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John Michael Terence Wellesley Denison (1 November 191522 July 1998) was an English actor. He often appeared with his wife,
Dulcie Gray Dulcie Winifred Catherine Savage Denison, (''née'' Bailey; 20 November 1915 – 15 November 2011), known professionally as Dulcie Gray, was a British actress, mystery writer and lepidopterist. While at drama school in the late 1930s she met ...
, with whom he featured in several films and more than 100
West End theatre West End theatre is mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres in and near the West End of London.Christopher Innes, "West End" in ''The Cambridge Guide to Theatre'' (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1998), pp. 1194–1 ...
productions. After a conventional public school and university education he studied at a drama school and made his professional début in 1938. His career was interrupted by military service during the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...
but by the end of the 1940s he re-established himself among leading actors of his generation, and remained so until his death in 1998. He was primarily a stage actor, and appeared in a wide range of roles from Shakespeare to farce, modern drama, musicals,
drawing-room comedy In English literature, the term comedy of manners (also anti-sentimental comedy) describes a genre of realistic, satirical comedy of the Restoration period (1660–1710) that questions and comments upon the manners and social conventions of a gre ...
, and thrillers. He made some cinema films, particularly in the late 1940s and the 1950s, including ''
My Brother Jonathan ''My Brother Jonathan'' is a 1948 British drama film directed by Harold French and starring Michael Denison, Dulcie Gray, Ronald Howard and Beatrice Campbell. It is adapted from the 1930 novel '' My Brother Jonathan'' by Francis Brett Young, ...
'', '' The Glass Mountain'', '' Angels One Five'' and the 1952 adaptation of the Oscar Wilde play ''
The Importance of Being Earnest ''The Importance of Being Earnest, A Trivial Comedy for Serious People'' is a play by Oscar Wilde. First performed on 14 February 1895 at the St James's Theatre in London, it is a farcical comedy in which the protagonists maintain fictitious ...
''. He became known for his appearance in the title role of the long-running courtroom series '' Boyd QC'' which ran on British television from 1956 to 1964.


