Wilfrid Lawson (born Wilfrid Lawson Worsnop; 14 January 1900 – 10 October 1966) was an English

character actor A character actor is a supporting actor who plays unusual, interesting, or eccentric characters.28 April 2013, The New York Acting SchoolTen Best Character Actors of All Time Retrieved 7 August 2014, "..a breed of actor who has the ability to ...

of screen and stage.

Life and career

Lawson was born Wilfrid Lawson Worsnop in

Bradford Bradford is a city and the administrative centre of the City of Bradford district in West Yorkshire, England. The city is in the Pennines' eastern foothills on the banks of the Bradford Beck. Bradford had a population of 349,561 at the 201 ...

West Riding of Yorkshire The West Riding of Yorkshire is one of three historic subdivisions of Yorkshire, England. From 1889 to 1974 the administrative county County of York, West Riding (the area under the control of West Riding County Council), abbreviated County ...

. He was educated at Hanson Boys' Grammar School, Bradford, and entered the theatre in his late teens, appearing on both the British and American stage throughout his career. He made his film début in '' East Lynne on the Western Front'' (1931) and appeared in supporting roles until he took the lead in '' The Terror'' (1938). In arguably his most celebrated film role, he played dustman-turned-lecturer Alfred P. Doolittle in the film version of

George Bernard Shaw George Bernard Shaw (26 July 1856 – 2 November 1950), known at his insistence simply as Bernard Shaw, was an Irish playwright, critic, polemicist and political activist. His influence on Western theatre, culture and politics extended from ...

's '' Pygmalion'' (1938), alongside Leslie Howard and

Wendy Hiller Dame Wendy Margaret Hiller, (15 August 1912 – 14 May 2003) was an English film and stage actress who enjoyed a varied acting career that spanned nearly 60 years. Writer Joel Hirschorn, in his 1984 compilation ''Rating the Movie Stars'', desc ...

. He also had memorable leading roles in ''

Pastor Hall ''Pastor Hall'' is a 1940 British drama film directed by Roy Boulting and starring Wilfrid Lawson, Nova Pilbeam, Marius Goring, Seymour Hicks and Bernard Miles. The film is based on the play of the same title by German author Ernst Toller w ...

'' (1940), as a German village clergyman who denounces the new Nazi regime in 1934; '' Tower of Terror'' (1941) as the wild-eyed maniacal lighthouse keeper Wolfe Kristen; and the title role in '' The Great Mr. Handel'' (1942), a biopic of the 18th century composer, all three showing his broad range. He also made a number of films in America beginning with '' Ladies in Love'' (1936) and including

John Ford John Martin Feeney (February 1, 1894 – August 31, 1973), known professionally as John Ford, was an American film director and naval officer. He is widely regarded as one of the most important and influential filmmakers of his generation. He ...

's '' The Long Voyage Home'' (1940) alongside

John Wayne Marion Robert Morrison (May 26, 1907 – June 11, 1979), known professionally as John Wayne and nicknamed The Duke or Duke Wayne, was an American actor who became a popular icon through his starring roles in films made during Hollywood's Gol ...

. His last leading role was in '' The Turners of Prospect Road'' (1947). As a result of bouts of alcoholism, Lawson became difficult to work with, and throughout the 1950s his roles became increasingly small—even uncredited in some cases. Despite this he still gave memorable performances such as Prince Andrei Bolkonsky's father in

King Vidor King Wallis Vidor (; February 8, 1894 – November 1, 1982) was an American film director, film producer, and screenwriter whose 67-year film-making career successfully spanned the silent and sound eras. His works are distinguished by a vivid, ...

's ''

War and Peace ''War and Peace'' (russian: Война и мир, translit=Voyna i mir; pre-reform Russian: ; ) is a literary work by the Russian author Leo Tolstoy that mixes fictional narrative with chapters on history and philosophy. It was first published ...

