Donald Pleasence

Pleasence starred as psychiatrist Dr. Samuel Loomis in Halloween (1978) and four of its sequels, a role for which he was nominated for a Saturn Award for Best Actor. The series' popularity and critical success led to a resurgent career for Pleasence, who appeared in numerous American and European-produced horror and thriller films. He collaborated with Halloween director John Carpenter twice more, as the President of the United States in Escape from New York (1981) and as the Priest in Prince of Darkness (1987). For his stage work, Pleasence won a Drama Desk Award and was nominated for four Tony Awards for Best Actor in a Play. He was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire for his services to drama by Queen Elizabeth II in 1994.

• Name — Donald Pleasence • Honorific Suffix — OBE • Birth Name — Donald Henry Pleasence • Born — 5 October 1919 • Birthplace — Worksop, Nottinghamshire, England • Died — 2 February 1995 • Place of death — Saint-Paul-de-Vence, Alpes-Maritimes, France • Education — Ecclesfield School • Years Active — 1946–1995 • Children — 5, including Angela • Occupation — Actor

Pleasence was born in Worksop, Nottinghamshire, the son of Alice (née Armitage) and Thomas Stanley Pleasence, a railway station master.[5] His grandfather was a railwayman who lived at Portland Place in Worksop, where Donald developed an interest in cricket. He received his formal education at Crosby Junior School, known as Doncaster Road School, in Scunthorpe.[6] He lived at 111 Frodingham Road for nine years. Aged seven he took part in his first play, in Scunthorpe, called Passers By.[7] He was brought up as a strict Methodist in the small village of Grimoldby, Lincolnshire, from the age of nine. With his older brother Ralph, both went to Eastfield Road school in Louth.[8] He was in the local Scouts, the 4th United Methodist in Louth.[10] He produced the school Christmas concert, in Louth, in his early teens.[12] His father was the stationmaster at Grimoldby railway station for five years, on the Mablethorpe loop railway.[18] His parents were in the temperance society,[19] and his mother was in the Grimoldby and Manby Women's Institute.[21] By early 1934 he had moved from Lincolnshire, where his father had been the LNER stationmaster from around early 1929.[22] His father was the stationmaster at Ecclesfield. His father would die aged 78 in 1966 after moving to Teddington in the late 1950s.[23] He attended Ecclesfield Grammar School near Sheffield, which he said changed his life. Mr Clay was head of English, and with the headmaster, encouraged him, saying 'I owe virtually everything to them'. He developed his acting in Mr Clay's 'Wednesday Club' drama society. He has said that he was good at English but 'not much else'. Donald's father asked the headmaster to persuade his son to not choose to be an actor. A class friend Sam Hemingfield, would become a teacher, and later head of the sixth form at Ecclesfield School. Another friend was John Bertram, who would become a teacher, and head of English at Bradfield School. For 18 months he worked as a booking clerk at Swinton railway station,[24] with LNER and decided that he wanted to be a professional actor, taking up a placement with the Jersey Repertory Company in 1939.[26] His first professional play at the Playhouse, in Jersey in July 1939 was as assistant stage manager with the Kent-Naismith Rep Company, where he played Hareton Earnshaw in Wuthering Heights.[27] Until 1941, he worked in repertory theatre. Until leaving rep, he had a rebellious nature, and often upset theatre directors and managers, leading to him being dismissed.

In December 1939, Pleasence initially refused conscription into the British Armed Forces, registering as a conscientious objector, but changed his stance in autumn 1940, after the attacks upon London by the Luftwaffe, and volunteered with the Royal Air Force.[28] He served as aircraft wireless-operator with No. 166 Squadron in Bomber Command, with which he flew almost sixty raids against the Axis Powers over occupied Europe, from RAF Kirmington. On 31 August 1944, his Lancaster NE112 was shot down during an attack on Agenville, France,[29][30] and he was captured and imprisoned in the German prisoner-of-war camp Stalag Luft I. He had been shot down on his 19th operation, bombing a V-1 flying bomb site. Pleasence produced and acted in many plays for the entertainment of his fellow captives. In 1955 he said that 'joining the RAF was almost like being posted home'. Ten days before VE day, he was liberated by the Russians. The camp had mostly Americans.[31] After the war and his release, he was discharged from the RAF in 1946 as a Flight lieutenant.[32] Years later, he used his experiences in POW camps in his role in The Great Escape. While filming, Pleasence kindly offered advice to director John Sturges, to which he was politely asked to keep his "opinions" to himself. Later, when James Garner on set informed Sturges that Pleasence had been imprisoned in a German POW camp, Sturges requested his technical advice and input on historical accuracy from that point forward.[34]

