Roger Livesey (25 June 1906 – 4 February 1976) was a British stage and film actor. He is most often remembered for the three Powell & Pressburger films in which he starred: ''

The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp ''The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp'' is a 1943 British romantic drama war film written, produced and directed by the Cinema of the United Kingdom, British film making team of Powell and Pressburger, Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger. It s ...

'', '' I Know Where I'm Going!'' and '' A Matter of Life and Death''. Tall and broad with a mop of chestnut hair, Livesey used his highly distinctive husky voice, gentle manner and athletic physique to create many notable roles in his theatre and film work.

Early life

Livesey was born in Barry, Wales. Although most articles about him indicated that his parents were Samuel Livesey and Mary Catherine (''née'' Edwards), later research has shown that his father was actually Joseph Livesey. The confusion may have arisen because his mother Mary married Samuel (Joseph's brother) after Joseph's death and the death of Samuel's wife, Mary's sister. Samuel and Mary had a child of their own, Stella, who was both Roger's half sister and first cousin. Roger Livesey was educated at

Westminster City School Westminster City School is a state-funded secondary academy for boys, with a mixed sixth form, in Westminster, London. The school educates over 800 students, with links to more than 100 different cultures, in a central London location. The sch ...

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

. His two step-brothers (who were also his first cousins) were also actors.

Acting career

Roger-Livesey-Storm-Over-Patsy-Stage-1937

Livesey studied under Italia Conti. His first stage role was as the office boy in ''Loyalty'' at

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 suc ...

in 1917. He then appeared in a wide range of productions from

Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's natio ...

to modern comedies. He played various roles in the West End from 1920 to 1926, toured the

West Indies The West Indies is a subregion of North America, surrounded by the North Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea that includes 13 independent island countries and 18 dependencies and other territories in three major archipelagos: the Greate ...

and South Africa, and then returned to join 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 ...

Sadler's Wells Sadler's Wells Theatre is a performing arts venue in Clerkenwell, London, England located on Rosebery Avenue next to New River Head. The present-day theatre is the sixth on the site since 1683. It consists of two performance spaces: a 1,500-seat ...

company from September 1932 until May 1934. In 1936 he appeared in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

in Wycherley's comedy '' The Country Wife''. While in New York he married actress

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 ...

, whom he had known previously in England (Livesey's sister Maggie was already married to Ursula Jeans' brother Desmond). At the outbreak of 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 ...

Livesey and Jeans were among the first volunteers to entertain the troops. He then applied for flying duties in the

Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) an ...

but due to his age was rejected. Instead he worked in an aircraft factory at Desford aerodrome near Leicester to "do his bit for the war effort". Livesey was chosen by

Michael Powell Michael Latham Powell (30 September 1905 – 19 February 1990) was an English filmmaker, celebrated for his partnership with Emeric Pressburger. Through their production company The Archers, they together wrote, produced and directed a seri ...

to play the lead in ''

'' (1943) after Powell was denied his original choice, Laurence Olivier (

Winston Churchill Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 187424 January 1965) was a British statesman, soldier, and writer who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom twice, from 1940 to 1945 during the Second World War, and again from ...

had objected to the movie and the

Fleet Air Arm The Fleet Air Arm (FAA) is one of the five fighting arms of the Royal Navy and is responsible for the delivery of naval air power both from land and at sea. The Fleet Air Arm operates the F-35 Lightning II for maritime strike, the AW159 Wil ...

refused to release Olivier, who had been a Hollywood movie star before returning to England to take a

Navy A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions. It in ...

commission). The movie was shown in New York and established Livesey's international reputation as a talented character actor. In 1945, he was the first choice for the male lead role in ''

Brief Encounter ''Brief Encounter'' is a 1945 British romantic drama film directed by David Lean from a screenplay by Noël Coward, based on his 1936 one-act play ''Still Life''. Starring Celia Johnson, Trevor Howard, Stanley Holloway, and Joyce Carey, ...

'', which in the end went to

Trevor Howard Trevor Wallace Howard-Smith (29 September 1913 – 7 January 1988) was an English stage, film, and television actor. After varied work in the theatre, he achieved star status with his role in the film ''Brief Encounter'' (1945), followed by ''T ...

. He toured Australia from 1956 to 1958 playing Jimmy Broadbent in '' The Reluctant Debutante'' and continued playing many theatrical roles during his film career until 1969. One of his last roles was as the Duke of St Bungay in ''

The Pallisers ''The Pallisers'' is a 1974 BBC television adaptation of Anthony Trollope's Palliser novels. Set in Victorian era England with a backdrop of parliamentary life, Simon Raven's dramatisation covers six of Anthony Trollope's novels and follows the e ...

'' television series. His final television appearance was in the series ''

Benjamin Franklin Benjamin Franklin ( April 17, 1790) was an American polymath who was active as a writer, scientist, inventor, statesman, diplomat, printer, publisher, and political philosopher. Encyclopædia Britannica, Wood, 2021 Among the leading inte ...

