Years active 1948–1982 Role Actor | Name Laurence Naismith Spouse Vera Bocca (m. 1939–1992) | |
Full Name Lawrence Johnson Born 14 December 1908 ( 1908-12-14 ) Thames Ditton, Surrey, England Died June 5, 1992, Southport, Australia Movies and TV shows The Persuaders!, Jason and the Argonauts, The Amazing Mr Blund, The Valley of Gwangi, A Night to Remember Similar People Don Chaffey, Todd Armstrong, Gary Raymond, Niall MacGinnis, Jim O'Connolly | ||
Barriers Part 16 (Episode 6.1) with guest Laurence Naismith
Laurence Naismith (born Lawrence Johnson; 14 December 1908 – 5 June 1992) was an English actor. He made numerous film and television appearances, including starring roles in the musical films Scrooge (1970) and the children's ghost film The Amazing Mr Blunden (1972). He also had a memorable role as Captain Edward Smith of the RMS Titanic in A Night to Remember (1958).
Contents
Early life and career
Naismith was born in Thames Ditton, Surrey, in 1908. He attended All Saints Choir School in London and was a chorus member for a 1927 production of the George Gershwin musical Oh, Kay!. He then worked in repertory theatre and ran a repertory company of his own. At the outbreak of the Second World War he joined the British Army where he became an officer in the Royal Artillery.
Film
His film roles included Carrington VC (1954), Richard III (1955), Sink the Bismarck! (1960), Jason and the Argonauts (1963). He played the non-singing role of Merlin in the 1967 film version of the musical Camelot and appeared in the James Bond film Diamonds Are Forever (1971) as the chairman of the diamond trading syndicate.
Television
In 1965, Naismith played the title role of the Virginia statesman George Mason in the NBC documentary series, Profiles in Courage. William Bakewell played George Wythe in the episode, and Arthur Franz was cast as James Madison. In 1965, Naismith guest-starred as barber Gilly Bright in episode 25, "The Threat" of the ABC military drama, 12 O-Clock High (TV series) and in the ABC action drama, The Fugitive, starring David Janssen.He played Judge Fulton in the television series The Persuaders! (1971), with Tony Curtis and Roger Moore. He portrayed Emperor of Austria Franz Joseph in the BBC production Fall of Eagles (1974). Naismith played the Prince of Verona in the BBC Television Shakespeare version of Romeo and Juliet.
Stage
He appeared on Broadway in the Meredith Willson musical Here's Love in 1963, opposite Janis Paige.
Filmography
Actor
1982
I Remember Nelson (TV Mini Series) as
Rev. Edmund Nelson
- Love (1982) - Rev. Edmund Nelson
1981
Barriers (TV Series) as
Dr Ernest Jolland
- Episode #2.1 (1982) - Dr Ernest Jolland
- Episode #1.13 (1981) - Dr Ernest Jolland
- Episode #1.6 (1981) - Dr Ernest Jolland
1978
The BBC Television Shakespeare (TV Series) as
Prince Escalus
- Romeo & Juliet (1978) - Prince Escalus
1978
Return of the Saint (TV Series) as
General Platt
- The Poppy Chain (1978) - General Platt
1974
Fall of Eagles (TV Mini Series) as
Emperor Franz Josef I of Austria-Hungary
- Indian Summer of an Emperor (1974) - Emperor Franz Josef I of Austria-Hungary
- Dress Rehearsal (1974) - Emperor Franz Josef I of Austria-Hungary
