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John Phillips

John Phillips

Acting July 20, 1914 (80 years old) May 11, 1995 Birmingham, West Midlands, England, UK

Biography

A tall, imposing character actor with a voice to match, John Phillips brought an authoritative manner and dignified military bearing to his many roles on stage and screen. A decorated veteran of the 1944 Normandy Campaign, Phillips frequently appeared on television as uniformed senior officers and police chief constables, from Frontier (1968) to Z Cars (1962). His piercing eyes and forthright manner made him equally suited to portraying magistrates, academics and clergymen. After a long innings with the Birmingham Repertory prior to 1945, he appeared post-war in Bristol and at the Old Vic in London, playing anything from Henrik Ibsen to Shakespeare. He was critically acclaimed for his roles as Henry VIII and Timon of Athens, Prospero and Tamburlaine the Great (in Christopher Marlowe's play)). Acting on screen from the early 1950's, he was insidious as lawyer Tulkinghorn in Bleak House (1959), and lent gravitas to his Norfolk in Richard III (1955) and Grand Duke Nicholas in Fall of Eagles (1974). He was not beyond parodying his screen personae, being droll and stereotypically stiff-upper-lip, as Colonel Harcourt Badger Owen in the uproarious Ripping Yarns (1976) episode 'Escape from Stalag Luft 112 B'. Phillips retired from the stage in the 1980's and made his celluloid curtain call in the eccentric, off-beat comedy Leon the Pig Farmer (1992).

Movies 33

Dunkirk 6.9

Dunkirk

as Boat Owner Spokesman (uncredited)

1958
Village of the Damned 7.2

Village of the Damned

as General Leighton

1960
Quadrophenia 7.0

Quadrophenia

as Magistrate

1979
Becket 7.2

Becket

as Bishop of Winchester

1964
The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone 6.9

The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone

as Tom Stone

1961
The Mouse on the Moon 6.3

The Mouse on the Moon

as Bracewell - U.S. Delegate

1963
The Mummy's Shroud 5.4

The Mummy's Shroud

as Stanley Preston

1967
Man in the Moon 6.7

Man in the Moon

as Professor Stephens

1960
I Accuse! 6.6

I Accuse!

as Prosecutor at Esterhazy Trial

1958
Torture Garden 6.2

Torture Garden

as Eddie Storm (segment 2 "Terror Over Hollywood")

1967
Escape from Stalag Luft 112B 9.5

Escape from Stalag Luft 112B

as Colonel Harcourt Badger Owen

1977
We Joined the Navy 6.0

We Joined the Navy

as Rear Admiral

1963
Fortune Is a Woman 6.8

Fortune Is a Woman

as Willis Croft

1957
A Prize of Arms 6.7

A Prize of Arms

as Col. Fowler

1962
Joey Boy 6.2

Joey Boy

as Insp. Morgan

1965
Angels One Five 6.1

Angels One Five

as Engineer Officer

1952
Mrs. Lawrence Will Look After It 10.0

Mrs. Lawrence Will Look After It

as Councillor Percival

1968
The Shiralee 5.1

The Shiralee

as Doctor

1957
Romanoff and Juliet 5.7

Romanoff and Juliet

as Hooper Moulsworth

1961
A Call on Kuprin: Part 2

A Call on Kuprin: Part 2

as Trifonov

1961
Mission: Monte Carlo 5.9

Mission: Monte Carlo

as Koestler (archive footage)

