Cyril William North Raymond MBE (13 February 1899 – 20 March 1973) was a British

character actor A character actor is an actor known for playing unusual, eccentric, or interesting character (arts), characters in supporting roles, rather than leading ones.28 April 2013, The New York Acting SchoolTen Best Character Actors of All Time Retrie ...

. He maintained a stage and screen career from his teens until his retirement, caused by ill health, in the 1960s. His many stage, film and television roles include Fred Jesson, the husband of

Celia Johnson Dame Celia Elizabeth Johnson (18 December 1908 – 26 April 1982) was an English actress, whose career included stage, television and film. She is especially known for her roles in the films ''In Which We Serve'' (1942), ''This Happy Breed ...

's Laura Jesson in ''

Brief Encounter ''Brief Encounter'' is a 1945 British Romance film#Romantic drama, romantic drama film directed by David Lean from a screenplay by Noël Coward, based on his 1936 one-act play ''Still Life (play), Still Life''. The film stars Celia Johnson and ...

'' (1945).

Life and career

Raymond was the son of Herbert Linton Raymond and his second wife, Rose ( Knowles). Herbert died in 1906 at the Grand Hotel, Broad Street,

Bristol Bristol () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, the most populous city in the region. Built around the River Avon, Bristol, River Avon, it is bordered by t ...

, which he and his wife ran. Raymond became a pupil at Sir Herbert Tree's Academy of Dramatic Art."Obituary: Mr. Cyril Raymond", ''The Times'', 22 March 1973, p. 20 He made his professional debut in 1914 at the

Garrick Theatre The Garrick Theatre is a West End theatre, located in Charing Cross Road, in the City of Westminster, named after the stage actor David Garrick. It opened in 1889 with ''The Profligate'', a play by Arthur Wing Pinero, and another Pinero play, ...

, London, playing the Second Spanish Gentleman in ''Bluff King Hal''.Gayle, pp. 1099–1100 As Little Billee in ''

Trilby A trilby is a narrow-brimmed type of hat. The trilby was once viewed as the rich man's favored hat; it is sometimes called the "brown trilby" in UK, BritainBernhard Roetzel, Roetzel, Bernhard (1999). ''Gentleman's Guide to Grooming and Style''. B ...

'' he supported Tree's Svengali at His Majesty's Theatre in 1915. While still a boy actor he appeared in plays by Louis N. Parker, Edward Knoblock and

Harold Brighouse Harold Brighouse (26 July 1882 – 25 July 1958) was an English playwright and author whose best known play is '' Hobson's Choice''. He was a prominent member, together with Allan Monkhouse and Stanley Houghton, of a group known as the Manche ...

. In 1916, he played a major juvenile role, Lord Deerford, in Parker's ''Disraeli''. ''

The Observer ''The Observer'' is a British newspaper published on Sundays. First published in 1791, it is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper. In 1993 it was acquired by Guardian Media Group Limited, and operated as a sister paper to ''The Guardian'' ...

'' reported that he "played very cleverly". A film was made of the play; he repeated his role of Deerford. In 1922 Raymond married the actress Iris Hoey. They had one child, John Raymond, who became an author and critic. The couple co-starred in several West End plays in the 1920s; Raymond also worked extensively with the producer

Basil Dean Basil Herbert Dean CBE (27 September 1888 – 22 April 1978) was an English actor, writer, producer and director in the theatre and in cinema. He founded the Liverpool Playhouse, Liverpool Repertory Company in 1911 and in the First World War, a ...

. He and Hoey divorced in 1936 and the following year he married the actress Gillian Lind. In the view of Raymond's obituarist in ''

The Times ''The Times'' is a British Newspaper#Daily, daily Newspaper#National, national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its modern name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its si ...

