Francis L. Sullivan
Known for Acting · 72 credits
- Born
- 1903-01-06
- Died
- 1956-11-19
- Place of birth
- Wandsworth, London, England, UK
- Also known as
- Френсис Л. Салливан · Фрэнсис Л. Салливан · Francis Loftus Sullivan
Biography
Francis Loftus Sullivan (6 January 1903, Wandsworth, London - 19 November 1956, New York City) was an English film and stage actor. He attended Stonyhurst, the Jesuit public school in Lancashire, England whose alumni include Charles Laughton and Arthur Conan Doyle.
A heavily built man with a striking double-chin and a deep voice, Sullivan made his acting debut at the Old Vic aged 18 in Shakespeare's Richard III and appeared in his first film in 1932. Some of his notable film roles include Mr. Bumble in Oliver Twist (1948) and Phil Nosseross in the film noir Night and the City (1950). Sullivan also played the part of Jaggers in two versions of Charles Dickens's Great Expectations - in 1934 and 1946. He appeared in a fourth Dickens film, the 1935 Universal Pictures version of The Mystery of Edwin Drood, in which he played Crisparkle.
In 1938, he was featured in The Citadel, starring Robert Donat, and a decade later, he played the role of Pierre Cauchon in the technicolor version of Joan of Arc, starring Ingrid Bergman. Also in 1938 he starred in a revival of the Stokes' brothers play Oscar Wilde at London's Arts Theatre.
Sullivan also acted in light comedies, notably My Favorite Spy (1951), starring Bob Hope and Hedy Lamarr, in which he played an enemy agent, and the comedy Fiddlers Three (1944), portraying Nero. He also played the role of Pothinus in the 1945 film version of George Bernard Shaw's Caesar and Cleopatra. The film was directed by Gabriel Pascal, and was the last film personally supervised by Shaw himself. Sullivan later reprised the role in a stage revival of the play.
Sullivan, who eventually became a naturalized US citizen, won a Tony Award in 1955 for the Agatha Christie play Witness for the Prosecution. Earlier, he had played Hercule Poirot at the Embassy Theatre (London) in the Christie play, Black Coffee (1930). He died of a heart attack, aged 53 (some sources claim he died from an unspecified "lung ailment").
Known For
TV Shows (12)
The Philco Television Playhouse
1948
Robert Montgomery Presents
1950
Studio One
1948
as Herod Antipas / Long John Silver
The Ed Sullivan Show
1948
as Self
Lights Out
1949
Suspense
1949
Cavalcade of America
1952
Lux Video Theatre
1950
as Detective Yates
General Electric Theater
1953
as Captain William Bligh
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
1951
as Garman
Sure As Fate
1950
Destiny
Movies (60)
Great Expectations
1946
as Mr. Jaggers
Oliver Twist
1948
as Mr. Bumble
Joan of Arc
1948
as Pierre Cauchon, Count-Bishop of Beauvais
Night and the City
1950
as Philip Nosseross
The Citadel
1938
as Ben Chenkin
Broken Journey
1948
as Anton Perami
The Mystery of Edwin Drood
1935
as Rev. Mr. Crisparkle
Caesar and Cleopatra
1945
as Pothinus
The Prodigal
1955
as Bosra
Hell's Island
1955
as Barzland
Ingrid Bergman Remembered
1996
as Self (archive footage)
The Foreman Went to France
1942
as French Skipper
Caribbean
1952
as Andrew McAllister
The Return of Bulldog Drummond
1934
as Carl Peterson
Plunder of the Sun
1953
as Thomas Berrien
Sangaree
1953
as Dr. Bristol
The Drum
1938
as Governor
The Winslow Boy
1948
as Attorney General
21 Days
1940
as Mander
Great Expectations
1934
as Jaggers
Behave Yourself!
1951
as Fat Freddy
My Favorite Spy
1951
as Karl Brubaker
The Laughing Lady
1946
as Sir Williams Tremayne
The Ware Case
1938
as Attorney General
Cheating Cheaters
1934
as Dr. George Brockton
The Red Danube
1949
as Colonel Humphrey 'Blinker' Omicron
"Pimpernel" Smith
1941
as General von Graum
Strange Wives
1934
as Bellamy
Chu Chin Chow
1934
as The Caliph
The Man Within
1947
as Mr. Braddock
Climbing High
1938
as Madman
Take My Life
1947
as Prosecuting Counsel
The Wandering Jew
1933
as Juan de Texada (Phase IV)
Called Back
1933
as Kaledin
The Day Will Dawn
1942
as Kommandant Ulrich Wettau
Her Last Affaire
1935
as Sir Julian Weyre
The Fire Raisers
1934
as Stedding
Red Wagon
1933
as Cranley
The Warren Case
1934
as Prosecuting Counsel (uncredited)
F.P.1
1933
as A Sailor
Kate Plus Ten
1938
as Lord Flamborough
The Four Just Men
1939
as Leon Poiccard
Fine Feathers
1937
as Hugo Steinway
When London Sleeps
1932
as Rodney Haines
Action for Slander
1937
as Sir Quinton Jessops (as Francis Sullavan)
Christopher Columbus
1949
as Francisco de Bobadilla
The Butler's Dilemma
1943
as Leo Carrington
Spy of Napoleon
1936
as Chief of Police
Non-Stop New York
1937
as Hugo Brant
Pontius Pilate
1952
as Herod Antipas
Fiddlers Three
1944
as Nero
What Happened Then?
1934
as Richard Bentley, Prosecution Counsel
Dinner at the Ritz
1937
as Brogard
The Missing Rembrandt
1932
as Baron von Guntermann
The Chinese Puzzle
1932
as Herman Strumm
Drums of Tahiti
1954
as Commissioner Pierre Duvois
A Woman Alone
1936
as Prosecutor
The Right to Live
1933
as Roger Stoneham
Young Man's Fancy
1939
as Blackbeard, Vincent St George
The Lady from Lisbon
1942
as Minghetti
About Francis L. Sullivan
Francis Loftus Sullivan (6 January 1903, Wandsworth, London - 19 November 1956, New York City) was an English film and stage actor. He attended Stonyhurst, the Jesuit public school in Lancashire, England whose alumni include Charles Laughton and Arthur Conan Doyle. A heavily built man with a striking double-chin and a deep voice, Sullivan made his acting debut at the Old Vic aged 18 in Shakespeare's Richard III and appeared in his first film in 1932. Some of his notable film roles include Mr. Bumble in Oliver Twist (1948) and Phil Nosseross in… With 72 credits spanning from 1932 to 1996, Francis L. Sullivan has appeared in 60 films and 12 TV shows.
Fans searching for Francis L. Sullivan movies, Francis L. Sullivan filmography, or the latest projects starring Francis L. Sullivan can stream many of these titles on Bowood.TV, free and in HD, with no subscription required.
Most Popular Francis L. Sullivan Movies
- Great Expectations (1946) — as Mr. Jaggers
- Oliver Twist (1948) — as Mr. Bumble
- Joan of Arc (1948) — as Pierre Cauchon, Count-Bishop of Beauvais
- Night and the City (1950) — as Philip Nosseross
- The Citadel (1938) — as Ben Chenkin
Where to Watch Francis L. Sullivan Films
Most Francis L. Sullivan 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 Francis L. Sullivan, check our movies catalogue and browse page.