The great overgrown schoolboy

"There was often a touch of the great overgrown schoolboy about him, and his published interviews encouraged the perception that to him acting was no more than a delightful game for which one was paid."
- Brian McFarlane, Encyclopedia of British Film

Today is the centenary of the birth of the wonderful Robert Morley.

One of Britain's best character actors, Morley was most often called upon to play the quintessential English toff or civil servant, blustering and blithering alongside the stars of British films of the 50s and 60s such as Margaret Rutherford, Alistair Sim, Dirk Bogarde, David Niven, Felix Aylmer, Ralph Richardson and the like.

Son-in-law of actress Gladys Cooper, and father of the late critic and broadcaster Sheridan Morley, Robert was well bred and well educated in England, Germany, France and Italy, but evidently rebelled against his background to go to RADA. When asked to give a talk at his old school, Wellington, he said the only reason he would return to the school would be to burn it down.

In his long theatre and film career Robert played Oscar Wilde, Mr. Micawber, Charles James Fox and King George III, but my all-time favourite role of his was as one of the unfortunate victims in the uber-camp Theatre of Blood, starring with Vincent Price.

I love Theatre of Blood! In this blackly humorous revenge movie, whereby a slighted ham actor (played by Vincent Price) gets his Shakespearean revenge upon the critics who damned his career - in the film he dispenses with Ian Hendry, Harry Andrews, Coral Browne, Jack Hawkins, Michael Hordern and Arthur Lowe - Robert Morley, playing the "queen" (a la Titus Andronicus) who is force-fed her "babies" (in this case her pet poodles) is just brilliant...

Theatre of Blood - Robert Morley's poodles

Theatre of Blood on IMDB