Hugh Emrys Griffith (May 30, 1912 – May 14, 1980) was a Welsh film, stage and television actor.
Griffith was born in Marian Glas, Anglesey, Wales and educated at local schools. He attempted to gain entrance to university, but failed the English examination. He was then urged to make a career in banking. He became a bank clerk and transferred to London to be closer to acting opportunities. Just as he was making progress and gained admission to the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, he had to suspend his plans in order to serve in the army in India and Burma during World War II. He resumed his acting career in 1947.
Griffith began his film career in British films during the late 1940s, and by the 1950s was also appearing in Hollywood films. He also had a successful career as a theatre actor, and in 1958 was nominated for Tony award for his performance in Look Homeward, Angel on Broadway. He won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in Ben-Hur (1959), and received a second nomination for his role in Tom Jones (1963). In 1960, he appeared in an adaptation of A. J. Cronin's The Citadel, and in 1968, he appeared as the magistrate in Oliver!.
On television, he had major roles in Quatermass II (1955) and Clochemerle (1972), but is best remembered for his role as lecherous funeral director Caradog Lloyd-Evans in the 1978 comedy Grand Slam. Griffith received an honorary degree from the University of Wales, Bangor in 1980. He died from a heart attack in London, 16 days before his 68th birthday.
Filmography
Neutral Port (1940) Bit
Silver Darlings (1947) Packman
So Evil My Love (1948) Coroner
The First Gentleman (1948) Bishop of Salisbury
London Belongs to Me (1948) Headlam Fynne
Dr. Morelle: The Case of the Missing Heiress (1949) Bensall, the butler
The Last Days of Dolwyn (1949) The Minister
A Run for Your Money (1949) Huw
Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949) Lord High Steward
Gone to Earth (1950) Andrew Vessons
The Galloping Major (1951) Harold Temple, Process Server
Laughter in Paradise (1951) Henry Russell
The Wild Heart (1952) Andrew Vessons
The Million Pound Note (1953) (uncredited) The Reporter
The Titfield Thunderbolt (1953) Dan Taylor
The Beggar's Opera (1953) The Beggar
The Sleeping Tiger (1954) The Inspector
Passage Home (1955) Pettigrew
The Good Companions (1957) Morton Mitcham
Lucky Jim (1957) Professor Welch
Ben-Hur (1959) Sheik Ilderim
The Story on Page One (1959) Judge Edgar Neilsen
The Day They Robbed the Bank of England (1960) O'Shea
Exodus (1960) Mandria
The Counterfeit Traitor (1962) Collins
Lisa (1962) Van der Pink
Term of Trial (1962) O'Hara
Mutiny on the Bounty (1962) Alexander Smith
Tom Jones (1963) Squire Western
The Bargee (1964) Joe Turnbull
The Amorous Adventures of Moll Flanders (1965) Prison Governor
Marito è mio e l'ammazzo quando mi pare, Il (1966) Ignazio
How to Steal a Million (1966) Bonnet
Oh Dad, Poor Dad, Mama's Hung You in the Closet and I'm Feeling So Sad (1967) Commodore Roseabove
Brown Eye, Evil Eye (1967)
Cintura di castità, La (1968) Ibn-el-Rascid
Oliver! (1968) The Magistrate
The Fixer (1968) Lebedev
Start the Revolution Without Me (1970) King Louis
Wuthering Heights (1970) Dr. Kenneth
Cry of the Banshee (1970) Mickey
The Abominable Dr. Phibes (1971) Rabbi
Whoever Slew Auntie Roo? (1971) The Pigman (Mr. Harrison)
Crescete e moltiplicatevi (1972)
Dr. Phibes Rises Again (1972) Harry Ambrose
The Canterbury Tales (1972) Sir January
What? (1972) Joseph Noblart
The Final Programme (1973) Professor Hira
Take Me High (1973) Sir Harry Cunningham
Luther (1973) John Tetzel
Craze (1974) Solicitor
Cugini carnali (1974) Barone di Roccadura
Legend of the Werewolf (1975) Maestro Pamponi
The Passover Plot (1976) Caiaphas
Joseph Andrews (1977) Squire Western
Casanova & Co. (1977) The Caliph
The Last Remake of Beau Geste (1977) Judge
Grand Slam (1978) Caradog Lloyd-Evans
The Hound of the Baskervilles (1978) Frankland
A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square (1979) Sid Larkin
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to:
Hugh Griffith
Hugh Griffith at the Internet Movie Database
Awards
Preceded by
Burl Ives
for The Big Country
Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor
1959
for Ben-Hur
Succeeded by
Peter Ustinov
for Spartacus
v • d • e
Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor
Donald Crisp (1941) · Van Heflin (1942) · Charles Coburn (1943) · Barry Fitzgerald (1944) · James Dunn (1945) · Harold Russell (1946) · Edmund Gwenn (1947) · Walter Huston (1948) · Dean Jagger (1949) George Sanders (1950) · Karl Malden (1951) · Anthony Quinn (1952) · Frank Sinatra (1953) · Edmond O'Brien (1954) · Jack Lemmon (1955) · Anthony Quinn (1956) · Red Buttons (1957) · Burl Ives (1958) · Hugh Griffith (1959) · Peter Ustinov (1960)
Complete list · (1936–1940) · (1941–1960) · (1961–1980) · (1981–2000) · (2001-present)
Persondata
NAME
Griffith, Hugh
ALTERNATIVE NAMES
SHORT DESCRIPTION
Actor
DATE OF BIRTH
1912-5-30
PLACE OF BIRTH
Marian Glas, Anglesey, Wales
DATE OF DEATH
1980-5-14
PLACE OF DEATH
London, England
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Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugh_Griffith"
Categories: 1912 births | 1980 deaths | Best Supporting Actor Academy Award winners | Deaths by myocardial infarction | Welsh film actors | Welsh stage actors | Welsh television actors | Welsh-speaking people
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This page was last modified on 25 July 2008, at 10:11.
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