Horace Raymond Huntley (23 April 1904 – 15 June 1990) was an

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ...

actor An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek term is (), lit ...

who appeared in dozens of British films from the 1930s to the 1970s. He also appeared in the ITV

period drama A historical drama (also period drama, costume drama, and period piece) is a work set in a past time period, usually used in the context of film and television. Historical drama includes historical fiction and romance film, romances, adventure f ...

'' Upstairs, Downstairs'' as the pragmatic family solicitor Sir Geoffrey Dillon, and other television shows, such as the '' Wodehouse Playhouse'', ('Romance at

Droitwich Spa Droitwich Spa (often abbreviated to Droitwich ) is an historic spa town in the Wychavon district in northern Worcestershire, England, on the River Salwarpe. It is located approximately south-west of Birmingham and north-east of Worcester. T ...

'), in 1975..

Life and career

Huntley was born in Kings Norton,

Worcestershire Worcestershire ( , ; written abbreviation: Worcs) is a county in the West Midlands of England. The area that is now Worcestershire was absorbed into the unified Kingdom of England in 927, at which time it was constituted as a county (see H ...

(now a suburb of

Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1.145 million in the city proper, 2.92 million in the We ...

) in 1904. He made his stage debut at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre on 1 April 1922, in '' A Woman Killed with Kindness''. His London debut followed at the Court Theatre on 22 February 1924, in ''As Far as Thought can Reach''. He subsequently inherited the role of

Count Dracula Count Dracula () is the title character of Bram Stoker's 1897 gothic horror novel ''Dracula''. He is considered to be both the prototypical and the archetypal vampire in subsequent works of fiction. Aspects of the character are believed by some ...

from Edmund Blake in Hamilton Deane's touring adaptation of ''

Dracula ''Dracula'' is a novel by Bram Stoker, published in 1897. As an epistolary novel, the narrative is related through letters, diary entries, and newspaper articles. It has no single protagonist, but opens with solicitor Jonathan Harker taki ...

'', which arrived at London's Little Theatre on 14 February 1927, subsequently transferring to the larger Duke of York's Theatre. Later that year he was offered the chance to reprise the role on Broadway (in a script streamlined by John L. Balderston); when he declined, the part was taken by

Bela Lugosi Béla Ferenc Dezső Blaskó (; October 20, 1882 – August 16, 1956), known professionally as Bela Lugosi (; ), was a Hungarian and American actor best remembered for portraying Count Dracula in the 1931 horror classic ''Dracula'', Ygor in ''S ...

instead. Huntley did, however, appear in a US touring production of the Deane/Balderston play, covering the east coast and midwest, from 1928 to 1930. "I have always considered the role of Count Dracula to have been an indiscretion of my youth," he recalled in 1989. After ''Dracula'' he made his Broadway debut at the Vanderbilt Theatre on 23 February 1931, in ''The Venetian Glass Nephew''. On returning to the UK, his many West End appearances included ''

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 an ...

'' (Queen's Theatre 1932), ''Cornelius'' (Duchess Theatre 1935), '' Bees on the Boat Deck'' (Lyric Theatre 1936) '' Time and the Conways'' (Duchess Theatre 1937), '' When We Are Married'' (St Martin's Theatre 1940), ''Rebecca'' (Queen's Theatre 1940; Strand Theatre 1942), '' They Came to a City'' (Globe Theatre 1943), '' The Late Edwina Black'' (Ambassadors Theatre 1948), '' And This Was Odd'' (Criterion Theatre 1951), ''Double Image'' (Savoy Theatre 1956), ''Any Other Business'' (Westminster Theatre 1958), '' Caught Napping'' (Piccadilly Theatre 1959), ''Difference of Opinion'' (Garrick Theatre 1963), ''

An Ideal Husband ''An Ideal Husband'' is a four-act play by Oscar Wilde that revolves around blackmail and political corruption, and touches on the themes of public and private honour. It was first produced at the Haymarket Theatre, London in 1895 and ran for ...

