Louis Charles Hayward (19 March 1909 – 21 February 1985) was a South African-born, British-American actor.

Biography

Born in Johannesburg, Louis Hayward lived in South Africa and was educated in France and England, including

Latymer Upper School Latymer Upper School is a public school in Hammersmith, London, England, on King Street. It derives from a charity school, and is part of the same 1624 Latymer Foundation, from a bequest by the English legal official Edward Latymer. There ...

Hammersmith Hammersmith is a district of West London, England, southwest of Charing Cross. It is the administrative centre of the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, and identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London. It ...

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 ...

. He spent some time managing a night club but wanted to act and bought into a stock company.

English career

He became a protégé 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'' called "a sense of personal style, a combination of c ...

and began appearing in London in plays such as ''

Dracula ''Dracula'' is an 1897 Gothic fiction, Gothic horror fiction, horror novel by Irish author Bram Stoker. The narrative is Epistolary novel, related through letters, diary entries, and newspaper articles. It has no single protagonist and opens ...

'' and ''Another Language''. He was in the Sir Gerald du Maurier stage play ''The Church Mouse''. Hayward started being cast in some British films of the early 1930s, such as '' Self Made Lady'' (1932) and '' The Man Outside'' (1933). He had the lead role in '' Chelsea Life'' (1933) and supporting parts in '' Sorrell and Son'' (1933), ''The Thirteenth Candle'' (1933) and '' I'll Stick to You'' (1933). He appeared in a Coward musical, '' Conversation Piece'' (1934) and had the lead in '' The Love Test'' (1935), directed by

Michael Powell Michael Latham Powell (30 September 1905 – 19 February 1990) was an English filmmaker, celebrated for his partnership with Emeric Pressburger. Through their production company Powell and Pressburger, The Archers, they together wrote, produced ...

Move to United States

Hayward went to Broadway in 1935 with a production of Coward's '' Point Valaine'' working with

Alfred Lunt Alfred David Lunt (August 12, 1892 – August 3, 1977) was an American actor and director, best known for his long stage partnership with his wife, Lynn Fontanne, from the 1920s to 1960, co-starring in Broadway theatre, Broadway and West End thea ...

and

Lynn Fontanne Lynn Fontanne (; 6 December 1887 – 30 July 1983) was an English actress. After early success in supporting roles in the West End theatre, West End, she met the American actor Alfred Lunt, whom she married in 1922 and with whom she co-starred i ...

. The play, described as one of Coward's worst and poorly received critically and popularly, only ran for six weeks and was considered a failure, but Hayward won the Donaldson award, a precursor to the Tonys and as a consequence signed a four-picture contract with MGM.

U.S. movie career

He started at

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 ...

with a supporting role in '' The Flame Within'' (1935), written and directed by

Edmund Goulding Edmund Goulding (20 March 1891 – 24 December 1959) was a British screenwriter and film director. As an actor early in his career he was one of the 'Ghosts' in the 1922 silent film '' Three Live Ghosts'' alongside Norman Kerry and Cyril Chadwic ...

and starring Ann Harding. Hayward followed that film with '' A Feather in Her Hat'' for Columbia, billed after Basil Rathbone. Back at MGM he had supporting parts in ''

Absolute Quiet ''Absolute Quiet'' is a 1936 American drama film directed by George B. Seitz and written by Harry Clork. The film stars Lionel Atwill, Irene Hervey, Raymond Walburn, Stuart Erwin, Ann Loring and Louis Hayward. A Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer picture, it was ...

'' (1935) and '' Trouble for Two'' (1936). Hayward's career started to gain momentum when he was cast in the prologue of

Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (WBEI), commonly known as Warner Bros. (WB), is an American filmed entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California and the main namesake subsidiary of Warner Bro ...

' expensive blockbuster ''

Anthony Adverse ''Anthony Adverse'' is a 1936 American epic historical drama film directed by Mervyn LeRoy and starring Fredric March and Olivia de Havilland. The screenplay by Sheridan Gibney draws elements of its plot from eight of the nine books in Hervey ...

