Maurice Herbert Evans (3 June 1901 – 12 March 1989) was an English actor, noted for his interpretations of Shakespearean characters. His best-known screen roles include Dr. Zaius in the 1968 film '' Planet of the Apes'' and Maurice on '' Bewitched''.

Early years

Evans was born at 28 Icen Way in Dorchester,

Dorset Dorset ( ; Archaism, archaically: Dorsetshire , ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by Somerset to the north-west, Wiltshire to the north and the north-east, Hampshire to the east, t ...

. He was the son of Laura (Turner) and Alfred Herbert Evans, a Welsh dispensing chemist and keen amateur actor who made adaptations of novels by

Thomas Hardy Thomas Hardy (2 June 1840 – 11 January 1928) was an English novelist and poet. A Literary realism, Victorian realist in the tradition of George Eliot, he was influenced both in his novels and in his poetry by Romanticism, including the poetry ...

for the local amateur company. Young Maurice made his first stage appearance as a small boy in '' Far from the Madding Crowd''. He first appeared on the stage in 1926 at the Cambridge Festival Theatre and joined the

Old Vic Old or OLD may refer to: Places *Old, Baranya, Hungary *Old, Northamptonshire, England *Old Street station, a railway and tube station in London (station code OLD) *OLD, IATA code for Old Town Municipal Airport and Seaplane Base, Old Town, Mai ...

Company in 1934, playing

Hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play. Set in Denmark, the play (the ...

, Richard II, and Iago. He was selected by Terence Gray to appear in the opening production in November 1926 at the Festival Theatre, taking the role of

Orestes In Greek mythology, Orestes or Orestis (; ) was the son of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra, and the brother of Electra and Iphigenia. He was also known by the patronymic Agamemnonides (), meaning "son of Agamemnon." He is the subject of several ...

in two parts of the sensational production of the '' Oresteia'' of

Aeschylus Aeschylus (, ; ; /524 – /455 BC) was an ancient Greece, ancient Greek Greek tragedy, tragedian often described as the father of tragedy. Academic knowledge of the genre begins with his work, and understanding of earlier Greek tragedy is large ...

. This was followed by Lord Belvoir in ''The Man Who Ate the Popomack'' by W. J. Turner, and Saint Anthony in Maeterlinck's ''The Miracle of Saint Anthony''. In 1927, Evans played a poet in ''The Pleasure Garden'' by Beatrice Mayor followed by Young Man in ''On Baile's Strand'' by W. B. Yeats, Midir in '' The Immortal Hour'' by Fiona Macleod, the Hon. Algernon Moodie in ''The Rumour'' by C.K. Munro, Mark Ingestire in ''Sweeney Todd'' by Dibdin Pitt, the poet in ''The Lost Silk Hat'' by Lord Dunsany, the Captain in '' Androcles and the Lion'' by

George Bernard Shaw George Bernard Shaw (26 July 1856 – 2 November 1950), known at his insistence as Bernard Shaw, was an Irish playwright, critic, polemicist and political activist. His influence on Western theatre, culture and politics extended from the 188 ...

, Mister Four and Young Man in '' The Adding Machine'' by Elmer Rice,

Don Juan Don Juan (), also known as Don Giovanni ( Italian), is a legendary fictional Spanish libertine who devotes his life to seducing women. The original version of the story of Don Juan appears in the 1630 play (''The Trickster of Seville and t ...

in the play of the same title by James Elroy Flecker, two parts in Terence Gray's own play ''The Red Nights of the Tcheka'', the Stage Manager in ''The Player Queen'' (also by Yeats), the Second Engineer in '' The Insect Play'' by the Čapek brothers, Prince Kamose in another Gray play called ''And in the Tomb'', and finally in June 1927, Don Pelegari in Pirandello's '' Each In His Own Way''. Both Yeats and Shaw attended performances of their own plays.