'' it was in the mid-1930s that "he found what might be called his vocation, in contributing balanced, controlled, humorous pieces of acting as foils to more flamboyant performances by highly accomplished leading ladies". He co-starred as the spouse or partner of a range of leading ladies over the next twenty or so years, including

Sybil Thorndike Dame Agnes Sybil Thorndike, Lady Casson (24 October 18829 June 1976) was an English actress whose stage career lasted from 1904 to 1969. Trained in her youth as a concert pianist, Thorndike turned to the stage when a medical problem with her h ...

in ''Short Story'' (1935),

Ruth Chatterton Ruth Chatterton (December 24, 1892 – November 24, 1961) was an American stage, film, and television actress, aviator and novelist. She was at her most popular in the early to mid-1930s, and in the same era gained prominence as an aviator, ...

in ''

The Constant Wife ''The Constant Wife'', a play written in 1926 by W. Somerset Maugham, is a comedy whose modern and amusing take on marriage and infidelity gives a quick-witted, alternative view on how to deal with an extramarital affair. A "sparkling comedy o ...

'' (1937 revival),

Gertrude Lawrence Gertrude Lawrence (4 July 1898 – 6 September 1952) was an English actress, singer, dancer and musical comedy performer known for her stage appearances in the West End of London and on Broadway in New York. Early life Lawrence was born in 1 ...

in ''September Tide'' (1948),

Edith Evans Dame Edith Mary Evans (8 February 1888 – 14 October 1976) was an English actress. She was best known for Edith Evans – stage and film roles, her work on the West End theatre, West End stage, but also appeared in films at the beginning and t ...

in ''

Waters of the Moon ''Waters of the Moon'' is a 1951 stage play by N. C. Hunter which originally ran for two years at the Theatre Royal Haymarket from 1951 to 1953. It was adapted into a 1961 TV play broadcast by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. This versio ...

'' (1953) and

Yvonne Arnaud Germaine Yvonne Arnaud (20 December 1890 – 20 September 1958) was a French-born pianist, singer and actress, who was well known for her career in Britain, as well as her native land. After beginning a career as a concert pianist as a child, Ar ...

in ''Mrs Willie'' (1956). During the

Second World War 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 ...

Raymond served in the

Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the Air force, air and space force of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. It was formed towards the end of the World War I, First World War on 1 April 1918, on the merger of t ...

from 1939 to 1945, and was awarded the MBE. In the cinema he appeared as

's character's husband in the 1945 film ''

''. In ''

'', C. A. Lejeune praised "the sweetness, the sobriety, and the fresh delicacy" of his performance and those of Johnson and

Trevor Howard Trevor Wallace Howard-Smith (29 September 1913 – 7 January 1988) was an English stage and screen actor. After varied work in the theatre, he achieved leading man star status in the film '' Brief Encounter'' (1945), followed by '' The Third M ...

. On television, he appeared in the 1961 ''

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 ...

'' episode entitled "Name, Date and Place" as Nash. http://danger-man.co.uk/episodeDetails.asp?episodeID=19&seriesNo=1 In the 1960s, Raymond appeared in plays by writers of the younger generation, including

Nigel Dennis Nigel Forbes Dennis (16 January 1912 – 19 July 1989) was an English writer, critic, playwright and magazine editor. Life Born at his grandfather's house in Surrey, England, Dennis was the son of Lt.-Col. Michael Frederic Beauchamp Dennis, DSO ...

, Giles Cooper and

John Osborne John James Osborne (12 December 1929 – 24 December 1994) was an English playwright, screenwriter, actor, and entrepreneur, who is regarded as one of the most influential figures in post-war theatre. Born in London, he briefly worked as a jo ...

. In Osborne's '' Inadmissible Evidence'' in 1965 he appeared with

Nicol Williamson Thomas Nicol Williamson (14 September 1936 – 16 December 2011) was a British actor. He was once described by playwright John Osborne as "the greatest actor since Marlon Brando". He was also described by Samuel Beckett as "touched by genius" an ...

and

John Hurt Sir John Vincent Hurt (22 January 1940 – 28 January 2017) was an English actor. Regarded as one of the finest actors of his time and known for the "most distinctive voice in Cinema of the United Kingdom, Britain", he was described by David Ly ...