1974
The Executioner 8.0

The Executioner

as Examining Judge

1980
Dial Red O 5.2

Dial Red O

as Deputy Morgan

1955
The Devil's Eggshell 7.0

The Devil's Eggshell

as Major General Atkins

1966
Ascendancy 4.7

Ascendancy

as Wintour

1983
The Government Inspector 6.0

The Government Inspector

as The Mayor

1958
Three Dangerous Ladies 6.0

Three Dangerous Ladies

as Francis Urcombe

1977
Offbeat 6.2

Offbeat

as Chief Superintendent Gault

1961
Sky High 5.5

Sky High

as Lt. Col. Turbojet

1951
A Call on Kuprin: Part 1

A Call on Kuprin: Part 1

as Trifonov

1961
The Hallelujah Handshake 7.9

The Hallelujah Handshake

as Rev. Howard Whithead

1970
Mrs. Amworth 6.5

Mrs. Amworth

as Francis Urcombe

1975
Strife

Strife

as John Anthony

1965

TV Shows 49

The Avengers 7.8

The Avengers

as Nesbitt

1961
Play for Today 6.6

Play for Today

as Examining Judge

1970
Z-Cars 7.3

Z-Cars

as Det. Chief Superintendent Robins

1962
BBC Play of the Month 5.2

BBC Play of the Month

as Major General Atkins

1965
The Wednesday Play 5.2

The Wednesday Play

as Councillor Percival

1964
The Wednesday Play 5.2

The Wednesday Play

as Cardinal Runan

1964
The Wednesday Play 5.2

The Wednesday Play

as Forbes-Wainwright

1964
The Wednesday Play 5.2

The Wednesday Play

as Sir Gilbert Hardacre

1964
Thirty-Minute Theatre 4.2

Thirty-Minute Theatre

as Mr. Tredgold

1965
One Step Beyond 5.7

One Step Beyond

as Frank

1959
Danger Man 7.3

Danger Man

as Coyannis

1960
Theatre 625 7.2

Theatre 625

as Alfred Truelove

1964
Dixon of Dock Green 6.0

Dixon of Dock Green

as Magistrate

1955
Dixon of Dock Green 6.0

Dixon of Dock Green

as Mr. Parry

1955
Sunday-Night Play

Sunday-Night Play

as Trifonov

1960
Sunday-Night Play

Sunday-Night Play

as Prince Galitzin

1960
The Persuaders! 7.7

The Persuaders!

as Lanning Koestler

1971
The Onedin Line 7.0

The Onedin Line

as Mr. Frazer

1971
The Onedin Line 7.0

The Onedin Line

as Jack - Frazer Senior

1971
Jesus of Nazareth 7.8

Jesus of Nazareth

as Naso

1977
The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes 7.5

The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes

as Professor Dyne

1971
The Main Chance 8.2

The Main Chance

as Arnold Bingley

1969
The Count of Monte Cristo 5.6

The Count of Monte Cristo

1956
Sergeant Cork 7.2

Sergeant Cork

as Big Ben Lewis

1963
Fall of Eagles 7.0

Fall of Eagles

as Grand Duke Nicholas

1974
The Pallisers 6.4

The Pallisers

as Sir Gregory Grogram

1974
Hazell 5.2

Hazell

as DS Bull

1978
Father Brown 7.1

Father Brown

as Brander Merton

1974
Mystery and Imagination 5.8

Mystery and Imagination

as Colonel Gaillarde

1966
Manhunt 6.8

Manhunt

as Klintzch

1970
Theatre Night

Theatre Night

as Hooper Moulsworth

1957
Hallmark Hall of Fame 8.8

Hallmark Hall of Fame

as Von Brondorff

1951
W. Somerset Maugham

W. Somerset Maugham

as Commandant

1969
Ripping Yarns 7.7

Ripping Yarns

1976
1990 6.5

1990

1977
Bleak House 9.0

Bleak House

as Mr Tulkinghorn

1959
Days of Hope 7.0

Days of Hope

as Josiah Wedgwood

1975
The Old Men at the Zoo 6.5

The Old Men at the Zoo

as Dr. Charles Langley-Beard

1983
The Caesars 8.0

The Caesars

as Piso

1968
Mr Big 7.0

Mr Big

as Leopold Ruchworth

1977
Out of Town Theatre

Out of Town Theatre

as Sir Howard Price

1966
Crime of Passion 5.0

Crime of Passion

1970
Crime of Passion 5.0

Crime of Passion

as Maitre Lacan

1970
Merlin of the Crystal Cave 7.0

Merlin of the Crystal Cave

as King Dafydd

1991
Christ Recrucified

Christ Recrucified

as Pope Grigoris

1969
Smuggler's Bay

Smuggler's Bay

as Elzevir Block

1964
Rupert of Hentzau

Rupert of Hentzau

as Colonel Zapt

1964
Legend of Death

Legend of Death

as Edward Gargan

1965
Man of Straw

Man of Straw

as Dr. Heuteufel

1972

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