Guy Rolfe (born Edwin Arthur Rolfe, 27 December 1911 – 19 October 2003) was a British character actor. He was best known for portraying
villain
A villain (also known as a " black hat", "bad guy" or "baddy"; The New Oxford Dictionary of English (1998) – p.126 "baddy (also baddie) noun (pl. -ies) ''informal'' a villain or criminal in a book, film, etc.". the feminine form is villai ...
s.
Early life
Born in
Kilburn,
London
London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
,
[ Edwin Arthur "Guy" Rolfe was descended from Thomas Rolfe, son of ]John Rolfe
John Rolfe ( – March 1622) was an English explorer, farmer and merchant. He is best known for being the husband of Pocahontas and the first settler in the colony of Virginia to successfully cultivate a tobacco crop for export.
He played a ...
and Pocahontas
Pocahontas (, ; born Amonute, also known as Matoaka and Rebecca Rolfe; 1596 – March 1617) was a Native American woman belonging to the Powhatan people, notable for her association with the colonial settlement at Jamestown, Virginia. S ...
.
Career
Before turning to acting at the age of 24 he was a professional boxer and racing driver,[ making his stage debut in Ireland in 1935.][ Repertory theatre led to his screen debut in 1937 with an uncredited appearance in '' Knight Without Armour''.
After the Second World War he re-appeared in a number of bit parts throughout 1947 in films like '' Hungry Hill'' and '']Odd Man Out
''Odd Man Out'' is a 1947 British film noir directed by Carol Reed, and starring James Mason, Robert Newton, Cyril Cusack, and Kathleen Ryan. Set in Belfast, Northern Ireland, it follows a wounded Nationalist leader who attempts to evade pol ...
'', which in turn led to larger roles in movies such as '' Uncle Silas'' (1947), '' Easy Money'' (1948) and in particular Ken Annakin's ''Broken Journey
''Broken Journey'' (also known as ''Rescue'') is a 1948 British drama film directed by Ken Annakin and featuring Phyllis Calvert, James Donald, Margot Grahame, Raymond Huntley and Guy Rolfe. It was written by Robert Westerby. Passengers a ...
'' (1948), where he played the pilot of an aeroplane that crashes in the Alps. He then graduated to leading man status in Terence Fisher
Terence Fisher (23 February 1904 – 18 June 1980) was a British film director best known for his work for Hammer Film Productions, Hammer Films.
He was the first to bring gothic horror alive in full colour, and the sexual overtones and explic ...
's '' Portrait from Life'' (1948), as a British army officer who helps an Austrian professor track down his missing daughter. 1949 saw perhaps his best role, that of safe cracker turned spy Philippe Lodocq in Robert Hamer's '' The Spider and the Fly''.
He was cast as a British Army major dying of tuberculosis
Tuberculosis (TB), also known colloquially as the "white death", or historically as consumption, is a contagious disease usually caused by ''Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can al ...
for the film '' Trio'' (1950), but actually contracted the disease and had to be replaced by Michael Rennie.[ He recovered his health in less than a year, but his time away from the screen hurt his career,][ and he starred in less prestigious ]B movie
A B movie, or B film, is a type of cheap, low-budget commercial motion picture. Originally, during the Classical Hollywood cinema, Golden Age of Hollywood, this term specifically referred to films meant to be shown as the lesser-known second ...
s such as '' Home to Danger'' (1951) and '' Operation Diplomat'' (1953), as well as the Hammer films '' Yesterday's Enemy'' and '' The Stranglers of Bombay'' (both 1959). This period also saw him play a number of Hollywood roles, such as Prince John in ''Ivanhoe
''Ivanhoe: A Romance'' ( ) by Walter Scott is a historical novel published in three volumes, in December 1819, as one of the Waverley novels. It marked a shift away from Scott's prior practice of setting stories in Scotland and in the more ...
'' (1952), Ned Seymour in '' Young Bess'' (1953), Caiaphas
Joseph ben Caiaphas (; c. 14 BC – c. 46 AD) was the High Priest of Israel during the first century. In the New Testament, the Gospels of Gospel of Matthew, Matthew, Gospel of Luke, Luke and Gospel of John, John indicate he was an organizer of ...
in ''King of Kings
King of Kings, ''Mepet mepe''; , group="n" was a ruling title employed primarily by monarchs based in the Middle East and the Indian subcontinent. Commonly associated with History of Iran, Iran (historically known as name of Iran, Persia ...
