Hugh Griffith | |
|---|---|
 Griffith in 1960 | |
| Born | Hugh Emrys Griffith (1912-05-30)30 May 1912 Marian-glas,Anglesey, Wales |
| Died | 14 May 1980(1980-05-14) (aged 67) London, England |
| Resting place | Golders Green Crematorium, London, England |
| Education | Llangefni County School |
| Alma mater | Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1939–1980 |
| Spouse | Adelgunde Margaret Beatrice von Dechend (m. 1947) |
| Relatives | Elen Roger Jones (sister) |
| Military career | |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Branch | British Army |
| Years of service | 1940–1946 |
| Unit | Royal Welch Fusiliers |
| Battles / wars | |
Hugh Emrys Griffith (30 May 1912 – 14 May 1980) was a Welsh actor.[1] Described byBFI Screenonline as a "wild-eyed, formidablecharacter player",[2] Griffith appeared in more than 100 theatre, film, and television productions in a career that spanned over 40 years.[2] He was the second Welsh-born actor to win anAcademy Award (followingRay Milland forThe Lost Weekend), winning aBest Supporting Actor Oscar for his role inBen-Hur (1959), with an additional nomination forTom Jones (1963).
As a stage actor, he was a renownedShakespearean and a member of theRoyal Shakespeare Company, and was nominated forTony Award for Best Actor in a Play for the original productionLook Homeward, Angel. He was also aBAFTA Award and a three-timeGolden Globe nominee forBest Supporting Actor – Motion Picture (forTom Jones; 1963,Oliver!; 1968, andThe Fixer, also 1968), and aClarence Derwent Award winner.
Griffith was born inMarian-glas,Anglesey,Wales, the youngest son of Mary and William Griffith.[3] His sister was actressElen Roger Jones. He was educated atLlangefni County School and attempted to gain entrance to university, but failed the English examination. He was then urged to make a career in banking, becoming a bank clerk and transferring to London to be closer to acting opportunities.[4]
Just as he was making progress and gained admission to theRoyal Academy of Dramatic Arts, he had to suspend his plans in order to join theBritish Army, serving for six years with theRoyal Welch Fusiliers in India and theBurma Campaign during theSecond World War.[4] He resumed his acting career in 1946, joining theRoyal Shakespeare Company.[5]
Between 1946 and 1976, Griffith won acclaim for many stage roles, in particular for his portrayals of Falstaff, Lear and Prospero.[4] Griffith performed on both sides of the Atlantic, taking leading roles in London, New York City andStratford. In 1952, he starred in the Broadway adaption ofLegend of Lovers, alongside fellow Welsh actorRichard Burton.[6]
In 1958, he was back in New York, this time taking a lead role in the opening production ofLook Homeward, Angel, alongsideAnthony Perkins.[7] Both he and Perkins were nominated for theTony Award forBest Actor in a Play.
Griffith began his film career in British films during the late 1940s, and by the 1950s was also working inHollywood. He won theAcademy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role inBen-Hur (1959), and was nominated for his performance inTom Jones (1963). In 1968, he appeared as the magistrate inOliver!. His later career was often blighted by his chronic alcoholism.[8][9]
He played the funeral director Caradog Lloyd-Evans in the 1978BBC Wales comedyGrand Slam. While visibly unwell at the time of shooting (years of alcohol abuse had taken their toll), Griffith's portrayal received widespread acclaim and helped the movie attain cult status.[citation needed]
Griffith was attached toOrson Welles'unproduced 1960s adaptation ofTreasure Island.
On television, he had major roles inQuatermass II (1955), aminiseries adaptation ofA. J. Cronin'sThe Citadel (1960) andClochemerle (1972).[citation needed] He also appeared in an episode, 'The Talking Head', ofColonel March of Scotland Yard.
He received an honorary degree from theUniversity of Wales,Bangor, in 1965.[10]
Griffith was married to Adelgunde Margaret Beatrice von Dechend in 1947. He was a lifelong friend and drinking companion of poetDylan Thomas.
