Image of John Abbott

John Abbott

John Albert Chamberlain Kefford was an English character actor professionally known as John Abbott. His memorable roles include the invalid Frederick Fairlie in the 1948 film The Woman in White and the pacifist Ayelborne in the Star Trek episode "Errand of Mercy". as well as a Shakespearean actor. In 1934, he began his career in show business when he made his professional stage debut in a revival of Dryden's Aureng-zebe with Sybil Thorndike. He then joined the Old Vic Company and appeared in Shakespearean roles, including Claudius in a production of Hamlet at Elsinore Castle in Denmark with Laurence Olivier, Vivien Leigh and Alec Guinness. His first Broadway role was that of Count Mancini in He Who Gets Slapped in 1946. He also appeared on Broadway in Monserrat and The Waltz of the Toreadors. He made his film debut in Mademoiselle Docteur in 1937 and went on to act in scores of films in the next 30 years. Among his film credits are Mission to Moscow, Jane Eyre, A Thousand and One Nights, Humoresque, and The Greatest Story Ever Told. His television appearances in that time were even more numerous, beginning with pioneering broadcasts by the BBC before the Second World War. In the early days of the Second World War, Abbott worked at the British Embassy in Stockholm. When the time came to leave, he had to by way of the United States. While in the U.S., he was offered a part in Hollywood in 1941 and ended up living there for the rest of his life. On American television between the 1950s and 1970s, Abbott had roles on a wide variety of series such as Kraft Television Theatre, Studio 57, Gunsmoke, Matinee Theatre, Bonanza, Thriller, Star Trek, Mannix, Iron Horse, and Bewitched. Although he was blacklisted during the Red Scare of the 1950s, a producer who wanted to hire him eventually succeeded in getting the actor removed from the list.In his final years, Abbott taught acting to students free of charge. Abbott died at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center from natural causes on 24 May 1996 at the age of 90.


