Donald Houston

Donald Houston (6 November 1923 – 13 October 1991) was a British actor born in Clydach Vale, near Tonypandy, Wales. He appeared on Broadway in 1957 in the drama Under Milk Wood. He was the elder brother of actor Glyn Houston and a sister, Jean. His father, Alexander Houston, was a professional footballer from Scotland, and his mother, Elsie M Jones, operated a milk round. Following their mother's death at age 29, Donald and Glyn were raised by their grandmother while their father traveled across the United Kingdom seeking work.

After leaving school, Houston worked at a local colliery before pursuing an acting career. He performed on stage with the Pilgrim Players in 1940 and subsequently served in the Royal Air Force during the Second World War as a rear gunner and radio officer.

Houston's film career began with two commercially successful pictures released in 1949: The Blue Lagoon, in which he appeared alongside Jean Simmons, and A Run for Your Money, which featured Alec Guinness. He went on to build a substantial body of work as a character actor in film and television. His credits include Yangtse Incident (1957), The Longest Day (1962) alongside Richard Burton, 633 Squadron (1964), Where Eagles Dare (1968) again with Burton, and The Sea Wolves (1981). He played authority figures with regularity, including the military-minded David Caulder, head of Moonbase 3, and Dr. Francis in the Out of the Unknown episode "Thirteen to Centaurus."

Houston also demonstrated range in comedy, appearing in Doctor in the House (1954), Doctor in Distress (1963), and Carry On Jack (1963). He took on additional film work in productions such as Maniac (1963) and Tales That Witness Madness (1973). Depending on the role, he either employed his native Welsh accent or adopted a Received Pronunciation voice.

Houston died of a stroke on 13 October 1991. A Blue Plaque historical marker was later installed on the Tonypandy house where he was born. The unveiling ceremony was attended by his daughter Sian, his granddaughter Michela, his sister Jean Rees, and other family members and friends. Historian Peter Stead spoke about Houston's film career at the event.