Laurence Naismith

Actor
Laurence Naismith

About

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Also Known As
Lawrence Johnson
Birth Place
Surrey, England, GB
Born
December 14, 1908
Died
June 05, 1992

Biography

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Affable, gentlemanly British character actor of long stage experience who began making regular appearances in British and American films beginning in the late 1940s. Among his more than 50 credits are "The Happiest Days of Your Life" (1950), "Mogambo" (1953), "Lust for Life" (1956), "The Singer Not the Song" (1960), "The Trials of Oscar Wilde" (1960), "Cleopatra" (1963) and "Deadlier Tha...

Filmography

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Young Winston (1972)
Lord Salisbury
Diamonds Are Forever (1971)
Sir Donald Munger
The Bushbaby (1970)
Professor "Cranky" Crankshaw
Scrooge (1970)
Fezziwig
The Valley of Gwangi (1969)
Prof. Horace Bromley
Eye of the Cat (1969)
Dr. Mills

Photos & Videos

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Jason and the Argonauts - Color Still Set
10 Photos
Night To Remember, A (1958) -- (Movie Clip) Iceberg Dead Ahead!
0 Photos
0 Photos
Night To Remember, A (1958) -- (Movie Clip) Mild Winter Up In The Arctic

Biography

Affable, gentlemanly British character actor of long stage experience who began making regular appearances in British and American films beginning in the late 1940s. Among his more than 50 credits are "The Happiest Days of Your Life" (1950), "Mogambo" (1953), "Lust for Life" (1956), "The Singer Not the Song" (1960), "The Trials of Oscar Wilde" (1960), "Cleopatra" (1963) and "Deadlier Than the Male" (1967). In the 60s, Naismith concentrated on theater, doing "Here's Love" and "A Time for Singing" on Broadway, and "The Apple Cart" and the 1970 revival of "The Winslow Boy." He is probably best remembered by contemporary audiences for his whimsical Merlin in Joshua Logan's film of "Camelot" (1967) and for encouraging Roger Moore and Tony Curtis to accept dangerous assignments each week in the tongue-in-cheek TV adventure series "The Persuaders."

Filmography

 

Cast (Feature Film)

Young Winston (1972)
Lord Salisbury
Diamonds Are Forever (1971)
Sir Donald Munger
The Bushbaby (1970)
Professor "Cranky" Crankshaw
Scrooge (1970)
Fezziwig
The Valley of Gwangi (1969)
Prof. Horace Bromley
Eye of the Cat (1969)
Dr. Mills
Run a Crooked Mile (1969)
Lord Dunnsfield
Deadlier Than the Male (1967)
Sir John Bledlow
The Long Duel (1967)
McDougal
Camelot (1967)
Merlyn
Fitzwilly (1967)
Cotty
Scorpio Letters (1967)
Gypsy Girl (1966)
Edwin Dacres
Cleopatra (1963)
Archesilius
The Three Lives of Thomasina (1963)
Rev. Angus Peddie
Jason and the Argonauts (1963)
Argus
The 300 Spartans (1962)
1st delegate
I Thank a Fool (1962)
O'Grady
The Singer Not the Song (1962)
Old uncle
The Valiant (1962)
Admiral
The Concrete Jungle (1962)
Mr. Town
We Joined the Navy (1962)
Greyfriars Bobby (1961)
Mr. Traill
The World of Suzie Wong (1961)
O'Neill
Sink the Bismarck! (1960)
First Sea Lord
Village of the Damned (1960)
Doctor Willers
The Trials Of Oscar Wilde (1960)
Prince Of Wales
The Angry Silence (1960)
Third Man on the Mountain (1959)
Teo Zurbriggen
Gideon of Scotland Yard (1959)
Arthur Sayer
The Two-Headed Spy (1959)
Gen. Hauser
I Accuse! (1958)
Judge
Naked Earth (1958)
Skins trader
A Night to Remember (1958)
The Gypsy And The Gentleman (1958)
Forrester
Boy on a Dolphin (1957)
Dr. Hawkins
Abandon Ship (1957)
Capt. Paul Darrow
The Barretts of Wimpole Street (1957)
Dr. Chambers
The Weapon (1957)
Jamison
Robbery Under Arms (1957)
Ben Marston
The Man Who Never Was (1956)
Admiral Cross
Lust for Life (1956)
Dr. Bosman
Richard III (1955)
Stanley
The Dam Busters (1955)
Farmer
The Black Knight (1954)
Major domo
Man with a Million (1954)
Walter Craddock
Carrington V.C. (1954)
Mogambo (1953)
Skipper
The Beggar's Opera (1953)
Matt of the Mint
Shoot First (1953)
Blossom
Whispering Smith vs. Scotland Yard (1952)
Parker

Cast (Special)

Romeo and Juliet (1979)
Prince Escalus

Life Events

1927

Made first stage appearance in the chorus of the London production of "Oh, Kay!"

1948

Acted first film role, in "Trouble in the Air"

1960

Played on Broadway in "School for Scandal", directed by John Gielgud

1971

Portrayed Judge Fulton on the TV adventure series "The Persuaders"

1979

Played Prince Escalus on the PBS-TV presentation of "Romeo and Juliet" as part of its long-running "The Shakespeare Plays"

Photo Collections

 
10 Photos
Jason and the Argonauts - Color Still Set
Here is a set of color stills from Columbia Pictures' Jason and the Argonauts (1963). For certain prestigious color productions, studios would send out sets of color stills as promotional material.

