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Denholm Elliott

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Denholm Elliott
CBE
Elliott in 1985
Born
Denholm Mitchell Elliott

(1922-05-31)31 May 1922
Kensington, Middlesex, England
Died6 October 1992(1992-10-06) (aged 70)
Santa Eulària des Riu, Ibiza, Spain
Cause of deathAIDS-related tuberculosis
NationalityBritish
EducationMalvern College
Alma materRoyal Academy of Dramatic Art
OccupationActor
Years active1949–1992
Spouse(s)
​
​
(m. 1954; div. 1957)​

Susan Robinson
​
(m. 1962)​
Children2

Denholm Mitchell Elliott, CBE (31 May 1922 – 6 October 1992) was an English actor, with more than 125 film and television credits.[1] His well-known roles include the abortionist in Alfie (1966), Marcus Brody in Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989), Coleman in Trading Places (1983), and Mr Emerson in A Room with a View (1985).

Elliott earned critical acclaim in his later career. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in A Room with a View and won the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role in three consecutive years in the 1980s, becoming the only actor ever to have achieved this. The American film critic Roger Ebert described him as "the most dependable of all British character actors."[2] The New York Times called him "a star among supporting players" and "an accomplished scene-stealer".[3]

Early life

Elliott was born in Kensington, London,[4] the son of Nina (née Mitchell) and Myles Layman Farr Elliott.[4] Myles was a barrister who had read law and Arabic at Cambridge before fighting with the Glosters at Gallipoli and in Mesopotamia. In 1930 Myles Elliott was appointed solicitor-general to the Mandatory Government in Palestine. Three years later, following a series of controversial government prosecutions, he was assassinated outside the King David Hotel and buried in the Protestant Cemetery on Mount Zion.[5] Elliott's elder brother Neil was land agent to Lady Anne Cavendish-Bentinck.

Elliott attended Malvern College and trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London. He was asked to leave the academy after one term. As Elliott later recalled, "They wrote to my mother and said, 'Much as we like the little fellow, he's wasting your money and our time. Take him away!'"[6]

In the Second World War, he joined the Royal Air Force, training as a wireless operator/air gunner and serving with No. 76 Squadron RAF under the command of Leonard Cheshire.[7] On the night of 23/24 September 1942, his Handley Page Halifax DT508[8] bomber took part in an air raid on the U-boat pens at Flensburg, Germany. The aircraft was hit by flak and subsequently ditched in the North Sea near Sylt, Germany. Only Elliott and two crewmen survived, and he spent the rest of the war in a prisoner of war camp in Silesia. While imprisoned, he became involved in amateur dramatics.[9]

Career

After making his film debut in Dear Mr. Prohack (1949), he went on to play a wide range of parts, often ineffectual and occasionally seedy characters, such as the drunken journalist Bayliss in Defence of the Realm, the criminal abortionist in Alfie, and the washed-up film director in The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz. Elliott and Natasha Parry played the main roles in the 1955 television play The Apollo of Bellac.[10] He took over for an ill Michael Aldridge for one season of The Man in Room 17 (1966)

Elliott made many television appearances, which included plays by Dennis Potter such as Follow the Yellow Brick Road (1972), Brimstone and Treacle, (1976) and Blade on the Feather (1980). He starred in the BBC's adaptation of Charles Dickens's short story The Signalman (1976).

In the 1980s he won three consecutive British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) awards: Best Supporting Actor for Trading Places as Dan Aykroyd's kindly butler, A Private Function, and Defence of the Realm. He received as an Academy Award nomination for A Room with a View. He became familiar to a wider audience as the well-meaning but addlepated Dr. Marcus Brody in Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. A photograph of his character appears in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, and a reference is made to Brody's death. Also, a statue was dedicated to Marcus outside Marshall College, the school where Indy teaches. In 1988 Elliott was the Russian mole Povin, around whom the entire plot revolves, in the television miniseries Codename: Kyril.

Having filmed Michael Winner's The Wicked Lady (1983), Elliott was quoted in a BBC Radio interview as saying that Marc Sinden and he "are the only two British actors I am aware of who have ever worked with Winner more than once, and it certainly wasn't for love. But curiously, I never, ever saw any of the same crew twice." (Elliott in You Must Be Joking! (1965) and The Wicked Lady and Sinden in The Wicked Lady and Decadence). Elliott had worked with Sinden's father, Sir Donald Sinden, in the film The Cruel Sea (1953).[11] He co-starred with Katharine Hepburn and Harold Gould in the television film Mrs. Delafield Wants to Marry (1986) and with Nicole Kidman in Bangkok Hilton (1989).

