Sir Donald Sinden CBE FRSA
Pinewood Studios publicity shot,c. 1956
Born	Donald Alfred Sinden (1923-10-09)9 October 1923 Plymouth,Devon, England
Died	12 September 2014(2014-09-12) (aged 90) Wittersham,Kent, England
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1941–2013
Spouse	Diana Mahony ​ ​ (m. 1948; died 2004)​
Children	Jeremy Marc
Awards	Knight Bachelor;CBE;FRSA; see awards table

Sir Donald Alfred Sinden (9 October 1923 – 12 September 2014)^[1] was an English actor.

Sinden featured in the filmMogambo (1953), and achieved early fame as aRank Organisation film star in the 1950s in films includingThe Cruel Sea (1953),Doctor in the House (1954),Simba (1955),Eyewitness (1956) andDoctor at Large (1957).

He became highly regarded as an award-winning Shakespearean and West End theatre actor and television sitcom star, winning the 1977Evening Standard Award for Best Actor forKing Lear, and starring in the sitcomsTwo's Company (1975–79) andNever the Twain (1981–91).

Sinden was born inSt Budeaux,Plymouth,Devon^[2] on 9 October 1923, the middle child of chemist Alfred Edward Sinden and his wife Mabel Agnes (née Fuller). His elder sister Joy became an English teacher at Claverham Community College inBattle, East Sussex, and younger brother Leon (1927–2015) became an actor.^[3] They grew up inDitchling, East Sussex, where their home 'The Limes' doubled as the local chemist's shop.^[4] After attending a number of private schools, Donald was sent to Hassocks Primary, and thence to Burgess Hill Secondary School after failing his 11-plus qualifying test.^[5]

Sinden made his first stage appearance at the amateurBrighton Little Theatre (of which he later became president) in 1941, stepping into a part in place of his cousin Frank, who had beencalled up to war and so was unable to appear. Offered a professional acting part by the Brighton impresario Charles F. Smith, he made his first professional appearance in January 1942, playing Dudley in a production ofGeorge and Margaret for the Mobile Entertainments Southern Area company (known as MESA) and in other modern comedies, playing to the armed forces all along the South Coast of England during the Second World War^[6] and later trained as an actor for two terms^[7] at theWebber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art.^[6]

Rejected forWorld War II naval service because ofasthma, Sinden joined a theatrical company that entertained soldiers, sailors and airmen during the war.^[8]

In 1942, inHove, Sinden befriendedLord Alfred Douglas (known as "Bosie"), who had beenOscar Wilde's lover. He is believed to have been the last surviving person to have known Douglas.^[9]

After the critical and financial success of his first screen leading role inThe Cruel Sea (1953), made byEaling Studios, in which he co-starred and received top-billing withJack Hawkins, Sinden was contracted for seven years to theRank Organisation atPinewood Studios and subsequently had prominent roles in 23 movies during the 1950s and early 1960s, includingMogambo;Doctor in the House;Above Us the Waves;The Black Tent;Eyewitness;Doctor at Large;The Siege of Sidney Street andTwice Round the Daffodils.^[10][11]

Sinden became associated with his character of "Benskin" in theDoctor film series as the duffel-coated medical student, regularly failing his finals and spending most of his time chasing pretty nurses, accompanied by his trade-mark "wolf-growl".^[12]

Sinden was the recipient of several "audience-based" awards during this period, including "The actor who made most progress during 1954".^[13] In 1956, a profile was written on him which stated:

In the three years since his début inThe Cruel Sea, the un-temperamental Sinden has moved steadily up the British film ladder until people are noticing, not without surprise, that he is suddenly one of the country's prime box-office favourites. It's as though he arrived on tiptoe. He is not colourful or flamboyant, yet he has his niche in public favour, as a recent poll proved: British women-folk voted him "The face we'd most like to see across our breakfast table." This defines with a certain accuracy the sure, dependable appeal of the man who, so far, has shared star billing with some other more boisterous male idols. He has usually been left, crestfallen and jilted, in the last reel.^[14]

However, Sinden never became a top movie star.^[15]

In 1949, he appeared inThe Heiress at theTheatre Royal, Haymarket oppositeRalph Richardson andPeggy Ashcroft, directed byJohn Gielgud. In hisSky Arts documentary seriesGreat West End Theatres, Sinden said that the play ran for 644 performances (19 months) and he was the only member of the cast not to have missed a performance: "As the play is the longest run in the [Haymarket] theatre's history, I therefore gave more consecutive performances in this theatre than any other actor since it was built in 1820." The management gave him an engraved silver ashtray as a present in recognition of the fact, which he showed in the episode.^[16]