'' (1961) and Prince Grigory in '' Taras Bulba'' (1962).
One of his most famous parts was the title role in William Castle
William Castle (born William Schloss Jr.; April 24, 1914 – May 31, 1977) was an American film director, producer, screenwriter, and actor. He is known for the horror film, horror and thriller film, thriller B movie, B-movies he directed durin ...
's cult horror film '' Mr. Sardonicus'' (1961), which several decades later led director Stuart Gordon
Stuart Alan Gordon (August 11, 1947 – March 24, 2020) was an American Filmmaking, filmmaker, theatre director, screenwriter, and playwright. Initially recognized for his provocative and frequently controversial work in experimental theatre, Go ...
to cast him in his horror film ''Dolls
A doll is a physical model, model typically of a human or humanoid character, often used as a toy for children. Dolls have also been used in traditional religious rituals throughout the world. Traditional dolls made of materials such as clay and ...
'' (1987). The 1990s saw him continue in a similar vein when he appeared in five films of the '' Puppet Master'' series as André Toulon.
His television credits include '' Thriller'', '' Armchair Theatre'', '' The Saint'', '' The Avengers'', ''The Champions
''The Champions'' is a British espionage thriller/science fiction/occult detective fiction adventure television series. It was produced by Lew Grade's ITC Entertainment production company, and consists of 30 episodes broadcast in the UK on ...
'', '' Department S'', '' The Troubleshooters'', '' Space: 1999'', '' Secret Army'', '' The Widow of Bath'' and '' Kessler''.
Personal life
He was married to the Scottish actress Jane Aird until her death in 1993, and then to Margret Allworthy until his death in 2003 in Ipswich
Ipswich () is a port town and Borough status in the United Kingdom, borough in Suffolk, England. It is the county town, and largest in Suffolk, followed by Lowestoft and Bury St Edmunds, and the third-largest population centre in East Anglia, ...
, Suffolk.[ He is buried in the churchyard of St Mary's in Benhall, Suffolk.
Rolfe's '' Home to Danger'' co-star ]Rona Anderson
Rona Anderson (3 August 1926 – 23 July 2013) was a Scottish stage, film, and television actress. She appeared in TV series and on the stage and films throughout the 1950s. She appeared in the films ''Scrooge (1951 film), Scrooge'' and ''The Pr ...
told historian Brian McFarlane, "Guy was a strange, very saturnine man who used to play '' vingt-et-un'' for money - and always used to win - while we were sitting around on the set. I was rather dubious about him, but one day I had a scene where I had to ride a horse, but the thing went out of control. I couldn't make it stop... The next thing I knew, I was lying in the mud and who should be picking me up and wrapping me in his camel-hair coat but Guy Rolfe, so I changed my opinion of him after that."
Complete filmography
* 1937 '' Knight Without Armour'' as Minor Role (uncredited)
* 1938 '' The Drum'' as Undetermined Role (uncredited)
* 1947 '' Hungry Hill'' as Miner
* 1947 ''Odd Man Out
''Odd Man Out'' is a 1947 British film noir directed by Carol Reed, and starring James Mason, Robert Newton, Cyril Cusack, and Kathleen Ryan. Set in Belfast, Northern Ireland, it follows a wounded Nationalist leader who attempts to evade pol ...
'' as Policeman Watching Kathleen's House (uncredited)
* 1947 '' Meet Me at Dawn'' as Ambassador's Friend (uncredited)
* 1947 '' The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby'' as Mr. Folair (uncredited)
* 1947 '' Uncle Silas'' as Sepulchre Hawkes
* 1948 '' Easy Money'' as Archie
* 1948 ''Broken Journey
''Broken Journey'' (also known as ''Rescue'') is a 1948 British drama film directed by Ken Annakin and featuring Phyllis Calvert, James Donald, Margot Grahame, Raymond Huntley and Guy Rolfe. It was written by Robert Westerby. Passengers a ...