."Character's Humiliating Ugliness", ''The Times'', 18 March 1965, p. 9 This was one of his last appearances, and ill health obliged him to retire several years before his death.

Filmography (incomplete)

* '' The Hypocrites'' (1916) – Leonard Wilmore * ''

Disraeli Benjamin Disraeli, 1st Earl of Beaconsfield (21 December 1804 – 19 April 1881) was a British statesman, Conservative politician and writer who twice served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. He played a central role in the creat ...

'' (1916) – Lord Deeford * '' I Will'' (1919) – Harris Giles * ''His Last Defence'' (1919) – David Hislop * '' The Scarlet Kiss'' (1920) * ''

Wuthering Heights ''Wuthering Heights'' is the only novel by the English author Emily Brontë, initially published in 1847 under her pen name "Ellis Bell". It concerns two families of the landed gentry living on the West Yorkshire moors, the Earnshaws and the ...

'' (1920) – Hareton * '' Sonia'' (1921) – Tom Dainton * '' Single Life'' (1921) – John Henty * ''

Moth and Rust ''Moth and Rust'' is a 1921 British silent drama film directed by Sidney Morgan and starring Sybil Thorndike, Malvina Longfellow and Langhorn Burton. Cast * Sybil Thorndike as Mrs Brand * Malvina Longfellow as Janet Black * Langhorn Bu ...

'' (1921) – Fred Black * ''

Cocaine Cocaine is a tropane alkaloid and central nervous system stimulant, derived primarily from the leaves of two South American coca plants, ''Erythroxylum coca'' and ''Erythroxylum novogranatense, E. novogranatense'', which are cultivated a ...

'' (1922) * '' The Faithful Heart'' (1922) – Albert Oughterson * '' These Charming People'' (1931) – Miles Winter * '' The Ghost Train'' (1931) – Richard Winthrop * '' The Happy Ending'' (1931) – Anthony Fenwick * '' A Man of Mayfair'' (1931) – Charles * '' Condemned to Death'' (1932) – Jim Wrench * '' The Frightened Lady'' (1932) – Sergeant Ferraby * ''

The Shadow The Shadow is a fictional character created by American magazine publishers Street & Smith and writer Walter B. Gibson. Originally created to be a mysterious radio show narrator and developed into a distinct literary character in 1931 by Gibs ...

'' (1933) – Jim Silverton * '' The Lure'' (1933) – Paul Dane * '' Strike It Rich'' (1933) – Slaughter * '' The Man Outside'' (1933) – Captain Fordyce * '' Mixed Doubles'' (1933) – Reggie Irving * '' Home, Sweet Home'' (1933) – John Falkirk * '' Keep It Quiet'' (1934) – Jack * '' Royal Cavalcade'' (1935) – Undetermined Minor Role (uncredited) * '' The Tunnel'' (1935) – Harriman * '' It's Love Again'' (1936) – Montague * '' Tomorrow We Live'' (1936) – George Warner * '' Accused'' (1936) – Guy Henry * '' Thunder in the City'' (1937) – James * '' Dreaming Lips'' (1937) – PC * '' Stardust'' (1938) – Jerry Sears * '' Night Alone'' (1938) – Tommy * ''

The Spy in Black ''The Spy in Black'' (US: ''U-boat 29'') is a 1939 British spy 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 th ...

'' (1939) – The Rev. John Harris * '' Goodbye, Mr. Chips'' (1939) – Teacher (uncredited) * '' Come On George!'' (1939) – Jimmy Taylor * '' Saloon Bar'' (1940) – Harry Small * ''

The First of the Few ''The First of the Few'' (US title ''Spitfire'') is a 1942 British black-and-white biographical film produced and directed by Leslie Howard (actor), Leslie Howard, who stars as R. J. Mitchell, the designer of the Supermarine Spitfire fighter air ...

