Trevor Howard | |
|---|---|
 Trevor Howard, 1973 | |
| Born | Trevor Wallace Howard-Smith (1913-09-29)29 September 1913[1] Cliftonville,Kent, England |
| Died | 7 January 1988(1988-01-07) (aged 74) Arkley, London, England |
| Resting place | St Peter's Church, Arkley |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1934–1988 |
| Spouse | |
Trevor Wallace Howard-Smith (29 September 1913 – 7 January 1988)[2] was an English stage and screen actor. After varied work in the theatre, he achievedleading man star status in the filmBrief Encounter (1945), followed byThe Third Man (1949), portraying whatBFI Screenonline called "a new kind of male lead in British films: steady, middle-class, reassuring…. but also capable of suggesting neurosis under the tweedy demeanour."[3]
Howard was nominated for theBAFTA Award for Best Actor four times, winning forThe Key (1958), and received a nomination for theAcademy Award for Best Actor for his performance inSons and Lovers (1960). His other notable film performances includeGolden Salamander (1950),The Clouded Yellow (1951),Mutiny on the Bounty (1962),The Charge of the Light Brigade (1968),Battle of Britain (1969),Lola (1969),Ryan's Daughter (1970),Superman (1978),Gandhi (1982), andWhite Mischief (1987). He was also anEmmy Award recipient, and a three-timeGolden Globe nominee.
Howard was born inCliftonville, Kent, England the son of Mabel Grey (Wallace) and Arthur John Howard-Smith, an insurance agent. His parents married in 1909.[4][5][6] Although Howard later claimed to have been born in 1916 (the year quoted by most reference sources) he was actually born in 1913 (which is supported by school and other records).[1]
His father was an insurance underwriter forLloyd's of London, serving as representative inColombo,Ceylon and elsewhere; Trevor spent the first eight years of his life travelling around the world.[7][8] He was educated atClifton College[9](to which he left in his will a substantial legacy for a drama scholarship) and at theRoyal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA).[10] In 1933, at the end of his first year, he was chosen as best actor in his class for his performance as Benedict in a school production ofMuch Ado About Nothing. While Howard was still studying, he made his professional debut at the Gate Theatre inRevolt in a Reformatory (1934).
When he left school he worked regularly on stage, including in Sheridan'sThe Rivals, several performances atStratford-upon-Avon, and in a two-year run in the original production ofFrench Without Tears.[11][12]
Around 1945, journalists began to circulate stories stating that Howard had a courageouswartime service in the British Army'sRoyal Corps of Signals, which earned him much respect among fellow actors and fans. The police visited Howard, warning him that it was a crime to claim a medal under theArmy Act, but Howard assured them he was not the source of the stories.[13] In fact, he "did his best to dodge the call-up",[14] and journalist Terrence Pettigrew, in his 2001biography of Howard,[15] recounted that files held in thePublic Record Office revealed he was actually discharged from the British Army in 1943 for mental instability and having a "psychopathic personality", on account of having "lied about his background, from his schooldays onward ... determinedly".[16]
Initially Howard's widow, actressHelen Cherry, denied this, but after being confronted with the official records, she said that Howard's mother had claimed he was a holder of theMilitary Cross, adding that her late husband had an honourable military record with "nothing to be ashamed of".[17]
According toThe London Gazette, Trevor Wallace Howard-Smith (247202) was commissioned into theSouth Staffordshire Regiment as asecond lieutenant effective 3 October 1942;[18] only to relinquish his commission "on account of "ill-health" on 2 October 1943.[19] This contradicted the postwar stories that he had won the Military Cross and high promotion.[20]
After a theatrical role inThe Recruiting Officer (1943), Howard began working in films with an uncredited partThe Way Ahead (1944), directed byCarol Reed.[21] He was in a big stage hit,A Soldier for Christmas (1944), and a production of Eugene O'Neill'sAnna Christie (1944). Howard received his first film credit forThe Way to the Stars (1945), playing a pilot.[22]
Howard's performance inThe Way Ahead came to the attention ofDavid Lean, who was looking for someone to play the role of Alec inBrief Encounter (1945). Lean recommended him toNoël Coward, who agreed with the suggestion, and the success of the film launched Howard's film career.[23]
He followed it withI See a Dark Stranger (1946) withDeborah Kerr, andGreen for Danger (1947), starringAlastair Sim. Both films were successful as wasThey Made Me a Fugitive (1947). That year British exhibitors voted Howard the 10th most popular British star at the box office.[24]So Well Remembered (1948) was made with American talent and money and was a hit in Britain but lost money overall. Howard was reunited with Lean forThe Passionate Friends (1949), but the film was not a success.[citation needed]
In contrast,Carol Reed'sThe Third Man (1949, from a story byGraham Greene), in which Howard starred alongsideOrson Welles andJoseph Cotten, was a huge international success, and became the film of which Howard was most proud.[25] During the filming ofThe Third Man inVienna, visited a bar still wearing hisBritish Army officer's uniform costume and, following an altercation, was detained for impersonation by theRoyal Military Police. When identified, he was released without further ado.[26]
Howard was the lead inGolden Salamander (1950) and playedPeter Churchill inOdette (1950) withAnna Neagle, a big hit in Britain. It was directed byHerbert Wilcox who put Howard under contract.[27] He loaned Howard toBetty Box andRalph Thomas to makeThe Clouded Yellow (1950), a popular thriller withJean Simmons. These films helped Howard be voted the 2nd biggest British star at the box office in 1950[28] and the 5th biggest (and eleventh bigger over-all) in 1951.[29]
Howard was reunited with Carol Reed forOutcast of the Islands (1952) and he made a war film,Gift Horse (1952). That year he made his final appearance on the list of Britain's ten most popular actors, coming in at number nine.[30] He was in another adaptation of a Graham Greene story,The Heart of the Matter (1953). Greene also wrote and produced Howard's next film, the British-ItalianThe Stranger's Hand (1954).Howard was in a French movie,The Lovers of Lisbon (1955), then supportedJose Ferrer in a war film fromWarwick Pictures,The Cockleshell Heroes (1955), which was popular in Britain.[31]
Howard's first Hollywood film wasRun for the Sun (1956), where he played a villain toRichard Widmark's hero. He made a cameo inAround the World in 80 Days (1956) and again played a villain to an American star,Victor Mature, in Warwick'sInterpol (1957).
