Cecil Parker (born Cecil Schwabe, 3 September 1897 – 20 April 1971) was an English actor with a distinctively husky voice, who usually played supporting roles, often characters with a supercilious demeanour, in his 91 films made between 1928 and 1969.

Career

Parker was born in

Hastings Hastings () is a large seaside town and borough in East Sussex on the south coast of England, east to the county town of Lewes and south east of London. The town gives its name to the Battle of Hastings, which took place to the north-west a ...

, Sussex, the second son (and fifth of six children) of German-born Charles August Schwabe, manager of the Albany Hotel, Hastings, and his English wife Kate (née Parker), a church organist. He was educated at

St Francis Xavier College A multitude of schools and universities have been named after St. Francis Xavier, a Spanish Roman Catholic saint and co-founder of the Society of Jesus. This page lists notable educational institutions named after St. Xavier, arranged by countr ...

, and at

Bruges Bruges ( , nl, Brugge ) is the capital and largest city A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Scienc ...

Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to ...

.Who's Who in the Theatre by John Parker (11th Edition) (1952) (London) He served with the

Royal Sussex Regiment The Royal Sussex Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army that was in existence from 1881 to 1966. The regiment was formed in 1881 as part of the Childers Reforms by the amalgamation of the 35th (Royal Sussex) Regiment of Foot ...

in the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fig ...

, reaching the rank of sergeant. He began his theatrical career in London in 1922, adopting the surname "Parker" from his mother's maiden name. He made his first film appearance in 1933 and subsequently became a familiar face in British and occasionally American films until his death. He appeared less often on television, but many of his films have remained popular and are often shown. He acted in two adaptations of A. J. Cronin's novels, '' The Citadel'' (1938) and ''

The Stars Look Down ''The Stars Look Down'' is a 1935 novel by A. J. Cronin which chronicles various injustices in an English coal mining community. A film version was released in 1940, and television adaptations include both Italian (1971) and British (1975) ...

'' (1940), in addition to appearing in '' The Lady Vanishes'' (1938) and ''

Under Capricorn ''Under Capricorn'' is a 1949 British historical thriller film directed by Alfred Hitchcock about a couple in Australia who started out as lady and stable boy in Ireland, and who are now bound together by a horrible secret. The film is based on ...

'' (1949). Both of these latter films were directed by

Alfred Hitchcock Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock (13 August 1899 – 29 April 1980) was an English filmmaker. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of cinema. In a career spanning six decades, he directed over 50 featur ...

. Other roles were in ''

Storm in a Teacup Tempest in a teapot (American English), or storm in a teacup (British English), is an idiom meaning a small event that has been exaggerated out of proportion. There are also lesser known or earlier variants, such as ''tempest in a teacup'', ''stor ...

'' (1937), '' The Weaker Sex'' (1948), '' 23 Paces to Baker Street'' (1956), '' Dangerous Moonlight'' (1941), '' Swiss Family Robinson'' (1960), and '' I Was Monty's Double'' (1958), as well as the comedies ''

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, '' ...

'' (1960), '' The Ladykillers'' (1955), '' The Man in the White Suit'' (1951), '' The Court Jester'' (1955) (in which he played an evil, usurping king of England), '' Indiscreet'' (1958) and '' I Believe in You'' (1952). Parker was also the original Charles Condomine in the West End production of

Noël Coward Sir Noël Peirce Coward (16 December 189926 March 1973) was an English playwright, composer, director, actor, and singer, known for his wit, flamboyance, and what ''Time (magazine), Time'' magazine called "a sense of personal style, a combina ...

's ''

Blithe Spirit Blithe Spirit may refer to: * ''Blithe Spirit'' (play), a 1941 comic play written by Noël Coward * ''Blithe Spirit'' (1945 film), a British comedy film based on the play * ''Blithe Spirit'' (2020 film), a British-American comedy film based on th ...

''. He often played a touchy senior officer or British

upper class Upper class in modern societies is the social class composed of people who hold the highest social status, usually are the wealthiest members of class society, and wield the greatest political power. According to this view, the upper class is ...

character, and his last two films were true to form: '' The Magnificent Two'' (1967) with the British comedy double act Morecambe and Wise and

Richard Attenborough Richard Samuel Attenborough, Baron Attenborough, (; 29 August 192324 August 2014) was an English actor, filmmaker, and entrepreneur. He was the president of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) and the British Academy of Film and Televisio ...

's version of '' Oh! What a Lovely War'' (1969). On November 20, 1950, he co-starred with Margaret O'Brien in " The Canterville Ghost", on '' Robert Montgomery Presents'' on TV. He played a butler on one episode of ''The Avengers'' ("The £50,000 Breakfast"). In 1957 he played Dr. Morelle in BBC radio series, "A Case for Dr. Morelle" (13 episodes).

Personal life

Parker was married to Muriel Anne Randell-Brown (born in Seacombe,

Cheshire Cheshire ( ) is a ceremonial and historic county in North West England, bordered by Wales to the west, Merseyside and Greater Manchester to the north, Derbyshire to the east, and Staffordshire and Shropshire to the south. Cheshire's coun ...

