Mervyn Johns
David Mervyn Johns (born February 18, 1899 in Pembroke , Pembrokeshire , † September 6, 1992 in Northwood , Middlesex ) was a British- Welsh writer and actor .
Life
Mervyn Johns first studied dentistry and then switched to acting training, which he completed at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art . His debut on stage in 1923 he appeared in England, Australia and South Africa, among others. This was followed by first roles in film from 1934. Johns, who played mostly sensitive, shy or absent-minded personalities, appeared in a number of well-known films and, without ever playing any real leading roles, achieved remarkable popularity in British entertainment films. His best-known roles included a fearful country house guest in the mystery film Dream Without End (1945) and the role of the poor employee Bob Cratchit in the Dickens film adaptation A Christmas Story (1951), and he also had supporting roles with Gregory Peck in Moby Dick (1956) and Howard Keel in Flowers of Terror (1963). By 1979 he was in front of the camera for over 100 film and television productions.
His only daughter from his first marriage to the Australian concert pianist Alyce Steele also became famous: the daughter Glynis Johns , born in 1923, worked as a film actress and dancer and starred in two films alongside her father, namely The Halfway House (1944) and The Endless Horizon (1960 ). After the death of his first wife in 1971 (after around 50 years of marriage) he married again in 1976: the actress Diana Churchill (1913-1994), this marriage lasted until his death in 1992. He was 93 years old.
Filmography (selection)
- 1939: Reef Pirates (Jamaica Inn)
- 1942: The Next of Kin
- 1943: San Demetrio (San Demetrio, London)
- 1944: The Halfway House
- 1945: Apotheker Sutton (Pink String and Sealing Wax)
- 1945: Dream without End (Death of Night)
- 1946: The Captive Heart (The Captive Heart)
- 1947: Captain Boycott
- 1948: Edward, My Son (Edward, My Son)
- 1948: Toto-Glück (Easy Money)
- 1948: quartet (Quartet)
- 1949: Men, Girls, Diamonds (Diamond City)
- 1951: A Christmas Story (Scrooge)
- 1951: The Wonderful Flicker Box (The Magic Box)
- 1954: Romeo and Juliet (Romeo and Juliet)
- 1956: Nineteen Eighty-Four (1984)
- 1956: Moby Dick
- 1956: Banks, bigwigs and bandits (The Counterfeit Plan)
- 1957: Interpol calls Berlin (The Vicious Circle)
- 1959: That Old Feeling (Once More, With Feeling!)
- 1960: The Marten of London (Never Let Go)
- 1960: The Endless Horizon (The Sundowners)
- 1961: Francis of Assisi (Francis of Assisi)
- 1961: Flowers of the Triffids (The Day of the Triffids)
- 1961: An echo of Barbara (Echo of Barbara)
- 1963: The winners (The Victors)
- 1963: The Old Dark House (The Old Dark House)
- 1963: 55 Days at Beijing
- 1965: Password "Heavy Water" (The Heroes of Telemark)
- 1972: To the Last Patient (The National Health)
Web links
- Mervyn Johns in the Internet Movie Database (English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ The Independent - Obituary: Mervyn Johns (September 12, 1992)
- ↑ Mervyn Johns in the Find a Grave database . Retrieved January 7, 2015.
- ↑ Kay Less : The film's great personal dictionary . The actors, directors, cameramen, producers, composers, screenwriters, film architects, outfitters, costume designers, editors, sound engineers, make-up artists and special effects designers of the 20th century. Volume 4: H - L. Botho Höfer - Richard Lester. Schwarzkopf & Schwarzkopf, Berlin 2001, ISBN 3-89602-340-3 , p. 232.
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Johns, Mervyn |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | British-Welsh author and actor |
| DATE OF BIRTH | February 18, 1899 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Pembroke , Pembrokeshire |
| DATE OF DEATH | September 6, 1992 |
| Place of death | Northwood , Middlesex |