fbpx
Wikipedia

Lionel Jeffries

January 12, 2023

Lionel Charles Jeffries (10 June 1926 – 19 February 2010) was an English actor, director, and screenwriter.[1][2][3][4][5] He appeared primarily in films and received a Golden Globe Award nomination during his acting career.

Lionel Jeffries
Born
Lionel Charles Jeffries

(1926-06-10)10 June 1926
Forest Hill, London, England
Died19 February 2010(2010-02-19) (aged 83)
Poole, Dorset, England
EducationRoyal Academy of Dramatic Art
Occupations
  • Actor
  • director
  • screenwriter
Years active1950–2001
Spouse
Eileen Mary Walsh
​
(m. 1951)​
Children3; including Ty Jeffries
RelativesAmy Mason (granddaughter)

Early life

Jeffries was born in Forest Hill, south London.[6] Both his parents were social workers with the Salvation Army.[7] As a boy, he attended the Queen Elizabeth Grammar School in Wimborne Minster in Dorset.[7]

In 1945, he received a commission in the Oxford and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry[7] and served in Burma at the Rangoon radio station during the Second World War,[8] being awarded the Burma Star. (He blamed the humidity there for his hair loss[8] at the age of 19.[7]) He also served as a captain in the Royal West African Frontier Force.[7]

Career

He trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.[8] He entered repertory at the David Garrick Theatre, Lichfield, Staffordshire for two years and appeared in early British television plays. Jeffries built a successful career in British films mainly in comic character roles and as he was prematurely bald he often played characters older than himself, such as the role of father to Caractacus Potts (played by Dick Van Dyke) in the film Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968), although Jeffries was actually six months younger than Van Dyke.

His acting career reached a peak in the 1960s with leading roles in other films like Two-Way Stretch (1960), The Trials of Oscar Wilde (1960), Murder Ahoy! (opposite Margaret Rutherford), First Men in the Moon (1964) and Camelot (1967).

Jeffries turned to writing and directing children's films, including a well-regarded version of The Railway Children (1970) and The Amazing Mr Blunden (1972). He was a member of the British Catholic Stage Guild.[3]

Jeffries had a negative attitude towards television and avoided the medium for many years.[4] He reluctantly appeared on television in an acting role in the 1980 London Weekend Television Dennis Potter drama Cream in My Coffee and realised that television production values were now little different from those in the film industry; as a result he developed a belated career in television. He appeared in an episode of the Thames Television/ITV comedy drama Minder in 1983 as Cecil Caine, an eccentric widower, and in an episode of Inspector Morse in 1990 (Central Television/Zenith/ITV).

He starred as Tom (Thomas Maddisson) in the Thames/ITV situation comedy Tom, Dick and Harriet with Ian Ogilvy and Brigit Forsyth. During location filming with Ogilvy for a 1983 episode, a stunt involving a car and a lake went very badly wrong, ending up with Jeffries only just managing to get out of the car's front window before the vehicle sank in 45 feet (14 m) of water.[9]

Retirement and death

Jeffries retired from acting in 2001 and his health declined in the following years. He died on 19 February 2010, at a nursing home in Poole, Dorset.[6] He had suffered from vascular dementia for the last twelve years of his life.[10] He was 83.

He was married to Eileen Mary Walsh from 1951 until his death. They had a son and two daughters.[7] His son Ty Jeffries is a composer, lyricist and cabaret artist. Lionel Jeffries' granddaughter is the novelist and playwright Amy Mason.

His name is mentioned before the ending titles in the film The First Men in the Moon, released in 2010: "For Lionel Jeffries 1926–2010".

Complete filmography

As actor

As writer or director

References

  1. ^ "Actor and director Lionel Jeffries dies, aged 83". BBC News. 19 February 2010. Retrieved 19 February 2010.
  2. ^ Gray, Sadie (20 February 2010). "Obituary The Times". London. Retrieved 20 February 2010.
  3. ^ a b Barker, Dennis (20 February 2010). "Obituary The Guardian". London. Retrieved 20 February 2010.
  4. ^ a b Hayward, Anthony (20 February 2010). "Obituary The Independent". London. Archived from the original on 14 June 2022. Retrieved 20 February 2010.
  5. ^ . The New York Times. 20 February 2010. Archived from the original on 12 October 2022. Retrieved 4 December 2022.
  6. ^ a b "Jeffries, Lionel Charles (1926–2010)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/102888. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  7. ^ a b c d e f "Lionel Jeffries – Telegraph". The Daily Telegraph. London. 19 February 2010. Retrieved 19 February 2010.
  8. ^ a b c "Actor and director Lionel Jeffries dies, aged 83". BBC News. 19 February 2010. Retrieved 20 February 2010.
  9. ^ "When Comedy Goes Horribly Wrong". IMDB. 18 February 2018.
  10. ^ Paton, Maureen (28 January 2012). "Dad was too much to compete with". The Guardian.

