Hyfler/Rosner
2005-09-25 03:47:08 UTC
The Times (London)
September 24, 2005, Saturday
Ronald Leigh-Hunt, actor, was born on October 5, 1916. He
died on September 12, 2005, aged 88.
Elegant supporting actor on film and television.
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http://www.probertencyclopaedia.com/CYRC.HTM
A SMOOTH supporting actor, Ronald Leigh-Hunt was one of the
most familiar faces of postwar British cinema. He made more
than 50 films, many of them B-movie thrillers in which he
was usually cast as a doctor or a policeman, and on
television he was best known for roles as King Arthur in The
Adventures of Sir Lancelot (1956) and as Colonel Buchan in
the long-running children's series Freewheelers (1968).
Later in his career Leigh-Hunt appeared in big-budget
international films such as Le Mans (1971), with Steve
McQueen, The Message (1976), with Anthony Quinn, and The
Omen (1976), with Gregory Peck.
Leigh-Hunt was born in London and began acting in repertory
companies before making his film debut, auspiciously as a
doctor, in the thriller Blackout (1950), opposite Dinah
Sheridan. Rarely out of work throughout the 1950s and 1960s,
Leigh-Hunt played supporting roles in a string of films as
well as appearing in television series such as The Saint,
Dixon of Dock Green, The Avengers and Z Cars.
His break came when he was cast as King Arthur in the ITV
production, The Adventures of Sir Lancelot, with William
Russell as Lancelot, and he went on to cameo appearances in
The League of Gentlemen (1959), Oscar Wilde (1960) and
Khartoum (1966), in which he played Lord Northbrook.
Freewheelers ran for 104 episodes from 1968. An adventure
series for older children, the show featured a teenage trio
used by Colonel Buchan to defeat villains, often the
neo-Nazi Von Gelb, played by Geoffrey Toone. Leigh-Hunt
later said: "It was one of my favourite roles. I was in
every episode."
Leigh-Hunt frequently returned to the stage and in 1966 he
played the showman Florenz Ziegfeld opposite Barbra
Streisand as Fanny Brice in the West End production of the
musical Funny Girl. The production won several awards, but
it was confined to 112 performances after the star fell
pregnant.
Leigh-Hunt's most recent television work included playing
General Pagel in the American mini-series Ike (1979),
opposite Robert Duvall, and Frankenstein (1992), with John
Mills.
Elegantly dressed on screen and off, he was known in
theatrical circles for his glorious voice and impeccable
manners.
September 24, 2005, Saturday
Ronald Leigh-Hunt, actor, was born on October 5, 1916. He
died on September 12, 2005, aged 88.
Elegant supporting actor on film and television.
Loading Image...
http://www.probertencyclopaedia.com/CYRC.HTM
A SMOOTH supporting actor, Ronald Leigh-Hunt was one of the
most familiar faces of postwar British cinema. He made more
than 50 films, many of them B-movie thrillers in which he
was usually cast as a doctor or a policeman, and on
television he was best known for roles as King Arthur in The
Adventures of Sir Lancelot (1956) and as Colonel Buchan in
the long-running children's series Freewheelers (1968).
Later in his career Leigh-Hunt appeared in big-budget
international films such as Le Mans (1971), with Steve
McQueen, The Message (1976), with Anthony Quinn, and The
Omen (1976), with Gregory Peck.
Leigh-Hunt was born in London and began acting in repertory
companies before making his film debut, auspiciously as a
doctor, in the thriller Blackout (1950), opposite Dinah
Sheridan. Rarely out of work throughout the 1950s and 1960s,
Leigh-Hunt played supporting roles in a string of films as
well as appearing in television series such as The Saint,
Dixon of Dock Green, The Avengers and Z Cars.
His break came when he was cast as King Arthur in the ITV
production, The Adventures of Sir Lancelot, with William
Russell as Lancelot, and he went on to cameo appearances in
The League of Gentlemen (1959), Oscar Wilde (1960) and
Khartoum (1966), in which he played Lord Northbrook.
Freewheelers ran for 104 episodes from 1968. An adventure
series for older children, the show featured a teenage trio
used by Colonel Buchan to defeat villains, often the
neo-Nazi Von Gelb, played by Geoffrey Toone. Leigh-Hunt
later said: "It was one of my favourite roles. I was in
every episode."
Leigh-Hunt frequently returned to the stage and in 1966 he
played the showman Florenz Ziegfeld opposite Barbra
Streisand as Fanny Brice in the West End production of the
musical Funny Girl. The production won several awards, but
it was confined to 112 performances after the star fell
pregnant.
Leigh-Hunt's most recent television work included playing
General Pagel in the American mini-series Ike (1979),
opposite Robert Duvall, and Frankenstein (1992), with John
Mills.
Elegantly dressed on screen and off, he was known in
theatrical circles for his glorious voice and impeccable
manners.