In 1988 Elliott was appointed a commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for his services to acting. His career included many stage performances, including with the Royal Shakespeare Company, and a well-acclaimed turn as the twin brothers in Jean Anouilh's Ring Round the Moon. His scene-stealing abilities led Gabriel Byrne, his co-star in Defence of the Realm, to say: "Never act with children, dogs, or Denholm Elliott."[12]

Despite being described by British Film Institute's Screenonline as an actor of "versatile understanding and immaculate technique,"[1] Elliott described himself as an instinctive actor and was a critic of Stanislavski's system of acting, saying, "I mistrust and am rather bored with actors who are of the Stanislavski school who think about detail."[13]

Personal life

Secretly bisexual,[14] Elliott was married twice: first to actress Virginia McKenna for a few months in 1954, and later, in an open marriage, to American actress Susan Robinson (7 March 1942 – 12 April 2007), with whom he had two offspring, Mark and Jennifer, the latter of whom died by suicide in 2003.[14]

Death

Elliott was diagnosed with HIV in 1987[14] and died of AIDS-related tuberculosis at his home in Santa Eulària des Riu on Ibiza, Spain, on 6 October 1992 at the age of 70. Tributes were paid by actors Sir Donald Sinden and Sir Peter Ustinov, playwright Dennis Potter and former wife Virginia McKenna. Sinden said, "He was one of the finest screen actors and a very special actor at that. He was one of the last stars who was a real gentleman. It is a very sad loss." Ustinov said, "He was a wonderful actor and a very good friend on the occasions that life brought us together." Potter commented: "He was a complicated, sensitive, and slightly disturbing actor. Not only was he a very accomplished actor, he was a dry, witty, and slightly menacing individual. As a man, I always found him very open, very straightforward and very much to the point." McKenna added: "It is absolutely dreadful, but the person I am thinking of at the moment more than anybody is his wife. It must be terrible for her."[15] Ismail Merchant described Elliott as "an all-giving person, full of life ... He had an affection and feeling for other actors, which is very unusual in our business."[16]

His widow set up a charity, the Denholm Elliott Project and collaborated on his biography.[17] She worked closely with the UK Coalition of People Living with HIV and AIDS. Susan Robinson Elliott died on 12 April 2007, aged 65, in a fire in her flat in London.[14]

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes Ref.
1949 Dear Mr. Prohack Oswald Morfrey
1952 The Sound Barrier Christopher Ridgefield Breaking the Sound Barrier in USA [12]
The Holly and the Ivy Michael Gregory
The Ringer John Lemley
1953 The Cruel Sea Morell [12]
The Heart of the Matter Wilson [12]
1954 Lease of Life Martin Blake [12]
They Who Dare Sgt. Corcoran [15]
1955 The Man Who Loved Redheads Denis [12]
The Night My Number Came Up Mackenzie
1956 Pacific Destiny Arthur Grimble [12]
1960 Scent of Mystery Oliver Larker
1963 Station Six-Sahara Macey
1964 Nothing But the Best Charlie Prince [12]
1965 The High Bright Sun Baker
King Rat Larkin [12]
1966 Alfie The Abortionist [12]
1967 Maroc 7 Inspector Barrada
1968 The Night They Raided Minsky's Vance Fowler [12]
The Sea Gull Dorn, a doctor [12]
1970 Too Late the Hero Captain Hornsby [14]
The Rise and Rise of Michael Rimmer Peter Niss
1971 Percy Emmanuel Whitbread
The House That Dripped Blood Charles Hillyer Segment 1: Method for Murder
Quest for Love Tom Lewis
1972 Madame Sin Malcolm De Vere
1973 The Vault of Horror Diltant Segment 5: Drawn and Quartered
A Doll's House Krogstad [12]
1974 The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz Friar [12]
1975 Russian Roulette Commander Petapiece
1976 Robin and Marian Will Scarlet
To the Devil a Daughter Henry Beddows
Partners John Grey
1977 A Bridge Too Far R.A.F. Met. Officer
1978 The Hound of the Baskervilles Stapleton
Watership Down Cowslip (voice)
The Boys From Brazil Sidney Beynon
Sweeney 2 Det. Chief Super. Jupp
1979 Zulu Dawn Colonel Pulleine
Saint Jack William Leigh
1980 Bad Timing Stefan Vognic
Rising Damp Charles Seymour
Sunday Lovers Parker Segment: An Englishman's Home
1981 Raiders of the Lost Ark Dr. Marcus Brody [12]
1983 Trading Places Coleman
1984 The Razor's Edge Elliott Templeton [18]
A Private Function Dr. Charles Swaby [15]
1985 A Room with a View Mr Emerson [12]
1986 Defence of the Realm Vernon Bayliss [15]
The Whoopee Boys Col. Phelps
1987 September Howard
Maurice Dr. Barry
1988 Stealing Heaven Fulbert
1989 Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade Dr. Marcus Brody [12]
1991 Toy Soldiers Headmaster
Scorchers Howler
1992 Noises Off Selsdon Mowbray Final film role [12]