Returning to acting after the war, Pleasence resumed working in repertory theatre companies in Birmingham and Bristol.[35] His first production was The Brothers Karamazov, where he played the interrogator Mavriky, when one of the actors was ill at the Lyric Theatre (Hammersmith). It was his first 'unpleasant' acting role. He joined Birmingham Rep, where stayed for two years, then the Bristol Old Vic. He toured the US in 1950.[36] In the 1950s, Pleasence's stage work included performing as Willie Mossop in a 1952 production of Hobson's Choice at the Arts Theatre, London and as Dauphin in Jean Anouilh's The Lark (1956). In 1960, Pleasence gained excellent notices as the tramp in Harold Pinter's The Caretaker at the Arts Theatre, a role he would again play in a 1990 revival. Other stage work in the 1960s included Anouilh's Poor Bitos (1963–64) and Robert Shaw's The Man in the Glass Booth (1967), for which he won the London Variety Award for Stage Actor of the Year in 1968. Pleasence's later stage work included performing in a double bill of Pinter plays, The Basement and Tea Party, at the Duchess Theatre in 1970.

Pleasence made his television debut in I Want to Be a Doctor (1946). He received positive critical attention for his role as Syme in the BBC version of Nineteen Eighty-Four (1954) from the novel by George Orwell. The adaptation was by Nigel Kneale and featured Peter Cushing in the lead role of Winston Smith.[37] Pleasence played Prince John in several episodes of the ITV series The Adventures of Robin Hood (1956–1958),[38] starring Richard Greene in the title role. He appeared twice with Patrick McGoohan in the British spy series Danger Man, in episodes "Position of Trust" (1960) and "Find and Return" (1961). Pleasence's first appearance in the United States was in an episode of The Twilight Zone, playing an ageing teacher at a boys' school in the episode "The Changing of the Guard" (1962). In 1963, he appeared in an episode titled "The Man with the Power" of The Outer Limits. In 1966, he also guest starred in an episode entitled "With Strings Attached" of The Fugitive. In 1973, Pleasence played a murdering wine specialist in an episode of Columbo entitled "Any Old Port in a Storm". Also that year, he played a supporting role in David Winters' musical television adaptation of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.[39] He also portrayed a murderer captured by Mrs. Columbo in "Murder Is a Parlor Game" (1979). In 1978, he played a scout, Sam Purchas in an adaptation of James A. Michener's Centennial. Pleasence starred alongside his daughter Angela Pleasence, who played his onscreen daughter Susanas, he was the Reverend Septimus Harding, in the BBC's TV series The Barchester Chronicles (1982). He hosted the 1981 Halloween episode (with music guest Fear) of Saturday Night Live. In 1986, Pleasence joined Ronald Lacey and Polly Jo Pleasence for the television thriller Into the Darkness. In 1988, Pleasence and Michael Nader portrayed villains in The Great Escape II: The Untold Story,[40] which costar Christopher Reeve explained as not being a remake of the 1963 original film and being based on Paul Brickhill's non-fiction account The Great Escape. Noting his involvement in the original film, Joan Hanauer wrote that Pleasence had "graduated to an S.S. villain, and he is a marvel of soft-spoken, almost finicky evil."[41]

During the early 1960s, Pleasence recorded several children's-story records on the Atlas Record label. These were marketed as the Talespinners series in the United Kingdom. They were also released in the United States as Tale Spinners for Children by United Artists. The stories included Don Quixote and the Brave Little Tailor. He also wrote, directed and narrated Scouse the Mouse in 1977. Pleasence provided the voice-over for the British public information film, The Spirit of Dark and Lonely Water (1973). The film, intended to warn children of the dangers of playing near water, attained notoriety for allegedly giving children nightmares.[61]

Pleasence married four times and had five daughters from his first three marriages, including Angela. His last marriage was to Linda Kentwood (m. 1988–1995; his death).[62] In the late 1970s, he lived near the eastern side of Kew Bridge. He lived in the south of France for a number of years, up until his death.