'' (Garrick Theatre 1966), '' Getting Married'' (Strand Theatre 1967), ''Soldiers'' (New Theatre 1968)John Parker (ed), ''Who's Who in the Theatre'' (15th edition), Pitman Publishing 1972 and '' Separate Tables'' (Apollo Theatre 1977). He also starred opposite Flora Robson in the Broadway production of ''

Black Chiffon ''Black Chiffon'' is a play in two acts written by Lesley Storm. Starring Flora Robson, the play premiered at the Westminster Theatre in London's West End on 3 May 1949, running for over 400 performances. The play debuted on Broadway on 27 Septem ...

'' (48th Street Theatre 1950). Often cast as a supercilious bureaucrat or other authority figure, Huntley was also a staple figure in British films, his many appearances including '' The Way Ahead'', '' I See a Dark Stranger'', '' Passport to Pimlico'' and '' The Dam Busters''. In his later years he became well known on television as Sir Geoffrey Dillon, the family solicitor to the Bellamys in LWT's popular 1970s drama series '' Upstairs, Downstairs''. Huntley died in

Westminster Hospital Westminster Hospital was a hospital in London, England, founded in 1719. In 1834 a medical school attached to the hospital was formally founded. In 1939 a newly built hospital and medical school opened in Horseferry Road, Westminster. In 1994 th ...

, London in 1990. In his obituary the ''

New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' wrote, "During his long career the actor played judges, bank managers, churchmen, bureaucrats and other figures of authority. He could play them straight if necessary, but in comedy his natural dryness of delivery was exaggerated to the point where the character he was playing invited mockery as a pompous humbug."

Complete filmography

* ''

What Happened Then? ''What Happened Then?'' is a 1934 British crime film directed by Walter Summers and starring Richard Bird, Lorna Hubbard and Geoffrey Wardwell. It was made at Welwyn Studios.Wood p.84 Cast * Richard Bird as Peter Bromley * Lorna Hubbard ...

'' (1934) .... Minor role (uncredited) * ''Can You Hear Me, Mother'' (1935) .... Dolan * '' Whom the Gods Love'' (1936) .... Langer * ''

Rembrandt Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (, ; 15 July 1606 – 4 October 1669), usually simply known as Rembrandt, was a Dutch Golden Age painter, printmaker and draughtsman. An innovative and prolific master in three media, he is generally cons ...

'' (1937) .... Ludwick * ''

London Melody ''London Melody'' is a 1937 British musical film directed by Herbert Wilcox and starring Anna Neagle, Tullio Carminati and Robert Douglas. It was made at British and Dominions Imperial Studios, Elstree and Pinewood Studios by Wilcox's indepe ...

'' (1937) .... Policeman Outside Nightclub (uncredited) * ''

Knight Without Armour ''Knight Without Armour'' (styled as ''Knight Without Armor'' in some releases) is a 1937 British historical drama film starring Marlene Dietrich and Robert Donat. It was directed by Jacques Feyder and produced by Alexander Korda from a screenpl ...

'' (1937) .... White Officer * '' Dinner at the Ritz'' (1937) .... Gibout * ''When We Are Married'' (1938, TV Movie) .... Councillor Albert Parker * '' Let's Be Famous'' (1939) .... Singer in trio (uncredited) * '' The Lion Has Wings'' (1939) .... Minor role (uncredited) * '' Night Train to Munich'' (1940) .... Kampenfeldt * '' Bulldog Sees It Through'' (1940) .... Tramp Steamer Officer * '' Freedom Radio'' (1941) .... Rabenau * ''

The Ghost of St. Michael's ''The Ghost of St. Michael's'' is a 1941 British comedy- thriller film, produced by Ealing Studios. Will Hay, the film's star, replaced his sidekicks, Graham Moffatt and Moore Marriott, from his previous film '' Where's That Fire?'' with come ...

'' (1941) .... Mr Humphries * '' The Ghost Train'' (1941) .... John Price * ''

Inspector Hornleigh Goes To It ''Inspector Hornleigh Goes To It'' is a 1941 British detective film directed by Walter Forde and starring Gordon Harker, Alastair Sim, Phyllis Calvert and Edward Chapman. It was the third and final film adaptation of the Inspector Hornle ...

