<Archive obituary> Mr Dennis Price (1915-1973)
Michael Rhodes
<The Times, October 8, 1973>
<MR. DENNIS PRICE>
<AN ACTOR OF STYLE>
Mr. Dennis Price, a stage and film actor of wide range who was adept
at the presentation of both suave villlainy and polished comedy, died
on Saturday in Guernsey. He was 58.
He was an intelligent and sensitive performer - at times too sensitive
perhaps for the hurly-burly of film making - who will be remembered
with pleasure by a younger generation who never witnessed his style on
the stage or in films, for his television appearance as the Wooster
manservant, Jeeves, eyeing the peccadillos of the young master with an
urbane omniscience; for Price was always at his best when displaying
emotion tempered with refinement.
There will be many people who, on hearing of Price's death will feel a
pang of regret that an actor of his gifts and potential should, for
various reasons, have of late years been seen so little in plays and
films.
Dennistoun Franklyn John Rose-Price was born at Twyford, in Berkshire,
on June 23, 1915, the son of Brigadier-General T. Rose-Price. He was
educated at Radley, and at Worcester College, Oxford, and at this time
it seemed probable that he would either follow the family tradition of
going into the Army, or else might enter the Church. But he became a
member of the OUDS and adopted acting as his profession.
On leaving Oxford he studied at the Embassy Theatre School, and made
his stage debut at the Croydon Repertory Theatre, in June 1937, as
Dick in "Behind Your Back". He first appeared in the West End in the
following autumn, at the Queen's Theatre in John Gielgud's company. A
promising career was interrupted by the war, and he served with the
Royal Artillery from 1940 until he was invalided out in 1942. He then
toured in "This Happy Breed" and "Present Laughter" with Noel Coward;
and was seen in "Springtime of Others" at the Arts Theatre, and it was
here that he caught the eye of Michael Powell, one of the leading
British film directors. As a result his film career began in 1944 when
he appeared in Powell's "A Canterbury Tale", and from then on he was
kept busy acting both on stage and in the cinema.
His cool, sardonic style was never seen to better effect than in
Robert Hamer's classic black comedy, "Kind Hearts and Coronets" in
which he played with Alec Guinness, Valerie Hobson and Joan Greenwood.
His other films included "The Bad Lord Byron", in which he played
Byron, "Private's Progress"; "Caravan"; "I'm All Right, Jack"; "School
for Scoundrels"; "Don't Panic Chaps"; "Tunes of Glory"; "The
Millionairess"; "Tamahine"; "Wonderful Life", and many others. He was
also seen frequently in the theatre, nearly always in London, although
he appeared in "Bell, Book and Candle" in the United States in 1951.
He made his first appearance in South Africa in 1957 in "Table by the
Window", where he also played Major Pollock in "Separate Tables". In
1959 he made his debut in New York, as Hector Hushabye in "Heartbreak
House". On television he enjoyed outstanding success in 1965 when
playing Jeeves opposite Mr Ian Carmichael as Bertie Wooster.
For some years he had suffered financial embarrassments and had lived
in the Channel Isles.
END
Bob Champ
exquisite performance in an exquisite movie.
Bob Champ
mig73alle...@yahoo.co.uk (Michael Rhodes) wrote in message news:<beb1d3e8.03100...@posting.google.com>...
Louis Epstein
: His cool, sardonic style was never seen to better effect than in
: Robert Hamer's classic black comedy, "Kind Hearts and Coronets" in
: which he played with Alec Guinness, Valerie Hobson and Joan Greenwood.
Indeed,I've seen that one on television a number of times,
and videotaped it.He plays a serial killer protagonist...
bombing,shooting,poisoning relative after relative...and
yet he's your "hero" and there's no one to root for against
him.
-=-=-
The World Trade Center towers MUST rise again,
at least as tall as before...or terror has triumphed.
Bob Champ
Guinness. I especially like his daffy clergyman. Another wonderfully
played character is Sybella, lover to Price's character, to whom Joan
Greenwood adds a sexuality that makes her the focus of nearly every
scene in which she appears.
Bob Champ
Louis Epstein <lep...@PUF.FCC.NET> wrote in message news:<0NWdnQ3wNO6...@fcc.net>...
Louis Epstein
: All the relatives, one should add, played broadly and well by Alec
: Guinness. I especially like his daffy clergyman. Another wonderfully
: played character is Sybella, lover to Price's character, to whom Joan
: Greenwood adds a sexuality that makes her the focus of nearly every
: scene in which she appears.
I quite liked Valerie Hobson's character...
all in all,the film went together well.
I gather I would NOT have liked the novel
ISRAEL RANK,on which the film was based.
: Louis Epstein <lep...@PUF.FCC.NET> wrote in message news:<0NWdnQ3wNO6...@fcc.net>...
Michael Rhodes
It has always irked me that Price (Louis Mancini) was the maternal
grandson of a Duke of Chalfont and yet in remainder to the dukedom. No
dukedoms of England, Scotland, Ireland, GB, or the UK can pass to a
maternal grandson. I know about Marlborough and the unique letters
patent preventing its extinction.
--
Michael Rhodes
Louis Epstein
:> In alt.obituaries Bob Champ <robertc...@yahoo.com> wrote:
:> : All the relatives, one should add, played broadly and well by Alec
:> : Guinness. I especially like his daffy clergyman. Another wonderfully
:> : played character is Sybella, lover to Price's character, to whom Joan
:> : Greenwood adds a sexuality that makes her the focus of nearly every
:> : scene in which she appears.
:>
:> I quite liked Valerie Hobson's character...
:> all in all,the film went together well.
:> I gather I would NOT have liked the novel
:> ISRAEL RANK,on which the film was based.
:>
:>
:> :> In alt.obituaries Michael Rhodes <mig73alle...@yahoo.co.uk> wrote:
:> :>
:> :> : His cool, sardonic style was never seen to better effect than in
:> :> : Robert Hamer's classic black comedy, "Kind Hearts and Coronets" in
:> :> : which he played with Alec Guinness, Valerie Hobson and Joan Greenwood.
:> :>
:> :> Indeed,I've seen that one on television a number of times,
:> :> and videotaped it.He plays a serial killer protagonist...
:> :> bombing,shooting,poisoning relative after relative...and
:> :> yet he's your "hero" and there's no one to root for against
:> :> him.
:> :>
: It has always irked me that Price (Louis Mancini) was the maternal
: grandson of a Duke of Chalfont and yet in remainder to the dukedom. No
: dukedoms of England, Scotland, Ireland, GB, or the UK can pass to a
: maternal grandson. I know about Marlborough and the unique letters
: patent preventing its extinction.
I actually thought the film handled that quite deftly,
explaining that this Dukedom's unique ability to descend
through the female line was granted in return for services
rendered by the first Duchess to Charles II.
After all,he made other ladies Duchesses for intimate
services,if this lady's sons were already to inherit
a ducal dignity it's the least he could do.:)
Michael Rhodes
Thanks Louis, I must have missed that bit. I had the film on video for
years until the children saw fit to tape over it with one of the
future President Schwarzenegger's Terminator efforts.
--
Michael Rhodes