Griffith, after being unwell for about a year, died in 1980 at his home inKensington, London,[10] at age 67.[11]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1939 | Johnson Was No Gentleman | Footman | TV movie |
| 1947 | The Wandering Jew | Juan de Texeda | TV movie |
| Maria Marten or, the Murder at the Red Barn | Ishmael | TV movie | |
| The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus | Mephistophilis | TV movie | |
| 1948 | A Comedy of Good and Evil | The Rev. John Williams | TV movie |
| 1952 | Goodyear Television Playhouse | Episode: "Tour of Duty" | |
| Lux Video Theatre | Constantine / Man with Cello | Episodes: "The Game of Chess" & "The Sounds of Waves Breaking" | |
| Lights Out | Episode: "The Borgia Lamp" | ||
| Back to Methuselah | TV movie | ||
| 1953 | Saturday Special | 4 episodes | |
| Rheingold Theatre | Episode: "Outpost" | ||
| Escapade | Andrew Deeson | TV movie | |
| The Broken Jug | Judge Adam | TV movie | |
| The Teddy Bear | Charley Delaney | TV movie | |
| 1955 | Sunday Night Theatre | Photographer | Episode: "The Moment of Truth" |
| The Merry Christmas | Scrooge | TV movie | |
| Quatermass II | Dr. Leo Pugh | Miniseries; 6 episodes | |
| Colonel March of Scotland Yard | Dr. Ivy | Episode: "The Talking Head" | |
| 1957 | Armchair Theatre | Simon Kendall | Episode: "Now Let Him Go" |
| 1959 | Omnibus | Episode: "Ah Sweet Mystery of Mrs. Murphy" | |
| ITV Play of the Week | M. Tarde / Gen. Léon Saint-Pé | Episode: "The Wild Bird" & "The Waltz of the Toreadors" | |
| Playhouse 90 | Jaggers / Reverend Light | Episode: "The Second Man" & "The Grey Nurse Said Nothing" | |
| 1960 | The Citadel | Philip Denny | TV movie |
| The DuPont Show of the Week | Long John Silver | Episode: "Treasure Island" | |
| Point of Departure | Father | TV movie | |
| 1963 | Comedy Playhouse | Luther Flannery | Episode: "The Walrus and the Carpenter" |
| 1966 | The Poppy Is Also a Flower | Salah Rahman Khan | TV movie |
| 1967 | ABC Stage 67 | Herr Hoffman | Episode: "Dare I Weep, Dare I Mourn?" |
| 1971 | Tomorrow's World | The Baron | Episode: "Tomorrow's World Meets Yesterday's World" |
| 1971-72 | Thirty-Minute Theatre | Choobukov / Uncle Rollo | Episodes: "The Proposal" & "Uncle Rollo" |
| 1972 | Clochemerle | Alexandre Bourdillat | Miniseries; 3 episodes |
| 1973 | Owen, M.D. | John Owen | Episode: "September Song!" |
| Orson Welles Great Mysteries | The Man | Episode: "The Inspiration of Mr. Budd" | |
| 1974 | BBC2 Playhouse | Dr. Walden | Episode: "The Joke" |
| 1975 | A Legacy | Baron Felden | Miniseries; 2 episodes |
| 1978 | Grand Slam | Caradog Lloyd-Evans | TV movie |
| Award | Category | Year | Work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Academy Award | Best Supporting Actor | 1960 | Ben-Hur | Won |
| 1964 | Tom Jones | Nominated | ||
| British Academy Film Award | Best British Actor | 1964 | Nominated | |
| Clarence Derwent Award | Best Supporting Male (UK) | 1952 | Legend of Lovers | Won |
| Golden Globe Award | Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture | 1964 | Tom Jones | Nominated |
| 1969 | Oliver! | Nominated | ||
| The Fixer | Nominated | |||
| Laurel Award | Top Supporting Male Performance | 1960 | Ben-Hur | Nominated |
| 1964 | Tom Jones | 5th place | ||
| National Board of Review | Best Supporting Actor | 1959 | Ben-Hur | Won |
| Tony Award | Best Actor in a Play | 1958 | Look Homeward, Angel | Nominated |