Life and career


Early years

Denison was born in
Doncaster Doncaster (, ) is a city in South Yorkshire, England. Named after the River Don, it is the administrative centre of the larger City of Doncaster. It is the second largest settlement in South Yorkshire after Sheffield. Doncaster is situated in ...
,
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 ...
, 1 November 1915, the only child of Gilbert Dixon Denison (1888–1959) − a paint manufacturer − and his wife, Marie Louise, ''née'' Bain (1888–1915).McFarlane, Brian
"Gray (married name Denison), Dulcie (real name Dulcie Winifred Catherine Savage Bailey) 1915–2011)"
''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, 2015. His mother died when Denison was three weeks old; he was brought up by his mother's sister and her husband, who had no children of their own. He was educated at
Wellesley House School Wellesley House School is an independent day and boarding preparatory school in the coastal town of Broadstairs in the English county of Kent. Founded in 1866, it educates boys and girls aged 3 to 13. History The history of Wellesley House Sch ...
, a preparatory school in the coastal town of Broadstairs in
Kent Kent is a county in South East England and one of the home counties. It borders Greater London to the north-west, Surrey to the west and East Sussex to the south-west, and Essex to the north across the estuary of the River Thames; it faces ...
, followed by Harrow School and then
Magdalen College Magdalen College (, ) is a constituent college of the University of Oxford. It was founded in 1458 by William of Waynflete. Today, it is the fourth wealthiest college, with a financial endowment of £332.1 million as of 2019 and one of the s ...
,
Oxford Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...
, studying modern languages. He acted with the
Oxford University Dramatic Society The Oxford University Dramatic Society (OUDS) is the principal funding body and provider of theatrical services to the many independent student productions put on by students in Oxford, England. Not all student productions at Oxford University ...
(OUDS), making his first radio appearance when the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
broadcast a studio adaptation of
John Gielgud Sir Arthur John Gielgud, (; 14 April 1904 – 21 May 2000) was an English actor and theatre director whose career spanned eight decades. With Ralph Richardson and Laurence Olivier, he was one of the trinity of actors who dominated the Brit ...
's OUDS production of '' Richard II'' in April 1936. He also appeared in '' As You Like It''; in a history of the OUDS,
Humphrey Carpenter Humphrey William Bouverie Carpenter (29 April 1946 – 4 January 2005) was an English biographer, writer, and radio broadcaster. He is known especially for his biographies of J. R. R. Tolkien and other members of the literary society the Inkl ...
writes: He later played Macduff in '' Macbeth'', but according to ''
Punch Punch commonly refers to: * Punch (combat), a strike made using the hand closed into a fist * Punch (drink), a wide assortment of drinks, non-alcoholic or alcoholic, generally containing fruit or fruit juice Punch may also refer to: Places * Pun ...
'', he was "resolute but hampered by an unfortunate wig". After graduating with a second-class degree in French and German in 1937 Denison went to the
Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art Webber may refer to: *Webber, Kansas, a US city *Webber Township, Jefferson County, Illinois, USA *Webber Township, Lake County, Michigan, USA *Webber International University, in Babson Park, Florida, USA *Webber (surname) Webber (/ˈwɛbər/) i ...
, where he met
Dulcie Gray Dulcie Winifred Catherine Savage Denison, (''née'' Bailey; 20 November 1915 – 15 November 2011), known professionally as Dulcie Gray, was a British actress, mystery writer and lepidopterist. While at drama school in the late 1930s she met ...
, a fellow student, who became his wife and his frequent acting partner.Obituary, ''The Times'', 23 July 1998, p. 25 Denison made his professional stage début in 1938 as Lord Fancourt Babberly in a Frinton-on-Sea production of ''
Charley's Aunt ''Charley's Aunt'' is a farce in three acts written by Brandon Thomas. The story centres on Lord Fancourt Babberley, an undergraduate whose friends Jack and Charley persuade him to impersonate the latter's aunt. The complications of the plot in ...
'' and in the same year, he made his first West End appearance with the London Mask company co-directed by
J. B. Priestley John Boynton Priestley (; 13 September 1894 – 14 August 1984) was an English novelist, playwright, screenwriter, broadcaster and social commentator. His Yorkshire background is reflected in much of his fiction, notably in ''The Good Compa ...
, at the
Westminster Theatre The Westminster Theatre was a theatre in London, on Palace Street in Westminster. History The structure on the site was originally built as the Charlotte Chapel in 1766, by William Dodd with money from his wife Mary Perkins. Through Peter Ri ...
, playing Paris in ''
Troilus and Cressida ''Troilus and Cressida'' ( or ) is a play by William Shakespeare, probably written in 1602. At Troy during the Trojan War, Troilus and Cressida begin a love affair. Cressida is forced to leave Troy to join her father in the Greek camp. Meanwh ...
''. He remained with the company until March 1939, playing a range of roles, including Gordon Whitehouse in a revival of Priestley's ''
Dangerous Corner ''Dangerous Corner'' was the first play by the English writer J. B. Priestley. It was premiered in May 1932 by Tyrone Guthrie at the Lyric Theatre, London, and filmed in 1934 by Phil Rosen. Priestley had recently collaborated with Edward Kno ...
'', Redpenny in '' The Doctor's Dilemma'' and the Rev Alexander Mill in '' Candida''.Herbert, pp. 710–711 He made his television début in January 1939, when the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
relayed the company's production of
Eugene O'Neill Eugene Gladstone O'Neill (October 16, 1888 – November 27, 1953) was an American playwright and Nobel laureate in Nobel Prize in Literature, literature. His poetically titled plays were among the first to introduce into the U.S. the drama tech ...
's ''Marco Millions''. Denison and Gray married in London in April 1939; they had no children. ''
The Stage ''The Stage'' is a British weekly newspaper and website covering the entertainment industry and particularly theatre. It was founded in 1880. It contains news, reviews, opinion, features, and recruitment advertising, mainly directed at those wh ...
'', in an obituary of Denison, observed that the couple appeared in more than 100 West End shows "and their marriage, which lasted very nearly 60 years, was regarded as one of the happiest in showbusiness". The couple, in the words of ''
The Times ''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper '' The Sunday Times'' (f ...
'', "honeymooned in rep in Aberdeen". They joined A. R. Whatmore's repertory company at
His Majesty's Theatre, Aberdeen His Majesty's Theatre in Aberdeen is the largest theatre in north-east Scotland, seating more than 1,400. The theatre is sited on Rosemount Viaduct, opposite the city's Union Terrace Gardens. It was designed by Frank Matcham and opened in 1906 ...
, alongside colleagues including
Elspeth March Elspeth March (5 March 1911 – 29 April 1999) was an English actress. Early years March was born as Jean Elspeth Mackenzie in Kensington, London, England, the daughter of Harry Malcolm and Elfreda Mackenzie. She studied speech and drama un ...
and Stewart Granger. The couple appeared there together in plays including Coward's '' Hay Fever'' and '' The Young Idea'',
Shaw's Shaw's and Star Market are two American supermarket chains under united management based in West Bridgewater, Massachusetts, employing about 30,000 associates in 150 total stores; 129 stores are operated under the Shaw's banner in Maine, Massach ...
'' Arms and the Man'', Priestley's ''Dangerous Corner'' and
Gerald Savory Gerald Douglas Savory (17 November 1909 – 9 February 1996) was an English writer and television producer specialising in comedies. Biography The son of Kenneth Douglas Savory and actress Grace Lane (1877–1956), he was educated at Bradfield C ...
's ''
George and Margaret ''George and Margaret'' is a comedy play by British writer Gerald Savory, which was first staged in 1937. It had a very successful run in the West End, beginning at Wyndham's Theatre before transferring to the Piccadilly Theatre, lasting for ove ...
''. Denison and Gray returned to London in October 1939; he appeared again at the Westminster as Peter Horlett in Priestley's '' Music at Night'' and Stephen Undershaft in Shaw's ''
Major Barbara ''Major Barbara'' is a three-act English play by George Bernard Shaw, written and premiered in 1905 and first published in 1907. The story concerns an idealistic young woman, Barbara Undershaft, who is engaged in helping the poor as a Major in ...
''. In March 1940 Denison and Gray joined the
H. M. Tennent Henry Moncrieff Tennent (18 February 1879 – 10 June 1941), was a British theatrical producer, impresario and songwriter. From 1929 to 1933, he mentored Binkie Beaumont, having previously worked with him in Cardiff. When Tennent, already the ge ...
Players, appearing in repertory in Edinburgh and Glasgow. Denison made his film debut in the 1940 British comedy '' Tilly of Bloomsbury'', in which he played the juvenile lead, Dick Mainwaring. In June 1940 Denison was called up for military service. He joined the
Royal Signals The Royal Corps of Signals (often simply known as the Royal Signals – abbreviated to R SIGNALS or R SIGS) is one of the combat support arms of the British Army. Signals units are among the first into action, providing the battlefield communi ...
and then transferred to the Intelligence Corps. Gray later commented, "He left as a 24-year-old repertory actor and came home six years later as a captain in Intelligence." Denison said that being away from the theatre was a trial for him: "Not to be able to act was terrible. It meant, too, that I missed my opportunity to get a grounding in Shakespeare. I was too old to start after the war".