Career

In 1928, he was one of a group of out-of-work actors including Laurence Olivier, chosen to perform in a "tryout" of R. C. Sherriff's '' Journey's End'' directed by James Whale at the Apollo Theatre in London, and later in 1929 at the Savoy Theatre which had been leased by the Chicago theatre manager Maurice Browne. It was a huge success, running for two years and making Maurice's name. He played the young officer Raleigh. In 1934, he went to the Old Vic Theatre where his interpretation of Shakespeare's ''Richard II'' was praised and led to an invitation to join Katharine Cornell in the United States. His first appearance on Broadway was opposite Cornell 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 1936. A later production of ''Richard II'' was the surprise success of the 1937 theatre season. Evans went on to play ''

'' (1938), Falstaff in ''

Henry IV, Part 1 ''Henry IV, Part 1'' (often written as ''1 Henry IV'') is a history play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written no later than 1597. The play dramatises part of the reign of King Henry IV of England, beginning with the Battle of H ...

'' (1939), ''

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 ...

'' (1941), and Malvolio in '' Twelfth Night'' (1942) opposite the

Viola The viola ( , () ) is a string instrument of the violin family, and is usually bowed when played. Violas are slightly larger than violins, and have a lower and deeper sound. Since the 18th century, it has been the middle or alto voice of the ...

Helen Hayes Helen Hayes MacArthur (; October 10, 1900 – March 17, 1993) was an American actress. Often referred to as the "First Lady of American Theatre", she was the second person and first woman to win EGOT, the EGOT (an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar, and ...

, under the direction of Margaret Webster. He also starred opposite Cornell in the 1935 production of

's '' St. Joan''. Dial M for Murder Hallmark Hall of Fame 1958

When the U.S. entered 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 ...

, he enlisted in the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...

and he later was in charge of an Army Entertainment Section in the Central Pacific. He arranged for the transfer of

Carl Reiner Carl Reiner (March 20, 1922 – June 29, 2020) was an American actor, author, comedian, director and screenwriter whose career spanned seven decades. He was the List of awards and nominations received by Carl Reiner, recipient of many awards and ...

from the Signal Corps to the entertainment unit in Hawaii, where Evans was his commanding officer. The unit produced dozens of shows for the troops in the Pacific. Reiner later hired Evans for the part of Hobart the butler in ''The Jerk'', as Evans's agent had indicated that the part would enable Evans to maintain his union benefits. Evans produced his famous "G.I. version" of ''Hamlet'' that cut the text of the play to make the title character more appealing to the troops, an interpretation so popular that he later took it to Broadway in 1945. Evans rose to the rank of Major by the end of the war. He shifted his attention to the works of Shaw, notably as John Tanner in '' Man and Superman'' and as King Magnus in '' The Apple Cart''. In 1952, he starred as the murderous husband in the original Broadway stage production of '' Dial M for Murder''. He also successfully produced Broadway productions in which he did not appear, notably '' The Teahouse of the August Moon''. In 1956, Evans recorded an LP of stories from ''

Winnie-the-Pooh Winnie-the-Pooh (also known as Edward Bear, Pooh Bear or simply Pooh) is a fictional Anthropomorphism, anthropomorphic teddy bear created by English author A. A. Milne and English illustrator E. H. Shepard. Winnie-the-Pooh first appeared by ...

''. American television audiences of the 1960s will remember Evans as Samantha's father, Maurice, on the

sitcom A sitcom (short for situation comedy or situational comedy) is a genre of comedy produced for radio and television, that centers on a recurring cast of character (arts), characters as they navigate humorous situations within a consistent settin ...

'' Bewitched''. His real-life insistence that his first name be pronounced "Morris" was ironically at odds with his ''Bewitched'' character's contrasting stance that it be pronounced "Maw-REESE". Evans also appeared in the fourth season of ''

Daniel Boone Daniel Boone (, 1734September 26, 1820) was an American pioneer and frontiersman whose exploits made him one of the first folk heroes of the United States. He became famous for his exploration and settlement of Kentucky, which was then beyo ...

