Alan William Napier-Clavering (7 January 1903 – 8 August 1988), better known as Alan Napier, was an English actor. After a decade in

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. 1194–1195, ...

, he had a long film career in Britain and later on in Hollywood. Napier is best remembered for portraying

Alfred Pennyworth Alfred Thaddeus Crane Pennyworth, originally Alfred Beagle and commonly known simply as Alfred, is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, most commonly in association with the superhero Batman. Alfred is ...

, Bruce Wayne's butler in the 1960s live-action ''

Batman Batman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. Batman was created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on M ...

television Television (TV) is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. Additionally, the term can refer to a physical television set rather than the medium of transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertising, ...

series.

Early life and career

Alan William Napier-Clavering was born on 7 January 1903 in Birmingham to Claude Gerald Napier-Clavering, managing director of the Birmingham Guild of Handicraft, and Millicent Mary, daughter of politician William Kenrick. He had two older siblings, Mark (born 1898) and Mary Helen- "Molly"- (born 1900). The Napier-Clavering family were landed gentry- the senior line owning Axwell Park near

Gateshead Gateshead () is a town in the Gateshead Metropolitan Borough of Tyne and Wear, England. It is on the River Tyne's southern bank. The town's attractions include the twenty metre tall Angel of the North sculpture on the town's southern outskirts, ...

until 1920- and descended from Francis Napier, 8th Lord Napier. Napier was a first cousin-once removed of

Neville Chamberlain Arthur Neville Chamberlain (; 18 March 18699 November 1940) was a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from May 1937 to May 1940 and Leader of the Conservative Party (UK), Leader of the Conservative Party from ...

, Britain's prime minister from 1937 to 1940. He was educated at Packwood Haugh School and, after leaving

Clifton College Clifton College is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school in the city of Bristol in South West England, founded in 1862 and offering both boarding school, boarding and day school for pupils aged 13–18. In its early years, unlike mo ...

, he studied at the

Royal Academy of Dramatic Art The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, also known by its abbreviation RADA (), is a drama school in London, England, which provides vocational conservatoire training for theatre, film, television, and radio. It is based in Bloomsbury, Central London ...

, graduating in 1925. Napier was engaged by the Oxford Players, where he worked with the likes 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 Britis ...

and Robert Morley. As Napier recalled, his "ridiculously tall" height almost cost him his position immediately after he secured it. J. B. Fagan had dismissed

Tyrone Guthrie Sir William Tyrone Guthrie (2 July 1900 – 15 May 1971) was an English theatrical director instrumental in the founding of the Stratford Festival of Canada, the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and the Tyrone Guthrie Centre at ...

because he was too tall for most parts. Napier was interviewed (and accepted) as Guthrie's replacement while sitting down. Fagan realized that Napier was even taller than Guthrie when he stood up, but honoured his commitment. Napier performed for ten years (1929–1939) on the West End stage. Napier described himself as having a particular affinity for the work of

George Bernard Shaw George Bernard Shaw (26 July 1856 – 2 November 1950), known at his insistence as Bernard Shaw, was an Irish playwright, critic, polemicist and political activist. His influence on Western theatre, culture and politics extended from the 188 ...

, and in 1937 appeared in a London revival of ''

Heartbreak House ''Heartbreak House: A Fantasia in the Russian Manner on English Themes'' is a play written by Bernard Shaw during the First World War, published in 1919 and first performed in November 1920 at the Garrick Theatre, New York, followed by a West ...

'' supervised by Shaw himself. Napier made his American stage debut as the romantic lead opposite Gladys George in ''Lady in Waiting''. Though his film career had begun in Britain in the 1930s, he had very little success before the cameras until he joined the British expatriate community in

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood ...

in 1941. There he spent time with such people as

James Whale James Whale (22 July 1889 – 29 May 1957) was an English film director, theatre director and actor, who spent the greater part of his career in Cinema of the United States, Hollywood. He is best remembered for several horror films: ''Fra ...

, a fellow ex-Oxford Player. He appeared in such films as '' Random Harvest'' (1942), '' Cat People'' (1942), and '' The Uninvited'' (1944). In '' The Song of Bernadette'' (1943), he played the ethically questionable psychiatrist who is hired to declare Bernadette mentally ill. He also played the vicious Earl of Warwick in ''

Joan of Arc Joan of Arc ( ; ; – 30 May 1431) is a patron saint of France, honored as a defender of the French nation for her role in the siege of Orléans and her insistence on the Coronation of the French monarch, coronation of Charles VII o ...

