Roland Culver
Encyclopedia
Roland Culver OBE
(31 August 1900, Highgate
, London
, England
– 1 March 1984 Henley-on-Thames
, England) was a British stage, film, and television actor.
, he joined the Royal Air Force
and served as a pilot from 1918 to 1919. After considering other careers, he turned to acting, graduating from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art
. He debuted on the stage in 1924 at Hull Repertory Theatre and, by 1931, was appearing in films in which he was known for his portrayals of impeccable English gentlemen not given to displays of emotion. In the 1960s, he branched out into television before finally retiring in 1982.
In 1960 he appeared in Five Finger Exercise
at the Music Box Theatre in New York City. He was nominated for the 1966 Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play
for Ivanov.
He lost half a lung to tuberculosis
.
He was married twice, first to actress, director and casting agent Daphne Rye
between 1932 and 1946, then to Nan Hopkins from 1947 until his death of a heart attack in 1984. He had two children with his first wife, actor Michael Culver
and Robin Culver.
Culver wrote the play A River Breeze and his autobiography is called Not Quite a Gentleman.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(31 August 1900, Highgate
Highgate
Highgate is an area of North London on the north-eastern corner of Hampstead Heath.Highgate is one of the most expensive London suburbs in which to live. It has an active conservation body, the Highgate Society, to protect its character....
, London
London
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...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
– 1 March 1984 Henley-on-Thames
Henley-on-Thames
Henley-on-Thames is a town and civil parish on the River Thames in South Oxfordshire, England, about 10 miles downstream and north-east from Reading, 10 miles upstream and west from Maidenhead...
, England) was a British stage, film, and television actor.
Life and career
After Highgate CollegeHighgate School
-Notable members of staff and governing body:* John Ireton, brother of Henry Ireton, Cromwellian General* 1st Earl of Mansfield, Lord Chief Justice, owner of Kenwood, noted for judgment finding contracts for slavery unenforceable in English law* T. S...
, he joined the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
and served as a pilot from 1918 to 1919. After considering other careers, he turned to acting, graduating from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art
Royal Academy of Dramatic Art
The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art is a drama school located in London, United Kingdom. It is generally regarded as one of the most renowned drama schools in the world, and is one of the oldest drama schools in the United Kingdom, having been founded in 1904.RADA is an affiliate school of the...
. He debuted on the stage in 1924 at Hull Repertory Theatre and, by 1931, was appearing in films in which he was known for his portrayals of impeccable English gentlemen not given to displays of emotion. In the 1960s, he branched out into television before finally retiring in 1982.
In 1960 he appeared in Five Finger Exercise
Five Finger Exercise
Five Finger Exercise is a 1962 drama film made by Columbia Pictures. It was directed by Daniel Mann and produced by Frederick Brisson from a screenplay by Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett, based on the play by Peter Shaffer....
at the Music Box Theatre in New York City. He was nominated for the 1966 Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play
Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play
The Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play presented since 1947, is awarded to actors in productions of new or revival plays.-1940s:*1947 - José Ferrer – Cyrano de Bergerac / Fredric March – Years Ago...
for Ivanov.
He lost half a lung to tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
.
He was married twice, first to actress, director and casting agent Daphne Rye
Daphne Rye
Daphne Rye was a director, actress and casting directorRye was casting agent for the company H. M. Tennent. She discovered a number of talents who became big names, including Richard Burton, later one of Rye's lodgers. She also helped Kenneth More and Honor Blackman...
between 1932 and 1946, then to Nan Hopkins from 1947 until his death of a heart attack in 1984. He had two children with his first wife, actor Michael Culver
Michael Culver
Michael Culver is an English actor.He was born in Hampstead, London, the son of actor Roland Culver and casting director Daphne Rye...
and Robin Culver.
Culver wrote the play A River Breeze and his autobiography is called Not Quite a Gentleman.
