Anthony Steel
Encyclopedia
Anthony Maitland Steel was an English
actor
and singer.
, the son of an Indian army
officer and educated at Cambridge
. After serving as an officer in the Grenadier Guards
during the Second World War, he entered the British cinema and made 64 film appearances between 1948 and 1984. He also appeared extensively on television.
during the early 1950s, including the UK production of Another Man's Poison
(1952) before his 1956 marriage to Swedish actress Anita Ekberg
. Together they moved to Hollywood, with mixed results. He starred in Harry Black
. Later he made several European films during the 1970s and 1980s, including appearing as Sir Stephen in the Just Jaeckin
film adaptation of Story of O
(1975).
"West of Zanzibar". Released on the Polygon Records
label
, it peaked at #11 in the UK Singles Chart
.
He had an affair with actress Patricia Roc
in 1952 while they were co-starring in Something Money Can't Buy
, resulting in a son, Michael. At the time Roc was married to André Thomas but they were unable to have children so Thomas agreed to raise Michael as his own.
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
and singer.
Early life
Anthony Steel was born in LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, the son of an Indian army
British Indian Army
The British Indian Army, officially simply the Indian Army, was the principal army of the British Raj in India before the partition of India in 1947...
officer and educated at Cambridge
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
. After serving as an officer in the Grenadier Guards
Grenadier Guards
The Grenadier Guards is an infantry regiment of the British Army. It is the most senior regiment of the Guards Division and, as such, is the most senior regiment of infantry. It is not, however, the most senior regiment of the Army, this position being attributed to the Life Guards...
during the Second World War, he entered the British cinema and made 64 film appearances between 1948 and 1984. He also appeared extensively on television.
Career
He became a popular matinee idolMatinee idol
Matinée idol is a term used mainly to describe film or theatre stars who are adored to the point of adulation by their fans.The term almost exclusively refers to male actors. Invariably the adulation was fixated on the actor's looks rather than performance...
during the early 1950s, including the UK production of Another Man's Poison
Another Man's Poison
Another Man's Poison is a 1951 British drama film directed by Irving Rapper. The screenplay by Val Guest is based on the play Intent to Murder by Leslie Sands.-Plot:...
(1952) before his 1956 marriage to Swedish actress Anita Ekberg
Anita Ekberg
Kerstin Anita Marianne Ekberg is a Swedish model, actress and cult sex symbol. She is best known for her role as Sylvia in the 1960 Federico Fellini film La Dolce Vita which features the legendary scene of her cavorting in Trevi Fountain alongside Marcello Mastroianni.-Biography:Ekberg was born in...
. Together they moved to Hollywood, with mixed results. He starred in Harry Black
Harry Black (film)
Harry Black is a 1958 British film adaptation of the novel Harry Black by David Walker, released by 20th Century Fox. The film stars Stewart Granger, Barbara Rush and I. S. Johar in a BAFTA nominated role.The film was shot in India.-Cast:...
. Later he made several European films during the 1970s and 1980s, including appearing as Sir Stephen in the Just Jaeckin
Just Jaeckin
Just Jaeckin is a French film director.-Life:He was born in Vichy France during the Nazi Occupation, but left with his mother and father for England: after the war, he returned to France where he studied art and photography, much of it he did before and after serving with the French Army: while...
film adaptation of Story of O
Story of O
Story of O is an erotic novel published in 1954 about love, dominance and submission by French author Anne Desclos under the pen name Pauline Réage.Desclos did not reveal herself as the author for forty years after the initial publication...
(1975).
Singer
In 1954, Steel teamed up with the British vocal ensemble, The Radio Revellers, to recordSound recording and reproduction
Sound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording...
"West of Zanzibar". Released on the Polygon Records
Polygon Records
Polygon Records was one of the first British independent record labels.It was started in 1949 as the Polygon Record Company Ltd. by Alan A. Freeman and Leslie Clark, who was anxious to control distribution of his daughter Petula Clark's recordings...
label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
, it peaked at #11 in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
.