Howard starred inManuela (1957) then supportedWilliam Holden in Carol Reed'sThe Key (1958), for which he received the Best Actor award from theBritish Academy of Film and Television Arts. When William Holden dropped out of the lead ofThe Roots of Heaven (1958), Howard stepped in as his first opportunity at a starring role in a Hollywood film (although top billing still went toErrol Flynn).
After a thrillerMoment of Danger (1960) he was inSons and Lovers (1960), for which he was nominated for anAcademy Award for Best Actor. He was nominated for a BAFTA on four other occasions. and received two other Emmy nominations, one as a lead and the other as a supporting actor. He also received threeGolden Globe Award nominations.[citation needed]
Howard was reunited with Holden forThe Lion (1962). He wasCaptain Bligh toMarlon Brando'sFletcher Christian in MGM's remake ofMutiny on the Bounty (1962). He was in a TV movie production ofHedda Gabler (1962)[32] and played the title prime minister in "The Invincible Mr Disraeli" (1963), an episode of theHallmark Hall of Fame for which he won anEmmy Award for his role then supportedRobert Mitchum inMan in the Middle (1964) andCary Grant inFather Goose (1964). After a cameo inOperation Crossbow (1965), Howard supportedFrank Sinatra inVon Ryan's Express (1965), Brando andYul Brynner inMorituri (1965), andRod Taylor inThe Liquidator (1965). After a leading role inThe Poppy Is Also a Flower (1966) he made two movies with Brynner,Triple Cross (1966) andThe Long Duel (1967).
Howard had a change of pace supportingHayley Mills inPretty Polly (1968). He went back to military roles:The Charge of the Light Brigade (1968), asLord Cardigan, andBattle of Britain (1969), asAir Vice Marshal Keith Park. He had support parts inLola (1969) andRyan's Daughter (1970), the latter for David Lean.
He made a Swedish filmThe Night Visitor (1971) then settled into a career as a character actor:To Catch a Spy (1971), supportingKirk Douglas;Mary, Queen of Scots (1971), asSir William Cecil;Kidnapped (1971);Pope Joan (1972);Ludwig (1972);The Offence (1972), withSean Connery;A Doll's House (1973), forJoseph Losey;Who? (1974), supportingElliott Gould; andCatholics (1974) for British TV.
He appeared in some horror films, includingCraze (1974),Persecution (1974), and11 Harrowhouse (1974) alongside his wifeHelen Cherry. InThe Count of Monte Cristo (1975), he mentored Richard Chamberlain. He played military men inHennessy (1975) andConduct Unbecoming (1975). Around this time he complained that he had to work so hard because of the high rate of tax in Britain.[33]
Howard appeared inAlbino (1976), shot inRhodesia;The Bawdy Adventures of Tom Jones (1976);Aces High (1976);Eliza Fraser (1976), shot in Australia;[34]The Last Remake of Beau Geste (1977); andStevie (1978). He was one of many names inSuperman (1978),Hurricane (1979),Meteor (1979) andThe Sea Wolves (1980). He appeared in a TV seriesShillingbury Tales (1980–81). One of his strangest films, and one he took great delight in, wasVivian Stanshall'sSir Henry at Rawlinson End (1980), in which he played the title role. He andCelia Johnson fromBrief Encounter were reunited inStaying On (1980) for British TV.
Howard was also top-billed inWindwalker (1981).
Howard appeared in some prestigious movies towards the end of his career:The Deadly Game (1982),The Missionary (1982),Gandhi (1982),George Washington (1984),Shaka Zulu (1986),Dust (1985), andPeter the Great (1986).
At the time of filmingWhite Mischief (1988) on location in Kenya during 1987, Howard was seriously ill and suffering fromalcoholism. The company wanted to sack him, but co-starSarah Miles was determined that Howard's distinguished film career would not end that way. In an interview with Terence Pettigrew for his biography of Howard, Miles describes how she gave an ultimatum to the executives, threatening to quit the production if they got rid of him.[35] His final film role was inThe Dawning in 1988.
Throughout his film career Howard insisted that all his contracts include a clause excusing him from work whenever acricketTest match was being played.[36]
Howard recorded twoShakespeare performances, the first, recorded in the 1960s, was asPetruchio oppositeMargaret Leighton's Kate inCaedmon Records' complete recording ofThe Taming of the Shrew; the second was in the title role ofKing Lear for theBBC World Service in 1986.[citation needed]
He married stage and screen actressHelen Cherry.[4]
A British government document leaked to theSunday Times in 2003 showed that Howard was among almost 300 people to decline anofficial honour of the United Kingdom. He declined to be made aCBE in 1982.[37]
Howard died, aged 74, at his home inArkley,Barnet on 7 January 1988. The cause of death washepatic failure andcirrhosis of the liver.[38]