'' (1942) – Radio Control Officer (uncredited) * ''

'' (1945) – Fred Jesson * '' Men of Two Worlds'' (1946) – Education Officer * '' This Was a Woman'' (1948) – Austin Penrose * ''

Quartet In music, a quartet (, , , , ) is an ensemble of four singers or instrumental performers. Classical String quartet In classical music, one of the most common combinations of four instruments in chamber music is the string quartet. String quar ...

'' (1948) – Railway Passenger (segment "The Colonel's Lady") * '' The Jack of Diamonds'' (1949, co-wrote screenplay with Nigel Patrick) – Roger Keen * ''

Angels One Five ''Angels One Five'' is a 1952 British war film directed by George More O'Ferrall and starring Jack Hawkins, Michael Denison, Dulcie Gray, John Gregson, Cyril Raymond and Veronica Hurst. Based on the book ''What Are Your Angels Now?'' by Pelham G ...

'' (1952) – Squadron Leader Barry Clinton * '' Rough Shoot'' (1953) – Cartwright * '' The Heart of the Matter'' (1953) – Carter (uncredited) * ''

The Gay Dog ''The Gay Dog'' is a 1954 British comedy film directed by Maurice Elvey and starring Wilfred Pickles, Petula Clark and Megs Jenkins. The screen-play was by Peter Rogers based on the 1952 play of the same title by Joseph Colton; also starring P ...

'' (1954) – Rev. Gowland * '' The Crowded Day'' (1954) – Philip Stanton * ''One Just Man'' (1954) * '' Lease of Life'' (1954) – The Headmaster * '' Charley Moon'' (1956) – Bill * '' The Baby and the Battleship'' (1956) – P.M.O. * '' The Safecracker'' (1958) – Inspector Frankham * ''

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) – General The Viscount Gort V.C. * '' No Kidding'' (1960) – Col. Matthews * ''

Carry On Regardless ''Carry On Regardless'' is a 1961 British comedy film, the fifth in the series of 31 ''Carry On'' films (1958–1992). The film revolves loosely around the activities of a job agency, 'Helping Hand', run by Sid James's character, Bert Handy ...

'' (1961) – Army Officer * '' Don't Talk to Strange Men'' (1962) – Mr. Painter * '' Night Train to Paris'' (1964) – Insp. Fleming

Selected stage credits

* '' Summertime'' by Louis N. Parker (1919) * '' The Last Hour'' by Charles Bennett (1928) * '' The Return of the Soldier'' by

John Van Druten John William Van Druten (1 June 190119 December 1957) was an English playwright and theatre director. He began his career in London, and later moved to America, becoming a U.S. citizen. He was known for his plays of witty and urbane observations ...

(1928) * '' There's Always Juliet'' by John Van Druten (1931) * '' Tony Draws a Horse'' by Lesley Storm (1939) * '' Under the Counter'' by Arthur Macrae (1945) * '' Happy with Either'' by Margaret Kennedy (1948) * '' Towards Zero'' by

Agatha Christie Dame Agatha Mary Clarissa Christie, Lady Mallowan, (; 15 September 1890 – 12 January 1976) was an English people, English author known for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections, particularly those revolving ...

and Gerald Verner (1956) * ''

Aunt Edwina ''Aunt Edwina'' is a 1959 comedy play by the British writer William Douglas Home. It premiered at Devonshire Park Theatre in Eastbourne, before beginning a run of 101 performances in London between 3 November 1959 and 6 February 1960.The product ...

'' by

William Douglas Home William Douglas Home (3 June 1912 – 28 September 1992) was a British dramatist and politician. Early life Douglas-Home (he later dropped the hyphen from his surname) was the third son of Charles Douglas-Home, 13th Earl of Home, and Lady Lil ...

(1959)

Notes, references and sources

Notes

References

Sources

* *

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Raymond, Cyril 1899 births 1973 deaths 20th-century English male actors English male film actors English male silent film actors English male stage actors Members of the Order of the British Empire Royal Air Force officers Royal Air Force personnel of World War II