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Donald Crisp

Biography

Donald Crisp was an English actor, producer, director, and screenwriter whose career ran from the silent era into the 1960s. Born in Bow, London, he came to the United States in 1906, where his singing in a ship's concert led to work in opera and then stage direction. He befriended D.W. Griffith and went with him to Hollywood in 1912. Crisp appeared in nearly 100 silent films, including Broken Blossoms (1919), and directed some 70 films, among them The Navigator and Don Q, Son of Zorro. After sound arrived, he devoted himself to acting and became a sought-after character actor. His roles ranged from father figures in National Velvet (1944) and Lassie Come Home (1943) to Commander Beach in The Uninvited (1944). He won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for How Green Was My Valley (1941). His final screen role was in Spencer's Mountain (1963). He received a Hollywood Walk of Fame star in 1960.

91years old at death

  • Born Bow
  • Died Van Nuys
  • Star sign: LeoThe sign runs July 23 to August 22
  • George William Crisp (birth name)

Movie Career

Films
44
Career span
49 years1914 to 1963

Genres

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  1. Big break

    Crisp's singing during a ship's concert in July 1906 caught the ear of opera impresario John C. Fisher, who hired him on the spot for his company.

  2. A change of course

    Crisp served in British army intelligence during World War I, then in the U.S. Army Reserve during World War II, reaching the rank of colonel.

Donald Crisp movies on Netflix

Best known for

The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.

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  1. How Green Was My Valley1941 Drama, Familyas Mr. Morgan

    IMDb rating 7.730K votes

  2. The Man From Laramie1955 Westernas Alec Waggoman

    IMDb rating 7.313K votes

  3. Wuthering Heights1939as Dr. Kenneth

    IMDb rating 7.523K votes

  4. National Velvet1944as Mr. Brown

    IMDb rating 7.39.0K votes

  5. Broken Blossoms1919as Battling Burrows

    IMDb rating 7.212K votes

  6. The Uninvited1944as Commander Beech

    IMDb rating 7.214K votes

  7. Jezebel1938as Dr. Livingstone

    IMDb rating 7.417K votes

  8. The Sea Hawk1940as Sir John Burleson

    IMDb rating 7.612K votes

Most often with

John Ford directed five of these films, Michael Curtiz four and William Dieterle three. Henry O'Neill appears in six of them, more than any other actor. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.

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Films together

Box office

What Donald Crisp's films earned in cinemas worldwide.

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Combined worldwide box office

$44.1 million

13 of the 44 films have a worldwide figure.

Of the 44 films: 13 worldwide figure; 2 us gross only; 29 figure not found.

  • 13Worldwide figure
  • 2US gross only
  • 29Figure not found

Highest grossing

The eight biggest films earned 85% of the total. The bars are drawn to scale.

  1. 1
    The Valley of Decision1945as William Scott
    $9.1M20.7% of the total
  2. 2
    National Velvet1944as Mr. Brown
    $5.8M13.2% of the total
  3. 3
    How Green Was My Valley1941as Mr. Morgan
    $4.8M10.9% of the total
  4. 4
    Lassie Come Home1943as Sam Carraclough
    $4.5M10.2% of the total
  5. 5
    Mutiny on the Bounty1935as Burkitt
    $4.5M10.1% of the total
  6. 6
    Pollyanna1960as Mayor Karl Warren
    $3.8M8.5% of the total
  7. 7
    $2.7M6.2% of the total
  8. 8
    Broken Blossoms1919as Battling Burrows
    $2.4M5.4% of the total
Ramrod (1947), $2.0 millionThe Sea Hawk (1940), $2.0 millionMary of Scotland (1936), $1.3 millionRed Dust (1932), $1.2 millionPrince Valiant (1954), $3,373

$6.5 millionfrom the other 5 films with a worldwide figure, 15% of the total

Awards

Two awards and honors, one of them major.

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Donald Crisp's awards and nominations, grouped by award
YearAwardFilmResult
Academy Awards
1942Best Supporting ActorHow Green Was My ValleyWon
Other honors
Star on Hollywood Walk of FameHonored

Online

Official profiles and reference pages.

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