Robert Newton

Robert Newton

  • Birthday: 1905-06-01
  • Deathday: 1956-03-25
  • Place of birth: Shaftesbury, Dorset, England

Biography

Robert Newton was one of the great character actors -- and great characters -- of the British cinema, best remembered today for playing Long John Silver in Treasure Island (1950) and its sequel in 1954. His portrayal of Long John Silver and of Blackbeard, the Pirate (1952) created a persona that was so indelible that his vocal intonations created the paradigm for scores of people who want to "Talk Like a Pirate." The performance overshadows Newton's legacy, which is based on many first-rate performances in such movies as This Happy Breed (1944), Odd Man Out (1947) and Oliver Twist (1948), where his Bill Sykes is truly chilling. Oliver Reed, who played Sykes in the Oscar-winning movie musical Oliver! (1968) was influenced by Newton.

Filmography

Long John Silver

1954

As Long John Silver

Dead Men Are Dangerous

1939

As Aylmer Franklyn

Night Boat to Dublin

1946

As Capt. David Grant

Obsession

1949

As Dr. Clive Riordan

This Happy Breed

1944

As Frank Gibbons

Hatter's Castle

1942

As James Brodie

Temptation Harbour

1947

As Bert Mallinson

Blackbeard, the Pirate

1952

As Blackbeard

Waterfront

1950

As Peter McCabe

Hell's Cargo

1939

As Cmdr. Tomasou

Oliver Twist

1948

As Bill Sykes

Treasure Island

1950

As Long John Silver

Tom Brown's Schooldays

1951

As Thomas Arnold

Odd Man Out

1947

As Lukey

They Flew Alone

1942

As Jim Mollison

The Beachcomber

1954

As Ted Wilson

Poison Pen

1939

As Sam Hurrin

Kiss the Blood Off My Hands

1948

As Harry Carter

Jamaica Inn

1939

As James "Jem" Trehearne

The Desert Rats

1953

As Tom Bartlett

Les Miserables

1952

As Etienne Javert

Vessel of Wrath

1938

As The Controleur

Channel Incident

1940

As Tanner

Major Barbara

1941

As Bill Walker

Androcles and the Lion

1952

As Ferrovius

Soldiers Three

1951

As Pvt. Bill Sykes

Busman's Honeymoon

1940

As Frank Crutchley

The Squeaker

1937

As Larry Graeme

Gaslight

1940

As Ullswater

The Green Cockatoo

1937

As Dave Connor

Snowbound

1948

As Derek Engles

The High and the Mighty

1954

As Gustave Pardee

21 Days

1940

As Tolly

Farewell Again

1937

As Jim Carter

The Epic That Never Was

1969

As Captain of Caligula's guard

Henry V

1944

As Ancient Pistol

Fire Over England

1937

As Don Pedro

Dark Journey

1937

As Officer of U-Boat

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