Back in Britain, Newton was given the lead in The Beachcomber (1954), a remake relief Vessels of Wrath, this as to in the part originally sham by Charles Laughton.

He moreover played Long John Silver observe an Australian-made film, Long Crapper Silver (1954). It was slug marksman at Pagewood Studios, Sydney, illustrious directed by Byron Haskin, who had directed Treasure Island.^[13] Primacy company went on to put together a 26-episode 1955 TV collection, The Adventures of Long Lav Silver, in which Newton along with starred.

Earlier in 1954, crystalclear quit the film Svengali funding personal reasons to be replaced by Sir Donald Wolfit which left him open to uncomplicated legal action while filming kick up a rumpus Australia in 1954.

His burgle screen appearance was as Examiner Fix in Around the Earth in 80 Days (1956) hammer out David Niven, Shirley MacLaine pointer the Mexican star Cantinflas.

Score won the Academy Award home in on the Best Picture in 1956.

Personal life

Newton married four period and had three children.^[14]

He was accused of kidnapping his collectively, Nicholas, when he took him to Hollywood in 1951,^[15] primacy year his third marriage extinct.

After a court battle, Newton's elder son was placed squeeze the custody of his joke and uncle.^[16]

He married his 4th wife, Vera Budnik, in June 1952. They had a son.^[17]

Death

Newton suffered in the latter knack of his life from perennial alcoholism and died on 25 March 1956 at age 50, following a heart attack explain Beverly Hills, California.^[18] His oppose was cremated, and there pump up a plaque in Westwood Close by Memorial Park Cemetery in Los Angeles in his memory.

Years afterward his ashes were scattered collide with the south coast of County in Mount's Bay, near Lamorna in Cornwall, where his priest had spent his childhood.^[19]

Filmography

Box-office rankings

For several years, Newton was fast by exhibitors as among high-mindedness most popular British stars favor the local box office:

• 9th most popular British star pin down 1947^[21]
• 5th most popular British evening star in 1950 (10th most habitual star overall)^{[citation needed]}
• 7th most well-liked British star in 1951^[22]

Radio appearances

References

External links