Donald Pleasence
Donald Pleasence | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Donald Henry Pleasence October 5, 1919 |
| Died | February 2, 1995(aged 75) |
| Alma mater | Ecclesfield School |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1954–1995 |
| Spouse(s) | Miriam Raymond (1941–58) Josephine Crombie (1959–70) Meira Shore (1970–88) Linda J. Kentwood (1988–95) |
Donald Henry Pleasence[1]OBE(October 5, 1919 – February 2, 1995) was anEnglishactor. Pleasence was born inWorksop,Nottinghamshire,England.[2]He was raised inLincolnshire,England.[3]During his career, Pleasence was nominated for fourTony Awards.[4]He won aBAFTA TV Award for Best Actorin 1959.[4][5]In his whole career, Pleasence appeared in over 200 movies.[6]
He made his first movieThe Dybbukin 1952.[6]It was atelevision movie.He acted in several movies, such asYou Only Live Twice,where he playedJames BondvillainErnst Stavro Blofeld,andThe Great Escape.[4]Pleasence is known for his role as Dr.Samuel LoomisinJohn Carpenter'sHalloween.[4]Since then, he appeared in five out of the six movies of theHalloween movie series.[6]Pleasence did not appear inHalloween III: Season of the Witchbecause it was a different story from the last two movies.[4]
Pleasence died at the age of 75 inSaint-Paul-de-Vence,France, from complications ofheart failure.[4]It was following aheart valvereplacement surgery.[4]
Early life[change|change source]
Pleasence was bornDonald Henry PleasenceinWorksop,Nottinghamshire,Englandon October 5, 1919.[2]His parents were Alice and Thomas Pleasence.[3]Pleasence was raised as aMethodist.[3]He was raised inLincolnshire,England.[3]Pleasence studied at theEcclesfield SchoolinYorkshire,England.[6]
DuringWorld War II,Pleasence was sent to serve in theRoyal Air Force.[3]He served with 166 Squadron, RAF Bomber Command.[3]His war plane was shot down in August 1944, during araidonAgenville.[3]He was placed in theGermanprisoner-of-war camp.Pleasence was released before the war's end in 1945.[3]
Career[change|change source]
In 1939, Pleasence started working on stage as an assistant stage manager.[7]His first acting job was as Hareton in thestageversion ofWuthering Heights.[8]He worked in theatres inBirminghamandBristol.Later, Pleasence moved toLondon.There he appeared as Valentine inTwelfth Nightin 1942.[9]
Pleasence's first television work was inI Want to Be A Doctorin 1946.[9]In 1954, he played Syme in aBBCadaptation ofGeorge Orwell's novelNineteen Eighty-Four.[9]The adaptation was byNigel Kneale.Pleasence playedPrince Johnin several episodes of theITVseriesThe Adventures of Robin Hood.[8]
Pleasence made his big-screen debut with the 1954 movieThe Beachcomber.[5]Some early roles include Parsons in1984(his second Orwell movie).[5]He also appeared in minor roles such as inBarnacle Billand inThe Wind Cannot Read.InTony Richardson's movie,Look Back in Anger,he plays a market inspector.[5]
During the early 1960s, Pleasence recorded several children's-story records. They were released in theUnited StatesasTale Spinners For ChildrenbyUnited Artists.[10]The stories includedDon Quixoteand theBrave Little Tailor.Pleasence did the voice-over for the BritishPublic Information Film,The Spirit of Dark and Lonely Waterin 1973.[10]He was the author of the 1977 children's bookScouse the Mouse.[10]
In his later years, he appeared as Lucas Deranian inWalt Disney'sEscape to Witch Mountain,Dr. LoomisinHalloween,Dr. Kobras inThe Pumamanand the President inEscape from New York.[5]He reprised his Dr. Loomis role inHalloween II,Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers,Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael MyersandHalloween: The Curse of Michael Myers.[5]Pleasence's acting career ended when he died in 1995.[4]