'' (1936), playing the father of the title character. His profile also was raised by marriage to Ida Lupino. At Universal, he was the male lead in '' The Luckiest Girl in the World'' (1936) with Jane Wyatt, then he went to RKO to support Paul Muni and Miriam Hopkins in '' The Woman I Love'' (1937). Universal cast him in the lead of '' Midnight Intruder'' (1938), directed by

Arthur Lubin Arthur Lubin (July 25, 1898 – May 11, 1995) was an American film director and producer who directed several ''Abbott & Costello'' films, ''Phantom of the Opera (1943 film), Phantom of the Opera'' (1943), the ''Francis the Talking Mule'' series a ...

. He also was the male lead in RKO's '' Condemned Women'' (1938). Hayward was cast as the first screen incarnation of

Simon Templar The Saint is the nickname of the fictional character Simon Templar, featured in a List of works by Leslie Charteris, series of novels and short stories by Leslie Charteris published between 1928 and 1963. After that date other authors collaborat ...

Leslie Charteris Leslie Charteris (; born Leslie Charles Bowyer-Yin; 12 May 1907 – 15 April 1993), was a British-Chinese author of adventure fiction, as well as a screenwriter.The Saint in New York'' (1938) at RKO. The film was a hit and would eventually lead to a long-running series. However, the next five films in the series starred

George Sanders George Henry Sanders (3 July 1906 – 25 April 1972) was a British actor and singer whose career spanned over 40 years. His heavy, upper-class English accent and smooth bass voice often led him to be cast as sophisticated but villainous charac ...

as Templar. Hayward would eventually reprise the role in '' The Saint's Return'' in 1953. He supported Danielle Darrieux and

Douglas Fairbanks Jr. Douglas Elton Fairbanks Jr. (December 9, 1909 – May 7, 2000) was an American actor, producer, and decorated naval officer of World War II. He is best-known for starring in such films as '' The Prisoner of Zenda'' (1937), '' Gunga Din'' (1939), ...

in '' The Rage of Paris'' (1938) at Universal.

Edward Small

In 1938 Hayward starred in '' The Duke of West Point'' (1938) for producer Edward Small, who signed him to make three films over the next five years, meaning he was unable to reprise his part as the Saint. However, Small started building Hayward into a star, casting him in a dual role in '' The Man in the Iron Mask'' (1939) under the direction of

James Whale James Whale (22 July 1889 – 29 May 1957) was an English film director, theatre director and actor, who spent the greater part of his career in Cinema of the United States, Hollywood. He is best remembered for several horror films: ''Fra ...

, co-starring with Joan Bennett. The film was a notable success. Small put Hayward into '' My Son, My Son!'' (1940) with Madeleine Carroll and Brian Aherne. RKO borrowed him for '' Dance, Girl, Dance'' (1940) where he appeared with Maureen O'Hara and

Lucille Ball Lucille Désirée Ball (August 6, 1911 – April 26, 1989) was an American actress, comedian, producer, and studio executive. She was recognized by ''Time (magazine), Time'' in 2020 as one of the most influential women of the 20th century for h ...

. Small then put him in '' The Son of Monte Cristo'' (1940), another swashbuckler with Bennett and a sequel to the 1934 ''

The Count of Monte Cristo ''The Count of Monte Cristo'' () is an adventure novel by the French writer Alexandre Dumas. It was serialised from 1844 to 1846, and published in book form in 1846. It is one of his most popular works, along with ''The Three Musketeers'' (184 ...

''. Hayward was loaned to Columbia to co-star with his wife Ida Lupino in '' Ladies in Retirement'' (1941).

War service

In July 1942, during

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 ...

, Hayward enlisted in the

United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines or simply the Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is responsible for conducting expeditionar ...

. He commanded a photographic unit that filmed the Battle of Tarawa in the documentary '' With the Marines at Tarawa''winner of the 1944

Academy Award for Best Documentary (Short Subject) This is a list of films by year that have received an Academy Award together with the other nominations for best documentary short film. Following the Academy's practice, the year listed for each film is the year of release: the awards are announ ...