'' (1948). He performed in two

Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 23 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 ...

an films: the

Orson Welles George Orson Welles (May 6, 1915 – October 10, 1985) was an American director, actor, writer, producer, and magician who is remembered for his innovative work in film, radio, and theatre. He is among the greatest and most influential film ...

Macbeth ''The Tragedy of Macbeth'', often shortened to ''Macbeth'' (), is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, estimated to have been first performed in 1606. It dramatises the physically violent and damaging psychological effects of political ambiti ...

'' (1948), in which he played a priest that Welles added to the story, who spoke lines originally uttered by other characters, and

MGM Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, commonly shortened to MGM or MGM Studios) is an American Film production, film and television production and film distribution, distribution company headquartered ...

's ''

Julius Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar (12 or 13 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC) was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in Caesar's civil wa ...

'' (1953), as

Cicero Marcus Tullius Cicero ( ; ; 3 January 106 BC – 7 December 43 BC) was a Roman statesman, lawyer, scholar, philosopher, orator, writer and Academic skeptic, who tried to uphold optimate principles during the political crises tha ...

. He appeared as Mr. Rutland in the Hitchcock movie '' Marnie'' (1964). In 1949, Napier made an appearance on the short-lived television anthology series ''

Your Show Time ''Your Show Time'' is an American anthology drama series that debuted on NBC Television on the East Coast in September 1948 and then on both the East and the West Coast, as a network show, on January 21, 1949. The show was produced by Marsha ...

'' as

Sherlock Holmes Sherlock Holmes () is a Detective fiction, fictional detective created by British author Arthur Conan Doyle. Referring to himself as a "Private investigator, consulting detective" in his stories, Holmes is known for his proficiency with obser ...

, in an adaptation of " The Adventure of the Speckled Band". In the 1950s, he appeared on TV in four episodes of ''

Alfred Hitchcock Presents ''Alfred Hitchcock Presents'' is an American television anthology series created, hosted and produced by Alfred Hitchcock, airing on CBS and NBC, alternately, between 1955 and 1965. It features dramas, thrillers, and mysteries. Between 1962 ...

'' and guest starred on Dale Robertson's

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...

western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...

series ''

Tales of Wells Fargo ''Tales of Wells Fargo'' is an American Westerns on television, Western television series starring Dale Robertson in 201 episodes that aired from 1957 to 1962 on NBC. Produced by Revue Productions, the series aired in a half-hour format until i ...

''. He had a recurring role as General Steele on the 1962–1963 situation comedy '' Don't Call Me Charlie!''

''Batman''

In 1965, Napier was the first to be cast in the ''Batman'' TV series, as Bruce Wayne's faithful butler Alfred, a role he played until the series' cancellation in 1968.

I had never read comics before was hired for ''Batman'' My agent rang up and said, 'I think you are going to play on "Batman,"' I said 'What is "Batman"?' He said, 'Don't you read the comics?' I said, 'No, never.' He said, 'I think you are going to be Batman's butler.' I said, 'How do I know I want to be Batman's butler?' It was the most ridiculous thing I had ever heard of. He said, 'It may be worth over $100,000.' So I said I was Batman's butler.

Later life and career

Napier's career extended into the 1980s with roles on television, including the miniseries '' QB VII'', '' The Bastard'', and ''

Centennial A centennial, or centenary in British English, is a 100th anniversary or otherwise relates to a century. Notable events Notable centennial events at a national or world-level include: * Centennial Exhibition, 1876, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. ...

'', and the drama '' The Paper Chase''. He retired in 1981, aged 78. In early 1988, Napier appeared on the late-night talk show ''The Late Show'' as part of a reunion of the surviving cast of ''Batman'', despite being in a wheelchair. His co-star

Yvonne Craig Yvonne Joyce Craig (May 16, 1937 – August 17, 2015) was an American actress who is best known for her role as Barbara Gordon/Batgirl in the 1960s television series ''Batman (TV series), Batman''. Other notable roles in her career include Dorot ...

described the reunion show as overbooked, and when host Ross Shafer finally turned his attention to Napier, it was only to ask him a silly question, then cut him off abruptly as he was telling a story, much to Napier's annoyance. Napier did not participate in the subsequent cast reunion held before his death.

