Esmond Knight

Esmond Knight

Birth : 1906-05-04, East Sheen, Surrey, England

Death : 1987-02-23

History

Esmond Penington Knight (4 May 1906 – 23 February 1987) was an English actor. He was an accomplished actor with a career spanning over half a century. For much of his career Esmond Knight was virtually blind. He had been badly injured in 1941 whilst on active service on board HMS Prince of Wales when she fought the Bismarck at the Battle of the Denmark Strait, and remained totally blind for two years, though he later regained some sight in his right eye. During this period, Esmond dictated an early autobiography to his secretary, Annabella Cloudsley, Seeking The Bubble (Hutchinson & Co. 1943). He played the captain of the HMS Prince of Wales in the 1960 movie Sink the Bismarck! He starred as Professor Ernest Reinhart in the 1961 British science fiction television series, A for Andromeda, alongside Patricia Kneale and Peter Halliday. His daughter is the actress Rosalind Knight. Knight died of a heart attack. He was cremated. Description above from the Wikipedia article Esmond Knight, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Profile

Esmond Knight
Esmond Knight
Esmond Knight

Movies

Superman IV: The Quest for Peace
Second Elder
With global superpowers engaged in an increasingly hostile arms race, Superman leads a crusade to rid the world of nuclear weapons. But Lex Luthor, recently sprung from jail, is declaring war on the Man of Steel and his quest to save the planet. Using a strand of Superman's hair, Luthor synthesizes a powerful ally known as Nuclear Man and ignites an epic battle spanning Earth and space.
The Element of Crime
Osborne
Fisher, an ex-detective, decides to take one final case when a mysterious serial killer claims the lives of several young girls. Fisher, unable to find the culprit, turns to Osbourne, a writer who was once respected for his contributions to the field of criminology. Fisher begins to use Osbourne's technique, which involves empathizing with serial killers; however, as the detective becomes increasingly engrossed in this method, things take a disturbing turn.
A Voyage Round My Father
Judge
A successful lawyer struck with blindness in middle age continues his battles in the courtroom with the assistance of his family. As his son deals with bitter memories of their relationship, he also seeks his father's respect and love and in the process learns to love in return.
Troilus & Cressida
Priam
The bitter Trojan War drags on - the Greeks blame Achilles' apathy for low morale, while Troy's hero Hector challenges one of the enemy to a personal duel. And after her father exchanges Cressida for a Trojan prisoner, the war becomes personal for her distraught lover Troilus.
Antony & Cleopatra
Lepidus
Octavius Caesar (later renamed Augustus Caesar, son of the murdered Julius Caesar), Marc Antony, and Lepidus form the triumvirate, the three rulers of the Roman Empire. Antony, though married to Fulvia, spends his time in Egypt, living a life of decadence and conducting an affair with Queen Cleopatra. In Antony's absence, Caesar and Lepidus worry about Pompey's increasing strength.
Romeo & Juliet
Old Capulet
Two households, both alike in dignity, in fair Verona where we lay our scene, from ancient grudge break to new mutiny where civil blood makes civil hands unclean. From forth the fatal loins of these two foes a pair of star-cross'd lovers take their life whose misadventur'd piteous overthrows doth with their death bury their parents' strife.
Ballet Shoes
Great Uncle Matthew
Pauline, Petrova, and Posy Fossil live with Sylvia Brown, their guardian. Money is tight and as the story opens, three boarders - a garage owner, a retired English professor, and a dance teacher - come to stay. Theo Dane, the dance teacher, has the girls accepted at her school by the formidable Madame, and the three go on the stage to help raise money. Each discovers her talents - Pauline as an actress, Petrova in fixing engines, and Posy as a dancer.
Robin and Marian
Old Defender
Robin Hood, aging none too gracefully, returns exhausted from the Crusades to woo and win Maid Marian one last time.
The Boy Who Turned Yellow
Doctor
