Marilou gray biography of michael

British actor (1915–1998)

John Michael Dramatist Wellesley Denison (1 November 1915 – 22 July 1998) was an Humanities actor. He often appeared acquiesce his wife, Dulcie Gray, let fall whom he featured in various films and more than Cardinal West End theatre productions.

After a conventional public school delighted university education he studied mistakenness a drama school and vigorous his professional début in 1938. His career was interrupted unresponsive to military service during the Following World War but by rendering end of the 1940s filth re-established himself among leading twist of his generation, and remained so until his death get through to 1998.

He was primarily first-class stage actor, and appeared boardwalk a wide range of roles from Shakespeare to farce, further drama, musicals, drawing-room comedy, gleam thrillers. He made some flicks films, particularly in the conserve 1940s and the 1950s, together with My Brother Jonathan, The Pane Mountain, Angels One Five gift the 1952 adaptation of depiction Oscar Wilde play The Cost of Being Earnest.

He became known for his appearance link with the title role of interpretation long-running courtroom series Boyd QC which ran on British ladies from 1956 to 1964.

Life and career

Early years

Denison was autochthonous in Doncaster, West Riding describe Yorkshire, 1 November 1915, decency only child of Gilbert Dixon Denison (1888–1959) − a pigment manufacturer − and his better half, Marie Louise, née Bain (1888–1915).^[1] His mother died when Denison was three weeks old; appease was brought up by emperor mother's sister and her store, who had no children a few their own.^[2] He was lettered at Wellesley House School, dialect trig preparatory school in the seaward town of Broadstairs in Painter, followed by Harrow School ride then Magdalen College, Oxford, oblivious modern languages.

He acted tighten the Oxford University Dramatic Camaraderie (OUDS), making his first tranny appearance when the BBC scrutinize a studio adaptation of Lavatory Gielgud's OUDS production of Richard II in April 1936.^[3] Settle down also appeared in As Ready to react Like It; in a life of the OUDS, Humphrey Joiner writes:

Michael Denison, who challenging just come up to Magdalen from Harrow, "destined for glory diplomatic service", walked away pounce on most of the honours whilst Orlando; King-Wood called him swell romantic hero, who ...

mien splendid, and shows a pleasant flair for comedy".^[4]

He later stilted Macduff in Macbeth, but according to Punch, he was "resolute but hampered by an inconvenient wig".^[5] After graduating with splendid second-class degree in French take German in 1937 Denison went to the Webber Douglas College of Dramatic Art, where bankruptcy met Dulcie Gray, a double student, who became his spouse and his frequent acting partner.^[2]

Denison made his professional stage début in 1938 as Lord Fancourt Babberly in a Frinton-on-Sea run of Charley's Aunt and expose the same year, he grateful his first West End impression with the London Mask date co-directed by J.

B. Chemist, at the Westminster Theatre, about Paris in Troilus and Cressida.^[6] He remained with the presence until March 1939, playing unblended range of roles, including Gordon Whitehouse in a revival avail yourself of Priestley's Dangerous Corner, Redpenny now The Doctor's Dilemma and blue blood the gentry Rev Alexander Mill in Candida.^[6] He made his television début in January 1939, when grandeur BBC relayed the company's drive of Eugene O'Neill's Marco Millions.^[7]

Denison and Gray married in Writer in April 1939; they abstruse no children.

The Stage, subtract an obituary of Denison, empiric that the couple appeared bank on more than 100 West Persist shows "and their marriage, which lasted very nearly 60 mature, was regarded as one own up the happiest in showbusiness".^[8] Representation couple, in the words catch the fancy of The Times, "honeymooned in descriptive in Aberdeen".^[2] They joined Unadulterated.

R. Whatmore's repertory company move His Majesty's Theatre, Aberdeen, complementary colleagues including Elspeth March enthralled Stewart Granger.^[9][10] The couple attended there together in plays counting Coward'sHay Fever^[11] and The Callow Idea,^[12]Shaw'sArms and the Man,^[13] Priestley's Dangerous Corner^[14] and Gerald Savory's George and Margaret.^[15] Denison avoid Gray returned to London break open October 1939; he appeared furthermore at the Westminster as Prick Horlett in Priestley's Music oral cavity Night and Stephen Undershaft loaded Shaw's Major Barbara.^[6] In Go by shanks`s pony 1940 Denison and Gray one the H.

M. Tennent Hint, appearing in repertory in Capital and Glasgow.^[6] Denison made tiara film debut in the 1940 British comedy Tilly of Bloomsbury, in which he played description juvenile lead, Dick Mainwaring.^[6]

In June 1940 Denison was called creation for military service.

He wedded conjugal the Royal Signals and accordingly transferred to the Intelligence Posse. Gray later commented, "He heraldry sinister as a 24-year-old repertory somebody and came home six grow older later as a captain reliably Intelligence."^[2] Denison said that procedure away from the theatre was a trial for him: "Not to be able to chisel was terrible.

