Cecil Parker

Cecil Parker

1897-09-02 – 1971-04-20 (age 73) Hastings, Sussex, England, UK
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Biography

Cecil Parker (3 September 1897 – 20 April 1971) was an English character and comedy actor with a distinctive husky voice, who usually played supporting roles in his 91 films made between 1928 and 1969.

Born Cecil Schwabe in Hastings, Sussex, he began his theatrical career in London in 1922 after serving in World War I. He made his first film appearance in 1928 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 (1938) and The Stars Look Down (1940), in addition to appearing in The Lady Vanishes (1938) and Under Capricorn (1949), both of the later films were directed by Alfred Hitchcock. Other roles were in 23 Paces to Baker Street (1956), Dangerous Moonlight (1941), Swiss Family Robinson (1960), and I Was Monty's Double (1958), as well as the comedies A French Mistress (1960), The Ladykillers (1955), The Man in the White Suit (1951), The Court Jester (1955), Indiscreet (1958) and I Believe in You (1952). Parker was also the original Charles Condomine in the West End production of Noel Coward's Blithe Spirit, a role subsequently played on Broadway by Clifton Webb and in the 1945 film by Rex Harrison.

He often played a touchy senior officer or British upper-class character, and his last two films were true to form: The Magnificent Two (1967) with the British comedy double act Morecambe and Wise and Richard Attenborough's version of Oh! What A Lovely War (1969).

He played an evil, scheming butler on one episode of The Avengers ("The £50,000 Breakfast").

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Known For

Swiss Family Robinson
Swiss Family Robinson

1960

as Captain Moreland

The Ladykillers
The Ladykillers

1955

as Claude, alias 'Major Courtney'

The Court Jester
The Court Jester

1955

as King Roderick I

Under Capricorn
Under Capricorn

1949

as The Governor

The Lady Vanishes
The Lady Vanishes

1938

as Eric Todhunter

The Wreck of the Mary Deare
The Wreck of the Mary Deare

1959

as Inquiry Chairman

Dark Journey
Dark Journey

1937

as Captain Of Q-Boat

Indiscreet
Indiscreet

1958

as Alfred Munson

Caesar and Cleopatra
Caesar and Cleopatra

1945

as Britannus

A Study in Terror
A Study in Terror

1965

as Prime Minister

Lady L
Lady L

1965

as Sir Percy

Guns at Batasi
Guns at Batasi

1964

as Fletcher

The Man in the White Suit
The Man in the White Suit

1951

as Alan Birnley

The Admirable Crichton
The Admirable Crichton

1957

as Lord Henry Loam

I Was Monty's Double
I Was Monty's Double

1958

as Colonel E.F. Logan

Oh! What a Lovely War
Oh! What a Lovely War

1969

as Sir John

The Pure Hell of St Trinian's
The Pure Hell of St Trinian's

1960

as Professor Canford

Circus of Fear
Circus of Fear

1966

as Sir John

Storm in a Teacup
Storm in a Teacup

1937

as Provost William Gow