Robert Newton
Born: 1905-06-01
• Shaftesbury, Dorset, England, UK
Robert Newton was one of the great character actors -- and great characters -- of the British cinema, best remembered today for playing Long John Silver in Treasure Island (1950) and its sequel in 1954. His portrayal of Long John Silver and of Blackbeard, the Pirate (1952) created a persona that was so indelible that his vocal intonations created the paradigm for scores of people who want to "Talk Like a Pirate." The performance overshadows Newton's legacy, which is based on many first-rate performances in such movies as This Happy Breed (1944), Odd Man Out (1947) and Oliver Twist (1948), where his Bill Sykes is truly chilling. Oliver Reed, who played Sykes in the Oscar-winning movie musical Oliver! (1968) was influenced by Newton.
Filmography
The Epic That Never Was
Around the World in 80 Days
Long John Silver
The Beachcomber
The High and the Mighty
The Desert Rats
Blackbeard, the Pirate
Androcles and the Lion
Les Miserables
Tom Brown's Schooldays
Soldiers Three
Waterfront
Treasure Island
Obsession
Kiss the Blood Off My Hands
Oliver Twist
Snowbound
Temptation Harbour
Odd Man Out
Night Boat to Dublin
Henry V
This Happy Breed
They Flew Alone
Hatter's Castle
Major Barbara
Gaslight
Busman's Honeymoon
Channel Incident
21 Days
No Image
Hell's Cargo
Poison Pen
Jamaica Inn
Dead Men Are Dangerous
Vessel of Wrath
The Green Cockatoo
The Squeaker
Dark Journey
Fire Over England
Farewell Again