Wilfrid Lawson

• Name — Wilfrid Lawson • Birth Name — Wilfrid Lawson Worsnop • Born — 14 January 1900 • Birthplace — Bradford, Yorkshire, England • Died — 10 October 1966 • Place of death — London, England • Occupation — Actor • Years Active — 1918–1966 • Relatives — Bernard Fox (nephew) • Spouse — Lillian (née Fenn)

Lawson was born Wilfrid Lawson Worsnop in Bradford, West Riding of Yorkshire. He was educated at Hanson Boys' Grammar School, Bradford, and entered the theatre in his late teens, appearing on both the British and American stage throughout his career. He made his film début in East Lynne on the Western Front (1931) and appeared in supporting roles until he took the lead in The Terror (1938). In arguably his most celebrated film role, he played dustman-turned-lecturer Alfred P. Doolittle in the film version of George Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion (1938), alongside Leslie Howard and Wendy Hiller. He also had memorable leading roles in Pastor Hall (1940), as a German village clergyman who denounces the new Nazi regime in 1934; Tower of Terror (1941) as the wild-eyed maniacal lighthouse keeper Wolfe Kristen; and the title role in The Great Mr. Handel (1942), a biopic of the 18th century composer, all three showing his broad range. He also made a number of films in the United States, beginning with Ladies in Love (1936) and including John Ford's The Long Voyage Home (1940) alongside John Wayne. His last leading role was in The Turners of Prospect Road (1947). As a result of bouts of alcoholism, Lawson became difficult to work with, and throughout the 1950s his roles became increasingly small—even uncredited in some cases. Despite this he still gave memorable performances such as Prince Andrei Bolkonsky's father in King Vidor's War and Peace (1956), Ed in Hell Drivers (1957) and Uncle Nat in Room at the Top (1958), filmed in Lawson's home town of Bradford. The 1960s saw something of a career resurgence, beginning with his turn as Black George in Tony Richardson's Tom Jones (1963) and culminating in two of his most notable latter day performances: the decrepit butler Peacock in The Wrong Box and the Dormouse in Jonathan Miller's television adaptation of Alice in Wonderland (both 1966). That same year saw his death, in London, from a heart attack. His brother was the supporting player Gerald Lawson (born Bernard Worsnop, 30 April 1897 – 6 December 1973) and a nephew was actor Bernard Fox (born Bernard Lawson, 11 May 1927 – 14 December 2016).

• Year — Title — Role — Notes • 1928 – 1929 — Getting Married — Princes Theatre, Bristol • Major Barbara • Mrs Warren’s Profession • Pygmalion — Alfred Dolittle • 13 – 18 January 1930 — The Doctor’s Dilemma — Sir Patrick Cullen — Royal Court Theatre • March 1930 — Misalliance — John Tarleton — King’s Theatre, Portsmouth and Royal Court Theatre • 21 March – 9 April 1932 — Caravan — Membel — Queen’s Theatre, London and Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh • 25 April – 4 June 1932 — Heartbreak House — Boss Mangan — Queen's Theatre • 30 June – 31 December 1932 — Evensong — Arthur Kober • 24 August – 7 October 1933 — The Ace — Unter Offizer Keller — Lyric Theatre, London • 1934 – 1935 — Antony and Cleopatra — The Old Vic • 22 January 1935 — The Barretts of Wimpole Street — Edward Moulton-Barrett — Piccadilly Theatre • 31 July – 19 August 1935 — Fanny’s First Play — Malvern Theatre, Worcestershire • 2 – 20 August 1935 — Misalliance • 30 July – 22 August 1935 — Volpone • 22 September 1937 – March 1938 — I Have Been Here Before — Walter Ormund — Royalty Theatre, Dean Street, London • 13th –? October 1938 — Guild Theatre • 19 – 24 March 1951 — The Paragon — Sir Robert Rawley — Baths Theatre, Wellington, Somerset • 26 February 1953 — The Father — Arts Theatre • 17 August – 28 November 1953 — The Devil’s General — Korrianke (Harras's driver) — Savoy Theatre, Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh, and other locations • 15 March – 5 June 1954 — The Prisoner — The Cell Warder — Globe Theatre, Olympia Theatre, Dublin, and other locations • 12 July – 11 September 1954 — The Wooden Dish — Lon (Pop) Dennison — Phoenix Theatre, London, Theatre Royal, Newcastle upon Tyne, and other locations • 13 September 1954 – 21 January 1956 — Bell, Book and Candle — Sidney Redlitch — Phoenix Theatre, London, Royal Court Theatre, Liverpool, and other locations • 5 March – 15 December 1956 — The Rainmaker — H. C. Curry — St Martin's Theatre, London, Theatre Royal, Brighton, and other locations • 30 September –? 1958 — Live Like Pigs — Sailor Sawney — Royal Court Theatre • 9 May 1962 (press night) — The Lower Depths — Luka — New Arts Theatre • 26 September 1962 – May 1963 — Peer Gynt — Button Moulder — The Old Vic

