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Donald Pleasence

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Donald Pleasence
Pleasence in 1973 by Allan Warren
Born
Donald Henry Pleasence

(1919-10-05)5 October 1919
Died2 February 1995(1995-02-02) (aged 75)
EducationEcclesfield School
OccupationActor
Years active1939–1995
Spouses
Miriam Raymond
(m. 1941; div. 1958)
Josephine Crombie
(m. 1959; div. 1970)
Meira Shore
(m. 1970; div. 1988)
Linda J. Kentwood
(m. 1988)
[1]
Children5, including Angela

Donald Henry Pleasence OBE (/ˈplɛzəns/;[2] 5 October 1919 – 2 February 1995)[3] was an English actor. He began his career on stage in the West End before having a screen career, which included starring in a 1954 BBC adaptation of George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four, before playing numerous supporting and character roles in films including RAF Flight Lieutenant Colin Blythe in The Great Escape (1963), the villain Ernst Stavro Blofeld in the James Bond film You Only Live Twice (1967), SEN 5241 in THX 1138 (1971), and the deranged Clarence "Doc" Tydon in Wake in Fright (1971).

Pleasence starred as psychiatrist Dr. Samuel Loomis in Halloween (1978) and four of its sequels, a role for which he was nominated for a Saturn Award for Best Actor. The series' popularity and critical success led to a resurgent career for Pleasence, who appeared in numerous American and European-produced horror and thriller films. He collaborated with Halloween director John Carpenter twice more, as the President of the United States in Escape from New York (1981) and as the Priest in Prince of Darkness (1987).

Early life

[edit]

Pleasence was born in Worksop, Nottinghamshire, the son of Alice (née Armitage) and Thomas Stanley Pleasence, a railway station master.[4] He was brought up as a strict Methodist in the small village of Grimoldby, Lincolnshire.[5] He received his formal education at Crosby Junior School, Scunthorpe[6] and Ecclesfield Grammar School in Sheffield. After working as the clerk-in-charge at Swinton railway station,[7] he decided that he wanted to be a professional actor, taking up a placement with the Jersey Repertory Company in 1939.[5]

Second World War

[edit]

In December 1939, Pleasence initially refused conscription into the British Armed Forces, registering as a conscientious objector, but changed his stance in autumn 1940, after the attacks upon London by the Luftwaffe, and volunteered with the Royal Air Force.[8] He served as aircraft wireless-operator with No. 166 Squadron in Bomber Command, with which he flew almost sixty raids against the Axis Powers over occupied Europe.

On 31 August 1944, his Lancaster NE112 was shot down during an attack on Agenville, France,[9][10] and he was captured and imprisoned in the German prisoner-of-war camp Stalag Luft I. Pleasence produced and acted in many plays for the entertainment of his fellow captives.

After the war and his release, he was discharged from the RAF in 1946.[11]

Acting career

[edit]

Returning to acting after the war, Pleasence resumed working in repertory theatre companies in Birmingham and Bristol.[12] In the 1950s, Pleasence's stage work included performing as Willie Mossop in a 1952 production of Hobson's Choice at the Arts Theatre, London and as Dauphin in Jean Anouilh's The Lark (1956).[12] In 1960, Pleasence gained excellent notices as the tramp in Harold Pinter's The Caretaker at the Arts Theatre, a role he would again play in a 1990 revival.[12] Other stage work in the 1960s included Anouilh's Poor Bitos (1963–64) and Robert Shaw's The Man in the Glass Booth (1967), for which he won the London Variety Award for Stage Actor of the Year in 1968.[12] Pleasence's later stage work included performing in a double bill of Pinter plays, The Basement and Tea Party, at the Duchess Theatre in 1970.[12]

Television

[edit]

Pleasence made his television debut in I Want to Be a Doctor (1946).[12] He received positive critical attention for his role as Syme in the BBC version of Nineteen Eighty-Four (1954) from the novel by George Orwell.[12] The adaptation was by Nigel Kneale and featured Peter Cushing in the lead role of Winston Smith.[13]

