Morton Lowry

Morton Lowry (born Edward Morton Lowater;[1] 13 February 1914 – 26 November 1987)[1] was a British actor. He is best known for his film roles as John Stapleton in The Hound of The Baskervilles (1939) and for his role as Mr. Jonas in How Green was My Valley (1941). He also appeared in other films including Pursuit to Algiers and The Picture of Dorian Gray (both 1945).

Morton Lowry
Born
Edward Morton Lowater

(1914-02-13)13 February 1914
Lancashire, England
Died26 November 1987(1987-11-26) (aged 73)
San Francisco, California, U.S.
NationalityBritish
Occupation(s)Film and television actor
Years active1938–1960
Known forRoles in The Hound of the Baskervilles and How Green was My Valley
Spouses
Diana Whalley
​
​
(m. 1934; div. 1936)​
    Virginia Barnato
    ​
    ​
    (m. 1938; div. 1949)​
    Children2

    Personal life

    Morton was born in Lancashire, England as Edward Morton Lowater to Edward Morton Lowater, Sr., an engineer, and Bithiah 'Bertha' Holmes. The family later moved to the Russell Square area of London.

    Morton was married at least three times. His first marriage was in 1934, when he was 20 years old, to Diana Whalley.[2] This short-lived marriage ended in divorce in 1936.[3] On 27 February 1938, Morton married socialite Virginia Barnato, granddaughter of diamond dealer Barney Barnato and daughter of racing car driver Woolf Barnato, on a San Francisco theatre stage[4] after announcing their engagement on 15 February 1938.[5] This relationship did not survive but one son was born.[6][7] Morton went on to marry once more in 1957[8] and, though this union also ended in divorce, it produced one more child in 1958.

    Morton Lowry moved back to the United States in the early 1960s to revive his film career. He died on 26 November 1987 at a San Francisco UCSF hospital from heart failure due to complications during surgery. His death was indigent and he was buried by the state at Pleasant Hill Cemetery in Sebastopol, California, on 14 January 1988.

    Career

    Morton started his stage career using the name Edward Lowater. He appeared in many stage revues, appearing in theatres such as the Alhambra Theatre, the London Astoria and the Garrick Theatre, where he is mostly credited as being part of the singing and dancing chorus line. He can be found credited in shows such as Over the Page in September 1933 and The Drunkard in November 1934.

    His first known big break came in the role of Donnie in the film The Dawn Patrol acting under the name of Morton Lowry. This led to a respectable film career in which he completed over 25 films, including How Green Was My Valley,[9] which received ten Academy Award nominations in the United States. He was one of the few actors to appear as different characters in the Basil Rathbone/Nigel Bruce Sherlock Holmes film series, as John Stapleton in The Hound of the Baskervilles (1939) and as the steward Sanford in Pursuit to Algiers (1945).

    In 1947, Lowry's film career dwindled, with his last American film role being uncredited as a scared man in Calcutta. His last British film role was as Dinelli's driver in the 1960 film Too Hot to Handle.

    Morton ventured into television work during the 1950s, most of which was in the United Kingdom. His work includes BBC Sunday Night Theatre in 1951, Theatre Royal (television film) in 1952 and Sword of Freedom in 1957. During 1959, he played various characters in the television series The Four Just Men. He also appeared as the Lieutenant in the 1959–60 television series The Adventures of Robin Hood in at least 12 episodes.

    Filmography
    List of acting performances in film and television[10]
    Title Year Role Notes
    The Dawn Patrol[11] 1938 Donnie Scott
    The Little Princess 1939 Traumatized Young Soldier Uncredited
    The Hound of the Baskervilles 1939 John Stapleton
    Tarzan Finds a Son! 1939 Richard Lancing
    Winter Carnival 1939 Count Olaf Von Lundborg
    British Intelligence 1940 Lt. Borden Uncredited
    Hudson's Bay[11] 1940 Gerald Hall
    Charley's Aunt[12] 1941 Harley Stafford
    A Yank in the R.A.F. 1941 Squadron Leader Macbeth
    How Green Was My Valley[13] 1941 Mr. Jonas
    Captains of the Clouds[14] 1942 Carmichael
    This Above All 1942 Soldier Uncredited
    The Pied Piper 1942 Roger Dickinson Uncredited
    The Loves of Edgar Allan Poe 1942 Charles Dickens
    Counter-Espionage 1942 Kurt Weil
    Immortal Sergeant 1943 Cottrell
    No Time for Love 1943 Dunbar Uncredited
    Corvette K-225 1943 British Lieutenant Uncredited
    The Story of Dr. Wassell[15] 1944 Lieutenant Bainbridge Uncredited
    The Hour Before the Dawn 1944 Jackson Uncredited
    None but the Lonely Heart[9] 1944 Taz Jones Uncredited
    The Man in Half Moon Street 1945 Alan Guthrie
    The Picture of Dorian Gray 1945 Adrian Singleton
    Son of Lassie 1945 Blind Corporal P.O.W. Uncredited
    Pursuit to Algiers 1945 Sanford
    The Verdict 1946 Arthur Kendall
    Calcutta 1947 Scared man Uncredited
    Sunday Night Theatre 1951 Jerry Seymour / William Avery 2 episodes
    Theatre Royal 1952 Tony Cavendish TV movie
    Sword of Freedom 1957 Orlando de Giovanni Episode: "A Game of Chance"
    The Four Just Men 1959 Captain / Watkins / Harry Green 3 episodes
    The Adventures of Robin Hood 1959–1960 Lieutenant At least twelve episodes, (final appearance)
    Too Hot to Handle 1960 Driver

    References
    1. Lancashire Birth Records, Volume 8c, pg. 1257.
    2. Middlesex Marriage Records, Jan–Feb–Mar 1934. Volume 1b, pg. 16.
    3. Divorce Court File: 2411. 1936. The National Archives.
    4. Chicago Daily Tribune. 27 February 1938. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
    5. "The transcript picture page". The Transcript. 15 February 1938.
    6. Barnato Walker, Diana (2008). Spreading My Wings. Grub Street Publishing. p. 162.
    7. California Marriage Index, 1960–1985
    8. Middlesex Marriage Records, Jan–Feb–Mar 1957. Volume 5c, pg. 2344.
    9. "Morton Lowry – Filmography". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. Archived from the original on 30 January 2013. Retrieved 28 December 2011.
    10. "Morton Lowry Filmography". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 28 December 2011.
    11. Fraser, George MacDonald (1996). The Hollywood history of the world. Harvill Press. ISBN 978-1-86046-201-6.
    12. Charley's aunt. 11 October 2018. OCLC 081703828.
    13. Crowther, Bosley (29 October 1941). "A Beautiful and Affecting Film Achievement Is "How Green Was My Valley," at the Rivoli". The New York Times.
    14. "Captains of the Clouds Movie Cast (1942)". Archived from the original on 1 February 2013. Retrieved 28 December 2011.
    15. "Turner Classic Movies - Listings from TCM HD and TCM+1". Turner Entertainment.
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