Stanley Baker

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Stanley Baker

Stanley Baker (left) and Michael Caine (right) in the 1964 film Zulu
Born William Stanley Baker
28 February 1928(1928-02-28)
Ferndale, Rhondda, Wales, U.K.
Died 28 June 1976(1976-06-28) (aged 48)
Málaga, Andalusia, Spain
Occupation Actor, film producer
Years active 1943–75
Spouse Ellen Baker

Sir Stanley Baker (28 February 1928 – 28 June 1976) was a Welsh actor and film producer.

Contents

[edit] Early career

William Stanley Baker was born in Ferndale, Rhondda Valley, Wales. In the mid-1930s his parents moved to London, where Baker spent most of his formative years. He made his film debut as a teenager in the Ealing Studios 1943 film Undercover, about the Yugoslav guerrillas in Serbia. He served in the Royal Army Service Corps from 1946-1948.[1] His first role as an adult was in All Over the Moon (1949).

At first Baker was usually cast as a villain - tough, gritty and fiery. In private life, he was a close friend and drinking companion of another Welsh actor, Richard Burton. Although it has been said that both men had been taught at school by the same teacher, who encouraged their theatrical abilities, the fact is that Baker was taught, guided and mentored by Glyn Morse in Ferndale while Burton was mentored by Philip Burton. Notable among his early roles was as the unpleasant and somewhat cowardly Bennett in The Cruel Sea (1953). Laurence Olivier selected him to play Henry Tudor in Richard III (1955). He played a major role as Achilles in Helen of Troy (1956). He also starred with Patrick McGoohan in Hell Drivers (1957).

[edit] Stardom

In 1961 Baker was offered the role of superspy James Bond for the forthcoming film Dr. No, but he turned it down because he was unwilling to commit to a three-picture contract. He may have regretted this decision because some years later he asked producer Albert R. Broccoli about playing a villain in one of the films.

He played "Butcher Brown", a war-weary commando in the 1961 war epic The Guns of Navarone.

Baker's most well-remembered role was as Lieutenant John Chard VC in Zulu (1964) alongside newcomer Michael Caine. Baker had a strong personal interest in the historical events and owned Chard's Victoria Cross and Zulu War Medal from 1972 until his death in 1976.[2] Chard died at age 49 in 1897, only a year older than Baker at his death; both died of cancer.

In Joseph Losey's Accident (1967), Baker gave a sustained performance as Charley, and in 1970's Perfect Friday, he showed his skill in comedy and romantic acting as Mr Graham, opposite Ursula Andress.

He formed his own production company in the 1960s and produced films that included Zulu (1964), Robbery (1967) and The Italian Job (1968). Baker placed his production company into a consortium that bought Pinewood Studios, but after the stock market crashed in 1974, he stood by the company over declaring bankruptcy. He went back to work as an actor, taking roles in television including the 1974 BBC Play of the Month The Changeling, Robinson Crusoe (1974), and also in a BBC Wales adaptation of How Green Was My Valley (1975).

[edit] Personal life

Baker was a dedicated socialist off-screen, and a friend of the Labour Prime Minister Harold Wilson. He was a staunch opponent of Welsh nationalism and recorded television broadcasts in support of the Welsh Labour Party. Baker was heavily criticised for earning vast sums of money despite holding left-wing socialist views, sending all his children to expensive private schools in England, and owning a large holiday home in Spain. He considered becoming a tax exile in the 1960s but ultimately decided he would miss Britain too much. Many of his friends believed that Baker had damaged his acting career through his attempts to transform himself into a businessman.[citation needed] In an interview shortly before his death he admitted to being a compulsive gambler.[citation needed]

In 1976 he was awarded a knighthood in Wilson's controversial resignation list of honours, known as the Lavender List, although he did not live to be invested in person at Buckingham Palace.

[edit] Death

A lifelong heavy smoker, he was diagnosed with lung cancer in January 1976 and underwent surgery in the following month. However, the cancer had spread and he died that same year from pneumonia in Málaga, Spain, aged 48. He was cremated at Putney Vale Crematorium, but his ashes were scattered from the top of Llanwonno, over his beloved Ferndale.

[edit] Legacy

Ferndale RFC in the Rhondda Valleys, South Wales, established a tribute to Sir Stanley in the form of their "Sir Stanley Baker Lounge". Officially opened by his widow, Lady Ellen Baker, on Friday 24 November 2006, the day's events featured a presentation to Sir Stanley's sons and family members, and a fitting and moving tribute to the man himself via speeches and tales from celebrities and various local people who knew him best. The afternoon also featured a Radio Wales tribute to Sir Stanley, hosted by Owen Money and recorded live in Ferndale RFC itself. The Sir Stanley Baker Lounge features many pictures and memorabilia from his successful career, including a wall plaque commemorating the official opening in both English and Welsh, and is a fitting tribute to Ferndale's most famous son.

[edit] Filmography

[edit] References

  1. ^ http://www.filmreference.com/Actors-and-Actresses-A-Ba/Baker-Sir-Stanley.html
  2. ^ Victorian & Colonial Anecdotes

[edit] External links

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Stanley_Baker&oldid=475645572"
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