. Hayward was awarded the

Bronze Star Medal The Bronze Star Medal (BSM) is a Awards and decorations of the United States Armed Forces, United States Armed Forces decoration awarded to members of the United States Armed Forces for either heroic achievement, heroic service, meritorious a ...

and attained the rank of

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

. While off-duty in

New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...

, he "went under the name of 'Captain Richards' to avoid the rush of the ladies" as recalled by a waiter at the Green Parrot, a

Wellington Wellington is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the third-largest city in New Zealand (second largest in the North Island ...

restaurant.

Return to Hollywood

Returning to Hollywood, he played Philip Lombard in the 1945 film version of ''

And Then There Were None ''And Then There Were None'' is a mystery fiction, mystery novel by the English writer Agatha Christie, who described it as the most difficult of her books to write. It was first published in the United Kingdom by the Collins Crime Club on 6 N ...

'' (1945) for

René Clair René Clair (; 11 November 1898 – 15 March 1981), born René-Lucien Chomette (), was a French filmmaker and writer. He first established his reputation in the 1920s as a director of silent films in which comedy was often mingled with fantasy. H ...

. For

Hunt Stromberg Hunt Stromberg (July 12, 1894 – August 23, 1968) was a film producer during Hollywood's Golden Age. In a prolific 30-year career beginning in 1921, Stromberg produced, wrote, and directed some of Hollywood's most profitable and enduring films, ...

, he co-starred with Jane Russell in '' Young Widow'' (1946) and supported Hedy Lamarr in '' The Strange Woman'' (1946). He returned to the swashbuckler genre for Edward Small with '' Monte Cristo's Revenge'' (1947). Hayward made a thriller for Eagle Lion, '' Repeat Performance'' (1947), then did '' The Black Arrow Strikes'' (1948), another swashbuckler. Eagle Lion used him in '' Ruthless'' (1948) with Zachary Scott, then he did '' Walk a Crooked Mile'' (1948) for Small. Hayward went to Italy to make '' The Masked Pirate'' (1949) for United Artists. After

Fritz Lang Friedrich Christian Anton Lang (; December 5, 1890 – August 2, 1976), better known as Fritz Lang (), was an Austrian-born film director, screenwriter, and producer who worked in Germany and later the United States.Obituary ''Variety Obituari ...

cast him in the lead of '' House by the River'' (1950) for

Republic Pictures Republic Pictures is currently an acquisition-only label owned by Paramount Pictures. Its history dates back to Republic Pictures Corporation, an American film studio that originally operated from 1935 to 1967, based in Los Angeles, California ...

, he did some adventure films for Columbia: '' Fortunes of Captain Blood'' (1950) and '' Dick Turpin's Ride'' (1951)--whose title for U.S. release was ''The Lady and the Bandit''. For the latter studio, he also starred in '' The Son of Dr. Jekyll'' (1951). Walter Wanger cast him in '' Lady in the Iron Mask'' (1951), then he did '' Captain Blood, Fugitive'' (1952), a sequel to ''Fortunes of Captain Blood''.

Television

Hayward began appearing on TV in "Crossed and Double Crossed" for '' The Ford Television Theatre'' (1952). For Allied Artists, he starred in and helped produce '' Storm Over Africa'' (1953), then he reprised his role as

in '' The Saint's Return'' (1954), shot in Britain. He starred in '' Men Behind Bars'' (1954) for Warner Bros. Hayward starred in the 1954 syndicated television series '' The Lone Wolf'', which ran for 39 episodes. He did episodes of '' Matinee Theatre'' ("Beginning Now"), ''

Climax! ''Climax!'' (later known as ''Climax Mystery Theater'') is an American television anthology series that aired on CBS from 1954 to 1958. The series was hosted by William Lundigan and later co-hosted by Mary Costa. It was one of the few CBS pro ...

'' ("A Promise to Murder"), '' TV Reader's Digest'' ("The Voyage of Captain Tom Jones, Pirate"), ''

Lux Video Theatre ''Lux Video Theatre'' is an American television anthology series that was produced from 1950 until 1957. The series presented both comedy and drama in original teleplays, as well as abridged adaptations of films and plays. Overview The ''Lux Vi ...

