Francis De Wolff

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Francis De Wolff (born January 7, 1913 in Essex , England , † April 18, 1984 in Sussex , England) was a British actor.

life and career

After studying at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art , De Wolff made his film debut in the British film Ten Minute Alibi in 1935 , directed by Bernard Vorhaus . At first he concentrated mainly on his theater career, and it was not until the late 1940s that he appeared regularly in films. With his tall, heavy stature and full beard, the character actor was henceforth mostly used in supporting roles as a villain or henchman, including as the knight Front de Boeuf in the adventure film Ivanhoe - The Black Knight (1952) with Robert Taylor , Elizabeth Taylor and Joan Fontaine . He had a sympathetic role as the spirit of Christmas present in Brian Desmond Hurst's Dickens adaptation A Christmas Story (1951). Although he was British, he played foreigners and exotic people more often on screen, such as the gypsy Vavra in James Bond 007 - From Moscow with Love (1963).

De Wolff also gained notoriety through his appearances in the British hammer films , including as the village doctor Dr. Mortimer in The Hound of Baskerville (1959) and as a police inspector in Beat 12 in London (1960). In addition to his films, De Wolff was also seen in numerous television series, such as Agamemnon in several episodes of Doctor Who . By the time he retired in 1977, De Wolff had nearly 100 film and television appearances. He died in Sussex in 1984 at the age of 71, his body cremated and scattered.

Filmography (selection)

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Francis De Wolff in the Find a Grave database . Retrieved January 7, 2015.
personal data
SURNAME De Wolff, Francis
BRIEF DESCRIPTION British actor
DATE OF BIRTH January 7, 1913
PLACE OF BIRTH Essex , England
DATE OF DEATH April 18, 1984
Place of death Sussex , England