On 2 February 1995, Pleasence died at age 75 at his home in Saint-Paul-de-Vence, France, from complications of heart failure following heart valve replacement surgery.[63] His body was cremated.

• Year — Title — Role — Notes • 1952–1959 — Sunday Night Theatre — Various roles — 6 episodes • 1954 — Nineteen Eighty-Four — Syme • 1955 — The Grove Family — Monsieur Paul — Episode: "Parlez-Vous Français?" • 1956 — The Adventures of Robin Hood — Prince John — 4 episodes • 1956–1959 — ITV Playhouse — Various roles — 6 episodes • 1957 — Assignment Foreign Legion — Commandant — Episode: "The Coward" • 1957–1967 — Armchair Theatre — Various roles — 8 episodes • 1959 — The Killing Stones — Jakob Kleiber — Episode: "The Carefulness of Kleiber" • The Scarf — Detective Inspector Harry Yates — 6 episodes • The Adventures of William Tell — The Spider — Episode: "The Spider" • 1960 — The Four Just Men — Paul Koster — Episode: "The Survivor" • Interpol Calling — Karl Haussman — Episode: "The Absent Assassin" • Rendezvous — Potter — Episode: "The Dodo" • 1960–1961 — Danger Man — Nikolides / Captain Aldrich — 2 episodes • 1960–1965 — Armchair Mystery Theatre — Host / Ambrose — Episode: "Ambrose" • 1961 — Alcoa Presents: One Step Beyond — Harvey Laurence — Episode: "The Confession" • Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color — Captain Pinski — Episode: "The Horsemasters" • 1962 — The Twilight Zone — Professor Ellis Fowler — Episode: "The Changing of the Guard" • 1963 — The Outer Limits — Professor Harold Finley — Episode: "The Man with the Power" • 1964 — Espionage — Escalon — Episode: "The Liberators" • 1965 — The Defenders — Dr. Byron Saul — Episode: "Fires of the Mind" • 1966 — The Fugitive — Max Pfeiffer — Episode: "With Strings Attached" • The Wednesday Play — The Head Waiter — Episode: "The Head Waiter" • 1967–1968 — Thirty-Minute Theatre — J.G. / Richard Pratt — 2 episodes • 1971 — The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes — Carnacki — Episode: "The Horse of the Invisible" • 1971–1983 — Play for Today — Samuel Johnson / Gerry Muddiman / Tom — 3 episodes • 1972 — Hawaii Five-O — Hans Vogler — Episode: "The Ninety-Second War: Part II" • The Man Outside — Victor Cobb — Episode: "A Glass of Snake Wine" • Police Surgeon — Jerry Hahn — Episode: "Lady X" • 1973 — Columbo — Adrian Carsini — Episode: "Any Old Port in a Storm" • Orson Welles Great Mysteries — Cawser — Episode: "Captain Rogers" • 1974 — Performance — Wilhelm Voigt — Episode "The Captain of Köpenick" • 1975 — Shades of Greene — Puckler — Episode: "The Root of All Evil" • 1976 — Peep Show — Max — Episode: "Death" • Laurence Olivier Presents — Nat Jeffcote — Episode: "Hindle Wakes" • 1979 — Mrs. Columbo — Ian A. Morly — Episode: "Murder Is a Parlor Game" • 1981 — Dick Turpin — Ignatius Slake — 2 episodes • Saturday Night Live — Himself (Host) — Episode: "Donald Pleasence/Fear" • 1982 — The Barchester Chronicles — Reverend Septimus Harding — 7 episodes • 1987 — Basements — Mr. Kidd — Episode: "The Room"[69] • 1988 — The Ray Bradbury Theater — George Hill — Episode: "Punishment Without Crime" • 1992 — Lovejoy — Karel Redl — Episode: "The Prague Sun" • 1993 — Screen Two — Victor Harty — Episode: "Femme Fatale"

Donald Pleasence was recorded at birth as Donald Henry Pleasence. The authorities additionally record the heading Donald Henry Pleasence. His recorded language was English. He married Miriam Raymond, Josephine Crombie and Meira Shore. One child is recorded: Angela Pleasence.