Post-war

While Denison was serving in the armed forces his wife's acting career flourished, and by the time he returned she was an established star. At first he was seen by some as "Mr Dulcie Gray" and he struggled to re-establish himself in his own right. He toured with
Roger Livesey Roger Livesey (25 June 1906 – 4 February 1976) was a British stage and film actor. He is most often remembered for the three Powell and Pressburger, Powell & Pressburger films in which he starred: ''The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp'', '' ...
and
Ursula Jeans Ursula Jean McMinn (5 May 1906 – 21 April 1973), better known as Ursula Jeans, was an English film, stage, and television actress. Biography Jeans was born in Simla, British India, to English parents, and brought up and educated in London. S ...
in Priestley's latest play, ''Ever Since Paradise'', and had supporting roles in two films: ''
Hungry Hill Hungry Hill or Knockday ( ga, Cnoc Daod) is the highest of the Caha Mountains on the Beara Peninsula in Munster, Ireland. Etymology The first part of the Irish name ''Cnoc Daod'' means "hill". The second part may be a dialectal variant of ...
'' (1947) and '' The Blind Goddess'' (1948). His career gained momentum after Gray helped to secure for him the leading role of the doctor starring opposite her in the film ''
My Brother Jonathan ''My Brother Jonathan'' is a 1948 British drama film directed by Harold French and starring Michael Denison, Dulcie Gray, Ronald Howard and Beatrice Campbell. It is adapted from the 1930 novel '' My Brother Jonathan'' by Francis Brett Young, ...
'' (1948). This was a considerable success and saw Denison voted the sixth most popular British star of the year. Denison returned to the West End in August 1948, playing Sir Nicholas Corbel in '' Rain on the Just'' at the
Aldwych Theatre The Aldwych Theatre is a West End theatre, located in Aldwych in the City of Westminster, central London. It was listed Grade II on 20 July 1971. Its seating capacity is 1,200 on three levels. History Origins The theatre was constructed in th ...
, and then, from November 1949, Michael Fuller in ''
Queen Elizabeth Slept Here ''Queen Elizabeth Slept Here'' is a comedy play by the British writer Talbot Rothwell. It was inspired by Moss Hart and George S. Kaufman's 1940 Broadway play '' George Washington Slept Here'', with the setting switched to England and many alter ...
'' at the Strand Theatre, alongside Gray in both productions.Herbert, pp. 710−711 and 853–855 Denison appeared in a war film, ''
Landfall Landfall is the event of a storm moving over land after being over water. More broadly, and in relation to human travel, it refers to 'the first land that is reached or seen at the end of a journey across the sea or through the air, or the fact ...
'' (1949), and a romantic drama film with Gray, '' The Glass Mountain'' (1949).


