Sydney Greenstreet

Biography

Sydney Greenstreet was a British and American character actor whose screen career began only at 61. He made his stage debut in a 1902 Sherlock Holmes production at Ramsgate, toured Britain in a Shakespearean company led by Ben Greet, and reached New York in Everyman in 1905. His roles ran from musical comedy to Shakespeare, and years acting at the Theatre Guild alongside Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne brought film offers that he refused until 1941, when he joined Warner Bros. The Maltese Falcon (1941), his first screen role, brought him a nomination for an Academy Award in the supporting actor category. Casablanca (1942) followed, with Greenstreet as the crooked club owner Signor Ferrari. Later came Passage to Marseille (1944) and Christmas in Connecticut (1945), and he played opposite Joan Crawford in Flamingo Road (1949). His screen work ended with Malaya in 1949, and in 1950 and 1951 he played Nero Wolfe on radio. He died in 1954.

74years old at death

Born December 27, 1879Sandwich
Died January 18, 1954Hollywood
Star sign: CapricornThe sign runs December 22 to January 19
Also credited as Sidney Greenstreet and Sydney Hughes Greenstreet

Movie Career

Films: 17
Career span: 8 years1941 to 1949

Genres

Drama76%, 13 films
Romance47%, 8 films
Mystery35%, 6 films
Thriller35%, 6 films
Crime29%, 5 films

First and latest

Did you know?!

First role
Greenstreet did not accept any film offers until he was 61, despite years of stage work on two continents that brought him many offers.
First role
Greenstreet's first professional stage appearance was as a murderer in a 1902 Sherlock Holmes production at the Marina Theatre in Ramsgate, Kent.
Beyond film
The one-act play The Last of My Solid Gold Watches was written by Tennessee Williams with Greenstreet in mind, and Williams dedicated the play to him.
Beyond film
Greenstreet played the detective Nero Wolfe on the radio program The New Adventures of Nero Wolfe during 1950 and 1951.

Sydney Greenstreet movies on Netflix

Flamingo Road1949IMDb rating 7.1as Sheriff Titus Semple
Ruthless1948IMDb rating 6.8as Buck Mansfield
The Velvet Touch1948IMDb rating 6.8as Capt. Danbury
The Woman in White1948IMDb rating 6.6as Count Fosco
The Hucksters1947IMDb rating 6.7as Evan Llewellyn Evans
The Verdict1946IMDb rating 7.2as Supt. George Edward Grodman
Three Strangers1946IMDb rating 6.9as Jerome K. Arbutny
Christmas in Connecticut1945IMDb rating 7.3as Alexander Yardley
Conflict1945IMDb rating 7.2as Mark Hamilton
Between Two Worlds1944IMDb rating 7.1as Reverend Tim Thompson
Passage to Marseille1944IMDb rating 6.8as Maj. Duval
The Mask of Dimitrios1944IMDb rating 7.2as Mr. Peters
Background to Danger1943IMDb rating 6.4as Colonel Robinson
Across the Pacific1942IMDb rating 6.8as Dr. Lorenz
Casablanca1942IMDb rating 8.5as Signor Ferrari
The Maltese Falcon1941IMDb rating 7.9as Kasper Gutman
They Died with Their Boots On1941IMDb rating 7.2as Lt. Gen. Winfield Scott

Best known for

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

Top

Casablanca1942 Drama, Romance, Waras Signor Ferrari
IMDb rating 8.5661K votes
The Maltese Falcon1941 Crime, Film-Noir, Mystery, Romanceas Kasper Gutman
IMDb rating 7.9175K votes
Christmas in Connecticut1945as Alexander Yardley
IMDb rating 7.314K votes
The Mask of Dimitrios1944as Mr. Peters
IMDb rating 7.24.6K votes
The Verdict1946as Supt. George Edward Grodman
IMDb rating 7.23.4K votes
Across the Pacific1942as Dr. Lorenz
IMDb rating 6.85.9K votes
Conflict1945as Mark Hamilton
IMDb rating 7.25.5K votes
Three Strangers1946as Jerome K. Arbutny
IMDb rating 6.93.0K votes

Most often with

Michael Curtiz directed three of these films, John Huston two and Peter Godfrey two. Peter Lorre appears in seven 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.

