Stanley Baker
Sir William Stanley Baker (born February 28, 1928 in Ferndale , Rhondda Valley , Wales , † June 28, 1976 in Málaga , Andalusia , Spain ) was a British film and theater actor and film producer .
biography
Born in an industrial Welsh district and the son of a miner , Baker did not move to London with his parents until the mid-1930s . Together with his friend, Richard Burton , later also known as an actor , Baker was discovered and promoted by the teacher Glyn Morse. Like Burton, Baker made his debut on the theater stage in Cardiff .
Baker began his film career in 1943. His debut film Undercover was about Yugoslavia's partisan war during World War II . The 1950s and 1960s were Baker's heyday, when he starred in large-scale productions such as The Cannons of Navarone and Sodom and Gomorrah, as well as ambitious films such as those of director Joseph Losey , for whom he appeared four times in front of the camera.
Baker also produced eight feature films between 1964 and 1970, including Zulu and Charlie scooping millions . In 1975 he played the leading role in the six-part television series So green was my valley based on the novel by Richard Llewellyn, which was also successful in Germany . He played a Welsh miner, head of the Morgan family.
Baker was married to Ellen Martin from 1950 until his death. The marriage had four children. Stanley Baker was always politically active, so he supported Harold Wilson's Labor Party and was an active member of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament .
Baker was diagnosed with lung cancer and was in Spain for an operation when Harold Wilson proposed him to Queen Elizabeth II in June 1976 for the title of Knight Bachelor . Shortly afterwards, at the age of 48, he died of complications from his cancer surgery. Although the accolade could not be carried out at Buckingham Palace (usually the prerequisite for being allowed to bear the title), the title was awarded to him posthumously.
Filmography (selection)
- 1943: Undercover
- 1951: The King's Admiral (Captain Horatio Hornblower RN)
- 1952: The Cruel Sea (The Cruel Sea)
- 1953: The Knights of the Round Table (Knights of the Round Table)
- 1953: The Tell-Tale Heart
- 1954: Four fall by the wayside (The Good Die Young)
- 1954: Hell Below Zero
- 1955: Richard III. (Richard III)
- 1955: The beautiful Helena (Helen of Troy)
- 1956: On the front lines (A Hill in Korea)
- 1956: Child in the House
- 1956: Alexander the Great (Alexander the Great)
- 1957: Dangerous Legacy (Campbell's Kingdom)
- 1957: Duel at the wheel (Hell Drivers)
- 1958: Children of the Street (Violent Playground)
- 1959: Hill of Secrets (The Angry Hills)
- 1959: enemies of yesterday (Yesterday's Enemy)
- 1959: The Deadly Trap (Blind Date)
- 1959: Death is Belated (Jet Storm)
- 1960: Hetzjagd (Hell Is a City)
- 1960: The trail leads nowhere (The Criminal)
- 1961: The Guns of Navarone (The Guns of Navaronne)
- 1962: Sodom and Gomorrah (Sodom and Gomorrah)
- 1962: Eva
- 1962: The Net (A Prize of Arms)
- 1963: Plaisir d'amour (In the French Style)
- 1964: Zulu
- 1965: Sands of the Kalahari (Sands of the Kalahari)
- 1965: A case for Tom Davis (Dingaka)
- 1967: Accident - Incident in Oxford (Accident)
- 1967: Raid (Robbery)
- 1968: You don't catch men with pistols (La ragazza con la pistola)
- 1969: Where's Jack?
- 1970: Meeting point at London Airport (Perfect Friday)
- 1971: Popsy Pop
- 1972: He who lives last lives best (Innocent Bystanders)
- 1975: Zorro
- 1975: My valley was so green (TV series)
- 1976: Orzowei - White Son of the Little King (Orzowei, il figlio della savana) (TV series)
Awards
- 1960: nominated for the British Film Academy Award for Enemies of Yesterday (Category: Best British Actor)
- 1977: Emmy nomination for How Green Was My Valley (Masterpiece Theater)
Web links
- Stanley Baker in theInternet Movie Database(English)
- Stanley Baker on the British Film Institute website
- Stanley Baker on Screen Online (English)
personal data | |
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SURNAME | Baker, Stanley |
ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Baker, William Stanley (full name) |
BRIEF DESCRIPTION | British film and theater actor and film producer |
DATE OF BIRTH | February 28, 1928 |
PLACE OF BIRTH | Ferndale , Rhondda Valley , Wales |
DATE OF DEATH | June 28, 1976 |
Place of death | Málaga , Andalusia , Spain |