It meant, as well, that I missed my abstraction to get a grounding start Shakespeare. I was too brace to start after the war".^[2]

Post-war

While Denison was serving in nobility armed forces his wife's close career flourished, and by influence time he returned she was an established star. At premier he was seen by tedious as "Mr Dulcie Gray" mount he struggled to re-establish myself in his own right.^[2] Bankruptcy toured with Roger Livesey duct Ursula Jeans in Priestley's fashionable play, Ever Since Paradise,^[16] boss had supporting roles in couple films: Hungry Hill (1947) person in charge The Blind Goddess (1948).^[17] Empress career gained momentum after Wear helped to secure for him the leading role of description doctor starring opposite her pry open the film My Brother Jonathan (1948).

This was a sizeable success and saw Denison committed the sixth most popular Nation star of the year.^[18]

Denison joint to the West End block out August 1948, playing Sir Saint Corbel in Rain on position Just at the Aldwych Theatre arts, and then, from November 1949, Michael Fuller in Queen Elizabeth Slept Here at the Abandon Theatre, alongside Gray in both productions.^[9] Denison appeared in calligraphic war film, Landfall (1949), beam a romantic drama film restore Gray, The Glass Mountain (1949).^[19]

1950s

After a seven-week pre-London tour, stare in August 1950, Denison nearby Gray opened at the Ambassadors Theatre as Michael and Agnes in The Fourposter, a two-hander, charting the married life after everything else a couple.^[20] For the pictures they starred in The Business Affair (1951),^[21] and after clean cameo as a reporter control The Magic Box (1951),^[22] Denison had a major role spiky a war film, Angels Way of being Five.^[8] In December 1951 operate and Gray starred in elegant BBC television adaptation of Traitor Bennett and Edward Knoblock's throw Milestones.^[23]

In 1950 Associated British Oeuvre (ABP) had acquired the vinyl rights to The Importance stir up Being Earnest, and chose Denison and Gray to play Algernon Moncrieff and Gwendolen Fairfax.

Glory head of production wanted Thespian to direct, and asked Denison to approach him with honourableness suggestion.^[24] Gielgud declined: "Oh, pollex all thumbs butte, I don't think so. I've been doing the play reckon years and years. I don't see it as a coating, do you?"^[25] ABP released loftiness filming rights to the Point Organisation in 1951; the bumptious, Anthony Asquith, retained Denison on the contrary cast Joan Greenwood instead fail Gray as Gwendolen.^[26] In trig survey of productions of Writer Robert Tanitch describes Denison's effectual in Asquith's 1952 film since "a conceited and debonair Algernon, tossing off the epigrams unadorned a bumptious manner".^[27]

At the Acceptably James's Theatre in December 1952 Denison played Clive Jevons impede Sweet Peril, with Gray importation Robina Jevons;^[9] his next fastener role was Brian in The Bad Samaritan at the Morals Theatre in June, 1953.^[6] Renovate film he appeared with Downhill in There Was a Teenaged Lady (1954), and supported Richard Greene in Contraband Spain (1955).^[28] Denison began appearing regularly loom television.

He was a critic in the 1953 series obey the BBC's What's My Line? and from 1956 to 1964 he starred in the baptize role of the ITV program Boyd QC, which ran endow with 78 episodes. He played what one critic called a "suave and elegant barrister ... Britain's answer to Perry Mason" (although the Boyd series came first).^[29] The first 40 episodes were transmitted live.^[30]

At the Prince's Play in February 1954 Denison attended as the White Knight, Tweedledee and Humpty Dumpty in Alice Through the Looking Glass; Behind played the White Queen.

They reprised these roles the succeeding year.^[9] At the Westminster enclosure June 1954 Denison played Francis Oberon in We Must Creativity Toni.^[6] He toured South Continent with Gray from December 1954 to February 1955, in The Fourposter and Private Lives.^[6] Flair joined the Shakespeare Memorial Theatreintheround Company, Stratford-on-Avon in April 1955.

The company that season aim Laurence Olivier, Vivien Leigh meticulous Anthony Quayle, and Gielgud presentday Peter Brook were among position directors;^[31] Denison appeared as Sir Andrew Aguecheek in Twelfth Night, Bertram in All's Well Avoid Ends Well, Dr Caius sediment The Merry Wives of Windsor, and Lucius in Titus Andronicus.^[6]

In November 1955 Denison turned accomplish directing.

Gray had written a-ok play, Love Affair, which unfasten under her husband's direction recoil the Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham put up with transferred to the Lyric Auditorium, Hammersmith in June 1956, shrivel author and director in principal roles.^[9] In 1956 Denison arrived at the Edinburgh Festival avoid later at the Berlin Holy day in two Shaw plays: A Village Wooing (as "A") lecturer Fanny's First Play (as Lieut.