Top

Peter Lorre

Humphrey Bogart

Frank Wilcox

Zachary Scott

Irving Bacon

George CoulourisMichael CurtizDirector, 3 films

John HustonDirector, 2 films

Peter GodfreyDirector, 2 films

Films together

Peter Lorre7 films together, 1941 to 1946
Peter Lorre's page
- The Verdict1946IMDb rating 7.2Greenstreet as Supt. George Edward GrodmanLorre as Victor Emmric
- Three Strangers1946IMDb rating 6.9Greenstreet as Jerome K. ArbutnyLorre as Johnny West
- Passage to Marseille1944IMDb rating 6.8Greenstreet as Maj. DuvalLorre as Marius
- The Mask of Dimitrios1944IMDb rating 7.2Greenstreet as Mr. PetersLorre as Cornelius Leyden
- Background to Danger1943IMDb rating 6.4Greenstreet as Colonel RobinsonLorre as Nikolai Zaleshoff
- Casablanca1942IMDb rating 8.5Greenstreet as Signor FerrariLorre as Ugarte
- The Maltese Falcon1941IMDb rating 7.9Greenstreet as Kasper GutmanLorre as Joel Cairo
Humphrey Bogart5 films together, 1941 to 1945
Humphrey Bogart's page
- Conflict1945IMDb rating 7.2Greenstreet as Mark HamiltonBogart as Richard Mason
- Passage to Marseille1944IMDb rating 6.8Greenstreet as Maj. DuvalBogart as Jean Matrac
- Across the Pacific1942IMDb rating 6.8Greenstreet as Dr. LorenzBogart as Rick Leland
- Casablanca1942IMDb rating 8.5Greenstreet as Signor FerrariBogart as Rick Blaine
- The Maltese Falcon1941IMDb rating 7.9Greenstreet as Kasper GutmanBogart as Samuel Spade
Frank Wilcox3 films together, 1941 to 1945
Frank Wilcox's page
- Conflict1945IMDb rating 7.2Greenstreet as Mark HamiltonWilcox as Freston
- Across the Pacific1942IMDb rating 6.8Greenstreet as Dr. LorenzWilcox as Capt. Morrison
- They Died with Their Boots On1941IMDb rating 7.2Greenstreet as Lt. Gen. Winfield ScottWilcox as Capt. Webb
Zachary Scott3 films together, 1944 to 1949
Zachary Scott's page
- Flamingo Road1949IMDb rating 7.1Greenstreet as Sheriff Titus SempleScott as Fielding Carlisle
- Ruthless1948IMDb rating 6.8Greenstreet as Buck MansfieldScott as Horace Woodruff 'Woody' Vendig
- The Mask of Dimitrios1944IMDb rating 7.2Greenstreet as Mr. PetersScott as Dimitrios Makropoulos
Irving Bacon2 films together, 1941 to 1948
Irving Bacon's page
- The Velvet Touch1948IMDb rating 6.8Greenstreet as Capt. DanburyBacon as Herbie
- They Died with Their Boots On1941IMDb rating 7.2Greenstreet as Lt. Gen. Winfield ScottBacon as Uniform Salesman
George Coulouris2 films together, 1944 to 1946
George Coulouris's page
- The Verdict1946IMDb rating 7.2Greenstreet as Supt. George Edward GrodmanCoulouris as Supt. John R. Buckley
- Between Two Worlds1944IMDb rating 7.1Greenstreet as Reverend Tim ThompsonCoulouris as Mr. Lingley
Michael CurtizDirector, 3 films, 1942 to 1949
All films by Michael Curtiz
- Flamingo Road1949IMDb rating 7.1Greenstreet as Sheriff Titus Semple
- Passage to Marseille1944IMDb rating 6.8Greenstreet as Maj. Duval
- Casablanca1942IMDb rating 8.5Greenstreet as Signor Ferrari
John HustonDirector, 2 films, 1941 to 1942
All films by John Huston
- Across the Pacific1942IMDb rating 6.8Greenstreet as Dr. Lorenz
- The Maltese Falcon1941IMDb rating 7.9Greenstreet as Kasper Gutman
Peter GodfreyDirector, 2 films, 1945 to 1948
All films by Peter Godfrey
- The Woman in White1948IMDb rating 6.6Greenstreet as Count Fosco
- Christmas in Connecticut1945IMDb rating 7.3Greenstreet as Alexander Yardley
Also two films together31 more actors
- Monte BlueThe Mask of Dimitrios (1944) and Across the Pacific (1942)
- Mary AstorAcross the Pacific (1942) and The Maltese Falcon (1941)
- Claude RainsPassage to Marseille (1944) and Casablanca (1942)
- Eduardo CiannelliPassage to Marseille (1944) and The Mask of Dimitrios (1944)
- Charles DrakeConflict (1945) and The Maltese Falcon (1941)
- George TobiasBetween Two Worlds (1944) and Passage to Marseille (1944)
- Arthur ShieldsThe Verdict (1946) and Three Strangers (1946)
- Eleanor ParkerThe Woman in White (1948) and Between Two Worlds (1944)
- John AbbottThe Woman in White (1948) and The Mask of Dimitrios (1944)
- John HamiltonAcross the Pacific (1942) and The Maltese Falcon (1941)
- Dick ElliottFlamingo Road (1949) and Christmas in Connecticut (1945)
- Alexis SmithThe Woman in White (1948) and Conflict (1945)
- Lester MatthewsBetween Two Worlds (1944) and Across the Pacific (1942)
- Robert ShayneThree Strangers (1946) and Christmas in Connecticut (1945)
- Victor FrancenPassage to Marseille (1944) and The Mask of Dimitrios (1944)
- Paul HenreidBetween Two Worlds (1944) and Casablanca (1942)
- Curt BoisThe Woman in White (1948) and Casablanca (1942)
- Edward BibyChristmas in Connecticut (1945) and The Mask of Dimitrios (1944)
- John BleiferThe Mask of Dimitrios (1944) and Background to Danger (1943)
- Patrick O'MooreConflict (1945) and Between Two Worlds (1944)
- S.Z. SakallChristmas in Connecticut (1945) and Casablanca (1942)
- Barry BernardThe Woman in White (1948) and The Verdict (1946)
- Faye EmersonBetween Two Worlds (1944) and The Mask of Dimitrios (1944)
- Gladys GeorgeFlamingo Road (1949) and The Maltese Falcon (1941)
- Clifford BrookeThe Woman in White (1948) and Three Strangers (1946)
- Rosalind IvanThe Verdict (1946) and Three Strangers (1946)
- Chester GanAcross the Pacific (1942) and The Maltese Falcon (1941)
- Kurt KatchThe Mask of Dimitrios (1944) and Background to Danger (1943)
- Joan LorringThe Verdict (1946) and Three Strangers (1946)
- Marjorie HoshelleConflict (1945) and The Mask of Dimitrios (1944)
- Charles AndrePassage to Marseille (1944) and The Mask of Dimitrios (1944)
When several people share the same number of films, the ones with the most films on Netflix are in the chart.