- Requiem for a Crown Prince (1974) - Emperor Franz Josef I of Austria-Hungary
1973
Oh, Father! (TV Series) as
Father Harris
- Bid Time Return (1973) - Father Harris
- The Old Adam (1973) - Father Harris
- Just Impediment (1973) - Father Harris
- Angels and Ministers (1973) - Father Harris
- A Little Law (1973) - Father Harris
- Sufficient Unto the Day (1973) - Father Harris
- The World, My Parish (1973) - Father Harris
1972
The Protectors (TV Series) as
Prof. Alexander Schelpin
- Balance of Terror (1972) - Prof. Alexander Schelpin
1972
The Amazing Mr. Blunden as
Mr. Blunden
1972
Late Night Theatre (TV Series) as
Mr Salisbury
- Trapped: Chez Madame Thompson (1972) - Mr Salisbury
1972
Young Winston as
Lord Salisbury
1971
The Persuaders! (TV Series) as
Judge Fulton
- Element of Risk (1971) - Judge Fulton
- The Morning After (1971) - Judge Fulton
- The Long Goodbye (1971) - Judge Fulton
- That's Me Over There (1971) - Judge Fulton
- Angie- Angie (1971) - Judge Fulton
- The Man in the Middle (1971) - Judge Fulton
- Take Seven (1971) - Judge Fulton
- Powerswitch (1971) - Judge Fulton
- The Gold Napoleon (1971) - Judge Fulton
- Overture (1971) - Judge Fulton
- Five Miles to Midnight (1971) - Judge Fulton
1971
Diamonds Are Forever as
Sir Donald Munger
1971
Quest for Love as
Sir Henry Larnstein
1970
Scrooge as
Mr. Fezziwig
1969
The File on Devlin (TV Movie) as
Lord Pomeroy
1969
Run a Crooked Mile (TV Movie) as
Lord Dunnsfield
1969
The Bushbaby as
Prof. 'Cranky' Crankshaw
1969
The Name of the Game (TV Series) as
Reddington
- Lady on the Rocks (1969) - Reddington
1969
Bonanza (TV Series) as
Don Q. Hought
- Another Windmill to Go (1969) - Don Q. Hought
1969
Eye of the Cat as
Dr. Mills
1969
The Valley of Gwangi as
Professor Bromley
1969
Love Story (TV Series)
- A Man for a House (1969)
1968
Lancer (TV Series) as
Garrison Collier
- Glory (1968) - Garrison Collier
1968
Mannix (TV Series) as
Anton
- The Silent Cry (1968) - Anton
1968
The Admirable Crichton (TV Movie) as
Lord Loam
1967
Fitzwilly as
Mr. Cotty (uncredited)
1967
The Invaders (TV Series) as
Cyrus Stone / Professor Curtis Lindstrom
- The Ransom (1967) - Cyrus Stone
- The Experiment (1967) - Professor Curtis Lindstrom
1967
Camelot as
Merlyn
1967
The Long Duel as
McDougal
1965
The Fugitive (TV Series) as
John Mallory / Dr. Andrew Emmett McAllister / Major Fielding
- The Shattered Silence (1967) - John Mallory
- Not with a Whimper (1966) - Dr. Andrew Emmett McAllister
- Last Second of a Big Dream (1965) - Major Fielding
1967
The Scorpio Letters (TV Movie) as
Burr
1967
Deadlier Than the Male as
Sir John Bledlow
1966
Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre (TV Series) as
Inspector Rason / Gordon Knight
- Blind Man's Bluff (1967) - Inspector Rason
- The Fatal Mistake (1966) - Gordon Knight
1966
Gypsy Girl as
Edwin Dacres
1965
Profiles in Courage (TV Series) as
George Mason / John Adams
- George Mason (1965) - George Mason
- John Quincy Adams (1965) - John Adams
1965
12 O'Clock High (TV Series) as
Gilly Bright
- The Threat (1965) - Gilly Bright
1964
The Defenders (TV Series) as
Mr. Collins
- The Thief (1964) - Mr. Collins
