Morton Lowry (born Edward Morton Lowater;[1] 13 February 1914 – 26 November 1987)[1] was a British actor. He is best known for his film roles as John Stapleton in The Hound of The Baskervilles (1939) and for his role as Mr. Jonas in How Green was My Valley (1941). He also appeared in other films including Pursuit to Algiers and The Picture of Dorian Gray (both 1945).
Morton Lowry | |
|---|---|
| Born | Edward Morton Lowater 13 February 1914 Lancashire, England |
| Died | 26 November 1987 (aged 73) San Francisco, California, U.S. |
| Nationality | British |
| Occupation(s) | Film and television actor |
| Years active | 1938–1960 |
| Known for | Roles in The Hound of the Baskervilles and How Green was My Valley |
| Spouse(s) |
Diana Whalley
(m. 1934; div. 1936)Virginia Barnato
(m. 1938; div. 1949)Lilian Bond
(m. 1950; div. 1956) |
| Children | 2 |
Personal life
editThis section needs additional citations for verification. (August 2021) |
Morton was born in Lancashire, England as Edward Morton Lowater to Edward Morton Lowater, Sr., an engineer, and Bithiah 'Bertha' Holmes. The family later moved to the Russell Square area of London.
Morton was married at least three times. His first marriage was in 1934, when he was 20 years old, to Diana Whalley.[2] This short-lived marriage ended in divorce in 1936.[3] On 27 February 1938, Morton married socialite Virginia Barnato, granddaughter of diamond dealer Barney Barnato and daughter of racing car driver Woolf Barnato, on a San Francisco theatre stage[4] after announcing their engagement on 15 February 1938.[5] This relationship did not survive but one son was born.[6][7]
Morton went on to marry once more in 1957[8] and, though this union also ended in divorce, it produced one more child in 1958.
Morton Lowry moved back to the United States in the early 1960s to revive his film career. He died on 26 November 1987 at a San Francisco UCSF hospital from heart failure due to complications during surgery. His death was indigent and he was buried by the state at Pleasant Hill Cemetery in Sebastopol, California, on 14 January 1988.
Career
editMorton started his stage career using the name Edward Lowater. He appeared in many stage revues, appearing in theatres such as the Alhambra Theatre, the London Astoria and the Garrick Theatre, where he is mostly credited as being part of the singing and dancing chorus line. He can be found credited in shows such as Over the Page in September 1933 and The Drunkard in November 1934.
His first known big break came in the role of Donnie in the film The Dawn Patrol acting under the name of Morton Lowry. This led to a respectable film career in which he completed over 25 films, including How Green Was My Valley,[9] which received ten Academy Award nominations in the United States. He was one of the few actors to appear as different characters in the Basil Rathbone/Nigel Bruce Sherlock Holmes film series, as John Stapleton in The Hound of the Baskervilles (1939) and as the steward Sanford in Pursuit to Algiers (1945).
In 1947, Lowry's film career dwindled, with his last American film role being uncredited as a scared man in Calcutta. His last British film role was as Dinelli's driver in the 1960 film Too Hot to Handle.
Morton ventured into television work during the 1950s, most of which was in the United Kingdom. His work includes BBC Sunday Night Theatre in 1951, Theatre Royal (television film) in 1952 and Sword of Freedom in 1957. During 1959, he played various characters in the television series The Four Just Men. He also appeared as the Lieutenant in the 1959–60 television series The Adventures of Robin Hood in at least 12 episodes.
Filmography
edit| Title | Year | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Dawn Patrol[11] | 1938 | Donnie Scott | |
| The Little Princess | 1939 | Traumatized Young Soldier | Uncredited |
| The Hound of the Baskervilles | 1939 | John Stapleton | |
| Tarzan Finds a Son! | 1939 | Richard Lancing | |
| Winter Carnival | 1939 | Count Olaf Von Lundborg | |
| British Intelligence | 1940 | Lt. Borden | Uncredited |
| Hudson's Bay[11] | 1940 | Gerald Hall | |
| Charley's Aunt[12] | 1941 | Harley Stafford | |
| A Yank in the R.A.F. | 1941 | Squadron Leader Macbeth | |
| How Green Was My Valley[13] | 1941 | Mr. Jonas | |
| Captains of the Clouds[14] | 1942 | Carmichael | |
| This Above All | 1942 | Soldier | Uncredited |
| The Pied Piper | 1942 | Roger Dickinson | Uncredited |
| The Loves of Edgar Allan Poe | 1942 | Charles Dickens | |
| Counter-Espionage | 1942 | Kurt Weil | |
| Immortal Sergeant | 1943 | Cottrell | |
| No Time for Love | 1943 | Dunbar | Uncredited |
| Corvette K-225 | 1943 | British Lieutenant | Uncredited |
| The Story of Dr. Wassell[15] | 1944 | Lieutenant Bainbridge | Uncredited |
| The Hour Before the Dawn | 1944 | Jackson | Uncredited |
| None but the Lonely Heart[9] | 1944 | Taz Jones | Uncredited |
| The Man in Half Moon Street | 1945 | Alan Guthrie | |
| The Picture of Dorian Gray | 1945 | Adrian Singleton | |
| Son of Lassie | 1945 | Blind Corporal P.O.W. | Uncredited |
| Pursuit to Algiers | 1945 | Sanford | |
| The Verdict | 1946 | Arthur Kendall | |
| Calcutta | 1947 | Scared man | Uncredited |
| Sunday Night Theatre | 1951 | Jerry Seymour / William Avery | 2 episodes |
| Theatre Royal | 1952 | Tony Cavendish | TV movie |
| Sword of Freedom | 1957 | Orlando de Giovanni | Episode: "A Game of Chance" |
| The Four Just Men | 1959 | Captain / Watkins / Harry Green | 3 episodes |
| The Adventures of Robin Hood | 1959–1960 | Lieutenant | At least twelve episodes, (final appearance) |
| Too Hot to Handle | 1960 | Driver |
References
edit- ^ a b Lancashire Birth Records, Volume 8c, pg. 1257.
- ^ Middlesex Marriage Records, Jan–Feb–Mar 1934. Volume 1b, pg. 16.
- ^ Divorce Court File: 2411. 1936. The National Archives.
- ^ Chicago Daily Tribune. 27 February 1938.
{{cite news}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ^ "The transcript picture page". The Transcript. 15 February 1938.
- ^ Barnato Walker, Diana (2008). Spreading My Wings. Grub Street Publishing. p. 162.
- ^ California Marriage Index, 1960–1985
- ^ Middlesex Marriage Records, Jan–Feb–Mar 1957. Volume 5c, pg. 2344.
- ^ a b "Morton Lowry – Filmography". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. Archived from the original on 30 January 2013. Retrieved 28 December 2011.
- ^ "Morton Lowry Filmography". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 28 December 2011.
- ^ a b Fraser, George MacDonald (1996). The Hollywood history of the world. Harvill Press. ISBN 978-1-86046-201-6.
- ^ Charley's aunt. 11 October 2018. OCLC 081703828.
- ^ Crowther, Bosley (29 October 1941). "A Beautiful and Affecting Film Achievement Is "How Green Was My Valley," at the Rivoli". The New York Times.
- ^ "Captains of the Clouds Movie Cast (1942)". Archived from the original on 1 February 2013. Retrieved 28 December 2011.
- ^ "Turner Classic Movies - Listings from TCM HD and TCM+1". Turner Entertainment.