Torin Herbert Erskine Thatcher (15 January 1905 – 4 March 1981) was a British actor who was noted for his flashy portrayals of screen villains.

Personal life

Thatcher was born in

Bombay Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — List of renamed Indian cities and states#Maharashtra, the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' fin ...

British India The provinces of India, earlier presidencies of British India and still earlier, presidency towns, were the administrative divisions of British governance on the Indian subcontinent. Collectively, they have been called British India. In one ...

, to British parents, Torin James Blair Thatcher, a police officer, and his wife Edith Rachel, a voice and piano teacher, younger daughter of the Hon. Justice Sir Herbert Batty, a puisne judge of the High Court of Bombay.Debrett's Peerage, Baronetage, Knightage, and Companionage, 1931, pg 908 He was educated in

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...

Bedford School :''Bedford School is not to be confused with Bedford Girls' School, Bedford High School, Bedford Modern School, Old Bedford School in Bedford, Texas or Bedford Academy in Bedford, Nova Scotia.'' Bedford School is a public school (English ind ...

and at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. He worked as a schoolmaster before first appearing on the London stage in 1927 and then entering British films in 1934.

Career

In 1935 he appeared in the historical play '' Mary Tudor''. He appeared in the 1937 Old Vic production of ''

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 ...

'', in which

Laurence Olivier Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier (; 22 May 1907 – 11 July 1989) was an English actor and director who, along with his contemporaries Ralph Richardson and John Gielgud, was one of a trio of male actors who dominated the British stage ...

made his first appearance in the title role, opposite

Vivien Leigh Vivien Leigh ( ; 5 November 1913 – 8 July 1967; born Vivian Mary Hartley), styled as Lady Olivier after 1947, was a British actress. She won the Academy Award for Best Actress twice, for her definitive performances as Scarlett O'Hara in '' Go ...

as Ophelia. 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 ...

, he served with the

Royal Artillery The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery (RA) and colloquially known as "The Gunners", is one of two regiments that make up the artillery arm of the British Army. The Royal Regiment of Artillery comprises t ...

and was demobilised with the rank of

lieutenant colonel Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colon ...

. Thatcher appeared in classic British films of the late 1930s and 1940s, including '' Major Barbara'' (1941) and ''

Great Expectations ''Great Expectations'' is the thirteenth novel by Charles Dickens and his penultimate completed novel. It depicts the education of an orphan nicknamed Pip (Great Expectations), Pip (the book is a ''bildungsroman''; a coming-of-age story). It ...

'' (1946), in which he played Bentley Drummle. He moved to Hollywood in the 1950s. He was constantly in demand, invariably lending his looming figure and baleful countenance to sinister or stern roles in popular costume thrillers such as '' The Crimson Pirate'' (1952), '' Blackbeard the Pirate'' (1952), '' The Robe'' (1953) (as the disapproving father of Marcellus), '' The Black Shield of Falworth'' (1954), ''

Helen of Troy Helen of Troy, Helen, Helena, (Ancient Greek: Ἑλένη ''Helénē'', ) also known as beautiful Helen, Helen of Argos, or Helen of Sparta, was a figure in Greek mythology said to have been the most beautiful woman in the world. She was believe ...

'' (1956), ''

Darby's Rangers ''Darby's Rangers'' (released in the UK as ''The Young Invaders'') is a 1958 war film directed by William Wellman and starring James Garner as William Orlando Darby, who organizes and leads the first units of United States Army Rangers during Wor ...

'' (1958) and ''

The 7th Voyage of Sinbad ''The 7th Voyage of Sinbad'' is a 1958 Technicolor heroic fantasy adventure film directed by Nathan H. Juran and starring Kerwin Mathews, Torin Thatcher, Kathryn Grant, Richard Eyer, and Alec Mango. It was distributed by Columbia Pictures ...

'' (1958). He was a formidable prosecutor in '' Witness for the Prosecution'' (1957) and also appeared in the

Marlon Brando Marlon Brando Jr. (April 3, 1924 – July 1, 2004) was an American actor. Considered one of the most influential actors of the 20th century, he received numerous accolades throughout his career, which spanned six decades, including two Academ ...

and Trevor Howard 1962 remake of '' Mutiny on the Bounty''. Torin Thatcher in The Snows of Kilimanjaro

He returned to the stage frequently, notably on Broadway, in such esteemed productions as '' Edward, My Son'' (1948), '' That Lady'' (1949) and ''

Billy Budd ''Billy Budd, Sailor (An Inside Narrative)'' is a novella by American writer Herman Melville, left unfinished at his death in 1891. Acclaimed by critics as a masterpiece when a hastily transcribed version was finally published in 1924, it quickl ...