• Illustration — Pleasence in the trailer for the film Eye of the Devil (1966). Pleasence made his big-screen debut with The Beachcomber (1954). Some notable early roles include Parsons in 1984 (1956), and minor roles opposite Alec Guinness in Barnacle Bill (1957), and Dirk Bogarde in The Wind Cannot Read (1958). In Tony Richardson's film of Look Back in Anger (1959), he plays a vindictive market inspector opposite Richard Burton. In the same year, Pleasence starred in the horror films Circus of Horrors (1959), directed by Sidney Hayers, playing the role of Vanet, the owner of a circus. He starred in The Flesh and the Fiends, as the real-life murderer William Hare, alongside Peter Cushing, George Rose and Billie Whitelaw.[42] Characterised by a bald head, a penetrating stare, and an intense voice, usually quiet but capable of a piercing scream, he specialised in portraying insane, fanatical, or evil characters; In 1959, he was awarded Best Actor by the Society of Film and Television Arts Television Awards for his work the previous year.[43] He played the title role in Dr Crippen (1962), the frontier prophet Oracle Jones in Hallelujah Trail, the double agent Dr Michaels in the science-fiction film Fantastic Voyage (1966), the white trader who sells guns to the Cheyenne Indians in the revisionist western Soldier Blue (1970), the mad German psychoanalyst with Bud Spencer–Terence Hill in Watch Out, We're Mad! (1974), Nazi leader Heinrich Himmler in The Eagle Has Landed (1976), and the Bond arch-villain Ernst Stavro Blofeld in You Only Live Twice (1967), the first film in which Blofeld's face is clearly seen. His interpretation of the character has become predominant in popular culture considering the popularity of the comic villain, Dr. Evil in the successful Austin Powers film series, which primarily parodies it. He starred in the crime drama Hell is a City (1960), shot in Manchester, he starred opposite Stanley Baker, while he was memorably cast in as the "horrible-looking zombie" solicitor opposite Shirley Eaton, Sid James, Kenneth Connor and Dennis Price, in the horror comedy What a Carve Up! (1961). He appeared as the mild-mannered and good-natured POW forger Colin Blythe in the film The Great Escape (1963), who discovers that he is slowly going blind, but nonetheless participates in the mass break-out, only to be shot down by German soldiers because he is unable to see them. Variety highlighted Pleasence and Richard Attenborough as giving some of the better performances in the film, Pleasence specifically being praised for having the most moving portrayal and depicting "the film's most touching character."[44] Pleasence played Lucifer in the religious epic The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965). He was one of many stars who were given cameos throughout the film. He also acted in Roman Polanski's Cul-de-sac (1966), in which he portrayed the love-sodden husband of a much younger French wife (Françoise Dorléac). He ventured successfully into American cowboy territory, playing a sadistic self-styled preacher who goes after stoic Charlton Heston in the Western Will Penny (1968). Pleasence played, as he did in The Great Escape, an uncharacteristically sympathetic role, this time, as an old-school German general involved in a plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler in The Night of the Generals (1967). Pleasence was the original choice of Michael Reeves for the title role of the folk horror film Witchfinder General (a.k.a. The Conqueror Worm, 1968) but once American International Pictures became involved in the production, they insisted that their contract star, Vincent Price, be given the lead, and Pleasence was dropped from the film. In 1971, Pleasence delivered a tour de force performance in the role of an alcoholic Australian doctor in Ted Kotcheff's nightmarish outback drama Wake in Fright. A lost film for many decades, Wake in Fright is now considered a pivotal film of both the Australian New Wave[45] and the Ozploitation cycle,[46] earning praise from contemporary critics for Kotcheff's direction and the cast's performances.