External links

 
Wikiquote has quotations related to Lionel Jeffries.

January 12, 2023
lionel, jeffries, lionel, charles, jeffries, june, 1926, february, 2010, english, actor, director, screenwriter, appeared, primarily, films, received, golden, globe, award, nomination, during, acting, career, bornlionel, charles, jeffries, 1926, june, 1926fore. Lionel Charles Jeffries 10 June 1926 19 February 2010 was an English actor director and screenwriter 1 2 3 4 5 He appeared primarily in films and received a Golden Globe Award nomination during his acting career Lionel JeffriesBornLionel Charles Jeffries 1926 06 10 10 June 1926Forest Hill London EnglandDied19 February 2010 2010 02 19 aged 83 Poole Dorset EnglandEducationRoyal Academy of Dramatic ArtOccupationsActordirectorscreenwriterYears active1950 2001SpouseEileen Mary Walsh m 1951 wbr Children3 including Ty JeffriesRelativesAmy Mason granddaughter Contents 1 Early life 2 Career 3 Retirement and death 4 Complete filmography 4 1 As actor 4 2 As writer or director 5 References 6 External linksEarly life EditJeffries was born in Forest Hill south London 6 Both his parents were social workers with the Salvation Army 7 As a boy he attended the Queen Elizabeth Grammar School in Wimborne Minster in Dorset 7 In 1945 he received a commission in the Oxford and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry 7 and served in Burma at the Rangoon radio station during the Second World War 8 being awarded the Burma Star He blamed the humidity there for his hair loss 8 at the age of 19 7 He also served as a captain in the Royal West African Frontier Force 7 Career EditHe trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art 8 He entered repertory at the David Garrick Theatre Lichfield Staffordshire for two years and appeared in early British television plays Jeffries built a successful career in British films mainly in comic character roles and as he was prematurely bald he often played characters older than himself such as the role of father to Caractacus Potts played by Dick Van Dyke in the film Chitty Chitty Bang Bang 1968 although Jeffries was actually six months younger than Van Dyke His acting career reached a peak in the 1960s with leading roles in other films like Two Way Stretch 1960 The Trials of Oscar Wilde 1960 Murder Ahoy opposite Margaret Rutherford First Men in the Moon 1964 and Camelot 1967 Jeffries turned to writing and directing children s films including a well regarded version of The Railway Children 1970 and The Amazing Mr Blunden 1972 He was a member of the British Catholic Stage Guild 3 Jeffries had a negative attitude towards television and avoided the medium for many years 4 He reluctantly appeared on television in an acting role in the 1980 London Weekend Television Dennis Potter drama Cream in My Coffee and realised that television production values were now little different from those in the film industry as a result he developed a belated career in television He appeared in an episode of the Thames Television ITV comedy drama Minder in 1983 as Cecil Caine an eccentric widower and in an episode of Inspector Morse in 1990 Central Television Zenith ITV He starred as Tom Thomas Maddisson in the Thames ITV situation comedy Tom Dick and Harriet with Ian Ogilvy and Brigit Forsyth During location filming with Ogilvy for a 1983 episode a stunt involving a car and a lake went very badly wrong ending up with Jeffries only just managing to get out of the car s front window before the vehicle sank in 45 feet 14 m of water 9 Retirement and death EditJeffries retired from acting in 2001 and his health declined in the following years He died on 19 February 2010 at a nursing home in Poole Dorset 6 He had suffered from vascular dementia for the last twelve years of his life 10 He was 83 He was married to Eileen Mary Walsh from 1951 until his death They had a son and two daughters 7 His son Ty Jeffries is a composer lyricist and cabaret artist Lionel Jeffries granddaughter is the novelist and playwright Amy Mason His name is mentioned before the ending titles in the film The First Men in the Moon released in 2010 For Lionel Jeffries 1926 2010 Complete filmography EditAs actor Edit Stage Fright 1950 Bald RADA Student uncredited Will Any Gentleman 1953 Mr Frobisher The Black Rider 1954 Martin Bremner The Colditz Story 1955 Harry Tyler The Quatermass Xperiment 1955 Blake No Smoking 1955 George Pogson All for Mary 1955 Maitre D Hotel Windfall 1955 Arthur Lee Jumping for Joy 1956 Bert Benton Bhowani Junction 1956 Lt Graham McDaniel The Baby and the Battleship 1956 George Eyewitness 1956 Man in Pub