Samuel Livesey (14 October 1873 – 7 November 1936) was a Welsh stage and

film actor An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek term is (), lit ...

Life

Livesey's father, Thomas, had been a railway engineer before leaving the industry to establish a travelling theatre with his wife Mary. The two had six children who all grew up working in the theatre. In 1893, after Thomas's death, Mary opened a purpose built theatre, the Prince of Wales in

Mexborough Mexborough is a town in the City of Doncaster in South Yorkshire, England. Situated between Manvers and Denaby Main, it lies on the River Don close to where it joins the River Dearne, and the A6023 road runs through the town. It is contigu ...

. The family performed frequently on the stage and in touring productions. Sam and his brother Joseph married actresses who were themselves sisters: Sam married Margaret Ann Edwards in 1900 and Joseph married Mary Catherine Edwards in 1905. Sam and Margaret had two children who subsequently followed their profession, the actors Jack and Barry Livesey. But by 1913 both Joseph and Margaret Ann had died. Sam then married Mary Catherine and adopted her son Roger (his nephew) as his own.

Roger Livesey 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'', '' I Know Where I'm Goin ...

also went on to become a highly successful stage and screen actor. The couple had a daughter together in 1915 whom they named Stella.

Film career

Livesey had a successful film career encompassing both the silent and sound eras. He often appeared as authority figures; the cuckolded headmaster in '' Young Woodley'', the dictatorial paterfamilias in '' Maisie's Marriage'' and a variety of Police inspectors and military officers.

Alfred Hitchcock Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock (13 August 1899 – 29 April 1980) was an English filmmaker. 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 featur ...

cast him as the Chief Inspector in the original silent version of ''

Blackmail Blackmail is an act of coercion using the threat of revealing or publicizing either substantially true or false information about a person or people unless certain demands are met. It is often damaging information, and it may be revealed to f ...

'' but in the subsequent sound version, the role went to Harvey Braban. Livesey also worked with Anthony Asquith on '' Moscow Nights'' and

Alexander Korda Sir Alexander Korda (; born Sándor László Kellner; hu, Korda Sándor; 16 September 1893 – 23 January 1956)Rembrandt Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (, ; 15 July 1606 – 4 October 1669), usually simply known as Rembrandt, was a Dutch Golden Age painter, printmaker and draughtsman. An innovative and prolific master in three media, he is generally co ...

'' with his stepson Roger, '' Dark Journey'' and cameoing in ''

The Private Life of Henry VIII ''The Private Life of Henry VIII'' is a 1933 British film directed and co-produced by Alexander Korda and starring Charles Laughton, Robert Donat, Merle Oberon and Elsa Lanchester. It was written by Lajos Bíró and Arthur Wimperis for London Fi ...

''). Roger and Sam had previously appeared together playing father and son in the 1923 silent '' Maisie's Marriage''. Virtually the whole family - Sam, Mary Catherine ('Cassie'), Jack and Barry - appear as the Boyd family in the 1935 film revue '' Variety'' directed by Adrian Brunel. One of his final roles was as Mr Tulliver, the owner of the titular Mill on the Floss, with

James Mason James Neville Mason (; 15 May 190927 July 1984) was an English actor. He achieved considerable success in British cinema before becoming a star in Hollywood. He was the top box-office attraction in the UK in 1944 and 1945; his British films inc ...

portraying his son Tom.

Partial filmography

* ''The Lifeguardsman'' (1916) - Capt. Salzburg * ''

One Summer's Day ''One Summer's Day'' is a 1917 British silent drama film directed by Frank Goodenough Bayly and starring Fay Compton, Owen Nares and Sam Livesey.Goble p.895 Cast * Fay Compton as Maisie * Owen Nares as Captain Dick Rudyard * Sam Livesey as ...

'' (1917) - Philip Marsden * ''Spinner o' Dreams'' (1918) - Reuben Hundred * '' Victory and Peace'' (1918, unreleased) - Capt. Schiff * ''The Sins of Youth'' (1919) * ''

A Sinless Sinner ''A Sinless Sinner'' is a 1919 British silent drama film directed by James C. McKay and starring Marie Doro, Godfrey Tearle and Sam Livesey. It was distributed in the United States the following year under the alternative title ''Midnight Gambo ...

