Cecil Parker
Known for Acting · 93 credits
- Born
- 1897-09-02
- Died
- 1971-04-20
- Place of birth
- Hastings, Sussex, England, UK
- Also known as
- Cecil Schwabe
Biography
Cecil Parker (3 September 1897 – 20 April 1971) was an English character and comedy actor with a distinctive husky voice, who usually played supporting roles in his 91 films made between 1928 and 1969.
Born Cecil Schwabe in Hastings, Sussex, he began his theatrical career in London in 1922 after serving in World War I. He made his first film appearance in 1928 and subsequently became a familiar face in British, and occasionally American films, until his death. He appeared less often on television, but many of his films have remained popular and are often shown.
He acted in two adaptations of A. J. Cronin's novels, The Citadel (1938) and The Stars Look Down (1940), in addition to appearing in The Lady Vanishes (1938) and Under Capricorn (1949), both of the later films were directed by Alfred Hitchcock. Other roles were in 23 Paces to Baker Street (1956), Dangerous Moonlight (1941), Swiss Family Robinson (1960), and I Was Monty's Double (1958), as well as the comedies A French Mistress (1960), The Ladykillers (1955), The Man in the White Suit (1951), The Court Jester (1955), Indiscreet (1958) and I Believe in You (1952). Parker was also the original Charles Condomine in the West End production of Noel Coward's Blithe Spirit, a role subsequently played on Broadway by Clifton Webb and in the 1945 film by Rex Harrison.
He often played a touchy senior officer or British upper-class character, and his last two films were true to form: The Magnificent Two (1967) with the British comedy double act Morecambe and Wise and Richard Attenborough's version of Oh! What A Lovely War (1969).
He played an evil, scheming butler on one episode of The Avengers ("The £50,000 Breakfast").
Known For
TV Shows (8)
Robert Montgomery Presents
1950
as Sir Simon de Canterville
The Avengers
1961
as Glover
The Saint
1962
as Lord Gillingham
Studio One
1948
as Dr. Hans Hojda / A newspaper publisher
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
1955
as The Lawyer
The Aquanauts
1960
as Dr. Cattermole
Sherlock Holmes
1964
Citizen James
1960
as Himself
Movies (85)
I Was Monty's Double
1958
as Colonel E.F. Logan
The Admirable Crichton
1957
as Lord Henry Loam
Swiss Family Robinson
1960
as Captain Moreland
The Lady Vanishes
1938
as Eric Todhunter
The Ladykillers
1955
as Claude, alias 'Major Courtney'
Crime Unlimited
1935
as Assistant Commissioner
The Wreck of the Mary Deare
1959
as Inquiry Chairman
Old Iron
1938
as Barnett
Caesar and Cleopatra
1945
as Britannus
The Citadel
1938
as Dr. Charles Every
The First Gentleman
1948
as The Prince Regent
Under Ten Flags
1960
as Colonel Howard
The Court Jester
1955
as King Roderick I
Under Capricorn
1949
as The Governor
Oh! What a Lovely War
1969
as Sir John
A French Mistress
1960
as John Crane M.A. Headmaster of Melbury School
23 Paces to Baker Street
1956
as Bob Matthews
The Man in the White Suit
1951
as Alan Birnley
The Guv'nor
1935
as Bank Director
Ships with Wings
1941
as German Air Marshal
A Man Could Get Killed
1966
as Sir Huntley Frazier
The Iron Maiden
1963
as Sir Giles Thompson
Happy Is the Bride
1958
as Arthur Royd
The Weaker Sex
1948
as Geoffrey Radcliffe
Guns at Batasi
1964
as Fletcher
The Navy Lark
1959
as Cmdr. Stanton
It's Great to be Young!
