1. Theatre, Film, and Television Biographies
2. Bette Henritze to Clint Howard

Michael Hordern Biography (1911-1995)

Full name, Michael Murray Hordern; born October 3, 1911, in Berkhampsted, England; died from kidney disease, May 2, 1995, in Oxford, England; son of Edward Joseph Calverley (a captain in the British army) and Margareta Emily (Murray) Hordern; married Grace Eveline Mortimer, 1943 (died, 1986); children: onedaughter. Addresses: Agent--c/o International Creative Management, 388-396 Oxford Street, London W1N 9HE, England.

Nationality

English

Gender

Male

Birth Details

October 3, 1911

Berkhampsted, England

Death Details

May 2, 1995

Oxford, England

Famous Works

• Credits; Stage Appearances
• (Stage debut) Lodovico, Othello, People's Palace, London, 1937.
• P. C. James Hawkins, then the Stranger, Without the Prince, Whitehall Theatre, London, 1940.
• Torvald Helmer, A Doll's House, Intimate Theatre, London, 1946.
• Richard Fenton, Dear Murderer, Aldwych Theatre, London, 1946.
• Bottom, The Fairy Queen, Covent Garden Theatre, London, 1946.
• Captain Hoyle, Noose, Saville Theatre, London, 1947.
• Mr. Toad, Toad of Toad Hall, Shakespeare Memorial Theatre Company, Shakespeare Memorial Theatre, Stratford-on-Avon, England, 1948, then 1949.
• Pascal, A Woman in Love, Embassy Theatre, London, 1949.
• Nikolai Ivanov, Ivanov, Arts Theatre, London, 1950.
• Macduff, Macbeth, Arts Theatre, 1950.
• Christopher, Party Manners, Princes Theatre, London, 1950.
• Paul Southman, Saint's Day, Arts Theatre, 1951.
• Menenius, Coriolanus, Shakespeare Memorial Theatre Company, Stratford-on-Avon, 1952.
• Caliban, The Tempest, Shakespeare Memorial Theatre Company, Stratford-on-Avon, 1952.
• Jacques, As You Like It, Shakespeare Memorial Theatre Company, Stratford-on-Avon, 1952.
• Sir Politick Would-Be, Volpone, Shakespeare Memorial Theatre Company, Stratford-on-Avon, 1952.
• Polonius, Hamlet, Edinburgh Festival, Edinburgh, Scotland, 1953, then OldVic Theatre, London, 1953.
• Parolles, All's Well That Ends Well, Old Vic Theatre, c. 1953-54.
• Title role, King John, Old Vic Theatre, c. 1953-54.
• Malvolio, Twelfth Night, Old Vic Theatre, c. 1953-54.
• Prospero, The Tempest, Old Vic Theatre, c. 1953-54.
• Georges de Fourville, Nina, Haymarket Theatre, London, 1955.
• Sir Ralph Bloomfield Bonington, The Doctor's Dilemma, Saville Theatre, 1955.
• Tony Peters, What Shall We Tell Caroline?, Lyric Hammersmith Theatre, then Garrick Theatre, both London, 1958.
• Morgenhall, The Dock Brief, Lyric Hammersmith Theatre, then Garrick Theatre, 1958.
• Cassius, Julius Caesar, Old Vic Theatre, 1958.
• Pastor Manders, Ghosts, Old Vic Theatre, 1958.
• Title role, Macbeth, Old Vic Theatre, 1958.
• Mr. Posket, The Magistrate, Old Vic Theatre, 1958.
• (Broadway debut) Alexander Chabert, Moonbirds, Cort Theatre, 1959.
• Narrator, Oedipus Rex (Stravinsky), Sadler's Wells Theatre, London, 1960.
• The Father, Playing with Fire, Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC), Aldwych Theatre, London, 1962.
• Harry, The Collection, RSC, Aldwych Theatre, 1962.
• Ulysses, Troilus and Cressida, RSC, Aldwych Theatre, 1962.
• Herbert George Beutler, The Physicists, RSC, Aldwych Theatre, 1963.
• Paul Southman, Saint's Day, Royal Theatre, London, 1965.