[47] Pleasence portrayed SEN 5241 in THX 1138 (1971), opposite Robert Duvall which was the directorial debut of George Lucas. The next year he appeared as an eccentric, tea-obsessed police inspector alongside Norman Rossington and Christopher Lee in the cult horror film Death Line. A few years later, he portrayed antagonist Lucas Deranian, in Walt Disney's Escape to Witch Mountain (1975), and as Nicolai Dalchimsky, the Russian seeking to start a war between the United States and the Soviet Union in Telefon (1977). Pleasence appeared as Dr. Samuel Loomis in John Carpenter's horror film Halloween (1978).[48] The film was a major success and was considered the highest grossing independent film of its time, earning accolades as a classic of the horror genre. He also played the teacher, Kantorek in All Quiet on the Western Front (1979), Dr. Kobras in The Pumaman (1980), and the held-hostage President of the United States in Escape from New York (1981). The rather sinister accent which Pleasence employed in this and other films may be credited to the elocution lessons he had as a child. He reprised his Dr. Sam Loomis role in Halloween II (1981), Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers (1988), Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers (1989), and Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers (1995). Pleasence, Daria Nicolodi, and Jennifer Connelly starred in Dario Argento's Phenomena (1985),[49] where Pleasence portrayed a wheelchair-using forensic entomologist.[50] Although Austin Trunick of Under the Radar criticised Connelly for not being an active heroine, he cited "a lot of nice interaction between Connelly and Pleasence's eccentric character" as a positive tradeoff.[51] Later that year, Pleasence played a retiring inspector who investigates the disappearance of the sister of Tom Schanley's character in Nothing Underneath.[52] JA Kerswell called Pleasence's role "clichéd" for the actor while also praising his presence as "a welcome bonus."[53] The reviewer from Horror Society wrote of liking Schanley and Pleasence "but the story is the main focus here and not the cast which is a bit of a shame because both did fantastic jobs."[54] Operation Nam was Pleasence's sole film appearance in 1986, playing "a minor part as a priest" who services Vietnam soldiers.[55] Pleasence collaborated with Carpenter again when he starred in Prince of Darkness (1987), where he played a priest who seeks the aid of a professor and a few of the latter's quantum physics students to uncover the mystery of a glowing liquid in a canister.[56] Though mixed about the film, Starburst praised Pleasence's performance, admitting that to them, "there are very few sights in genre cinema as marvelous as seeing Pleasence delivering an intense, slightly erratic monologue, and he gets plenty to sink his teeth into here."[57] Megan Summers asserted that Pleasence brought "his standard emotional prowess and psychological stability to his role" in the film,[58] and Michael Wilmington declared Pleasence and Victor Wong as "both fine; these two know how to make the most of shallow excess."[59] In 1988, Pleasence played a priest in the Italian horror film Vampire in Venice, (a.k.a. Nosferatu in Venice), a quasi-sequel to Werner Herzog's Nosferatu the Vampyre (1979). Pleasence admired Sir Laurence Olivier,[60] with whom he worked on-stage in the 1950s, and later on the film version of Dracula (1979). Two years earlier, Pleasence did an amusingly broad impersonation of Olivier in the guise of a horror-film actor called "Valentine De'ath" in the film The Uncanny (1977). According to the film critic Kim Newman on a DVD commentary for Halloween II, the reason for Pleasence's lengthy filmography was that he never turned down any role that was offered.