Family

Napier was twice married. His second wife, Aileen Dickens Hawksley, was a great-granddaughter of novelist

Charles Dickens Charles John Huffam Dickens (; 7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English novelist, journalist, short story writer and Social criticism, social critic. He created some of literature's best-known fictional characters, and is regarded by ...

. Hawksley's daughter from a previous marriage, actress Jennifer Raine, was the mother of former child actor Brian Forster, best known as "Chris Partridge" on the 1970s television show ''

The Partridge Family ''The Partridge Family'' is an American musical sitcom created by Bernard Slade, which was broadcast in the United States from September 1970 to March 1974 on American Broadcasting Company, ABC. After the final first-run telecast on ABC in March ...

''.

Death

Napier suffered a

stroke Stroke is a medical condition in which poor cerebral circulation, blood flow to a part of the brain causes cell death. There are two main types of stroke: brain ischemia, ischemic, due to lack of blood flow, and intracranial hemorrhage, hemor ...

in 1987, was hospitalized from June 1988, and was gravely ill for several days before his death of natural causes on 8 August 1988, in the Berkeley East Convalescent Hospital in

Santa Monica Santa Monica (; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Santa Mónica'') is a city in Los Angeles County, California, Los Angeles County, situated along Santa Monica Bay on California's South Coast (California), South Coast. Santa Monica's 2020 United Sta ...

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

. He was 85 years old.

Autobiography

In the early 1970s, Napier wrote a three-volume autobiography which was not published at the time because, as he joked, "I haven't committed a major crime and I'm not known to have slept with any famous actresses." In 2015, McFarland Press published the book under the title ''Not Just Batman's Butler'', with Napier's original text annotated and updated by James Bigwood.

Partial filmography

* ''

Caste A caste is a Essentialism, fixed social group into which an individual is born within a particular system of social stratification: a caste system. Within such a system, individuals are expected to marry exclusively within the same caste (en ...

'' (1930) as Capt. Hawtree * '' Stamboul'' (1931) as Bouchier * '' In a Monastery Garden'' (1932) as Count Romano * '' Loyalties'' (1933) as Gen. Canynge * '' Wings Over Africa'' (1936) as Redfern * '' For Valour'' (1937) as General * '' The Wife of General Ling'' (1937) as Governor * '' The Four Just Men'' (1939) as Sir Hamar Ryman * '' We Are Not Alone'' (1939) as Archdeacon * ''

The Invisible Man Returns ''The Invisible Man Returns'' is a 1940 American horror science fiction film directed by Joe May. The film stars Cedric Hardwicke, Vincent Price, Nan Grey and John Sutton. The film is a sequel to the 1933 film ''The Invisible Man'', and the ...

'' (1940) as Willie Spears * ''

The House of the Seven Gables ''The House of the Seven Gables: A Romance'' is a Gothic fiction, Gothic novel written beginning in mid-1850 by American author Nathaniel Hawthorne and published in April 1851 by Ticknor and Fields of Boston. The novel follows a New England fam ...

'' (1940) as Fuller * '' Confirm or Deny'' (1940) as Updyke (scenes deleted) * '' Eagle Squadron'' (1942) as Black Watch officer * '' A Yank at Eton'' (1942) as Restaurateur (uncredited) * '' Cat People'' (1942) as Doc Carver (uncredited) * '' Random Harvest'' (1942) as Julian * '' Assignment in Brittany'' (1943) as Sam Wells * '' Appointment in Berlin'' (1943) as Col. Patterson (uncredited) * ''

Lassie Come Home ''Lassie Come Home'' is a 1943 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Technicolor feature film starring Roddy McDowall and canine actor Pal, in a story about the profound bond between Yorkshire boy Joe Carraclough and his rough collie, Lassie. The film was d ...

'' (1943) as Jock * '' Madame Curie'' (1943) as Dr. Bladh (uncredited) * '' The Song of Bernadette'' (1943) as Dr. Debeau (uncredited) * '' Lost Angel'' (1943) as Dr. Woodring * '' The Uninvited'' (1944) as Dr. Scott * '' Action in Arabia'' (1944) as Eric Latimer * '' The Hairy Ape'' (1944) as MacDougald, Chief Engineer * '' Ministry of Fear'' (1944) as Dr. JM Forrester * '' Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo'' (1944) as Mr. Parker * '' Dark Waters'' (1944) as The Doctor (uncredited) * '' Mademoiselle Fifi'' (1944) as The Count de Breville * '' Hangover Square'' (1945) as Sir Henry Chapman * '' Isle of the Dead'' (1945) as St. Aubyn * ''

Three Strangers ''Three Strangers'' is a 1946 American film noir crime drama directed by Jean Negulesco and starring Sydney Greenstreet, Geraldine Fitzgerald, and Peter Lorre, and featuring Joan Lorring and Alan Napier. The screenplay was written by John Hu ...