Pleasence played Prince John in several episodes of the ITV series The Adventures of Robin Hood (1956–1958). He appeared twice with Patrick McGoohan in the British spy series, Danger Man, in episodes "Position of Trust" (1960) and "Find and Return" (1961). Pleasence's first appearance in America was in an episode of The Twilight Zone, playing an aging teacher at a boys' school in the episode "The Changing of the Guard" (1962). In 1963, he appeared in an episode of The Outer Limits titled "The Man with the Power". In 1966, he also guest starred in an episode of The Fugitive entitled "With Strings Attached".

In 1973, Pleasence played a sympathetic murderer in an episode of Columbo entitled "Any Old Port in a Storm". Also that year, he played a supporting role in David Winters' musical television adaptation of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.[14]

He also portrayed a murderer captured by Mrs. Columbo in "Murder Is a Parlor Game" (1979). In 1978, he played a scout, Sam Purchas in an adaptation of James A. Michener's Centennial. Pleasence starred as the Reverend Septimus Harding in the BBC's TV series The Barchester Chronicles (1982).[11] In this series, his daughter Angela Pleasence played his onscreen daughter Susan.

He hosted the 1981 Halloween episode of Saturday Night Live with music guest Fear.

In 1986, Pleasence joined Ronald Lacey and Polly Jo Pleasence for the television thriller Into the Darkness.

Pleasence and Michael Nader portrayed the villains in 1988's The Great Escape II: The Untold Story,[15] which costar Christopher Reeve explained as not being a remake of the 1963 original film and being based on Paul Brickhill's non-fiction account The Great Escape. Noting his involvement in the original film, Joan Hanauer wrote that Pleasence had "graduated to an S.S. villain, and he is a marvel of soft-spoken, almost finicky evil."[16]

Film

[edit]
Donald Pleasence in the trailer for the film Eye of the Devil (1966).

Pleasence made his big-screen debut with The Beachcomber (1954).[11] Some notable early roles include Parsons in 1984 (1956), and minor roles opposite Alec Guinness in Barnacle Bill (1957) and Dirk Bogarde in The Wind Cannot Read (1958). In Tony Richardson's film of Look Back in Anger (1959), he plays a vindictive market inspector opposite Richard Burton. In the same year, Pleasence starred in the horror films Circus of Horrors directed by Sidney Hayers, playing the role of Vanet, the owner of a circus, and The Flesh and the Fiends as the real-life murderer William Hare, alongside Peter Cushing, George Rose and Billie Whitelaw.[17]

Endowed with a bald head, a penetrating stare, and an intense voice, usually quiet but capable of a piercing scream, he specialised in portraying insane, fanatical, or evil characters, including the title role in Dr Crippen (1962), the frontier prophet Oracle Jones in Hallelujah Trail, the double agent Dr Michaels in the science-fiction film Fantastic Voyage (1966), the white trader who sells guns to the Cheyenne Indians in the revisionist western Soldier Blue (1970), the mad German psychoanalyst with Bud SpencerTerence Hill in Watch Out, We're Mad! (1974), Nazi leader Heinrich Himmler in The Eagle Has Landed (1976), and the Bond arch-villain Ernst Stavro Blofeld in You Only Live Twice (1967), the first film in which Blofeld's face is clearly seen. His interpretation of the character has become predominant in popular culture considering the popularity of the comic villain, Dr. Evil in the successful Austin Powers film series, which primarily parodies it. In the crime drama Hell is a City (1960), shot in Manchester, he starred opposite Stanley Baker, while he was memorably cast in the horror comedy What a Carve Up! (1961) as the "horrible-looking zombie" solicitor opposite Shirley Eaton, Sid James, Kenneth Connor and Dennis Price.