• Year — Title — Role — Notes • 1954 — Private's Progress — Scotland Yard Detective — Uncredited • The Beachcomber — Tromp • 1955 — Orders Are Orders — Corporal Martin — Credited as Donald Plesance • Value for Money — Limpy • 1956 — 1984 — Parsons • The Black Tent — Ali • 1957 — The Man in the Sky — Crabtree • Manuela — Evans • Barnacle Bill — Cashier • 1958 — A Tale of Two Cities — John Barsad • Heart of a Child — Spiel • The Wind Cannot Read — Doctor • The Man Inside — Organ-Grinder • The Two-Headed Spy — General Hardt • 1959 — Look Back in Anger — Hurst • Killers of Kilimanjaro — Captain • The Battle of the Sexes — Irwin Hoffman • 1960 — The Shakedown — Jessel Brown • The Flesh and the Fiends — William Hare • Circus of Horrors — Vanet • Hell Is a City — Gus Hawkins • Sons and Lovers — Pappleworth • The Big Day — Victor Partridge • Suspect — Parsons / Bill Brown • The Hands of Orlac — Graham Coates • 1961 — No Love for Johnnie — Roger Renfrew • The Wind of Change — 'Pop' Marley • A Story of David — Nabal • Spare the Rod — Mr. Jenkins • What a Carve Up! — Everett Sloane • 1962 — The Inspector — Sergeant Wolters • 1963 — The Caretaker — Mac Davies / Bernard Jenkins • The Great Escape — Flight Lieutenant Colin Blythe, "The Forger" • Dr. Crippen — Dr. Crippen • 1965 — The Greatest Story Ever Told — Satan • The Hallelujah Trail — Oracle Jones • 1966 — Cul-de-sac — George • Eye of the Devil — Pere Dominic • Fantastic Voyage — Dr. Michaels • 1967 — The Night of the Generals — General Kahlenberge • You Only Live Twice — Ernst Stavro Blofeld • Matchless — Gregori Andreanu • 1968 — Will Penny — Preacher Quint • Sleep Is Lovely — Clive • Creature of Comfort — James Thorne • 1969 — Arthur? Arthur! — Arthur Brownjohn • The Madwoman of Chaillot — Prospector • 1970 — Soldier Blue — Isaac Q. Cumber • 1971 — THX 1138 — SEN 5241 • Wake in Fright — Clarence 'Doc' Tydon • 1972 — Death Line — Inspector Calhoun • The Jerusalem File — Major Samuels • The Pied Piper — Baron • Henry VIII and His Six Wives — Thomas Cromwell • Innocent Bystanders — Loomis • Wedding in White — Jim Dougall • 1973 — Kidnapped — Ebenezer Balfour • The Rainbow Boys — Ralph Logan • Lonely Water — The Spirit (voice) — Short film • Malachi's Cove — Malachi • Tales That Witness Madness — Professor Tremayne • 1974 — From Beyond the Grave — Jim Underwood — Segment: "An Act of Kindness" • Watch Out, We're Mad! — Doctor • The Black Windmill — Cedric Harper • House of the Damned — Martin Zayas • The Mutations — Professor Nolter • Barry McKenzie Holds His Own — Count Plasma • 1975 — The Count of Monte Cristo — Baron Danglars • Escape to Witch Mountain — Lucas Deranian • I Don't Want to Be Born — Dr. Finch • Journey into Fear — Kuvelti • Hearts of the West — A.J. Neitz • 1976 — Trial by Combat — Sir Giles Marley • Land of the Minotaur — Father Roche • Goldenrod — John Tyler Jones • The Passover Plot — Pontius Pilate • The Last Tycoon — Boxley • The Eagle Has Landed — Heinrich Himmler • 1977 — The Uncanny — Valentine De'ath — Segment: "Hollywood 1936" • Oh, God! — Dr. Harmon • Telefon — Nikolai Dalchimsky • 1978 — Blood Relatives — James Doniac • Tomorrow Never Comes — Dr. Todd • Night Creature — Axel MacGregor • Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band — B.D. Hoffler • Power Play — Blair • L'Ordre et la sécurité du monde — Rothko • Halloween — Dr. Sam Loomis • 1979 — Jigsaw — Albert Rumpelmayer • Good Luck, Miss Wyckoff — Dr. Steiner • Dracula — Dr. Jack Seward • Jaguar Lives! — General Villanova • 1980 — The Pumaman — Dr. Kobras • The Monster Club — Pickering • 1981 — Escape from New York — The President of the United States • Halloween II — Dr. Sam Loomis • Race for the Yankee Zephyr — Gilbert 'Gibbie' Carson • 1982 — Alone in the Dark — Dr. Leo Bain • 1983 — To Kill a Stranger — Colonel Kostik • Warrior of the Lost World — Prossor • The Devonsville Terror — Dr. Warley • 1984 — Frankenstein's Great Aunt Tillie — Baron Victor Frankenstein • Where Is Parsifal? — Mackintosh • The Ambassador — Eretz • A Breed Apart — J.P. Whittier • Terror in the Aisles — Himself (host) • 1985 — Phenomena — John McGregor • The Treasure of the Amazon — Klaus Von Blantz • Nothing Underneath — Inspector Danesi • 1986 — Operation Nam — Father Lenoir • 1987 — Warrior Queen — Clodius • Specters — Professor Lasky • Double Target — Senator Blaster • Ground Zero — Prosper Gaffney • Django 2 — Gunn • Prince of Darkness — Priest • To Kill a Stranger — Colonel Kostik • Animali metropolitani — Professor Livingstone • 1988 — Phantom of Death — Inspector Datti • The Commander — Henry Carlson • Last Platoon — Colonel B. Abrams • Vampire in Venice — Don Alvise • Hanna's War — Captain Thomas Rosza • Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers — Dr. Sam Loomis • 1989 — The House of Usher — Walter Usher • Ten Little Indians — Judge Lawrence Wargrave • Paganini Horror — Mr. Pickett • River of Death — Heinrich Spaatz • Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers — Dr. Sam Loomis • Casablanca Express — Colonel Bats • 1990 — Buried Alive — Dr. Schaeffer • American Rickshaw — Reverend Mortom • 1991 — L'avvoltoio può attendere — Aaron Shalik • Millions — Ripa • Shadows and Fog — Doctor • 1992 — Dien Bien Phu — Howard Simpson • 1993 — The Princess and the Cobbler — Phido the Vulture (voice) • The Big Freeze — Soup Slurper • The Hour of the Pig — Pincheon • 1995 — Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers — Dr. Sam Loomis — Posthumous release • Safe Haven — The Sailor • 1996 — Fatal Frames — Professor Robertson

