Sir Godfrey Seymour Tearle (12 October 1884 – 9 June 1953) was a British actor who portrayed the quintessential British gentleman on stage and in both British and US films.

Biography

Born in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

and brought up in

Britain Britain most often refers to: * Great Britain, a large island comprising the countries of England, Scotland and Wales * The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, a sovereign state in Europe comprising Great Britain and the north-eas ...

, he was the son of British actor/manager George Osmond Tearle (1852–1901) and American actress Marianne "Minnie" Conway (1852–1896), the brother of actor Malcolm Tearle, and the half-brother of

silent film A silent film is a film without synchronized recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) or key lines of dialogue may, w ...

star

Conway Tearle Conway Tearle (born Frederick Conway Levy, May 17, 1878 – October 1, 1938) was an American stage actor who went on to perform in silent film, silent and early sound films. Early life Tearle was born on May 17, 1878, in New York City, the ...

. His maternal grandmother was Sarah Crocker Conway. In 1893, he made his stage debut as young Prince Richard, Duke of York, in his father's production of ''

Richard III Richard III (2 October 1452 – 22 August 1485) was King of England from 26 June 1483 until his death in 1485. He was the last king of the Plantagenet dynasty and its cadet branch the House of York. His defeat and death at the Battle of Boswor ...

'' and in 1908 he appeared in his first film as

Romeo Romeo Montague () is the male protagonist of William Shakespeare's tragedy ''Romeo and Juliet''. The son of Characters in Romeo and Juliet#Lord Montague, Lord Montague and his wife, Characters in Romeo and Juliet#Lady Montague, Lady Montague, he ...

in ''

Romeo and Juliet ''The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet'', often shortened to ''Romeo and Juliet'', is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare about the romance between two young Italians from feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's ...

''. In 1910 he played Prince Olaf in '' The Prince and the Beggar Maid'' at the Lyceum Theatre in London. He became a

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 actor of note, appearing on stage in the title roles of ''

Othello ''The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice'', often shortened to ''Othello'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare around 1603. Set in Venice and Cyprus, the play depicts the Moorish military commander Othello as he is manipulat ...

'', ''

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 ...

'' and ''

Henry V Henry V may refer to: People * Henry V, Duke of Bavaria (died 1026) * Henry V, Holy Roman Emperor (1081/86–1125) * Henry V, Duke of Carinthia (died 1161) * Henry V, Count Palatine of the Rhine (–1227) * Henry V, Count of Luxembourg (1216–1281 ...

''. His theatrical career was interrupted when he joined 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 ...

for a four-year stint beginning in 1915. In 1924 he starred in the West End production of Frederick Lonsdale's drama '' The Fake''. In 1935 he appeared in Bernard Merivale's ''

The Unguarded Hour ''The Unguarded Hour'' is a 1936 American drama film directed by Sam Wood and starring Loretta Young, Franchot Tone and Roland Young. In England, a prominent young prosecutor in a murder trial is unaware that his wife is involved. It is based ...

''. One of Tearle's most memorable screen roles was in

Alfred Hitchcock Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock (13 August 1899 – 29 April 1980) was an English film director. 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 featu ...

's '' The 39 Steps'' (1935), in which he portrayed Professor Jordan, a seemingly respectable country squire whose missing finger unmasks him as an enemy agent. He was cast as an RAF gunner in '' One of Our Aircraft Is Missing'' (1942), a German general in '' Undercover (film)'' (1943), an aging

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

veteran in '' Medal for the General'' (1944) and as

Franklin D. Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt (January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), also known as FDR, was the 32nd president of the United States, serving from 1933 until his death in 1945. He is the longest-serving U.S. president, and the only one to have served ...

in '' The Beginning or the End'',

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 1946 account of the

Manhattan Project The Manhattan Project was a research and development program undertaken during World War II to produce the first nuclear weapons. It was led by the United States in collaboration with the United Kingdom and Canada. From 1942 to 1946, the ...

. Tearle made his

Broadway theatre Broadway theatre,Although ''theater'' is generally the spelling for this common noun in the United States (see American and British English spelling differences#-re, -er, American and British English spelling differences), many of the List of ...

debut in ''Carnival'' in 1919. In his review in ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'', Alexander Woollcott noted, "It is difficult to guess why Godfrey Tearle should have selected as the vehicle of his American debut the play called ''Carnival'', which was presented to New York for the first time last evening at the 44th Street Theatre. It is a spare and unsubstantial piece at best, and the role it offers him is distinctly secondary in importance and opportunity." Additional Broadway credits include ''The Fake'' (1924), ''The Flashing Stream'' (1939), and ''

Antony and Cleopatra ''Antony and Cleopatra'' is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. The play was first performed around 1607, by the King's Men at either the Blackfriars Theatre or the Globe Theatre. Its first appearance in print was in the First Folio published ...

