Roger Livesey (25 June 1906 – 4 February 1976) was a British stage and film actor. He is most often remembered for the three Powell & Pressburger films in which he starred: ''

The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp ''The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp'' is a 1943 British romantic-war film written, produced and directed by the British film-making team of Powell and Pressburger, Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger. It stars Roger Livesey, Deborah Kerr and ...

'', '' I Know Where I'm Going!'' and '' A Matter of Life and Death''. Tall and broad with a mop of chestnut hair, Livesey used his highly distinctive husky voice, gentle manner and athletic physique to create many notable roles in his theatre and film work.

Early life

Livesey was born in Barry, Wales. Although most articles about him indicated that his parents were

Samuel Samuel is a figure who, in the narratives of the Hebrew Bible, plays a key role in the transition from the biblical judges to the United Kingdom of Israel under Saul, and again in the monarchy's transition from Saul to David. He is venera ...

and Mary Catherine ( Edwards) Livesey, later research has shown that his father was actually Joseph Livesey. The confusion may have arisen because his mother Mary married Samuel (Joseph's brother) after Joseph's death and the death of Samuel's wife, Mary's sister. Samuel and Mary had a child of their own, Stella, who was both Roger's half sister (through their mother) and first cousin (through their fathers). Roger Livesey was educated at Westminster City School,

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 ...

. His two half-brothers (who were also his first cousins) were also actors.

Acting career

Roger-Livesey-Storm-Over-Patsy-Stage-1937

Livesey studied under Italia Conti. His first stage role was as the office boy in ''Loyalty'' at St James's Theatre in 1917. He then appeared in a wide range of productions from

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 ...

to modern comedies. He played various roles in the West End from 1920 to 1926, toured the

West Indies The West Indies is an island subregion of the Americas, surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, which comprises 13 independent island country, island countries and 19 dependent territory, dependencies in thr ...

and South Africa, and then returned to join 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 ...

/ Sadler's Wells company from September 1932 until May 1934. In 1936 he appeared 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 ...

in Wycherley's comedy '' The Country Wife''. While in New York he married actress Ursula Jeans, whom he had known previously in England (Livesey's sister Maggie was already married to Ursula Jeans' brother Desmond). At the outbreak of 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 ...

Livesey and Jeans were among the first volunteers to entertain the troops. He then applied for flying duties 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 ...

but due to his age was rejected. Instead he worked in an aircraft factory at Desford aerodrome near

Leicester Leicester ( ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city, Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area, and the county town of Leicestershire in the East Midlands of England. It is the largest city in the East Midlands with a popula ...

to "do his bit for the war effort". Livesey was chosen 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 ...

to play the lead in ''

'' (1943) after Powell was denied his original choice,

Laurence Olivier Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier ( ; 22 May 1907 – 11 July 1989) was an English actor and director. He and his contemporaries Ralph Richardson and John Gielgud made up a trio of male actors who dominated the British stage of the m ...

(

Winston Churchill Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 1874 – 24 January 1965) was a British statesman, military officer, and writer who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1940 to 1945 (Winston Churchill in the Second World War, ...

had objected to the film and the

Fleet Air Arm The Fleet Air Arm (FAA) is the naval aviation component of the United Kingdom's Royal Navy (RN). The FAA is one of five :Fighting Arms of the Royal Navy, RN fighting arms. it is a primarily helicopter force, though also operating the Lockhee ...

refused to release Olivier, who had been a Hollywood film star before returning to England to take a

Navy A navy, naval force, military maritime fleet, war navy, or maritime force is the military branch, branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval warfare, naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral z ...

commission). The film was shown in New York and established Livesey's international reputation as a talented character actor. In 1945, he was the first choice for the male lead role in '' Brief Encounter'', which in the end went to Trevor Howard. He toured Australia from 1956 to 1958 playing Jimmy Broadbent in '' The Reluctant Debutante'' and continued playing many theatrical roles during his film career until 1969. One of his last roles was as the Duke of St Bungay in '' The Pallisers'' television series. His final television appearance was in the series ''

Benjamin Franklin Benjamin Franklin (April 17, 1790) was an American polymath: a writer, scientist, inventor, statesman, diplomat, printer, publisher and Political philosophy, political philosopher.#britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Wood, 2021 Among the m ...

'' in 1975.

Death

Livesey died in

Watford Watford () is a town and non-metropolitan district with Borough status in the United Kingdom, borough status in Hertfordshire, England, northwest of Central London, on the banks of the River Colne, Hertfordshire, River Colne. Initially a smal ...

from

colorectal cancer Colorectal cancer (CRC), also known as bowel cancer, colon cancer, or rectal cancer, is the development of cancer from the Colon (anatomy), colon or rectum (parts of the large intestine). Signs and symptoms may include Lower gastrointestinal ...

at the age of 69 on 4 February 1976. He shares a memorial plaque with his wife Ursula Jeans in the actors' church St Paul's in

Covent Garden Covent Garden is a district in London, on the eastern fringes of the West End, between St Martin's Lane and Drury Lane. It is associated with the former fruit-and-vegetable market in the central square, now a popular shopping and tourist sit ...

