John Abbott
Known for Acting · 127 credits
- Born
- 1905-06-05
- Died
- 1996-05-24
- Place of birth
- Stepney, London, England, UK
- Also known as
- John Lloyd Abbott · John Albert Chamberlain Kefford
Biography
John Albert Chamberlain Kefford was an English character actor professionally known as John Abbott. His memorable roles include the invalid Frederick Fairlie in the 1948 film The Woman in White and the pacifist Ayelborne in the Star Trek episode "Errand of Mercy". as well as a Shakespearean actor.
In 1934, he began his career in show business when he made his professional stage debut in a revival of Dryden's Aureng-zebe with Sybil Thorndike. He then joined the Old Vic Company and appeared in Shakespearean roles, including Claudius in a production of Hamlet at Elsinore Castle in Denmark with Laurence Olivier, Vivien Leigh and Alec Guinness. His first Broadway role was that of Count Mancini in He Who Gets Slapped in 1946. He also appeared on Broadway in Monserrat and The Waltz of the Toreadors. He made his film debut in Mademoiselle Docteur in 1937 and went on to act in scores of films in the next 30 years. Among his film credits are Mission to Moscow, Jane Eyre, A Thousand and One Nights, Humoresque, and The Greatest Story Ever Told. His television appearances in that time were even more numerous, beginning with pioneering broadcasts by the BBC before the Second World War.
In the early days of the Second World War, Abbott worked at the British Embassy in Stockholm. When the time came to leave, he had to by way of the United States. While in the U.S., he was offered a part in Hollywood in 1941 and ended up living there for the rest of his life.
On American television between the 1950s and 1970s, Abbott had roles on a wide variety of series such as Kraft Television Theatre, Studio 57, Gunsmoke, Matinee Theatre, Bonanza, Thriller, Star Trek, Mannix, Iron Horse, and Bewitched. Although he was blacklisted during the Red Scare of the 1950s, a producer who wanted to hire him eventually succeeded in getting the actor removed from the list.In his final years, Abbott taught acting to students free of charge.
Abbott died at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center from natural causes on 24 May 1996 at the age of 90.
Known For
TV Shows (46)
Star Trek
1966
as Ayleborn
Perry Mason
1957
as Prof. Carlos Muntz / Dr. Durwood Tobey
Mannix
1967
Bewitched
1964
The Rifleman
1958
Get Smart
1965
as Mondo
Have Gun, Will Travel
1957
as Winston Ainslee
Matinee Theater
1955
The Beverly Hillbillies
1962
as Sir Trevor Gielgud Burton-Guiness
Studio One
1948
as Travers
Medical Center
1969
as Professor MacIntyre
Lost in Space
1965
as Sesmar
Burke's Law
1963
as Conrad Jaeger
77 Sunset Strip
1958
as Dr. Felstrand
Peter Gunn
1958
Gunsmoke
1955
as Professor Lute Bone / Eddie
Adventures in Paradise
1959
as Murdock
Thriller
1960
as Kriss Milo ('The Mask of Medusa')
Land of the Giants
1968
as Prof. Gorak
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
1955
as Mr. Munro
The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis
1959
The Detectives
1959
The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
1964
as Dr. Ellias Swan
The 20th Century Fox Hour
1955
as Dr. Albert Sawyer
Laredo
1965
Telephone Time
1956
as Jutchenko
Flipper
1964
Cavalcade of America
1952
as Col. Barton
Outlaws
1960
The Rogues
1964
as Sir Egbert
The DuPont Show with June Allyson
1959
as Professor Brent
Garrison's Gorillas
1967
The Islanders
1960
as Harwood Gones
Profiles in Courage
1964
as Senator Wigfall
Rango
1967
The Partners
1971
Hallmark Hall of Fame
1951
as Chang
Wendy and Me
1964
Paul Temple
1969
as Floor Manager
The Further Adventures of Ellery Queen
1958
as The Cat
General Electric Theater
1953
as Professsor Meyerdal / Nathan
Cool Million
1972
as Sir Godwin Phipps-Cheston
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
1951
Edward and Mrs Simpson
1978
as Mouth Organist
Timeslip
1970
Ichabod and Me
1961
Movies (81)
The Jungle Book
1967
as Akela (voice)
Gigi
1958
as Manuel
The Greatest Story Ever Told
1965
as Aben
Jane Eyre
1943
as Mason
Gambit
1966
as Emile
Summer Storm
1944
as Lunin
Mrs. Miniver
1942
as Fred
A Hazard of Hearts
1987
as 2nd Gambler
Madame Bovary
1949
as Mayor Tuvache
Sherlock Holmes in New York
1976
as Heller
Sideshow
1950
as Pierre
Outside Chance
1978
as Coroner
Once Upon a Time
1944
as Reporter (uncredited)
Hangmen Also Die!