'' (1941) .... Dr Kerbishley * ''

"Pimpernel" Smith ''"Pimpernel" Smith'' (released in the USA as ''Mister V'') is a 1941 British anti-Nazi thriller, produced and directed by its star Leslie Howard, which updates his role in ''The Scarlet Pimpernel'' (1934) from Revolutionary France to pre-Seco ...

'' (1941) .... Marx * ''

Once a Crook ''Once a Crook'' is a 1941 British crime film directed by Herbert Mason, produced by Edward Black for 20th Century Fox and featuring Gordon Harker, Sydney Howard, Bernard Lee, Kathleen Harrison, and Raymond Huntley. It is an adaptation to the ...

'' (1941) .... Prison Governor * '' The Day Will Dawn'' (1942) .... Norwegian Under-Secretary (scenes deleted) * ''

The New Lot ''The New Lot'' is a 1943 British drama film directed by Carol Reed and starring Eric Ambler, Robert Donat, Kathleen Harrison, Bernard Lee, Raymond Huntley, John Laurie, Peter Ustinov and Austin Trevor, with music by Richard Addinsell. It is a ...

'' (1943, Short) .... Barrington (uncredited) * '' When We Are Married'' (1943) .... Albert Parker * '' The Way Ahead'' (1944) .... Pte Herbert Davenport * '' They Came to a City'' (1944) .... Malcolm Stritton * '' I See a Dark Stranger'' (1946) .... J. Miller * '' School for Secrets'' (1946) .... Prof Laxton-Jones * ''

So Evil My Love ''So Evil My Love'' is a 1948 British and American Gothic psychological thriller film directed by Lewis Allen and starring Ray Milland, Ann Todd and Geraldine Fitzgerald. ''So Evil My Love'' is a period drama set in the Victorian era, and sho ...

'' (1948) .... Henry Courtney * ''Men of Darkness'' (1948, TV Movie) .... Pisancon * '' Broken Journey'' (1948) .... Edward Marshall * ''

Mr. Perrin and Mr. Traill ''Mr. Perrin and Mr. Traill'' is a 1948 British drama film directed by Lawrence Huntington and starring Marius Goring, David Farrar, Greta Gynt, Edward Chapman and Raymond Huntley. It is based on the 1911 novel of the same title by Hugh Walpole ...

'' (1948) .... Moy-Thompson * '' It's Hard to Be Good'' (1948) .... Williams * '' Passport to Pimlico'' (1949) .... Mr Wix * ''The Late Edwina Black'' (1949, TV Movie) .... Henry Martin * '' Trio'' (1950) .... Mr Henry Chester (segment "Sanatorium") * ''

The Long Dark Hall ''The Long Dark Hall'' is a 1951 British mystery, suspense, courtroom-drama, crime film directed by Reginald Beck and Anthony Bushell and starring Rex Harrison, Lilli Palmer and Raymond Huntley. It was based on the 1947 novel ''A Case to Answe ...

'' (1951) .... Chief Insp Sullivan * '' I'll Never Forget You'' (1951) .... Mr Throstle * ''

Mr. Denning Drives North ''Mr. Denning Drives North'' is a 1951 British mystery film directed by Anthony Kimmins and starring John Mills, Phyllis Calvert and Sam Wanamaker. The plot concerns an aircraft manufacturer (Mills) who accidentally kills the boyfriend (Herbert ...

'' (1951) .... Wright * ''When We Are Married'' (1951, TV movie) .... Councillor Albert Parker * '' The Last Page'' (1952) .... Clive Oliver * '' Laxdale Hall'' (1953) .... Samuel Pettigrew, MP * '' Glad Tidings'' (1953) .... Tom Forester * '' Meet Mr. Lucifer'' (1953) .... Patterson * ''

Hobson's Choice A Hobson's choice is a free choice in which only one thing is actually offered. The term is often used to describe an illusion that multiple choices are available. The most well known Hobson's choice is "I'll give you a choice: take it or leav ...

'' (1954) .... Nathaniel Beenstock * '' Orders Are Orders'' (1954) .... Colonel Bellamy * ''

The Teckman Mystery ''The Teckman Mystery'' is a 1954 British mystery film directed by Wendy Toye and starring Margaret Leighton, John Justin, Roland Culver and Michael Medwin. It was shot at Shepperton Studios with sets designed by the art director William Kellne ...