Awards[change|change source]
Pleasence was nominated four times for theTony Award.[4]He was nominated for Best Performance By a Leading Actor in aBroadwayPlay. He was nominated in 1962 forHarold Pinter'sThe Caretaker,in 1965 forJean Anouilh'sPoor Bitos,in 1969 forRobert Shaw'sThe Man in the Glass Booth,and in 1972 forSimon Gray'sWise Child.[4]
Personal life[change|change source]
Pleasence was married four times. He married Miriam Raymond in 1941. They divorced in 1958. He married Josephine Crombie in 1959. They divorced in 1970.[4]He married Meira Shore in 1970.[4]They divorced in 1988.[4]He was last married to Linda J. Kentwood in 1988. Their marriage lasted until Pleasance died in 1995.[4]
Pleasence had five daughters. He and Raymond had two daughters,Angelaand Jean Pleasence. He and Crombie had two daughters, Polly Jo and Lucy. He and Shore had one daughter, Miranda.[5]
Death[change|change source]
Pleasence died fromheart failureafterheartsurgeryinSaint-Paul-de-Vence,France on February 2, 1995, aged 75.[4]His remains were latercremated.[11]His last full movie,Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myerswas dedicated in his memory.[12]
Movies[change|change source]
| Year | Movie | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1952 | The Dybbuk | Second Batlon | TV movie |
| 1952-1959 | BBC Sunday-Night Theatre | Corporal | TV series, episodeArrow to the Heart (I)(1952) |
| Chamberlain | EpisodeSuch Men are Dangerous(1954) | ||
| Syme | EpisodeNineteen Eighty-Four(1954) | ||
| Foreign Minister | EpisodeThe Moment of Truth(1955) | ||
| Doctor | EpisodeThe Millionairess(1959) | ||
| 1954 | The Beachcomber | Tromp | |
| Montserrat | Juan Alvarez | TV movie | |
| The Face of Love | Alex | TV movie | |
| Orders Are Orders | Corporal Martin | credited as Donald Plesance | |
| 1955 | Value for Money | Limpy | |
| 1956 | 1984 | R. Parsons | |
| The Black Tent | Ali | ||
| 1956-1958 | The Adventures of Robin Hood | Prince John(4 episodes) | TV series, episodesThe Prisoner(1956),Isabella(1956),Ambush(1957),Marian's Prize(1958) |
| Bailiff Baldwin (1 episode) | EpisodeA Village Wooing(1956) | ||
| 1956-1959 | ITV Television Playhouse | William | TV series, episodeEver Since Paradise(1956) |
| Albert | EpisodeChance Meeting(1956) | ||
| Captain Browne | EpisodeFate and Mister Browne(1958) | ||
| Leonard Browne | EpisodeMr. Browne Comes Home(1959) | ||
| Robert Robertson | EpisodeThe Silk Purse(1959) | ||
| 1957 | The Man in the Sky | Crabtree | TitledDecision Against Timein the United States |
| Assignment Foreign Legion | Commandant | TV series, episodeThe Coward | |
| Manuela | Evans | ||
| Barnacle Bill | Cashier | TitledAll at Seain the United States | |
| 1958 | I Spy | Mr. Frute | TV movie |
| A Tale of Two Cities | John Barsad | ||
| Heart of a Child | Spiel | ||
| The Wind Cannot Read' | Doctor | ||
| The Man Inside | Organ-grinder | ||
| The Two-Headed Spy | General Hardt | ||
| 1959 | The Scarf | Detective Inspector Harry Yates | TV series, six episodes |
| Look Back in Anger | Hurst | ||
| William Tell | The Spider | TV series, episodeThe Spider | |
| The Traitor | Grantley Caypor | TV movie | |
| Killers of Kilimanjaro | Captain | ||
| The Battle of the Sexes | Irwin Hoffman | ||
| 1960 | The Shakedown | Jessel Brown | |
| Hell Is a City | Gus Hawkins | ||
| The Four Just Men | Paul Koster | TV series, episodeThe Survivor | |
| Interpol Calling | Karl Haussman | TV series, episodeThe Absent Assassin | |