'' ("So Evil My Love", "Suspicion"), '' The O Henry Playhouse'' ("Hearts and Hands"), '' Studio One in Hollywood'' ("Balance of Terror"), '' Schlitz Playhouse'' ("A Contest of Ladies"), ''The Highwayman'', and '' Decision'' ("Stand and Deliver"). In films, he was in '' The Search for Bridey Murphy'' (1956). He guest starred on series such as ''

Riverboat A riverboat is a watercraft designed for inland navigation on lakes, rivers, and artificial waterways. They are generally equipped and outfitted as work boats in one of the carrying trades, for freight or people transport, including luxury ...

'' and was in a TV production of ''

The Picture of Dorian Gray ''The Picture of Dorian Gray'' is an 1890 philosophical fiction and Gothic fiction, Gothic horror fiction, horror novel by Irish writer Oscar Wilde. A shorter novella-length version was published in the July 1890 issue of the American period ...

'' (1961) with George C. Scott. Hayward's work onstage included Noël Coward's '' Conversation Piece'' and, in the early 1960s, the national tour of ''

Camelot Camelot is a legendary castle and Royal court, court associated with King Arthur. Absent in the early Arthurian material, Camelot first appeared in 12th-century French romances and, since the Lancelot-Grail cycle, eventually came to be described ...

'' in which he appeared as

King Arthur According to legends, King Arthur (; ; ; ) was a king of Great Britain, Britain. He is a folk hero and a central figure in the medieval literary tradition known as the Matter of Britain. In Wales, Welsh sources, Arthur is portrayed as a le ...

. Hayward starred in the British television series ''The Pursuers'' (1961–62). His other television work includes the '' Alfred Hitchcock Hour'' ("Day of Reckoning"), ''

Kraft Television Theatre ''Kraft Television Theatre'' is an American anthology drama television series running from 1947 to 1958. It began May 7, 1947, on NBC, airing at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday evenings until December of that year. It first promoted MacLaren's Impe ...

'' ("Dead on Nine"), '' Rawhide'', and '' Burke's Law''.

Later career

Hayward's last films included '' Chuka'' (1967) and '' The Christmas Kid'' (1967). He had roles in '' Harold Robbins' The Survivors'' (1969), '' The Phynx'' (1970), ''

Night Gallery ''Night Gallery'' is an American anthology television series that aired on NBC from December 16, 1970, to May 27, 1973, featuring stories of horror and the macabre. Rod Serling, who had gained fame from an earlier series, '' The Twilight Zon ...

'' (1971), '' The Last of the Powerseekers'' (1973) and '' Terror in the Wax Museum'' (1973). His last appearance was in an episode of '' The Magician'', titled "The Illusion of the Lethal Playthings" (1974). For his contributions to the motion picture and television industries, Hayward was honored in 1960 with two stars on the

Hollywood Walk of Fame The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a landmark which consists of 2,813 five-pointed terrazzo-and-brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in the Hollywood, Los Angeles, Hollywood dist ...

at 1500 and 1680 Vine Street, respectively.

Personal life

Hayward married actress/director Ida Lupino on 17 November 1938 in a quiet civil ceremony held in the historic courthouse in

Santa Barbara, California Santa Barbara (, meaning ) is a coastal city in Santa Barbara County, California, of which it is also the county seat. Situated on a south-facing section of coastline, the longest such section on the West Coast of the United States excepting A ...

. After he returned from the war, he was drastically different, which caused a strain in the marriage. They were divorced in 1945. He then met Peggy Morrow, and after dating for a while, they married on 29 May 1946. They divorced four years later on 13 March 1950. Hayward had one son, Dana, with his third wife, June Hanson.

Death

Louis Hayward died on 21 February 1985 at the age of 75 in

Palm Springs, California Palm Springs (Cahuilla language, Cahuilla: ''Séc-he'') is a desert resort city in Riverside County, California, United States, within the Colorado Desert's Coachella Valley. The city covers approximately , making it the largest city in Rivers ...

from lung cancer. Hayward publicly stated that his more than five-decade-long habit of smoking three packs of cigarettes daily was the likely cause of his cancer.