Partial filmography
- Saraband for Dead LoversSaraband for Dead LoversSaraband for Dead Lovers is a 1948 British historical drama film directed by Basil Dearden and starring Stewart Granger and Joan Greenwood. It is based on the novel by Helen Simpson...
(1948) - A Piece of CakeA Piece of CakeA Piece of Cake is a 1948 British fantasy comedy film directed by John Irwin and starring the husband and wife team of Cyril Fletcher and Betty Astell as well as Laurence Naismith and Jon Pertwee.-Plot:...
(1948) - Portrait from LifePortrait from LifePortrait from Life is a 1948 British drama film directed by Terence Fisher. It stars Mai Zetterling and Robert Beatty.-Cast:* Mai Zetterling as Lidia* Robert Beatty as Campbell Reid* Guy Rolfe as Major Lawrence* Herbert Lom as Fritz Kottler Hendlemann...
(1948) - Once Upon a DreamOnce Upon a Dream (1949 film)Once Upon a Dream is a 1949 British comedy romance film directed by Ralph Thomas in his debut and starring Googie Withers, Griffith Jones, Guy Middleton, and Maurice DenhamTime: 1 hour 30 minutes-Plot:...
(1949) - Marry Me (1949)
- Poet's PubPoet's PubPoet's Pub is a 1949 British comedy film directed by Frederick Wilson.-Plot:An Oxford poet is convinced to become manager of a country inn, after complaining about the food and service.-Cast:*Derek Bond as Saturday Keith*Rona Anderson as Joanna Benbow...
(1949) - Trottie TrueTrottie TrueTrottie True is a 1949 British musical comedy film directed by Brian Desmond Hurst and starring Jean Kent, James Donald and Hugh Sinclair. It was adapted from a play by Caryl Brahms and S. J...
(1949) - Don't Ever Leave MeDon't Ever Leave MeDon't Ever Leave Me is a 1949 English romantic comedy film starring Petula Clark, Jimmy Hanley, Hugh Sinclair, Edward Rigby, and Anthony Newley...
(1949) - Helter SkelterHelter Skelter (1949 film)Helter Skelter is a 1949 British romantic comedy film directed by Ralph Thomas and starring Carol Marsh, David Tomlinson and Mervyn Johns. A police detective becomes involved with a wealthy socialite....
(1949) - The Chiltern HundredsThe Chiltern Hundreds (film)The Chiltern Hundreds is a 1949 British comedy film directed by John Paddy Carstairs, adapting the 1947 play of the same name and starring Lana Morris, David Tomlinson and Cecil Parker.-Synopsis:...
(1949) - The Blue LampThe Blue LampThe Blue Lamp is a British crime film released in early 1950 by Ealing Studios, directed by Basil Dearden and produced by Michael Balcon. It stars Jack Warner as police constable George Dixon, Jimmy Hanley and Dirk Bogarde in an early role...
(1950) - The Wooden HorseThe Wooden HorseThe Wooden Horse is a 1950 British Second World War war film starring Leo Genn, Anthony Steel and David Tomlinson and directed by Jack Lee. It is based on the book of the same name by Eric Williams, who also wrote the screenplay....
(1950) - The MudlarkThe MudlarkThe Mudlark is a 1950 film made in Britain by 20th Century Fox, is a fictionalized account of how Queen Victoria was eventually brought out of her mourning for her dead husband, Prince Albert...
(1950) - Laughter in ParadiseLaughter in ParadiseLaughter in Paradise is the title of a British comedy film released in 1951. The film stars Alastair Sim, Fay Compton, George Cole, and Guy Middleton...
(1951) - Another Man's PoisonAnother Man's PoisonAnother Man's Poison is a 1951 British drama film directed by Irving Rapper. The screenplay by Val Guest is based on the play Intent to Murder by Leslie Sands.-Plot:...