1950s

After a seven-week pre-London tour, beginning in August 1950, Denison and Gray opened at the Ambassadors Theatre as Michael and Agnes in ''
The Fourposter ''The Fourposter'' is a play written by Jan de Hartog. The two-character story spans 35 years, from 1890 to 1925, as it focuses on the trials and tribulations, laughters and sorrows, and hopes and disappointments experienced by Agnes and Michael t ...
'', a
two-hander A two-hander is a term for a play, film, or television programme with only two main characters. The two characters in question often display differences in social standing or experiences, differences that are explored and possibly overcome as ...
, charting the married life of a couple. For the cinema they starred in '' The Franchise Affair'' (1951), and after a cameo as a reporter in '' The Magic Box'' (1951), Denison had a major role in a war film, '' Angels One Five''.Obituary, ''The Stage'', 30 July 1998, p. 24 In December 1951 he and Gray starred in a BBC television adaptation of
Arnold Bennett Enoch Arnold Bennett (27 May 1867 – 27 March 1931) was an English author, best known as a novelist. He wrote prolifically: between the 1890s and the 1930s he completed 34 novels, seven volumes of short stories, 13 plays (some in collaboratio ...
and
Edward Knoblock Edward Knoblock (born Edward Gustavus Knoblauch; 7 April 1874 – 19 July 1945) was a playwright and novelist, originally American and later a naturalised British citizen. He wrote numerous plays, often at the rate of two or three a year, of whic ...
's play ''
Milestones A milestone is a marker of distance along roads. Milestone may also refer to: Measurements *Milestone (project management), metaphorically, markers of reaching an identifiable stage in any task or the project *Software release life cycle state, s ...
''. In 1950 Associated British Productions (ABP) had acquired the film rights to ''
The Importance of Being Earnest ''The Importance of Being Earnest, A Trivial Comedy for Serious People'' is a play by Oscar Wilde. First performed on 14 February 1895 at the St James's Theatre in London, it is a farcical comedy in which the protagonists maintain fictitious ...
'', and chose Denison and Gray to play Algernon Moncrieff and Gwendolen Fairfax. The head of production wanted Gielgud to direct, and asked Denison to approach him with the suggestion. Gielgud declined: "Oh, no, I don't think so. I've been doing the play for years and years. I don't see it as a film, do you?" ABP released the filming rights to the
Rank Organisation The Rank Organisation was a British entertainment conglomerate founded by industrialist J. Arthur Rank in April 1937. It quickly became the largest and most vertically integrated film company in the United Kingdom, owning production, distrib ...
in 1951; the director,
Anthony Asquith Anthony William Landon Asquith (; 9 November 1902 – 20 February 1968) was an English film director. He collaborated successfully with playwright Terence Rattigan on ''The Winslow Boy'' (1948) and '' The Browning Version'' (1951), among oth ...
, retained Denison but cast
Joan Greenwood Joan Mary Waller Greenwood (4 March 1921 – 28 February 1987) was an English actress. Her husky voice, coupled with her slow, precise elocution, was her trademark. She played Sibella in the 1949 film ''Kind Hearts and Coronets'', and also app ...
instead of Gray as Gwendolen. In a survey of productions of Wilde Robert Tanitch describes Denison's performance in Asquith's 1952 film as "a conceited and debonair Algernon, tossing off the epigrams in a bumptious manner". At the
St James's Theatre The St James's Theatre was in King Street, St James's, London. It opened in 1835 and was demolished in 1957. The theatre was conceived by and built for a popular singer, John Braham; it lost money and after three seasons he retired. A succ ...
in December 1952 Denison played Clive Jevons in ''Sweet Peril'', with Gray as Robina Jevons; his next stage role was Brian in ''The Bad Samaritan'' at the
Criterion Theatre The Criterion Theatre is a West End theatre at Piccadilly Circus in the City of Westminster, and is a Grade II* listed building. It has a seating capacity of 588. Building the theatre In 1870, the caterers Spiers and Pond began developmen ...
in June, 1953. On film he appeared with Gray in '' There Was a Young Lady'' (1954), and supported
Richard Greene Richard Marius Joseph Greene (25 August 1918 – 1 June 1985) was a noted English film and television actor. A matinée idol who appeared in more than 40 films, he was perhaps best known for the lead role in the long-running British TV series ' ...
in ''
Contraband Spain ''Contraband Spain'' is a 1955 crime film written and directed by Lawrence Huntington and starring Richard Greene, Anouk Aimée and Michael Denison. Its Spanish title is ''Contrabando''. Plot A United States Department of the Treasury agent w ...
'' (1955). Denison began appearing regularly on television. He was a panellist in the 1953 series of the BBC's ''
What's My Line? ''What's My Line?'' is a panel game show that originally ran in the United States on the CBS Television Network from 1950 to 1967, originally in black and white and later in color, with subsequent U.S. revivals. The game uses celebrity panelis ...
'' and from 1956 to 1964 he starred in the title role of the ITV series '' Boyd QC'', which ran for 78 episodes. He played what one critic called a "suave and elegant barrister ... Britain's answer to
Perry Mason Perry Mason is a fictional character, an American criminal defense lawyer who is the main character in works of detective fiction written by Erle Stanley Gardner. Perry Mason features in 82 novels and 4 short stories, all of which involve a c ...
" (although the Boyd series came first). The first 40 episodes were transmitted live. At the
Prince's Theatre The Shaftesbury Theatre is a West End theatre, located on Shaftesbury Avenue, in the London Borough of Camden. Opened in 1911 as the New Prince's Theatre, it was the last theatre to be built in Shaftesbury Avenue. History The theatre was d ...
in February 1954 Denison appeared as the White Knight, Tweedledee and Humpty Dumpty in ''
Alice Through the Looking Glass ''Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There'' (also known as ''Alice Through the Looking-Glass'' or simply ''Through the Looking-Glass'') is a novel published on 27 December 1871 (though indicated as 1872) by Lewis Carroll and the ...
''; Gray played the White Queen. They reprised these roles the following year. At the Westminster in June 1954 Denison played Francis Oberon in ''We Must Kill Toni''. He toured South Africa with Gray from December 1954 to February 1955, in ''The Fourposter'' and ''
Private Lives ''Private Lives'' is a 1930 comedy of manners in three acts by Noël Coward. It concerns a divorced couple who, while honeymooning with their new spouses, discover that they are staying in adjacent rooms at the same hotel. Despite a perpetu ...
''. He joined the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre Company, Stratford-on-Avon in April 1955. The company that season included Laurence Olivier, Vivien Leigh and
Anthony Quayle Sir John Anthony Quayle (7 September 1913 – 20 October 1989) was a British actor and theatre director. He was nominated for an Oscar and a Golden Globe for his supporting role as Thomas Wolsey in the film '' Anne of the Thousand Days'' (1969 ...
, and Gielgud and
Peter Brook Peter Stephen Paul Brook (21 March 1925 – 2 July 2022) was an English theatre and film director. He worked first in England, from 1945 at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre, from 1947 at the Royal Opera House, and from 1962 for the Royal Sha ...
were among the directors; Denison appeared as Sir Andrew Aguecheek in ''
Twelfth Night ''Twelfth Night'', or ''What You Will'' is a romantic comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written around 1601–1602 as a Twelfth Night's entertainment for the close of the Christmas season. The play centres on the twins Vi ...
'', Bertram in '' All's Well That Ends Well,'' Dr Caius in '' The Merry Wives of Windsor,'' and Lucius in ''
Titus Andronicus ''Titus Andronicus'' is a tragedy by William Shakespeare believed to have been written between 1588 and 1593, probably in collaboration with George Peele. It is thought to be Shakespeare's first tragedy and is often seen as his attempt to emul ...
''. In November 1955 Denison turned to directing. Gray had written a play, ''Love Affair'', which opened under her husband's direction at the Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham and transferred to the Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith in June 1956, with author and director in leading roles. In 1956 Denison appeared at the
Edinburgh Festival __NOTOC__ This is a list of arts and cultural festivals regularly taking place in Edinburgh, Scotland. The city has become known for its festivals since the establishment in 1947 of the Edinburgh International Festival and the Edinburgh Fe ...
and later at the Berlin Festival in two Shaw plays: '' A Village Wooing'' (as "A") and '' Fanny's First Play'' (as Lieut. Duvallet). He appeared in a supporting role in the 1957 film ''
The Truth About Women ''The Truth About Women'' is a 1957 British comedy film directed by Muriel Box and starring Laurence Harvey, Julie Harris, Mai Zetterling and Diane Cilento. Plot When his son-in-law comes to him with a woeful tale of an unhappy relationship and ...
''. At the
Aldwych Theatre The Aldwych Theatre is a West End theatre, located in Aldwych in the City of Westminster, central London. It was listed Grade II on 20 July 1971. Its seating capacity is 1,200 on three levels. History Origins The theatre was constructed in th ...
in August 1957 Denison played Charles Cuttinghame in ''Meet Me By Moonlight'', an only moderately successful mock-Victorian musical. In 1958 he toured with Gray in a two-hander thriller, ''Double Cross'', but his schedule for ''Boyd QC'' prevented him from appearing in the piece when it opened in the West End, and his role was taken by
Terence Morgan Terence Ivor Grant Morgan (8 December 1921 – 25 August 2005) was an English actor in theatre, cinema and television. He played many "villain" roles in British film but is probably best remembered for his starring role in the TV historical ...
. Denison's last stage role of the 1950s was the Duke of Hampshire, with Gray as the Duchess, in a revival of
Frederick Lonsdale Frederick Lonsdale (5 February 1881 – 4 April 1954) was a British playwright known for his librettos to several successful musicals early in the 20th century, including '' King of Cadonia'' (1908), '' The Balkan Princess'' (1910), ''Betty'' ...
's ''Let Them Eat Cake'' at the
Cambridge Theatre The Cambridge Theatre is a West End theatre, on a corner site in Earlham Street facing Seven Dials, in the London Borough of Camden, built in 1929–30 for Bertie Meyer on an "irregular triangular site". Design and construction It was des ...
in May, 1959.


