Sir Christopher George Rhodes, 3rd Baronet (30 April 1914 – 22 June 1964) was an English film and television actor. He was awarded the French Croix de Guerre for services 1940-41 and the United States

Legion of Merit The Legion of Merit (LOM) is a Awards and decorations of the United States military, military award of the United States Armed Forces that is given for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievemen ...

for his

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

service.

Early life

Rhodes was born in Alverstone,

Isle of Wight The Isle of Wight (Help:IPA/English, /waɪt/ Help:Pronunciation respelling key, ''WYTE'') is an island off the south coast of England which, together with its surrounding uninhabited islets and Skerry, skerries, is also a ceremonial county. T ...

, the only son of Sir John Rhodes, 2nd Baronet, and attended

Eton College Eton College ( ) is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school providing boarding school, boarding education for boys aged 13–18, in the small town of Eton, Berkshire, Eton, in Berkshire, in the United Kingdom. It has educated Prime Mini ...

and

Magdalen College, Oxford Magdalen College ( ) is a Colleges of the University of Oxford, constituent college of the University of Oxford. It was founded in 1458 by Bishop of Winchester William of Waynflete. It is one of the wealthiest Oxford colleges, as of 2022, and ...

. During the Second World War, he served with the Essex Regiment of the

British Army The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...

, reaching the rank of lieutenant-colonel in British Intelligence as Deputy Controller, Political, Economic and Special Intelligence in Berlin (see national archives military records, service number 152753).

Career

Rhodes began his acting career after the war. His television appearances include '' The Quatermass Experiment'', ''

Danger Man ''Danger Man'' (retitled ''Secret Agent'' in the United States for the revived series, and ''Destination Danger'' and ''John Drake'' in other overseas markets) is a British television series that was broadcast between 1960 and 1962, and again ...

'', ''

Dixon of Dock Green ''Dixon of Dock Green'' is a BBC police procedural television series about daily life at a fictional London police station, with the emphasis on petty crime, successfully controlled through common sense and human understanding. It ran from 1955 ...

'' and '' The Saint''.

Personal life

Rhodes was married twice, first to Mary Kesteven in 1936, whom he divorced in 1942, and then to Mary Florence Wardleworth in 1943, who bore him two sons and a daughter. He succeeded to his father's baronetcy in 1955.

Death

Rhodes died at his home in Blakeney,

Norfolk Norfolk ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in England, located in East Anglia and officially part of the East of England region. It borders Lincolnshire and The Wash to the north-west, the North Sea to the north and eas ...

, on 22 June 1964, aged 50.

Selected filmography

* ''

Moulin Rouge Moulin Rouge (, ; ) is a cabaret in Paris, on Boulevard de Clichy, at Place Blanche, the intersection of, and terminus of Rue Blanche. In 1889, the Moulin Rouge was co-founded by Charles Zidler and Joseph Oller, who also owned the Olympia (Par ...

'' (1952) (uncredited) * '' Laughing Anne'' (1953) as Escort No. 1 * '' Betrayed'' (1954) as Chris * '' Gravelhanger'' (1954) * '' The Colditz Story'' (1955) as 'Mac' McGill * '' The Feminine Touch'' (1956) as Dr Ted Russell * '' Tiger in the Smoke'' (1956) as Chief Inspector Luke * '' Ill Met by Moonlight'' (1957) as General Bräuer (uncredited) * '' The Naked Earth'' (1958) as Al * ''

Dunkirk Dunkirk ( ; ; ; Picard language, Picard: ''Dunkèke''; ; or ) is a major port city in the Departments of France, department of Nord (French department), Nord in northern France. It lies from the Belgium, Belgian border. It has the third-larg ...

'' (1958) as Sergeant on the beaches * ''

Wonderful Things! ''Wonderful Things!'' is a 1958 British comedy film, comedy romance film directed by Herbert Wilcox and starring Frankie Vaughan, Jocelyn Lane and Wilfrid Hyde-White. It was written by Jack Trevor Story. Two fishermen brothers clash over the lov ...

'' (1958) as Codger * ''

Operation Amsterdam ''Operation Amsterdam'' is a 1959 black and white British action film, directed by Michael McCarthy (film director), Michael McCarthy, and featuring Peter Finch, Eva Bartok and Tony Britton. It is based on a true story as described in the book ' ...

'' (1959) as Alex * '' The Lady Is a Square'' (1959) as Greenslade * '' Tiger Bay'' (1959) as Inspector Bridges * ''

John Paul Jones John Paul Jones (born John Paul; July 6, 1747 – July 18, 1792) was a Scottish-born naval officer who served in the Continental Navy during the American Revolutionary War. Often referred to as the "Father of the American Navy", Jones is regard ...

'' (1959) as Ringleader * '' Shake Hands with the Devil'' (1959) as Colonel Smithson * '' A Terrible Beauty'' (1960) as Tim Malone * '' Gorgo'' (1961) as McCartin * '' The Guns of Navarone'' (1961) as German Gunnery Officer * ''

El Cid Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar ( – 10 July 1099) was a Castilian knight and ruler in medieval Spain. Fighting both with Christian and Muslim armies during his lifetime, he earned the Arabic honorific ("the Lord" or "the Master"), which would evolve i ...

'' (1961) as Don Martín * ''The Piper Pune'' (1962) as Captain * '' Lancelot and Guinevere'' (1963) as Ulfus, aka Sword of Lancelot (USA) * '' The Cracksman'' (1963) as Mr. King * '' Becket'' (1964) as Baron (final film role)

References

External links

* 1914 births 1964 deaths English male film actors English male television actors Baronets in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom Alumni of Magdalen College, Oxford People educated at Eton College Essex Regiment officers British Army personnel of World War II Foreign recipients of the Legion of Merit British recipients of the Croix de Guerre 1939–1945 (France) Place of birth missing 20th-century English male actors Male actors from the Isle of Wight People from Blakeney, Norfolk Military personnel from the Isle of Wight {{england-film-actor-stub