'' in 1975.

Death

Livesey died in

Watford Watford () is a town and borough in Hertfordshire, England, 15 miles northwest of Central London, on the River Colne. Initially a small market town, the Grand Junction Canal encouraged the construction of paper-making mills, print works, and ...

from colorectal cancer at the age of 69 on 4 February 1976. He shares a memorial plaque with his wife

in the actors' church St Paul's in Covent Garden.

Livesey family

The Livesey family has a complicated structure. Brothers Joseph and Sam Livesey married the Edwards sisters. Sam married Margaret Ann in 1900 and Joseph married Mary Catherine in 1905. Sam and Margaret Ann had two sons, Jack (1901) and Barrie Livesey (1905). Joseph and Mary Catherine had two children, Roger (1906) and Maggie (1911). After Joseph died in 1911 and Margaret Ann died in 1913, Sam married Mary Catherine in 1913.The marriage between Sam and Mary Catherine was legal (just only six years after the passing of the

Deceased Wife's Sister's Marriage Act 1907 The Deceased Wife's Sister's Marriage Act 1907 ( 7 Edw.7 c.47) was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, allowing a man to marry his dead wife's sister, which had previously been forbidden. This prohibition had derived from a doctrine ...

). However they didn't advertise the fact due to traditionalists who questioned the morality. This led to the confusion that Roger was actually Sam Livesey's son. They then brought up the children as one large family, having another child of their own, Stella in 1915. The family tree was further complicated when Roger Livesey married the actress

whose brother Desmond Jeans was already married to Roger's sister Maggie. Many of the family formed a touring company of actors, performing in regional theatres and from the back of an old wagon, one side of which could be dropped to form a stage. Because of their touring, they did not regard themselves as particularly Welsh, or English. They were just British because people happened to be born in the places where their mothers happened to be residing at the time.

Filmography

* ''

The Four Feathers ''The Four Feathers'' is a 1902 adventure novel by British writer A. E. W. Mason that has inspired many films of the same title. In December 1901, ''Cornhill Magazine'' announced the title as one of two new serial stories to be published in th ...

'' (1921) - Harry Faversham - child * ''

Where the Rainbow Ends ''Where the Rainbow Ends'' is a children's play, originally written for Christmas 1911 by Clifford Mills and John Ramsey. The incidental music was composed by Roger Quilter. ''Where the Rainbow Ends'' is a fantasy story which follows the journe ...

'' (1921) - Cubby the Lion Cub (uncredited) * ''

Married Love ''Married Love or Love in Marriage'' is a book by British academic Marie Stopes. It was one of the first books openly to discuss birth control. The book begins by stating that "More than ever to-day are happy homes needed. It is my hope that thi ...

'' (1923) - Henry Burrows * '' East Lynne on the Western Front'' (1931) - Sandy * ''

A Cuckoo in the Nest ''A Cuckoo in the Nest'' is a farce by the English playwright Ben Travers. It was first given at the Aldwych Theatre, London, the second in the series of twelve Aldwych farces presented by the actor-manager Tom Walls at the theatre between 1923 ...

'' (1933) - Alfred * '' The Veteran of Waterloo'' (1933) - Sergeant MacDonald * '' Blind Justice'' (1934) - Gilbert Jackson * ''

Lorna Doone ''Lorna Doone: A Romance of Exmoor'' is a novel by English author Richard Doddridge Blackmore, published in 1869. It is a romance based on a group of historical characters and set in the late 17th century in Devon and Somerset, particularly ar ...

'' (1934) - Tom Faggus * ''

The Price of Wisdom ''The Price of Wisdom'' is a 1935 British drama film directed by Reginald Denham and starring Mary Jerrold, Roger Livesey and Lilian Oldland. It was made at British and Dominions Elstree Studios as a quota quickie for release by the British sub ...

'' (1935) - Peter North * '' Midshipman Easy'' (1935) - Captain Wilson * '' Rembrandt'' (1936) - Beggar Saul * '' The Drum'' (1938) - Capt. Carruthers * '' The Rebel Son'' (1938) - Peter Bulba * '' Keep Smiling'' (1938) - Bert Wattle * '' Spies of the Air'' (1940) - Charles Houghton * '' The Girl in the News'' (1940) - Bill Mather * ''

'' (1943) - Clive Candy * '' I Know Where I'm Going!'' (1945) - Torquil MacNeil * '' A Matter of Life and Death'' (1946) - Doctor Frank Reeves * ''

Vice Versa References

Additional references * * {{Latin phrases Lists of Latin phrases, V ca:Locució llatina#V da:Latinske ord og vendinger#V fr:Liste de locutions latines#V id:Daftar frasa Latin#V it:Locuzioni latine#V nl:Lijst van Latijns ...