He appeared as the mild-mannered and good-natured POW forger Colin Blythe in the film The Great Escape (1963), who discovers that he is slowly going blind, but nonetheless participates in the mass break-out, only to be shot down by German soldiers because he is unable to see them. Variety highlighted Pleasence and Richard Attenborough as giving some of the better performances in the film, Pleasence specifically being praised for having the most moving portrayal and depicting "the film's most touching character."[18] In The Night of the Generals (1967), he played another uncharacteristically sympathetic role, this time as an old-school German general involved in a plot to kill Adolf Hitler. In 1971, he returned to the realm of the deranged, delivering a tour de force performance in the role of an alcoholic Australian doctor in Ted Kotcheff's nightmarish outback drama Wake in Fright.

Pleasence played Lucifer in the religious epic The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965). He was one of many stars who were given cameos throughout the film.

He also acted in Roman Polanski's Cul-de-sac (1966), in which he portrayed the love-sodden husband of a much younger French wife (Françoise Dorléac). He ventured successfully into American cowboy territory, playing a sadistic self-styled preacher who goes after stoic Charlton Heston in the Western Will Penny (1968).

He portrayed SEN 5241 in THX 1138 (1971), opposite Robert Duvall which was the directorial debut of George Lucas. The next year he appeared as an eccentric, tea-obsessed police inspector in the cult horror film Death Line alongside Norman Rossington and Christopher Lee. A few years later, he portrayed antagonist Lucas Deranian, in Walt Disney's Escape to Witch Mountain (1975) and, in Telefon (1977), Nicolai Dalchimsky, the Russian seeking to start a war between the United States and the Soviet Union.

Pleasence appeared as Dr. Samuel Loomis in John Carpenter's horror film Halloween (1978).[19] The film was a major success and was considered the highest grossing independent film of its time, earning accolades as a classic of the horror genre. He also played the teacher, Kantorek in All Quiet on the Western Front (1979), Dr. Kobras in The Pumaman (1980) and the held-hostage President of the United States in Escape from New York (1981). The rather sinister accent which Pleasence employed in this and other films may be credited to the elocution lessons he had as a child. He reprised his Dr. Sam Loomis role in Halloween II (1981), Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers (1988), Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers (1989) and Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers (1995).

Pleasence, Daria Nicolodi, and Jennifer Connelly starred in Dario Argento's Phenomena (1985),[20] where Pleasence portrayed a wheelchair-using forensic entomologist.[21] Although Austin Trunick of Under the Radar criticized Connelly for not being an active heroine, he cited "a lot of nice interaction between Connelly and Pleasence's eccentric character" as a positive tradeoff.[22] Later that year, Pleasence played a retiring inspector who investigates the disappearance of the sister of Tom Schanley's character in Nothing Underneath.[23] JA Kerswell called Pleasence's role "clichéd" for the actor while also praising his presence as "a welcome bonus."[24] The reviewer from Horror Society wrote of liking Schanley and Pleasence "but the story is the main focus here and not the cast which is a bit of a shame because both did fantastic jobs."[25] Operation Nam was Pleasence's sole film appearance in 1986, playing "a minor part as a priest" who services Vietnam soldiers.[26]

Pleasence collaborated with Carpenter again when he starred in Prince of Darkness (1987), where he played a priest who seeks the aid of a professor and a few of the latter's quantum physics students to uncover the mystery of a glowing liquid in a canister.[27] Though mixed about the film, Starburst praised Pleasence's performance, admitting that to them, "there are very few sights in genre cinema as marvelous as seeing Pleasence delivering an intense, slightly erratic monologue, and he gets plenty to sink his teeth into here."[28] Megan Summers asserted that Pleasence brought "his standard emotional prowess and psychological stability to his role" in the film,[29] and Michael Wilmington declared Pleasence and Victor Wong as "both fine; these two know how to make the most of shallow excess."[30]

Pleasence admired Sir Laurence Olivier,[31] with whom he worked on-stage in the 1950s, and later on the film version of Dracula (1979). Two years earlier, Pleasence did an amusingly broad impersonation of Olivier in the guise of a horror-film actor called "Valentine De'ath" in the film The Uncanny (1977). According to the film critic Kim Newman on a DVD commentary for Halloween II, the reason for Pleasence's lengthy filmography was that he never turned down any role that was offered.