John and his class go on a school trip to the Tower of London. While he is there he loses his pet mouse and vows to return and find her later. Back in school, he is not very attentive and falls asleep during a lesson about electricity so his teacher sends him home. On the 'tube' there is a sudden flash, and John, the train and all of the passengers turn yellow. With the help of Nick (short for 'Electronic') John learns about electricity, invades the Tower of London and saves his pet mouse ... or was it a dream. This is the Powell & Pressburger touch applied to children's films.
Anne of the Thousand Days
Kingston
Henry VIII of England discards his wife, Katharine of Aragon, who has failed to produce a male heir, in favor of the young and beautiful Anne Boleyn.
Doctor Who: The Space Pirates
Dom Issigri
The TARDIS materialises in Earth's future on a space beacon just before it is attacked by pirates. The travellers find themselves trapped in a sealed section of the beacon. It is blown apart and flown to where the pirates will plunder it of the precious mineral argonite. They witness a conflict between the pirates and the Interstellar Space Corps, led by General Hermack and Major Warne. The ISC are convinced that the pirates' mastermind is an innocent yet eccentric space mining pioneer named Milo Clancey, while their true leader is a man named Caven. Caven has a secret base on the planet Ta. He is assisted by Madeleine Issigri, daughter of Clancey's ex-partner Dom, who - unknown to her - is now his captive. When Madeleine discovers Caven's full treachery, she helps to bring him to justice. The time travellers are given a lift back to the TARDIS by Clancey in his rickety old ship, the LIZ 79.
Where's Jack?
Ballad Singer
Based on the adventures of Jack Sheppard, the thief and jail-breaker who became a folk hero in 1720s London.
The Spy Who Came in from the Cold
Old Judge
British agent Alec Leamas refuses to come in from the Cold War during the 1960s, choosing to face another mission, which may prove to be his final one.
Decision at Midnight
Adaptation of the play Music at Midnight, set in the Iron Curtain.
Peeping Tom
Arthur Baden
Loner Mark Lewis works at a film studio during the day and, at night, takes racy photographs of women. Also he's making a documentary on fear, which involves recording the reactions of victims as he murders them. He befriends Helen, the daughter of the family living in the apartment below his, and he tells her vaguely about the movie he is making.
Sink the Bismarck!
Captain Leach - 'Prince of Wales'
The story of the breakout of the German battleship Bismarck—accompanied by the heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen—during the early days of World War II. The Bismarck and her sister ship, Tirpitz, were the most powerful battleships in the European theater of World War II. The British Navy must find and destroy Bismarck before it can escape into the convoy lanes to inflict severe damage on the cargo shipping which was the lifeblood of the British Isles. With eight 15 inch guns, it was capable of destroying every ship in a convoy while remaining beyond the range of all Royal Navy warships.
Battle of the V-1
Stricker
1943: A schoolmaster called Stefan Novak (Michael Rennie) and his watchmaker friend Tadek (David Knight) are working for the Polish resistance lead by Stanislav Muski (Peter Madden) and allow themselves to be captured by the Nazis and taken to a labour camp on the Baltic coast so that they can spy on the operations there. Stefan and Tadek discover that the camp houses a huge production unit where the V1 rocket is being built, which Hitler intends to use to destroy London. The pair succeed in informing the resistance of what is happening who in turn tip off the allies who launch a full scale raid on the plant and destroy it therefore setting back the Nazis' plan by months. However, the fight is far from over as Hitler's generals proceed with plans to build yet another plant and Stefan and Tadek are faced with a dangerous challenge, they must capture a complete V1 rocket and help in smuggling it back to Britain so that the allies can prepare themselves for Hitler's proposed invasion...
The Prince and the Showgirl
Hoffman
An American showgirl becomes entangled in political intrigue when the Prince Regent of a foreign country attempts to seduce her.
Helen of Troy
High Priest
Prince Paris of Troy, shipwrecked on a mission to the king of Sparta, meets and falls for Queen Helen before he knows who she is. Rudely received by the royal Greeks, he must flee...but fate and their mutual passions lead him to take Helen along. This gives the Greeks just the excuse they need for much-desired war.