1960s

In June 1960 Denison played the Rev James Morell in Shaw's 1898 play '' Candida'' at the Piccadilly and then Wyndham's; the run of 160 performances was the play's longest on record. ''
Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
'' found the production "an eloquent tribute" to Shaw, and in particular praised Gray and Denison in the lead roles. After the London run the production toured. The couple appeared together in a revival of ''
Heartbreak House ''Heartbreak House: A Fantasia in the Russian Manner on English Themes'' is a play written by George Bernard Shaw, first published in 1919 and first played at the Garrick Theatre in November 1920. According to A. C. Ward, the work argues that "cul ...
'' at the
Oxford Playhouse Oxford Playhouse is a theatre designed by Edward Maufe and F.G.M. Chancellor. It is situated in Beaumont Street, Oxford, opposite the Ashmolean Museum. History The Playhouse was founded as ''The Red Barn'' at 12 Woodstock Road, North Oxfo ...
and then Wyndham's. After this they travelled to Australia, where Denison took over from
Robin Bailey William Henry Mettam "Robin" Bailey (5 October 1919 – 14 January 1999) was an English actor. He was born in Hucknall, Nottinghamshire. Often cast in upper class and tradition-bound roles such as Mr Justice Graves in Thames Television's '' ...
as Higgins in ''
My Fair Lady ''My Fair Lady'' is a musical based on George Bernard Shaw's 1913 play '' Pygmalion'', with a book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and music by Frederick Loewe. The story concerns Eliza Doolittle, a Cockney flower girl who takes speech lessons ...
'' in Melbourne. While in Australia he and Gray made a version of '' Village Wooing'' for television. They went to Hong Kong, appearing at the opening of the City Centre Theatre in August 1962 in a double bill of ''A Village Wooing'' and ''A Marriage Has Been Arranged'', and then to Berlin, where the two gave a Shakespeare recital at the Berlin Drama Festival. Back in England Denison and Gray starred in the opening production of the
Ashcroft Theatre The Ashcroft Theatre is a theatre located within the Fairfield Halls, Croydon, South London. The theatre was named after Croydon-born Dame Peggy Ashcroft and is a proscenium theatre with a stepped auditorium. The mural on its fire curtain is by t ...
, Croydon, ''The Royal Gambit'', a play about Henry VIII and his wives, in November 1962. The stars received better notices than the play (''Punch'' wondered why "so inept a play" had been chosen but thought Denison "looking fairly Holbein did his best to lighten this leaden Henry"). In the West End they headed the cast in a 1963 adaptation of
E. M. Forster Edward Morgan Forster (1 January 1879 – 7 June 1970) was an English author, best known for his novels, particularly ''A Room with a View'' (1908), ''Howards End'' (1910), and ''A Passage to India'' (1924). He also wrote numerous short stori ...
's ''
Where Angels Fear to Tread ''Where Angels Fear to Tread'' (1905) is a novel by E. M. Forster. The title comes from a line in Alexander Pope's ''An Essay on Criticism'': "For fools rush in where angels fear to tread". The BBC adapted the novel for television in 1966 as ...
'', which ran for 262 performances. From April to July 1964 the couple toured England and Continental Europe in a Shakespeare programme called ''Merely Players''. In London Denison appeared in ''Hostile Witness'' at the Haymarket Theatre (November 1964) and in ''An Ideal Husband'' at the Strand (December 1965), as Sir Robert Chiltern to Gray's Lady Chiltern. They appeared together at the St Martin's Theatre in December 1966 in '' On Approval''. Denison's later West End roles of the 1960s were Mark in ''Happy Family'' (St Martin's, November 1967), Sebastian Fleming in ''Number Ten'' (Strand, November 1967), and Andrew Pilgrim in ''Out of the Question'' (Strand, October 1968), with Gray and Gladys Cooper.