• Year — Title — Role — Notes • 1931 — East Lynne on the Western Front — Dick Webb / Carlyle • 1933 — Strike It Rich — Raikes • 1935 — Turn of the Tide — Luke Fosdyck • 1936 — Ladies in Love — Ben Horvath • White Hunter — Michael Varek • 1937 — The Man Who Made Diamonds — Gallanie • 1938 — Bank Holiday — Police Sergt. • The Terror — Mr. Goodman • Yellow Sands — Richard Varwell • Pygmalion — Alfred Doolittle • The Gaunt Stranger — Maurice Meister • 1939 — Stolen Life — Thomas E. Lawrence • Allegheny Uprising — "Mac" MacDougall • 1940 — Dead Man's Shoes — Lucien Sarrou • Pastor Hall — Pastor Frederick Hall • The Long Voyage Home — Captain • It Happened to One Man — Felton Quair • 1941 — The Farmer's Wife — Churdles Ash • The Ghost Train — Minor Role — Uncredited • The Man at the Gate — Henry Foley • Danny Boy — Jack Newton • Jeannie — James McLean • Tower of Terror — Wolfe Kristan • 1942 — Hard Steel — Walter Haddon • The Night Has Eyes — Jim Sturrock • The Great Mr. Handel — George Frideric Handel • 1943 — Thursday's Child — Frank Wilson • 1944 — Fanny by Gaslight — Chunks • 1947 — The Turners of Prospect Road — Will Turner • 1955 — The Prisoner — The Jailer • Make Me an Offer — Charlie's Father • An Alligator Named Daisy — Irishman — Uncredited • 1956 — Now and Forever — Gossage • War and Peace — Prince Bolkonsky • 1957 — Doctor at Large — Dustman. with Cyst — Uncredited • Miracle in Soho — Mr. Morgan • Hell Drivers — Ed • The Naked Truth — Walter — Uncredited • 1958 — Tread Softly Stranger — Holroyd • 1959 — Room at the Top — Uncle Nat • Expresso Bongo — Mr. Rudge • 1961 — The Naked Edge — Mr. Pom • Nothing Barred — Albert • Over the Odds — Willie Summers • 1962 — Postman's Knock — Postman • Go to Blazes — Scrap Dealer • 1963 — Tom Jones — Black George • 1964 — Becket — Old Soldier — Uncredited • 1966 — The Wrong Box — Peacock • 1967 — The Viking Queen — King Priam

• Year — Title — Role — Notes • 1953–1958 — BBC Sunday-Night Theatre — Various — 6 episodes • 1956 — Tales from Soho — Barrel Binacre — Episode: "The Message" • 1958 — Saturday Playhouse — Rafe Crompton — Episode: "My Flesh, My Blood" • Television Playwright — Charles Broderick — Episode: "In a Backward Country" • 1958-1961 — Armchair Theatre — Various — 2 episodes • 1959 — Tales of the Vikings — Old Saxon — Episode: "Pedigree" • 1959-1960 — ITV Play of the Week — Various — 2 episodes • 1960 — ITV Television Playhouse — Sam — Episode: "Think of the Day" • 1963 — Hancock — The Paper Man — Episode: "The Man on the Corner" • 1964 — Espionage — Lunatic - King George III (uncredited) — Episode: "The Frantick Rebel" • Cluff — Bateson — Episode: "The Daughter-In-Law" • 1965 — Z Cars — Towser — Episode: "A Matter of Give and Take" • Theatre 625 — Mr. Bourne — Episode: "The Siege of Manchester" • 1966 — Danger Man — Corrigan — Episode: "Not So Jolly Roger" • The Hunchback of Notre Dame — King of the Beggars — 3 episodes • Alice in Wonderland — Dormouse — TV film

• Year — Title — Notes • 1957 — The Stone Faces • 1965 — Three Sisters — BBC Home Service Radio