(1951) - Where No Vultures FlyWhere No Vultures FlyWhere No Vultures Fly is a 1951 British film. It was released under the title Ivory Hunter in the United States. It was directed by Harry Watt and starred Anthony Steel and Dinah Sheridan. The film was inspired by the work of the conservationist Mervyn Cowie...
(1951) - Emergency CallEmergency CallEmergency Call is a British film released in 1952 by Nettlefold Films. The film was directed by Lewis Gilbert and stars Jack Warner in a familiar role playing a policeman, Anthony Steel, Joy Shelton and Sid James as a dubious boxing promoter....
(1952) - Something Money Can't BuySomething Money Can't BuySomething Money Can't Buy is a 1952 British film starring Patricia Roc and Anthony Steel.-Cast:* Patricia Roc as Anne Wilding* Anthony Steel as Captain Harry Wilding* Moira Lister as Diana Haverstock* A.E...
(1952) - The Planter's WifeThe Planter's WifeThe Planter's Wife is a 1952 British drama film directed by Ken Annakin, and starring Claudette Colbert, Jack Hawkins and Anthony Steel. It is set against the backdrop of the Malayan Emergency and focuses on a rubber planter and his neighbours who are fending off a campaign of sustained attacks by...
(1952) - Malta StoryMalta StoryMalta Story is a 1953 British war film based on the heroic defence of Malta, the island itself, its people and the RAF aviators who fought to defend it...
(1953) - The Master of BallantraeThe Master of Ballantrae (film)The Master of Ballantrae is a 1953 British adventure film starring Errol Flynn, Roger Livesey, and Anthony Steel. It is a loose and highly truncated adaptation of the Robert Louis Stevenson novel of the same title...
(1953) - Albert R.N. (1953)
- West of ZanzibarWest of Zanzibar (1954 film)West of Zanzibar is a 1954 British adventure film directed by Harry Watt and starring Anthony Steel, Sheila Sim and Edric Connor.-Cast:* Anthony Steel - Bob Payton* Sheila Sim - Mary Payton* Edric Connor - Ushington* Orlando Martins - M'Kwongi...
(1954) - The Sea Shall Not Have ThemThe Sea Shall Not Have ThemThe Sea Shall Not Have Them is a 1954 British war film starring Michael Redgrave, Dirk Bogarde and Anthony Steel. It was directed by Lewis Gilbert and is based on the 1953 novel by John Harris, set during the Second World War. Musical soundtrack by composer Malcolm Arnold.A British aircraft is...
(1954) - Out of the CloudsOut of the CloudsOut of the Clouds is a 1955 British drama film directed by Basil Dearden, and starring Anthony Steel, Sid James and James Robertson Justice. An Ealing Studios film, it follows the lives of the passengers and crew on a day at an airport that was filmed in Heathrow Airport.-Description:The film was...
(1955) - Passage HomePassage Home-Cast:* Anthony Steel as First Mate Vosper* Peter Finch as Captain Lucky Ryland* Diane Cilento as Ruth Elton* Cyril Cusack as Bohannon the steward* Geoffrey Keen as Ike the bosun* Hugh Griffith as Pettigrew* Duncan Lamont as 1st Mate Llewellyn...
(1955) - Storm Over the NileStorm Over the NileStorm Over the Nile is a 1955 film adaptation of the novel The Four Feathers, directed by Terence Young. The film not only extensively used footage of the action scenes from the 1939 film version stretched into CinemaScope, but exactly the same screenplay, almost line-for-line also then directed by...
(1955) - The Black TentThe Black TentThe Black Tent is a 1956 British war film directed by Brian Desmond Hurst and starring Donald Sinden, Anthony Steel, Anna Maria Sandri, André Morell and Donald Pleasence. It is set in North Africa, during the Second World War and was filmed on location in Libya.-Plot:During the British retreat...
