Hugh Morton in The Avengers episode Esprit de Corps (1964)

Hugh Morton (28 June 1903 – 11 July 1984) was an English actor, best known for his work on BBC Radio for which he made more than 3,000 broadcasts, beginning in the 1920s. His career spanned more than sixty years and also included theatre, cinema and television.[1][2]

Life and career

Morton was born in Ivybridge, Devon, the son of a naval officer.[3] The family was from the upper classes; its members included Morton's first cousin, Anthony Eden, who became British prime minister in the 1950s.[4] Morton was educated at Haileybury and Queens' College, Cambridge, studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, and secured his first professional engagement in a touring company run by Violet and Irene Vanbrugh.[3]

According to Morton's obituary in The Times, his cinema career began in the days of silent films. He was frequently cast in supporting roles as judges, bank managers or butlers.[3] On stage he took over the role of Captain Hook in Peter Pan from Alastair Sim and appeared with Arthur Askey in a long-running comedy, The Love Racket.[3] On radio he was the first actor to play the title role in the long-running Paul Temple series, and a regular member of the team of It's That Man Again, Life with the Lyons and Hancock's Half Hour.[3][4] In these and other programmes he made more than 3,000 broadcasts. Character rôles on television included the Bishop in the 1978 Wodehouse Playhouse episode 'The Smile that Wins'.[3]

Morton married the broadcaster Monica Strachey in 1938.[5] He died in London at the age of 81.[3]

Filmography

Year Title Role Notes
1943DeadlockArkell
1946Gaiety GeorgeKing (on stage)Uncredited
1949Golden ArrowPerdrelli
1950Portrait of ClareErnest Mayhew
1951Mr. Denning Drives NorthInspector Snell
1952The Floating DutchmanInspector Cathie
1953Decameron NightsKing
1954The DiamondMr. PritchardUncredited
1954Life with the LyonsMr. Hemingway
1954Dangerous VoyageInquiry Chairman
1955The Lyons in ParisCol. Price
1955Where There's a WillLawyer Arscott
1955Man of the MomentMitchell
1956LostDoctor FairfaxUncredited
1956Je plaide non coupableRumbold Senior
1956The Big MoneyValet
1957Rogue's YarnDoctor
1958Bachelor of HeartsLecturer
1961PayrollMr. John
1961Three on a SpreeGrant
1963Master SpySir Gilbert Saunders
1964The Masque of the Red DeathUncredited
1967Quatermass and the PitElderly Journalist
1972The Darwin AdventureJosiah Wedgewood
1975Section spécialeL'amiral William Leahy, l'ambassadeur des États-Unis
1978The StudStatonUncredited
1984Oxford BluesStanley the Butler

Notes

  1. "Hugh Morton". Archived from the original on 16 September 2017.
  2. "Hugh Morton - Movies and Filmography - AllMovie". AllMovie.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Hugh Morton", The Times, 13 July 1984, p. 16
  4. 1 2 "Broadcaster and actor", The Guardian, 13 June 1984, p. 2
  5. "Hugh Morton", The Daily Express, 22 November 1938, p. 5
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