'' (1919) - Sam Stevens * '' The Chinese Puzzle'' (1919) - Paul Markatel * '' The Black Spider'' (1920) - Reggie Cosway * ''Burnt Wings'' (1920) - Joseph Heron * ''All the Winners'' (1920) - Pedro Darondary * '' The Marriage Lines'' (1921) - Martin Muscroft * '' Married Love'' (1923) - Mr. Burrows * '' Wait and See'' (1928) - Gregory Winton * ''

Zero 0 (zero) is a number representing an empty quantity. In place-value notation such as the Hindu–Arabic numeral system, 0 also serves as a placeholder numerical digit, which works by multiplying digits to the left of 0 by the radix, usu ...

'' (1928) - Monty Sterling * '' The Forger'' (1928) - Inspector Rouper * ''

'' (1929) - The Chief Inspector (silent version) (uncredited) * '' Raise the Roof'' (1930) - Mr. Langford * '' Young Woodley'' (1930) - Doctor Simmons * ''One Family'' (1930) - The Policeman * '' Dreyfus'' (1931) - Labori * ''

The Girl in the Night ''The Girl in the Night'' is a 1931 British crime film directed by Henry Edwards and starring Edwards, Dorothy Boyd and Sam Livesey. It was made at Elstree Studios. It was released as a quota quickie.Chibnall p.263 Cast * Henry Edwards as Bi ...

'' (1931) - Ephraim Tucker * '' Jealousy'' (1931) - Inspector Thompson * '' Many Waters'' (1931) - Stanley Rosel * '' The Hound of the Baskervilles'' (1931) - Sir Hugo Baskerville * '' Up for the Cup'' (1931) - John Cartwright * '' The Wickham Mystery'' (1932) - Inspector Cobb * '' Mr. Bill the Conqueror'' (1932) - Dave Lannick * ''

Insult An insult is an expression or statement (or sometimes behavior) which is disrespectful or scornful. Insults may be intentional or accidental. An insult may be factual, but at the same time pejorative, such as the word " inbred". Jocular e ...

'' (1932) - Major Dubois * '' The Flag Lieutenant'' (1932) - Col. McLeod * '' The Wonderful Story'' (1932) - Doctor * ''

'' (1933) - The English Executioner * ''Commissionaire'' (1933) - Sergeant George Brown * '' Tangled Evidence'' (1934) - Inspector Drayton * '' The Great Defender'' (1934) - Sir Henry Linguard * '' Jew Süss'' (1934) - Harprecht * ''

Regal Cavalcade ''Royal Cavalcade'', also known as ''Regal Cavalcade'', is a 1935 British, black-and-white, drama film directed by six separate directors: Thomas Bentley (Supervising Director), Herbert Brenon, Norman Lee, Walter Summers, W. P. Kellino and Marc ...

'' (1935) - Drinker * '' Drake of England'' (1935) - Sir George Sydenham * '' Where's George?'' (1935) - Sir Richard Lancaster * ''

Turn of the Tide ''Turn of the Tide'' (1935) is a British drama film directed by Norman Walker and starring John Garrick, Geraldine Fitzgerald and Wilfrid Lawson. It was the first feature film made by J. Arthur Rank. Lacking a distributor for his film, Rank ...

'' (1935) - Henry Lunn * '' Moscow Nights'' (1935) - Fedor * '' Variety'' (1935) - Charlie Boyd * '' Men of Yesterday'' (1936) * '' Calling the Tune'' (1936) - Bob Gordon * ''

Rembrandt Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (, ; 15 July 1606 – 4 October 1669), usually simply known as Rembrandt, was a Dutch Golden Age painter, printmaker and draughtsman. An innovative and prolific master in three media, he is generally co ...

'' (1936) - Auctioneer * '' The Mill on the Floss'' (1936) - Mr. Tulliver * '' Dark Journey'' (1937) - Major Schaeffer * '' Wings of the Morning'' (1937) - Angelo (final film role)

References

External links

* *
Sam Livesey at BFI Database
{{DEFAULTSORT:Livesey, Sam 1873 births 1936 deaths Welsh male film actors Welsh male silent film actors People from Flintshire 20th-century British male actors