'' (1948) - Paul Bultitude / Dick Bultitude * '' That Dangerous Age'' (1949) - Sir Brian Brooke * '' Green Grow the Rushes'' (1951) - Capt. Cedric Biddle * ''

The Master of Ballantrae ''The Master of Ballantrae: A Winter's Tale'' is an 1889 novel by the Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson, focusing upon the conflict between two brothers, Scottish noblemen whose family is torn apart by the Jacobite rising of 1745. He w ...

'' (1953) - Col. Francis Burke * '' The Intimate Stranger'' (1956) - Ben Case * '' The Stowaway'' (1958) - Major Owens * ''

It Happened in Broad Daylight ( en, It Happened in Broad Daylight) is a 1958 Swiss-West German-Spanish thriller film directed by Ladislao Vajda. The original screenplay was written by Friedrich Dürrenmatt, a Swiss playwright and novelist, and the first incarnation of the fil ...

'' (1958) - Professor Manz (English version, voice) * ''

The League of Gentlemen ''The League of Gentlemen'' is a surreal British comedy horror sitcom that premiered on BBC Two in 1999. The programme is set in Royston Vasey, a fictional town in northern England, originally based on Alston, Cumbria, and follows the live ...

'' (1960) - Mycroft * ''Upgreen - And at Em'' (1960) * '' The Entertainer'' (1960) - Billy Rice * ''By Invitation Only'' (1961, TV Movie) - Phillip Gordon-Davies * '' No My Darling Daughter'' (1961) - General Henry Barclay * ''

Of Human Bondage ''Of Human Bondage'' is a 1915 novel by W. Somerset Maugham. The novel is generally agreed to be Maugham's masterpiece and to be strongly autobiographical in nature, although he stated, "This is a novel, not an autobiography; though much in i ...

'' (1964) - Thorpe Athelny * '' The Amorous Adventures of Moll Flanders'' (1965) - Drunken Parson * ''

Oedipus the King ''Oedipus Rex'', also known by its Greek title, ''Oedipus Tyrannus'' ( grc, Οἰδίπους Τύραννος, ), or ''Oedipus the King'', is an Athenian tragedy by Sophocles that was first performed around 429 BC. Originally, to the ancient Gr ...

'' (1968) - Shepherd * ''

Hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...

'' (1969) - First Player / Gravedigger * ''

Futtocks End ''Futtocks End'' is a British comedy film released in 1970, directed by Bob Kellett and written by Ronnie Barker. Almost entirely without dialogue, the film includes a musical score, sound effects and incoherent mutterings. The story revolves ar ...

'' (1970) - The Artist * ''

Justice Justice, in its broadest sense, is the principle that people receive that which they deserve, with the interpretation of what then constitutes "deserving" being impacted upon by numerous fields, with many differing viewpoints and perspective ...

'' (1971) - To Help an Old School Friend - Uncle George * ''

'' (1974, BBC serial) - Duke of St Bungay

Vocal Work

In 1958, he,

Judith Furse Judith Furse (4 March 1912 – 29 August 1974) was an English actress. Career A member of the Furse family, her father was Lieutenant-General Sir William Furse and mother Jean Adelaide Furse. Her brother, Roger, became a stage designer and ...

Terry-Thomas Terry-Thomas (born Thomas Terry Hoar Stevens; 10 July 19118 January 1990) was an English character actor and comedian who became internationally known through his films during the 1950s and 1960s. He often portrayed disreputable members of t ...

Rita Webb Olive Rita Webb (25 February 1904 – 30 August 1981), later known as Olive Rita Thompson, was an English character actress, mainly in comedy roles. She was the eldest child of Henry Augustus Webb (1880–1926) and Rose Jeannette Keysor. She had ...

Avril Angers Florence Avril Angers (18 April 1918 – 9 November 2005) was an English stand-up comedian and actress. The ''Daily Telegraph'' described her as "one of the most zestful, charming and reliable character comediennes in the postwar London theat ...

, and

Miles Malleson William Miles Malleson (25 May 1888 – 15 March 1969) was an English actor and dramatist, particularly remembered for his appearances in British comedy films of the 1930s to 1960s. Towards the end of his career he also appeared in cameo roles i ...

, recorded 'Indian Summer of an Uncle', and 'Jeeves Takes Charge' for the '' Caedmon Audio'' record label, (Caedmon Audio TC-1137). It was re-released in stereo in 1964.

References

External links

* * *
Performances in the University of Bristol Theatre Archive

Collection of biography & reviews of Livesey

* ttp://www.powell-pressburger.org/Reviews/Livesey/index.html other biographical notes from the same source
Pages on Roger Livesey from Celebri

BBC Wales Arts page. Top 10 Welsh actors: Roger Livesey

Blockbuster page on Roger Livesey films
*
archive
{{DEFAULTSORT:Livesey, Roger 1906 births 1976 deaths Deaths from cancer in England Deaths from colorectal cancer British male stage actors British male film actors English male television actors People from Barry, Vale of Glamorgan 20th-century British male actors People educated at Westminster City School