'' starring Fess Parker playing a French impresario "Beaumarchais". He also played The Puzzler on ''

Batman Batman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. Batman was created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on M ...

'' in a double episode storyline (which was common for that series) in December 1966. Continuing his American TV appearances, he guest starred in '' The Big Valley'' from the latter part of the fourth and final season of that western series in April 1969, an episode entitled "Danger Road". Evans had great impact on the big screen as well. He played a diabolical villain in '' Kind Lady'' (1951; co-starring Ethel Barrymore, Keenan Wynn, and Angela Lansbury); Emperor Antoninus in '' Androcles and the Lion'' (1952); and Sir Arthur Sullivan in '' The Story of Gilbert and Sullivan'' (1953). Evans appeared memorably in two 1968 films: as the evolved

orangutan Orangutans are great apes native to the rainforests of Indonesia and Malaysia. They are now found only in parts of Borneo and Sumatra, but during the Pleistocene they ranged throughout Southeast Asia and South China. Classified in the genus ...

, Dr. Zaius in '' Planet of the Apes'' (and the 1970 sequel '' Beneath the Planet of the Apes'') and as the doomed "Hutch" in the thriller '' Rosemary's Baby'', who attempts to warn the title character of the true nature of her Satanic neighbours. Maurice Evans Richard II Hallmark Hall of Fame

Maurice Evans Richard II Hallmark Hall of Fame

Evans appeared in more American television productions of Shakespeare than any other actor. Beginning in 1953, for the famous television anthology, ''

Hallmark Hall of Fame ''Hallmark Hall of Fame'', originally called ''Hallmark Television Playhouse'', is an anthology program on American television, sponsored by Hallmark Cards, a Kansas City, Missouri, Kansas Citybased greeting card company. It is the longest-ru ...

'', he starred in the first feature-length (i.e., longer than an hour) dramatisations of the plays to be presented on American television. They were: * ''

'' * ''

'' twice – both times appearing with Dame Judith Anderson who won an Emmy for both of her television performances as Lady Macbeth. Evans won an

Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the year, each with their own set of rules and award categor ...

for the latter, 1960 production. The earlier, a live telecast, was in 1954) * '' Richard II'' * '' Twelfth Night'' (as Malvolio) * '' The Taming of the Shrew'' (as Petruchio, opposite Lilli Palmer as Katherine) * ''

The Tempest ''The Tempest'' is a Shakespeare's plays, play by William Shakespeare, probably written in 1610–1611, and thought to be one of the last plays that he wrote alone. After the first scene, which takes place on a ship at sea during a tempest, th ...

'' (as Prospero) In bringing so much Shakespeare to American television in such a short span of time (between 1953 and 1960), Evans was a true pioneer. This had never been tried before – at least, not in the U.S. He firmly believed that it was an actor's job to "lead public taste, not to play to public taste". Evans brought his Shakespeare productions to Broadway many times, playing

on the Great White Way in four separate productions for a record grand total of 283 performances. He and Dame Judith Anderson starred on Broadway several times in ''

''. Their performances were widely regarded as the definitive portrayals of these characters, although one notable dissenter was

Orson Welles George Orson Welles (May 6, 1915 – October 10, 1985) was an American director, actor, writer, producer, and magician who is remembered for his innovative work in film, radio, and theatre. He is among the greatest and most influential film ...

, who stated that Evans, as an actor, was "worse than bad – he was poor." Evans appeared on Broadway as Hamlet four times, but the productions of the play that he appeared in were consecutive revivals of it – no other actor played Hamlet on Broadway between 1938, when Evans first played him there, and 1946, which marked Evans's last Broadway Hamlet.

Personal life

Although he had taken U.S. citizenship in 1941, Evans had returned to Britain by the end of the 1960s. Aside from an infrequent trip to the United States and occasional visits to retired actors in financial need (as a representative of the Actors' Fund, of which he was a longtime trustee), he lived quietly near

Brighton Brighton ( ) is a seaside resort in the city status in the United Kingdom, city of Brighton and Hove, East Sussex, England, south of London. Archaeological evidence of settlement in the area dates back to the Bronze Age Britain, Bronze Age, R ...

