John Le Mesurier
John Charles Elton Le Mesurier De Somerys Hallilay (born April 5, 1912 in Bedford , Bedfordshire , England, † November 15, 1983 in Ramsgate , Kent , England) was a British actor .
life and work
John Le Mesurier was the son of a lawyer. He attended public school in Dorset and actually wanted to follow in his father's footsteps. But John soon realized that acting was his calling, and at the age of 20, with the blessings of his parents, he began studying at the Fay Compton School of Acting , where Alec Guinness was in his class. During World War II he served as a captain in the north-western Indian border area. After the war he returned to the stage and made his film debut in Death in the Hand in 1948 . He had numerous film roles in the late 1950s, particularly in productions by the Boulting Brothers. In 1968 he got his most famous role, that of Sgt. Arthur Wilson in the hit series Dad's Army . Although he preferred comedy, he was also active in drama and won a BAFTA award for best actor in 1971 for his role in Dennis Potter's television film Traitor .
John Le Mesurier was married three times. From 1939 to 1947 (divorce) with June Melville and from 1949 to 1965 (divorce) with Hattie Jacques , with whom he had two sons: Robin Le Mesurier (* 1952) and Kim Le Mesurier (1956-1991). In his third marriage from 1965 until his death in 1983 he was married to Joan Le Mesurier .
Filmography (selection)
- 1952: Mother Riley Meets the Vampire
- 1956: Panzerschiff Graf Spee (The Battle of the River Plate)
- 1958: Blood of the Vampire (Blood of the Vampire)
- 1959: The Hound of the Baskervilles (The Hound of the Baskervilles)
- 1959: Ben Hur
- 1960: The Marten of London (Never Let Go)
- 1961: You can only love as a couple (Only Two Can Play)
- 1962: Flat Two
- 1963: The Pink Panther (The Pink Panther)
- 1963: Even the little ones want to go up (The Mouse on the Moon)
- 1964: The Million Treasure (The Moon-Spinners)
- 1965: L - Der Lautlose (The Liquidator)
- 1965: City on the Sea (City Under the Sea)
- 1965: Daggers in the Kasbah (Where the Spies Are)
- 1966: Marrakech (Our Man in Marrakesh)
- 1966: With umbrella, charm and bowler hat (episode: Butlers are dangerous)
- 1967: The 25th Hour (La 25e Heure)
- 1969: Charlie dusts off millions (The Italian Job)
- 1970: On a Clear Day ... (On a Clear Day You Can See Forever)
- 1975: Sherlock Holmes 'Smarter Brother (The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother)
- 1977: Jabberwocky
- 1978: Die Schlemmer-Orgy (Who Is Killing the Great Chefs of Europe?)
- 1979: King Arthur and the Astronaut (Unidentified Flying Oddball)
- 1980: The malicious game of Dr. Fu Man Chu (The Fiendish Plot of Dr. Fu Manchu)
Web links
- John Le Mesurier in the Internet Movie Database (English)
personal data | |
---|---|
SURNAME | Mesurier, John Le |
ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Hallilay, John Charles Elton Le Mesurier De Somerys |
BRIEF DESCRIPTION | British actor |
DATE OF BIRTH | April 5, 1912 |
PLACE OF BIRTH | Bedford , Bedfordshire , England |
DATE OF DEATH | November 15, 1983 |
Place of death | Ramsgate , Kent |