Jack Hawkins
Biography
Jack Hawkins was an English actor whose stage and film career ran from the 1930s into the 1970s, and he became one of Britain's most popular film stars in the 1950s. Born in Wood Green, he trained at the Italia Conti Academy and made his London stage debut as a teenager, later appearing on Broadway in Journey's End at 18. In the 1930s he acted with the companies of John Gielgud and Sybil Thorndike, then served in the British Army during the Second World War. He was known for playing military men and other authority figures, in films including The Fallen Idol (1948), The Cruel Sea (1953), The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957), Ben-Hur (1959), The League of Gentlemen (1960), Lawrence of Arabia (1962) and Zulu (1964). He received four BAFTA Award nominations for Best British Actor and was made a CBE in 1958. He died in 1973.
62years old at death
- Born Wood Green
- Died Chelsea
- Star sign: VirgoThe sign runs August 23 to September 22
- John Edward Hawkins (birth name)
Movie Career
- Films
- 30
- Career span
- 25 years1948 to 1973
First and latest
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Big break
Hawkins was cast in The Cruel Sea before the script was written, because Sir Michael Balcon said there would have been no film without him.
A role that slipped away
Hawkins declined the part of Colonel Carne in The Glorious Gloucesters, a Warwick Films production, and he also said no to playing Captain Cook in a Rank organization project.
Jack Hawkins movies on Netflix
Tales That Witness Madnessas Dr. Nicholas
Theatre of Bloodas Solomon Psaltery
Young Winstonas Mr. Welldon
Kidnappedas Captain Hoseason
Nicholas and Alexandraas Count Fredericks
When Eight Bells Tollas Sir Anthony Skouras
Waterlooas General Sir Thomas Picton
Monte Carlo or Bust!as Count Levinovitch
Oh! What a Lovely Waras Emperor Franz Josef
Shalakoas Sir Charles Daggett
The Poppy Is Also a Floweras General Bahar
Lord Jimas Marlow
Guns at Batasias Colonel Deal
The Third Secretas Sir Frederick Belline
Zuluas Otto Witt
Lawrence of Arabiaas General Allenby
The League of Gentlemenas Hyde
Ben-Huras Quintus Arrius
Gideon's Dayas Insp. George Gideon
The Bridge on the River Kwaias Major Warden
The Man in the Skyas John Mitchell
The Long Armas Detective Superintendent Tom Halliday
Land of the Pharaohsas Pharaoh Khufu
The Cruel Seaas Ericson
Angels One Fiveas Group Capt. 'Tiger' Small
No Highway in the Skyas Dennis Scott
State Secretas Colonel Galcon
The Black Roseas Tristram Griffin
The Small Back Roomas R.B. Waring
The Fallen Idolas Detective Ames
Best known for
The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.
Most often with
David Lean directed two of these films, Charles Frend two and Richard Attenborough two. Two actors appear in four of them each. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.








Films together
Geoffrey Keen4 films together, 1948 to 1956
Geoffrey Keen's page The Long Arm1956IMDb rating 7.0Hawkins as Detective Superintendent Tom HallidayKeen as Chief Superintendent Jim Malcolm
Angels One Five1952IMDb rating 6.5Hawkins as Group Capt. 'Tiger' SmallKeen as Company Sergeant Major
The Small Back Room1949IMDb rating 7.1Hawkins as R.B. WaringKeen as Pinker
The Fallen Idol1948IMDb rating 7.6Hawkins as Detective AmesKeen as Detective Davis
Stephen Boyd4 films together, 1959 to 1968
Stephen Boyd's page Shalako1968IMDb rating 5.6Hawkins as Sir Charles DaggettBoyd as Bosky Fulton
The Poppy Is Also a Flower1966IMDb rating 5.2Hawkins as General BaharBoyd as Benson
The Third Secret1964IMDb rating 6.5Hawkins as Sir Frederick BellineBoyd as Alex Stedman
