Marius Goring
About
Biography
Filmography
Family & Companions
Notes
Was made Commander of the British Empire in 1991 in recognition of his services to theater.
Biography
Probably best known for stealing Moira Shearer's heart in the Technicolor dance fable "The Red Shoes" (1948), Marius Goring had a long career on stage and television as well as in film. He began acting in 1925, appearing in a Cambridge production of "Crossings." Four years later he had his first of many Shakespearean roles, playing a fairy in "A Midsummer Night's Dream" and the flame-haired actor went on to grace London stages with starring roles in "Hamlet," "Macbeth," "Measure for Measure," "Romeo and Juliet" and "Richard III," to name but a few. Goring's mastery of French offered him opportunities to tour in foreign language productions of plays such as John Millington Synge's "Riders to the Sea" as part of the Compagnie des Quinze. He brought other skills to the theater, directing British stage productions of "A Doll's House" (1939), "The Tempest" (1940) and "The Bells" (1968). His first film role was an uncredited bit in the biopic "Rembrandt" (1936), starring Charles Laughton. In spite of his British background, and perhaps because of his international schooling and knowledge of languages and dialects, much of Goring's film work had him cast as German soldiers of various ranks in World War II movies. Generally forgettable fare, the actor nonetheless turned in decent performances in films like "U-Boat 29" (1939), "Night Ambush/Ill Met By Moonlight" (1957, a lesser Powell-Pressburger effort), "The Angry Hills" (1959) and "Up From the Beach" (1965). Best when he portrayed a slightly larger than life character, his breakthrough performances in classic films like "Stairway to Heaven/A Matter of Life and Death" (1946, as David Niven's heavenly guide), "The Red Shoes" and "The Barefoot Contessa" (1954) proved that despite frequent typecasting, his talent was significant and diverse. Goring reached a large audience on British television's "The Scarlet Pimpernel" playing the title role, a character which he earlier portrayed on BBC radio (1949). The adventure program aired from 1955 to 1956 and made Goring a familiar face not only in English homes, but American ones as well, where it aired in syndication in 1956. He did further series work in "The Expert" (1968-69; 1971; 1976) a popular crime drama chronicling Dr. John Hardy, a forensic scientist. Goring played the brilliant and eccentric Hardy for the run of the series, the first BBC-2 program broadcast in color.
Later in his career, though, Goring feared he may have been known more for his battles with Actor's Equity than for his performances. A founding member and two-time vice president of the union, he fought what he felt to be unnecessary political leanings within Equity, namely its decidedly left-wing bent, arguing that it should be completely non-political. Having virtually retired from the screen in the 1970s, Goring put in a supporting performance in the unimpressive Molly Ringwald vehicle "Strike it Rich" in 1991. That same year he was appointed Commander of the British Empire in recognition of his theatrical work, which continued throughout the 80s in British productions such as "Peer Gynt" (Nottingham Playhouse, 1982) "The Applecart" (Haymarket Theatre, London, 1986) and "Beyond a Reasonable Doubt" (Queen's Theatre, London, 1988).
Filmography
Cast (Feature Film)
Cast (TV Mini-Series)
Life Events
1925
Stage acting debut in "Crossings"
1931
Toured France and Germany as part of the English Classical Players
1936
Made first film appearances in uncredited bit parts in "Rembrandt" and "The Amateur Gentleman"
1939
Directed "A Doll's House" and "Lady Fanny" at the Duke of York Theatre in London
1940
Served in Foreign Office of British Army
1946
Appeared in "Stairway to Heaven/A Matter of Life and Death", starring David Niven and Kim Hunter; first teaming with Emeric Pressburger and Michael Powell
1948
Starred as love interest Julian Craster in the Powell-Pressburger dance film "The Red Shoes"
1954
Appeared in "The Barefoot Contessa" alongside Humphrey Bogart and Ava Gardner
1957
Acted in the Powell-Pressburger war adventure film "Night Ambush", playing a kidnapped Nazi general, one of many World War II German roles
1960
Appeared in the fact-based "Exodus" starring Paul Newman and Eva Marie Saint
1978
Appeared on American telelvision in NBC's historical docudrama "Holocaust"
1978
Starred in the Claudia Cardinale film "La Petite Fille en Velours Bleu/The Little Girl in Blue Velvet"
1980
Portrayed King George V in the British miniseries "Edward and Mrs. Simpson"
1982
Starred in the Nottingham Playhouse production of Ibsen's "Peer Gynt" and in the Old Vic Theatre's "Zaide"
1983
Appeared in the British TV presentation of "Cymbeline"
1986
Played Magnus in a London production of "The Applecart" and performed in the Canterbury Cathedral Theatre's "Mystery Plays"
1988
Appeared in "Beyond a Reasonable Doubt" at London's Queen's Theatre
1989
Final screen appearance in small role in the Molly Ringwald comedy "Strike It Rich"
Videos
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Family
Companions
Bibliography
Notes
Was made Commander of the British Empire in 1991 in recognition of his services to theater.