'' (1946) as David Shackleford * ''

House of Horrors A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air c ...

'' (1946) as F. Holmes Harmon * '' A Scandal in Paris'' (1946) as Houdon De Pierremont, Police Minister * '' The Strange Woman'' (1946) as Judge Henry Saladine * ''

Sinbad the Sailor Sinbad the Sailor (; or Sindbad) is a fictional mariner and the hero of a Literary cycle, story-cycle. He is described as hailing from Baghdad during the early Abbasid Caliphate (8th and 9th centuries A.D.). In the course of seven voyages thr ...

'' (1947) as Aga * '' Fiesta'' (1947) as The Tourist * '' High Conquest'' (1947) as Tommy Donlin * '' Ivy'' (1947) as Sir Jonathan Wright * '' Adventure Island'' (1947) as Attwater * ''

Lured ''Lured'' is a 1947 American film noir directed by Douglas Sirk and starring George Sanders, Lucille Ball, Charles Coburn, Cedric Hardwicke, Sir Cedric Hardwicke, and Boris Karloff. The film is a remake of 1939 French film ''Pièges'' directed ...

'' (1947) as Detective Gordon * ''

Driftwood Driftwood is a wood that has been washed onto a shore or beach of a sea, lake, or river by the action of winds, tides or waves. It is part of beach wrack. In some waterfront areas, driftwood is a major nuisance. However, the driftwood provides ...

'' (1947) as Dr. Nicholas Adams * '' Unconquered'' (1947) as Sir William Johnson * '' Forever Amber'' (1947) as Landale * '' The Lone Wolf in London'' (1947) as Monty Beresford * '' Johnny Belinda'' (1948) as Defense Attorney * ''

'' (1948) as A Holy Father * ''

'' (1948) as Earl of Warwick * '' Hills of Home'' (1948) as Sir George * '' Criss Cross'' (1949) as Finchley * '' My Own True Love'' (1949) as Kittredge * '' Tarzan's Magic Fountain'' (1949) as Douglas Jessup * '' A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court'' (1949) as High Executioner * '' Manhandled'' (1949) as Alton Bennet * '' The Red Danube'' (1949) as The General * '' Challenge to Lassie'' (1949) as Lord Provost * '' Master Minds'' (1949) as Dr. Druzik * '' Tripoli'' (1950) as Khalil * '' Double Crossbones'' (1951) as Capt. Kidd * '' Tarzan's Peril'' (1951) as Commissioner Peters * '' The Great Caruso'' (1951) as Jean de Reszke * '' The Highwayman'' (1951) as Barton * '' Across the Wide Missouri'' (1951) as Capt. Humberstone Lyon * '' The Blue Veil'' (1951) as Prof. George Carter * '' The Strange Door'' (1951) as Count Grassin * '' Big Jim McLain'' (1952) as Sturak * ''

'' (1953) as Cicero * '' Young Bess'' (1953) as Robert Tyrwhitt * '' Désirée'' (1954) as Despreaux * '' Moonfleet'' (1955) as Parson Glennie * '' The Court Jester'' (1956) as Sir Brockhurst * '' Miami Exposé'' (1956) as Raymond Sheridan * '' The Mole People'' (1956) as Elinu, the High Priest * '' Until They Sail'' (1957) as Prosecution Attorney * '' Island of Lost Women'' (1959) as Dr. Paul Lujan * ''

Journey to the Center of the Earth ''Journey to the Center of the Earth'' (), also translated with the variant titles ''A Journey to the Centre of the Earth'' and ''A Journey into the Interior of the Earth'', is a classic science fiction novel written by French novelist Jules Ve ...