Partial filmography
- Love on WheelsLove on WheelsLove on Wheels is a 1932 British musical comedy film directed by Victor Saville and starring Jack Hulbert, Leonora Corbett, Gordon Harker and Edmund Gwenn.-Cast:* Jack Hulbert - Fred Hopkins* Leonora Corbett - Jane Russell* Gordon Harker - Briggs...
(1932) - C.O.D.C.O.D. (film)C.O.D. is a 1932 British crime film directed by Michael Powell and starring Garry Marsh, Arthur Stratton and Sybil Grove. A man assists a woman to dispose of the body of her stepfather....
(1932) - Puppets of FatePuppets of FatePuppets of Fate is a 1933 British crime film directed by George A. Cooper and starring Godfrey Tearle, Isla Bevan, Russell Thorndike and Fred Groves.-Cast:* Godfrey Tearle - Richard Sabine* Isla Bevan - Joan Harding* Russell Thorndike - Doctor Munroe...
(1933) - Her Imaginary LoverHer Imaginary LoverHer Imaginary Lover is a 1933 British comedy film directed by George King and starring Laura La Plante and Percy Marmont.The film was a quota quickie production based on the play Green Stockings by A. E. W...
(1933) - Two Hearts in Waltz TimeTwo Hearts in Waltz Time (1934 film)Two Hearts in Waltz Time is a 1934 British musical romance film directed by Carmine Gallone and Joe May. It starred Carl Brisson, Frances Day, Bert Coote and Roland Culver. A composer falls in love with the star of an opera company.-Cast:...
(1934) - French Without TearsFrench Without Tears (film)French Without Tears is a 1940 comedy film directed by Anthony Asquith and starring Ray Milland. It was based on the play of the same name by Terence Rattigan who also co-wrote the script.-Cast:* Ray Milland - Alan Howard* Ellen Drew - Diana Lake...
(1940) - Blind FollyBlind FollyBlind Folly is a 1940 British comedy film directed by Reginald Denham and starring Clifford Mollison, Lilli Palmer and Leslie Perrins. A man inherits a nightclub that belonged to his brother but soon discovers that it is the headquarters for a dangerous criminal gang.-Cast:* Clifford Mollison -...
(1940) - Night Train to MunichNight Train to MunichNight Train to Munich is a 1940 British thriller film. It was directed by Carol Reed, with writing credits by Sidney Gilliat and Frank Launder. It is liberally adapted from the Gordon Wellesley novel Report on a Fugitive.-Plot:...
(1940) - Old Bill and SonOld Bill and SonOld Bill and Son is a 1941 British, black-and-white, comedy, war film, directed by Ian Dalrymple and starring Morland Graham, John Mills, Mary Clare and Ronald Shiner as Herbert 'Bert' Smith. It was produced by Legeran Films.-Synopsis:...
(1941) - Quiet WeddingQuiet WeddingQuiet Wedding is a 1941 British comedy film directed by Anthony Asquith and starring Margaret Lockwood, Derek Farr and Marjorie Fielding. The screenplay was written by Terence Rattigan and Anatole de Grunwald based on the play Quiet Wedding by Esther McCracken which was later remade as Happy is the...
(1941) - This EnglandThis England (film)This England is a 1941 British historical drama film directed by David MacDonald and starring John Clements, Constance Cummings and Emlyn Williams...
(1941) - The Day Will DawnThe Day Will DawnThe Day Will Dawn, released in the U.S. as The Avengers, is a 1942 war film set in Norway during World War II. It stars Ralph Richardson, Deborah Kerr, Hugh Williams and Griffith Jones, and was directed by Harold French from a script written by Anatole de Grunwald, Patrick Kirwan and Terence...
(1942) - One of Our Aircraft Is MissingOne of Our Aircraft is MissingOne of Our Aircraft is Missing is a 1942 British war film, the fourth collaboration between the British writer-director-producer team of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger and the first film they made under the banner of The Archers...
(1942) - Unpublished StoryUnpublished StoryUnpublished Story is a 1942, British, black-and-white, drama, war film, directed by Harold French and starring Ronald Shiner as the agitating, Pamphleteer or Leaflet Distributor, Richard Greene, Valerie Hobson, Basil Radford and Roland Culver...