Theatre being his first "love",^[17] he was a notedfarceur and wonbest actor awards for his appearances in theRay Cooney farcesNot Now, Darling (1967);Two into One (1984) andOut of Order (1990). In 1976, he was nominated for aTony Award asBest Actor for his performance onBroadway as Arthur Wicksteed inAlan Bennett's comedyHabeas Corpus. His other notable leading performances in thecommercial theatre included roles in productions such asThere's a Girl in My Soup (1966);In Praise of Love (1973);An Enemy of the People (1975);Present Laughter (1981);The School for Scandal (1983);The Scarlet Pimpernel (1985);Major Barbara (1988);Diversions and Delights (one-man show asOscar Wilde, 1989);She Stoops to Conquer (1993);That Good Night (1996) andQuartet (1999).^[18][19]

Sinden was a leading figure in the campaign to found theTheatre Museum in London'sCovent Garden in the 1980s.^[6] In 2007, Sinden embarked on a UK, European and American theatre tour to talk about his life, work and anecdotes inAn Evening with... Sir Donald Sinden. Produced by his sonMarc, this included, on 8 November 2007 as part of Marc'sBritish Theatre Season, Monaco, a performance in front ofPrince Albert of Monaco (the son ofGrace Kelly, his co-star in the filmMogambo) at theThéâtre Princesse Grace,Monte Carlo.^[20]

Joining theShakespeare Memorial Theatre company in 1946,^[21] Sinden was an Associate Artist of theRoyal Shakespeare Company (RSC) from 1967. Outstanding among his many stage appearances for the RSC, both atStratford-upon-Avon and in London'sWest End (usually at theAldwych Theatre), was his performance in 1963 as the Duke of York inThe Wars of the Roses oppositePeggy Ashcroft as Queen Margaret.

Other performances by Sinden for the company wereEh? byHenry Livings in 1964; as Lord Foppington inThe Relapse in 1967;Malvolio inTwelfth Night (oppositeJudi Dench as Viola) in 1969^[22] and again with Dench and her husbandMichael Williams in 1972, as Sir Harcourt Courtly inLondon Assurance (New Theatre).

After the production transferred to New York in 1975, Sinden became the first recipient of the newly establishedBroadwayDrama Desk Special Award.^[19][23] Sinden sought and received advice about the character's costume and mannerisms in the role from the Regency novelistGeorgette Heyer.^[24]

For the 1976 Stratford season and then at the Aldwych Theatre in 1977, Sinden won theEvening Standard Award as Best Actor for his performance in the title role ofKing Lear (with Michael Williams as the Fool). Meanwhile, he was also portraying inrepertory,Benedick (regarded as "the most admired Benedick in living memory")^[25] opposite Judi Dench's Beatrice inJohn Barton's highly acclaimed^[26] 'British Raj' revival ofMuch Ado About Nothing.^[27][28] At the same time he was also rehearsing the third season of theLWT sitcomTwo's Company withElaine Stritch during the daytime and filming the show at thestudio in front of a live audience on Sunday evenings.^[29] He claimed "RSC money isn't very good compared with a normal commercial theatre rate. I was on their 'star' salary, which meant it worked out at about £47 per performance! You work for them 'for the honour' of doing the greatest classical plays, not for the money, so you have to make up the financial short-fall somewhere".^[20]

In 1979, he played the title role inOthello, directed byRonald Eyre, becoming the last 'blacked-up white' actor to play the role for the RSC.^[a]Everyman editor and critic Gareth Lloyd Evans observed that his interpretation was "not…about colour or racialism" but one that illuminated the character's personal tragedy.^[31][32]

In 2013, Sinden presented a documentary series,Great West End Theatres, detailing the history and stories associated with each of tenLondon theatres. Directed and produced by his sonMarc, it was intended as a 40-part DVD andSky Arts TV series, with only the first ten episodes completed. It was shown on Sky Arts 2 in 2013.^[33]

In their review of the series, theBritish Theatre Guide said "Sir Donald's gorgeous plummy tones are a joy to listen to whatever he is saying but when he is extolling the virtues of one of his own favourite theatres, the pleasure is heightened. At his first entrance, he announces that he is "tingling with excitement" which is just what one wants from a tour guide. Soon enough, so are viewers."^[34]