), from September 1927 until his death in 1971, in Brighton.

Filmography

* '' The Golden Cage'' (1933) * '' A Cuckoo in the Nest'' (1933) as Claude Hickett * '' The Silver Spoon'' (1934) as Trevor * ''

Flat Number Three ''Flat Number Three'' is a 1934 British crime film directed by Leslie S. Hiscott starring Mary Glynne, Betty Astell and Cecil Parker. Its plot involves a lawyer who assists a widow who has killed her blackmailer. It was made at Beaconsfield Stud ...

'' (1934) as Hilary Maine * '' Nine Forty-Five'' (1934) as Robert Clayton * '' Princess Charming'' (1934) as Mr. Thompson (uncredited) * '' The Blue Squadron'' (1934) as Bianci * '' Little Friend'' (1934) as Mason * '' Lady in Danger'' (1934) as Piker * '' Dirty Work'' (1934) as Gordon Bray * ''

Me and Marlborough ''Me and Marlborough'' is a 1935 British comedy film, directed by Victor Saville, and starring Cicely Courtneidge, Tom Walls, Barry MacKay, Peter Gawthorne, Henry Oscar and Cecil Parker. Plot Sergeant Cummings searches Kit Ross's pub for ...

'' (1935) as Colonel of the Greys * '' Crime Unlimited'' (1935) as Assistant Commissioner * ''The Guv'nor'' (1935) as Bank Director (uncredited) * '' Her Last Affaire'' (1935) as Sir Arthur Harding * '' Foreign Affaires'' (1935) as Lord Wormington * '' Men of Yesterday'' (1936) * '' The Man Who Changed His Mind'' (1936) as Dr. Gratton * '' Dishonour Bright'' (1936) as Vincent Crane * '' Jack of All Trades'' (1936) as Sir Chas. Darrington * '' Dark Journey'' (1937) as Captain of Q-Boat * ''

'' (1937) as Provost William Gow * '' Housemaster'' (1938) as Sir Berkeley Nightingale * '' The Lady Vanishes'' (1938) as Mr. Todhunter * '' The Citadel'' (1938) as Charles Every * '' Old Iron'' (1938) as Barnett * ''

Sons of the Sea Sons of the Sea may refer to: * "Sons of the Sea" (''Dad's Army''), a 1969 episode of the British comedy series ''Dad's Army'' *Sons of the Sea (1926 film), a silent film * ''Sons of the Sea'' (1939 film), a British spy film *''Atlantic Ferry ' ...

'' (1939) as Cmdr. Herbert * '' She Couldn't Say No'' (1939) as Jimmy Reeves * ''

'' (1940) as Stanley Millington * '' The Spider'' (1940) as Lawrence Bruce * '' Under Your Hat'' (1940) as Sir Jeffrey Arlington * '' Two for Danger'' (1940) as Sir Richard * '' The Saint's Vacation'' (1941) as Rudolph * '' Dangerous Moonlight'' (1941) as Specialist * '' Ships with Wings'' (1942) as German Air Marshal * '' Caesar and Cleopatra'' (1945) as Britannus * '' The Magic Bow'' (1946) as Luigi Germi * ''

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) as Copper John * ''

Captain Boycott Charles Cunningham Boycott (12 March 1832 – 19 June 1897) was an English land agent whose ostracism by his local community in Ireland gave the English language the verb "to boycott". He had served in the British Army 39th Foot, which b ...

'' (1947) as Capt. Charles C. Boycott * '' The Woman in the Hall'' (1947) as Sir Halmar Barnard * '' The First Gentleman'' (1948) as The Prince Regent * '' The Weaker Sex'' (1948) as Geoffrey Radcliffe * '' Quartet'' (1948) as Colonel Peregrine (segment "The Colonel's Lady") * ''

Dear Mr. Prohack ''Dear Mr. Prohack'' is a 1949 British comedy film directed by Thornton Freeland. It is a modern-day version of Arnold Bennett's 1922 novel, ''Mr Prohack'', as adapted in the play by Edward Knoblock. It stars Cecil Parker, Glynis Johns and Dirk Bo ...

'' (1949) as Arthur Prohack * ''

'' (1949) as The Governor * '' The Chiltern Hundreds'' (1949) as Benjamin Beecham * '' Tony Draws a Horse'' (1950) as Dr. Howard Fleming * '' The Man in the White Suit'' (1951) as Alan Birnley * ''

The Magic Box ''The Magic Box'' is a 1951 British Technicolor biographical drama film directed by John Boulting. The film stars Robert Donat as William Friese-Greene, with numerous cameo appearances by performers such as Peter Ustinov and Laurence Ol ...

'' (1951) as First Platform Man * ''

His Excellency Excellency is an honorific style (manner of address), style given to certain high-level officers of a sovereign state, officials of an international organization, or members of an aristocracy. Once entitled to the title "Excellency", the holder ...