The Dark Avenger
Dialogue Coach
Edward, Prince of Wales, son and heir to his father King Edward III of England, leads an English army to the French province of Aquitaine to protect the inhabitant from the ravages of the French. After defeating the French in battle, the defeated French plot to kill the prince. Failing in this, they kidnap his lady, the lovely Lady Joan Holland. Of course Prince Edward has to ride to the rescue, adopting numerous guises to save his paramour, which ultimately end in him leading his men into one final climactic battle against the French. (Also known as "The Warriors" and "The Black Prince").
The Steel Key
Prof. Newman
An adventurer investigates the theft of a formula for hardened steel, assisted by his girlfriend.
Girdle of Gold
Evans the Milk
The adulterous Mrs Griffiths' corset has, unbeknown to her, a fortune stashed in it by her drunken, money-loving husband.
The River
The Father
Director Jean Renoir’s entrancing first color feature—shot entirely on location in India—is a visual tour de force. Based on the novel by Rumer Godden, the film eloquently contrasts the growing pains of three young women with the immutability of the Bengal river around which their daily lives unfold. Enriched by Renoir’s subtle understanding and appreciation for India and its people, The River gracefully explores the fragile connections between transitory emotions and everlasting creation.
Gone to Earth
Abel Woodus
Jennifer Jones plays Hazel Woods, a beautiful young English Gypsey girl who loves animals and in particular her pet fox. She is hotly desired by Jack Reddin a fox hunting squire who vies for her affection and pursues her even after her marriage to the local pastor.
Hamlet
Bernardo
Winner of four Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Actor, Sir Laurence Olivier’s Hamlet continues to be the most compelling version of Shakespeare’s beloved tragedy. Olivier is at his most inspired—both as director and as the melancholy Dane himself—as he breathes new life into the words of one of the world’s greatest dramatists.
The Red Shoes
Livy
In this classic drama, Vicky Page is an aspiring ballerina torn between her dedication to dance and her desire to love. While her imperious instructor, Boris Lermontov, urges to her to forget anything but ballet, Vicky begins to fall for the charming young composer Julian Craster. Eventually Vicky, under great emotional stress, must choose to pursue either her art or her romance, a decision that carries serious consequences.
The End of the River
Dantos
A South American Indian is taken from his jungle home into the world of the White Man where he is forced to stand trial for murder.
Uncle Silas
Dr. Bryerly
Following her father's death, a teenage heiress moves in with her guardian uncle who is broke and schemes to murder his niece for her vast inheritance.
Holiday Camp
Camp Announcer
The Huggett family go to a holiday camp, and get involved in crooked card players, a murderer on the run, and a pregnant young girl and her boyfriend missing from home.
Black Narcissus
The Old General
A group of Anglican nuns, led by Sister Clodagh, are sent to a mountain in the Himalayas. The climate in the region is hostile and the nuns are housed in an odd old palace. They work to establish a school and a hospital, but slowly their focus shifts. Sister Ruth falls for a government worker, Mr. Dean, and begins to question her vow of celibacy. As Sister Ruth obsesses over Mr. Dean, Sister Clodagh becomes immersed in her own memories of love.
The Chronicle History of King Henry the Fifth with His Battell Fought at Agincourt in France
Fluellen - Captain in the English Army
In the midst of the Hundred Years' War, the young King Henry V of England embarks on the conquest of France in 1415.
A Canterbury Tale
Narrator / Seven-Sisters Soldier / Village Idiot
Three modern day pilgrims investigate a bizarre crime in a small town on the way to Canterbury.
The Halfway House
David Davies
A group of travellers, each with a personal problem that they want to hide, arrive at a mysterious Welsh country inn. There is a certain strangeness in the air as they are greeted by the innkeeper and his daughter. Why are all the newspapers a year old? And why doesn't Gwyneth seem to cast a shadow?
The Silver Fleet
Von Schiffer