1970s

During the 1970s Denison toured in six productions: the 18th-century
comedy of manners In English literature, the term comedy of manners (also anti-sentimental comedy) describes a genre of realistic, satirical comedy of the Restoration period (1660–1710) that questions and comments upon the manners and social conventions of a gr ...
''
The Clandestine Marriage ''The Clandestine Marriage'' is a comedy by George Colman the Elder and David Garrick, first performed in 1766 at Drury Lane. It is both a comedy of manners and a comedy of errors. The idea came from a series of pictures by William Hogarth entit ...
'' (1971); a comedy-thriller, ''The Dragon Variation'' (1973); a revival of a 1930s comedy, ''The First Mrs Fraser'' (1976); a new comedy, ''The Earl and the Pussycat'' (1976), a musical, ''
Robert and Elizabeth ''Robert and Elizabeth'' is a musical with music by Ron Grainer and book and lyrics by Ronald Millar. The story is based on an unproduced musical titled ''The Third Kiss'' by Judge Fred G. Moritt, which in turn was adapted from the play '' The ...
'' (1976); and Pinero's comedy '' The Cabinet Minister'' (1977)." Denison, Dulcie Winifred Catherine, (Dulcie Gray)"
an
"Denison, (John) Michael (Terence Wellesley)"
''Who's Who and Who Was Who'', Oxford University Press, 2007 In London, Denison played a wide range of roles during the 1970s. In 1970 he and Gray appeared in ''Three'' – a trio of one-act plays by Shaw, and then in Ibsen's ''
The Wild Duck ''The Wild Duck'' (original Norwegian title: ''Vildanden'') is an 1884 play by the Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen. It is considered the first modern masterpiece in the genre of tragicomedy. ''The Wild Duck'' and ''Rosmersholm'' are "often ...
''. ''The Stage'' commented: He appeared in ''The Tempest'' (1972 − as "a somewhat declamatory Prospero", according to one critic), and as Malvolio in ''Twelfth Night'' (1972 and 1978). and together with Gray and
John Mills Sir John Mills (born Lewis Ernest Watts Mills; 22 February 190823 April 2005) was an English actor who appeared in more than 120 films in a career spanning seven decades. He excelled on camera as an appealing British everyman who often portra ...
he starred in a
William Douglas-Home William Douglas Home (3 June 1912 – 28 September 1992) was a British dramatist and politician. Early life Douglas-Home (he later dropped the hyphen from his surname) was the third son of Charles Douglas-Home, 13th Earl of Home, and Lady Lili ...
comedy, ''At the End of the Day'', at the Savoy in 1973, playing a thinly-disguised
Edward Heath Sir Edward Richard George Heath (9 July 191617 July 2005), often known as Ted Heath, was a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1970 to 1974 and Leader of the Conservative Party from 1965 to 1975. Heath a ...
to the similarly fictionalised
Harold Harold may refer to: People * Harold (given name), including a list of persons and fictional characters with the name * Harold (surname), surname in the English language * András Arató, known in meme culture as "Hide the Pain Harold" Arts a ...
and Mary Wilson of Mills and Gray. Gray and Denison appeared in a comedy, ''The Sack Race'', in 1974, and later that year he played Mr Darling and Captain Hook in the 70th-anniversary production of ''
Peter Pan Peter Pan is a fictional character created by Scottish novelist and playwright J. M. Barrie. A free-spirited and mischievous young boy who can fly and never grows up, Peter Pan spends his never-ending childhood having adventures on the mythi ...
'', as he had long wanted to but other commitments had not until then allowed. In 1975 Denison was the only white member of the cast of ''
The Black Mikado ''The Black Mikado'' is a musical comedy, based on Gilbert and Sullivan's ''The Mikado'', adapted by Janos Bajtala, George Larnyoh and Eddie Quansah from W. S. Gilbert's original 1885 libretto and Arthur Sullivan's score. The show premiered on 2 ...
''; he played Pooh-Bah in an adaptation of the original transplanted from Japan to the Caribbean. At the
Old Vic Old or OLD may refer to: Places *Old, Baranya, Hungary *Old, Northamptonshire, England * Old Street station, a railway and tube station in London (station code OLD) *OLD, IATA code for Old Town Municipal Airport and Seaplane Base, Old Town, Ma ...
in 1978 he played what ''The Stage'' called "an amusingly mouth-pursing, bewildered Mayor" in a revival of ''
The Lady's Not for Burning ''The Lady's Not for Burning'' is a 1948 play by Christopher Fry. A romantic comedy in three acts, in verse, it is set in the Middle Ages ("1400, either more or less or exactly"). It reflects the world's "exhaustion and despair" following Wor ...
'', and appeared in the same season in ''Twelfth Night'', as Malvolio, and in '' Ivanov'' as Lebedev. His last stage appearance of the 1970s was in the National Theatre's production of Alan Ayckbourn's '' Bedroom Farce'', in which he played Ernest to Gray's Delia.