'' (1951) as Sir James Kirkman * '' I Believe in You'' (1952) as Phipps * ''

Father Brown Father Brown is a fictional Roman Catholic priest and amateur detective who is featured in 53 short stories published between 1910 and 1936 written by English author G. K. Chesterton. Father Brown solves mysteries and crimes using his intuiti ...

'' (1954) as The Bishop * '' For Better, for Worse'' (1954) as Anne's Father * '' Isn't Life Wonderful!'' (1954) as Father * '' The Constant Husband'' (1955) as The Professor * '' The Ladykillers'' (1955) as Claude Courtney * '' The Court Jester'' (1955) as King Roderick I * '' 23 Paces to Baker Street'' (1956) as Bob Matthews * '' It's Great to Be Young'' (1956) as Mr. Frome, Headmaster * '' True as a Turtle'' (1957) as Dudley Partridge * '' The Admirable Crichton'' (1957) as Lord Loam * ''

A Tale of Two Cities ''A Tale of Two Cities'' is a historical novel published in 1859 by Charles Dickens, set in London and Paris before and during the French Revolution. The novel tells the story of the French Doctor Manette, his 18-year-long imprisonment in the ...

'' (1958) as Jarvis Lorry * '' Happy Is the Bride'' (1958) as Arthur Royd * '' Indiscreet'' (1958) as Alfred Munson * '' I Was Monty's Double'' (1958) as Col. Logan * '' The Navy Lark'' (1959) as Cmdr. Stanton * '' The Night We Dropped a Clanger'' (1959) as Air Vice-Marshal Sir Bertram Bukpasser * ''

The Wreck of the Mary Deare ''The Wreck of the Mary Deare'' (in the UK published as ''The Mary Deare'') is a 1956 novel written by British author Hammond Innes, which was later adapted as a film starring Gary Cooper released in 1959 by MGM. According to Jack Adrian, th ...

'' (1959) as The Chairman * '' Sotto dieci bandiere'' (1960) as Col. Howard * ''

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 and s ...

'' (1960) as Sir William Crane * ''

'' (1960) as John Crane M.A. Headmaster of Melbury School * '' Swiss Family Robinson'' (1960) as Captain Moreland * '' The Pure Hell of St Trinian's'' (1960) as Professor Canford * '' On the Fiddle'' (1961) as Gr / Cpt Bascombe * '' Petticoat Pirates'' (1961) as C-in-C * ''

The Brain A brain is an organ that serves as the center of the nervous system in all vertebrate and most invertebrate animals. It is located in the head, usually close to the sensory organs for senses such as vision. It is the most complex organ in a v ...

'' (1962) as Stevenson * '' The Iron Maiden'' (1962) as Sir Giles Thompson * '' The Amorous Prawn'' (1962) as Gen. Sir Hamish Fitzadam * ''

Heavens Above! ''Heavens Above!'' is a 1963 British satirical comedy film starring Peter Sellers, directed by John and Roy Boulting, who also co-wrote along with Frank Harvey, from an idea by Malcolm Muggeridge. It is in a similar vein to the earlier collabor ...

'' (1963) as Archdeacon Aspinall * '' Carry On Jack'' (1963) as First Sealord * '' Guns at Batasi'' (1964) as Fletcher * '' The Comedy Man'' (1964) as Thomas Rutherford * '' The Amorous Adventures of Moll Flanders'' (1965) as The Mayor * ''

A Study in Terror ''A Study in Terror'' is a 1965 British thriller film directed by James Hill and starring John Neville as Sherlock Holmes and Donald Houston as Dr. Watson. It was filmed at Shepperton Studios, London, with some location work at Osterley Hou ...

'' (1965) as Prime Minister * ''

Lady L ''Lady L'' is a 1965 comedy film based on the novel by Romain Gary and directed by Peter Ustinov. Starring Sophia Loren, Paul Newman, David Niven and Cecil Parker, the film focuses on an elderly Corsican lady as she recalls the loves of her ...

'' (1965) as Sir Percy * '' A Man Could Get Killed'' (1966) as Sir Huntley Frazier * '' Circus of Fear'' (1966) as Sir John * '' The Magnificent Two'' (1967) as Sir John / British Ambassador * ''

The Avengers Avenger, Avengers, The Avenger, or The Avengers may refer to: Arts and entertainment In the Marvel Comics universe * Avengers (comics), a team of superheroes ** Avengers (Marvel Cinematic Universe), a central team of protagonist superheroes o ...

'' (1967) TV Series, Episode: "The £50,000 Breakfast" as Glover * '' Oh! What a Lovely War'' (1969) as Sir John (final film role)

References

External links

* * *
Cecil Parker's performances in the Theatre Archive, University of Bristol
{{DEFAULTSORT:Parker, Cecil 1897 births 1971 deaths 20th-century English male actors British Army personnel of World War I British male comedy actors English male film actors English male stage actors English male television actors Male actors from Sussex People from Hastings Royal Sussex Regiment soldiers Military personnel from Sussex