Cecil Parker (born Cecil Schwabe, 3 September 1897 â€" 20 April 1971)
was an English character and comedy actor with a distinctively husky
voice, who usually played supporting roles, often characters with a
supercilious demeanour, in his 91 films made between 1928 and
1969.Parker was born in Hastings, Sussex, the second son (and fifth of
six children) of German-born Charles August Schwabe (1860â€"1915),
manager of the Albany Hotel, Hastings, and his English wife Kate (née
Parker), a church organist. He was educated at St Francis Xavier
College, and at Bruges in Belgium. He served with the Royal Sussex
Regiment in the First World War, reaching the rank of sergeant. He
began his theatrical career in London in 1922, adopting the surname
"Parker" from his mother's maiden name. He made his first film
appearance in 1928 and subsequently became a familiar face in British
and occasionally American films until his death. He appeared less
often on television, but many of his films have remained popular and
are often shown.He acted in two adaptations of A. J. Cronin's novels,
The Citadel (1938) and The Stars Look Down (1940), in addition to
appearing in The Lady Vanishes (1938) and Under Capricorn (1949). Both
of these latter films were directed by Alfred Hitchcock. Other roles
were in Storm in a Teacup (1937), The Weaker Sex (1948), 23 Paces to
Baker Street (1956), Dangerous Moonlight (1941), Swiss Family Robinson
(1960), and I Was Monty's Double (1958), as well as the comedies A
French Mistress (1960), The Ladykillers (1955), The Man in the White
Suit (1951), The Court Jester (1955) (in which he played an evil,
usurping king of England), Indiscreet (1958) and I Believe in You
(1952). Parker was also the original Charles Condomine in the West End
production of Noël Coward's Blithe Spirit.
was an English character and comedy actor with a distinctively husky
voice, who usually played supporting roles, often characters with a
supercilious demeanour, in his 91 films made between 1928 and
1969.Parker was born in Hastings, Sussex, the second son (and fifth of
six children) of German-born Charles August Schwabe (1860â€"1915),
manager of the Albany Hotel, Hastings, and his English wife Kate (née
Parker), a church organist. He was educated at St Francis Xavier
College, and at Bruges in Belgium. He served with the Royal Sussex
Regiment in the First World War, reaching the rank of sergeant. He
began his theatrical career in London in 1922, adopting the surname
"Parker" from his mother's maiden name. He made his first film
appearance in 1928 and subsequently became a familiar face in British
and occasionally American films until his death. He appeared less
often on television, but many of his films have remained popular and
are often shown.He acted in two adaptations of A. J. Cronin's novels,
The Citadel (1938) and The Stars Look Down (1940), in addition to
appearing in The Lady Vanishes (1938) and Under Capricorn (1949). Both
of these latter films were directed by Alfred Hitchcock. Other roles
were in Storm in a Teacup (1937), The Weaker Sex (1948), 23 Paces to
Baker Street (1956), Dangerous Moonlight (1941), Swiss Family Robinson
(1960), and I Was Monty's Double (1958), as well as the comedies A
French Mistress (1960), The Ladykillers (1955), The Man in the White
Suit (1951), The Court Jester (1955) (in which he played an evil,
usurping king of England), Indiscreet (1958) and I Believe in You
(1952). Parker was also the original Charles Condomine in the West End
production of Noël Coward's Blithe Spirit.
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