1963
The Three Lives of Thomasina as
Reverend Angus Peddie
1959
The Third Man (TV Series) as
The McCriach / Ostrow
- The Way of McEagle (1963) - The McCriach
- The Tenth Symphony (1959) - Ostrow
1963
Jason and the Argonauts as
Argos
1963
Cleopatra as
Arachesilaus (uncredited)
1962
We Joined the Navy as
Admiral Blake
1962
The 300 Spartans as
First Delegate
1962
I Thank a Fool as
O'Grady
1962
The Magical World of Disney (TV Series) as
Earl of Hertford
- The Prince and the Pauper: The Pauper King (1962) - Earl of Hertford
1962
The Prince and the Pauper as
Earl of Hertford
1962
The Valiant as
Admiral
1961
Sir Francis Drake (TV Series) as
Sir Miles Burns
- The Garrison (1961) - Sir Miles Burns
1961
Greyfriars Bobby: The True Story of a Dog as
Mr. Traill
1961
The Singer Not the Song as
Old Uncle
1960
The World of Suzie Wong as
O'Neill
1960
The Concrete Jungle as
Mr. Town
1960
Danger Man (TV Series) as
Spooner
- The Blue Veil (1960) - Spooner
1960
Village of the Damned as
Doctor Willers
1960
The Trials of Oscar Wilde as
Prince of Wales
1960
The Angry Silence as
Martindale
1960
Sink the Bismarck! as
First Sea Lord - Sir Dudley Pound - Admiral of the Fleet
1959
Third Man on the Mountain as
Teo Zurbriggen
1959
Solomon and Sheba as
Hezrai (as Lawrence Naismith)
1958
Tempest as
Maj. Zurin
1958
The Two-Headed Spy as
Gen. Hauser
1958
A Night to Remember as
Capt. Edward John Smith
1958
Gideon of Scotland Yard as
Arthur Alexander Sayer
1958
I Accuse! as
Judge - Esterhazy Trial
1958
The Naked Earth as
Skin Trader
1958
The Gypsy and the Gentleman as
Dr. Forrester
1957
Rendezvous (TV Series) as
The Cardinal
- The Hanging of Alfred Wadham - The Cardinal
1957
Robbery Under Arms as
Ben Marston
1957
Boy on a Dolphin as
Dr. Hawkins
1957
Seven Days from Now as
Captain Paul Darrow
1957
The Barretts of Wimpole Street as
Dr. Chambers
1956
Tiger in the Smoke as
Canon Avril
1956
The Weapon as
Jamison
1956
Lust for Life as
Dr. Bosman
1956
The Extra Day as
Kurt Vorn
1956
Adventure Theater (TV Series) as
Harcourt Garnett
- Thirty Days to Die (1956) - Harcourt Garnett
1956
The Adventures of Robin Hood (TV Series) as
Sir William de Courcier
- The Miser (1956) - Sir William de Courcier
1956
The Man Who Never Was as
Adm. Cross
1955
Richard III as
The Lord Stanley
1954
The Vise (TV Series) as
Bob Craig / Dr. Damon
- By Persons Unknown (1955) - Bob Craig
- Dr. Damon's Experiment (1954) - Dr. Damon
1955
Josephine and Men as
Porter
1955
The Dam Busters as
Farmer
1954
Court Martial as
Major Panton
1954
The Black Knight as
Major Domo
1954
Man with a Million as
Walter Craddock (uncredited)
1953
Gilbert Harding Speaking of Murder as
Harcourt Garnett
1953
Love in Pawn as
Uncle Amos
1953
Mogambo as
Skipper
1953
The Beggar's Opera as
Matt of the Mint
1953
Bad Blonde as
Boxing Booth Barker (uncredited)
1953
Shoot First as
Blossom
1953
The Slasher as
Donaldson
1953
Terror on a Train as
Ambulance Man (uncredited)
1953
The Long Memory as
Hasbury
1952
A Killer Walks as
Doctor James
1952
Penny Princess as
Louis the Jailkeeper (uncredited)
1952
Vampire Over London as
Police Sergeant at Desk (uncredited)
1952
I Believe in You as
Sergeant Braxton
1952
Mr. Lord Says No as