Ben-Hur1959IMDb rating 8.1Hawkins as Quintus ArriusBoyd as Messala
Donald Pleasence3 films together, 1957 to 1973
Donald Pleasence's page Tales That Witness Madness1973IMDb rating 5.6Hawkins as Dr. NicholasPleasence as Prof. R.C. Tremayne
Kidnapped1971IMDb rating 6.2Hawkins as Captain HoseasonPleasence as Ebenezer Balfour
The Man in the Sky1957IMDb rating 6.7Hawkins as John MitchellPleasence as Crabtree
Robert Morley3 films together, 1949 to 1973
Robert Morley's page Theatre of Blood1973IMDb rating 7.1Hawkins as Solomon PsalteryMorley as Meredith Merridew
When Eight Bells Toll1971IMDb rating 6.0Hawkins as Sir Anthony SkourasMorley as Sir Arthur Artford Jones ('Uncle Arthur')
The Small Back Room1949IMDb rating 7.1Hawkins as R.B. WaringMorley as The Minister(A Guest)
Richard Attenborough3 films together, 1960 to 1964
Richard Attenborough's page Guns at Batasi1964IMDb rating 7.1Hawkins as Colonel DealAttenborough as Regimental Sgt. Major Lauderdale
The Third Secret1964IMDb rating 6.5Hawkins as Sir Frederick BellineAttenborough as Alfred Price-Gorham
The League of Gentlemen1960IMDb rating 7.2Hawkins as HydeAttenborough as Lexy
Walter Fitzgerald3 films together, 1948 to 1957
Walter Fitzgerald's page The Man in the Sky1957IMDb rating 6.7Hawkins as John MitchellFitzgerald as Conway
The Small Back Room1949IMDb rating 7.1Hawkins as R.B. WaringFitzgerald as Brine
The Fallen Idol1948IMDb rating 7.6Hawkins as Detective AmesFitzgerald as Dr. Fenton
David LeanDirector, 2 films, 1957 to 1962
All films by David Lean Lawrence of Arabia1962IMDb rating 8.3Hawkins as General Allenby
The Bridge on the River Kwai1957IMDb rating 8.1Hawkins as Major Warden
Charles FrendDirector, 2 films, 1953 to 1956
All films by Charles Frend The Long Arm1956IMDb rating 7.0Hawkins as Detective Superintendent Tom Halliday
The Cruel Sea1953IMDb rating 7.4Hawkins as Ericson
Richard AttenboroughDirector, 2 films, 1969 to 1972
All films by Richard Attenborough Young Winston1972IMDb rating 6.7Hawkins as Mr. Welldon
Oh! What a Lovely War1969IMDb rating 7.0Hawkins as Emperor Franz Josef
Also three films together6 more actors
- James HayterGideon's Day (1958), Land of the Pharaohs (1955) and The Fallen Idol (1948)
- Howard Marion-CrawfordLawrence of Arabia (1962), Gideon's Day (1958) and The Man in the Sky (1957)
- Russell WatersKidnapped (1971), The Man in the Sky (1957) and State Secret (1950)
- Eric SykesTheatre of Blood (1973), Monte Carlo or Bust! (1969) and Shalako (1968)
- Gerard HeinzThe Cruel Sea (1953), State Secret (1950) and The Fallen Idol (1948)
- John StrattonThe Man in the Sky (1957), The Long Arm (1956) and The Cruel Sea (1953)
When several people share the same number of films, the ones with the most films on Netflix are in the chart.
Box office
What Jack Hawkins's films earned in cinemas worldwide.
Combined worldwide box office
$299 million
9 of the 30 films have a worldwide figure.
Of the 30 films: 9 worldwide figure; 3 us gross only; 1 never in cinemas; 17 figure not found.
- 9Worldwide figure
- 3US gross only
- 1Never in cinemas
- 17Figure not found
Top grosser

Highest grossing
The eight biggest films earned 100% of the total. The bars are drawn to scale.
- 1$164M54.8% of the total
- 2$70M23.4% of the total
- 3$45M15.0% of the total
- 4$8.0M2.7% of the total
- 5$5.4M1.8% of the total
- 6$3.1M1.0% of the total
- 7$2.6M0.9% of the total
- 8$1.0M0.3% of the total
Awards
One award and honor.
| Year | Award | Film | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Other honors | |||
| Commander of the Order of the British Empire | Won | ||
Online
Official profiles and reference pages.