• Philip, Relatively Speaking, Duke of York's Theatre, London, 1967.
• George Riley, Enter a Free Man, St. Martin's Theatre, London, 1968.
• Tobias, A Delicate Balance, RSC, Aldwych Theatre, 1969.
• Title role, King Lear, Nottingham Playhouse Theatre, Nottingham, England,1969.
• Title role, King Lear, Old Vic Theatre, 1970.
• Title role, Flint, Criterion Theatre, London, 1970.
• George Moore, Jumpers, National Theatre Company, Old Vic Theatre, 1972.
• John of Gaunt, Richard II, National Theatre Company, Old Vic Theatre, 1972.
• Gayev, The Cherry Orchard, National Theatre Company, Old Vic Theatre, 1973.
• Graham Stripwell, Stripwell, Royal Court Theatre, London, 1975.
• Fedya, Once upon a Time, Bristol Old Vic Theatre, Bristol, England, 1976.
• Title role, The Ordeal of Gilbert Pinfold, Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester, England, 1977, then Round House Theatre, London, 1979.
• Prospero, The Tempest, RSC, Stratford-on-Avon, 1978.
• Don Adriano de Armado, Love's Labour's Lost, RSC, Stratford-on- Avon, 1978.
• Sir Anthony Absolute, The Rivals, National Theatre, London, 1982.
• William the waiter, You Never Can Tell, Haymarket Theatre, 1987.
• Bookends, Apollo Theatre, London, 1990.
• Trelawney of the Wells, West End Theatre, London, 1992.
• Credits; Major Tours
• Sergius, Arms and the Man, Westminster Productions, Scandinavian and Baltic cities, 1937.
• Henry, Outward Bound, Westminster Productions, Scandinavian and Baltic cities, 1937.
• Reverend John Courtenay, Stratton, U.K. cities, 1949.
• Credits; Film Appearances
• A Girl Must Live, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1941.
• A Girl in a Million, Oxford, 1946.
• Lieutenant Commander Lowther, School for Secrets (also known as Secret Flight), General Films Distributors, 1946.
• The Years Between, General Films Distributors, 1947.
• The Girl in the Painting (also known as Portrait from Life), Universal, 1948.
• Mine Own Executioner, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1948.
• Hideout (also known as The Small Voice), British Lion, 1948.
• Night Beat, British Lion, 1948.
• Inspector Bashford, Passport to Pimlico, Eagle-Lion, 1949.
• Third Time Lucky, Pentagon, 1950.
• Ernest, The Astonished Heart, Universal, 1950.
• Seddon, Good Time Girl, Film Classics, 1950.
• Rawlings, Highly Dangerous, Lippert, 1950.
• Vicar, Trio, Paramount, 1950.
• Jacob Marley, A Christmas Carol, United Artists (UA), 1951.
• Webster, Flesh and Blood, British Lion, 1951.
• Wilkes, Tom Brown's Schooldays, UA, 1951.
• Sir Herbert Frensham, The Hour of Thirteen, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), 1952.
• Official receiver, The Magic Box, British Lion, 1952.
• Bank manager, The Promoter (also known as The Card), Universal, 1952.
• Scathelock, The Story of Robin Hood (also known as The Story of Robin Hood and His Merry Men), RKO, 1952.
• Plainclothesman, "The Actor," Train of Events, Film Arts, 1952.
• Inspector Heron, Both Sides of the Law (also known as Street Corner), Rank, 1953.
• Director, Forbidden Cargo, General Films Distributors, 1954.
• Commissioner, The Heart of the Matter, Associated Artists, 1954.
• Headmaster, Personal Affair, UA, 1954.
• Captain Hamilton, You Know What Sailors Are, UA, 1954.
• Inspector Ayling, Wicked Wife (also known as Grand National Night), Allied Artists, 1955.