Jaap van Leyden is in charge of a shipyard in newly occupied Holland. At first he collaborates with the Germans because it is the easiest course to follow. Later a child's rhyme reminds him of his patriotic duty, but how best to resist the Nazis without endangering his wife and fellow workers?
This England
Vicar's Son
Set in Claverly Village, it follows the fortunes of the Rookebys (Clements) and the ne'r-do-well Appleyards (Williams) from the time of the Normans, 1588, 1804, 1914, and 1940. Made to support morale during the war, its message is basically that you can't suppress the British; they've been there since the beginning; they'll be there to the end.
Contraband
Mr. Pidgeon
When a neutral Danish merchant ship is forced to put into port after trying to evade British wartime contraband control, its captain becomes involved in a beautiful British Naval Intelligent agent's efforts to capture a group of German spies operating from a London cinema.
The Arsenal Stadium Mystery
Raille
During a charity football match between Arsenal and touring amateur side Trojans, the Trojan's new star player collapses and dies. Inspector Slade of Scotland Yard is called in and declares it was murder. It takes all his ingenuity and another death before the motive is discovered and the killer revealed.
Weddings Are Wonderful
Guy Rogers
Romantic comedy of misunderstandings.
What Men Live By
Michael
A film based on a story by Leo Tolstoy about a cabinet maker, his wife and an angel punished by God.
The Vicar of Bray
Dennis Melross
The Vicar of Bray is a satirical description of an individual fundamentally changing his principles to remain in ecclesiastical office as external requirements change around him. The religious upheavals in England from 1533 to 1559 and from 1633 to 1715 made it almost impossible for any individual to comply with the successive religious requirements of the state.
Black Roses
Pavo Collin
Released in Germany as Schwarze Rosen, Black Roses represented the return to UFA studios of British musical comedy favorite Lillian Harvey, after several years in Hollywood. The delectable Harvey plays a Russian ballerina, stranded in turn-of-the-century Finland. She falls in love with sculptor Esmond Knight, a political dissident with a price on his head. To save Knight, Harvey spends the night with Tsarist governor Robert Rendel. The story is based on the real-life ballerina Marina Feodorovna, who ended up sacrificing her life on behalf of her lover. Black Roses was filmed in three languages: German, French and English; the English version was originally titled Did I Betray?
Pagliacci
Cadet Silvio
Canio and his Comedia dell'Arte troupe tour Italy. His wife Nedda meets a young cadet and they plan to elope. He tries to leave her when he finds how important she is for his husband, but a rejected trouper interferes. As jealous Canio suspects the truth the tragedy approaches. The film was partly made in Ufacolor.
Crime Unlimited
Pete Borden
A young police academy recruit tries to break up a gang of thieves.
Dandy Dick
Tony Mardon
The Very Reverend Richard Jedd has a problem: the church spire, now in a parlous state of repair, will cost nearly £1,000 to fix. When various money-raising schemes go awry, he is persuaded to waive his principles and bet what’s left of his savings on Dandy Dick, a 10-1 odds-on at the local races. A simple tonic to enhance the nag’s performance seems a good idea… but when the butler decides to intervene, the respectable clergyman finds himself in the middle of a doping scandal – and worse!
Girls Will Be Boys
Geoffrey Dawson
The Duke of Bridgewater sends for the heir he's never seen. His heir is Patricia, and the Duke is a woman-hater, so Patricia disguises herself as a boy.
Waltzes from Vienna
Johann Strauss, the Younger
The story of Johann Strauss the elder and younger.
The Bermondsey Kid
Eddie Martin
A newsboy enters a boxing championship where he is matched with a sick friend.
Deadlock
John Tring
A murder takes place in a film studio during the shooting of a new film.
77 Park Lane
Philip Connor
When a 'man about town' takes a young lady back to his house they are both surprised to find that it has been turned into an illegal casino in his absence.
The Ringer
John Lenley
Scotland Yard detectives hunt for a dangerous criminal who has recently returned to England.
Romany Love
Davy Summers
A musical film directed by Fred Paul
The Blue Peter
Radio operator
After returning home to Britain from Nigeria where he has been working, an engineer becomes embroiled in a family melodrama.