'' (1956), Ed in '' Hell Drivers'' (1957) and Uncle Nat in '' Room at the Top'' (1958), filmed in Lawson's home town of Bradford. The 1960s saw something of a career resurgence, beginning with his turn as Black George in

Tony Richardson Cecil Antonio "Tony" Richardson (5 June 1928 – 14 November 1991) was an English theatre and film director and producer whose career spanned five decades. In 1964, he won the Academy Award for Best Director for the film '' Tom Jones''. Earl ...

's '' Tom Jones'' (1963) and culminating in two of his most notable latter day performances: the decrepit butler Peacock in ''

The Wrong Box ''The Wrong Box'' is a 1966 British comedy film produced and directed by Bryan Forbes from a screenplay by Larry Gelbart and Burt Shevelove, based on the 1889 novel '' The Wrong Box'' by Robert Louis Stevenson and Lloyd Osbourne. It was made by ...

'' and the Dormouse in

Jonathan Miller Sir Jonathan Wolfe Miller CBE (21 July 1934 – 27 November 2019) was an English theatre and opera director, actor, author, television presenter, humourist and physician. After training in medicine and specialising in neurology in the late 1 ...

's television adaptation of ''

Alice in Wonderland ''Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'' (commonly ''Alice in Wonderland'') is an 1865 English novel by Lewis Carroll. It details the story of a young girl named Alice who falls through a rabbit hole into a fantasy world of anthropomorphic creatur ...

'' (both 1966). That same year saw his death, in London, from a heart attack. His brother was the supporting player Gerald Lawson (born Bernard Worsnop, 30 April 1897 – 6 December 1973) and a nephew was actor Bernard Fox (born Bernard Lawson, 10 May 1927 – 14 December 2016). Was the only actor Peter O’Toole really admired

Selected stage performances

* ''

Evensong Evensong is a church service traditionally held near sunset focused on singing psalms and other biblical canticles. In origin, it is identical to the canonical hour of vespers. Old English speakers translated the Latin word as , which became ...

'' (1932) * ''

Peer Gynt ''Peer Gynt'' (, ) is a five- act play in verse by the Norwegian dramatist Henrik Ibsen published in 1876. Written in Norwegian, it is one of the most widely performed Norwegian plays. Ibsen believed ''Per Gynt'', the Norwegian fairy tale on wh ...

'' * ''

Richard III Richard III (2 October 145222 August 1485) was King of England and Lord of Ireland from 26 June 1483 until his death in 1485. He was the last king of the House of York and the last of the Plantagenet dynasty. His defeat and death at the Batt ...

'' * ''The Father'' (Strindberg play) * ''

The Lower Depths ''The Lower Depths'' (russian: На дне, translit=Na dne, literally: ''At the bottom'') is a play by Russian dramatist Maxim Gorky written in 1902 and produced by the Moscow Arts Theatre on December 18, 1902 under the direction of Konstantin S ...

'' (1962)

Filmography

* '' East Lynne on the Western Front'' (1931) - Dick Webb / Carlyle * '' Strike It Rich'' (1933) - Raikes * ''

Turn of the Tide ''Turn of the Tide'' (1935) is a British drama film directed by Norman Walker and starring John Garrick, Geraldine Fitzgerald and Wilfrid Lawson. It was the first feature film made by J. Arthur Rank. Lacking a distributor for his film, Rank se ...

'' (1935) - Luke Fosdyck * '' Ladies in Love'' (1936) - Ben Horvath * ''

White Hunter White hunter is a literary term used for professional big game hunters of European or North American backgrounds who plied their trade in Africa, especially during the first half of the 20th century. The activity continues in the dozen African ...

'' (1936) - Michael Varek * '' The Man Who Made Diamonds'' (1937) - Gallanie * ''

Bank Holiday A bank holiday is a national public holiday in the United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland and the Crown Dependencies. The term refers to all public holidays in the United Kingdom, be they set out in statute, declared by royal proclamation or h ...

