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.
Known For
| Birth Location | Shaftesbury, Dorset, England |
|---|---|
| Born | 1905-06-01 |
| Died | 1956-03-25 |
Movies
The Epic That Never Was
as Captain of Caligula's guard
1969
Around the World in Eighty Days
as Mr. Fix
1956
Long John Silver
as Long John Silver
1954
The Beachcomber
as Ted Wilson
1954
The High and the Mighty
as Gustave Pardee
1954
The Desert Rats
as Tom Bartlett
1953
Blackbeard, the Pirate
as Blackbeard
1952
Androcles and the Lion
as Ferrovius
1952
Les Miserables
as Etienne Javert
1952
Tom Brown's Schooldays
as Thomas Arnold
1951
Soldiers Three
as Pvt. Bill Sykes
1951
Waterfront
as Peter McCabe
1950
Treasure Island
as Long John Silver
1950
Obsession
as Dr. Clive Riordan
1949
Kiss the Blood Off My Hands
as Harry Carter
1948
Oliver Twist
as Bill Sykes
1948
Snowbound
as Derek Engles
1948
Temptation Harbour
as Bert Mallinson
1947
Odd Man Out
as Lukey
1947
Night Boat to Dublin
as Capt. David Grant
1946
Henry V
as Ancient Pistol
1944
This Happy Breed
as Frank Gibbons
1944
They Flew Alone
as Jim Mollison
1942
Hatter's Castle
as James Brodie
1942
Major Barbara
as Bill Walker
1941
Gaslight
as Ullswater
1940
Busman's Honeymoon
as Frank Crutchley
1940
Channel Incident
as Tanner
1940
21 Days Together
as Tolly
1940
Hell's Cargo
as Cmdr. Tomasou
1939
Poison Pen
as Sam Hurrin
1939
Jamaica Inn
as James "Jem" Trehearne
1939
Dead Men Are Dangerous
as Aylmer Franklyn
1939
Vessel of Wrath
as The Controleur
1938
The Green Cockatoo
as Dave Connor
1937
The Squeaker
as Larry Graeme
1937
Dark Journey
as Officer of U-Boat
1937
Fire Over England
as Don Pedro
1937
Farewell Again
as Jim Carter
1937
Robert Newton hasn't worked on any movies or TV shows