• Kind Edward III, The Warriors (also known as The Dark Avenger), Allied Artists, 1955.
• Headman, The Beachcomber, UA, 1955.
• Judge, The Constant Husband, British Lion, 1955.
• Commander Lindsay, The Night My Number Came Up, Continental Distributing,1955.
• General Faversham, Storm over the Nile, Columbia, 1955.
• Demosthenes, Alexander the Great, UA, 1956.
• General Coburn, The Man Who Never Was, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1956.
• Resident commissioner, Pacific Destiny, British Lion, 1956.
• Captain, The Baby and the Battleship, British Lion, 1957.
• Harrington Brande, The Spanish Gardener, Rank, 1957.
• Governor of Malta, Hell, Heaven, or Hoboken (also known as I Was Monty'sDouble), National Trade Association, 1958.
• Prosecutor, I Accuse!, MGM, 1958.
• Judge Manton, The Spaniard's Curse, British Lion, 1958.
• Admiral Hewitt, Girls at Sea, Seven Arts, 1958.
• Patterson, Windom's Way, Rank, 1958.
• Commander on the King George, Sink the Bismarck!, Twentieth Century-Fox,1960.
• Don Diego, El Cid, Allied Artists, 1961.
• Dr. Davidson, Man in the Moon, Translux, 1961.
• Inspector Farrell, Malaga (also known as Moment of Danger), Warner Bros.,1962.
• Cicero, Cleopatra, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1963.
• Banquo, Macbeth, Prominent, 1963.
• Airport director, The V. I. P.'s, MGM, 1963.
• Green, Genghis Khan, Columbia, 1965.
• Ash, The Spy Who Came in from the Cold, Paramount, 1965.
• Harmsworth, The Yellow Rolls Royce, MGM, 1965.
• British ambassador, Cast a Giant Shadow, UA, 1966.
• Senex, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, UA, 1966.
• Lord Granville, Khartoum, UA, 1966.
• Grapple, How I Won the War, UA, 1967.
• Headmaster, I'll Never Forget What's 'is Name, Regional Films, 1967.
• Sir Matthew, The Jokers, Universal, 1967.
• Baptista, The Taming of the Shrew, Columbia, 1967.
• Vice Admiral Rolland, Where Eagles Dare, MGM, 1968.
• Thomas Boleyn, Anne of the Thousand Days, Universal, 1969.
• Blues Martin, The Bedsitting Room, UA, 1969.
• Denniston Russell, Some Will, Some Won't, William and Pritchard, 1970.
• George, Girl Stroke Boy, London Screen, 1971.
• Ludicrus, Up Pompeii, MGM-EMI, 1971.
• Priest, Demons of the Mind, Cinemation, 1972.
• Melius the alchemist, The Pied Piper, Paramount, 1972.
• The Possession of Joel Delaney, Paramount, 1972.
• F. Minty, England Made Me, Hemdale, 1973.
• Brown, The Mackintosh Man, Warner Bros., 1973.
• George Maxwell, Theatre of Blood, UA, 1973.
• Narrator, Barry Lyndon, Warner Bros. 1975.
• Headmaster, Royal Flash, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1975.
• Squire, Dr. Syn, Alias the Scarecrow, Buena Vista, 1975.
• Captain Rockwell, Lucky Lady, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1975.
• Edward Trent, Mr. Quilp (also known as The Old Curiosity Shop), AVCO-Embassy, 1975.
• King, The Slipper and the Rose (also known as The Story of Cinderella), Universal, 1976.
• Parson Adamis, Joseph Andrews, Paramount, 1977.
• Atropos the fortune teller, The Medusa Touch, Warner Bros., 1978.
• Narrator, Watership Down (animated), AVCO-Embassy, 1978.
• Sir Charles Hackforth, The Wildcats of St. Trinian's, Wildcat, 1980.
• Sir George Hodge, Gandhi, Columbia, 1982.
• Slatterthwaite and narrator, The Missionary, Columbia, 1982.
