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Acting
John Abbott
Also known as: John Lloyd Abbott, John Albert Chamberlain Kefford
Biography
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.
Personal Info
Known For
Acting
Birthday
June 5, 1905
Day of Death
May 24, 1996
Age at Death
90 years old
Place of Birth
Stepney, London, England, UK
Popularity Score
0.7
Filmography
The Commissioner
Commissioner's Laywer
1998Movie
A Hazard of Hearts
2nd Gambler
1987Movie
Quest
1984Movie
Smorgasbord
Surgeon
1983Movie
Slapstick of Another Kind
Dr. Frankenstein
1982Movie
Blunt Instrument
Dr. Durrant
1981Movie
Outside Chance
Coroner
1978Movie
Edward and Mrs Simpson
Mouth Organist
1978TV
Sherlock Holmes in New York
Heller
1976Movie
The Black Bird
Duquai
1975Movie
The Cat Creature
Dr. Reinhart
1973Movie
Cool Million
Sir Godwin Phipps-Cheston
1972TV
The Partners
1971TV
Timeslip
1970TV
2000 Years Later
Gregorius
1969Movie
The Epic That Never Was
Ms. Robson's Host (uncredited)
1969Movie
Medical Center
Professor MacIntyre
1969TV
Paul Temple
Floor Manager
1969TV
Three Guns for Texas
Banker Irwing
1968Movie
Land of the Giants
Prof. Gorak
1968TV
The Jungle Book
Akela (voice)
1967Movie
Garrison's Gorillas
1967TV
Mannix
1967TV
Rango
1967TV
Gambit
Emile
1966Movie
Star Trek
Ayleborn
1966TV
The Greatest Story Ever Told
Aben
1965Movie
Lost in Space
Sesmar
1965TV
Get Smart
Mondo
1965TV
Laredo
1965TV
Flipper
1964TV
Bewitched
1964TV
Profiles in Courage
Senator Wigfall
1964TV
Wendy and Me
1964TV
The Rogues
Sir Egbert
1964TV
The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
Dr. Ellias Swan
1964TV
Who's Minding the Store?
Mr. Orlandos
1963Movie
Burke's Law
Conrad Jaeger
1963TV
The Beverly Hillbillies
1962TV
Ichabod and Me
1961TV
The Islanders
Harwood Gones
1960TV
Outlaws
1960TV
Thriller
Kriss Milo ('The Mask of Medusa')
1960TV
Maigret
Extra in Film Sequences (uncredited)
1960TV
The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis
1959TV
Adventures in Paradise
Murdock
1959TV
The Detectives
1959TV
The DuPont Show with June Allyson
Professor Brent
1959TV
Gigi
Manuel
1958Movie
Peter Gunn
1958TV
The Rifleman
1958TV
The Further Adventures of Ellery Queen
The Cat
1958TV
77 Sunset Strip
Dr. Felstrand
1958TV
Omar Khayyam
Yusuf
1957Movie
Public Pigeon No. 1
Dipso Dale Rutherford
1957Movie
Perry Mason
Prof. Carlos Muntz
1957TV
Have Gun, Will Travel
Winston Ainslee
1957TV
Telephone Time
Jutchenko
1956TV
The Miracle on 34th Street
Dr. Sawyer
1955Movie
Gunsmoke
Professor Lute Bone
1955TV
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Mr. Munro
1955TV
Matinee Theater
1955TV
The 20th Century Fox Hour
Dr. Albert Sawyer
1955TV
Rogue's March
Herbert Bielensen
1953Movie
The Steel Lady
Mustafa el Melik
1953Movie
Sombrero
Don Daniel
1953Movie
General Electric Theater
Professsor Meyerdal
1953TV
The Merry Widow
Marshovian Ambassador
1952Movie
Thunder in the East
Nitra Puta
1952Movie
Cavalcade of America
Col. Barton
1952TV
Crosswinds
Sykes
1951Movie
Thunder on the Hill
Abel Harmer
1951Movie
Navy Bound
Pappa Cerrano
1951Movie
Hallmark Hall of Fame
Chang
1951TV
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
1951TV
Sideshow
Pierre
1950Movie
Madame Bovary
Mayor Tuvache
1949Movie
The Woman in White
Frederick Fairlie
1948Movie
Studio One
Travers
1948TV
Humoresque
Rozner
1947Movie
The Web
Charles Murdock
1947Movie
If Winter Comes
Mr. Twyning
1947Movie
Adventure Island
Huish
1947Movie
Time Out of Mind
Max Leiberman
1947Movie
Deception
Bertram Gribble
1946Movie
The Notorious Lone Wolf
Lal Bara
1946Movie
Anna and the King of Siam
Phya Phrom
1946Movie
One More Tomorrow
Joseph Baronova
1946Movie
The Bandit of Sherwood Forest
Will Scarlet
1946Movie
The Power of the Whistler
Kaspar Andropolous
1945Movie
Pursuit to Algiers
Jodri
1945Movie
The Vampire's Ghost
Webb Fallon
1945Movie
Honeymoon Ahead
Welles
1945Movie
The Crime Doctor's Warning
Jimmy Gordon
1945Movie
Saratoga Trunk
Roscoe Bean
1945Movie
A Thousand and One Nights
Ali
1945Movie
The Mask of Dimitrios
Mr. Pappas
1944Movie
Cry of the Werewolf
Peter Althius
1944Movie
End of the Road
Chris Martin
1944Movie
The Falcon in Hollywood
Martin S. Dwyer
1944Movie
Summer Storm
Lunin
1944Movie
Secrets of Scotland Yard
Mortimer Cope
1944Movie
Abroad with Two Yanks
Salesman
1944Movie
U-Boat Prisoner
Alfonse Lamont
1944Movie
Once Upon a Time
Reporter (uncredited)
1944Movie
The Gorilla Man
Dr. Ferris
1943Movie
London Blackout Murders
Jack Rawlings
1943Movie
Hangmen Also Die!
Hostage (scenes deleted)
1943Movie
The Cross of Lorraine
Baker (uncredited)
1943Movie
They Got Me Covered
Gregory Vanesou
1943Movie
Dangerous Blondes
Roland X. Smith (uncredited)
1943Movie
Mission to Moscow
Grinko (uncredited)
1943Movie
Jane Eyre
Mason
1943Movie
Mrs. Miniver
Fred
1942Movie
Joan of Paris
English Spy
1942Movie
Rubber Racketeers
Dumbo
1942Movie
Get Hep to Love
Professor Radowsky
1942Movie
This Above All
Joe
1942Movie
Nightmare
Carl aka Charles
1942Movie
The Shanghai Gesture
Poppy's Escort
1941Movie
Ten Days in Paris
André
1940Movie
The Saint in London
Count Stephen Duni
1939Movie
The Great Commandment
Starving Beggar
1939Movie
This Man Is News
Hood with Foreign Accent
1938Movie
Street of Shadows
1937Movie
Return of the Scarlet Pimpernel
Flower Seller
1937Movie
Under Secret Orders
Armand
1937Movie
The Conquest of the Air
Jean-François Pilâtre de Rozier
1931Movie