1943
as Hostage (scenes deleted)
Deception
1946
as Bertram Gribble
Nightmare
1942
as Carl aka Charles
A Thousand and One Nights
1945
as Ali
Humoresque
1947
as Rozner
Mission to Moscow
1943
as Grinko (uncredited)
The Mask of Dimitrios
1944
as Mr. Pappas
The Commissioner
1998
as Commissioner's Laywer
The Shanghai Gesture
1941
as Poppy's Escort
Who's Minding the Store?
1963
as Mr. Orlandos
The Bandit of Sherwood Forest
1946
as Will Scarlet
Slapstick of Another Kind
1982
as Dr. Frankenstein
Anna and the King of Siam
1946
as Phya Phrom
Saratoga Trunk
1945
as Roscoe Bean
The Web
1947
as Charles Murdock
The Steel Lady
1953
as Mustafa el Melik
Omar Khayyam
1957
as Yusuf
Cry of the Werewolf
1944
as Peter Althius
Dangerous Blondes
1943
as Roland X. Smith (uncredited)
Pursuit to Algiers
1945
as Jodri
This Above All
1942
as Joe
Smorgasbord
1983
as Surgeon
Time Out of Mind
1947
as Max Leiberman
Joan of Paris
1942
as English Spy
Sombrero
1953
as Don Daniel
The Vampire's Ghost
1945
as Webb Fallon
Thunder in the East
1952
as Nitra Puta
They Got Me Covered
1943
as Gregory Vanesou
The Merry Widow
1952
as Marshovian Ambassador
If Winter Comes
1947
as Mr. Twyning
The Cross of Lorraine
1943
as Baker (uncredited)
Thunder on the Hill
1951
as Abel Harmer
The Cat Creature
1973
as Dr. Reinhart
The Black Bird
1975
as Duquai
The Miracle on 34th Street
1955
as Dr. Sawyer
The Crime Doctor's Warning
1945
as Jimmy Gordon
Quest
1984
The Woman in White
1948
as Frederick Fairlie
The Falcon in Hollywood
1944
as Martin S. Dwyer
The Notorious Lone Wolf
1946
as Lal Bara
Under Secret Orders
1937
as Armand
Rubber Racketeers
1942
as Dumbo
Public Pigeon No. 1
1957
as Dipso Dale Rutherford
London Blackout Murders
1943
as Jack Rawlings
Abroad with Two Yanks
1944
as Salesman
Three Guns for Texas
1968
as Banker Irwing
Crosswinds
1951
as Sykes
Return of the Scarlet Pimpernel
1937
as Flower Seller
The Power of the Whistler
1945
as Kaspar Andropolous
Ten Days in Paris
1940
as André
Navy Bound
1951
as Pappa Cerrano
One More Tomorrow
1946
as Joseph Baronova
The Saint in London
1939
as Count Stephen Duni
Adventure Island
1947
as Huish
The Gorilla Man
1943
as Dr. Ferris
The Conquest of the Air
1931
as Jean-François Pilâtre de Rozier
The Great Commandment
1939
as Starving Beggar / Starving Begger (uncredited)
The Epic That Never Was
1969
as Ms. Robson's Host (uncredited)
Rogue's March
1953
as Herbert Bielensen
Get Hep to Love
1942
as Professor Radowsky
Street of Shadows
1937
Secrets of Scotland Yard
1944
as Mortimer Cope
End of the Road
1944
as Chris Martin
Honeymoon Ahead
1945
as Welles
2000 Years Later
1969
as Gregorius
U-Boat Prisoner
1944
as Alfonse Lamont
This Man Is News
1938
as Hood with Foreign Accent
Blunt Instrument
1981
as Dr. Durrant
About John Abbott
John Albert Chamberlain Kefford was an English character actor professionally known as John Abbott. His memorable roles include the invalid Frederick Fairlie in the 1948 film The Woman in White and the pacifist Ayelborne in the Star Trek episode "Errand of Mercy". as well as a Shakespearean actor. In 1934, he began his career in show business when he made his professional stage debut in a revival of Dryden's Aureng-zebe with Sybil Thorndike. He then joined the Old Vic Company and appeared in Shakespearean roles, including Claudius in a product… With 127 credits spanning from 1931 to 1998, John Abbott has appeared in 81 films and 46 TV shows.
Fans searching for John Abbott movies, John Abbott filmography, or the latest projects starring John Abbott can stream many of these titles on Bowood.TV, free and in HD, with no subscription required.
Most Popular John Abbott Movies
- The Jungle Book (1967) — as Akela (voice)
- Gigi (1958) — as Manuel
- The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965) — as Aben
- Jane Eyre (1943) — as Mason
- Gambit (1966) — as Emile
Where to Watch John Abbott Films
Most John Abbott 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 John Abbott, check our movies catalogue and browse page.