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Born:
Jun 5, 1905 In Stepney, London, England, UK
Movie/TV Credits:
127
First Appeared:
In the movie The Conquest of the Air 1936-12-01
Latest Project:
Movie The Commissioner 1998-02-22
Known For
Poster of The DuPont Show with June Allyson
Poster of General Electric Theater
Poster of Hallmark Hall of Fame
Poster of Street of Shadows
Filmography
Movie The Commissioner Commissioner's Laywer 1998-02-22
Movie The Young Poisoner's Handbook Chairman 1995-01-20
Movie Four Weddings and a Funeral Polite Verger - Wedding Four 1994-03-09
Series Kappatoo Derek Cashmere 1990-05-23
Movie A Hazard of Hearts 2nd Gambler 1987-12-27
Movie Quest 1984-10-01
Movie Smorgasbord Surgeon 1983-04-13
Movie Slapstick of Another Kind Dr. Frankenstein 1982-12-09
Movie Measure for Measure Second Gentleman 1979-02-18
Series Edward and Mrs Simpson Mouth Organist 1978-11-08
Movie Outside Chance Coroner 1978-12-02
Movie Doctor Who: Horror of Fang Rock Vince Hawkins 1977-09-24
Movie Sherlock Holmes in New York Heller 1976-10-18
Movie The Black Bird Duquai 1975-12-25
Movie The Cat Creature Dr. Reinhart 1973-12-11
Series Cool Million Unknown 1972-10-28
Series The Partners Unknown 1971-09-18
Series Timeslip Unknown 1970-09-28
Movie 2000 Years Later Gregorius 1969-03-11
Movie The Epic That Never Was Himself - Ms. Robson's Host 1969-09-19
Series Medical Center Professor MacIntyre 1969-09-24
Series Land of the Giants Prof. Gorak 1968-09-22
Movie Three Guns for Texas Banker Irwing 1968-10-31
Series Rango Unknown 1967-01-13
Series Garrison's Gorillas Unknown 1967-09-06
Series Mannix Unknown 1967-09-16
Movie The Jungle Book Akela (voice) 1967-10-18
Series Star Trek Ayleborn 1966-09-08
Movie Gambit Emile 1966-12-21
Series Lost in Space Sesmar 1965-09-15
Movie The Greatest Story Ever Told Aben 1965-04-09
Series Laredo Unknown 1965-09-16
Series Get Smart Unknown 1965-09-18
Series The Rogues Sir Egbert 1964-09-13
Series Wendy and Me Unknown 1964-09-14
Series Flipper Unknown 1964-09-19
Series Bewitched Unknown 1964-09-17
Series Profiles in Courage Senator Wigfall 1964-11-08
Series Burke's Law Conrad Jaeger 1963-09-20
Movie Who's Minding the Store? Mr. Orlandos 1963-11-28
Series The Beverly Hillbillies Sir Trevor Gielgud Burton-Guiness 1962-09-26
Series Ichabod and Me Unknown 1961-09-26
Series Thriller Kriss Milo ('The Mask of Medusa') 1960-09-13
Series The Islanders Harwood Gones 1960-10-02
Series Outlaws Unknown 1960-09-26
Series The DuPont Show with June Allyson Professor Brent 1959-09-21
Series The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis Unknown 1959-09-29
Series Adventures in Paradise Murdock 1959-10-05
Series The Detectives Unknown 1959-10-16
Series Peter Gunn Unknown 1958-09-22
Movie Gigi Manuel 1958-05-15
Series The Further Adventures of Ellery Queen The Cat 1958-09-26
Series The Rifleman Unknown 1958-09-30
Movie Public Pigeon No. 1 Dipso Dale Rutherford 1957-05-17
Movie Omar Khayyam Yusuf 1957-08-23
Series Perry Mason Dr. Durwood Tobey 1957-09-21
Series Have Gun, Will Travel Unknown 1957-09-14
Series Telephone Time Unknown 1956-04-08
Series Alfred Hitchcock Presents Mr. Munro 1955-10-02
Series Gunsmoke Eddie 1955-09-10
Series Matinee Theater Unknown 1955-10-31
Series The 20th Century Fox Hour Unknown 1955-10-05
Movie The Miracle on 34th Street Dr. Sawyer 1955-12-14
Series General Electric Theater Nathan 1953-02-01
Movie Rogue's March Herbert Bielensen 1953-02-13
Movie The Steel Lady Mustafa el Melik 1953-10-09
Movie Sombrero Don Daniel 1953-04-22
Movie The Merry Widow Ambassador 1952-09-05
Series Cavalcade of America Col. Barton 1952-10-01
Movie Thunder in the East Nitra Puta 1952-12-04
Movie Navy Bound Pappa Cerrano 1951-03-04
Movie Crosswinds Sykes 1951-10-01
Series Hallmark Hall of Fame Chang 1951-12-24
Movie Thunder on the Hill Abel Harmer 1951-10-17
Movie Sideshow Pierre 1950-06-18
Movie Madame Bovary Mayor Tuvache 1949-08-25
Series Studio One Travers 1948-11-07
Movie The Woman in White Frederick Fairlie 1948-05-07
Movie Time Out of Mind Max Leiberman 1947-05-03
Movie The Web Charles Murdock 1947-06-04
Movie Humoresque Rozner 1947-01-25
Movie Adventure Island Huish 1947-08-13
Movie If Winter Comes Mr. Twyning 1947-12-31
Movie The Notorious Lone Wolf Lal Bara 1946-02-14
Movie The Bandit of Sherwood Forest Will Scarlet 1946-02-21
Movie One More Tomorrow Joseph Baronova 1946-05-24
Movie Deception Bertram Gribble 1946-10-26
Movie Anna and the King of Siam Phya Phrom 1946-08-11
Movie The Power of the Whistler Kaspar Andropolous 1945-04-19
Movie The Vampire's Ghost Webb Fallon 1945-04-13
Movie Honeymoon Ahead Welles 1945-05-11
Movie Pursuit to Algiers Jodri 1945-10-26
Movie A Thousand and One Nights Ali 1945-07-20
Movie Saratoga Trunk Roscoe Bean 1945-11-21
Movie The Crime Doctor's Warning Jimmy Gordon 1945-09-27
Movie Summer Storm Lunin 1944-07-14
Movie Once Upon a Time Reporter (uncredited) 1944-06-29
Movie The Mask of Dimitrios Mr. Pappas 1944-06-23
Movie U-Boat Prisoner Alfonse Lamont 1944-07-25
Movie End of the Road Chris Martin 1944-11-10
Movie Secrets of Scotland Yard Mortimer Cope 1944-07-26
Movie Cry of the Werewolf Peter Althius (uncredited) 1944-08-17
Movie The Falcon in Hollywood Martin S. Dwyer 1944-12-08
Movie Abroad with Two Yanks Salesman 1944-08-04
Movie They Got Me Covered Gregory Vanesou 1943-03-04
Movie The Gorilla Man Dr. Ferris 1943-01-16
Movie London Blackout Murders Jack Rawlings 1943-01-15
Movie Hangmen Also Die! Hostage (scenes deleted) 1943-04-15
Movie Mission to Moscow Grinko (uncredited) 1943-04-29
Movie Jane Eyre Mason 1943-12-24
Movie The Cross of Lorraine Baker 1943-11-12
Movie Dangerous Blondes Roland X. Smith (uncredited) 1943-09-23
Movie This Above All Joe 1942-05-12
Movie Joan of Paris English Spy 1942-01-20
Movie Rubber Racketeers Dumbo 1942-06-26
Movie Get Hep to Love Professor Radowsky 1942-10-02
Movie Mrs. Miniver Fred 1942-07-03
Movie Nightmare Carl aka Charles 1942-11-10
Movie The Shanghai Gesture Poppy's Escort 1941-12-25
Movie Ten Days in Paris André 1940-06-01
Movie The Saint in London Count Stephen Duni 1939-06-30
Movie The Great Commandment Starving Beggar 1939-10-02
Movie This Man Is News Hood with Foreign Accent 1938-09-16
Movie Street of Shadows 1937-04-13
Movie Under Secret Orders Armand 1937-12-06
Movie Return of the Scarlet Pimpernel Flower Seller 1937-10-20
Movie The Conquest of the Air Jean-François Pilâtre de Rozier 1936-12-01