Spoken records and voice-overs

[edit]

During the early 1960s, Pleasence recorded several children's-story records on the Atlas Record label. These were marketed as the Talespinners series in the United Kingdom. They were also released in the United States as Tale Spinners for Children by United Artists. The stories included Don Quixote and the Brave Little Tailor. He also wrote, directed and narrated Scouse the Mouse in 1977.

Pleasence provided the voice-over for the British public information film, The Spirit of Dark and Lonely Water (1973). The film, intended to warn children of the dangers of playing near water, attained notoriety for allegedly giving children nightmares.[32]

Books

[edit]

Pleasence was the author of the children's book Scouse the Mouse (1977) (London: New English Library), which was animated by Canadian animator/film director Gerald Potterton (a friend of the actor, who directed him in the Canadian film The Rainbow Boys (1973), retitled The Rainbow Gang for VHS release in the United States) and also adapted into a children's recording (Polydor Records, 1977) with Ringo Starr voicing the book's title character, Scouse the Mouse.

In his book British Film Character Actors (1982), Terence Pettigrew describes Pleasence as "a potent combination of eyes and voice. The eyes are mournful but they can also be sinister or seedy or just plain nutty. He has the kind of piercing stare which lifts enamel off saucepans."

Awards

[edit]

Pleasence was nominated four times for the Tony Award for best performance by a leading actor in a Broadway play: in 1962 for Harold Pinter's The Caretaker, in 1965 for Jean Anouilh's Poor Bitos, in 1969 for Robert Shaw's The Man in the Glass Booth, and in 1972 for Simon Gray's Wise Child.

Pleasence was appointed an Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire for his services to the acting profession by Queen Elizabeth II in 1994.

Personal life

[edit]

Pleasence married four times and had five daughters from his first three marriages. He had Angela and Jean with Miriam Raymond (m. 1941–1958); Lucy and Polly with Josephine Martin Crombie (m. 1959–1970); and Miranda with Meira Shore (m. 1970–1988). His last marriage was to Linda Kentwood (m. 1988–1995; his death).[33] He lived in the south of France for a number of years, up until his death.

Death

[edit]

On 2 February 1995, Pleasence died at age 75 at his home in Saint-Paul-de-Vence, France, from complications of heart failure following heart valve replacement surgery.[34] His body was cremated.

Legacy

[edit]

The 1995 film Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers was dedicated to Donald Pleasence. The 1998 film Halloween H20: 20 Years Later also features a dedication to Pleasence in the end credits, with voice actor Tom Kane providing a voice-over for Loomis in the film. In the 2018 film, Halloween, comedian Colin Mahan voiced Loomis.[35][36] In the 2021 film Halloween Kills Tom Jones, Jr. played Loomis, wearing prosthetic make-up to resemble Pleasence. Loomis' voice was again provided by Mahan.[37][38]

Dr. Evil, the character played by Mike Myers in the Austin Powers comedy films (1997–2002), and Doctor Claw from Inspector Gadget are parodies of Pleasence's performance as Blofeld in You Only Live Twice.[39]

Filmography

[edit]