. He never married, and was survived by a brother, Hugh, of London.Obituary
''The New York Times'', 14 March 1989; accessed 17 December 2016.

Publication

* ''All This and Evans Too'', memoir, University of South Carolina Press, 1987;

Death

Evans died, aged 87, in a nursing home in Rottingdean,

East Sussex East Sussex is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Kent to the north-east, West Sussex to the west, Surrey to the north-west, and the English Channel to the south. The largest settlement ...

, England.

Partial filmography

* '' White Cargo'' (1929) – Langford * '' Raise the Roof'' (1930) – Rodney Langford * '' Should a Doctor Tell?'' (1930) – Roger Smith * ''Wedding Rehearsal'' (1932) – George Thompson aka Tootles * '' Marry Me'' (1932) – Paul Hart * '' The Only Girl'' (1933) – Didier * '' The Path of Glory'' (1934) – Anton Maroni * '' Bypass to Happiness'' (1934) – Robin * ''

Checkmate Checkmate (often shortened to mate) is any game position in chess and other chess-like games in which a player's king is in check (threatened with ) and there is no possible escape. Checkmating the opponent wins the game. In chess, the king is ...

'' (1935) – Phillip Allen * '' Scrooge'' (1935) – Poor man * '' Kind Lady'' (1951) – Henry Springer Elcott * '' Androcles and the Lion'' (1952) – Emperor Antoninus (Caesar) * '' The Story of Gilbert and Sullivan'' (1953) – Arthur Sullivan * '' Bewitched'' (TV series, 1964–1971) – Maurice * '' The War Lord'' (1965) – Priest * '' One of Our Spies Is Missing'' (1966) – Sir Norman Swickert * ''

'' episodes "The Puzzles are Coming" and "The Duo Is Slumming" (1966) – The Puzzler * '' Traitors of San Angel'' (1967) – James Keefe * '' Jack of Diamonds'' (1967) – Nicolai Vodkine * '' Planet of the Apes'' (1968) – Dr. Zaius * '' Rosemary's Baby'' (1968) – Hutch * ''The Big Valley (TV Series) Season 4 Episode 24: "Dangerous Road"'' (1969) – Mr. Hewitt * '' The Body Stealers'' (1969) – Dr. Matthews * ''Operation Heartbeat'' (1969) * '' Beneath the Planet of the Apes'' (1970) – Dr. Zaius * ''Terror in the Wax Museum'' (1973) – Inspector Daniels * '' Columbo: Forgotten Lady'' (TV series, 1975) – Raymond * '' The Jerk'' (1979) – Hobart * '' A Caribbean Mystery, Agatha Christie'' (1983) - Major Geoffrey Palgrave

Selected stage credits

* '' Sea Fever'' (1931), New Theatre

References

External links

*
Maurice Evans papers, 1934–1970
held by the Billy Rose Theatre Division, New York Public Library for the Performing Arts; accessed 7 October 2015.
Performances in Theatre Archive University of Bristol
accessed 20 May 2018. *

''The New York Times''; accessed 7 October 2015. {{DEFAULTSORT:Evans, Maurice 1901 births 1989 deaths 20th-century American male actors 20th-century English male actors Actors from West Dorset District American male film actors American male Shakespearean actors American male stage actors American male television actors American people of British descent American people of English descent American people of Welsh descent English emigrants to the United States English expatriate male actors in the United States English male film actors English male Shakespearean actors English male stage actors English male television actors English people of Welsh descent Male actors from Dorset Military personnel from Dorset Naturalized citizens of the United States Outstanding Performance by a Lead Actor in a Miniseries or Movie Primetime Emmy Award winners People educated at Hackney Downs School People from Dorchester, Dorset Special Tony Award recipients United States Army officers United States Army personnel of World War II