Lust for Life 1956 Dr Peyron High Terrace 1956 Monkton Up in the World 1957 Wilson The Man in the Sky 1957 Keith Doctor at Large 1957 Dr Hatchet Hour of Decision 1957 Elvin Main The Vicious Circle 1957 Geoffrey Windsor Barnacle Bill 1957 Garrod Blue Murder at St Trinian s 1957 Joe Mangan Dunkirk 1958 Colonel Medical Officer Charles and Mary 1958 TV Movie George Dyer Up the Creek 1958 Steady Barker The Revenge of Frankenstein 1958 Fritz Law and Disorder 1958 Major Proudfoot Orders to Kill 1958 Interrogator Girls at Sea 1958 Harry the Tourist Behind the Mask 1958 Walter Froy Further Up the Creek 1958 Steady Barker Nowhere to Go 1958 Pet Shop Clerk uncredited Idle on Parade 1959 Bertie The Nun s Story 1959 Dr Goovaerts Bobbikins 1959 Gregory Mason Please Turn Over 1959 Ian Howard Two Way Stretch 1960 Chief P O Crout Jazz Boat 1960 Sergeant Thompson Life is a Circus 1960 Genie Let s Get Married 1960 Marsh The Trials of Oscar Wilde 1960 John Sholto Douglas Marquis of Queensberry Tarzan the Magnificent 1960 Ames Fanny 1961 Monsieur Brun The Englishman The Hellions 1961 Luke Billings Operation Snatch 1962 Evans Mrs Gibbon s Boys 1962 Lester Gibbons The Notorious Landlady 1962 Inspector Oliphant Kill or Cure 1962 Det Insp Hook The Wrong Arm of the Law 1963 Inspector Fred Nosey Parker Call me Bwana 1963 Ezra The Scarlet Blade 1963 Col Judd The Long Ships 1964 Aziz First Men in the Moon 1964 Cavor Joseph Cavor Murder Ahoy 1964 Captain Sydney De Courcy Rhumstone The Truth About Spring 1965 Cark Cark You Must Be Joking 1965 Sgt Maj McGregor The Secret of My Success 1965 Insp Hobart Baron von Lukenberg The Earl of Aldershot President Esteda The Spy with a Cold Nose 1966 Stanley Farquhar Drop Dead Darling 1966 Parker Oh Dad Poor Dad Mamma s Hung You in the Closet and I m Feelin So Sad 1967 Airport Commander Camelot 1967 King Pellinore Jules Verne s Rocket to the Moon 1967 Sir Charles Dillworthy Chitty Chitty Bang Bang 1968 Grandpa Potts 12 1 1969 Randomhouse Twinky 1970 Solicitor Eyewitness 1970 Grandpa The Railway Children 1970 Malcolm uncredited Whoever Slew Auntie Roo 1972 Inspector Ralph Willoughby Royal Flash 1975 Kraftstein What Changed Charley Farthing 1976 Houlihan Wombling Free 1978 Womble voice The Prisoner of Zenda 1979 General Sapt Cream in My Coffee 1980 TV Movie Bernard Wilsher Better Late Than Never 1983 Bertie Hargreaves Abel s Island 1988 short Gower voice Danny the Champion of the World 1989 TV Movie Mr Snoddy A Chorus of Disapproval 1989 Jarvis Huntley Pike First and Last 1989 TV Movie Laurence Ending Up 1989 TV Movie Shorty Jekyll amp Hyde 1990 TV Movie Jekyll s Father Heaven on Earth 1998 TV Movie Isaac Muller As writer or director Edit The Railway Children 1970 director and screenwriter The Amazing Mr Blunden 1972 director and screenwriter Baxter 1973 director Wombling Free 1977 director and screenwriter The Water Babies 1978 director and additional material writer Nelson s Touch 1979 short screenwriterReferences Edit Actor and director Lionel Jeffries dies aged 83 BBC News 19 February 2010 Retrieved 19 February 2010 Gray Sadie 20 February 2010 Obituary The Times London Retrieved 20 February 2010 a b Barker Dennis 20 February 2010 Obituary The Guardian London Retrieved 20 February 2010 a b Hayward Anthony 20 February 2010 Obituary The Independent London Archived from the original on 14 June 2022 Retrieved 20 February 2010 Lionel Jeffries British Character Actor Dies at 83 The New York Times 20 February 2010 Archived from the original on 12 October 2022 Retrieved 4 December 2022 a b Jeffries Lionel Charles 1926 2010 Oxford Dictionary of National Biography online ed Oxford University Press doi 10 1093 ref odnb 102888 Subscription or UK public library membership required a b c d e f Lionel Jeffries Telegraph The Daily Telegraph London 19 February 2010 Retrieved 19 February 2010 a b c Actor and director Lionel Jeffries dies aged 83 BBC News 19 February 2010 Retrieved 20 February 2010 When Comedy Goes Horribly Wrong IMDB 18 February 2018 Paton Maureen 28 January 2012 Dad was too much to compete with The Guardian External links Edit Wikiquote has quotations related to Lionel Jeffries Lionel Jeffries at IMDb Lionel Jeffries at the Internet Broadway Database Lionel Jeffries at the BFI s Screenonline Lionel Jeffries Daily Telegraph obituary Lionel Jeffries Times obituary Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Lionel Jeffries amp oldid 1133097433, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

article

, read, download, free, free download, mp3, video, mp4, 3gp, jpg, jpeg, gif, png, picture, music, song, movie, book, game, games.