Film

[edit]
Year Title Role Notes
1954 Private's Progress Uncredited Scotland Yard Detective
The Beachcomber Tromp
1955 Orders Are Orders Corporal Martin Credited as Donald Plesance
Value for Money Limpy
1956 1984 Robert Parsons
The Black Tent Ali
1957 The Man in the Sky Crabtree
Manuela Evans
Barnacle Bill Cashier
1958 A Tale of Two Cities John Barsad
Heart of a Child Spiel
The Wind Cannot Read Doctor
The Man Inside Organ-Grinder
The Two-Headed Spy General Hardt
1959 Look Back in Anger Hurst
Killers of Kilimanjaro Captain
The Battle of the Sexes Irwin Hoffman
1960 The Shakedown Jessel Brown
The Flesh and the Fiends William Hare
Circus of Horrors Vanet
Hell Is a City Gus Hawkins
Sons and Lovers Pappleworth
The Big Day Victor Partridge
Suspect Parsons / Bill Brown
The Hands of Orlac Graham Coates
1961 No Love for Johnnie Roger Renfrew
The Wind of Change 'Pop' Marley
A Story of David Nabal
Spare the Rod Mr. Jenkins
What a Carve Up! Everett Sloane
1962 The Inspector Sergeant Wolters
1963 The Caretaker Mac Davies / Bernard Jenkins
The Great Escape Flight Lieutenant Colin Blythe, "The Forger"
Dr. Crippen Dr. Crippen
1965 The Greatest Story Ever Told Satan
The Hallelujah Trail Oracle Jones
1966 Cul-de-sac George
Eye of the Devil Pere Dominic
Fantastic Voyage Dr. Michaels
1967 The Night of the Generals General Kahlenberge
You Only Live Twice Ernst Stavro Blofeld
Matchless Gregori Andreanu
1968 Will Penny Preacher Quint
The Other People Clive
Creature of Comfort James Thorne
1969 Arthur? Arthur! Arthur Brownjohn
The Madwoman of Chaillot Prospector
1970 Soldier Blue Isaac Q. Cumber
1971 THX 1138 SEN 5241
Wake in Fright Clarence 'Doc' Tydon
1972 Death Line Inspector Calhoun
The Jerusalem File Major Samuels
The Pied Piper Baron
Henry VIII and His Six Wives Thomas Cromwell
Innocent Bystanders Loomis
Wedding in White Jim Dougall
1973 Kidnapped Ebenezer Balfour
The Rainbow Boys Ralph Logan
Lonely Water The Spirit (voice) Short film
Malachi's Cove Malachi
Tales That Witness Madness Professor Tremayne
1974 From Beyond the Grave Jim Underwood Segment: "An Act of Kindness"
Watch Out, We're Mad! Doctor
The Black Windmill Cedric Harper
House of the Damned Martin Zayas
The Mutations Professor Nolter
Barry McKenzie Holds His Own Count Plasma
1975 The Count of Monte Cristo Baron Danglars
Escape to Witch Mountain Lucas Deranian
I Don't Want to Be Born Dr. Finch
Journey into Fear Kuvelti
Hearts of the West A.J. Neitz
1976 Trial by Combat Sir Giles Marley
Land of the Minotaur aka The Devil's Men Father Roche
Goldenrod John Tyler Jones
The Passover Plot Pontius Pilate
The Last Tycoon Boxley
The Eagle Has Landed Heinrich Himmler
1977 The Uncanny Valentine De'ath Segment: "Hollywood 1936"