(1942) - The First of the FewThe First of the FewThe First of the Few, known as Spitfire in the United States, is a 1942 British film directed by and starring Leslie Howard as R.J. Mitchell, the designer of the Supermarine Spitfire, alongside co-star David Niven. The film's score was written by William Walton...
(1942) - Secret MissionSecret MissionSecret Mission is a 1942 British drama film directed by Harold French and starring Hugh Williams, James Mason, Nancy Price, Carla Lehmann and Roland Culver...
(1942) - Dear OctopusDear OctopusDear Octopus is a 1943 British comedy film directed by Harold French and starring Margaret Lockwood, Michael Wilding and Celia Johnson. It is based on a 1938 play Dear Octopus written by Dodie Smith...
(1943) - The Life and Death of Colonel BlimpThe Life and Death of Colonel BlimpThe Life and Death of Colonel Blimp is a 1943 film by the British film making team of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger under the production banner of The Archers. It stars Roger Livesey, Deborah Kerr and Anton Walbrook. The title derives from the satirical Colonel Blimp comic strip by David...
(1943) - On ApprovalOn Approval (1944 film)On Approval is a 1944 British comedy film directed by Clive Brook and starring Beatrice Lillie, Clive Brook and Googie Withers. It is based on the play On Approval by Frederick Lonsdale.-Cast:* Beatrice Lillie - Maria Wislack* Clive Brook - George...
(1944) - Dead of NightDead of NightDead of Night is a British portmanteau horror film made by Ealing Studios, its various episodes directed by Alberto Cavalcanti, Charles Crichton, Basil Dearden and Robert Hamer. The film stars Mervyn Johns, Googie Withers and Michael Redgrave...
(1945) - Perfect StrangersPerfect Strangers (1945 film)Perfect Strangers , is a 1945 British drama film made by London Films. It stars Robert Donat and Deborah Kerr as a married couple whose relationship is shaken by their service in the Second World War. The supporting cast includes Glynis Johns, Ann Todd, Roland Culver, and Roger Moore in his...
(1945) - To Each His OwnTo Each His Own (film)To Each His Own is a 1946 American drama film. It was directed by Mitchell Leisen, and stars Olivia de Havilland, Mary Anderson, Roland Culver, and John Lund in his first on-screen appearance, where he played dual roles as father and son. The screenplay was written by Charles Brackett and Jacques...
(1946) - Wanted for MurderWanted for Murder (film)Wanted for Murder is a 1946 British crime film directed by Lawrence Huntington.-Plot:Anne Fielding is delayed on the London Underground making her late for a meeting with her friend, Victor James Colebrooke. There, she meets Jack Williams who is also delayed. The two take an immediate liking to...
(1946) - Down to EarthDown to Earth (1947 film)Down to Earth is a musical comedy starring Rita Hayworth, Larry Parks, and Marc Platt, and directed by Alexander Hall. It is a sequel to the 1941 film Here Comes Mr. Jordan, also directed by Hall. Edward Everett Horton and James Gleason reprise their roles from the earlier film, but Roland Culver...
(1947) - SingaporeSingapore (1947 film)Singapore is a American romance film directed by John Brahm and starring Fred MacMurray and Ava Gardner. The film was remade as Istanbul with the location moved to Turkey.-Plot:...
(1947) - The Emperor WaltzThe Emperor WaltzThe Emperor Waltz is a 1948 American musical film directed by Billy Wilder. The screenplay by Wilder and Charles Brackett was inspired by a real-life incident involving Franz Joseph I of Austria.- Plot :...
(1948) - The Great LoverThe Great Lover (1949 film)The Great Lover is a 1949 comedy film starring Bob Hope, Rhonda Fleming, and Roland Young. A scout leader takes his troop on an ocean cruise, pursues a beautiful duchess and is stalked by a murderer.-Cast:*Bob Hope as Freddie Hunter...