1956
as Frome, Headmaster
A Study in Terror
1965
as Prime Minister
The Comedy Man
1964
as Thomas Rutherford
Circus of Fear
1966
as Sir John
Storm in a Teacup
1937
as Provost William Gow
The Amorous Adventures of Moll Flanders
1965
as The Mayor
Carry On Jack
1964
as First Sea Lord
Lady L
1965
as Sir Percy
For Better, for Worse
1954
as John Purves
The Constant Husband
1955
as Llewellyn
The Magic Box
1952
as 1st Platform Man
The Golden Cage
1933
Dangerous Moonlight
1941
as Specialist
Indiscreet
1958
as Alfred Munson
On the Fiddle
1961
as Group Capt. Bascombe / Gr/Cpt Bascombe
A Tale of Two Cities
1958
as Jarvis Lorry
The Blue Squadron
1934
as Bianchi
Jack of All Trades
1936
as Sir Chas. Darrington
The Chiltern Hundreds
1949
as Benjamin Beecham
The Pure Hell of St Trinian's
1960
as Professor Canford
The Stars Look Down
1940
as Stanley Millington
Dear Mr. Prohack
1949
as Arthur Prohack
Little Friend
1934
as Mason
The Silver Spoon
1934
as Trevor
The Man Who Changed His Mind
1936
as Dr. Gratton
The Woman in the Hall
1947
as Sir Halmar Barnard
Dark Journey
1937
as Captain Of Q-Boat
His Excellency
1952
as Sir James Kirkman
The Brain
1962
as Stevenson
I Believe in You
1952
as Henry Phipps
Heavens Above!
1963
as Archdeacon Aspinall
Captain Boycott
1947
as Capt. Charles C. Boycott
Men of Yesterday
1936
Father Brown
1954
as The Bishop
Foreign Affaires
1935
as Lord Wormington
Tony Draws a Horse
1950
The Amorous Prawn
1962
as Gen. Sir Hamish Fitzadam
True as a Turtle
1957
as Dudley Partridge
The Magic Bow
1946
as Luigi Germi
Quartet
1948
as Colonel George Peregrine (segment "The Colonel's Lady")
Petticoat Pirates
1961
as C-in-C
Me and Marlborough
1935
as Colonel of the Greys
A Cuckoo in the Nest
1933
as Claude Hickett
Isn't Life Wonderful!
1953
as Charles, the boy's father
The Night We Dropped a Clanger
1959
as Air Vice-Marshal Sir Bertram Bukpasser
The Magnificent Two
1967
as Sir John
Lady in Danger
1934
as Piker
The Saint's Vacation
1941
as Rudolph Hauser
Housemaster
1938
as Sir Berkeley Nightingale
Hungry Hill
1947
as Copper John
Dishonour Bright
1936
as Vincent Crane
Under Your Hat
1940
as Sir Jeffrey Arlington
The Office Wife
1934
as Lawrence Bradley
Swiss Family Robinson: Adventure in the Making
2002
as Self (archive)
Dirty Work
1934
as Gordon Bray
Sons of the Sea
1939
as Cmdr. Herbert
Her Last Affaire
1935
as Sir Arthur Harding
It Might Be You
1938
as Dr. Smith
Follow That Horse!
1960
About Cecil Parker
Cecil Parker (3 September 1897 – 20 April 1971) was an English character and comedy actor with a distinctive husky voice, who usually played supporting roles in his 91 films made between 1928 and 1969. Born Cecil Schwabe in Hastings, Sussex, he began his theatrical career in London in 1922 after serving in World War I. He made his first film appearance in 1928 and subsequently became a familiar face in British, and occasionally American films, until his death. He appeared less often on television, but many of his films have remained popular an… With 93 credits spanning from 1933 to 2002, Cecil Parker has appeared in 85 films and 8 TV shows.
Fans searching for Cecil Parker movies, Cecil Parker filmography, or the latest projects starring Cecil Parker can stream many of these titles on Bowood.TV, free and in HD, with no subscription required.
Most Popular Cecil Parker Movies
- I Was Monty's Double (1958) — as Colonel E.F. Logan
- The Admirable Crichton (1957) — as Lord Henry Loam
- Swiss Family Robinson (1960) — as Captain Moreland
- The Lady Vanishes (1938) — as Eric Todhunter
- The Ladykillers (1955) — as Claude, alias 'Major Courtney'
Where to Watch Cecil Parker Films
Most Cecil Parker movies and series are available to stream on Bowood.TV in full HD, completely free and without signup. Browse the complete filmography above to jump directly to any title. For more films and the latest web series featuring Cecil Parker, check our movies catalogue and browse page.