Oh, God! Dr. Harmon
Telefon Nikolai Dalchimsky
1978 Blood Relatives James Doniac
Tomorrow Never Comes Dr. Todd
Night Creature Axel MacGregor
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band B.D. Hoffler
Power Play Blair
L'Ordre et la sécurité du monde Rothko
Halloween Dr. Sam Loomis
1979 Jigsaw Albert Rumpelmayer
Good Luck, Miss Wyckoff Dr. Steiner
Dracula Dr. Jack Seward
All Quiet on the Western Front Kantorek
Jaguar Lives! General Villanova
1980 Halloween: Extended Edition Dr. Sam Loomis Appeared in additional footage (filmed during the production of Halloween II) not included in the original film but featured in the NBC television broadcast.
The Pumaman Dr. Kobras
The Monster Club Pickering
1981 Escape from New York President John Harker
Halloween II Dr. Sam Loomis
Race for the Yankee Zephyr Gilbert 'Gibbie' Carson
1982 Alone in the Dark Dr. Leo Bain
1983 To Kill a Stranger Colonel Kostik
Warrior of the Lost World Prossor
The Devonsville Terror Dr. Warley
1984 Frankenstein's Great Aunt Tillie Baron Victor Frankenstein
Where Is Parsifal? Mackintosh
The Ambassador Eretz
A Breed Apart J.P. Whittier
Terror in the Aisles Himself (host)
1985 Phenomena John McGregor
Treasure of the Amazon Klaus Von Blantz
Nothing Underneath Inspector Danesi
1986 Operation Nam Father Lenoir
1987 Warrior Queen Clodius
Specters Professor Lasky
Double Target Senator Blaster
Ground Zero Prosper Gaffney
Django 2 Gunn
Prince of Darkness Priest
To Kill a Stranger Colonel Kostik
Animali metropolitani Professor Livingstone
1988 Phantom of Death Inspector Datti
The Commander Henry Carlson
Last Platoon Colonel B. Abrams
Vampire in Venice Don Alvise
Hanna's War Captain Thomas Rosza
Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers Dr. Sam Loomis
1989 The House of Usher Walter Usher
Ten Little Indians Judge Lawrence Wargrave
Paganini Horror Mr. Pickett
River of Death Heinrich Spaatz
Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers Dr. Sam Loomis
Casablanca Express Colonel Bats
1990 Buried Alive Dr. Schaeffer
American risciò Reverend Mortom Alternate title: American Rickshaw
1991 L'avvoltoio può attendere Aaron Shalik
Millions Ripa
Shadows and Fog Doctor
1992 Dien Bien Phu Howard Simpson
1993 The Thief and the Cobbler Phido The Vulture (voice) 1992 workprint and Fred Calvert version only
The Big Freeze Soup Slurper
The Hour of the Pig Pincheon
1995 Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers Dr. Sam Loomis The film was dedicated to his memory (posthumous release)
Safe Haven The Sailor Posthumous release
1996 Fatal Frames Professor Robertson Posthumous release (final film role)
2021 Halloween Kills Dr. Sam Loomis archival footage