(1949) - TrioTrio (1950 film)Trio is a 1950 British anthology film based on three short stories by W. Somerset Maugham: "The Verger", "Mr. Know-All" and "Sanatorium". Ken Annakin directed "The Verger" and "Mr...
(1950) - The Late Edwina BlackThe Late Edwina BlackThe Late Edwina Black is a 1951 British drama film, directed by Maurice Elvey and starring David Farrar, Geraldine Fitzgerald and Roland Culver...
(1951)
- EncoreEncore (1951 film)Encore is a 1951 anthology film composed of adaptations of three short stories by W. Somerset Maugham:*"The Ant and the Grasshopper", directed by Pat Jackson and adapted by T. E. B...
(1951) - Hotel SaharaHotel SaharaHotel Sahara is a 1951 British comedy film directed by Ken Annakin and starring Yvonne De Carlo, Peter Ustinov and David Tomlinson.-Cast:* Yvonne De Carlo as Yasmin Pallas* Peter Ustinov as Emad* David Tomlinson as Captain Puffin Cheyne...
(1951) - The Holly and the IvyThe Holly and the Ivy (film)The Holly and the Ivy is a 1952 drama film about an English clergyman whose neglect of his grown offspring, in his zeal to tend to his parishioners, comes to the surface at a Christmas family gathering. It stars Ralph Richardson, Celia Johnson, and Margaret Leighton...
(1952) - Folly to Be WiseFolly to Be WiseFolly to Be Wise is a 1953 British comedy film directed by Frank Launder and starring Alastair Sim, Elizabeth Allan, Roland Culver, Colin Gordon, Martita Hunt and Edward Chapman. It is based on the play It Depends What You Mean by James Bridie...
(1953) - BetrayedBetrayed (1954 film)Betrayed is a 1954 war drama film made by MGM. It was directed by Gottfried Reinhardt, from a screenplay by Ronald Millar and George Froeschel. The music score was by Walter Goehr and Bronislau Kaper, the cinematography by Freddie Young....
(1954) - The Teckman MysteryThe Teckman MysteryThe Teckman Mystery is a 1954 British mystery film directed by Wendy Toye and starring Margaret Leighton, John Justin, Roland Culver and Michael Medwin.-Cast:* Margaret Leighton - Helen Teckman* John Justin - Philip Chance...
(1954) - The Man Who Loved RedheadsThe Man Who Loved RedheadsThe Man Who Loved Redheads is a 1955 British comedy film directed by Harold French and starring Moira Shearer, John Justin and Roland Culver. The film is based on the play Who is Sylvia? by Terence Rattigan.-Cast:...
(1955) - The Ship That Died of ShameThe Ship That Died of ShameThe Ship That Died of Shame released in the United States as PT Raiders is a black-and-white 1955 Ealing Studios crime film starring George Baker, Richard Attenborough and Bill Owen....
(1955) - Touch and GoTouch and Go (1955 film)Touch and Go is a Technicolor British film comedy, directed by Michael Truman and released by Ealing Studios in 1955. The film was indifferently received on release and is not generally included in the canon of classic Ealing Comedies...
(1955) - An Alligator Named DaisyAn Alligator Named DaisyAn Alligator Named Daisy is a 1955 British comedy film directed by J. Lee Thompson and starring Donald Sinden, Jeannie Carson, James Robertson Justice, Diana Dors, Roland Culver and Stanley Holloway.-Plot:...
(1955) - Rockets Galore!Rockets Galore! (film)Rockets Galore! is a 1957 comedy film sequel to Whisky Galore! It was much less successful than its predecessor.It was directed by Michael Relph and based on the novel by Compton Mackenzie...
(1957) - The Truth About WomenThe Truth About WomenThe Truth About Women is a 1957 British comedy film directed by Muriel Box and starring Laurence Harvey, Julie Harris, Mai Zetterling and Diane Cilento...
(1957) - The Vicious CircleThe Vicious Circle (1957 film)The Vicious Circle is a 1957 British thriller film directed by Gerald Thomas and starring John Mills, Noelle Middleton, Wilfrid Hyde-White and Lionel Jeffries. A leading Harley Street specialist is forced to work with the police to nail a gang of international criminals, after being falsely accused...