1980s

Of the four tours Denison made with Gray between 1980 and 1989, two were in Britain and two were of the Near and Far East. The British tours were in Douglas-Home's ''The Kingfisher'' (1980–81) and
Enid Bagnold Enid Algerine Bagnold, Lady Jones, (27 October 1889 – 31 March 1981) was a British writer and playwright known for the 1935 story ''National Velvet''. Early life Enid Algerine Bagnold was born on 27 October 1889 in Rochester, Kent, daughte ...
's ''
The Chalk Garden ''The Chalk Garden'' is a play by Enid Bagnold that premiered in the US in 1955 and was produced in Britain the following year. It tells the story of the imperious Mrs St Maugham and her granddaughter Laurel, a disturbed child under the care of ...
'' (1989). The eastern tours were in Ayckbourn's '' Relatively Speaking'' (1981) and
Ray Cooney Raymond George Alfred Cooney, OBE (born 30 May 1932) is an English playwright, actor, and director. His biggest success, '' Run for Your Wife'' (1983), ran for nine years in London's West End and is its longest-running comedy. He has had 17 ...
and John Chapman's ''There Goes the Bride'' (1985). In England they played at Windsor in Fry's '' Venus Observed'' (1980) and the farce '' See How They Run'' (1986). In the West End they appeared in
Ronald Millar Sir Ronald Graeme Millar (12 November 1919 – 16 April 1998) was an English actor, scriptwriter, and dramatist. Life and career After attending Charterhouse School, Millar studied at King's College, Cambridge for a year before joining th ...
's ''A Coat of Varnish'', and Shaw's ''
Captain Brassbound's Conversion ''Captain Brassbound's Conversion'' (1900) is a play by G. Bernard Shaw. It was published in Shaw's 1901 collection ''Three Plays for Puritans'' (together with '' Caesar and Cleopatra'' and '' The Devil's Disciple''). The first American producti ...
'' (1982); ''
The School for Scandal ''The School for Scandal'' is a comedy of manners written by Richard Brinsley Sheridan. It was first performed in London at Drury Lane Theatre on 8 May 1777. Plot Act I Scene I: Lady Sneerwell, a wealthy young widow, and her hireling Sn ...
'' (1982 and 1983) as Sir Oliver Surface and Lady Sneerwell; and Fry's ''Ring Round the Moon'' (1985 and 1988). Denison appeared without Gray in a revival of Shaw's '' The Apple Cart'' (Haymarket,1986, playing the prime minister to Peter O'Toole's King Magnus); a French farce, ''Court in the Act'' (Old Vic, 1987); and Shaw's '' You Never Can Tell'', (Haymarket, 1987).


1990s

In 1990 and 1991, Denison and Gray toured with
Frank Thornton Frank Thornton Ball (15 January 192116 March 2013), professionally known as Frank Thornton, was an English actor. He was known for playing Captain Peacock in ''Are You Being Served?'' and its sequel ''Grace & Favour'' (''Are You Being Served? ...
in
Hugh Whitemore Hugh John Whitemore (16 June 1936 – 17 July 2018) was an English playwright and screenwriter. Biography Whitemore studied for the stage at London's Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, where he was taught by Peter Barkworth, then on the staff at RADA ...
's '' The Best of Friends'', depicting the friendship between the antiquarian Sydney Cockerell (Denison), the nun
Laurentia McLachlan Dame Laurentia McLachlan, OSB, ''née'' Margaret McLachlan, (11 January 1866 – 23 August 1953) was a Scottish Benedictine nun, Abbess of Stanbrook Abbey, and an authority on church music. She became posthumously known to a wide public when po ...
(Gray) and the playwright Bernard Shaw (Thornton). Later in 1991 Denison and Grey toured in ''The Importance of Being Earnest''; she played Miss Prism and he doubled the roles of Lane and Dr Chasuble. They again appeared together in a tour of ''Bedroom Farce'' in 1992, and in the same year began a long association with Peter Hall's production of ''An Ideal Husband'', this time in the roles of Lord Caversham and Lady Markby. It opened at the Globe in 1992, toured in 1993, returned to the West End at the Haymarket and played on Broadway in 1996 (their New York débuts), and once back in London played at the Haymarket and finally the
Gielgud Theatre The Gielgud Theatre is a West End theatre, located on Shaftesbury Avenue, at the corner of Rupert Street, in the City of Westminster, London. The house currently has 986 seats on three levels. The theatre was designed by W. G. R. Sprague and ...
in 1997. His stage commitments left little scope for cinema work, but in 1993 Denison appeared in his last film, Richard Attenborough's '' Shadowlands''. At the Chichester Festival in 1994 he and Gray played Colonel Pickering and Mrs Higgins in '' Pygmalion'' and Admiral and Mrs Rankling in Pinero's '' The Schoolmistress''. ''The Stage'' said of the former: Denison's final stage role was on tour with Gray and
Eric Sykes Eric Sykes (4 May 1923 – 4 July 2012) was an English radio, stage, television and film writer, comedian, actor, and director whose performing career spanned more than 50 years. He frequently wrote for and performed with many other leading com ...
in ''Two of a Kind'', a comedy by Hugh Janes, set in a retirement home. His last appearances on stage were with his wife in March and April 1998 in ''Curtain Up – An Evening with Michael Denison and Dulcie Gray'' at the
Jermyn Street Theatre Jermyn Street Theatre is a performance venue situated on Jermyn Street, in London's West End. It is an off-west end studio theatre. History Jermyn Street Theatre opened in August 1994. It was formerly the changing rooms for staff at a Spaghetti ...
. After a short illness, Denison died of liver cancer at his and Gray's home at Shardeloes, near Amersham on 22 July 1998, aged 82.


