Guy Standing

Sir Guy Standing was an English-American actor born in London, England, on 1 September 1873, and a member of the Standing family of actors. His father was Herbert Standing (1846–1923), himself a noted performer in stage and silent film, and his brothers Jack Standing, Herbert Standing Jr., Percy Standing, and Wyndham Standing all pursued acting careers as well. His first wife, Isabelle Urquhart, and his third wife, Dorothy Hammond (née Plaskitt), were also actors. Among his children were Guy Standing Jr., Kay Hammond (née Dorothy Katherine Standing), and Michael Standing, who became the first live cricket commentator for the BBC and was known for his "Standing on the Corner" slot on In Town Tonight. Standing's grandson John Standing continued the family's theatrical tradition.

Standing served in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve throughout the First World War, attaining the rank of commander. During that period he was seconded to MI6 before being transferred to the Ministry of Information in December 1917, and in 1918 he participated in the British War Mission to the United States. In recognition of this service, he was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 1918 and was elevated to Knight Commander (KBE) in the 1919 New Year Honours.

His Broadway career spanned four decades, from 1896 to 1936, encompassing productions that included At Bay, in which he starred, as well as Jefferson Davis, the play Living Dangerously, and the play Mrs. Moonlight. Following his work in British and American theatre, Standing moved to Hollywood in the early 1930s, where he appeared in Paramount films. He became particularly associated with authority figures on screen, most notably Colonel Stone, the autocratic father of Lieutenant Stone, played by Richard Cromwell, in Henry Hathaway's Lives of a Bengal Lancer (1935).

Standing died on 24 February 1937, of a heart attack, having reportedly told someone moments before his collapse that he had never felt better. He was interred at Grand View Memorial Park Cemetery in Glendale, California.