(1957) - Bonjour Tristesse (1958)
- A Pair of BriefsA Pair of BriefsA Pair of Briefs is a 1962 British legal comedy film directed by Ralph Thomas and starring Michael Craig, Mary Peach, Brenda De Banzie and James Robertson Justice...
(1962) - Term of TrialTerm of TrialTerm of Trial is a 1962 British drama film made by Romulus Films Ltd. and distributed by Warner-Pathé. It was written and directed by Peter Glenville and produced by James Woolf with James H. Ware as associate producer from a screenplay based on the novel of the same name by James Barlow...
(1962) - The Yellow Rolls-RoyceThe Yellow Rolls-Royce-External links:, a promotional short subject for the film...
(1964) - ThunderballThunderball (film)Thunderball is the fourth spy film in the James Bond series starring Sean Connery as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond. It is an adaptation of the novel of the same name by Ian Fleming, which in turn was based on an original screenplay by Jack Whittingham...
(1965) - A Man Could Get KilledA Man Could Get KilledA Man Could Get Killed is a 1966 adventure comedy film directed Ronald Neame and Cliff Owen, shot on various locations in Portugal and starring James Garner, Melina Mercouri, Sandra Dee, Anthony Franciosa, and Robert Coote, as well as the fourteen year old Jenny Agutter in a minor role. The...
(1966) - In Search of GregoryIn Search of GregoryIn Search of Gregory is a 1969 drama film directed by Peter Wood and starring Julie Christie.-Cast:* Julie Christie - Catherine Morelli* Michael Sarrazin - Gregory Mulvey* John Hurt - Daniel* Adolfo Celi - Max* Paola Pitagora - Nicole...
(1969) - The Magic ChristianThe Magic Christian (film)The Magic Christian is a 1969 British comedy film directed by Joseph McGrath and starring Peter Sellers and Ringo Starr, with noteworthy appearances by John Cleese, Raquel Welch, Christopher Lee, Richard Attenborough and Roman Polanski. It was loosely adapted from the 1959 comic novel of the same...
(1969) - Fragment of FearFragment of FearFragment of Fear is a 1970 British thriller film starring David Hemmings, Gayle Hunnicutt, Wilfrid Hyde-White, Roland Culver, Flora Robson and Arthur Lowe. -Plot:...
(1970) - The Rise and Rise of Michael RimmerThe Rise and Rise of Michael RimmerThe Rise and Rise of Michael Rimmer is a British 1970 cult satire film written by and starring Peter Cook, John Cleese and Graham Chapman, and directed by Kevin Billington .-Synopsis:...
(1970) - The Legend of Hell HouseThe Legend of Hell HouseThe Legend of Hell House is a 1973 British horror film directed by John Hough and starring Pamela Franklin, Roddy McDowall, Clive Revill, and Gayle Hunnicutt. The screenplay was written by Richard Matheson based on his own novel Hell House.-Plot:...
(1973) - The Mackintosh ManThe Mackintosh ManThe Mackintosh Man is a 1973 British cold war spy thriller film directed by John Huston and starring Paul Newman, James Mason, Dominique Sanda and Ian Bannen. It was produced by John Foreman and William Hill as associate producer from a screenplay by Walter Hill and William Fairchild based on the...
(1973) - The Greek TycoonThe Greek TycoonThe Greek Tycoon is a 1978 American drama film directed by J. Lee Thompson. The screenplay by Morton S. Fine is based on a story by Fine, Nico Mastorakis, and Win Wells loosely based on Aristotle Onassis and his relationship with Jacqueline Kennedy.-Plot:...
(1978) - Rough Cut (1980)
- The MissionaryThe MissionaryThe Missionary is a 1982 British comedy directed by Richard Loncraine, produced by George Harrison, Denis O'Brian, Michael Palin and Neville C. Thompson. The film stars Palin as the Rev...
(1982)