'' (1954) .... Maurice Miller * '' Aunt Clara'' (1954) .... Rev Maurice Hilton * ''The Unguarded Hour'' (1955, TV Movie) .... Colonel William Mason * '' The Prisoner'' (1955) .... The General * ''

The Constant Husband ''The Constant Husband'' is a 1955 British comedy film, directed by Sidney Gilliat and starring Rex Harrison, Margaret Leighton, Kay Kendall, Cecil Parker, George Cole and Raymond Huntley. The story was written by Gilliat together with Val Va ...

'' (1955) .... The Boss * '' The Dam Busters'' (1955) .... Official, National Physical Laboratory * '' Doctor at Sea'' (1955) .... Capt Beamish * ''

Geordie Geordie () is a nickname for a person from the Tyneside area of North East England, and the dialect used by its inhabitants, also known in linguistics as Tyneside English or Newcastle English. There are different definitions of what constitute ...

'' (1955) .... Olympic Selector * '' The Last Man to Hang'' (1956) .... Attorney-General * '' The Green Man'' (1956) .... Sir Gregory Upshott * '' Town on Trial'' (1957) .... Dr Reese * '' Brothers in Law'' (1957) .... Tatlock QC * ''Jessica'' (1957, TV Movie) .... Stanley Baines * '' Dial 999 (TV series)'' (1958)....Myners * ''

Next to No Time ''Next to No Time'' is a 1958 British comedy, filmed in colour, starring Kenneth More, Betsy Drake, John Laurie, Sid James and Irene Handl. It was written and directed by Henry Cornelius and was based on Paul Gallico's short story "The Enchante ...

'' (1958) .... Forbes, Factory Supervisor * '' Room at the Top'' (1959) .... Mr Hoylake * ''

Carlton-Browne of the F.O. ''Carlton-Browne of the F.O.'' (U.S. title: ''Man in a Cocked Hat'') is a 1959 British comedy film made by the Boulting Brothers and starring Terry-Thomas, Peter Sellers, and Luciana Paluzzi. It centres on an inept Foreign Office (F.O.) diplom ...

'' (1959) .... Foreign Secretary Tufton Slade * ''

Innocent Meeting ''Innocent Meeting'' is a 1958 British crime film directed by Godfrey Grayson and starring Sean Lynch, Beth Rogan and Raymond Huntley. In the film, a teenager on probation for theft bonds with the daughter of middle-class parents after meeting ...

'' (1959) .... Harold * ''

The Mummy A mummy is an unusually well preserved corpse. Mummy or The Mummy may also refer to: Places * Mummy Range, a mountain range in the Rocky Mountains of northern Colorado in the United States * Mummy Cave, a rock shelter and archeological site in P ...

'' (1959) .... Joseph Whemple * '' I'm All Right Jack'' (1959) .... Magistrate * ''

Our Man in Havana ''Our Man in Havana'' (1958) is a novel set in Cuba by the British author Graham Greene. He makes fun of intelligence services, especially the British MI6, and their willingness to believe reports from their local informants. The book predates ...

'' (1959) .... General * '' Bottoms Up'' (1960) .... Garrick-Jones * '' Breathless'' (1960) .... A Journalist (uncredited) * ''

Follow That Horse! ''Follow That Horse!'' is a 1960 British comedy film directed by Alan Bromly from a screenplay by William Douglas-Home. It stars David Tomlinson, Cecil Parker, Richard Wattis, Mary Peach and Dora Bryan. Various parties including scientists an ...

'' (1960) .... Special Branch Chief * ''

Make Mine Mink ''Make Mine Mink'' is a 1960 British comedy farce film directed by Robert Asher and featuring Terry-Thomas, Athene Seyler, Hattie Jacques and Billie Whitelaw. The screenplay concerns a group of eccentric misfits who go on a spree, stealing mink ...

'' (1960) .... Inspector Pape * ''

A French Mistress ''A French Mistress'' is a 1960 British comedy film directed by Roy Boulting and starring Cecil Parker, James Robertson Justice, Agnès Laurent, Ian Bannen, Raymond Huntley, Irene Handl and Thorley Walters. It is based on a stage play, '' The ...