'' as Fox
* 1948 ''The Guardsman'' (TV Movie)
* 1948 '' Saraband for Dead Lovers'' as Envoy At Ahlden
* 1949 ''Which Will Ye Have?'' (Short) as Captain of The Guard
* 1948 '' Portrait from Life'' as Major Lawrence
* 1949 '' Fools Rush In'' as Paul Dickson
* 1949 '' The Spider and the Fly'' as Philippe de Ledocq
* 1950 '' The Reluctant Widow'' as Lord Carlyon
* 1950 '' Prelude to Fame'' as John Morell
* 1951 '' Home to Danger'' as Robert Irving
* 1952 ''Ivanhoe
''Ivanhoe: A Romance'' ( ) by Walter Scott is a historical novel published in three volumes, in December 1819, as one of the Waverley novels. It marked a shift away from Scott's prior practice of setting stories in Scotland and in the more ...
'' as Prince John
* 1952 ''Without the Prince'' (TV Movie)
* 1953 '' Young Bess'' as Edward "Ned" Seymour
* 1953 '' The Veils of Bagdad'' as Kasseim
* 1953 '' Operation Diplomat'' as Dr. Mark Fenton
* 1953 '' King of the Khyber Rifles'' as Karram Khan
* 1954 '' Dance Little Lady'' as Dr. John Ransome
* 1956 '' It's Never Too Late'' as Stephen Hodgson
* 1956 '' You Can't Escape'' as David Anstruther
* 1957 ''Light Fingers'' as Dennis Payne
* 1958 '' Girls at Sea'' as Captain Alwin Maitland
* 1958 ''Murder in Mind'' (TV Movie)
* 1959 '' Yesterday's Enemy'' as Padre
* 1959 '' The Stranglers of Bombay'' as Captain Harry Lewis
* 1960 '' The Barbarians'' as Kainus
* 1961 '' Snow White and the Three Stooges'' as Count Oga
* 1961 '' Mr. Sardonicus'' as Baron Sardonicus / Marek Toleslawski
* 1961 ''King of Kings
King of Kings, ''Mepet mepe''; , group="n" was a ruling title employed primarily by monarchs based in the Middle East and the Indian subcontinent. Commonly associated with History of Iran, Iran (historically known as name of Iran, Persia ...
'' as Caiaphas
Joseph ben Caiaphas (; c. 14 BC – c. 46 AD) was the High Priest of Israel during the first century. In the New Testament, the Gospels of Gospel of Matthew, Matthew, Gospel of Luke, Luke and Gospel of John, John indicate he was an organizer of ...
* 1962 '' Taras Bulba'' as Prince Grigory
* 1964 '' The Fall of the Roman Empire'' as Marius (uncredited)
* 1965 '' The Alphabet Murders'' as Duncan Doncaster
* 1970 '' Land Raiders'' as Major Tanner
* 1971 '' Nicholas and Alexandra'' as Dr. Fedorov
* 1973 '' And Now the Screaming Starts!'' as Lawyer Maitland
* 1979 ''Bloodline
Heredity, also called inheritance or biological inheritance, is the passing on of traits from parents to their offspring; either through asexual reproduction or sexual reproduction, the offspring cells or organisms acquire the genetic infor ...
'' as Tod Michaels
* 1984 '' The Case of Marcel Duchamp'' 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 ...
* 1985 '' The Bride'' as Count
* 1987 ''Dolls
A doll is a physical model, model typically of a human or humanoid character, often used as a toy for children. Dolls have also been used in traditional religious rituals throughout the world. Traditional dolls made of materials such as clay and ...
'' as Gabriel Hartwicke
* 1987 ''Visiting Mr. Beak'' (Short) as Mr. Beak
* 1991 '' Puppet Master III: Toulon's Revenge'' as André Toulon
* 1993 ''Puppet Master 4
''Puppet Master 4'' (also known as ''Puppet Master 4: The Demon'') is a 1993 direct-to-video horror film written by Charles Band among others, and directed by Jeff Burr. It is the fourth film in the Puppet Master (franchise), ''Puppet Master'' f ...
'' as André Toulon
* 1994 '' Puppet Master 5: The Final Chapter'' as André Toulon
* 1999 '' Retro Puppet Master'' as André Toulon
References
External links
*
Guy Rolfe
at the British Film Institute
The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and television charitable organisation which promotes and preserves filmmaking and television in the United Kingdom. The BFI uses funds provided by the National Lottery to encourage film production, ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rolfe, Guy
1911 births
2003 deaths
English male television actors
Actors from the London Borough of Brent
20th-century English male actors
People from Kilburn, London