Laurence Naismith
| Laurence Naismith | |
|---|---|
 As Argus in Jason and the Argonauts (1963) | |
| Born |
Lawrence Johnson 14 December 1908 Thames Ditton, Surrey, England |
| Died |
5 June 1992 (aged 83) Southport, Queensland, Australia |
| Years active | 1948–1982 |
Laurence Naismith (born Lawrence Johnson; 14 December 1908 – 5 June 1992) was an English actor. He made numerous film and television appearances, including starring roles in the musical films Scrooge (1970) and the children's ghost film The Amazing Mr Blunden (1972). He also had a memorable role as Captain Edward Smith of the RMS Titanic in A Night to Remember (1958).
Early life and career
Naismith was born in Thames Ditton, Surrey, in 1908. He attended All Saints Choir School in London and was a chorus member for a 1927 production of the George Gershwin musical Oh, Kay!. He then worked in repertory theatre and ran a repertory company of his own.[1] At the outbreak of the Second World War he joined the British Army where he became an officer in the Royal Artillery.
Film
His film roles included Carrington VC (1954), Richard III (1955), Sink the Bismarck! (1960), The World of Suzie Wong (1960, Jason and the Argonauts (1963). He played the non-singing role of Merlin in the 1967 film version of the musical Camelot[2] and appeared in the James Bond film Diamonds Are Forever (1971) as the chairman of the diamond trading syndicate.
Television
In 1965, Naismith played the title role of the Virginia statesman George Mason in the NBC documentary series, Profiles in Courage. William Bakewell played George Wythe in the episode, and Arthur Franz was cast as James Madison.[3] In 1965, Naismith guest-starred as barber Gilly Bright in episode 25, "The Threat" of the ABC military drama, 12 O-Clock High (TV series) and in the ABC action drama, The Fugitive, starring David Janssen.[2] In 1969 he played Don Q Hought in an episode of Bonanza. He played Judge Fulton in the television series The Persuaders! (1971), with Tony Curtis and Roger Moore. He portrayed Emperor of Austria Franz Joseph in the BBC production Fall of Eagles (1974). Naismith played the Prince of Verona in the BBC Television Shakespeare version of Romeo and Juliet.
Stage
He appeared on Broadway in the Meredith Willson musical Here's Love in 1963, opposite Janis Paige.
Selected filmography
References
- ↑ Laurence Naismith at Masterworks Broadway. Retrieved 2 January 2016
- 1 2 Laurence Naismith at the Internet Movie Database
- ↑ ""George Mason" in Profiles in Courage, 2 May 1965". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved March 16, 2013.
External links
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