'' (1960) .... Rev Edwin Peake * '' Sands of the Desert'' (1960) .... Bossom * ''

Suspect In law enforcement jargon, a suspect is a known person accused or suspected of committing a crime. Police and reporters in the United States often use the word suspect as a jargon when referring to the perpetrator of the offense (perp in dated ...

'' (1960) .... Sir George Gatting, Minister of Defence * ''

The Pure Hell of St Trinian's ''The Pure Hell of St Trinian's'' is a 1960 British comedy film set in the fictional St Trinian's School. Directed by Frank Launder and written by him and Sidney Gilliat, it was the third in a series of four films. Plot The St. Trinian's ...

'' (1960) .... Judge * ''Line of Enquiry'' (1961, TV Movie) .... Mr Sinclair * '' Only Two Can Play'' (1962) .... Vernon * ''

Crooks Anonymous ''Crooks Anonymous'' is a British comedy film from 1962. Directed by Ken Annakin, it stars Leslie Phillips and Stanley Baxter and is notably the feature film debut of Julie Christie. Plot Captain "Dandy Forsdyke" (Leslie Phillips) is a habitual ...

'' (1962) .... Wagstaffe * '' Waltz of the Toreadors'' (1962) .... Ackroyd, Court President * '' On the Beat'' (1962) .... Sir Ronald Ackroyd * ''

Nurse on Wheels ''Nurse on Wheels'' is a 1963 British comedy film directed by Gerald Thomas, and starring Juliet Mills, Ronald Lewis, and Joan Sims. ''Nurse on Wheels'' shares its cast and production team with the ''Carry On'' films, but the film is not an of ...

'' (1963) .... Vicar * '' The Yellow Teddy Bears'' (1963) .... Harry Halburton * '' Father Came Too!'' (1964) .... Mr Wedgewood * ''

The Black Torment ''The Black Torment'' (a.k.a. ''Estate of Insanity'') is a 1964 British gothic horror film directed by Robert Hartford-Davis and starring John Turner, Heather Sears and Ann Lynn. The film is set in 18th-century Devon and was scripted by brot ...

'' (1964) .... Colonel John Wentworth * '' Rotten to the Core'' (1965) .... Prison Governor (uncredited) * '' The Great St Trinian's Train Robbery'' (1966) .... Sir Horace, the Minister * '' Hot Millions'' (1968) .... Bayswater (uncredited) * ''

Hostile Witness A hostile witness, also known as an adverse witness or an unfavorable witness, is a witness at trial whose testimony on direct examination is either openly antagonistic or appears to be contrary to the legal position of the party who called ...

'' (1968) .... John Naylor * ''

The Adding Machine ''The Adding Machine'' is a 1923 play by Elmer Rice; it has been called "... a landmark of American Expressionism, reflecting the growing interest in this highly subjective and nonrealistic form of modern drama." Plot The author of this play ta ...

'' (1969) .... Smithers * '' Arthur! Arthur!'' (1969) .... George Payne * ''Destiny of a Spy'' (1969, TV Movie) .... Supt Pode * '' Young Winston'' (1972) .... Old Officer (scenes deleted) * ''

That's Your Funeral ''That's Your Funeral'' was a BBC sitcom from 1971 about a North of England funeral director called Basil Bulstrode (Bill Fraser). Storylines used many urban legends An urban legend (sometimes contemporary legend, modern legend, urba ...

'' (1972) .... Emmanuel Holroyd * ''

Symptoms Signs and symptoms are the observed or detectable signs, and experienced symptoms of an illness, injury, or condition. A sign for example may be a higher or lower temperature than normal, raised or lowered blood pressure or an abnormality showi ...

'' (1974) .... Burke * ''A Voyage Round My Father'' (1982, TV Movie) .... Judge * ''Sleepwalker'' (1984) .... Old Englishman (final film role)

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Huntley, Raymond 1904 births 1990 deaths English male film actors English male stage actors English male television actors Male actors from Birmingham, West Midlands 20th-century English male actors