John Abbott

John Abbott

Biography: John Albert Chamberlain Kefford was an English character actor professionally known as John Abbott. His memorable roles include the invalid Frederick Fairlie in the 1948 film The Woman in White and the pacifist Ayelborne in the Star Trek episode "Errand of Mercy". as well as a Shakespearean actor. In 1934, he began his career in show business when he made his professional stage debut in a revival of Dryden's Aureng-zebe with Sybil Thorndike. He then joined the Old Vic Company and appeared in Shakespearean roles, including Claudius in a production of Hamlet at Elsinore Castle in Denmark with Laurence Olivier, Vivien Leigh and Alec Guinness. His first Broadway role was that of Count Mancini in He Who Gets Slapped in 1946. He also appeared on Broadway in Monserrat and The Waltz of the Toreadors. He made his film debut in Mademoiselle Docteur in 1937 and went on to act in scores of films in the next 30 years. Among his film credits are Mission to Moscow, Jane Eyre, A Thousand and One Nights, Humoresque, and The Greatest Story Ever Told. His television appearances in that time were even more numerous, beginning with pioneering broadcasts by the BBC before the Second World War. In the early days of the Second World War, Abbott worked at the British Embassy in Stockholm. When the time came to leave, he had to by way of the United States. While in the U.S., he was offered a part in Hollywood in 1941 and ended up living there for the rest of his life. On American television between the 1950s and 1970s, Abbott had roles on a wide variety of series such as Kraft Television Theatre, Studio 57, Gunsmoke, Matinee Theatre, Bonanza, Thriller, Star Trek, Mannix, Iron Horse, and Bewitched. Although he was blacklisted during the Red Scare of the 1950s, a producer who wanted to hire him eventually succeeded in getting the actor removed from the list.In his final years, Abbott taught acting to students free of charge. Abbott died at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center from natural causes on 24 May 1996 at the age of 90.

Place of Birth: Not available

Birthday: June 05, 1905

Deathday: May 24, 1996

Popularity:

6.831

Known For

The Greatest Story Ever Told
The Greatest Story Ever Told

1965-04-09

Street of Shadows
Street of Shadows

1937-04-13

Deception
Deception

1946-10-26

The Jungle Book
The Jungle Book

1967-10-18

Sherlock Holmes in New York
Sherlock Holmes in New York

1976-10-18

Humoresque
Humoresque

1947-01-25

Mrs. Miniver
Mrs. Miniver

1942-07-03

Gambit
Gambit

1966-12-21

The Mask of Dimitrios
The Mask of Dimitrios

1944-06-23

The Web
The Web

1947-06-04

Cry of the Werewolf
Cry of the Werewolf

1944-08-17

Outside Chance
Outside Chance

1978-12-02

The Power of the Whistler
The Power of the Whistler

1945-04-19

The Woman in White
The Woman in White

1948-05-07

End of the Road
End of the Road

1944-11-10

The Falcon in Hollywood
The Falcon in Hollywood

1944-12-08

Madame Bovary
Madame Bovary

1949-08-25

Joan of Paris
Joan of Paris

1942-01-20

Crosswinds
Crosswinds

1951-10-01

Gigi
Gigi

1958-05-15

A Hazard of Hearts
A Hazard of Hearts

1987-12-27

Pursuit to Algiers
Pursuit to Algiers

1945-10-26

Summer Storm
Summer Storm

1944-07-14

The Gorilla Man
The Gorilla Man

1943-01-16

The Vampire's Ghost
The Vampire's Ghost

1945-04-13

The Saint in London
The Saint in London

1939-06-30

Thunder on the Hill
Thunder on the Hill

1951-10-17

The Notorious Lone Wolf
The Notorious Lone Wolf

1946-02-14

Navy Bound
Navy Bound

1951-03-04

Sideshow
Sideshow

1950-06-18

2000 Years Later
2000 Years Later

1969-03-11

If Winter Comes
If Winter Comes

1947-12-31

The Epic That Never Was
The Epic That Never Was

1969-09-19

The Merry Widow
The Merry Widow

1952-09-05

Secrets of Scotland Yard
Secrets of Scotland Yard

1944-07-26

Abroad with Two Yanks
Abroad with Two Yanks

1944-08-04

Adventure Island
Adventure Island

1947-08-13

Omar Khayyam
Omar Khayyam

1957-08-23

Rogue's March
Rogue's March

1953-02-13

London Blackout Murders
London Blackout Murders

1943-01-15

Honeymoon Ahead
Honeymoon Ahead

1945-05-11

Time Out of Mind
Time Out of Mind

1947-05-03

Ten Days in Paris
Ten Days in Paris

1940-06-01

U-Boat Prisoner
U-Boat Prisoner

1944-07-25

The Crime Doctor's Warning
The Crime Doctor's Warning

1945-09-27

Rubber Racketeers
Rubber Racketeers

1942-06-26

Smorgasbord
Smorgasbord

1983-04-13

Anna and the King of Siam
Anna and the King of Siam

1946-08-11

Saratoga Trunk
Saratoga Trunk

1945-11-21

Hangmen Also Die!
Hangmen Also Die!

1943-04-15

The Steel Lady
The Steel Lady

1953-10-09

Three Guns for Texas
Three Guns for Texas

1968-10-31

One More Tomorrow
One More Tomorrow

1946-05-24

The Cat Creature
The Cat Creature

1973-12-11

Return of the Scarlet Pimpernel
Return of the Scarlet Pimpernel

1937-10-20

The Conquest of the Air
The Conquest of the Air

1936-12-01

This Man Is News
This Man Is News

1938-09-16

The Great Commandment
The Great Commandment

1939-10-02

The Shanghai Gesture
The Shanghai Gesture

1941-12-25

Get Hep to Love
Get Hep to Love

1942-10-02

This Above All
This Above All

1942-05-12

Nightmare
Nightmare

1942-11-10

The Cross of Lorraine
The Cross of Lorraine

1943-11-12

They Got Me Covered
They Got Me Covered

1943-03-04

Dangerous Blondes
Dangerous Blondes

1943-09-23

Mission to Moscow
Mission to Moscow

1943-04-29

Once Upon a Time
Once Upon a Time

1944-06-29

Jane Eyre
Jane Eyre

1943-12-24

A Thousand and One Nights
A Thousand and One Nights

1945-07-20

Thunder in the East
Thunder in the East

1952-12-04

Sombrero
Sombrero

1953-04-22

Public Pigeon No. 1
Public Pigeon No. 1

1957-05-17

Who's Minding the Store?
Who's Minding the Store?

1963-11-28

The Black Bird
The Black Bird

1975-12-25

Slapstick of Another Kind
Slapstick of Another Kind

1982-12-09

Quest
Quest

1984-10-01

The Miracle on 34th Street
The Miracle on 34th Street

1955-12-14

The Bandit of Sherwood Forest
The Bandit of Sherwood Forest

1946-02-21

The Commissioner
The Commissioner

1998-02-22

Under Secret Orders
Under Secret Orders

1937-12-06