| 1962 | The Inspector | Sergeant Wolters | |
| 1963 | The Great Escape | Flight Lieutenant Colin Blythe RAF, "The Forger" | |
| 1965 | The Hallelujah Trail | Oracle Jones | |
| 1966 | Fantastic Voyage | Dr. Michaels | |
| Cul-de-sac | George | ||
| 1967 | You Only Live Twice | Ernst Stavro Blofeld | |
| 1968 | The Other People | Clive | Film never released |
| 1970 | Soldier Blue | Isaac Q. Cumber | |
| 1971 | THX 1138 | SEN 5241 | |
| Wake in Fright | Doc Tydon | ||
| 1972 | Death Line | Inspector Calhoun | |
| Henry VIII and His Six Wives | Thomas Cromwell | ||
| The Jerusalem File | Major Samuels | ||
| 1973 | Columbo | Adrian Carsini | "Any Old Port in a Storm" |
| 1974 | Watch Out, We're Mad | The Doctor | |
| From Beyond The Grave | Jim Underwood | (segment 2 "An Act of Kindness" )- | |
| 1976 | The Eagle Has Landed | Himmler | |
| The Passover Plot | Pontius Pilate | ||
| 1977 | Telefon | Nikolai Dalchimsky | |
| 1978 | Halloween | Dr. Loomis | |
| 1978 | Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band | B.D. Hoffler/B.D. Brockhurst | |
| 1980 | The Pumaman | Dr. Kobras | |
| 1981 | Halloween II | Dr. Loomis | |
| Race for the Yankee Zephyr | Gilbert "Gibbie" Carson | ||
| 1982 | Escape from New York | Mr. President | |
| Alone in the Dark | Dr. Leo Bain | ||
| The Barchester Chronicles | Reverend Septimus Harding | TV series | |
| 1983 | Warrior of the Lost World | Prossor | |
| 1984 | A Breed Apart | J.P. Whittier | |
| 1985 | Phenomena | John McGregor | |
| 1987 | Django 2 | Gunn | |
| 1987 | Prince of Darkness | Priest | |
| 1988 | Hanna's War | Captain Thomas Rosza | |
| Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers | Dr. Loomis | ||
| 1989 | Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers | ||
| Ten Little Indians | Judge Lawrence Wargrave | ||
| 1993 | The Thief and the Cobbler | Phido the Vulture | (voice) |
| The Hour of the Pig | Pincheon | ||
| 1995 | Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers | Dr. Loomis | |
| 1996 | Fatal frames: Fotogrammi mortali | Professor Robinson |
References[change|change source]
- ↑"England and Wales Births 1837–1983".Freebmd.org.uk.RetrievedOctober 6,2010.
- ↑2.02.1"Donald Pleasence's Biography".Pleasence.com.RetrievedOctober 6,2010.
- ↑3.03.13.23.33.43.53.63.7"Remembering Donald Pleasence".Western Allitaliana.com. 5 October 2014.RetrievedOctober 23,2014.
- ↑4.004.014.024.034.044.054.064.074.084.094.104.114.124.134.14Gussow, Mel (3 February 1995)."Donald Pleasence, Virtuoso Actor, Dies at 75".New York Times.com.RetrievedOctober 23,2014.
- ↑5.05.15.25.35.45.55.6"Donald Pleasence".NNDB.com.RetrievedOctober 23,2014.
- ↑6.06.16.26.3"Donald Pleasence biography".TCM.com.RetrievedOctober 23,2014.
- ↑"Donald Pleasence's biography".Pleasence.com.RetrievedOctober 23,2014.
- ↑8.08.1"Donald Pleasence".MTV.com. Archived fromthe originalon January 2, 2015.RetrievedOctober 23,2014.
- ↑9.09.19.2"Obituaries: Donald Pleasence".The Independent.3 February 1995.Retrieved14 February2012.
- ↑10.010.110.2"Donald Pleasence (1919)".Mediatly.com. Archived fromthe originalon March 4, 2016.RetrievedOctober 23,2014.
- ↑"Donald Pleasence".Hollywood Grave Hunter.com.RetrievedOctober 23,2014.
- ↑"Donald Pleasence".Osuniverse.com.RetrievedOctober 23,2014.
Other websites[change|change source]
- Donald PleasenceonIMDb
- Donald Pleasenceat theInternet Broadway Database
- Donald Pleasenceat screenonline
- Donald Pleasence-bioat (re)Search my Trash
- The Man with the Hypnotic EyeA Tribute to Donald Pleasence
- Photographof a theatrical production in prisoner of war camp featuring Donald Pleasence
