Donald Houston
| Donald Houston | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born |
Donald Daniel Houston 6 November 1923 Clydach Vale, Glamorgan, Wales, UK |
| Died |
13 October 1991 (aged 67) Coimbra, Portugal |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1949–1983 |
| Spouse(s) | Brenda Hogan (1949–1991) (his death) |
| Family |
Glyn Houston(brother) Jean Houston(sister)[1] |
Donald Daniel Houston (6 November 1923 – 13 October 1991) was a Welsh actor whose first two films – The Blue Lagoon (1949) with Jean Simmons,[2] and A Run for Your Money (1949) with Sir Alec Guinness – were highly successful. Later in his career he was cast in military roles and in comedies such as the Doctor and Carry On series.
Early life
Houston was born in Tonypandy, Glamorgan, and was the elder brother of actor Glyn Houston and a sister, Jean. His father, Alex, was a professional football player from Scotland and his mother, Elsie, ran a milk round.[3] After school he worked at Glamorganshire colliery[3] before his first foray into acting came in 1940 when he performed on stage with the Pilgrim Players.[4] He then later served in the Royal Air Force during World War II.
Acting career
He would sometimes indulge his Welsh accent as well as conceal it behind an English public school veneer. He had a successful career as a character actor in British film and television, with prominent parts in several well-known films, including Yangtse Incident (1957), 633 Squadron (1964), The Longest Day (1962) (in which he appeared alongside Richard Burton), Where Eagles Dare (1968) (again with Burton) and The Sea Wolves (1981).[5] His forte tended to be authority figures, often military, such as the brilliant but tough David Caulder, the head of Moonbase 3 or as Dr Francis in Thirteen to Centaurus (from the anthology series Out of the Unknown).
He could also handle comedy, as he proved with Doctor in the House (1954) and the later Doctor in Distress (1963), both significant successes in Europe, and Carry On Jack (1963). Though preferring quality parts, he was not above journeyman work in films such as Tales That Witness Madness (1973) and Maniac (1963).
On 13 October 1991, Donald Houston died in Coimbra, Portugal at the age of 67.[3]
Filmography
- The Blue Lagoon (1949) as Michael Reynolds
- A Run for Your Money (1949) as Dai
- Dance Hall (1950) as Phil
- My Death Is a Mockery (1952) as John Bradley
- Crow Hollow (1952) as Dr. Robert Amour
- The Red Beret (1953) as Taffy
- The Large Rope (1953) as Tom Penney
- Small Town Story (1953) as Tony Warren
- Doctor in the House (1954) as Taffy Evans
- Devil's Point (1954) as Michael Mallard
- The Happiness of Three Women (1954) as John
- The Flaw (1955) as John Millway
- Doublecross (1956) as Albert Pascoe
- Find the Lady (1956) as Bill
- The Girl in the Picture (1957) as Jon Deering
- Yangtse Incident (1957) as Lt Weston RN
- Under Milk Wood (1957) as Onlooker
- The Surgeon's Knife (1957) as Dr. Alex Waring
- A Question of Adultery (1958) as Mr. Jacobus
- The Man Upstairs (1958) as Dr. Sanderson
- Jessy (1959) as Teacher
- Room at the Top (1959) as Charles Soames
- Danger Within (1959) as Capt. Roger Byfold
- A Letter for Wales (1960) as The Welshman
- The Mark (1961) as Austin
- Der Prinz und der Bettelknabe (1962) as John Canty
- Twice Round the Daffodils (1962) as John Rhodes
- The 300 Spartans (1962) as Hydarnes
- The Longest Day (1962) as RAF Pilot
- Maniac (1963) as Henri
- Doctor in Distress (1963) as Maj. Tommy Ffrench
- Carry On Jack (1963) as First Officer Jonathan Howett
- 633 Squadron (1964) as Group Capt. Don Barrett
- A Study in Terror (1965) as Doctor Watson
- The Viking Queen (1967) as Maelgan
- Where Eagles Dare (1968) as Capt. Olaf Christiansen
- The Bushbaby (1969) as John Leeds
- My Lover My Son (1970) as Robert
- Now Take My Wife (1971) as Harry Love
- Tales That Witness Madness (1973) as Sam Patterson (segment 1 "Mr. Tiger")
- Voyage of the Damned (1976) as Dr. Glauner
- The Sea Wolves (1980) as Hilliard
- Clash of the Titans (1981) as Acrisius[6]
References
- ↑ "Donald Houston biography". IMDB. Retrieved 8 August 2016.
- ↑ Thomson, David (24 January 2010). "Jean Simmons obituary". The Guardian. Retrieved 8 August 2016.
- 1 2 3 "Film actor Donald Houston's Rhondda blue plaque honour". BBC News. 28 January 2010. Retrieved 8 August 2016.
- ↑ "Donald Houston Biography". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 8 August 2016.
- ↑ Pettigrew, Terence (1982). British Film Character Actors: Great Names and memorable Moments. Neton Abbot: David & Charles. pp. 95–98. ISBN 0 7153 8270 5.
- ↑ "Donald Houston". BFI. Retrieved 8 August 2016.