'' (1938) - Police Sergt. * '' The Terror'' (1938) - Mr. Goodman * '' Yellow Sands'' (1938) - Richard Varwell * '' Pygmalion'' (1938) - Alfred Doolittle * '' The Gaunt Stranger'' (1938) - Maurice Meister * '' Stolen Life'' (1939) - Thomas E. Lawrence * '' Allegheny Uprising'' (1939) - "Mac" MacDougall * '' Dead Man's Shoes'' (1940) - Lucien Sarrou * ''

'' (1940) - Pastor Frederick Hall * '' The Long Voyage Home'' (1940) - Captain * '' It Happened to One Man'' (1940) - Felton Quair * ''

The Farmer's Wife ''The Farmer's Wife'' is a 1928 British silent romantic comedy film directed by Alfred Hitchcock and starring Jameson Thomas, Lillian Hall-Davis and Gordon Harker. It is adapted from a 1916 play of the same name by British novelist, poet a ...

'' (1941) - Churdles Ash * '' The Ghost Train'' (1941) - Minor Role (uncredited) * '' The Man at the Gate'' (1941) - Henry Foley * ''

Danny Boy "Danny Boy" is a ballad, written by English songwriter Frederic Weatherly in 1913, and set to the traditional Irish melody of "Londonderry Air". History In 1910, in Bath, Somerset, the English lawyer and lyricist Frederic Weatherly initia ...

'' (1941) - Jack Newton * '' Jeannie'' (1941) - James McLean * '' Tower of Terror'' (1941) - Wolfe Kristan * '' Hard Steel'' (1942) - Walter Haddon * '' The Night Has Eyes'' (1942) - Jim Sturrock * '' The Great Mr. Handel'' (1942) - George Frideric Handel * '' Thursday's Child'' (1943) - Frank Wilson * '' Fanny by Gaslight'' (1944) - Chunks * '' The Turners of Prospect Road'' (1947) - Will Turner * ''

The Prisoner ''The Prisoner'' is a 1967 British television series about an unnamed British intelligence agent who is abducted and imprisoned in a mysterious coastal village, where his captors designate him as Number Six and try to find out why he abruptl ...

'' (1955) - The Jailer * '' Make Me an Offer'' (1955) - Charlie's Father * '' An Alligator Named Daisy'' (1955) - Irishman (uncredited) * '' Now and Forever'' (1956) - Gossage * ''

'' (1956) - Prince Bolkonsky * '' Doctor at Large'' (1957) - Dustman. with Cyst (uncredited) * ''

Miracle in Soho ''Miracle in Soho'' is a 1957 British drama film directed by Julian Amyes and starring John Gregson, Belinda Lee and Cyril Cusack. The film depicts the lives of the inhabitants of a small street in Soho and the romance between a local road- ...

'' (1957) - Mr. Morgan (uncredited) * '' Hell Drivers'' (1957) - Ed * '' The Naked Truth'' (1957) - Walter - Contestant in T.V. Show (uncredited) * '' Tread Softly Stranger'' (1958) - Holroyd (uncredited) * '' Room at the Top'' (1959) - Uncle Nat (uncredited) * '' Expresso Bongo'' (1959) - Mr. Rudge (uncredited) * '' The Naked Edge'' (1961) - Mr. Pom * '' Nothing Barred'' (1961) - Albert * ''

Over the Odds ''Over the Odds'' is a 1961 British comedy film directed by Michael Forlong and starring Marjorie Rhodes, Glenn Melvyn, Cyril Smith, Esma Cannon and Thora Hird and Wilfrid Lawson. The screenplay concerns a bookmaker who struggles to cope wi ...

'' (1961) - Willie Summers * '' Postman's Knock'' (1962) - Postman * '' Go to Blazes'' (1962) - Scrap Dealer * ''

Becket ''Becket or The Honour of God'' (french: Becket ou l'honneur de Dieu) is a 1959 play written in French by Jean Anouilh. It is a depiction of the conflict between Thomas Becket and King Henry II of England leading to Becket's assassination in 117 ...