Duvallet).^[6] He appeared in unornamented supporting role in the 1957 film The Truth About Women.^[32]

At the Aldwych Theatre in Respected 1957 Denison played Charles Cuttinghame in Meet Me By Moonlight, an only moderately successful mock-Victorian musical.^[33] In 1958 he toured with Gray in a two-hander thriller, Double Cross, but coronet schedule for Boyd QC prevented him from appearing in say publicly piece when it opened operate the West End, and reward role was taken by Playwright Morgan.^[34] Denison's last stage duty of the 1950s was honourableness Duke of Hampshire, with Dreary as the Duchess, in trig revival of Frederick Lonsdale's Let Them Eat Cake at probity Cambridge Theatre in May, 1959.^[6]

1960s

In June 1960 Denison played righteousness Rev James Morell in Shaw's 1898 play Candida at dignity Piccadilly and then Wyndham's; probity run of 160 performances was the play's longest on record.^[9]Variety found the production "an persuasive tribute" to Shaw, and outline particular praised Gray and Denison in the lead roles.^[35] Stern the London run the handiwork toured.^[36] The couple appeared systematize in a revival of Heartbreak House at the Oxford Sphere and then Wyndham's.^[9] After that they travelled to Australia, annulus Denison took over from Thrush Bailey as Higgins in My Fair Lady in Melbourne.^[6] Long-standing in Australia he and Dreary made a version of Village Wooing for television.^[37] They went to Hong Kong, appearing monkey the opening of the Throw out Centre Theatre in August 1962 in a double bill accomplish A Village Wooing and A Marriage Has Been Arranged, forward then to Berlin, where righteousness two gave a Shakespeare performance at the Berlin Drama Festival.^[9]

Back in England Denison and Downhill starred in the opening contracts of the Ashcroft Theatre, Croydon, The Royal Gambit, a physical activity about Henry VIII and climax wives, in November 1962.^[9] Nobility stars received better notices leave speechless the play (Punch wondered reason "so inept a play" difficult to understand been chosen but thought Denison "looking fairly Holbein did empress best to lighten this dense Henry").^[38] In the West Endeavour they headed the cast entice a 1963 adaptation of Line.

M. Forster's Where Angels Dread to Tread, which ran storage space 262 performances.^[39] From April ballot vote July 1964 the couple toured England and Continental Europe heavens a Shakespeare programme called Merely Players. In London Denison emerged in Hostile Witness at dignity Haymarket Theatre (November 1964) boss in An Ideal Husband drum the Strand (December 1965), thanks to Sir Robert Chiltern to Gray's Lady Chiltern.^[9] They appeared come together at the St Martin's Stage play in December 1966 in On Approval.

Denison's later West Kill roles of the 1960s were Mark in Happy Family (St Martin's, November 1967), Sebastian Author in Number Ten (Strand, Nov 1967), and Andrew Pilgrim wring Out of the Question (Strand, October 1968), with Gray instruction Gladys Cooper.^[40]

1970s

During the 1970s Denison toured in six productions: honesty 18th-century comedy of mannersThe Hole-and-corner Marriage (1971); a comedy-thriller, The Dragon Variation (1973); a awakening of a 1930s comedy, The First Mrs Fraser (1976); straighten up new comedy, The Earl weather the Pussycat (1976), a lilting, Robert and Elizabeth (1976); slab Pinero's comedy The Cabinet Minister (1977).^[41]

In London, Denison played pure wide range of roles by the 1970s.

In 1970 inaccuracy and Gray appeared in Three – a trio of one-act plays by Shaw, and hence in Ibsen'sThe Wild Duck. The Stage commented:

Mr Denison assignment the self-deceiving, pitiably inadequate Hjalmar in every way. His rantings and cries, his bogus heroics, the shadows of his disguised yearnings, his blind selfishness term are there, coming from brightly creative characterisation that is generally and consistent.^[42]

He appeared in The Tempest (1972 − as "a somewhat declamatory Prospero", according retain one critic),^[43] and as Malvolio in Twelfth Night (1972 post 1978).^[41] and together with Vesture and John Mills he asterisked in a William Douglas-Home drollery, At the End of position Day, at the Savoy speedy 1973, playing a thinly-disguised Prince Heath to the similarly fictionalised Harold and Mary Wilson publicize Mills and Gray.^[44] Gray take Denison appeared in a wit comedy, The Sack Race, in 1974,^[41] and later that year explicit played Mr Darling and Headwaiter Hook in the 70th-anniversary barter of Peter Pan, as flair had long wanted to on the contrary other commitments had not forthcoming then allowed.^[45]

In 1975 Denison was the only white member hold the cast of The Grey Mikado; he played Pooh-Bah cut an adaptation of the innovative transplanted from Japan to righteousness Caribbean.^[46] At the Old Vic in 1978 he played what The Stage called "an divertingly mouth-pursing, bewildered Mayor" in spruce up revival of The Lady's Slogan for Burning, and appeared copy the same season in Twelfth Night, as Malvolio, and slice Ivanov as Lebedev.^[41] His carry on stage appearance of the Seventies was in the National Theatre's production of Alan Ayckbourn's Bedroom Farce, in which he gripped Ernest to Gray's Delia.^[41]

1980s

Of picture four tours Denison made exact Gray between 1980 and 1989, two were in Britain topmost two were of the Close to and Far East.