The Daily Telegraph's review states: "Great West End Theatres is a lovely documentary series, made by the directorMarc Sinden. Its star, and – it transpires – the best documentary frontman of all time, is his actor-father: Sir Donald Sinden, 90 years old next month. Sir Donald has been let loose and the effect is enchanting beyond belief. It is also, at times, incredibly funny. One has the sense of a lifetime spent in this world, being poured out for our delight like glasses of vintage champagne."^[35]

Sinden appeared inITV's 1960 adaptation ofThe Mystery of Edwin Drood, starring as John Jasper.No audio or video recordings of the production are known to have survived. In 1963, he appeared in theAssociated Rediffusion seriesOur Man at St. Mark's.^[36] His other television roles included The Colonel in an episode ofThe Prisoner ("Many Happy Returns", 1967).

After starring in the seriesThe Organisation (1971), he co-starred in theLondon Weekend Television situation comedyTwo's Company which debuted in 1975. Sinden was cast in the role of an English butler, Robert, toElaine Stritch's American character, Dorothy. Much of the humour derived from the culture clashes between Robert's very stiff-upper-lip Britishness and Dorothy's devil-may-care New York view on life.Two's Company was well received in Britain and ran for four seasons until 1979. The programme was nominated for a 'Best Situation Comedy'BAFTA in 1977.^[37] Stritch and Sinden also sang the theme tune for the opening credits to the programme, which received aBAFTA nomination. They each received aBAFTA nomination in 1979 for 'Best Light Entertainment Performance'^[38] and the show received two additionalBAFTA nominations that year.

In 1978, Sinden was the leading guest star in the first "special" ofThames Television'sThe Morecambe & Wise Show, in which he carried on the butler's role.

In 1979, Sinden presented a documentary series on BBC2 (later repeated in 1981 on BBC1),Discovering English Churches inspired by his grandfather's architectural drawings and watercolours. Over ten episodes, Sinden explored the unique history of the English church, and the influences that shaped the development of 16,000 churches, showing the history of two or three churches in each episode.^[39]

From 1981, Sinden starred in theThames Television situation comedy,Never the Twain. He played snooty antiques dealer Simon Peel who lived next door to a competitor, Oliver Smallbridge (played byWindsor Davies). The characters hated each other and were horrified when they discovered that their son and daughter were to be married – thus meaning they were related. The series was a TV ratings success and ran for 11 series until 1991.

He was the subject of an extended edition ofThis Is Your Life in 1985 when he was surprised byEamonn Andrews while filming on location in Surrey.^{[citation needed]}

Sinden was regularly spoofed onSpitting Image, the 1980s British satirical television programme in which famous people were lampooned by caricatured latex puppets. Much of theSpitting Image humour was centred around Sinden being a "ham" actor, foreveroveracting and behaving in an overly theatrical way. For example, when his puppet, sitting in a restaurant, summons a waiter and asks "Do you serve a ham salad?" the waiter replies "Yes, we serve salad to anyone".

From 2001 to 2007, he played the part of senior judge (and father-in-law of the title character), Sir Joseph Channing inJudge John Deed and was the voice ofTotally Viral. In 2008, he played Colonel Henry Hammond in theMidsomer Murders episode "Shot at Dawn." In 2010 he played Sir Henry Clithering in theAgatha Christie's Marple episode "The Blue Geranium".

He starred in theWalt Disney Productions family filmThe Island at the Top of the World (1974), playing Sir Anthony Ross, which was filmed at Disney's studios inBurbank, California.^[40]

Sinden's distinctive voice was heard frequently on radio, including as Sir Charles Baskerville in aBBC Radio 4 adaptation of theSherlock Holmes storyThe Hound of the Baskervilles.^[6] He starred in multiple adaptations ofJohn Dickson Carr'sDr. Gideon Fell mysteries, includingThe House on Gallows Lane,The Hollow Man andBlack Spectacles,To Wake the Dead,The Blind Barber andThe Mad Hatter Mystery.^[40]

Sinden wrote two autobiographical volumes:A Touch of the Memoirs (1982) andLaughter in the Second Act (1985), edited theEveryman Book of Theatrical Anecdotes (1987), wrote a book to coincide with hisBBC TV seriesThe English Country Church (1988) and a collection of "epitaphs and final utterances" titledThe Last Word (1994).^[41]

Sinden was appointedCommander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 1979 andknighted in 1997.^[42] He became aFellow of the Royal Society of Arts (FRSA) in 1966 and received theFreedom of the City of London in 1997.^[42]