Television

[edit]
Year Title Role Notes
1952 The Dybbuk Second batlon Television film
1952–1959 Sunday Night Theatre Various roles 6 episodes
1954 Montserrat Juan Alvarez Television film
1954 The Face of Love Alex
1954 Nineteen Eighty-Four Syme
1955 The Grove Family Monsieur Paul Episode: "Parlez-Vous Français?"
1956 The Adventures of Robin Hood Prince John 4 episodes
1956–1959 ITV Playhouse Various roles 6 episodes
1957 Assignment Foreign Legion Commandant Episode: "The Coward"
1957–1967 Armchair Theatre Various roles 8 episodes
1958 I Spy Mr. Frute Television film
Granite A Nameless Man
1959 The Killing Stones Jakob Kleiber Episode: "The Carefulness of Kleiber"
The Scarf Detective Inspector Harry Yates 6 episodes
The Adventures of William Tell The Spider Episode: "The Spider"
The Traitor Grantley Caypor Television film
1960 The Four Just Men Paul Koster Episode: "The Survivor"
Interpol Calling Karl Haussman Episode: "The Absent Assassin"
Rendezvous Potter Episode: "The Dodo"
1960–1961 Danger Man Nikolides / Captain Aldrich 2 episodes
1960–1965 Armchair Mystery Theatre Host / Ambrose Episode: "Ambrose"
1961 Alcoa Presents: One Step Beyond Harvey Laurence Episode: "The Confession"
Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color Captain Pinski Episode: "The Horsemasters"
1962 The Twilight Zone Professor Ellis Fowler Episode: "The Changing of the Guard"
1963 The Outer Limits Professor Harold Finley Episode: "The Man with the Power"
1964 Espionage Escalon Episode: "The Liberators"
1965 The Defenders Dr. Byron Saul Episode: "Fires of the Mind"
1966 The Fugitive Max Pfeiffer Episode: "With Strings Attached"
The Wednesday Play The Head Waiter Episode: "The Head Waiter" (teleplay)
1967 The Diary of Anne Frank Mr. Dusseli Television film
1967–1968 Thirty-Minute Theatre J.G. / Richard Pratt 2 episodes
1971 The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes Carnacki Episode: "The Horse of the Invisible"
1971–1983 Play for Today Samuel Johnson / Gerry Muddiman / Tom 3 episodes
1972 Hawaii Five-O Hans Vogler Episode: "The Ninety-Second War: Part II"
The Man Outside Victor Cobb Episode: "A Glass of Snake Wine"
Police Surgeon Jerry Hahn Episode: "Lady X"
1973 Columbo Adrian Carsini Episode: "Any Old Port in a Storm"
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Fred Smudge Television film
Orson Welles Great Mysteries Cawser Episode: "Captain Rogers"
1974 Occupations Christo Kabak Television film
Performance Wilhelm Voigt Episode "The Captain of Köpenick"
1975 The Count of Monte Cristo Baron Danglars Television film
Shades of Greene Puckler Episode: "The Root of All Evil"
1976 Peep Show Max Episode: "Death"
Laurence Olivier Presents Nat Jeffcote Episode: "Hindle Wakes"
1977 Jesus of Nazareth Melchior Miniseries
1977 The Dark Secret of Harvest Home Narrator
1978 The Defection of Simas Kudirka Captain Vladimir Popov Television film
The Bastard Solomon Sholto Miniseries
1978–1979 Centennial Sam Purchas
1979 Mrs. Columbo Ian A. Morly Episode: "Murder Is a Parlor Game"
All Quiet on the Western Front Kantorek Television film
Gold of the Amazon Women Clarence Blasko
The French Atlantic Affair Max Dechambre Miniseries
Better Late Than Never Colonel Riddle Television film
1980 The Ghost Sonata The Old Man
Blade on the Feather Professor Jason Cavendish
1981 Dick Turpin Ignatius Slake 2 episodes
Saturday Night Live Host Episode: "Donald Pleasence/Fear"
1982 Witness for the Prosecution Mr. Myers Television film
The Barchester Chronicles Reverend Septimus Harding 7 episodes
1984 Master of the Game Salomon Van der Merwe Miniseries
Arch of Triumph Haake Television film
1985 Black Arrow Sir Oliver Oates
1987 Scoop Lord Copper
Basements

Harold Pinter's The Room[40]

Mr. Kidd
1988 The Ray Bradbury Theater George Hill Episode: "Punishment Without Crime"
The Great Escape II: The Untold Story Dr. Absalon Television film
1989 Agatha Christie's Miss Marple: A Caribbean Mystery Jason Rafiel
1991 Women in Arms Dreyfuss
1992 Lovejoy Karel Redl Episode: "The Prague Sun"
1993 Screen Two Victor Harty Episode: "Femme Fatale"
1995 Signs and Wonders Cornelius Van Damm Miniseries

Awards and nominations

[edit]
Year Award Category Nominated work Result
1959 British Academy Television Awards Light Entertainment Award Donald Pleasence Won
1978 Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Performance by a Supporting Actor in a Comedy or Drama Special The Defection of Simas Kudirka Nominated
1980 Saturn Awards Best Supporting Actor Dracula Nominated
1982 Best Actor Halloween II Nominated
1987 Australian Film Institute Awards Best Actor in a Supporting Role Ground Zero Nominated

