Cecil Parker

Cecil Parker, born Cecil Schwabe on 3 September 1897 in Hastings, Sussex, was an English actor known for a distinctively husky voice and a talent for portraying supercilious, upper-class characters. He died on 20 April 1971 in Brighton. The second son and fifth of six children, he was born to Charles August Schwabe, a German-born hotel manager, and his English wife Kate, née Parker, who worked as a church organist. Parker was educated at St Francis Xavier College and later in Bruges, Belgium, and served with the Royal Sussex Regiment during the First World War, attaining the rank of sergeant. When he launched his theatrical career in London in 1922, he adopted Parker as his professional surname, taking it from his mother's maiden name.

His stage work included originating the role of Charles Condomine in the West End production of Noël Coward's Blithe Spirit, and he brought his career to Broadway in 1950, appearing in Daphne Laureola. His film career began in 1933 and extended through 91 productions made between 1928 and 1969, during which he became a familiar presence in British cinema and appeared occasionally in American productions. He frequently portrayed touchy senior officers and British aristocrats in supporting roles across a wide range of genres.

Among his notable film credits were two adaptations of A. J. Cronin novels, The Citadel in 1938 and The Stars Look Down in 1940. He also appeared in two Alfred Hitchcock-directed films, The Lady Vanishes in 1938 and Under Capricorn in 1949. His work in comedy included The Ladykillers in 1955, The Man in the White Suit in 1951, The Court Jester in 1955, in which he played an evil, usurping king of England, Indiscreet in 1958, and A French Mistress in 1960. Additional credits spanned Storm in a Teacup in 1937, Dangerous Moonlight in 1941, The Weaker Sex in 1948, I Believe in You in 1952, 23 Paces to Baker Street in 1956, I Was Monty's Double in 1958, and Swiss Family Robinson in 1960. His final two films maintained his characteristic type: The Magnificent Two in 1967, alongside the comedy duo Morecambe and Wise, and Richard Attenborough's Oh! What a Lovely War in 1969.

Parker's television appearances were less frequent but included a co-starring role with Margaret O'Brien in a production of The Canterville Ghost on Robert Montgomery Presents, broadcast on 20 November 1950. He played a butler in one episode of The Avengers titled The £50,000 Breakfast, and in 1957 he portrayed Dr. Morelle across thirteen episodes of the BBC radio series A Case for Dr. Morelle. Parker had been married to Muriel Anne Randell-Brown, born in Seacombe, Cheshire, from September 1927 until his death.