On 12 July 2005, he was awarded an honorary degree ofDoctor of Letters by theUniversity of Leicester^[43] and, on 20 July 2011, an honoraryDoctor of Arts degree from theUniversity of Kent.^[44]

In reply to a question from an audience member during a performance at theYvonne Arnaud Theatre ofAn Evening with... Sir Donald Sinden, he said he had worked out that, apart from "gaps before the next job started", he had only had a total of five weeks' unemployment between 1942 and 2008.^[17]

In 2004, the purpose-built theatre located in the grounds ofHomewood School atTenterden in Kent was named theSinden Theatre.^[45]

Sinden was honorary president of theGarden Suburb Theatre, an amateur theatre group based inHampstead Garden Suburb where he was resident from 1954 until 1997.^[46]

On 9 October 2012, he celebrated his 89th birthday and his retirement after 30 years as the longest-standing president of the Royal Theatrical Fund (founded byCharles Dickens in 1839) with a celebratory lunch for 350 guests at thePark Lane Hotel, London; this was compered byRuss Abbot, and the subsequent charity auction was conducted byLord Archer of Weston-super-Mare. Leading the tributes wasJean Kent, who had co-starred with Sinden inBernard Delfont's 1951 stage production ofFroufrou; letters from QueenElizabeth II andPrince Albert of Monaco were read out, and speeches made byGyles Brandreth,Ray Cooney, andJulian Fellowes.

Sinden received, posthumously, theGielgud Award for Excellence in the Dramatic Arts at theGuildhall, London, during the 2014Theatre Awards UK ceremony, held on 19 October. The award was collected on his behalf by his son,Marc Sinden.^[47][48]

Sinden was married to the actress Diana Mahony from 3 May 1948 until her death fromstomach cancer aged 77 on 22 October 2004.^[49][50][51] The couple had two sons: actorJeremy Sinden (1950–1996), who died oflung cancer, and actor and filmmakerMarc Sinden (born 1954).^[1][42] Sinden had four grandchildren and one great-granddaughter.^[52]

Sinden wascolour blind^[53] and suffered fromasthma, which prevented him from joining the armed forces during the Second World War^[54] and suffered fromnegative buoyancy, meaning that he was unable to float or swim in water, which was discovered while filmingThe Cruel Sea when the ship was sinking. Co-starJack Hawkins saved him from drowning in the open-air water tank atDenham Studios.^[54]

According to his second autobiography, while investigating his family genealogy he discovered that the only previous relatives who were also members of the theatrical profession were the Victorian brother and sister act ofBert and Topsy Sinden, who were distant cousins. Topsy achieved "some fame as a 'skirt dancer' and première danseuse at theEmpire Theatre of Varieties in Leicester Square."^[53]

Sinden died at his home inWittersham on theIsle of Oxney, Kent, on 12 September 2014, less than a month shy of his 91st birthday, fromprostate cancer diagnosed several years earlier.^[55][56] Speaking at his funeral, held on 19 September at St John the Baptist Church, Wittersham, were his grandson Hal Sinden,Dame Judi Dench andSir Patrick Stewart. The eulogy was read byLord Archer of Weston-super-Mare. An honorary life member and trustee of theGarrick Club in London, which he joined in 1960,^[57] Sinden was cremated in a coffin painted in the club's 'salmon and cucumber' colours.^[58]

The lights on the marquees of the West End's theatres were dimmed in his honour, in the traditional mark of respect to theatre's most notable contributors, on 12 September 2014.^[59]

It was announced that his estate on his death was valued at £2.3 million.^[60]

Ablue plaque in his memory was attached to his former family home inHampstead Garden Suburb in 2015^[61] and another to his country home in Wittersham, Isle of Oxney, Kent, in 2021.

• A Touch of the Memoirs (1982)ISBN 0340262354
• Laughter in the Second Act (1985)ISBN 0340285400
• Everyman Book of Theatrical Anecdotes (1987)ISBN 0460046926
• The English Country Church (1988)ISBN 0283995041
• The Last Word (1994)ISBN 0860518922

• Donald Sinden atIMDb
• Donald Sinden at theTCM Movie Database
• Donald Sinden at theInternet Broadway Database
• Donald Sinden at theBFI'sScreenonline
• Sinden Theatre, Tenterden
• "Donald Sinden at Home, 1959 – British Pathe"
• Donald Sinden atBritish Comedy Guide

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