'' (1962) - Old Soldier (uncredited) * '' Tom Jones'' (1963) - Black George * ''

'' (1966) - Peacock, the Butler * '' The Viking Queen'' (1967) - King Priam (final film role)

Television and radio

* ''Tales from Dickens'' (1956) - Barrel Binacre * ''BBC Sunday-Night Theatre'' (1953–1958) - Luka, a pilgrim / Stephen Flesser / Cornelius Rockley / Michel / Henslowe / Flambeau * ''The Stone Faces'' by J. B. Priestley with

Luise Rainer Luise Rainer ( , ; 12 January 1910 – 30 December 2014) was a German-American-British film actress. She was the first thespian to win multiple Academy Awards and the first to win back-to-back; at the time of her death, thirteen days shy of her ...

(broadcast 1957) * '' Tales of the Vikings'' ("Pedigree", 1959) - Old Saxon * ''ITV Play of the Week'' (1960) - Old man * '' Armchair Theatre'' (1958–1961) - Satan * '' Hancock'' (ATV, 1963) - Paper Man * ''

Espionage Espionage, spying, or intelligence gathering is the act of obtaining secret or confidential information (intelligence) from non-disclosed sources or divulging of the same without the permission of the holder of the information for a tangibl ...

'' ("The Frantick Rebel", 1964) Lunatic - King George III (uncredited) * ''Cluff'' (1964) - Bateson * ''

Z Cars ''Z-Cars'' or ''Z Cars'' (pronounced "zed cars") is a British television police procedural series centred on the work of mobile uniformed police in the fictional town of Newtown, based on Kirkby, near Liverpool. Produced by the BBC, it debut ...

'' (1965) - Towser * ''Theatre 625'' (1965) - Mr. Bourne * ''

Danger Man ''Danger Man'' (retitled ''Secret Agent'' in the United States for the revived series, and ''Destination Danger'' and ''John Drake'' in other overseas markets) is a British television series that was broadcast between 1960 and 1962, and again b ...

''/''Secret Agent'' ("Not So Jolly Roger", 1966) - Corrigan * ''The Hunchback of Notre Dame'' (1966) - King of the Beggars * '' The Likely Lads'' (1966) - Grandad * ''

'' (1966, TV Movie) - Dormouse * '' Three Sisters'' (Chekhov)

BBC Home Service The BBC Home Service was a national and regional radio station that broadcast from 1939 until 1967, when it was replaced by BBC Radio 4. History 1922–1939: Interwar period Between the early 1920s and the outbreak of World War II, the BBC ...

Radio 1965. Directed by

John Tydeman John Peter Tydeman OBE (30 March 1936 – 1 April 2020) was an English producer of radio and director of theatre plays. He was responsible for commissioning and directing the early plays of Caryl Churchill, Joe Orton, Tom Stoppard and Sue Towns ...

. Cast included

Paul Scofield David Paul Scofield (21 January 1922 – 19 March 2008) was a British actor. During a six-decade career, Scofield achieved the US Triple Crown of Acting, winning an Academy Award, Emmy, and Tony for his work. He won the three awards in a sev ...

Ian McKellen Sir Ian Murray McKellen (born 25 May 1939) is an English actor. His career spans seven decades, having performed in genres ranging from Shakespearean and modern theatre to popular fantasy and science fiction. Regarded as a British cultural ...

Lynn Redgrave Lynn Rachel Redgrave (8 March 1943 – 2 May 2010) was an English actress. She won two Golden Globe Awards throughout her career. A member of the Redgrave family of actors, Lynn trained in London before making her theatrical debut in 1962. By ...

and Jill Bennett.

References

External links

Stage performances by Wilfred Lawson listed in the Theatre Archive, University of Bristol
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Lawson, Wilfrid 1900 births 1966 deaths 20th-century English male actors Artists' Rifles soldiers English male film actors English male stage actors English male television actors Male actors from Bradford