Richard Todd
Biography
Richard Todd was an Irish-British actor who became a leading man in British cinema during the 1950s. Born in Dublin, he trained at the Italia Conti Academy in London and made his professional stage debut in 1936 at the Open Air Theatre, Regent's Park, in Twelfth Night. He later co-founded the Dundee Repertory Theatre in Scotland. After signing with Associated British in 1948, he took the lead in For Them That Trespass and then starred in The Hasty Heart, earning a Golden Globe for Most Promising Newcomer and Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations for Best Actor. His notable films included Stage Fright (1950), The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men (1952), The Virgin Queen (1955), The Dam Busters (1955), and The Longest Day (1962). Later credits included Operation Crossbow (1965), Doctor Who, and Murder, She Wrote. He was appointed an OBE in 1993 and died in 2009.
90years old at death
- Born Dublin
- Died Grantham
- Star sign: GeminiThe sign runs May 21 to June 20
- Richard Andrew Palethorpe-Todd (birth name)Also credited as Richard Palethorpe-Todd
Movie Career
- Films
- 18
- Career span
- 42 years1950 to 1992
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A role that slipped away
Ian Fleming, the author, wanted Richard Todd for the part of James Bond in Dr. No. Todd could not take it because of a scheduling conflict, so Sean Connery got the role.
A role that slipped away
Todd persuaded William Wyler not to cast him in The Collector, believing he was miscast, and said he had also talked himself out of The Guns of Navarone, League of Gentlemen and Ice Cold in Alex.
Behind the camera
In the late 1960s Todd set up Triumph Theatre Productions with Duncan C. Weldon and Paul Elliott. The company staged over 100 plays, musicals and pantomimes nationwide, and Todd appeared in some of them.
Getting ready for a role
In 1953, Todd played Heathcliff in a BBC television adaptation of Wuthering Heights. Nigel Kneale, who adapted the novel, said the production happened only because Todd visited the BBC and asked to play Heathcliff, and Kneale had just a week for the script.
Richard Todd movies on Netflix
Best known for
The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.
- The Dam Busters1955 Drama, History, Waras Wing Commander Guy Gibson, V.C., D.S.O., D.F.C.
IMDb rating 7.412K votes
Most often with
Michael Anderson directed two of these films, Henry Koster two and Ken Annakin two. Patrick Barr appears in three 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.
Films together
Patrick Barr's page
Christopher Lee's page
Peter Cushing's page
Harry Andrews's page
John Mills's page
Joan Collins's page
All films by Michael Anderson
Henry KosterDirector, 2 films, 1955 to 1956
All films by Henry Koster
Ken AnnakinDirector, 2 films, 1952 to 1953
All films by Ken Annakin
Also two films together7 more actors
- Maurice DenhamOperation Crossbow (1965) and The Very Edge (1963)
- James Robertson JusticeThe Sword and the Rose (1953) and The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men (1952)
- Patrick MageeAsylum (1972) and The Very Edge (1963)
- Miles MallesonVenetian Bird (1952) and Stage Fright (1950)
- Sylvia SymsAsylum (1972) and Operation Crossbow (1965)
- Archie DuncanSaint Joan (1957) and The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men (1952)
- Margot GrahameSaint Joan (1957) and Venetian Bird (1952)
When several people share the same number of films, the ones with the most films on Netflix are in the chart.
Awards
Two awards and honors.
| Year | Award | Film | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Other honors | |||
| 2002 | Disney Legends | Honored | |
| Officer of the Order of the British Empire | Won | ||
Online
Official profiles and reference pages.