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Terry Sherwood (27 June 2020). "Donald Pleasence: to Halloween and Back". The Spooky Isles. Archived from the original on 25 January 2021. Retrieved 25 March 2021.
  2. ^ "Pleasence" Archived 2 April 2015 at the Wayback Machine, Collins English Dictionary
  3. ^ "England and Wales Births 1837–1983". Freebmd.org.uk. 10 September 2010. Archived from the original on 1 November 2019. Retrieved 6 October 2010.
  4. ^ Ross, Helen; Ross, Lillian (1962). The Player: A Profile of an Art. Simon and Schuster. p. 256. ISBN.
  5. ^ a b "Full text of "The Player A Profile Of An Art"". Simon And Schuster. 1961. Retrieved 6 October 2010.
  6. ^ Star Pupils Revealed at Scunthorpe Telegraph Archived 1 November 2015 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 9 July 2016
  7. ^ Obituary for Pleasence, 'The Independent', 2 February 1995.
  8. ^ Obituary for D. Pleasence, 'The Independent', 3 February 1995.
  9. ^ "Record for Lancaster NE112 on lostaircraft.com". Archived from the original on 6 November 2021. Retrieved 29 November 2014.
  10. ^ Chorley, W.R. (1997), Royal Air Force Bomber Command Losses of the Second World War, Volume 5: 1944; p 407. Midland Counties Publications, UK. ISBN 0-904597-91-1.
  11. ^ a b c "OBITUARIES : Donald Pleasence | The Independent | The Independent". Independent.co.uk. 3 February 1995. Archived from the original on 27 October 2021. Retrieved 27 October 2021.
  12. ^ a b c d e f g "Obituaries: Donald Pleasence". The Independent. 3 February 1995. Archived from the original on 19 September 2015. Retrieved 14 February 2012.
  13. ^ "Nineteen Eighty-Four (Dual Format Edition)". BFI. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
  14. ^ "Musical Version of 'Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde' Stars Kirk Douglas". The Mexia Daily New. Vol. 74. 3 April 1973.
  15. ^ O'Conner, John J. (7 November 1988). "Review/Television; Derring-Do And Deceit In Wartime". The New York Times.
  16. ^ "UNTOLD STORY TOLD: 'THE GREAT ESCAPE II'". Desert News. 5 November 1988.
  17. ^ "Circus of Horrors". Turner Classic Movies. Archived from the original on 28 January 2016. Retrieved 9 November 2015.
  18. ^ "Film Review: The Great Escape". Variety. 31 December 1962.
  19. ^ Prometheus Entertainment, Halloween: A Cut Above the Rest, 2003
  20. ^ Gonzales, Ed (4 December 2001). "Review: Phenomena". Slant Magazine.
  21. ^ Brook, David (6 January 2018). "PHENOMENA". Blueprintreview.
  22. ^ Trunick, Austin (16 March 2022). "Phenomena [4K UHD]". Under The Radar.
  23. ^ Corey, Joe (1 November 2021). "Blu-ray Review: Nothing Underneath/Too Beautiful To Die". Inside Pulse.
  24. ^ Kerswell, JA. "NOTHING UNDERNEATH". Hysteria Lives.
  25. ^ "Blu Review – Nothing Underneath/Too Beautiful To Die (Vinegar Syndrome)". Horror Society. 11 April 2022.
  26. ^ Tal, Tim (6 September 2011). "REVIEW: Cobra Mission (1986)".
  27. ^ "REVIEW: 'Prince of Darkness' is a masterpiece of horror". The State Hornet. 23 October 2020.
  28. ^ Pollard, Andrew (20 November 2018). "PRINCE OF DARKNESS – 4K ULTRA HD". Starburst.
  29. ^ "John Carpenter's Prince Of Darkness: 5 Reasons It's Criminally Underrated (& 5 It's Not)". Screen Rant. 11 June 2020.
  30. ^ Wilmington, Michael (23 October 1987). "MOVIE REVIEW : A JUMBLED 'PRINCE OF DARKNESS'". Los Angeles Times.
  31. ^ "Donald Pleasence'S Biography". Pleasence.com. Archived from the original on 15 July 2011. Retrieved 6 October 2010.
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