Videos

Movie Clip

Night To Remember, A (1958) -- (Movie Clip) Iceberg Dead Ahead! First Officer Murdoch (Richard Leech) on the bridge as RMS Titanic meets iceberg, trouble in the engine and dining rooms, Captain Smith (Laurence Naismith) summoned, in turn sending Moody (Michael Bryant) to fetch architect Andrews (Michael Goodliffe), in A Night To Remember , 1958.
Night To Remember, A (1958) -- (Movie Clip) Mild Winter Up In The Arctic The Titanic’s first full day at sea, Captain Smith (Laurence Naismith) dining with Ismay (Frank Lawton), chairman of the line, Anthony Bushell captain of the neighboring Californian, Geoffrey Bayldon his wireless man, David McCallum delivering ice warnings, in A Night To Remember , 1958.
Abandon Ship! (1957) -- (Movie Clip) To Die Without You! Cruise ship officer Alec Holmes (Tyrone Power, also the un-credited producer), after the sinking of the liner, has left one raft to save his girlfriend, nurse Julie (Mai Zetterling), then after shark trouble, McKinley (Stephen Boyd) hails them to the crowded boat of the ailing captain (Laurence Naismith), James Hayter as “Cookie” giving aid, early in Abandon Ship 1957.
Jason And The Argonauts (1963) -- (Movie Clip) Open, Zeus, King Of The Gods Stately hieroglyphic-style credits and decadent Pelias (Douglas Wilmer) having his fortune told, the opening to the Ray Harryhausen Greek-myth special-effects landmark Jason and the Argonauts, 1963, starring Todd Armstrong.
Valley Of Gwangi, The (1969) -- (Movie Clip) Ain't That Somethin'! Our explorers enter the valley, young Lope (Curtis Arden) snatched from behind the professor (Laurence Naismith) by Ray Harryhausen's first major creature, a pterodactyl which, Carlos (Gustavo Rojo) finds, is a lot easier to wrangle once you bring it down, in The Valley Of Gwangi, 1969.
Valley Of Gwangi, The (1969) -- (Movie Clip) You Should Be Extinct T.J. (dubbed Gila Golan), Wild West show girl-impresario, shows off her new main attraction, a mini-horse by Ray Harryhausen, to her sneaky boyfriend Tuck (James Franciscus), who then shares it with the professor (Laurence Naismith), who sees greater potential, in The Valley Of Gwangi, 1969.
Greyfriars Bobby (1961) -- (Movie Clip) His Monument Stands In Scotland's Capital Opening narration from Walt Disney Pictures, with luxurious shooting in the Lammermuir hills near Edinburgh, where the true underlying story took place, introducing Alex Mackenzie as Jock, Gordon Jackson and Jennifer Nevinson as a farmer and daughter, in Greyfriars Bobby, 1961, starring Donald Crisp.
Greyfriars Bobby (1961) -- (Movie Clip) His Wee Dog Was Here The (canine) title character working for Walt Disney presumably on the Shepperton Studios lot outside London, encounters a constable (Duncan Macrae), the innkeeper Traill (Laurence Naismith) who knows him, then his master Jock (Alex Mackenzie), the newly-unemployed shepherd he’s followed from the country, in Greyfriars Bobby, 1961.
Village Of The Damned (1960) -- (Movie Clip) Credits, Can't Get Through Second sequence, with credits, in Village Of The Damned, 1960, in which military official Alan (Michael Gwynn) seeks permission to visit fictional Midwich, where something's gone wrong.
Village of the Damned (1960) -- (Movie Clip) No Way Of Acounting Virginal Evelyn (Sarah Long) can't explain her condition to the doctor (Laurence Naismith) who later, with Gordon (George Sanders) discusses the situation with the vicar (Bernard Archard) in Village of the Damned, 1960.
Village Of The Damned (1960) -- (Movie Clip) I Must Have Dozed Off An awakening cow encourages Bernard (Michael Gwynn) and gathered military authorities to enter Midwich, the fictional Hampshire town which seemed to have gone unconscious, where he finds puzzled brother-in-law Gordon (George Sanders) and Anthea (Barbara Shelley) early in Village Of The Damned, 1960.
Village Of The Damned (1960) -- (Movie Clip) He's Only One Year Old Everyone already less-alarmed than they might be about the accelerated development of children throughout the town, Gordon (George Sanders) demonstrates to his military official brother-in-law Alan (Michael Gwynn) their remarkable prowess, led by his own David (Martin Stephens) in director Wolf Rilla's Village Of The Damned, 1960.

Trailer

Fitzwilly - (Original Trailer) When an aging philanthropist goes broke, her butler (Dick Van Dyke) robs from the rich so she can give to the poor.
Boy on a Dolphin - (Original Trailer) A Greek diver finds a rare statue plunging her into intrigue in Boy on a Dolphin (1957) starring Sophia Loren and Alan Ladd.
Abandon Ship - (Original Trailer) Tyrone Power would like to talk to you about his new movie, Abandon Ship (1957).
Jason and the Argonauts - (Re-issue Trailer) The Legendary hero enlists the help of the gods to steal the golden fleece in Jason and the Argonauts (1963) starring Todd Armstrong.
Barretts of Wimpole Street, The (1957) - (Original Trailer) Poet Elizabeth Barrett defies her tyrannical father for the love of Robert Browning in The Barretts of Wimpole Street (1957).
Lust for Life - (Original Trailer) Kirk Douglas gives an Oscar-nominated performance as Vincent van Gogh in Lust for Life (1956), a film biography of the famous painter.

Bibliography

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