• Dr. Gilpin, Yellowbeard, Orion, 1983.
• Voice of older Watson, Young Sherlock Holmes, Paramount, 1985.
• Dr. Feckenham, Lady Jane, Paramount, 1986.
• Voice of the wiseman, Labyrinth, TriStar, 1986.
• Jason Lock, The Trouble with Spies, Delaurentiis Entertainment Group, 1987.
• Lord Crewne, Dark Obsession (also known as Diamond Skulls), Circle Releasing Corporation, 1992.
• Voice of the King, Freddie As F.R.O.7 (animated), Miramax, 1993.
• Also appeared as Mr. Pitt in Comrades, 1986, Mr. Tatham in The Fool, 1990, and in The Robbers.
• Credits; Television Appearances; Movies
• Durand Ruel, Gauguin the Savage, CBS, 1980.
• Cedric the Saxon, Ivanhoe, CBS, 1982.
• George Brownlow, Oliver Twist, CBS, 1982.
• Rupert, The Zany Adventures of Robin Hood, CBS, 1984.
• Lord Claybury, Danny, the Champion of the World, The Disney Channel, 1989.
• Gramps, The Green Man, Arts and Entertainment, 1991.
• George, Ending Up, PBS, 1993.
• Credits; Television Appearances; Specials
• Banquo, "Macbeth," Hallmark Hall of Fame, NBC, 1960.
• Sir Thomas Banks, "The Scarecrow of Romney Marsh," Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color, NBC, 1964.
• Cardinal Barberini, "The Lamp at Midnight," Hallmark Hall of Fame, NBC, 1966.
• God, The Easter Chester Mystery Plays, PBS, 1977.
• Capulet, Romeo and Juliet, PBS, 1979.
• Prospero, The Tempest, PBS, 1980.
• Narrator, Paddington Goes to School, HBO, 1985.
• Ben Weatherstaff, "The Secret Garden," Hallmark Hall of Fame, CBS, 1987.
• Lord McLaidlaw, "Suspicion," American Playhouse, PBS, 1988.
• Voice, "Oh, Mr. Toad," Long Ago and Far Away, PBS, 1989.
• Credits; Television Appearances; Miniseries
• Willie Ashden, "Cakes and Ale," Masterpiece Theatre, PBS, 1976.
• Friar Domingo, Shogun, NBC, 1980.
• Narrator, "The Tale of Beatrix Potter," Masterpiece Theatre, PBS, 1984.
• Reverend Simeon Simcox, "Paradise Postponed," Masterpiece Theatre, PBS, 1986.
• Dr. Starkie, "Service for All the Dead," Inspector Morse, Mystery!, PBS,1988.
• Uncle Theodore, "Scoop," Masterpiece Theatre, PBS, 1990.
• Godfrey Colston, "Memento Mori," Masterpiece Theatre, PBS, 1992.
• Peter Featherstone, "Middlemarch," Masterpiece Theatre, PBS, 1994.
• Credits; Other Television Appearances
• Also appeared in King Lear, 1975, and in The Doctor's Dilemma, The GreatAdventure, The Witness, The Indifferent Shepherd, Dock Brief, Mr. Kettle andMrs. Moon, Guinea Pig, The Gathering Dusk, Farewell My City, Flowering Cherry, I Have Been Here Before, Without the Grail, The Outstation, The Square, AnyOther Business, The Stone Dance, The Quails, A Waltz on the Water, August for the People, Land of My Dreams, Condemned to Acquittal, Nelson, The BrowningVersion, Whistle and I'll Come to You, The Man Who Murdered in Public, A Crack in the Ice, Sir Jocelyn, the Minister Would Like a Word, Six Dates with Barker, Don Juan in Hell, Tartuffe, Tall Stories, The Magistrate, Edward VII, The Saints Go Marching In, Mrs. Bixby and the Colonel's Coat, All's Well ThatEnds Well, You're Alright: How Am I?, Rod and Line, Cymbeline, Trelawney of the Wells.
• Writings
• Author of autobiography, A World Elsewhere, 1993.

Further Reference

Periodicals:

• Los Angeles Times, May 10, 1995, p. A18.
• New York Times, May 4, 1995, p. B15.
• Times (London), May 4, 1995, p. 23.