'' (1959) as Dean * '' Wild in the Country'' (1961) as Prof. Joe B. Larson (uncredited) * '' Tender Is the Night'' (1962) as Señor Pardo * '' The Premature Burial'' (1962) as Dr. Gideon Gault * '' The Sword in the Stone'' (1963) as Sir Pellinore (voice) * '' Marnie'' (1964) as Mr. Rutland * ''

Mary Poppins Mary Poppins may refer to: * Mary Poppins (character), a nanny with magical powers * Mary Poppins (franchise), based on the fictional nanny ** Mary Poppins (book series), ''Mary Poppins'' (book series), the original 1934–1988 children's fanta ...

'' (1964) as Huntsman / Reporter #3 / Hound (voice, uncredited) * ''

My Fair Lady ''My Fair Lady'' is a musical theatre, musical with a book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and music by Frederick Loewe. The story, based on George Bernard Shaw's 1913 play ''Pygmalion (play), Pygmalion'' and on the Pygmalion (1938 film), 1938 film ...

'' (1964) as Gentleman who escorts Eliza to the Queen of Transylvania (uncredited) * '' Signpost to Murder'' (1964) as The Vicar * '' 36 Hours'' (1964) as Col. Peter MacLean * ''

The Loved One Loved Ones, Loved One, The Loved Ones, or The Loved One may refer to: Films *The Loved One (film), ''The Loved One'' (film), a 1965 American satire based on the Evelyn Waugh novel *The Loved Ones (film), ''The Loved Ones'' (film), a 2009 Australia ...

'' (1965) as English Club Official * ''

'' (1966) as

Partial television credits

* ''

'' (1949) Season 1 Episode 10: " The Adventure of the Speckled Band" as Sherlock Holmes * ''

'' (1955) Season 1 Episode 5: " Into Thin Air" aka "The Vanishing Lady" as Sir Everett * ''

'' (1956) Season 1 Episode 26: "Whodunit" as Wilfred - The Recording Angel * ''

'' (1957) Season 2 Episodes 25, 26, 27: " I Killed the Count" Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 as Lord Sorrington * ''

'' (1959) Season 4 Episode 24: "The Avon Emeralds" as Sir Charles Harrington * '' Don't Call Me Charlie!'' (1962–1963 TV series), recurring role as General Steele * ''

The Alfred Hitchcock Hour ''Alfred Hitchcock Presents'' is an American television anthology series created, hosted and produced by Alfred Hitchcock, airing on CBS and NBC, alternately, between 1955 and 1965. It features dramas, thrillers, and mysteries. Between 1962 a ...

'' (1963) (Season 1 Episode 26: "An Out for Oscar") as Mr. Hodges * '' Twilight Zone'' (1963) episode " Passage on the Lady Anne" as Captain Protheroe * ''

Daniel Boone (1964 TV series) ''Daniel Boone'' is an American Action (genre), action-Adventure (genre), adventure television series, starring Fess Parker as the frontiersman Daniel Boone, that aired from September 24, 1964, to May 7, 1970, on NBC for 165 episodes, and was pro ...

'' (1965) S1/E26-27 "Cain's Birthday" (Parts 1 & 2) as Colonel Sir Hubert Crater * ''

'' (1965) S2/E13 "The Perilous Journey" as Lord Brisbane * ''

'' (1965) (Season 3 Episode 22: "Thou Still Unravished Bride") as Guerny, Sr. * ''

'' (1966–1968) as Alfred Pennyworth * ''

The Beverly Hillbillies ''The Beverly Hillbillies'' is an American television sitcom that was broadcast on CBS from 1962 to 1971. It had an ensemble cast featuring Buddy Ebsen, Irene Ryan, Donna Douglas, and Max Baer Jr. as the Clampetts, a poor backwoods family ...

'' (1967) Episode "The Clampetts In London" as Chemist * ''

Family Affair ''Family Affair'' is an American sitcom starring Brian Keith and Sebastian Cabot that aired on CBS from September 12, 1966, to March 4, 1971. The series explored the trials of well-to-do engineer and bachelor Bill Davis (Keith) as he attempt ...

'' (1969) S3/E17 "Oh to be in England" as Mr. Wills * '' Ironside'' (1970, 1973, 1974) * '' QB VII'' (1974 miniseries) as Semple * '' The Bastard'' (1978 miniseries) as Dr. Bleeker * ''

'' (1979 miniseries) as Lord Venneford

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Napier, Alan 1903 births 1988 deaths 20th-century English male actors Alumni of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art Burials at Chapel of the Pines Crematory English expatriate male actors in the United States English male film actors English male television actors Male actors from Birmingham, West Midlands People educated at Clifton College