'' (1951). In 1959, he portrayed Captain Keller in the award-winning play '' The Miracle Worker'' with Anne Bancroft and Patty Duke. All of these plays were filmed, but Thatcher did not appear in the film versions. Also a steady fixture on

television Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of television transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertising, ...

, he appeared in such made-for-TV films as adaptations of A.J. Cronin's '' Beyond This Place'' (1957) and '' The Citadel'' (1960), and ''

Brenda Starr ''Brenda Starr, Reporter'' (often referred to simply as ''Brenda Starr'') is a comic strip about a glamorous, adventurous reporter. It was created in 1940 by Dale Messick for the Chicago Tribune Syndicate. History Although set in Chicago, ''Br ...

'' (1976). He played the title role in a Philco Television Playhouse version of ''

Othello ''Othello'' (full title: ''The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice'') is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare, probably in 1603, set in the contemporary Ottoman–Venetian War (1570–1573) fought for the control of the Island of Cyp ...

'' and acted in a CBS production of '' Beyond This Place'' (1957). He appeared in programmes such as ''

The Real McCoys ''The Real McCoys'' is an American situation comedy starring Walter Brennan, Richard Crenna, and Kathleen Nolan. Co-produced by Danny Thomas's Marterto Productions in association with Walter Brennan and Irving Pincus's Westgate Compan ...

'', ''

Thriller Thriller may refer to: * Thriller (genre), a broad genre of literature, film and television ** Thriller film, a film genre under the general thriller genre Comics * ''Thriller'' (DC Comics), a comic book series published 1983–84 by DC Comics i ...

'', ''

Gunsmoke ''Gunsmoke'' is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman Macdonnell and writer John Meston. It centers on Dodge City, Kansas, in the 1870s, during the settlement of the American West. The central chara ...

'' (“Fandango” - S12E21), '' Perry Mason'', '' Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea'', ''

Daniel Boone Daniel Boone (September 26, 1820) was an American pioneer and frontiersman whose exploits made him one of the first folk heroes of the United States. He became famous for his exploration and settlement of Kentucky, which was then beyond the we ...

'', ''

Wagon Train ''Wagon Train'' is an American Western series that aired 8 seasons: first on the NBC television network (1957–1962), and then on ABC (1962–1965). ''Wagon Train'' debuted on September 18, 1957, and became number one in the Nielsen ratings ...

'' (S2E32) and '' Mission: Impossible''. He was cast as the sly space trader in an episode of ''

Lost in Space ''Lost in Space'' is an American science fiction television series, created and produced by Irwin Allen, which originally aired between 1965 and 1968 on CBS. The series was inspired by the 1812 novel ''The Swiss Family Robinson.'' The series fo ...

''. Thatcher, if not for his distinguished career, has been recognized by several generations of fans of '' Star Trek: The Original Series'' from his performance as Marplon, a member of the secret resistance in " The Return of the Archons".

Death

Thatcher died of

cancer Cancer is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Possible signs and symptoms include a lump, abnormal b ...

on 4 March 1981, in

Thousand Oaks, California Thousand Oaks is the second-largest city in Ventura County, California, United States. It is in the northwestern part of Greater Los Angeles, approximately from the city of Los Angeles and from Downtown. It is named after the many oak tr ...

Select filmography

*''The Merchant of Venice'' (1927, Short) - Solanio *'' Red Wagon'' (1933) - Minor role (uncredited) *'' Irish Hearts'' (1934) - Dr. Hackey *''

School for Stars ''School for Stars'' is a 1935 British romance film directed by Donovan Pedelty and starring Fred Conyngham, Jean Gillie and Torin Thatcher. It was made at British and Dominions Elstree Studios as a quota quickie.Chibnall p.285 Cast * Fred Con ...

'' (1935) - Guy Mannering *''The Common Round'' (1936, Short) - Martin *'' The Man Who Could Work Miracles'' (1936) - Observer *''

Crime Over London ''Crime Over London'' is a 1936 British crime film directed by Alfred Zeisler and starring Margot Grahame, Paul Cavanagh and David Burns. It was made at Isleworth Studios,Wood p.89 based on the novel ''House of a Thousand Windows'' by Ludwig ...