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1958–59 Alfred Hitchcock Presents John Manbridge/Jack Lyons 2 episodes
1966 The Man in Room 17 Defraits 13 episodes
Mystery and Imagination Roderick Usher Episode: The Fall of the House of Usher
1968 Mystery and Imagination Count Dracula Episode: Dracula
1972 The Persuaders! Roland Episode: A Death in the Family
Follow the Yellow Brick Road Jack Black TV play
1975 Thriller Dr. Frank Henson Episode: The Crazy Kill
1976 Brimstone and Treacle Mr. Tom Bates TV play
Clayhanger Tertius Ingpen 9 episodes
The Signalman The Signalman TV play
1977 Ripping Yarns Mr Gregory Episode: Across The Andes by Frog
1980 Hammer House of Horror Norman Shenley Episode: Rude Awakening
1980 Blade on the Feather Jack Hill TV film
1982 Marco Polo Niccolo Polo 8 episodes
1982 Brimstone and Treacle Mr. Bates BBC television play
1983 The Hound of the Baskervilles Dr. Mortimer TV film
1984 Camille Count de Noilly TV film
1985 Bleak House John Jarndyce 7 episodes
1986 Mrs. Delafield Wants to Marry George Parker TV film
1987 Hotel du Lac Phillip Neville TV film
Scoop Mr. Salter TV film
A Child's Christmas in Wales Old Geraint TV film
The Happy Valley Sir Henry 'Jock' Delves Broughton TV film
1988 Codename: Kyril Povin 4 episodes
The Bourne Identity Dr Geoffrey Washburn TV mini-series
Noble House Alastair Struan 4 episodes
1989 Bangkok Hilton Hal Stanton 3 episodes
1990 A Green Journey James TV film
1991 A Murder of Quality George Smiley TV film
One Against the Wind Father LeBlanc TV film
The Black Candle William Filmore TV film

Awards and Nominations

Year Award Category Nomination Result
1986 Academy Awards Best Supporting Actor A Room with a View Nominated
1973 British Academy Film Awards Best Supporting Actor A Doll's House Nominated
1979 Saint Jack Nominated
1981 Raiders of the Lost Ark Nominated
1983 Trading Places Won
1984 A Private Function Won
1985 Defence of the Realm Won
1986 A Room with a View Nominated
1984 British Academy Television Awards Best Supporting Actor Blade on the Feather
BBC2 Playhouse
Tales of the Unexpected		 Nominated
1986 Best Actor Screen Two Nominated

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "British Film Institute Biography". Retrieved 24 September 2007.
  2. ^ Roger Ebert (2008). Roger Ebert's Four Star Reviews 1967-2007. Andrews McMeel Publishing. p. 655. ISBN 978-0740771798.
  3. ^ Lambert, Bruce (7 October 1992). "Denholm Elliott, Actor, 70, Dies; A Star Among Supporting Players". The New York Times. New York. Retrieved 11 February 2017.
  4. ^ a b "The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography". 2004. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/51023. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  5. ^ "Obituary Neil Elliott". Daily Telegraph. 14 April 2003. Retrieved 5 September 2016.
  6. ^ BBC Radio. Desert Island Discs, 14 September 1974.
  7. ^ "Encyclopædia Britannica". Retrieved 24 September 2007.
  8. ^ Record for Halifax DT508, LostAircraft.com
  9. ^ Falconer, Jonathon (1998). The Bomber Command Handbook 1939–1945. Stroud: Sutton Publishing. ISBN 978-0-7509-1819-0.
  10. ^ "Giraudoux Play On Television 'The Apollo Of Bellac'", The Times, 13 August 1955.
  11. ^ Woods, Judith (8 February 2011). "Michael Winner: 'The Life I've Lived, the Girls I've Had... Ht's Been Incredible'". The Daily Telegraph.
  12. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r "Obituary: Denholm Elliott". The Independent. 7 October 1992.
  13. ^ Oliver, Myrna (7 October 1992). "Denholm Elliott; Veteran Character Actor". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 22 July 2014.
  14. ^ a b c d e "Susan Robinson Elliott obituary". The Daily Telegraph. 24 April 2007.
  15. ^ a b c d "Denholm Elliott dies from AIDS-related TB, aged 70". The Independent. 7 October 1992.
  16. ^ "Oscar nominee Elliott dies of AIDS problems". Variety. 7 October 1992.
  17. ^ Elliott, Susan; Turner, Barry (1994). Denholm Elliott: Quest for Love.
  18. ^ Brian McFarlane (16 May 2016). The Encyclopedia of British Film (4th ed.). Oxford University Press. p. 228. ISBN 9781526111975. Retrieved 12 March 2017.
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