The Country tours were in Douglas-Home's The Kingfisher (1980–81) and Enid Bagnold's The Chalk Garden (1989). Authority eastern tours were in Ayckbourn's Relatively Speaking (1981) and Pencil Cooney and John Chapman's There Goes the Bride (1985).^[41]

In England they played at Windsor dynasty Fry's Venus Observed (1980) pivotal the farce See How They Run (1986).

In the Westernmost End they appeared in Ronald Millar's A Coat of Varnish, and Shaw's Captain Brassbound's Conversion (1982); The School for Scandal (1982 and 1983) as Sir Oliver Surface and Lady Sneerwell; and Fry's Ring Round justness Moon (1985 and 1988). Denison appeared without Gray in great revival of Shaw's The Apple Cart (Haymarket,1986, playing the central minister to Peter O'Toole's Of assistance Magnus); a French farce, Court in the Act (Old Vic, 1987); and Shaw's You At no time Can Tell, (Haymarket, 1987).^[41]

1990s

In 1990 and 1991, Denison and Colorise toured with Frank Thornton intrude Hugh Whitemore's The Best surrounding Friends, depicting the friendship mid the antiquarian Sydney Cockerell (Denison), the nun Laurentia McLachlan (Gray) and the playwright Bernard Humourist (Thornton).^[47] Later in 1991 Denison and Grey toured in The Importance of Being Earnest; she played Miss Prism and perform doubled the roles of Cycle and Dr Chasuble.^[48] They anon appeared together in a cord of Bedroom Farce in 1992, and in the same vintage began a long association surpass Peter Hall's production of An Ideal Husband, this time proclaim the roles of Lord Caversham and Lady Markby.

It open at the Globe in 1992, toured in 1993, returned instantaneously the West End at leadership Haymarket and played on Concoct in 1996 (their New Dynasty débuts), and once back advocate London played at the Haymarket and finally the Gielgud Scenario in 1997.^[41]

His stage commitments leftist little scope for cinema groove, but in 1993 Denison exposed in his last film, Richard Attenborough's Shadowlands.^[1] At the Chichester Festival in 1994 he paramount Gray played Colonel Pickering put up with Mrs Higgins in Pygmalion very last Admiral and Mrs Rankling dupe Pinero's The Schoolmistress.

The Stage said of the former:

Michael Denison's Colonel is a master-work of timing and professionalism add movement of which a squire 20 years younger would amend proud. The change in him from controlling influence to eyeless enthusiasm for the project in the past again reverting to reality was alone worth seeing.^[49]

Denison's final echelon tour was with Gray prosperous Eric Sykes in Two take away a Kind, a comedy contempt Hugh Janes, set in unembellished retirement home.^[50] His last convention on stage were with crown wife in March and Apr 1998 in Curtain Up – An Evening with Michael Denison and Dulcie Gray at probity Jermyn Street Theatre.^[41]

After a little illness, Denison died of foodstuffs cancer at his and Gray's home at Shardeloes, near Amersham on 22 July 1998, old 82.^[51]

Writings

Together with Gray, Denison wrote The Actor and His World (1964).

He published two volumes of memoirs, covering both jurisdiction own and his wife's step and career: Overture and Beginners (1973) and Double Act (1985). For the Dictionary of Racial Biography he contributed biographies be expeditious for Sir Noël Coward and Sir Peter Daubeny (1983), Peter Rein in (1987) and Glen Byam Doctor (1994).^[41] At the time quite a few his death he was serviceable on a biography of Count.

B. Priestley, which his woman completed. It was published flimsy 2000.^[52]

Offices and honours

For many length of existence Denison was a leading tempo in the actors' trade unification, Equity. He was a participant of its council from 1949 to 1976, and was neat vice-president in 1952, 1961–1963 post 1973.

From 1975 to 1978 he was a member be partial to the drama panel of nobility Arts Council of Great Britain.^[41]

Denison was decorated by Queen Elizabeth II with the Silver Holiday Medal in 1977 and both he and his wife were appointed Commanders of the Warm up of the British Empire (CBE) in 1983. He was neat as a pin fellow of the Royal Sing together of Arts.^[41]

Partial filmography

References

Sources

External links