Writings

Together with Gray, Denison wrote ''The Actor and His World'' (1964). He published two volumes of memoirs, covering both his own and his wife's life and career: ''Overture and Beginners'' (1973) and ''Double Act'' (1985). For the '' Dictionary of National Biography'' he contributed biographies of Sir Noël Coward and Sir Peter Daubeny (1983), Peter Bridge (1987) and
Glen Byam Shaw Glencairn Alexander "Glen" Byam Shaw, CBE (13 December 1904 – 29 April 1986) was an English actor and theatre director, known for his dramatic productions in the 1950s and his operatic productions in the 1960s and later. In the 1920s and 1930 ...
(1994). At the time of his death he was working on a biography of J. B. Priestley, which his widow completed. It was published in 2000.


Offices and honours

For many years Denison was a leading figure in the actors' trade union, Equity. He was a member of its council from 1949 to 1976, and was its vice-president in 1952, 1961–1963 and 1973. From 1975 to 1978 he was a member of the drama panel of the Arts Council of Great Britain. Denison was decorated by Queen Elizabeth II with the Silver Jubilee Medal in 1977 and both he and his wife were appointed
Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countries this naval rank is termed frigate captain. ...
(CBE) in 1983. He was a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.


Partial filmography

* '' Tilly of Bloomsbury'' (1940) * ''
Hungry Hill Hungry Hill or Knockday ( ga, Cnoc Daod) is the highest of the Caha Mountains on the Beara Peninsula in Munster, Ireland. Etymology The first part of the Irish name ''Cnoc Daod'' means "hill". The second part may be a dialectal variant of ...
'' (1947) * '' The Blind Goddess'' (1948) * ''
My Brother Jonathan ''My Brother Jonathan'' is a 1948 British drama film directed by Harold French and starring Michael Denison, Dulcie Gray, Ronald Howard and Beatrice Campbell. It is adapted from the 1930 novel '' My Brother Jonathan'' by Francis Brett Young, ...
'' (1948) * ''
Landfall Landfall is the event of a storm moving over land after being over water. More broadly, and in relation to human travel, it refers to 'the first land that is reached or seen at the end of a journey across the sea or through the air, or the fact ...
'' (1949) * '' The Glass Mountain'' (1949) * '' The Franchise Affair'' (1951) * '' The Magic Box'' (1951)Release date for The Magic Box
in IMDb. * '' Angels One Five'' (1952) * ''
The Importance of Being Earnest ''The Importance of Being Earnest, A Trivial Comedy for Serious People'' is a play by Oscar Wilde. First performed on 14 February 1895 at the St James's Theatre in London, it is a farcical comedy in which the protagonists maintain fictitious ...
'' (1952) * '' There Was a Young Lady'' (1953) * ''
Contraband Spain ''Contraband Spain'' is a 1955 crime film written and directed by Lawrence Huntington and starring Richard Greene, Anouk Aimée and Michael Denison. Its Spanish title is ''Contrabando''. Plot A United States Department of the Treasury agent w ...
'' (1955) * ''
The Truth About Women ''The Truth About Women'' is a 1957 British comedy film directed by Muriel Box and starring Laurence Harvey, Julie Harris, Mai Zetterling and Diane Cilento. Plot When his son-in-law comes to him with a woeful tale of an unhappy relationship and ...
'' (1957) * ''
Faces in the Dark ''Faces in the Dark'' is a 1960 black and white British thriller film directed by David Eady and starring John Gregson, Mai Zetterling and John Ireland. The film is based on the 1952 novel ''Les Visages de l'ombre'' by Boileau-Narcejac. Plot Ri ...
'' (1960) * '' Village Wooing'' (1962) * '' Shadowlands'' (1993)


References


Sources

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External links

* * *
BBC News 22 July 1998: ''Screen gent Denison dies''
Retrieved 2012-01-11

Retrieved 2012-01-11 {{DEFAULTSORT:Denison, Michael 1915 births 1998 deaths 20th-century English male actors Actors from Doncaster Alumni of Magdalen College, Oxford Alumni of the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art Commanders of the Order of the British Empire British Army personnel of World War II English male film actors English male stage actors English male television actors Intelligence Corps soldiers People educated at Harrow School Royal Corps of Signals soldiers