(1956) - Checkpoint (1956)
- Harry BlackHarry Black (film)Harry Black is a 1958 British film adaptation of the novel Harry Black by David Walker, released by 20th Century Fox. The film stars Stewart Granger, Barbara Rush and I. S. Johar in a BAFTA nominated role.The film was shot in India.-Cast:...
(1958) - Luna de Miel (1959)
- Revenge of the BarbariansRevenge of the BarbariansRevenge of the Barbarians is a 1960 film about the sack of Rome in AD 410 by the Visigoths.This film was written by Gastone Ramazzotti and directed by Giuseppe Vari.-Cast:*Daniela Rocca as "Galla Placidia"*Anthony Steel as "Consul Olympus"...
(1960) - The SwitchThe Switch (1963 film)The Switch is a 1963 British crime film directed by Peter Maxwell and starring Anthony Steel, Zena Marshall and Conrad Phillips. A criminal gang smuggles watches into the country by hiding them in a petrol tank of a woman's car.-Cast:...
(1963) - A Matter of ChoiceA Matter of ChoiceA Matter of Choice is a 1963 British drama film directed by Vernon Sewell and starring Anthony Steel, Jeanne Moody and Ballard Berkeley. Two youths accidentally kill a man.-Cast:* Anthony Steel - John Crighton* Jeanne Moody - Lisa Grant...
(1963) - AnzioAnzio (film)Anzio, also known as Lo Sbarco di Anzio or The Battle for Anzio, is a 1968 war film about Operation Shingle, the 1944 Allied seaborne assault on the Italian port of Anzio in World War II...
(1968) - Story of OStory of OStory of O is an erotic novel published in 1954 about love, dominance and submission by French author Anne Desclos under the pen name Pauline Réage.Desclos did not reveal herself as the author for forty years after the initial publication...
(1975) - HardcoreHardcore (1977 film)Hardcore is a 1977 British comedy film directed by James Kenelm Clarke and starring Fiona Richmond, Anthony Steel, Graham Stark, Graham Crowden and Harry H. Corbett...
(1977) - Let's Get LaidLet's Get LaidLet's Get Laid is a 1978 British comedy film directed by James Kenelm Clarke and starring Robin Askwith, Fiona Richmond and Anthony Steel. After being demobbed at the end of the Second World War, Gordon Laid returns to London - only to find himself suspected of a murder in Wapping.-Cast:* Fiona...
(1978) - The Monster ClubThe Monster ClubThe Monster Club is a 1980 British horror film directed by Roy Ward Baker and starring Vincent Price and John Carradine. An anthology film, it is based on the works of the British horror author R. Chetwynd-Hayes...
(1980)
Personal life
Steel was married three times:- 1) Juanita Forbes (1949–1954)
- 2) Anita EkbergAnita EkbergKerstin Anita Marianne Ekberg is a Swedish model, actress and cult sex symbol. She is best known for her role as Sylvia in the 1960 Federico Fellini film La Dolce Vita which features the legendary scene of her cavorting in Trevi Fountain alongside Marcello Mastroianni.-Biography:Ekberg was born in...
(1956–1959) - 3) Johanna Melcher (1964)
He had an affair with actress Patricia Roc
Patricia Roc
Patricia Roc , born Felicia Miriam Ursula Herold, was a British film actress, popular in the Gainsborough melodramas such as Madonna of the Seven Moons and The Wicked Lady , though she only made one film in Hollywood, Canyon Passage...
in 1952 while they were co-starring in Something Money Can't Buy
Something Money Can't Buy
Something Money Can't Buy is a 1952 British film starring Patricia Roc and Anthony Steel.-Cast:* Patricia Roc as Anne Wilding* Anthony Steel as Captain Harry Wilding* Moira Lister as Diana Haverstock* A.E...
, resulting in a son, Michael. At the time Roc was married to André Thomas but they were unable to have children so Thomas agreed to raise Michael as his own.