• Year — Title — Role • 1952 — The Dybbuk — 2nd Batlon • 1954 — Montserrat — Juan Alvarez • The Face of Love — Alex • 1958 — I Spy — Mr. Frute • Granite — A Nameless Man • 1959 — The Traitor — Grantley Caypor • 1967 — The Diary of Anne Frank — Mr. Dusseli • 1973 — Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde — Fred Smudge • 1974 — Occupations — Christo Kabak • 1975 — The Count of Monte Cristo — Baron Danglars • 1977 — Jesus of Nazareth — Melchior • The Dark Secret of Harvest Home — Narrator • 1978 — The Defection of Simas Kudirka[72] — Captain Vladimir Popov • The Bastard — Solomon Sholto • 1978–1979 — Centennial — Sam Purchas • 1979 — All Quiet on the Western Front — Kantorek • Gold of the Amazon Women — Clarence Blasko • The French Atlantic Affair — Max Dechambre • Better Late Than Never — Colonel Riddle • 1980 — The Ghost Sonata — The Old Man • Blade on the Feather — Professor Jason Cavendish • 1982 — Witness for the Prosecution — Mr. Myers • 1984 — Master of the Game — Salomon Van der Merwe • Arch of Triumph — Haake • 1985 — Black Arrow — Sir Oliver Oates • 1987 — Scoop — Lord Copper • 1988 — The Great Escape II: The Untold Story — Dr. Absalon • 1989 — Agatha Christie's Miss Marple: A Caribbean Mystery — Jason Rafiel • 1991 — Women in Arms — Dreyfuss • 1995 — Signs and Wonders — Cornelius Van Damm

Pleasence was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire for his services to the acting profession by Queen Elizabeth II in 1994.

• Award — Year — Category — Work — Result — Ref. • Australian Film Institute Awards — 1987 — Best Actor in a Supporting Role — Ground Zero[70] • Society of Film and Television Arts Television Awards — 1959 — Best Actor • Drama Desk Awards — 1969 — Outstanding Performance — The Man in the Glass Booth[71] • Primetime Emmy Awards — 1978 — Outstanding Performance by a Supporting Actor in a Comedy or Drama Special — The Defection of Simas Kudirka • Saturn Awards — 1980 — Best Supporting Actor — Dracula • 1982 — Best Actor — Halloween II • Tony Awards — 1962 — Best Actor in a Leading Role in a Play — The Caretaker[73] • 1965 — Poor Bitos • 1969 — The Man in the Glass Booth • 1972 — Wise Child