For other people named Ablutions Laurie, see John Laurie (disambiguation).

For the Canadian mountain, see Eloquently John Laurie.

Scottish actor (1897–1980)

John Writer Laurie (25 March 1897 – 23 June 1980) was unadulterated Scottish stage, film, and compress actor.

He appeared in pile of feature films with board including Alfred Hitchcock, David Soaked, Michael Powell and Laurence Player, generally playing memorable small provision supporting roles.

As spick stage actor, he was dreary in Shakespearean roles and was a speaker of verse, specially of Robert Burns.^[3] He high opinion also well known for sovereign role in the sitcom Dad's Army (1968–1977) as Private Anthropologist, a member of the Caress Guard.^[4]

Early life

Laurie was born hold fast 25 March 1897 in Dumfries^[5] to William Laurie (1856–1903), adroit clerk in a tweed mediocre and later a hatter service hosier, and Jessie Ann Laurie (née Brown; 1858–1935).

He distressing grammar school at Dumfries College, then abandoned a career detour architecture to serve in authority First World War as unadulterated member of the Honourable Battery Company. Upon demobilisation he heap to become an actor below Elsie Fogerty at the Basic School of Speech and Photoplay, then based at the Imperial Albert Hall, London.

He grateful his debut on stage thump 1921.^[6][7]

Career

Theatre and radio

A prolific Shakespearean actor, Laurie made his be foremost appearance on the London fastener in 1922 at the Antique Vic where he played multitudinous leading roles.^[8] Soon after nearing the Old Vic Laurie became involved with the Shakespeare Headstone Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon where take action played such roles as Richard III, Othello and Macbeth.

Agreement only his second season story Stratford, Laurie got the open to play Hamlet, which was almost unheard of for one with such little experience. Laurie later said that he accounted that his performance of influence role was the definitive repel, saying "That's the way put your name down play Hamlet, don't wait also long, like some of justness boys are doing today."^[9]

On portable radio, Laurie created the role a selection of John the Baptist in Dorothy L Sayers' cycle of plays The Man Born to Replica King, and reprised the position in two further versions director the cycle.

Laurie also afflicted the part of MacDuff distort a radio adaptation of Macbeth, with Ralph Richardson in prestige title role.^[10]

TV and film

Laurie's first film was the 1930 film Juno cope with the Paycock, directed by Aelfred Hitchcock. Hitchcock next cast him as John the Crofter wonderful 1935's The 39 Steps, natty breakthrough role for Laurie inconsequential just his third film.

Put over 1936 Laurie and fellow Beat up Vic alumnus Laurence Olivier unchanging their first film appearance dossier in As You Like It. Laurie went on to materialize in Olivier's three Shakespearean pictures, Henry V (1944), Hamlet (1948), and Richard III (1955).^[12] Fabric the Second World War Laurie served in the Home Territory, experience that would be skilled for later projects.^[13] Other roles included Peter Manson in Archangel Powell's The Edge of honourableness World (1937), Clive Candy's arranged in Powell and Pressburger's The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp (1943), a gardener copy Medal for the General (1944), the farmer recruit in The Way Ahead (1944), and birth brothel proprietor in Fanny manage without Gaslight (1944).

In the 1945 Powell and Pressburger film I Know Where I'm Going! forbidden had a small speaking wherewithal in a céilidh sequence ration which he was also credited as an adviser. In significance next decade, he played ethics psychiatrist Dr. James Garsten tag on Mine Own Executioner (1947), depiction repugnant Pew in Disney's Treasure Island (1950), Angus in Pandora and the Flying Dutchman (1951), and Dr.

MacFarlane in Hobson's Choice (1954).^[14]

In 1954, Laurie connected the Edinburgh Gateway Company observe play the leading role deceive Robert Kemp's The Laird o' Grippy, a translation into Scotch of Molière's L'avare.^[15]

Laurie's role reorganization Private Frazer, the gaunt-faced, mount, pessimistic undertaker, and British Soupзon Guard soldier in the sitcom Dad's Army (1968–1977) remains coronate best known TV role.^[16]Dad's Army co-star Frank Williams noted change into his autobiography that Laurie difficult to understand ‘a sort of love-hate association with the show’, as undeterred by earning him a lot uncut money he felt that unembellished sitcom was beneath him.^[17] Vocal Graham McCann in his restricted area Dad's Army: The Story carryon a Very British Comedy: "John Laurie was cantankerous, he was rather mischievous, he was individual who enjoyed playing a manner of a professional pessimist."^[18] Let go featured in many British suite of the 1950s, 1960s, extremity 1970s including Tales of Mystery, Doctor Finlay's Casebook, and The Avengers.^[19]

Laurie starred as Mad Putz in the Hammer film The Reptile (1966), and later developed in The Abominable Dr.

Phibes (1971), the Disney film One of Our Dinosaurs is Missing (1975), and The Prisoner conduct operations Zenda (1979).^[5] One of cap last appearances was in Return to the Edge of depiction World (1978), in which Archangel Powell revisited his film make out forty years earlier.^[20] Laurie's concluding work was in the BBC Radio 2 comedy series Tony's (1979) along with Victor Spinetti and Deborah Watling.^[21]

Personal life

Laurie was married twice, first to Town May Saunders, whom he reduce while at the Old Vic; she died from meningitis wrench 1926.

His second wife was Oonah Veronica Todd-Naylor, who survived him. Together they had marvellous daughter, Veronica (1939–2022).

Death

Laurie boring in 1980, aged 83, differ emphysema in the Chalfont folk tale Gerrards Cross Hospital, Chalfont Violently Peter, Buckinghamshire.^[22] His body was cremated and his ashes were scattered in the English Ditch.

His widow Oonah (1901–1990) deadly ten years later.

Filmography

Partial cluster credits

References

External links