Livesey family

The Livesey family has a complicated structure. Brothers Joseph and Sam Livesey married the Edwards sisters. Sam married Margaret Ann in 1900 and Joseph married Mary Catherine in 1905. Sam and Margaret Ann had two sons, Jack (1901) and Barrie Livesey (1905). Joseph and Mary Catherine had two children, Roger (1906) and Maggie (1911). After Joseph died in 1911 and Margaret Ann died in 1913, Sam married Mary Catherine in 1913.The marriage between Sam and Mary Catherine was legal (just only six years after the passing of the Deceased Wife's Sister's Marriage Act 1907). However, they did not advertise the fact due to traditionalists who questioned the morality. This led to the confusion that Roger was actually Sam Livesey's son. They then brought up the children as one large family, having another child of their own, Stella in 1915. The family tree was further complicated when Roger Livesey married the actress Ursula Jeans, whose brother, Desmond Jeans, was already married to Roger's sister, Maggie. Many of the family formed a touring company of actors, performing in regional theatres and from the back of an old wagon, one side of which could be dropped to form a stage. Because of their touring, they did not regard themselves as particularly Welsh, or English. They were just British because people happened to be born in the places where their mothers happened to be residing at the time.

Filmography

* '' The Four Feathers'' (1921) - Harry Faversham - child * '' Where the Rainbow Ends'' (1921) - Cubby the Lion Cub (uncredited) * '' Married Love'' (1923) - Henry Burrows * '' East Lynne on the Western Front'' (1931) - Sandy * '' A Cuckoo in the Nest'' (1933) - Alfred * '' The Veteran of Waterloo'' (1933) - Sergeant MacDonald * '' Blind Justice'' (1934) - Gilbert Jackson * '' Lorna Doone'' (1934) - Tom Faggus * '' The Price of Wisdom'' (1935) - Peter North * '' Midshipman Easy'' (1935) - Captain Wilson * ''

Rembrandt Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (; ; 15 July 1606 – 4 October 1669), mononymously known as Rembrandt was a Dutch Golden Age painter, printmaker, and Drawing, draughtsman. He is generally considered one of the greatest visual artists in ...

'' (1936) - Beggar Saul * '' The Drum'' (1938) - Capt. Carruthers * '' The Rebel Son'' (1938) - Peter Bulba * '' Keep Smiling'' (1938) - Bert Wattle * '' Spies of the Air'' (1940) - Charles Houghton * '' The Girl in the News'' (1940) - Bill Mather * ''

'' (1943) - Clive Candy * '' I Know Where I'm Going!'' (1945) - Torquil MacNeil * '' A Matter of Life and Death'' (1946) - Doctor Frank Reeves * '' Vice Versa'' (1948) - Paul Bultitude / Dick Bultitude * '' That Dangerous Age'' (1949) - Sir Brian Brooke * '' Green Grow the Rushes'' (1951) - Capt. Cedric Biddle * '' The Master of Ballantrae'' (1953) - Col. Francis Burke * '' The Intimate Stranger'' (1956) - Ben Case * '' The Stowaway'' (1958) - Major Owens * '' It Happened in Broad Daylight'' (1958) - Professor Manz (English version, voice) * ''

The League of Gentlemen ''The League of Gentlemen'' is a British surreal comedy horror series that premiered on BBC Two in 1999. The programme is set in Royston Vasey, a fictional town in northern England originally based on Alston, Cumbria, and follows the lives ...

'' (1960) - Mycroft * ''Upgreen - And at Em'' (1960) * '' The Entertainer'' (1960) - Billy Rice * ''By Invitation Only'' (1961, TV film) - Phillip Gordon-Davies * '' No My Darling Daughter'' (1961) - General Henry Barclay * '' Of Human Bondage'' (1964) - Thorpe Athelny * '' The Amorous Adventures of Moll Flanders'' (1965) - Drunken Parson * '' Oedipus the King'' (1968) - Shepherd * ''

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 ...

'' (1969) - First Player / Gravedigger * '' Futtocks End'' (1970) - The Artist * ''

Justice In its broadest sense, justice is the idea that individuals should be treated fairly. According to the ''Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy'', the most plausible candidate for a core definition comes from the ''Institutes (Justinian), Inst ...

'' (1971) - To Help an Old School Friend - Uncle George * '' The Pallisers'' (1974, BBC serial) - Duke of St Bungay

Vocal work

In 1958, he, Judith Furse, Terry-Thomas,

Rita Webb Olive Rita Webb (25 February 1904 – 30 August 1981), later known as Olive Rita Thompson, was an English character actress, mainly in comedy roles. She was the eldest child of Henry Augustus Webb (1880–1926) and Rose Jeannette Keysor. She had ...

, Avril Angers and Miles Malleson, recorded ''Indian Summer of an Uncle'', and ''Jeeves Takes Charge'' for the Caedmon Audio record label, (Caedmon Audio TC-1137). It was re-released in stereo in 1964.

References

External links

* * *
Performances in the University of Bristol Theatre Archive

Collection of biography & reviews of Livesey

* ttp://www.powell-pressburger.org/Reviews/Livesey/index.html other biographical notes from the same source
Pages on Roger Livesey from Celebri

BBC Wales Arts page. Top 10 Welsh actors: Roger Livesey

Blockbuster page on Roger Livesey films
*
archive
{{DEFAULTSORT:Livesey, Roger 1906 births 1976 deaths 20th-century British male actors Actors from Barry, Vale of Glamorgan Alumni of the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts British male stage actors British male film actors British male television actors Deaths from colorectal cancer in England People educated at Westminster City School Male actors from the Vale of Glamorgan