'' (1936) - Mr. Finley (uncredited) *''

Sabotage Sabotage is a deliberate action aimed at weakening a polity, effort, or organization through subversion, obstruction, disruption, or destruction. One who engages in sabotage is a ''saboteur''. Saboteurs typically try to conceal their identitie ...

'' (1936) - Yunct (uncredited) *''

Well Done, Henry ''Well Done, Henry'' is a 1936 British comedy film directed by Wilfred Noy and starring Will Fyffe, Cathleen Nesbitt and Charles Hawtrey. It was made at the Cricklewood Studios in London.Wood p.93 The film's art direction was by Duncan Suther ...

'' (1936) - George Canford *'' Dark Journey'' (1937) - Strasser (uncredited) *''The School for Scandal'' (1937, TV Movie) *'' Knight Without Armor'' (1937) - British Passport Official (uncredited) *'' Return of the Scarlet Pimpernel'' (1937) - Minor role (uncredited) *'' Young and Innocent'' (1937) - Nobby's Lodging House Caretaker (uncredited) *''Broadway'' (1938, TV Movie) *'' Climbing High'' (1938) - Jim Castle *'' Too Dangerous to Live'' (1939) - Burton *''The Day Is Gone'' (1939, TV Movie) - Ernest Webb *''

The Spy in Black ''The Spy in Black'' (US: ''U-Boat 29'') is a 1939 British film, and the first collaboration between the British filmmakers Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger. They were brought together by Alexander Korda to make the World War I spy thril ...

'' (1939) - Submarine Officer *''

Old Mother Riley, MP ''Old Mother Riley, MP'' is a 1939 British comedy film starring Arthur Lucan and Kitty McShane, which forms part of the Old Mother Riley series of films. The film's plot centres on Old Mother Riley standing for election to the House of Commons. ...

'' (1939) - Jack Nelson *'' The Lion Has Wings'' (1939) - Seaman Receiving Information About German Activity *''The Kindled Flame'' (1939, Short) *''

Contraband Contraband (from Medieval French ''contrebande'' "smuggling") refers to any item that, relating to its nature, is illegal to be possessed or sold. It is used for goods that by their nature are considered too dangerous or offensive in the eyes o ...

'' (1940) - Sailor (uncredited) *'' Law and Disorder'' (1940) *'' Let George Do It!'' (1940) - U-Boat Commander *'' Night Train to Munich'' (1940) - Minor Role (uncredited) *'' The Case of the Frightened Lady'' (1940) - Jim Tilling (uncredited) *'' Saloon Bar'' (1940) - Mr. Garrod (uncredited) *'' Gasbags'' (1941) - SS Man *'' Major Barbara'' (1941) - Todger Fairmile *'' Saboteur'' (1942) - Man (uncredited) *'' The Next of Kin'' (1942) - German General *'' The Captive Heart'' (1946) - German officer at Medical Commission (uncredited) *'' I See a Dark Stranger'' (1946) - Police Constable *''

'' (1946) - Bentley Drummle *''

The Man Within ''The Man Within'' (1929) is the first novel by author Graham Greene. It tells the story of Francis Andrews, a reluctant smuggler, who betrays his colleagues, and the aftermath of his betrayal. It is Greene's first published novel. (Two earlier a ...

'' (1947) - Jailer *'' Jassy'' (1947) - Bob Wicks *'' When the Bough Breaks'' (1947) - Adams *''

The End of the River ''The End of the River'' is a British drama film made in Belém, Brazil about a Brazilian Indian boy who leaves the jungle to the city, where he is accused of murder. It was directed by Derek Twist and written by Wolfgang Wilhelm, based on ...

'' (1947) - Lisboa *'' The Fallen Idol'' (1948) - Policeman *''

Bonnie Prince Charlie Bonnie, is a Scottish given name and is sometimes used as a descriptive reference, as in the Scottish folk song, My Bonnie Lies over the Ocean. It comes from the Scots language word "bonnie" (pretty, attractive), or the French bonne (good). That ...

'' (1948) - Col. Kor *''

Now Barabbas ''Now Barabbas'' is a 1949 British drama film directed by Gordon Parry and starring Richard Greene, Cedric Hardwicke and Kathleen Harrison. It is sometimes known as ''Now Barabbas Was a Robber''. It was based on a 1947 play of the same title by ...