Councillor
1952
Whispering Smith vs. Scotland Yard as
Parker
1952
His Excellency as
First Soldier
1951
High Treason as
Reginald Gordon-Wells
1951
Chelsea Story as
Sergeant Matthews
1951
Calling Bulldog Drummond as
Hardcastle, Card player (uncredited)
1951
Hell Is Sold Out as
Doctor Monceau
1951
Wall of Death as
Riley
1951
Pool of London as
Commissionaire (uncredited)
1950
BBC Sunday-Night Theatre (TV Series) as
Arthur Lawton
- Dark Tribute (1950) - Arthur Lawton
1950
Room to Let as
Editor
1950
The Happiest Days of Your Life as
Dr. Collet
1949
Dark Secret as
Mr. Grossmith (uncredited)
1949
The Amazing Mr. Beecham as
Reporter (uncredited)
1949
Train of Events as
Joe Hunt (segment "The Actor")
1949
Kind Hearts and Coronets as
Warder in Jail (uncredited)
1949
Badger's Green as
Mr. Butler
1948
A Piece of Cake as
Merlin Mound
1948
Trouble in the Air as
Tom Hunt
1948
Crock of Gold (TV Movie) as
Mr. Thomson
Soundtrack
1970
Scrooge (performer: "December the 25th" - uncredited)
Thanks
2012
Special Collector's Edition (TV Series) (in memory of - 1 episode)
- La última noche del Titanic (2012) - (in memory of)
Self
1959
The Magical World of Disney (TV Series) as
Self
- Perilous Assignment (1959) - Self
Archive Footage
2023
Compression (TV Series documentary)
- Compression Jason and the Argonauts de Don Chaffey (2023)
2020
Cineficción Radio (Podcast Series)
- Dinosaurios (2020)
2019
Rétrogaming made in France (TV Mini Series documentary) as
Self
- Atlantis (2019) - Self
2017
Amicalement Votre, Hollywood au service de sa majesté (TV Movie documentary) as
Judge Fulton
2012
Special Collector's Edition (TV Series) as
Capt. Edward John Smith
- La última noche del Titanic (2012) - Capt. Edward John Smith
2006
Timeshift (TV Series documentary) as
Sir Henry Larnstein
- Parallel Worlds: A User's Guide (2006) - Sir Henry Larnstein (uncredited)
1999
The James Bond Story (TV Movie documentary) as
Sir John Munger (uncredited)
1995
Jason and the Argonauts: An Interview with Ray Harryhausen (Video documentary short) as
Argos (uncredited)
1993
The Making of 'A Night to Remember' (TV Movie documentary) as
Self
1993
Great Performances (TV Series) as
Dr. Pangloss from 'Candide'
- Leonard Bernstein: The Gift of Music (1993) - Dr. Pangloss from 'Candide'
1980
The Masqueraders as
Judge Fulton
1977
The Last Appointment! as
Judge Fulton
1976
The Switch as
Judge Fulton
1974
London Conspiracy as
Judge Fulton
1974
Mission: Monte Carlo as
Judge Fulton
1963
The Magical World of Disney (TV Series) as
Reverend Angus Peddie / Mr. Traill / Theo Zurbriggen / ...
- The Three Lives of Thomasina: Part 3 (1965) - Reverend Angus Peddie
- The Three Lives of Thomasina: Part 2 (1965) - Reverend Angus Peddie
- The Three Lives of Thomasina: Part 1 (1965) - Reverend Angus Peddie
- Greyfriars Bobby: Part 2 (1964) - Mr. Traill
- Greyfriars Bobby: Part 1 (1964) - Mr. Traill
- Banner in the Sky: The Killer Mountain (1963) - Theo Zurbriggen
- Banner in the Sky: To Conquer the Mountain (1963) - Theo Zurbriggen (edited from: Third Man on the Mountain)
1955
Final Column as
Dr. Damon
References
Laurence Naismith Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA