Known For:
Acting
Birthday:
April 23, 1907
Place of Birth:
Lonavala, India
James Hayter (23 April 1907 – 27 March 1983) was a British actor.
He was born in Lonavala, India, brought up in Scotland and died in Spain. His best remembered film roles include Friar Tuck in the 1952 film The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men and Samuel Pickwick in The Pickwick Papers of the same year. His rotund appearance and fruity voice made him a natural choice for such roles.
A pupil of Dollar Academy, he became a graduate of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, his film career began in 1936 in Sensation, but was interrupted by World War II during which he served in the Royal Armoured Corps. His later career included roles in TV series such as The Forsyte Saga (1967), The Onedin Line and Are You Being Served?. His 1946 television series Pinwright's Progress, shown on the BBC, is recognised as the first real example of the half-hour situation comedy format in the history of British television. He was also the original narrator of the UK television advertisements for Mr. Kipling cakes. In fact, these ads led to his departure from Are You Being Served?; the cake company paid him a significant bonus to withdraw from the series, as they felt his reputation lent an air of dignity to their snack advertisements.
In the film Oliver!, he played Mr Jessop the book shop owner. He appeared in scenes when Dodger steals a gentleman's wallet outside the book shop and also when Oliver is in court charged with the robbery.
Hayter used to have a tree house in his back garden where he would retire of an evening to learn and practise his lines from his current script.
Description above from the Wikipedia article James Hayter, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Year | Movie | Role |
---|---|---|
1978 | The Light Princess | Owl (voice) |
1972 | Burke & Hare | Dr. Selby |
1971 | The Blood on Satan's Claw | Squire Middleton |
1971 | Not Tonight, Darling | Mr. Finlay / grocer owner |
1971 | The Firechasers | Inspector Herman |
1970 | The Horror of Frankenstein | Bailiff |
1970 | Song of Norway | Butler to Berg |
1969 | David Copperfield | Porter |
1968 | Oliver! | Mr. Jessop |
1967 | A Challenge for Robin Hood | Friar Tuck |
1967 | Cop-Out | Harry Hawkins |
1962 | Out of the Fog | Daniels |
1962 | Lawrence of Arabia | Sheik in Arab Council (uncredited) |
1962 | Go to Blazes | Pipe Smoker |
1959 | The 39 Steps | Mr Memory |
1959 | The Captain's Table | Earnshaw |
1959 | The Boy and the Bridge | Tugboat Skipper |
1958 | Gideon's Day | Robert Mason |
1958 | The Big Money | Mr Frith |
1958 | I Was Monty's Double | Sgt. Adams |
1958 | Gideon's Day | Mason |
1957 | Abandon Ship | 'Cookie' Morrow |
1957 | Mañana... | Silvestre |
1957 | The Heart Within | Grandfather Willard |
1957 | Sail Into Danger | Monty |
1956 | Port Afrique | Nino |
1956 | It's a Wonderful World | Bert Fielding |
1956 | Keep It Clean | Mr. Bouncenboy |
1955 | Touch and Go | Kimball |
1955 | Land of the Pharaohs | Mikka |
1954 | Beau Brummell | Mortimer |
1954 | For Better, for Worse | The Plumber |
1954 | The Awakening | The Chief |
1953 | Royal Review | Commentator (voice) |
1953 | Four Sided Triangle | Dr. Harvey |
1953 | Always a Bride | Dutton |
1953 | A Day to Remember | Fred Collins |
1953 | The Great Game | Joe Lawson |
1953 | Will Any Gentleman...? | Dr. Smith |
1952 | The Crimson Pirate | Prof. Prudence |
1952 | The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men | Friar Tuck |
1952 | The Pickwick Papers | Samuel Pickwick |
1952 | I'm A Stranger | Horatio Flowerdew |
1951 | Tom Brown's Schooldays | Old Thomas |
1951 | Flesh and Blood | Sir Douglas Manley |
1951 | Calling Bulldog Drummond | Bill |
1950 | Trio | Albert Foreman (segment "The Verger") |
1950 | Morning Departure | |
1950 | Waterfront | Ship's Captain |
1950 | Your Witness | Prouty |
1950 | Night and the City | Figler (uncredited) |
1949 | Once a Jolly Swagman | Pa Fox |
1949 | Dear Mr. Prohack | Carrell Quire |
1949 | Silent Dust | Pringle |
1949 | The Blue Lagoon | Dr Murdock |
1949 | All Over the Town | Councillor Baines |
1949 | For Them That Trespass | John Craigie 'Jocko' Glenn |
1949 | Passport to Pimlico | Commissionaire |
1949 | Helter Skelter | Inn Landlord |
1949 | Don't Ever Leave Me | Man with Summons |
1949 | The Spider and the Fly | Mayor |
1948 | The Fallen Idol | Perry |
1948 | A Song for Tomorrow | Nicholas Klausmann |
1948 | Bonnie Prince Charlie | Kingsburgh |
1948 | My Brother Jonathan | Tom Morse |
1948 | Woman Hater | Mr. Burrell |
1948 | No Room at the Inn | Councilor Trouncer |
1948 | Vice Versa | Bandmaster |
1948 | Quartet | Foreman of the Jury (segment "The Alien Corn") |
1947 | The End of the River | Chico |
1947 | The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby | Ned and Charles Cheeryble |
1947 | The October Man | Garage Man |
1947 | Captain Boycott | Music Hall Comic (uncredited) |
1947 | The Mark of Cain | Dr. White |
1946 | School for Secrets | Warrant Officer |
1946 | The Laughing Lady | Ostler |
1940 | Band Waggon | (uncredited) |
1940 | Sailors Three | Hans |
1939 | Murder in Soho | Nick Green |
1939 | Come on George! | Barker |
1938 | The Moon in the Yellow River | Captain Potts |
1938 | Marigold | Peter Gloag |
1938 | Big Fella | Chuck |
1937 | Aren't Men Beasts! | Minor Role |
1936 | Sensation | Jock |
Year | TV Show | Role |
---|---|---|
1974 | Father Brown | |
1972 | Are You Being Served? | Mr. Tebbs |
1971 | The Onedin Line | Captain Webster |
1969 | The Flaxton Boys | Nathan |
1961 | The Avengers | Ticket Collector |
1958 | Fair Game | |
1957 | Huntingtower | Dickson McCunn |