'' (1949) (uncredited) *'' The Black Rose'' (1950) - Harry (uncredited) *''

Affair in Trinidad ''Affair in Trinidad'' is a 1952 American film noir directed by Vincent Sherman and starring Rita Hayworth and Glenn Ford. It was produced by Hayworth's Beckworth Corporation and released by Columbia Pictures. It is notable as Hayworth's "comebac ...

'' (1952) - Inspector Smythe *'' The Crimson Pirate'' (1952) - Humble Bellows *'' The Snows of Kilimanjaro'' (1952) - Johnson *'' Blackbeard the Pirate'' (1952) - Sir Henry Morgan *''

The Desert Rats The 7th Armoured Division was an armoured division of the British Army that saw distinguished active service during the Second World War, where its exploits in the Western Desert Campaign gained it the ''Desert Rats'' nickname. After the ...

'' (1953) - Col. Barney White *''

Houdini Harry Houdini (, born Erik Weisz; March 24, 1874 – October 31, 1926) was a Hungarian-American escape artist, magic man, and stunt performer, noted for his escape acts. His pseudonym is a reference to his spiritual master, French magician ...

'' (1953) - Otto *'' The Robe'' (1953) - Senator Gallio *'' Knock on Wood'' (1954) - Godfrey Langston *'' The Black Shield of Falworth'' (1954) - Sir James *''

Bengal Brigade ''Bengal Brigade'' is a 1954 American adventure war film directed by Laslo Benedek and starring Rock Hudson, Arlene Dahl and Ursula Thiess. The film was produced and distributed by Universal Pictures, based on the 1952 novel ''Bengal Tigers'' b ...

'' (1954) - Colonel Morrow *'' Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing'' (1955) - Humphrey Palmer-Jones *''

Lady Godiva of Coventry ''Lady Godiva of Coventry'' is a 1955 American Technicolor historical drama film, directed by Arthur Lubin. It starred Maureen O'Hara in the title role. Alec Harford, the English actor who portrayed Tom the Tailor, died eight months before the f ...

'' (1955) - Lord Godwin *'' Diane'' (1956) - Louis - Count de Breze *''

'' (1956) - Ulysses *''

Istanbul ) , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = 34000 to 34990 , area_code = +90 212 (European side) +90 216 (Asian side) , registration_plate = 34 , blank_name_sec2 = GeoTLD , blank_i ...

'' (1957) - Douglas Fielding *'' Band of Angels'' (1957) - Capt. Canavan *'' Witness for the Prosecution'' (1957) - Mr. Myers *''

'' (1958) - Sgt. McTavish *''

'' (1958) - Sokurah the Magician *'' The Miracle'' (1959) - The Duke of Wellington *'' One Step Beyond - Doomsday (TV)'' - Season 2, Episode 4, October 13 1959 - Earl of Culdane *’’

’’. (1960) - Campden *'' The Canadians'' (1961) - Sergeant McGregor *''

Jack the Giant Killer "Jack the Giant Killer" is a Cornish fairy tale and legend about a young adult who slays a number of bad giants during King Arthur's reign. The tale is characterised by violence, gore and blood-letting. Giants are prominent in Cornish folklor ...

'' (1962) - Pendragon *'' Mutiny on the Bounty'' (1962) - Staines (uncredited) *''

Drums of Africa ''Drums of Africa'' is a 1963 American adventure film set in Africa, directed by James B. Clark. It used footage from the 1950 film of ''King Solomon's Mines''. Plot Three adventurers fight slave traders in the Congo. Cast *Frankie Avalon as ...

'' (1963) - Jack Cuortemayn *'' Decision at Midnight'' (1963) - Southstream *''

From Hell to Borneo ''Hell of Borneo'' also known as Hell to Borneo and From Hell to Borneo is a 1964 English language Philippine film produced by and starring Torin Thatcher, Vic Diaz and George Montgomery (who also directed and co-wrote the screenplay). The film ...

'' (1964) - Mr. Bellflower *'' The Sandpiper'' (1965) - Judge Thompson *''

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...

'' (1966) - Rev. Dr. Thorn *'' The Sweet and the Bitter'' (1967) - Duncan MacRoy *'' The King's Pirate'' (1967) - Captain Cullen *'' The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde'' (1968, TV Movie) - Sir John Turnbull

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Thatcher, Torin 1905 births 1981 deaths English male film actors English male stage actors English male television actors People educated at Bedford School Alumni of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art Deaths from cancer in California Royal Artillery officers British Army personnel of World War II 20th-century English male actors British people in colonial India British expatriate male actors in the United States