'' (1947). In 1952 he appeared on the West End in

Raymond Massey Raymond Hart Massey (August 30, 1896 – July 29, 1983) was a Canadian actor known for his commanding stage-trained voice. For his lead role in '' Abe Lincoln in Illinois'' (1940), Massey was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor. He r ...

's play '' Hanging Judge''.

Knighthood

Tearle was

knighted A knight is a person granted an honorary title of a knighthood by a head of state (including the pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church, or the country, especially in a military capacity. The concept of a knighthood ...

in the 1951 King's Birthday Honours List for services to drama.

Marriages

He was married three times, to actress Mary Malone from 1909 until their divorce in 1932, to starlet Stella Freeman from 1932 until her sudden death in 1936, and to Barbara Palmer from 1937 until their divorce in 1947. For several years at the end of his life, Tearle lived with the actress Jill Bennett.

Death

Sir Godfrey Tearle died on 9 June 1953, aged 68.

Complete filmography

*''Romeo and Juliet'' (1908 short) - Romeo *'' The Fool'' (1913) - Sterndale *''Lochinvar'' (1915 short) - Lochinvar *''Sir James Mortimer's Wager'' (1915 short) - Sir James Mortimer *''The Real Thing at Last'' (1916 short) - Macduff *'' The March Hare'' (1919) - Guy * '' A Sinless Sinner'' (1919) - Tom Harvey *'' Fancy Dress'' (1919) - Tony Broke *'' Nobody's Child'' (1919) - Ernest d'Alvard *'' Queen's Evidence'' (1919) - Adam Pascal *'' Salome of the Tenements'' (1925) - John Manning *''Guy of Warwick'' (1926 short) - Guy of Warwick *'' If Youth But Knew'' (1926) - Dr. Martin Summer *'' One Colombo Night'' (1926) - Jim Farnell * ''Infatuation'' (1930 short) - Gerald Norton *'' These Charming People'' (1931) - James Berridge *'' The Shadow Between'' (1931) - Paul Haddon *'' Puppets of Fate'' (1933) - Richard Sabine *''Jade'' (1934 short) - The Man *'' The 39 Steps'' (1935) - Professor Jordan *'' The Last Journey'' (1936) - Sir Wilfred Rhodes *'' East Meets West'' (1936) - Sir Henry Mallory *'' Tomorrow We Live'' (1936) - Sir Charles Hendra *'' One of Our Aircraft Is Missing'' (1942) - Sir George Corbett - Rear Gunner in B for Bertie *'' Tomorrow We Live'' (1943) - Mayor Pierre Duchesne *''

Undercover A cover in foreign, military or police human intelligence or counterintelligence is the ostensible identity and role or position in an infiltrated organization assumed by a covert agent during a covert operation. Official cover In espionage, a ...

'' (1943) - Gen. Von Staengel *'' The Lamp Still Burns'' (1943) - Sir Marshall Freyne *'' Medal for the General'' (1944) - General Church *''

The Rake's Progress ''The Rake's Progress'' is an English-language opera from 1951 in three acts and an epilogue by Igor Stravinsky. The libretto, written by W. H. Auden and Chester Kallman, is based loosely on the eight paintings and engravings '' A Rake's Prog ...

'' (1945) - Colonel Robert Kenway *'' The Beginning or the End'' (1947) - President Roosevelt *'' Private Angelo'' (1949) - Count Piccologrando *'' White Corridors'' (1951) - Mr. Groom Sr. *'' I Believe in You'' (1952) - Mr. Pyke *'' Mandy'' (1952) - Mr. Garland *'' Decameron Nights'' (1953) - Ricciardo / Bernabo *''

The Titfield Thunderbolt ''The Titfield Thunderbolt'' is a 1953 British comedy film directed by Charles Crichton and starring Stanley Holloway, Naunton Wayne, George Relph and John Gregson. The screenplay concerns a group of villagers trying to keep their branch line ...

'' (1953) - The Bishop

References

Sources

* ''Halliwell's Who's Who in the Movies'' - published by Harper-Collins - * ''Guide to Movies & Videos'' published by Dell -

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Tearle, Godfrey 1884 births 1953 deaths Actors awarded knighthoods Male actors from London English male silent film actors English male film actors English male stage actors British male Shakespearean actors 20th-century English male actors American emigrants to England Knights Bachelor American people of British descent British Army personnel of World War I Royal Artillery personnel Military personnel from New York City