Selected filmography

*'' Self Made Lady'' (1932) – Paul Geneste *'' Chelsea Life'' (1933) – David Fenner *''The Thirteenth Candle'' (1933) – Paul Marriott *'' The Man Outside'' (1933) – Frank Elford *'' Sorrell and Son'' (1933) – Duncan *'' I'll Stick to You'' (1933) – Ronnie Matthews *'' A Feather in Her Hat'' (1935) – Richard Orland *'' The Love Test'' (1935) – John Gregg *'' The Flame Within'' (1935) – Jack Kerry *''

'' (1936) – Gregory Bengard *'' Trouble for Two'' (1936) – Young Man With Cream Tarts *''

'' (1936) – Denis Moore *'' The Luckiest Girl in the World'' (1936) – Anthony McClellan *'' The Woman I Love'' (1937) – Lt. Jean Herbillion *'' Midnight Intruder'' (1938) – Barry Gilbert *'' Condemned Women'' (1938) – Dr. Philip Duncan *'' The Saint in New York'' (1938) – Simon Templar, aka The Saint *'' The Rage of Paris'' (1938) – Bill Duncan *'' The Duke of West Point'' (1938) – Steven Earley *'' The Man in the Iron Mask'' (1939) –

Louis XIV LouisXIV (Louis-Dieudonné; 5 September 16381 September 1715), also known as Louis the Great () or the Sun King (), was King of France from 1643 until his death in 1715. His verified reign of 72 years and 110 days is the List of longest-reign ...

/ Philippe of Gascony *'' My Son, My Son!'' (1940) – Oliver Essex *'' Dance, Girl, Dance'' (1940) – Jimmy Harris *'' The Son of Monte Cristo'' (1940) – Edmund Dantes Jr. *'' Ladies in Retirement'' (1941) – Albert Feather *''

'' (1945) – Philip Lombard *'' Young Widow'' (1946) – Lt. Jim Cameron *'' The Strange Woman'' (1946) – Ephraim Poster *'' The Return of Monte Cristo'' (1946) –Edmond Dantes *'' Repeat Performance'' (1947) – Barney Page *'' The Black Arrow'' (1948) – Sir Richard Shelton *'' Ruthless'' (1948) – Vic Lambdin *'' Walk a Crooked Mile'' (1948) – Philip 'Scotty' Grayson *'' The Pirates of Capri'' (1949) – Count Amalfi, alias Captain Sirocco *'' House by the River'' (1950) – Stephen Byrne *'' Fortunes of Captain Blood'' (1950) – Captain Peter Blood *'' Dick Turpin's Ride'' (1951) – Dick Turpin *'' The Son of Dr. Jekyll'' (1951) – Edward Jekyll / Dr. Henry Jekyll / Mr. Hyde *'' Lady in the Iron Mask'' (1952) – D'Artagnan *'' Captain Blood, Fugitive / Captain Pirate'' (1952) – Capt. Peter Blood *'' The Royal African Rifles'' (1953) – Denham *'' The Saint's Return'' (1953) – Simon Templar aka The Saint *'' Duffy of San Quentin'' (1954) – Edward 'Romeo' Harper *'' The Search for Bridey Murphy'' (1956) – Morey Bernstein *''

The Alfred Hitchcock Hour ''Alfred Hitchcock Presents'' is an American television anthology series created, hosted and produced by Alfred Hitchcock, airing on CBS and NBC, alternately, between 1955 and 1965. It features dramas, thrillers, and mysteries. Between 1962 a ...

'' (1962) (Season 1 Episode 10: "Day of Reckoning") - Judge David Wilcox *'' Chuka'' (1967) – Major Benson *'' The Christmas Kid'' (1967) – Mike Culligan *'' The Phynx'' (1970) – Louis Hayward *'' Terror in the Wax Museum'' (1973) – Tim Fowley

Sources

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Hayward, Louis 1909 births 1985 deaths 20th-century English singers British emigrants to the United States British male film actors British male stage actors British male television actors Deaths from lung cancer in California Male actors from Johannesburg Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer contract players People educated at Latymer Upper School RKO Pictures contract players South African emigrants to the United Kingdom United States Marine Corps officers United States Marine Corps personnel of World War II